Chapter 8: Vera
"This place is supposed to be one of the best restaurants in Clavis." Cinna pulled his chair closer to the table and looked up at a disinterested Hestia. She had her head in her hand, staring at the walls of the restaurant. "Though not many people come here."
At first, Hestia debated turning down his offer of lunch after accepting it but she ultimately decided against it. Now she had some regrets and she wished she stayed at home. He had brought her out of the Sarto manor, away from what she knew and into Clavis, a neighborhood renown for being a hub for University and older Academy students along with budding writers and artists. It was equal parts rustic and equal parts modern with marble buildings mixed with brick and morter houses scattered here and there. Something, she did note was the amount of trees and bushes she encountered in the streets, the normal Capitol streets hardly ever had trees instead tall poles of green liquid that lit up at night were typically what lined the usual Capitol streets.
"How is it the best restaurant if not many people come here?"
"It just is," Cinna said, grabbing a menu. A waiter dressed in a black shirt and black pants hovered around the tables with a surprisingly pleasant smile that caught Hestia off-guard. Another waiter happily chatted with a patron as they picked out a bottle from the shelve-lined walls. "It's a great place to brainstorm." Cinna went on but he wasn't looking at Hestia, rather he was busy perusing the small menu.
In the dimly lit pale orange-yellow lighting, Hestia could barely see a thing around but she could make out the stacked walls of the small restaurant. The walls carried bottles of wine and other knick-knacks that gleamed in dull shades of silver, copper, and bronze. Some of the walls were absent from shelves and were instead decorated with paintings of people or just splashes of paint on a canvas while four screens hung on each side of the restaurant showing the reaping of that year's games with muted sounds.
On the ceiling hung lights under the shade of spiraled bronze metal and the ceiling itself was brick lined with cracked white plaster in the center. The same plaster that Hestia assumed was also on the walls. The floor itself was stone tiles painted to mimic marble by someone who Hestia guessed had never seen marble as the gold and black veins of the 'marbled' floor looked more like vines.
Hestia turned around and looked down at the table. Carved stone tables with ornate padded bronze-colored metal chairs littered the small restaurant but no two sets of tables looked the same. They were all different like different people had carved them.
That wasn't the only thing that caught her eye.
The centerpieces on each table were carved marble—actual marble not stone painted to look like marble but marble stone carved into smooth small eye-catching sculptures of animals that she didn't quite recognize.
A flutter of delicate marble butterflies caught her eye; it was the centerpiece for another table. But what caught her eye wasn't the butterfly itself but rather its delicate wings. She swore human eyes were carved onto the butterflies.
To say it made her uneasy was an understatement, she felt sick whenever her eyes met those strange butterflies like they were staring through her.
"Ocuwings," Cinna said out of nowhere.
"What."
"The sculpture you were looking at—the centerpiece of that table," He pointed at the empty table Sera was looking at. "That's a marble statue of a flutter of ocuwings. They used to be pretty common when I was growing up."
"Those mutts were common around here." She suppressed a shiver and looked around while Cinna shrugged.
"Used to be but they didn't live up to their potential so they were mostly discarded."
"What were they made for? I don't remember a Hunger Games using those things."
Cinna laughed as if she said the funniest thing ever. "Oh, they weren't for the games. Ocuwings was…a gift to us but all it ended up being was a failure."
She could see how those things would be a failure. Those creepy unnerving human eyes stared at her blankly. "I don't know how they thought that would be a gift with those—those eyes."
"That's why they're called ocuwings; failed experiments who were meant to keep an eye on us but all it did was scare the hell out of everyone."
She paused and looked at Cinna who acted like he didn't say anything strange. Ocuwings were failed experiments? She nervously looked at another table.
A strange nest sat in the center with a few insect-like things dotted around. She had to squint to get a better look at the sculpture only then could she see the strange bee or hornet-like creatures. The little insects were not exactly like hornets with marks on their back that looked similar to a black widow spider and strange feet that resembled a spider's, even its head was different from a bee or a hornet.
"Those are hiders."
"Hiders?" Hestia echoed back with a nervous laugh. She thought it was the most ridiculous name she'd heard. "Let me guess, a hybrid of spiders and hornets?"
