Chapter 40: In a crowd of thousands
Music filled the ballroom, melody weaving around the guests like a silken thread cocooning them into a sense of bliss.
Children's laughter entwined with the melody as some of the orphans happily ran through the crowd dressed in the best of the donated clothes the matron of the Orphanage could find. A few gave Sera a toothy grin before running off to play.
Sera smiled as she watched them play before turning back to greet the wealthy guests still streaming into the ballroom. "Thank you so much for coming." She repeated the hundredth time as she shook hands with strangers whose faces she couldn't recall.
Behind her, Emilia waited while quietly chatting with her son Mathias, the escort for District 3. He was dressed in a silver and black suit that looked very similar to his mother with long black hair tied with a silver ribbon and half-moon eyes with a deep violet shade that reminded Sera less of his mother but more of her stylist Eos. It was a given that Eos and Mathias would look a little similar, she was his aunt.
Now and then, Emilia would glance over at Sera to check if she was almost done.
"That should be everyone." Emilia said. Her son left her to go talk to some acquaintance of his. "Now you can go enjoy the ball."
Sera rolled her eyes. She was already exhausted yet the night had just begun. Her high heeled shoes dug into the soles of her feet like she was stepping on a bed of nails though she couldn't bring herself to blame Eos.
Beside her, Emilia could only give her covered shoulder a comforting squeeze. She knew the discomfort Sera felt but she couldn't do much.
"Cressida." Sera called out to a late guest and waved at the blonde woman dressed in a plain black silk gown.
The blonde looked far too plainly dressed to be a Capitolite. She almost stuck out had it not been for the fact that half of her head was shaved with tattoos of vivid green vines covering her smooth scalp that extended to her shoulder.
Without meaning to, Sera took a nervous step back despite being the one who called for Cressida's attention. She couldn't help but look away from Cressida's face. Those vivid green vines taunted her, almost reminding her of something else; a buried memory she had tried so hard to hide.
Cressida's face crossed her vision, green vines appeared in front of her. Sera swallowed back the lump in her throat as the vines morphed into throbbing green veins with spulture poison running through them.
A smile on her face but her gaze hollow, Sera dug her nails into the palm of her hands as Cressida's face flickered to Gaius'. Her former ally glared at her as the poison burned through his veins.
"Seraphine." Cressida called back as picked up a glass of white wine from a passing avox and smiled brightly at Sera, being pleased to see a familiar face. "It's nice to see a familiar face."
It took her a second to compose herself, a second that no one noticed how she wasn't even there. "I wasn't sure you were going to come considering how busy you are."
"But here I am." Cressida added, nodding her head at Emilia in greeting. "I needed some inspiration for my next film, not sure if I want to make another documentary or a series of short films."
"I'm…sure whatever you choose will be interesting."
Cressida creased her brows and pursed her lips. She turned away to take a sip of her wine. "Let's hope it's better than my last work." She said icily and the corners of Sera's lips tilted up as her eyes narrowed on the up and coming Director.
"What's wrong with your last work? You won an award for it." Sera said carefully while observing Cressida's reaction.
The young Director's eyes hardened. "Yeah…I won an award." She spat out, losing interest in her drink. "Awards don't mean everything, you know?" Sera nodded. "Especially if the art I make is as lifeless as these…um sorry. Look at me talking nonsense."
"Not at all." Sera shook her head with a small smile and motioned for an avox to bring a refill for Cressida. "I understand. Art is hard despite what most people think, it takes a lot of effort to get something as perfect as we want it to be."
"Huh. I didn't think you'd get it."
"I'm a florist during my time off from the Capitol and floral arrangements are a type of art."
"Indeed." Cressida found herself agreeing. "Maybe I should do a documentary on the language of flowers."
The smile on Sera's face became a little stiff. "I'm afraid people will find that incredibly mind-numbing and your reputation might be affected."
"I suppose." Cressida frowned. She wanted to do a documentary but Sera's words were true. The language of flowers wasn't widely used. No florists in the Capitol used it and it was practically a dead language. The documentary would be short and uninteresting.
Sera wouldn't say it out loud but the novelty had worn off and Cressida knew it too. Capitolites had moved on to something else, a shiny new toy for them to use. Sighing, Cressida placed her glass to a passing avox and threaded her fingers through her hair in silent frustration.
"A creative block is always the most annoying thing in the world." Sera airily commented, eying Cressida and waiting for her to take her bait and bring up her so-called award winning movie.
