PART II : The Fall
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
The Road Not Taken
- Robert Frost
Chapter 22: Between the Lines
Winning was easy for Zephyr, it took him less than ten days to finish the games. He felt good about himself and he could already picture his stupid uncle's face when he returned a victor. The man who had thrown him out into the streets without warning, would no doubt beg for his forgiveness.
He also wondered how Sera, his mentor, would feel. He could picture it now, she would be proud and he'd admit, she was right about a lot of things.
Yet when the doors to the medical bay opened, Emilia and Sera walked in. The latter didn't look too happy. Zephyr's smile fell.
Was it Ira?
Was she sad he let Ira die?
He tried to read her but she quickly put a smile on her face.
"Congratulations!" Emilia had gushed, looking him over for any injuries. "My! District 5 has another victor!" She clapped her hands together.
Sera nodded along but she was too distracted by her own troubles to say much but a quiet 'Congrats'.
In her mind she was counting down the days. Zephyr's crowning was in a few hours, followed by a few of her own schedules for the next two days and then the two could go home.
It wasn't long yet she felt the days had dragged itself. Since she had gotten Talissa's letter, her days felt like years and every moment she lived with fear of her aunt passing away before she even said goodbye.
Perhaps she was thankful to Plutarch for designing such an arena which helped Zephyr finish the games quickly. She chased the thought away. Thanking that man would lead to him hounding her again to join his stupid cause. She had her own problems to deal with first.
"Caesar Flickerman requested you join us for the show tonight before your crowning ceremony." Sera said, still distracted by her thoughts.
Zephyr nodded, expecting Sera to say something else but she never did. She silently led him to the dressing rooms with Emilia giving her looks of sympathy. He wondered if something happened while he was in the arena and considered asking her but he decided against it, remembering Clarisse's words.
Before they even entered, the three could feel the conflict inside from a mile away. Nervous, Emilia clasped her hands together. She stared at the door.
"Oh dear, not again." She muttered under her breath, knowing exactly what was going on. "Ah well, why don't we talk about our Hunger Games' exper—"
Zephyr didn't let her finish, going straight past her and opening the door. The small party was greeted by a pair of loud shouting voices. Rietta and Harp hid in two separate corners of the room while Mica and two people Sera didn't know were just watching the conflict unravel.
"This isn't my fault!" Ovid yelled out, cutting Eos off from whatever she was saying. He looked a little older than last year as if his promotion to Cygnus' role as the head stylist had aged him. Surely, it wasn't that hard after all he was yearning for the role. "None of this is my fault. I'm sorry about what happened but maybe if your bro—"
The loud noise of flesh hitting flesh echoed around the dressing room. Zephyr and Sera shared a look while Harp squeaked loudly, covering her mouth in shock.
Gasping loudly, Emilia held her reddened hand in front of her. "Don't you ever dare mention him ever again!" She hissed, grabbing his collar and shaking him violently.
The typically docile and kind escort had disappeared, in her place was a stranger consumed by anguish. Emilia's face contorted with rage and maybe grief as she kept whispering harsh words to the District 5 stylist.
"Emil—"
Emilia promptly cut Ovid off. "You…ruined my…no our lives!"
Sera was stunned by the stun, moreso by the lack of response from the prideful Ovid.
The Ovid she knew would've caught Emilia's hand mid-air or he would've fought back. Yet the man in front of them was a shell of the man they thought they knew. To her, he looked pathetic.
Lifelessly, Ovid's eyes searched for Eos. His former partner turned away from his gaze. There was definitely some history between the two, she was even more sure. Emilia was tied in here with them.
Ovid stormed out of the room, his team followed him without a word. Zephyr didn't have a stylist team anymore. Eos didn't say a word but quietly helped Zephyr get ready.
Her curiosity peaked and she wanted to know what happened between the three. Though she had some ideas. "Those two have history." Zephyr mumbled close to Sera's ear.
"What gave it away?" Sera's words were dry and she was actually very tired, ready to call it a day and get on the train home. "Don't get involved with them—you'll regret it." And she wasn't only telling him but also herself.
Lately, she had been breaking all her rules, starting with Finnick. She had to blame him for being so persistent.
Still a part of her wanted to know what was going on but she couldn't take the risk. Zephyr, on the other hand, could.
In the absence of Ovid, Eos helped Zephyr get ready while Harp took care of touching up Sera's hair which had grown a lot in the past two months in the Capitol.