Cinna nodded. "Black widows to be exact. Nasty little things. I caught a glimpse of those when I was working on my master's degree. They were meant to be used during the 70th Hunger Games then they weren't brought out."
"Why not?"
"Well, the arena got flooded. Those things aren't exactly built for the water so it was scrapped and never seen again. I wouldn't be surprised if they were sleeping in some mutt archive."
"They have those?" Cinna shrugged in response and Hestia moved on to look at other tables. She assumed then that most of them were also failed mutts that the Capitol almost used against their citizens but she wasn't too sure. Two small birds that looked fairly ordinary caught her eye, surely that couldn't have been as strange as the ocuwings or the hiders.
"Those are pareons." Cinna pointed at the pair of marble birds. "They're a chimera: a mixture of a parakeet, godwit, and a chameleon. You can't really tell the chameleon part from the sculpture but in real life, those things are a beauty. Its feathers make the most gorgeous material to work with."
"Have you worked with it?"
He shook his head. "Nope. Unfortunately, those things are as rare as platinum. Another failed experiment, they were meant to be a gift to District 1 because of how beautiful they were. We were allowed to see them in zoos when I was a child but then they all just disappeared one day."
"What happened to them?"
"Don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if their terrible temper got the best of them. They were angry little things, so hard to tame and they were always hiding. Those things just weren't meant to be tamed."
Those birds almost reminded her of mockingjays. Hestia didn't speak out her thoughts and moved on, she turned to their table.
In the center of the stone table was a delicately carved statue of a bird on a branch of a tree with its wings stretched out and the bird looking away in the distance with a proud gaze. "A mockingjay," Sera muttered under her breath, catching Cinna's attention.
Cinna looked up from the menu. "I'm surprised you recognized the sculpture." He said, leaning toward the center of the table with his hands clasped together. "Not many in the Capitol recognize these pretty things." His eyes left the marble sculpture and were trained on Hestia.
Hestia's nail landed on the stone table as the compulsive urge to scratch at the table grew. "I took a guess." She lied smoothly and lightly tapped the table. "This is a…unique place that's for sure."
His lips stretched out into a smile and he nodded. "It is. Vera has been around for over sixty-two years and it was a collaboration between different students from the University spearheaded by a group of philosophy, arts, and literature students."
"I thought they don't teach philosophy at the University." Cygnus had given her a list of all the subjects she could take, she hardly looked at the other subjects but her brother had been interested in Philosophy, only to be disappointed when Cygnus revealed that the subject had been discontinued for some time over a lack of teachers.
"They used to but they stopped after the student protests a few years back. I was a first-year student back then."
The waiters seemed to pay him no mind as he ordered his meal and waited for Hestia to choose. Without even thinking much, Hestia chose a simple herb and pepper chicken with a side of tomato and basil rice before she passed the menu back and watched the waiter left.
"Students protested against the course?" She guessed which was a wrong guess as Cinna chuckled and she felt so stupid that she wished she kept her mouth shut. Her cheeks felt warm and she was suddenly grateful for the dim lights. She didn't want Cinna to see how embarrassed she was. "So the student didn't protest about the subject."
"No, on the contrary, it was the philosophy students that led the protests. It lasted for days before somehow it turned into riots.
She pursed her lips and nervously looked around but none of the patrons or the staff seemed to care about their conversation. "Are the student protests also known as—"
"The Capitol Riots." Their waiter finished for her as he placed two plates of food on the table and took a step back. "You're a new face but somehow a familiar one." He carried on, his lazy but focused dark eyes narrowed in her and she couldn't help but think he didn't look like he belonged in the Capitol though he was quite handsome.
The only things that even made him appear Capitol-like were the single earring he wore and his unnaturally colored dark blue-gray shoulder-length hair that was tied up half-up and half-down. He looked fairly young too but she had her doubts when it came to age in the Capitol. For all she knew, he could've gotten surgery to look far younger than he was like many of Cygnus' clients.
"Cadmus," Cinna greeted with a small smile and Hestia glanced at the name badge. "Thank you for the meal." She frowned. The name badge on Cadmus' read another name. "I haven't seen you in a while."