In silent pondering, Cressida crossed the ballroom to the empty side of the ballroom and looked back expecting Sera to follow her.
Sera with a glance at Emilia, grabbed her the black and blue opalescent skirt of her dress and gracefully followed Cressida who started to speak the moment Sera was in front of her again.
"It's not the creative block that's getting on my nerves..." She said, breathing out heavily like she was angry. "...It's my art being misunderstood that annoys me more."
Somehow some of the wealthy elites had managed to see the critique in Cressida's film as a celebration to them. Naturally, Cressida was annoyed, no, she was furious. She shaved half of her head off in protest when she went up to receive her award, shocking the attendees and even President Snow while she amused Sera.
Unfortunately for Cressida, her little act of rebellion was seen as part of the show and once again she was ignored.
"Ah," Sera let out a quiet breath and furrowed her brows. "Is this about your previous work? I understand where you're coming from but I'm sure there were some people like me that understood what you were trying to say…" She spoke quieter than before and Cressida nodded.
Despite Cressida being an award-winning Director, her short film wasn't exactly the most pleasing to the ones above. President Snow had personally asked Sera to keep an eye on the rising Director and so did Plutarch. She was on the list of suspected rebels but nobody outright accused her of being a traitor, she was far too charming and popular to gain that title.
For now, she was simply an eyesore to the President but to Sera, she had potential to be bigger, someone that could pour more gasoline on fire—whenever the fire was lit.
"Only a few like you and Plutarch Heavensbee. I thought more people would get…my message but turns out, everyone's heads are complete mush. The stupid games are all they think about—no offense." She complained.
"None taken. The games have been a little repetitive the past following years."
Cressida leaned against the wall and carried on, not caring about creasing her gown. "I spent hours on it, only for those critics to call it an 'ode to the old Capitol'...what does that even mean?" She hissed out, her face getting redder with each word.
"Cressida." Sera called out, trying to calm her down. "It's okay. You can just make another movie about the same message. Maybe you make a documentary about the orphans—"
Cressida let out a bitter laugh. "You think I haven't thought about that? I have but everytime I try, I come across the stumbling block that is…" She lowered her voice to a bare whisper. "Minister Janus Thistlewood. You know how connected he was to the ex-Director Cassius Allard."
The damnatio memoriae had been in effect for years now and successfully too. No one was allowed to utter the name Thistlewood ever again or anyone connected to that family. Unfortunately for Cressida, that meant her project on the orphans of the Capitol would never go through, at least not when President Snow was leading Panem.
"Maybe you should step away from the Capitol scene and travel." Sera suggested another option. "You might find some inspiration in the districts."
"Like Director Walston?" Cressida said with a sour look. "People will think I'm trying to pick up his unfinished project if I even step into Twelve. I want to do something else…something groundbreaking…something no one has ever done before."
"That's uh…a little ambitious."
"Too little." Cressida quipped. "I need more, I just…maybe I should step away." She said after some thought and Sera smiled.
Violins seemed to momentarily cut off like the strings had snapped. The harps went off-key while the flutes and the piano abruptly stopped. Sera and Cressida ignored the interruptions, paying it no mind as the music began to play correctly once more but with more life than before. This time whispers of guests accompanied the melody.
From across the ball, Sera caught Zephyr's concerned look and saw him motion his head towards the disturbance. Much to his frustration, Sera ignored him, her focus only on the filmmaker.
"You know it's not a bad idea to look at the other perspective other than what you know." Sera began as the whispers grew louder and a crowd began to form in the distance, not too far away. "Who knows maybe you'll find your magnum opus in the shadows…of the spotlight of fame."
Cressida cracked a smile and nodded. "Who knows? Maybe I should get away from it al—" She cut herself off and turned her head towards the hive of people in the center. "What's going on? Did you book an entertainer?"
It was only then that Sera realized how big the crowd had gotten while she was busy with Cressida. She turned her head towards Emilia and silently asked what was going on, only for her former escort turned assistant to shrug helplessly.
"Oh. My eyes might be deceiving me but is that Finnick Odair?" Cressida pointed with her pointed nails and Sera stilled.
Slowly, Sera turned in the direction Cressida was pointing to and her face paled. Her heart dropped as she forced herself to act calm and smile. "So it is." She drawled out, glancing at Emilia who was silently panicking. "Well, it is a charity ball, everyone is welcome as long as they are here with an open mind…and heart."
