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EIULALIA DIDN'T RETURN TO THE ZOO UNTIL MONDAY. She slept in through Sunday, allowing Festus to bring food and water to Reaper. Her brother claimed that the boy understood, but Eulalia still felt guilty, her own problems distracting her from mentoring her tribute.
The next day in class, Dean Highbottom left them to their own devices, the man well past the time of year where he carefully monitored them. They were free to do as they pleased, whether it be preparation, strategizing, or, in Blue and Festus' case, playing games on their papers.
"You lose," Festus proclaimed, running his pen through a row of circles.
"No," Blue scoffed, stealing the implement from him, "It's first to five, not four—"
"Since when?"
"Since—"
"Miss Creed." Eulalia's head snapped up at the call of her name, an apologetic smile. But the Dean wore one himself; he had drawn her attention not because she had been disruptive, but because a Peacekeeper had entered the room. "Dr. Gaul is requesting your presence." A note laid in the Dean's hand, cast to his thigh's side with an overwhelming sense of doom.
All eyes focused on Eulalia, her own stomach feeling like it was caving in. Dr. Gaul wants to see me. She turned to her brother with frightened eyes, grabbing his wrist. She wanted to beg him to go with her, to stand between her and the Gamemaker, but couldn't.
"It's okay," he said, frowning at the intruder. "I don't think it's...that. Remember when they took Sun? There were way more." Sun had been the hostage from District Two, a quiet boy who kept to himself and never caused any trouble. When his time came, six peacekeepers interrupted Professor Click's class to haul him away. Hours later, his body was sent back to Two, and it was just Eulalia and Sylk left.
He was probably right, but that didn't stop Eulalia from squeezing his hand, in case it was goodbye. She collected her things into a neat pile, entrusting Festus to get them home. With it being the last class of the day, they had hoped to visit the zoo after school, perhaps it would be just him. "Tell Reaper I'm sorry."
It was hard to imagine the boy from home being angry with her. So far he had been a bit cold, yes, but within reason. Once he had discovered her status as a hostage, it had been pity and care he had treated her with. The same pity in her classmates' eyes as she came to the Peacekeeper's side, allowing him to guide her out the door. While she was from the District's she had always been kind despite the circumstances, and Festus had taken her in like she was one of them, slowly implanting the idea in their minds as well.
He led her down the twisted hallways of the academy and into a vehicle, the driver escorting them to the Citadel, reaching the laboratory of Dr. Gaul. He came to a halt next to the heavy doors, standing guard as he nodded her to enter.
She pushed open the door with shaky hands a bright, open room greeting her. Different shelves hosted bottles and tubes of creatures, hall animal half experiment. At perhaps the most normal part of the laboratory, Dr. Gaul dropped bits of fish kibble into a tank, muttering:
