The Sterling Nightingale ⟷ Finnick Odair/OC

In the center of the sea

Chapter Seven | In the center of the sea

"Had anyone told her a week ago that she would stoop to spy upon her friends, that she would betray a brave and unsuspecting man into the hands of a relentless enemy, she would have laughed the idea to scorn." Emma Orczy, the Scarlet Pimpernel

A week goes by before Finnick is able to get Snow's permission for their little rendezvous. Sil suspects that Finnick is spending much of this time working as many clients as Snow throws at him, probably to make up for the two week 'vacation'. She assumes that this is the primary reason that it takes them an entire week to work out the details, but she isn't entirely correct. The truth of the matter is that Snow has something else in mind for Finnick, which he finds out about only a day after his initial suggestion.

"Ah, Mr. Odair, please come in," President Snow says when he sees the Victor at the door of his office. His voice is welcoming, as if he's just invited Finnick over for a cup of tea and a heartfelt discussion. Finnick isn't fooled, of course. Nothing Snow does is heartfelt – unless it's murdering 23 children each year for the sole purpose of keeping order among the districts.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Finnick asks, donning his own welcoming tone. His voice is as smooth as ever, with no indication that he is afraid or wary about being invited to speak with the man who has made his life into a living hell.

Snow smiles blandly at his show of confidence and gestures for him to sit down. Once Finnick does, Snow asks, "How is your new relationship going? I hope Miss Cornelius is agreeable?"

Finnick pauses. Agreeable isn't quite the word he would use to describe Silver Lamprey Cornelius, but it will suffice for now. He knows better than to complain.

"She's agreeable enough," he responds, emphasizing the word as if he's amused at the mere idea. He supposes that Sil isn't disagreeable. He's gotten to know her better in the last couple of weeks since they've started 'dating', and she isn't quite as aggravating as he remembers assuming her to be.

Snow chuckles, "Yes, she is quite a character, isn't she? Still, she has her uses, and so do you, Finnick."

The round-about words make Finnick raise an eyebrow and inquire, "Sir?"

The president's indulgent smile fades away. He stares at Finnick for a long moment, which naturally makes Finnick distinctly uncomfortable. Has he done something wrong? He can't think of anything that would upset President Snow.

It isn't anything he's done though, which he discovers when Snow picks up a piece of paper on his desk and hands it to him. It's a tiny square with a symbol blazing over it. A swooping bird. He thinks he's seen it before but he can't quite remember where, only he knows that it looks very familiar. He stares at it in silence, studying the harsh lines of black ink on the crisp white paper.

"You are familiar with the Sterling Nightingale, I presume?" Snow asks, leaning back in his chair. While Finnick studies the paper, Snow studies him.

The Victor looks up in surprise, then back down at the paper with a new understanding. "Ah...the Nightingale. We've all heard of him."

Everyone in Panem has heard of the Sterling Nightingale. The Capitol tries it's best to keep stories of the daring spy out of the news, but sometimes tales of his audacious exploits leak through to the public. The brazen way the man has smuggled prisoners right out of the Capitol prisons has been something of a fairytale to most of Panem. The Nightingale has subsequently become a hero, and not just to the outlying districts. The Capitol is constantly buzzing about his latest antics. They simply cannot help but the man to his fullest potential, turning him from a traitor to their city into a daring, courageous rebel – though no one speaks of their praise lest they get punished for the supposed error of their loyalty.