"The snakes will eat the rat." Harp kept muttering with wide eyes as she brushed Sera's hair. "...The snakes will eat the rat."
Alarmed, Sera stood up and looked at Harp with wide eyes. Harp innocently stared at her, confused by her sudden motion.
"Harp, why don't you go help Eos." Mica patted Harp's shoulder and carefully directed her over to the other side of the room divided by a black metal partition. "Sorry about her, she's a little…tired."
Sera watched the bird-like woman go into a corner of the room and sit, facing the wall. To Sera, she was always strange but lately her strangeness was getting to her. All the talk about 'snakes' and 'rats' put her on edge.
"Maybe she should've taken a day off." Sera said with a soft smile.
Mica shook his head before grabbing some metal vine pins. "Harp has never taken a day off in her life even now. Old habits from our old….ah. I spoke too much."
"Not at all. I don't mind." In fact, she'd prefer if he kept on talking. Clearly, Harp and Mica knew more about the people around her than they let on. Even if Sera didn't want to get involved in anything, she could no longer stay in the dark.
"Well, I don't mean to gossip but Harp and I go way back—Rietta too. We all used to work for the Thistlewoods before we started work here. Harp and I were picked from the street—well, an orphanage—Harp's not proud of it but I don't really care because—"
"It's where you come from and it's your past."
"Exactly. I didn't have much but at least I had Harp."
Zephyr regarded Mica's words and shared a look with Sera. She did want to know more but she was holding back. Of course, she preferred to keep up her detached 'kind' image. He didn't have a so-called image and she hoped he would take the bait.
"Did working for the Thistlewoods affect Harp really bad?" And he did. He let his curiosity get the best of him.
"Zephyr." Sera chided, covering her mouth and moving her head to the side while keeping an eye on the reflections of Eos and Harp. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." She said to Mica but she did want him to answer.
"...Yes. It did—ah." Mica promptly stopped talking as Ovid and his team stormed back into the room. Mica left Zephyr alone. Ovid and his team took over again while Sera's team resumed their own tasks.
Eos and Ovid traded some cold looks. Sera could've sworn the temperature in the room dropped. She shivered a little. Emilia draped a soft blanket around her before going over to turn on the television to fill up the silence. The escort was back to her usual self and largely ignored Ovid and his team.
Loud trumpets followed by the logo of the Capitol News flashed on the screen before a woman with straight short black hair and white brocade suit appeared on the screen. She had a blank look on her face which was quite plain and forgettable, so different from the typical Capitolites.
She shuffled some papers and waited for the introduction to end before she started. "Good Evening, and welcome to the Capitol News at 7." She began to read. "Our top story this evening: The Director of the second biggest Capitol Orphanage, Cassius Allard has once again publicly criticized President Snow and Minister Thistlewood at a charity event at the New Hope Orphanage."
Behind the reporter, clips of a tall and stern man with balding black hair appeared. The man stood on a marble pulpit as he protested loudly against the President.
"Peacekeepers were called to break up a potential riot and have issued Director Allard with a warning but Director Allard insists that he will not stop until President Snow allows for an election where the entirety of Panem is allowed to vote alongside the resignation of Minister Thistlewood."
Cassius was a dreamer, Sera thought. There was no way President Snow would ever agree to his demands.
The reporter continued to read from her script. "No response from the President's side yet growing voices of dissent in the Senate, some have come out and shown support to the cause of Cassius Allard."
She paused for a second, reading the script in her hand. Her hand trembled a little and she exhaled before continuing.
"A memorial ceremony was also held by Cassius Allard for…declared traitors who, in the past, had come out in favor of him, including the infamous Talcott family. The move was remarked by some as brave while others think of it as a stunt and that hurting the cause."
"He's really brave." Zephyr remarked, looking at Sera for her reaction.
Sera picked up her cup of lemon tea and took a sip, eying Eos and Ovid behind her in the mirror. The two were in a silent argument but they were still listening in. She trusted Eos a little bit. Ovid was another story. "I think he's stupid." She answered with a dark look.
Cassius Allard seemed like an idealistic man, someone similar to Plutarch. With his association to Consul Talcott, there was no doubt, Cassius Allard and Plutarch were maybe associates. President Snow was probably already planning to get rid of him but she guessed he wasn't a complete idiot. He had eyes on him, if he died mysteriously, people would know.