Cadmus looked around the quiet restaurant before he turned back to Cinna but he wasn't looking at him instead, his gaze was fixed on Hestia's freckled eyes. "I've been busy. I've been living like a cockroach since Cilix…passed away."
Cinna's face scrunched up as he pursed his lips and nodded in sympathy. "I'm sorry. I wish I was there for Cilix—"
"Then you wouldn't be sitting here with—" He cut himself off and stared at Hestia, waiting for her to introduce herself with a cold look. His wary eyes met Hestia's. Despite her gentle smile, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Hestia, on the other hand, was puzzled by his behavior; they had never met before, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that Cadmus didn't exactly like her. His judgemental gaze was easily giving away his thoughts and if that wasn't enough, he kept turning around and looking at the other waiters.
Despite his cold demeanor, Hestia found herself drawn to him. He was a little pretty in a rugged way but she frowned as a memory of another eclipsed his face for a second before she shut her eyes, closing the door on that memory.
Cadmus would make a good model for Cygnus, she thought while ignoring his hot and cold gaze on her.
"Hestia," She spoke softly, a dumb attempt to get Cadmus to lower his guard. She wasn't the confrontational type or the type to start a scene so she tried her best to stay civil. "I'm Hestia Armistice and you are?" She smiled nervously, folding and unfolding her fist.
"Cadmus Alchester, a first-year Biology student at the University and you are Cygnus Sarto's mysterious goddaughter." He recognized her but the way he spoke, it was clear he was mocking her. "Come out of your ivory tower, princess?" He joked with a sly grin. "Sorry this place isn't much but the food's great."
"Excuse me?" She tilted her head to the side at the sudden hostility and glanced over at Cinna who sat there with his hands clasped together and an amused grin on his face. He wasn't going to be of much help. "I don't understand where that's coming from but for your information, I didn't grow up in the so-called ivory tower that you think Cygnus' home is and he's not a bad person—"
"Never said he was. I was talking about you since nobody knows who you are. Everyone assumes that you and that brother of yours are children of some wealthy socialites—"
Screech.
Hestia dug her nail into the stone table and dragged it without thinking, interrupting Cadmus who raised his brow. "Dante and I grew up on the streets not in some ivory tower you pictured. I'm sorry if you're disappointed but I'm not exactly a princess, just a budding designer."
Despite his guilt, he refused to apologize. He poked the inside of his cheek and nodded. He knew he made a terrible assumption, he was more stubborn than anything. It wasn't like he didn't like Cygnus, he respected the man but he was more annoyed at the sudden appearance of Hestia and her brother that caused Cygnus to retreat into his house and rarely venture out.
Hestia scoffed at his reaction. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him, ignoring Cinna.
"Cadmus, when's your break?" Cinna asked, picking up a knife and fork. "If you have time, why don't join us? I was just about to tell Hestia more about this place and who better to help than you." He sliced into his steak with a quiet squelch and looked up at the quiet girl who had yet to calm down. Neither Cadmus nor Hestia didn't seem to like each other and he sighed seeing this.
Screeech.
"I'll get my lunch." He disappeared with one last glance at Hestia who pretended to be focused on her meal.
Hestia picked up her head when she and Cinna were alone again. She waited for him to say a word but he in turn waited for her to speak. She sighed, taking the first step forward. "Remind me again why I'm here." She said, keeping an eye out for Cadmus.
"We're having lunch and your food's getting cold." Cinna pointedly looked at her mostly untouched meal. "It won't taste good if it's cold and I doubt Cadmus would like to heat it—it'll ruin the taste."
"Cadmus," Hestia stabbed a sliced small piece of chicken and mixed it with some rice before shoving it inside her mouth. The flavors were mild, nothing compared to the meals at Cygnus' but it was still better than what she used to get. "What's his problem?"
"I see you've noticed."
"He didn't exactly hide his feelings towards me. I mean I don't understand. I barely know him. He didn't need to be so…cold."
"He's just careful."
"Or rude." Hestia chirped up with a feigned smile. "I'm sorry I don't understand why he's being so…rude. He was acting like I shouldn't be here or something—I don't get why. It's just a restaurant."
