𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 ༄ 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗂𝗋

chapter twenty two

- DEAL WITH THE DEVIL -

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ONE DAY PASSED her by and something was definitely wrong. Other than the obvious fact she was thrown into a cell and under The Capitol's guard, she hadn't been summoned for questioning or any form of torture.

Maybe she was starting to lose it, Nadia still so hung up on the fact she let hope weasel its way in. But refusing Julia's orders should've earned her a kick to the gut or a beat down to the cold, hard ground. Not a tray of food.

Sonny, the young Avox, came in that morning after the Peacekeepers brought her to her cell and left her with much needed nourishment. It must've been poison or something, she was sure of it.

She ignored the ache of hunger and instead scanned her surroundings, figuring she'd have to get used to them sooner or later.

It was cold, but not colder than her old bedroom when she lived in The Summit. She despised the scenery, walls of white being the only thing she could see aside from the glass that separated her from the two Peacekeepers waiting outside.

The worst part was she was alone.

Even during her trips to the Capitol, she was never really alone. Julia's presence may be irritating, but it only lasted until she was reunited with Clem. Then after she'd see her clients, she'd get to spend an hour or two with Finnick.

"As soon as this is over, I'll come and find you."

She really missed him. And although she didn't like to be alone, it was a little easier to rack her brain of fond memories.

"I promise."

     Instead of focusing on the fear that hid in the silence surrounding her, she tried to picture Finnick and how he held her. How he made her feel whole when she thought she was breaking.

"You better."

She tried to imagine her breath being whisked away as he spoke those three words that didn't even compare to the strongest of medicines. Because the only thing remotely distracting from this endless downfall she found herself in, was his eyes that carried a promise and his arms that made her feel safe even in the midst of chaos.

But for all those relieving thoughts that settled her mind, there was this voice of apprehension that she couldn't block out. It whispered theories of worry about what happened to the rest of the tributes. To her friends. To Finnick.

There was no use scolding herself for feeling the way she did because even though she hated how far her mind wandered in thoughts of terror, this time her concern was reasonable.

Who else was here in The Capitol with threats of torture? Was her family safe in District Five or Thirteen, or were they here too? For all she knew, Paisley and Emory's screams from the arena could've been real and they very well could've been suffering for days.

Now she felt lonelier and more scared for her friends than she ever had before. Not only did she crave a familiar face, but being locked up and not knowing where everyone was made her all the more terrified.

She hoped everyone made it out. Maybe she was the only unlucky one. Maybe they were safe and she could settle down for a second. But she didn't know, and she was shaking with worry.