Harp let out a squeak staring at the screen with wide eyes. She had a complicated look on her face, at first she appeared to be in pain but then she was nostalgic.
She wasn't the only one, Mica had momentarily stopped to watch the screen as images of the orphanage and its director appeared on the screen.
Zephyr also picked up on Harp and he turned to Sera who acted like she didn't see him. Ovid had come back and she still wasn't sure about him. He had another person with him, Harp's replacement, Silas. He was younger than Harp and reminded her of a younger Ovid with moss green hair and black smudged eyeshadow. His hair was cut short but long strands of it were gelled to the sides like snakes.
"Do you know him?" Zephyr asked, reminding her that they were still in a conversation.
Harp nodded sadly but offered no words for the new victor and instead busied herself with Sera. "Of course she knows him, Mica and Harp grew up in that home." Ovid sneered, grabbing Zephyr's head and pulling back before slathering on a strange white mixture.
Mica openly glared at him and tapped Eos who took a protective step forward towards Harp. "So what if they did? Is that a problem?" Eos beckoned Ovid to start their argument again while Emilia hovered. She still had enough rage in her to pick a fight with the tall azure-haired stylist.
Ovid bit his tongue and turned away from Eos. He focused on Zephyr ignoring Sera's curious gaze and her team. When he was done, he left the room again.
"Director Cassius is a good man…" Mica said without thinking. "I mean…he was good to us." He corrected himself.
Harp squeaked and nodded. "Strange." Sera muttered, attracting the attention of the ever-attentive Harp. "You both spent your childhoods at Director Allard's orphanage but spent your teen and adult years working for Minister Thistlewood."
"It's funny isn't it?" Harp remarked with a bright smile but her eyes were dull and she flinched with each word. It was like she was being stabbed each time she spoke. "Mica and I went from a good place to a bad pla—not that there's anything bad with Minister Thistlewood, there's just a lot of snakes there."
"So he's an avid snake keeper?" Zephyr asked with a mischievous grin.
"Something like that." Mica confirmed, gently dragging Harp away when Silas' gaze fell on them. When he noticed Sera's eyes on him, the new addition of Ovid's team acted as if he was busy at work.
Sera didn't press Mica for more. She was fairly pleased with Zephyr. His own curiosity served her well and she didn't have to put herself out there and garner unnecessary attention. Perhaps his win wasn't so bad.
She focused her attention back on the screen where the images of Cassius Allard's speech were being broadcast. It was clearly edited a little to make him look worse.
"Director Allard also targeted Minister Thistlewood for allowing excessive violence committed by Peacekeepers in the districts and in the lower end of the Capitol. Minister Thistlewood's camp put out a statement that the claims were baseless and that the Peacekeepers only do their best to protect and maintain order around the Panem."
The reporter shuffled her papers again before she smiled a little, glad her time on air was coming to an end. "And on a brighter note, the 69th Hunger Games have ended, giving Panem another victor from District 5. The games marked the last game for Plutarch Heavensbee as Head Gamemaker and the debut of Seraphine Reza, the victor of last year's Hunger Games as mentor. Already she's made an amazing start and that's all for this evening. That's all for this evening, join me tomorrow for more news."
Another round of loud trumpets followed as the reporter's image was replaced with that of the Capitol News logo which spun around in the center of the screen. Caesar's assistant poked her head inside and signaled Sera and Zephyr, it was time.
"I can't believe it, Seraphine was right!" Caesar laughed and clapped while behind him, a clip of Sera from months ago played. "Zephyr Nikolas is our new victor. How does it feel?"
Zephyr laughed and curiously glanced towards his Sera who was sitting between Finnick and Enobaria. The latter of whom glared at Zephyr or perhaps it was just her face. "...It feels good but honestly I didn't expect it." And he was being honest.
His win was one of her predictions but he had the most chances compared to the other tributes. Unlike the rest, he was more focused and his memory certainly helped. The rest, to her, were either too remarkable, too forgettable or too violent. The career tributes especially were more violent than usual.
It might've been one of the reasons why Enobaria was a little upset. She didn't hide her displeasure and would often glare at Sera or Zephyr which was odd, not even Cashmere who was actually a mentor that year was upset.
"It's not completely unexpected." Enobaria remarked, swirling the champagne in her glass. She bared her teeth at Zephyr in a mocking grin like she knew something he or Sera didn't.