Cinna moved his head from side to side while chewing and humming lightly under his breath. He swallowed and coughed once before speaking. "Is that what you think? Come on. I thought you were more observant than that."
Against her better judgment, she replied. "I am not." The words left her mouth and regret came to her. She gnawed on the bottom of her lips and looked down at her meal. "My brother…" She began again. "He's more smart and observant than I am. I'm just…lucky that he's by my side." She didn't exactly hate that she wasn't as smart as Dante but sometimes, she would feel irrationally upset whenever she remembered how her absent-minded optimism and lack of attention to detail had gotten the two into trouble.
Her naivety and stupidity were the reason the two didn't have anyone but each other.
"You're supposed to be chewing the food, not your lips." Cadmus' voice broke through her thoughts and she mechanically picked up the abandoned fork. He grinned but his face became blank once more when he met Hestia's confused gaze. He cleared his throat as he pulled a chair from another table and sat between Cinna and her.
She managed to finish half of her meal even though she didn't feel like eating. It wasn't like her to act this way with food, she knew that.
Cinna watched her carefully play around with her food and took careful bites of his. Cadmus mirrored him but he seemed laxer in his manner. The two were far too relaxed for her liking and she didn't like how she was the only nervous person at the table.
"So Cadmus," She began as she finished her meal. Cadmus looked up, his mouth full but his eyes wide in surprise that she had addressed him. "Are you also part of the you-know…" She asked while being as vague as possible, trying to be brave as she sat straight and folded her fist; she resisted the urge to scratch the table.
Cadmus' eyes widened in surprise and he turned to look at Cinna who avoided his gaze. For a second, he looked split between being impressed or being angry at Hestia but he took a deep breath and leaned against his chair.
"You told her." He calmly spat out the words, anger evident in his voice. "Cinna?"
"I didn't exactly tell her." Cinna poured himself a cup of wine and took a sip from it. "Leta did."
Knife and fork clattered onto Cadmus' plate as he let go and let out a loud sigh. He put his head between his hands and stayed there for a while. His body was shaking a little and Hestia couldn't help but feel a little bad for bringing up the topic.
"You shouldn't sigh on your food." She found herself repeating familiar words she grew up hearing before she could stop herself. "It's bad luck." She finished as the reaping of District 10 played in the background, the volume suddenly turned up as some of the patrons started speaking louder.
He looked up with a dull stare and gave Cinna a side-eye. "You can't be serious." He mumbled and she shrugged as she reached for her glass of sparkling apple juice.
"It's just like Leta to run her mouth." Cadmus looked down at his unfinished meal. "She had to go and tell you."
Hestia scoffed, a little offended. She knew she wasn't the brightest and her talents didn't stretch very far but surely she wasn't that stupid to go running around telling everyone about it. Leta trusted her and she was happy to keep her secrets.
"This makes it easier for us." Cinna tried to diffuse the tension, swirling the cup of wine. "Hestia is very talented and she could be quite helpful."
"I never said I'd help." Hestia reminded. "I'm only assisting you with games as a favor to Leta. I'd rather not get involved more than I want to."
Cadmus shifted in his seat, shaking his head. He opened his mouth and managed to utter a single word. "Your godfather—"
BANG!
The sound of the metal cup colliding with the stone table cut Cadmus off as Cinna stared helplessly at the mess he had made. Cadmus jerked up as Cinna's cup of wine spilled and coated the floor.
Red wine dripped down the stone table like a crimson waterfall and Hestia looked away as her stomach churned. She swallowed nervously as the cloying sweetness of her drink mixed with the heavily sweet scent suffocated her senses and for a second she couldn't breathe.
"Napkins. Napkins." She muttered under her breath as she opened and closed her fists, the urge to scratch herself or the table growing strong. "Napkins." She said again.
Cinna studied Hestia for a moment while Cadmus rushed to clean the mess he made. The nervous and lost girl in front of him was quite different from the one he had met the first time around. With her twitchy movements and her transparent mask of a face, he could easily read through her like a children's picture book but somehow Cinna wasn't happy about that.
