Chapter Seventy-Two; Piecing Together the Puzzle
(Stephanie & Ficen's POV)
A good while later saw Stephanie back to more or less usual with flawless make-up. Ficen fixed her hair so it was in a half-up, half-down style that more or less covered the gash at the back with a huge, intricate clasp.
Ficen had also shoved two small white pills and a bottle of water into Stephanie's hands. Stephanie had initially refused. She didn't trust Ficen as far as she could throw her, and recent events only proved her distrust to be earned.
Ficen had threatened then to shove them down her throat. "Take them. They will keep you standing for the next few hours," she enforced through clenched teeth.
Ficen shut the silver case shut with an affirmative click before she smothered her hands in hand sanitizer. Stephanie had learnt what it was after Ficen would insist on using it everytime she had to physically touch Stephanie to do her make-up.
Ignoring the stylist Stephanie stood on shaky legs and veered violently to the left before she righted herself and swayed unsteadily for a few moments.
Ficen did not at all seem concerned that Stephanie looked like she was about to crash to the floor again in a dead faint. But the small, white pills Ficen had given her did their job and Stephanie instead of fainting, felt her heart pick up the pace, making Stephanie feel like momentarily vomiting.
Stephanie's thoughts were still twisted in anger and she felt less than well, but her silent thinking had allowed her to make some sense of the situation.
She pieced together everything she knew.
Point One; For a start she knew for certain that Slena was the cause of the altercation between Vir and Cron. Stephanie shuddered as she remembered Slena's broken begging on her knees. It was evident also that Dess held something over Slena.
But even that raised more questions.
Why would Vir risk everything for Slena? Stephanie didn't know what would happen to Vir now and she blanched to imagine, but even if the Capitol didn't punish him, the Careers would not forget.
Why would Vir essentially give up his life for Slena? Did Slena hold something over him like Dess did with her? What was it anyway that Dess was blackmailing Slena with?
Point Two; It was used as a distraction. Clearly there had been some rather big misunderstandings about what constituted a distraction between Dess and Slena and Vir.
But a distraction from what? Stephanie hadn't heard Dess or anyone mention what exactly everyone was meant to be distracted from. Though given the circumstances Stephanie heavily suspected it had something to do with what had occurred.
Point Three; What had occurred? Dess had essentially forced himself on her – Under Ficen's insistence? – While Fas took pictures. All under the orders of Seneca.
A whole tirade of questions assaulted her at that point that Stephanie wondered if she should just leave it. Every answer she figured out seemed to throw up ten more questions.
Dess clearly was not doing it for his own pleasure – that much was blindingly clear by his comments and disgust at Stephanie. Money? Blackmail?
She had only just met Fas that night but it had been obvious what kind of man he was. One who would kill his mother if it could rake in a big enough profit for the deed.
It was clear why Ficen was doing it. She was in love with Seneca and Seneca had told her to.
Which left two questions Stephanie couldn't answer.
What had been Seneca's motive?
And this – having Dess assault her and Fas take pictures of it – What was that meant to achieve?
Stephanie gave up trying to figure it out for now, as she pinched the bridge of her nose, her headache increasing in its intensity at all the thinking.
But she just couldn't make sense of it. What could Seneca possibly gain from this? Except torturing her some more? Was that really why he had done it – just so that he could mentally scar her irrevocably?
"Hurry up."
Stephanie's head snapped up. Ficen was waiting for her at the door, silver case packed up.
Stephanie approached Ficen warily.
"Where are we going?" Stephanie asked her suspiciously.
Ficen rolled her violet eyes towards the ceiling in exasperation.
"Back to the foyer. All the tributes have been moved to a back room," Ficen answered.
Stephanie's eyes widened in alarm. All the tributes moved to a back room. Then wouldn't they notice straight away that she was missing?
What would Haymitch have said to them? Frenkin?
As if reading her thoughts Ficen added begrudgingly. "You will say you fainted and hit your head. I was helping you."
Stephanie glared darkly at Ficen.