A little afraid of her sharp fangs, Zephyr drew back and leaned into his seat, much to Sera's amusement. He was acting as if he wanted to be absorbed by the plush leather chairs he sat on.
Sera let out a soft laugh, she was about to say something to counter Enobaria's words but Finnick beat her to it. "Of course, the bets on his win increased after Sera's prediction—even if it was a joke, you can't ignore that."
"I agree it wasn't unexpected but it wasn't expected either." Augustus chimed in. He didn't meet Enobaria or Caesar's gaze and was focusing solely on Caesar. "If we calculate his training score along with the statistics of volunteers faring better than non-volunteers then yes, Zephyr deserved his win and it wasn't completely unexpected."
Everyone just stared at Augustus. Even Caesar was stunned. He was known as an analyst only behind the scenes but no one had expected him to share his talent live on screen.
Enobaria lightly shook her head in disappointment while Sera quietly assessed Augustus. He was smarter than he looked. She only labeled him as strong and someone obsessed with honor in her mind but it appears looks can be deceiving.
"Oh, looks really do deceive." Enobaria said between quiet chuckles.
Naturally, Enobaria attracted Caesar's and the attention of the Capitolites in the audience. They all curiously stared at her but she didn't meet their gaze. She was too busy eying her fellow victors. Her gaze went from Finnick to Augustus to Zephyr before finally stopping at Sera.
The two stared at each other, silently assessing one another. "I mean nobody expected Seraphine to win yet here she is." Enobaria swirled the champagne in her glass once more before downing it but nobody said a single word in. Even the audience didn't make a single noise. "You can't trust tributes by their pretty faces, you have to dig deep."
"Agreed and that's the beauty of the Hunger Games." Sera answered. Enobaria grinned at her excuses. She didn't like the older victor at all.
"Oh that's not what I meant but okay."
It was no secret to her now that many victors around her had their own secret beliefs. If Plutarch offered some of them the same proposition he offered her then she could already point out who would accept it without thinking twice. Finnick and Augustus definitely would and so would Mags, Gloss and Cashmere, some of the victors from District 3 and even Haymitch Abernathy.
While victors like Porter would run in the other direction and tell President Snow of Plutarch's proposal.
Enobaria, on the other hand, was a mystery to her. She'd tried to figure her out many times since she met her. All she knew was how Enobaria sharpened her teeth after a gruesome win. She didn't know if it was done to garner attention to her win or maybe it was done to dissuade the Capitol higher-ups from selling her.
Either way, Enobaria got whatever she wanted. She was feared, not admired or liked but feared. It was certainly different from previous victors.
Noticing the strange awkward tension, Caesar cleared his throat and reached for his glass of champagne. He took a sip before deciding to take back control of the conversation. "Seraphine is absolutely correct, the spirit of the Games is that every game and victor is different from one another. Like no one expected so many victors to win—Seraphine is just one example, we have Zephyr here too and then Beetee and Mags and so many more. That's the beauty of the Games!"
"Well I'd say Seraphine's win was more than deserved." Finnick started to speak before Enobario could. She openly scowled at him before flashing a smile at the crowd.
Caesar's eyes twinkled and he glanced back and forth between Sera and Finnick. He had fresh gossip. Sera's eyes met Finnick's and he knew; she was not happy with him.
"My, is there something you two would like to share with the rest of us?" Caesar asked, clasping his hands together with an eager look.
"Finnick is right, the odds were in her favor but she also had basic medical skills and I think everyone keeps forgetting that Seraphine is good at throwing knives. That's a very deadly skill." Augustus chimed in again.
The crowd groaned and some booed. They were clearly hoping for more between the two young victors. The Capitolites did love a good romance but unfortunately Sera hated the idea of giving them what they wanted. Augustus picked up on it and he promptly added himself into the conversation.
Sera laughed and the crowd awed. She felt so tired and just wanted this to end so she could get on the train back home. "Ah but this isn't about me." She waved the two off. "This is about Zephyr. Let's give Zephyr a round of applause and we should have a toast."
"We should." Caesar agreed and with a flourish, a tray of crystal glasses filled with sparkling colorful liquids appeared. "They're not alcohol." He added before putting his hand over his mouth and pretending to whisper while glancing at Finnick. "Someone told me, I should probably not try to get my guests drunk." He barked out with laughter. "Ah, I'm just kidding but I am aware that my guests have other schedules afterwards." He picked up a violet colored drink and held it up, his guests did the same. "A toast to the new victor."