Cressida grinned. "Finnick Odair isn't known for attending charitable events."
"Is that so?" Sera mused, not paying attention but rather checking on the guests.
In the sea of people, she noticed Scarus glaring at Finnick who was swarmed by adoring Capitolites. Oh no. Cashmere and Gloss on the side seemed to be grinning in anticipation at the scene and Sera didn't feel so good. She tightened her fists and again looked back at Emilia who was now furiously typing away on her tablet.
She turned her head back to the eye of the storm and her breath was caught in her throat.
Finnick was staring at her.
Their eyes met across the room like the sea meeting the moon. She wanted to look away. She should've looked away and she expected him to look away first but he held her gaze with a confident smile, refusing to turn away like he did all those years ago.
Neither of them seemed to pay any mind to their surroundings.
Quiet static filled the air as the melody drowned slowly. Sera couldn't even hear the chatter of the crowd or children's laughter the longer she stared at him.
She breathed out and turned back to Cressida as a tightness in her chest form. "You okay?" Cressida asked, tilting her head in interest.
"Just a little surprised."
Finnick and Sera had not seen each other in years. Both had avoided the other. Yet when looking at him across the ball, surrounded by the adoring Capitolites and her in the shade, it was like no time had passed but time had passed.
Four years had passed and in four years she had changed a lot and so had he. His hair had gotten more curlier and his eyes had lost some of the warmth they held but the confident grin was still the same.
The way the people hung onto his words and clung to him also hadn't changed.
Emilia tapped Sera's shoulder and she excused herself for a second. Her assistant shoved the tablet to her face and pointed at the guest list that she was sure she had approved and checked. "He's not on the list." Emilia harshly whispered, being careful not to let Cressida hear.
"I know. He showed up uninvited." Sera remarked with a stiff smile. "It's not like I don't have enough problems already." Emilia could only give her a helpless look. "Just quickly add him to the list before anyone notices." The last thing she needed was rumors connecting them again.
"I suppose you are surprised by his sudden appearance." Cressida said out loud, taking Sera's attention from Emilia. "I mean it when I say, he's not the one for these events. He prefers other types of balls and galas."
He didn't really have a choice but Sera kept her mouth shut and only nodded. Cressida wasn't her enemy, sure but she wasn't a friend either. She was almost a stranger.
"There's a first for everything." Sera said, passing the table back to Emilia to let her fix the guest list. "As long as he or anyone is here with an open mind and heart." She repeated.
"How generous of you to say that!" Sera's face froze into a twisted smile. She wanted to laugh at her poor luck that night.
"Well, if it isn't Finnick Odair." Cressida greeted, eying Sera's expression.
"In the flesh." Finnick said as Sera pursed her lips and tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's been a while."
Cressida looked at Sera and back at Finnick who stood behind her. Sera held back her answer, not knowing what to say.
"...So it has. Four years?" Sera nodded without turning around to look at him.
She heard Finnick chuckle quietly behind her as Cressida's curious gaze met hers. The filmmaker had a slight grin on her face, she was amused but she chose to stay quiet and instead stopped a passing avox for another glass of wine.
"Three years and eight months to be exact."
"You've been keeping count." Cressida remarked with a giggle as she took a sip of the wine. "I've never thought Finnick Odair would keep count of days since he last saw someone."
"There's a first for everything." Finnick all but echoed Sera's earlier words.
"Seraphine, I think I see a friend from my Academy days." Cressida said before she quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Awkwardly, Emilia shuffled behind Sera as she turned around to face Finnick with a stiff smile. She stared at him for a moment, taking his appearance in. He really had changed in almost four years she hadn't seen him.
"You know if you want to stare at me. I have some signed pictures with me somewhere."
"Humble as always." Sera airily commented.
"Thank you. It's nice to be recognized for my admirable qualities. I'm sure you can relate." He said, giving her a pointed look. His eyes were cold despite the light grin on his face.
He still hadn't forgiven her.
She didn't really care. She was more concerned about his sudden uninvited appearance at the ball she had planned for Little Suns Orphanage.
At least that's what she told herself.
But there was a tight knot in her chest which grew tighter and the arm covered by the sleeve of her dress felt more constricting. She glanced back at Emilia, catching another uninvited guest in the sea of people.
A familiar brunette with a light crazed look in her eyes and a perpetual mischievous grin on her face crossed through the crowd. She glared at some Capitolites who tried to touch her and almost started an argument with one of Sera's guests.