He knew Hestia was talented and he knew Cygnus was a careful man. Yet something didn't make sense. Why would someone like Cygnus pick her up? No matter how talented she was with a needle and thread and some pens, she was too easy to read or that was what he thought when suddenly she stopped fidgeting.
As if a switch had been flipped, Hestia suddenly stopped fidgeting and instead watched Cadmus disappear. She glanced at Cinna who pretended he wasn't studying her just moments ago and watched as her eyes darkened dangerously while she looked down at the red liquid lost in her mind.
Her face was blank, devoid of all emotions like a porcelain mask and he couldn't read her at all. "You did that on purpose." She drawled out slowly while wiping her hands. Her freckled eyes looked at him dangerously like her gaze could burn a hole through him. "So my godfather is involved in this, isn't he?" Her voice was quieter but there was strange roughness to her tone and he could hear a slight drop in her accent.
Cinna's lips turned upwards into a small smile. "What makes you think Cygnus is involved?"
She shrugged. "I don't but you're not doing a good job of hiding it." He wasn't trying to hide it, she realized the moment she spoke. "Did he put you up to this?" She asked, tapping her fingers against the table.
"No." He said, trying to keep his calm though honestly, he was a little unnerved by the younger girl's gaze. "You know how he is—"
"I don't." She interrupted him and looked away to observe the guests, studying them one by one. Nobody seemed to pay them any mind. But the small voice in her head laughed. Maybe they were pretending, the voice in her head said. "I don't know Cygnus." She admitted.
"Neither do I."
She tilted her head to the side in confusion. "I thought you two would be close given that he allowed you to enter his home when he wasn't even home."
"Cygnus," He began, tapping his fingers against the table. He abruptly stopped once he realized what he was doing. "He was one of my mentors back when I was in University. He along with Professor Jadewell and her husband. I was close to them. For someone like me, it meant a lot."
"Someone like you?" She echoed back, a little confused.
"You haven't noticed." Hestia bit her lips. Once again, her lack of observation skills was being questioned and she hated that because it was true. She wanted to just focus on the things in front of her. "I don't have a family name."
"Oh." She nodded, still confused. "I thought it was a stylistic choice."
"Most people do abandon their family names when they want to." Cadmus came back alone with an armful of napkins that he dumped onto Hestia's lap. "Napkins for you." He said before sitting down on the floor and rigorously wiping the painted floor to get the wine stains out. "Some do it…for no reason but to make a name for themselves like Eos Merchant—I'm sure you know who that is."
"Seraphine Reza's personal stylist and the former head stylist of District 5." Cadmus bobbed his head and looked up before tossing the used rag into a nearby bucket that Hestia didn't even notice.
"Eos didn't have anything against her family, she just wanted to make her name." Cinna added.
"Then there are others like Cressida—whose family name nobody knows but there are rumors that she's the daughter of some bigshot Senator. She's an up-and-coming director—pretty known. Rumor has it, she didn't get along with her family."
"So she abandoned her family name?" Hestia asked and both Cadmus and Cinna silently replied to her question. "So it's not uncommon to abandon your identity." She found herself asking, lost in a trance.
Smoke mixed with the stench of blood and dirt filled the small restaurant that only she could smell. Wooden creaks and distant screams overtook her hearing as she crumpled up a napkin and absent-mindedly dabbed herself dry.
"—not uncommon to do it but a lot do abandon their identity especially if you're from Alea." Cadmus went on as Hestia slowly returned to Vera. He stared at her blankly and noticed her softly scratching the surface of the table. "You…weren't paying attention, were you?" He asked with a sigh.
Hestia bit her lips and bowed her head, not meeting his gaze. "Sorry, I…uh…got lost in my thoughts."
"No need to apologize." Cinna eased the tension with his oddly calm voice. "It is a…strange topic: identity."
She nodded. "So you were both saying that it's uncommon for people from Alea to abandon their identity?"
"That is if they had one," Cinna added with a somber smile and a distant gaze. "Most people from Alea don't have any families."
"Right." She looked at Cadmus who pretended to be busy with the cleaning. "So most people are orphans—most people from Alea?"
