Timber

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Behind Blue Eyes

Hazel swallowed hard, and her heart thumped painfully against her ribs. The ember of anger ignited once again, laced with a sliver of fear at the sight of Senator Snow emerging from the shadows. He slid toward her until the moonlight, and the blinking monitors illuminated his features. His dark gray suit had been replaced with a crisp, pearl-white one. A matching tie with gold embroidery and an undershirt almost made him blend into the whiteness of the room. No longer did traces of weariness color his skin, and the wrinkles in his clothing were gone. The blue of his eyes was darker, matching the deep navy tones of the night. Clutched in his gloved fingers was a single unnaturally colored rose. It shone in an intense metallic tone as if the rose itself had been dipped in gold. A cold sweat slid down her back at how similar the color appeared to the Cornucopia.

Hazel drew the blankets up to her collarbones, tucking her trembling hand beneath the covers. Snow stood watching her for a moment, neither speaking nor moving forward. The last time she had seen him, she was like a rabid animal ready to pounce, glaring at him from the forest floor. Under any other circumstances, she might have been embarrassed, but at this moment, she regretted nothing.

He tilted his head as he observed her reaction. She realized he had asked her a question, and she was just staring at him.

"I brought you something." He lifted the gold rose into the light. It shimmered strangely.

"You shot me." She murmured, ignoring the bizarre flower.

Snow's lips turned up into a mildly surprised smile, and his outstretched arm dropped, "Technically, I didn't."

"You ordered it." Hazel countered.

He let out a long sigh, "We sedated you for your safety."

"It seems that is a popular thing to do lately." Hazel adjusted her sore arm; she could still feel the needle's bite.

"Yet you still asked to speak with me?" He raised an eyebrow, twirling the flower between his fingers.

"I didn't ask for you specifically," Hazel shook her head. She stared at the spinning golden bloom, glittering unnaturally in the moonlight.

Snow smiled wider, "Be grateful it is me here and not Dr. Gaul."

"You mean she isn't going to bring me flowers?" Hazel's eyes met his, and she sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the molten sorrow and anger that boiled within her. "I want to see my brother."

Snow nodded, his eyes shifting to study the rose. "That can be arranged."

"I want to see him now," Hazel demanded, straightening her spine but still gripping the sheets around her.

"So, I have been told," he replied, glancing at her cuffed wrist. "I will escort you to him myself, but you need to be patient. You will see him, but I will advise against any further attempts to push the issue, or the consequences will be much more severe."

Hazel scoffed and turned away from him, staring out at the blinking lights of the Capitol. What else could they possibly do to me? They've already torn open my heart.

His shoes clicked as he took another step. He scrutinized the machines behind her. The monitors and computers hummed softly. His gaze then dropped to the bedside table that held her belongings. A curious look washed over his face.

A few more steps, and he was staring down at the items. Hazel could hear him let out a puff of air through his nose. He reached out and ran a finger over the partial card, tracing over the words: Until we meet again.

"Didn't expect you to take this with you." He smirked down at it. "Or that you would use it to try to burn down my arena, for that matter. But I have found myself surprised quite a lot lately."