Johanna Mason.
Sera sighed loudly and motioned Emilia discreetly towards Johanna. She didn't know the girl but she had heard enough rumors to know that the girl was trouble. She was the complete opposite of Sera.
"You know it is so rude to ignore someone standing in front of you. I didn't realize the patron of Iaso Emley Clinic and Little Suns Orphanage was this rude." Finnick complained with a mocking tone.
"Well not as rude as showing up uninvited to an event."
Finnick laughed. "Funny. I was invited."
Sera scoffed. "By who?"
"The host."
"The host." Sera repeated, sparing a glance at Emilia who raised her brow in confusion while glancing back and forth between Johanna and Finnick. "You were invited by the host."
"That's what I said. I spoke with the director of the orphanage—"
"Dr Harmonia Jadewell?" He nodded. "My personal physician?" He stilled for a moment and his eyes widened for a second. He realized that she was on to him.
"Who else? I didn't know she was your personal physician." Maybe it was the sudden headache that was making her hear things or maybe it was the nostalgia but she could've sworn that there was a hint of concern in his voice.
Sera poked her inner cheek and looked away. He was probably pretending. "You know it's funny you should say that." Emilia began, taking a step forward.
"What's so funny?"
"Dr Jadewell isn't the host." Finnick froze. "Seraphine is. You and your partner Johanna Mason are uninvited guests." Emilia added with an icy tone and narrowed gaze just as Johanna appeared behind Finnick.
"I feel like I just walked into something I shouldn't have." Johanna said as she eyed Sera and Emilia cautiously. She had her heels in her hand and her other hand clutched the skirt of her slate gray dress as she dragged herself over to the corner where the quiet commotion was.
Emilia took one look at Johanna and her face soured. She clicked her tongue and scrunched up her face in disapproval but she didn't voice her complaints.
"Doesn't matter. I hope you both enjoy the event." Sera quickly said before Emilia did say something or Johanna started speaking to her. She wanted to leave. It was better when she and Finnick spent time avoiding each other.
Sera tried to walk away from Finnick but he stopped her, standing in her way. She could feel his gaze on her while she desperately avoided his eyes. Her palms were sweating. She was nervous around him.
He wasn't meant to be there.
Finnick seemed to sense her hesitation, and he smiled. "Come on, Sera," he said softly. "We just started catching up."
"Seraphine." Sera corrected. "We're not that familiar with each other."
He nodded, swallowing. "You're right. We're not."
Her chest tightened and she could only blink helplessly.
"This is so painful to watch." Johanna commented quietly.
"We haven't met, have we?" Sera shifted on her feet and turned away from him to focus on Johanna. "I'm Seraphine Reza."
"Johanna and you really don't like me."
"Excuse me?" Sera tilted her head in confusion and stared blankly at her.
On the side, Finnick covered his mouth to stifle his laughter.
Johanna wasn't well-liked by almost everyone in the Capitol and some victors, Sera wasn't one of them. She didn't exactly hate the girl but she didn't exactly like her.
To her Johanna might as well not have existed, given how she avoided talking to her.
It wasn't out of dislike. No, it wasn't. She just thought that Johanna was a liability, a loose canon, a variable she couldn't control so she ignored her existence.
Everyone knew one thing about Johanna Mason. She was vicious. Not more vicious than any of the careers yet the Capitolites treated her like a criminal.
Her worst crime: deceiving the Capitolites, making them believe that she was someone she wasn't.
Johanna's crime wasn't unique. Nearly every victor Sera was aware of was deceptive in one way or another. Sera was no different. The problem with Johanna was that she let her mask fall in the arena and it was clearly on purpose, to lower the guard of her fellow tributes.
That wasn't the problem. Many had done something similar in the arena but the problem was that the way she acted before the arena was quite reminiscent of another victor—Sera to be exact. The way Johanna made sure her interview was forgettable and carefully selecting her allies.
It was similar to her but more careless. Johanna's strategy was a pale imitation of hers and many of the Capitolites, those that practically worshiped Sera, were quick to note Johanna's deception and almost exposed Sera.
She was fortunate that she wasn't exposed.
Johanna wasn't so fortunate.
Despite Sera's schemes destroying Minister Thistlewood and Director Allard, the prostitution ring in the Capitol was only put on hold for a year before President Snow took charge of it. Sera considered it her biggest failure even though she didn't set out to save her fellow victors, it still hurt her to know that her actions didn't matter much in the long run. Only Annie and her were saved.