"To Zephyr." The other victors all chorused. "May he continue to surprise us!" Finnick grinned at the latest victor but his eyes were hollow.
Sera almost rolled her eyes, could he at least pretend to be happy for Zephyr but the boy in question didn't care. He didn't even want to win and he was perfectly fine with dying in the arena.
Caesar wrapped up the show quickly afterwards and Zephyr was rushed to his crowning ceremony. His ceremony passed by in a blur and before Sera knew it, she was back on the train station.
Nothing had truly changed.
Like last year, groups of Capitolites gawked at her and now Zephyr with strange looks on their faces. Unlike last year, she didn't stick around to observe them. She had seen enough. She simply took Scarus' stretched out hand and got on the train with Wells and Zephyr following her.
Surprisingly Wells was actually sober. A few moments after they were already on the train, Leora slipped inside the District 5 reserved compartment. She looked half-dead and her eyes no longer had a spark. Though her hair and outfit were nicely done and chosen, she looked the complete opposite.
Scarus barely acknowledged her and opened up a chessboard. He stared at Sera expectedly by she smiled and got up, leaving him there. He almost followed her but Zephyr decided to start a game against, occupying him.
Silently, Sera thanked Zephyr in her mind. He was certainly useful, more useful than she had thought. Perhaps his survival could benefit her somehow.
She wandered the halls of the train. It wasn't eerily silent like that night but instead it was bustling with life. Children ran through the halls, no doubt children of some powerful Capitolites. After all, only Capitolites were free to travel between districts without a reason. Most were probably heading towards 4 or 1.
"Wandering the halls alone, there's something I thought I'd never see." Finnick joined Sera near the entrance of a compartment converted into a café. "Where's the guard dog?"
"Zephyr's keeping him busy." Sera leaned to get a closer look at the window, her face almost pressed against the glass. "Do you need anything?"
"Do I need to need anything to talk to you?"
"Who knows? How are your injuries?"
His smile faltered. "Got new ones." He admitted. "Old ones are nearly healed. How's your hand?"
"Fine. I had it checked at the clinic."
"The clinic? Did you—" She gave him a look and he shut up. She'd prefer not to think or talk about her work just like he would like to do the same.
Finnick was at a loss. He felt apologetic for bringing up her work but before he could rectify it, the near-empty compartment door slid open, interrupting them. "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise." The breathy voice of Plutarch Heavensbee greeted the two.
Sighing, Sera turned around to greet the former Head Gamemaker. It seemed the effects of the poison from then were still there. He was still very pale and his voice made him sound even more sickly.
"Mr Heavensbee. Surprise to see you onboard." Finnick forced himself to speak. Carefully he glanced back and forth between Sera and the former Head Gamemaker. The three didn't exactly have any pleasant interactions and he was afraid Sera would distance herself again.
The former Head Gamemaker chuckled. "Please call me Plutarch and I'm taking a vacation." He answered while keeping his eye on Sera.
"District 4?"
"Actually I prefer lakes over the sea."
So the tourism ban was being lifted or perhaps he was being exiled. She hoped it was the former. The idea of Plutarch staying at her home district unnerved her; it was a concerning thought. Unlike the Capitol, her family was there and she would be more vulnerable in 5. "District 5. That's…surprising. I thought tourism was banned." She tucked her hair behind her ears.
"There's a trial going on." Plutarch answered, now eying both Finnick who was staring at Sera and the detached Sera.
"I suppose you're one of the first ones to travel again."
"How astute, Miss Reza." But his words didn't sound like much of a compliment. He turned to Finnick and with a polite smile, he said. "Odair, I do believe someone was looking for you."
Finnick tried to stick around but in the end gave in and left. With his absence, Plutarch gestured to Sera inside the near empty café compartment. "Never expected to see Odair care for someone."
"He doesn't care about me."
"Oh but he does and I know you're not as ignorant as you pretend to be. Whether it'll stay as a simple friendship or bloom into something more is…"
"I think you should focus on your plans and not on my personal relationships."
Plutarch chuckled and he hobbled to his seat. "Ah, I pity him." He said with a sad but knowing look.
"You know what he's going through." She remarked carefully.
The man smiled sadly and ushered her to a table by the windows. Nobody was in the compartment at all. It was eerily quiet. "He's not the only one, so tell me, now that you know, have you changed your mind? Or are you still focused on your own?"
