𝐌𝐀𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍, finnick odair

― 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

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chapter twenty-nine: there's nothing Snow wouldn't do

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— VISHA'S STEPS FALTER AS SHE NEARS HUNTER'S HOUSE IN THE VICTOR VILLAGE, DARK BROWN EYES CATCHING SIGHT OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE AN ARGUMENT. Her eyes narrow as she spots Hunter, Gideon and Enobaria– someone Visha has gotten considerably closer to within the few short weeks she's been back in District Two– discussing something heatedly. She creeps closer and flattens herself against the wall, hoping to catch the gist of the conversation.

All she hears is Gideon adamantly refusing to budge on his stance. "No, absolutely not. We don't even know if that's going to happen– why scare her prematurely?"

And Enobaria arguing, "So you're just going to keep her in the dark? You know damn well it is going to happen. She's quite the catch– Hunter agrees, don't you?"

"I don't think about her in that way," Hunter grumbles. "She's my best friend. But Enobaria's right," he says, probably to Gideon. "Snow is going to come for her, sooner or later. I'd rather have her know. I'd rather have known."

They're talking about her, Visha is sure of it. After all, who else could be Hunter's best friend? But... about what? What should Visha know? Why would Snow come for her?

"Plus," Enobaria puts in, "she doesn't have a family. Her parents– she's already told us she doesn't give two shits about them. And her brother is dead, so is her uncle. There's no one he can hurt to get to her. She can refuse him– but only if we inform her."

Gideon lets out a scoff. "I know you're not this naive, Enobaria. You think there's truly no one Snow can hurt to get to Visha? I can already count six, and three of them are in this room. There's no low Snow wouldn't go to to appease his precious Capitol."

"He wouldn't–" Hunter sputters. "We're Victors."

"Aife was a Victor too," Gideon reminds gravely. "And we all know the end she met because of her refusal. And that was after nearly ten years of service. There's nothing Snow wouldn't do."

Oh. Visha's heart thuds inside her chest. Aife's death, her plummet from the top of a Capitol building, had not been an accident after all. No, it had been caused by President Snow. All because Aife had refused to continue to do something for him and the Capitol. Visha's insides twist and, suddenly, she becomes overcome with the urge to vomit. Her face pales as she backs away from Hunter's house, turning on her heel and nearly running back to her's. 

She loves the rhythmic sound of her feet against the gravel. The feelings of her arms pumping at her sides, propelling her forward and forward, until she is sprinting. The wind is in her face, restricting her breathing, flapping her hair around, but Visha doesn't care. All she can focus on are the words her– her family– have spoken, unaware that she was right there. 

The secrets Gideon so desperately wanted to keep from her– and that Hunter and Enobaria wanted her to know.