She understood why Finnick nursed a grudge against her lies. She would too if roles were reversed.
Johanna was unfortunate enough to live and unfortunate enough that the President wanted her to do what Sera couldn't or what he didn't want her to do.
Of course, she said no or that was what Sera had heard and her family were killed because of her refusal—not that Sera would blame her for it, she knew she herself got lucky with the work she was given but somehow, Sera never could come around to giving a damn about Johanna.
"I don't…I don't know what gave you the impression that I don't like you." Sera let out a feigned laugh.
"That stiff dead smile you keep giving us and the way you practically ignored me until you wanted to ignore him which I don't blame you for. He's not all that."
"I don't understand."
"No, you do. I studied you, well, your games to be more exact." Sera pursed her lips. "Your interview nearly put me to sleep like damn, do you always talk about flowers and your family? It's like you're some flower fanatic."
Sera stared at her blankly. It was like Johanna was trying to get on her nerves. "My family runs a flower shop. I grew up around plants, that's all I've known considering I was sickly for most of my childhood."
"Wow." Sera raised her brows and Johanna giggled. "You always mention your sickness too. Are you actually sick? I mean I'd get it if it was part of the act but it's pretending for this long—"
"Jo—" Finnick paled and tried to grab her arm.
Sera glared at Johanna and smiled. "Well, it'd be real nice if I was only pretending like some people but I am ill."
She heard a quiet gasp from Emilia who grabbed her uncovered arm. "Your accent." She hissed out quietly.
The crowd that had followed Finnick before had gathered once again but they didn't crowd them this time, seeing Sera was there. She was careful to lower her voice and fix her expression to not let her emotions show. Even if the crowd was far enough to only see them, not hear them, she didn't want to take any risks.
"What are you two doing here? I'm sure it's not for a charitable reason." Sera said, crossing her arms across her chest and ignoring the sudden throbbing pain in her arm.
"How do you know it's not?" Finnick countered and Sera laughed.
"I've heard whispers that you hardly attend these kinds of events." She answered coolly, not wanting to give Cressida away. "So why are you here? To cause a commotion and take focus off the cause—that's a pretty messed up thing to do if it's true since this whole event is for orphans."
"Then I guess we fit right in." Finnick said and Sera's eyes widened.
"He's not wrong." Johanna added with a lopsided grin. "Or are we not the type of orphans that needs help?"
Emilia let out a quiet gasp and covered her mouth. Sera poked the inside of her cheeks with her tongue. They were technically orphans, most victors present were. She didn't know what to say to that.
A part of her had forgotten just how infuriating Finnick could be when he wanted to be. She hated that he reminded her at that moment.
"I need a drink." Sera mumbled under her breath.
Finnick seemed to have heard her. "Ah but drinking alcohol is like drinking poison to you—it's bad for you." He said, watching her with a soft smile but cold eyes.
She dug her nails into the palms of her hands, being careful not to draw blood. Finnick's eyes darted towards her hands, looking up quickly before noticed.
"You can't be serious." She said through a strained smile.
"I hope you weren't serious since your illness is no joke."
"That's—ah. You're charmingly aggravating."
He grinned as he took a drink from a tray and picked up an olive on the drink, biting it while looking down at her. "Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"For me it was—not every day, someone can get under your skin."
Her smile grew stiffer and she held back the urge to have him kicked out. She didn't feel bad like she did before and wanted to wipe that grin off his face but at the same time, she wanted to keep her image and not ruin the reputation she had spent years building as a benevolent and easy-going victor.
"Not everyone's Finnick Odair." She remarked and somehow her remark seemed to make him happy as his eyes momentarily lit up with some life.
"Not everyone can be me."
She bobbed her head up and down, breathing in to calm herself before exhaling. This was who he was when he was in public. "Well if you're not here with any other ideas then I hope you'll enjoy this ball and donate as much as you can while I overlook your…gate-crashing."
"How generous of you." He downed his drink. "You're even more generous than the President himself."
She resisted the urge to reply with a snarky remark.
Once again tried to move past him and Johanna and once again, Finnick blocked her way. She didn't know if he hated her or he still loved her but at that moment, she didn't care and just wanted to find a place where she could kick her heels off and be by herself.
"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.
Sera swallowed hard, feeling a little annoyed. "I'm leaving," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Aren't you a kind host?"