Cadmus came to a pause and even Cinna stopped reminiscing as the two shared a look and then looked at Hestia with a strange confusion. Cadmus licked his lips, opening and closing his mouth as if he was debating whether or not he should say something.
"You were found in Alea, right?" He asked quietly as he sat on the floor on his knees in front of Hestia. His dark eyes pierced through her speckled orbs and she swallowed nervously.
She stood up and breathed out heavily. She couldn't breathe and she needed to get out. "I-I-uh. Yes. I don't want to talk about it." She sat back down and grabbed her bag with her sketchbooks and pens but Cadmus put his rough and cold hands onto hers, stopping her from leaving. Cold seeped into her bones, calming the raging fire in her blood as she slowly relaxed.
His lips were close to her ears, almost tickling her as he whispered. "You need to relax or someone's gonna get suspicious of you." He backed away and threw a look at Cinna who relaxed back into his seat. "Cinna was from Alea. That's why he doesn't have a family name." He said louder, nodding his head towards Cinna. "And as for you. I see why the princess doesn't leave the tower as much as her brother does."
Hestia looked away and haphazardly placed her sketchbook onto the table as Cadmus took away their plates. "...So you don't have a family?" She slowly said, gripping the cover of her sketchbook.
"Maybe I did but I don't remember." Cinna didn't question her. Though he wanted to probe her on her origins, seeing the nervous girl, he decided to back off. "But I'm fine being just Cinna."
From the corner of her eyes, she could see Cadmus working hard to clean other tables before he returned with three more plates. Dessert. He didn't say a single word as he put forward a strawberry soufflé with vanilla ice cream in front of her while he put down a bowl of vanilla and chocolate lava cake in front of him.
Nobody said another word as they all poked at their desserts. Hestia finished hers and leaned back. She could faintly hear Caesar Flickerman's voice from the speakers as he talked about the reaping of some district before his voice faded and the booming anthem of the Capitol played.
"They're playing District 12's Reaping." Cadmus pointed at the closest screen next to them as Hestia turned her body to look at the cursed screen. She didn't want to look at first but she forced herself to look at the dull screen. "Titia!" He called out a tattooed girl with green and yellow braids waiting at the counter. "Turn up the volume for a bit."
Titia with her pierced eyes scowled at Cadmus but followed his request, turning the volume up before she left to tend to a customer.
Cinna leaned forward in his seat, clasping his hands together as he let out a nervous breath. Hestia almost mirrored him but she leaned back, her hands on the open sketchbook spread out on the table. She resisted the urge to tap the table and forced herself to look at the screen.
Dreary dull colors played out on the screen as the camera showed the people of District 12 gathering outside the plaza of their Justice Building; a familiar soot-covered dull building that had seen its better days. The people were all silent, some speaking in hushed whispers but they were all dressed in their best to anyone from the Capitol those clothes looked like rags.
Just staring at the screen, Hestia couldn't help but feel depressed at the state of the district. Everyone on the screen appeared miserable and she couldn't blame them. The reaping was a terrifying experience, she knew it too well.
The camera panned out and she caught a glimpse of a face that she swore she'd erase from her mind. Her heart almost leaped out and her breath seized up. She held her breath, slowly letting go as she tried to calm herself down.
The mayor of District 12 stepped onto the stage but his speech was skipped by the recaps and before she knew it, there was a cut and the image jumped to the part where the escort of the district took center stage after being introduced.
A woman in gaudy bright-colored clothes stepped onto the stage. Her lips stretched wide to each side of her mouth as she looked at the audience though her trembling gaze gave away just how much she didn't want to be there.
Hestia frowned. She didn't recognize the woman at all. Effie Trinket? That was her name. She must've been new. Then again, Hestia didn't exactly keep up with the games. She had a choice of not watching them and most of the time, no one in the Sarto house liked to watch the games.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Effie's shrill voice echoed around the almost empty restaurant as she started her little speech.
Her audience seemed to tune out as she started going on and on about the games, even Titia was getting annoyed as the girl at the counter grabbed the remote for the speaker and was about to lower the volume when Cadmus glared at her.