"And why should I lie for you?" Stephanie arched a challenging brow.
Stephanie stepped back in shock as Ficen laughed, not a chuckle or a snigger – but full out laughter, her head thrown back as she cackled wildly.
When her mirth had subsided Ficen even wiped at her eyes, having cried she found it so funny. Then she turned and fixed Stephanie with a callous smirk, her violet eyes dancing beneath her ivory brows.
"Try it and see what happens."
Cold fear cloaked Stephanie at Ficen's dark threat. Images of her family raced through her mind and Stephanie barely stopped herself from breaking down.
At the complete unfairness of it all, of herself against Ficen, of every tribute in the Games, of the Districts against the Capitol.
Slena's wails ricocheted through Stephanie's skull and she shuddered, imagining that the wails were her own and Ficen was threatening her with Eldi.
Stephanie felt a brief flash of sympathy for Slena as Stephanie considered that she would do just about anything to save Eldi. But then…Stephanie's thoughts quickly reasoned, Stephanie didn't know that it was a similar case with Slena. It could be something entirely different, though Stephanie doubted it.
Stephanie numbly followed Ficen out into the wood-panelled hall, vaguely recognising it as the place where Dess and Slena had been arguing.
Instinctively Stephanie struck out for the way she had come, knowing the way back to the foyer.
But she was stopped when Ficen fiercely grabbed her by the shoulder, hauling her backwards.
Stephanie let out a string of curses, whirling angrily to face Ficen.
Ficen's face was drained of all colour, as she stared horrified at the sleek phone in her hand.
Stephanie faltered. If Ficen looked that frightened then…
Ficen read the text once more before pocketing the phone, and grabbing Stephanie's wrist, started dragging her along the corridor in the opposite direction.
The text was from Dess.
He knows and he's heading your way.
Stephanie initially allowed herself to be dragged along; terrified of whatever unknown fear it was that had clearly panicked Ficen so.
And then Stephanie dug her heels into the plush of the carpet as she recognised…
The sound of footsteps heading their way, muffled considerably by the carpet but clearly distinguishable when one was listening for them.
Stephanie looked to Ficen questioningly.
Ficen paled even further if it were possible, already beginning to tug Stephanie towards another of the doors along the corridor.
Ficen opened the double doors nearest to her quickly.
Immediately slipping through the open doors Ficen attempted to wrench Stephanie in after her, but the stubborn, stupid girl didn't budge!
Stephanie looked to Ficen then, a slow calculating look spreading across her face.
Thoughts whizzed through Stephanie's brain as her heart beat thumped frantically, fearful that she would make the wrong choice.
But; what Ficen had done was wrong even by Capitol standards. Not because the Capitol was very moral about these things, but because tributes were not meant to be harmed before the Games. It was considered giving other tributes an advantage.
If a Capitolite guard walked around that corner Stephanie would be able to explain her situation and then Ficen's threat would be nothing but words.
Maybe she could get a new stylist; one that wasn't in love with Seneca Crane and wouldn't torture her for his perverse amusement.
Stephanie ripped her hand from Ficen's moments before the person rounded the corner.
She caught a brief glimpse of Ficen's face twisted in utter rage before she shut the door in Stephanie's face, clearly giving up on Stephanie as a lost cause.
Stephanie stumbled backwards with the force of tearing her arm from Ficen's hold, the clasp holding back her hair snapping loose and falling to the carpet with the sudden movement.
Her head hit the wall opposite and Stephanie's vision blacked out for a moment as exquisite pain ripped through the back of her skull like wildfire.
Stephanie felt herself gasp with the sheer agony of it, her voice rendered completely useless stuck in her throat.
"Stephanie!"
He grasped her by her upper arms, holding her up before she could slide down the wall.
And Stephanie felt tears come to her eyes as she looked at him, from the sudden pain swelling in the back of her head, but also…because she had made the wrong choice.
Ice-blue eyes assessed her frantically as Seneca Crane stood inches before her.