trial by blood (hunger games)

Ⅲ

The morning light crept into the room, piercing through the curtains and stinging my eyes. I groaned softly, blinking away the remnants of sleep, only to freeze as I felt something foreign—a firm, unyielding grip—on my arm. Panic surged through me, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. I gasped, jerking away instinctively, but the grip tightened before releasing me abruptly. I tumbled out of bed, landing on the floor with a thud that echoed in the quiet room.

"At least wake her up first" Caius's voice cut through the haze, rough and tinged with irritation. His tone snapped me out of my disoriented state, and I blinked rapidly, struggling to adjust to the sudden brightness. As my vision cleared, I saw him standing over me, his dark curly hair a tousled mess, his freckled face scrunched up in annoyance. His eyes, a deep, stormy brown, flickered with frustration as he glanced between me and the intruder.

Before I could process what was happening, Caius reached down, his strong grip encircling my waist as he effortlessly hauled me to my feet. The contact was brief—his hands were gone the moment I was standing, as if the very idea of touching me disgusted him. I straightened myself, brushing off the lingering effects of sleep, my heart still racing.

"It's just the lady who dresses us up like clowns," Caius grumbled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, clearly displeased with the early morning intrusion.

I followed his gaze and saw our so-called stylist, a woman whose appearance was as flamboyant as her personality. Her blonde curls bounced around her face, and her eyes were lined with gold eyeliner that made them shimmer in the morning light. A broad smile stretched across her face, the gold lipstick catching the sunlight as she beamed at us, seemingly unfazed by the fact that she had just dragged me out of bed like a ragdoll.

"Sorry about that! I tend to be very forward. I didn't even realize you were sleeping!" she chirped, her voice as bubbly as her appearance. She stepped closer, her eyes bright with enthusiasm as she took in my disheveled state. "You're gorgeous! Oh my—Isn't she pretty?" She cupped my cheeks, her touch gentle yet firm, her smile widening as she admired me.

I noticed Caius out of the corner of my eye, rolling his eyes dramatically. He was clearly unimpressed, his lips twisting into a faint sneer as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "She's not that pretty," he muttered, his voice low and dismissive. The words were a deliberate provocation, meant to get under my skin, and they succeeded.

I shot him a glare, my eyes narrowing dangerously. "Why don't you go over there and tell him how pretty he is? I think he's feeling left out," I snapped back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I could see the amusement flicker in his eyes, his lips twitching into a smirk.

"I don't need someone to tell me when I already know," he replied arrogantly, the smirk spreading across his freckled face. His confidence was infuriating, the self-assuredness that radiated from him like a shield impossible to penetrate.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes at his inflated ego. "Your ego is bigger than this bloody room," I shot back, unable to keep the frustration from seeping into my voice. He opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, Vila's authoritative voice sliced through the tension like a knife.

"That's enough!" Vila's command brought us both to a halt, our bickering cut short as she stepped between us. Her presence was commanding, her white braids swaying with each movement, and her fierce eyes locked onto ours with a warning that needed no words. I hadn't even noticed how close Caius and I had gotten, his tall frame towering over me as we exchanged barbs.

"This is an important moment. You'll be seeing the other districts and making your first impression on the Capitol and President Snow," Vila reminded us sternly, her tone leaving no room for argument. Her expression softened slightly as she turned her attention to our blonde stylist, who was practically bouncing with excitement, her eyes alight with creative fervor.