Titia sat back down and Hestia picked up her pen. She began to sketch out a design absentmindedly without a particular theme in mind; she was just trying to kill the time till Effie announced the tributes for that year's games.
"Ladies first!" Effie said as Hestia looked up; the escort must've finished her speech. Effie crossed over to the glass ball with the girls' names. She reached in, swirling her hand around the tiny slips of paper.
Hestia's stomach churned with each passing second the longer Effie took to pick out a slip of paper from the hundreds or thousands of names. She just wanted it all to be over. She wasn't even there but the nervousness and anxiety just wouldn't go away.
"Primrose Everdeen!" Effie announced with a wide smile as a deathly hush blanketed her audience.
Screeeeech.
Hestia's heart dropped and unconsciously, she began to scratch the surface of the stone table once again. She couldn't breathe, her chest felt tight and she looked at the screen even though she didn't want to.
The scared face of little Prim who was only twelve appeared on the screen. Her teary red eyes and flushed cheeks made her look far too innocent to be dealt with a death sentence so young. She bit down her quivering lips as she tried to stifle a cry.
"She's young," Cadmus murmured as he placed his hands over hers in an attempt to stop her from scratching the table. "Too young to stand a chance." He glanced over at Cinna who looked so disappointed at the result that he turned away from the screen.
Prim looked back at the crowd and the camera followed her gaze somewhere and Hestia bit her lips, nearly drawing blood. A small and gaunt older girl with dark hair and gray eyes with olive skin so different from Prim stared wildly at the cameras and Prim. The girl looked weak enough to be blown away by the wind with how thin she was but her hard gaze told Hestia otherwise. Though at that moment, she did appear lost and afraid all at the same time, almost falling to the floor she was caught in time. She seemed to have hardened with age since the last—
"Prim!" The girl shouted out desperately trying to get to her sister. "Prim!" She yelled out, her voice strangled and red hot tears spilled out her eyes as she was held back by Peacekeepers from reaching her sister. "Prim!"
Prim turned around and gave her sister a nervous fleeting glance before she was escorted towards the stage. Effie anxiously smiled while staring at the scene before her. She let out a shaky breath and spoke into the mic.
"Come along now." She said, trying to keep the peace.
The Peacekeepers seemed to be moving from the stage and out of the focus of the camera. Hestia could only assume they were moving to hold Prim's sister back.
"I volunteer!" The girl cried out and the camera cut to her.
Her arms were freed and suddenly a path started to form in front of her. Her sister looked back in shock. "Prim!" She cried out hoarsely for her sister. Tears rolled down her face. "I volunteer!" She gasped out, struggling to breathe. "I volunteer as tribute!"
District 12 fell silent and so did Hestia who pursed her lips while tightening her fists. She volunteered. Of course, she did, Prim had been reaped; she had no choice. Hestia let out a shaky breath and turned away from the screen for a second to gather herself.
She was lucky that both Cinna and Cadmus were busy watching the reaping that they didn't even notice her mask break even more.
"Katniss no!" She heard Prim's desperate cries and she shut her eyes as guilt wormed her way into her heart. "Katniss!"
Prim was grabbed by a boy much taller than anyone Hestia knew and he pulled her back from her sister. Hestia leaned forward to get a better look at the screen. He said something to Prim's sister but Hestia wasn't listening. She was far too focused on etching the boy's appearance into her memory before the camera cut away to show the volunteered tribute.
Effie held the mic towards her and asked for an introduction. "Katniss Everdeen." She said, her words much clearer than in the past, leaving no room for mistakes.
"Katniss." Cinna spelled out her name, nearly mistaking it. "Not bad." He said. "She made a tough choice."
"She didn't exactly have one," Hestia replied without meaning to.
Her eyes were still fixed on the screen but now she had picked up her pen again as she started to sketch. "I don't think anyone in the districts does." She added as her mind became much clearer but the guilt in her heart became heavier.
Cinna and Cadmus silently agreed.
"I'll help you…with the games." She said. She dropped her pen as the screen faded to black but not before showing a final shot of the tributes of District 12.
A gaunt and teary-eyed girl stood beside a lost and scared boy with wheat-colored hair and dull blue eyes.
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.