She bit the bottom of her lips in frustration and turned to Johanna for some help. Johanna was his date but to her dismay, the younger girl pretended like she wasn't even there. She was far too busy drinking away to notice Sera's attention on her.
"Well you did say I was a kind host and kindness and generosity go hand in hand. What better—" Like the tide being pulled back, the crowd of guests retreated further into the center of the ballroom as the music tempo sped up and grew louder, almost masking their conversation. "Screw it—why are you really here and don't give me some bullshit about being charitable because we both know you're not openly charitable and you're definitely not here for me—you didn't even know I was the host of this ball so why are you here?"
Finnick opened and closed his mouth, turning away from her to observe the crowd of guests watching them like some zoo animals. To the crowd, the two seemed like good friends or acquaintances but the truth couldn't be any further.
He hesitated for a second before asking. "Can I see the guest list?"
"That's…it? The guest list?" He nodded. "Why?"
"I need to check something."
"So you had to show up here to check the guest list?"
"Yes, now the guest list."
"Why?"
"I'm–" He paused. "I'm looking for someone." He sounded so serious that she could only stare.
Of course, he was there for his own purpose, not for her. He didn't even know she was here let alone hosting the event.
"The guest list is exclusive and not for the general public eye. Only the host, the assistants of the host, director of the orphanage and President Snow are allowed to see it." She said as Emilia nodded her head in agreement. "Security risks and all."
"I'm sure you can make an exception." He smiled brightly, taking a step closer but his eyes were still cold. He hesitated for a second, his fingers twitching before he reached out and tried to tuck a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. She quickly beat him to it and he retreated. His face almost twisted.
If she was younger and more naïve, she'd fall for that charming smile and the almost kind gestures, even ignoring the coldness in his eyes. Unfortunately, she wasn't young anymore or blind enough to know that everything he said or did were not real. It was all an act.
A few gasps were heard and the storm of whispers around the two grew wilder. If his secondary goal was to create rumors between the two, he succeeded.
Sera scoffed. "Does that honestly work on people? The doll smile with hollow eyes and that trick with the hair?"
Johanna snorted and held her drink away from her face to take a moment to breathe through her stifled laughter. "Doll-smile." She snickered. Finnick stared at his friend in disbelief and glanced back at Sera who was unashamed at her comment. "She's not wrong."
"No, she's not because she's also an expert in the 'doll-smile'. Aren't you Sera?"
Sera's heart skipped a beat. She ignored that feeling, almost shoving her emotions beneath a thick layer of ice, burying it deep that it would never crawl out. "Sera-phine." She corrected and Finnick's face dropped.
"Right, Seraphine." He corrected with an icy awkward tone. "I forgot. My mistake."
For a moment, the two had forgotten their shared past and for a moment, it was like nothing had changed. Everything had changed. Neither could forget the past and it was clear that he hadn't moved on from it and she only pretended to move on.
"Just don't make it again." She snipped, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I can't give you the guest list."
"Not even in private–"
"No. I can't. There's rules and a way to do things around here."
"Oh because you always stick to rules and tell the truth." He crossed the invisible line between the two and towered over her. It seemed like he had gotten taller and even gained a few muscles, making him appear more intimidating but she had dealt with worse. "You owe me." He whispered, not caring about the whispers of the guests.
"I don't owe you anything." She muttered with feigned ignorance.
"No," He pulled away and looked straight at her. "You don't?" He asked, not expecting an answer. "The 70th Games? The choices you made."
"I still don't regret it." She said without hesitation.
"I figured but at least I know you were involved now."
Plutarch did tell him everything after all. She was prepared for it. What she wasn't prepared for was him using it against her. "Are you trying to…manipulate me?"
"What do you think?" He asked sarcastically.
"I think.." She stepped closer to him, almost standing on her tiptoes to reach his height. She could already imagine the headlines for the news next morning but she was past the point of caring. "...that if this was anyone else, they'd give in but since it's me…" She smiled brightly and turned to guests who all looked away and pretended to be busy. "I don't give a damn besides I owe Annie and the Crestas. I think my debt to her sister, Jenny has been paid. I don't owe you a thing."
"How long do you think your protection will last?"
"How long do you think I'll live?" She countered without thinking and immediately regretted it. Finnick opened his mouth to prod her about her words but she quickly cut him off. "You're not getting the guest list." She was getting too comfortable around him again. He wasn't her friend or anything. The were strangers, no, worse than strangers. They were two people that had the unfortunate luck of having shared memories that could never be erased from either's mind.