She sighed, she pitied Finnick and wished things would change but she wasn't the one who should make that change. It wasn't her job; it would cost her everything to make that change. She couldn't take that risk. "You can call me selfish or whatever—I'm not changing my mind. I pity him and the others like him but I'm not putting my loved ones on the line."
"They're on the line either way. You've met Minister Thistlewood—you saw how he looked at Cashmere and at you."
"He can't do anything to me, not when I'm working straight under the President." It was a naive statement to make and she didn't even believe what she was saying. Like she was trying to reassure herself not Plutarch but she wasn't comforted at all.
Plutarch pressed a button and an avox appeared with a cart of teacakes and tea set. The avox diligently set the table and left within seconds before Plutarch continued.
"You know I admire you, Seraphine." He took a cup of tea and motioned her to follow his lead. "You're realistic, not naive or angry like most of your fellow victors but let's be honest here." He paused to take a sip of his tea. "You're only protected as long as you have worth and believe me, people in your position lose their worth quickly."
"Then I'll make it so I don't lose my worth. I'm quite good at that."
He chuckled. "Oh I know how good you are but you shouldn't trust what you have so easily. Snow could easily throw you and your loved ones to the wolves easily…without a reason."
"Has it happened before?"
"Enobaria." Her name was an unexpected one. "Vicious one isn't she? Feared not loved but she wasn't so much like that in the first few months. She had Snow's trust but within weeks, her entire family, dead—no reason at all and he even tried to sell her—didn't work."
"Because she modified herself to be feared."
"Extreme measures, I think, but it was effective. No one wanted to buy her. Everyone wants something fragile, not someone who can rip their throats out with their teeth." He paused and looked to the side like he was listening to something before carrying on. "She's not the only one, Gloss and even Estelle Cl—Weathers."
"Gloss? Estelle? I don't know much about Gloss but I know Estelle wasn't well-liked."
"But she is beautiful, she isn't called 'The Star of Panem' for no reason."
And he was right. Estelle was one of the prettiest victors to be crowned. Bright flaming red hair and big blue-violet eyes that shone brightly like gems no matter what light she was under. She was one of the prettiest, still looking as youthful as the day she was reaped.
If only Estelle's brother wasn't her tribute partner. If only, he wasn't a favorite of the Capitol and Panem and if only, she didn't kill him.
"She's not being sold though."
Estelle was enjoying a relaxed life in District 5, away from the madness of the Capitol. Thinking about it, Sera envied her aunt's childhood friend.
"Because she married the son—now the mayor of District 5."
"So Mayor Weathers protected her."
"Not exactly. Some victors marry quite early to avoid the fates of their peers."
"Why are you telling me this? You think he'll do the same to me."
"Oh I know he will. Thistlewood and Snow go back. His father helped lead Snow's first presidential campaign alongside Consul Redcliff—"
"Scarus' father?" Plutarch nodded. "Again, why are you telling me this, aren't you afraid I'll expose you?"
Plutarch put down his tea cup and stared at her with a strange smile as if beckoning her to expose him. "I know you won't."
She looked away from him and focused outside. The sky was painted a vivid pink with pale blue and lilac. It was nearly time for dinner. "My answer won't change."
"You'll change your mind soon enough." He was adamant, very adamant that she would change her mind and she was so sure she wouldn't. "Thistlewood and Redcliff are close, even if his son might start to care for you—you won't be spared if Thistlewood wants you."
"Scarus doesn't care about me."
"Not yet." Plutarch eyed the door. "Like I said you'll change your mind soon, when things start affecting you and the people you love then you'll know."
"That sounds like a threat."
"No, it's a warning. When the skies burn, you'll see things a bit more clearly." Burning skies? Again the Gamemaker was being cryptic. She didn't have time to ask. The door slid open and a very angry Scarus stomped towards their table. "Scarus Redcliff, we meet again."
Scarus narrowed his eyes at Plutarch and carefully assessed him before turning to Sera. "We should head back." It wasn't a request but a command. He held out his gloved hand towards her and she had no choice but to take it. "I hope you enjoy your holiday, Hea—no—Gamemaker Heavensbee."
The Gamemaker didn't react much, still so amused by Scarus' appearance. He gave Sera a knowing look as Scarus escorted her back to the District 5 compartment. She let go of his hand and walked faster. He watched her go inside before turning around to stare down the hallway.