Flares | Johanna Mason

XII. Red Right Hand

Ethan

His body was crumpled on the ground. His back against the tree in front of his sister's grave while his hands gripping his head as he sobbed freely.

His parents bodies still hung from the tree in front of him, whilst blood continued to drip onto the floor below. Ethan hadn't looked at his parents since he had discovered them. He couldn't. Everything hurt too much.

Grief had filled Ethan's entire system with nothing in his body working as it should. His lungs were on fire. His mind swam with thoughts but none were productive or suggested next steps. They were all focused on the night before, he refused Snow's offer. He stuck his knife into the President's hand then broke his arm. For revenge, Snow had sent Tywin Forrester back to District Seven.

Ethan knew that he should have expected backlash from his actions, but he hadn't expected it to be this quick or vicious. The display in front of him put the Reaper's to shame.

"We need to do something." A new voice sounded out into Ethan's ears. He pulled his hands away from his face to be greeted by Reaper with his back to him, looking at the bodies.

"You think I don't know that." Ethan seethed.

"I know you do but we're here to help Ethan."

"We?"

Alesia walked out from behind the tree. "Hello, brother."

"I'm going fucking insane." Ethan muttered as he used the tree for support so he could stand up.

"And you weren't already?" Reaper smirked but was quickly silenced by a death glare from Alesia.

"What we need to figure out is who knew that this could happen?" His sister voiced.

"Well obviously Snow and Tywin. I'm going to tear them apart."

"As much as I would like to see that Ethan, you can't touch them." Alesia stated.

"Tywin will still in District Seven, it would be easy to slide a knife between his ribs."

"And you? What happens to you?" She questioned.

"I don't care-"

"I know you don't but just listen to me. If you do that, then they'll come back and go after Ella. They already beat the shit of her. What do you think the next step will be?"

Ethan's body collapsed once more, his back against the tree as he slid back down to the floor. "She's your daughter." He said pathetically, his eyes locked onto his sister.

"She's the daughter of a dead woman." She coldly stated.

"So Snow and Tywin aren't options. There's no one left then."

"There is."

Ethan's head shot up to look at Reaper, "What?"

"The question we asked you was who knew that this could happen, not who committed it. So use that head of yours, brother dear and figure it out." Ethan's head quickly turned to Alesia

He thought back to the conversation with Snow. The President's tone and how he acted suggested that Ethan wasn't the first victor he had given the offer to. So who would have been in the Capitol to see it.

Ethan's eyes focused on Alesia. "Sage."

Alesia nodded, "He would've known. Now who else, because that offer wouldn't go to escorts would it? It would go to..."

"Victors." Ethan answered, then one more name entered his head. She wouldn't. Surely she wouldn't have hidden it from him but one look at both Alesia and Reaper's faces gave him his answer. "Please no."