"I'm not asking for much."
"Oh I know but I can't give it to you, not knowing what you might do."
"Why do you always have to work against me?"
Her heart dropped and she looked up at him with a fierce glare. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Working against you? I'm just doing my job, you're the one who decided to show up here uninvited."
"I just want the guest list after all, we're both working for the same person."
She scoffed. Why did everyone on Plutarch's side think she was working for him? She wasn't. She was his equal, the two had the same amount of influence on the elites of the Capitol. Plutarch obviously had an edge over her with his Capitol upbringing and an influential family name.
"I'm not working for him." Sera spat out the half-truth.
"So the dinner—"
"Was a one-off incident." Another half-truth. It was a one-off incident of its kind, she didn't bother to suggest something on that scale after that disastrous dinner, she'd be stupid if she did. "I'm not handing over the guest list."
Finnick breathed out harshly. His mask was almost cracking. "I just need to have a look."
"Is there a problem here?" Sera almost groaned hearing that unfortunately familiar voice. She should've just handed over the damned guest list and gone on with her night. "Sera?"
"Seraphine." Sera corrected, stepping back from Finnick and putting enough distance between her, Finnick and the newcomer, Scarus. "Consul Redcliff, can I help you?"
This was truly becoming one of her least favorite nights.
The young Consul's face soured. He glanced at Finnick and examined him closely before doing the same to Johanna who in turn glared at him. "I thought you needed some help." He slowly said while his eyes raked over Sera's form.
Sera did her best to suppress the shiver of disgust running through and could only smile and nod. She opened her mouth to say something, only to be beaten to it by Johanna.
"I didn't hear her call for help." Johanna said nonchalantly. "Did you call him over?"
"No…" Sera slowly drawled out, confused by her sudden help. The two weren't friends. Far from it. "I didn't…we were just having a normal conversation and—"
"Didn't seem so normal to me." Scarus cut her off. She hated being interrupted when she spoke. "Were they bothering you?"
Yes and he also was bothering her.
"Not in the slightest." Sera lied, hoping she was anywhere but at the ball at that moment or someone to come and interrupt them before Scarus made a scene.
As if Gloss had read her mind, he appeared out of nowhere and went straight to Emilia, momentarily causing Scarus to flee. Johanna left immediately, she didn't seem to like Gloss.
Finnick didn't stray too far and lingered on the edge of the ballroom where men and women flocked to him, circling him like a pack of hyenas. He smiled and laughed but every few seconds, he'd look at her with a cold look, reminding her that he was only here because he needed something not because of anything else.
That guest list must've been really important to him.
She looked away and focused on Gloss who looked concerned and alone.
His sister who was at his side before was nowhere to be seen and Sera couldn't help but question where Cashmere was. The two siblings were often joined at the hip.
"Where's Cashmere?" She asked carefully.
Gloss sighed. "If I knew, I wouldn't have come to you two."
"What?" Her face paled and she looked around the crowded ballroom. "Oh no. No. No. Not here." She gasped out. "I made sure that none of her 'clients' would be invited. I swear!" She said lowly, panic in her eyes and her heart beating erratically.
Emilia and Sera shared a look before Emilia quickly tried to get a hold of Zephyr for help. "They're crazy." Emilia complained, the former escort's face becoming paler. "There's children here. How could they—"
She was cut off by Gloss's bitter laughter. "As if that ever stopped them." He spat out and Sera's chest tightened, she found it difficult to breathe.
"It's fine." Sera said, mostly to herself. "I'll handle it." She added. "I'll handle it. I'll—um…" She breathed out and licked her dried lips, not caring about her makeup anymore.
"I'll come with you."
"I think you'll make it worse." Emilia mumbled out, following Sera up a flight of stairs just as Zephyr appeared to take control of the ball as a stand-in host.
"I'll handle it." Sera said once again, not really herself. An ache starting to form in her chest and a headache coming along. "Um, the guest list."
"What? You're talking about that now?!" Her assistant hissed out.
"Yes. Give it to him but…" She glanced around as she stepped into a hallway. "Keep an eye on him and check every name he checks, have Zephyr with you when you give Finnick the list."
Emilia gave Sera a strained look and opened her mouth to say something but Sera quickly dismissed her before going off on her own to find Cashmere.