Shattering Secrets [2]

Two

   My heart raced as his words come out, his breath smelling of blood. "She won't do it" I stand, pulling my hand through my now tangle free hair. "She won't lie in front of thousands of people for you"

   "I'm afraid the deal has already been sealed my dear" President Snow rises and makes his way to the door. "I hope you have the best of times on the Victory Tour"

   "I hope you have fun watching us disappoint you"

   "Coral, that is no way to talk to the President of Panem" Allesandra looks at me with fear in her eyes. All of the color in her face has disappeared, now left with a ghostly pale white. "He could have us all killed"

   "Allesandra, I'm not going to talk to him with respect. He killed my brother. He killed the only family I had left. So if you think I'm going to treat the bastard with respect, you have me all wrong" I spit at her, getting closer to her high-end Capitol look. "I didn't choose for him to do that to me, but I can choose the way I treat him"

   "You must think of us" She wipes a tear from her eye, it shimmers in the lighting, now up close to her I see that her eyes are not only full of fear, but full of pain. They are bloodshot, glossy.

   "What did he do to you?" I grab her shaking hand. "Tell me what he did"

   Cruz Caesar comes forward, placing a hand on Allesandras shoulder. "He killed the man she loved. Working with you has been the best and worst thing that has ever happen to us. We love you dearly, but with that comes great sacrifice. He saw Allesandra help you in the arena, he saw me grow close to you. He saw Finnicks great friendship. You aren't the only one who has lost things. Allesandra lost her husband. I myself lost my son. Finnick has lost his freedom. We are here for you no matter what sweetheart. We aren't going anywhere, even though it means loosing people who are close to our hearts"

   I drop to my knees, the impact sending pain rippling through my body. The pain was nothing compared to what I felt in my heart. "I never asked for this to happen. I never asked for you to grow close to me, I never wanted you to give up so much for me"

   "You are the Goddess of the sea Coral. You are going to change the future of Panem. We aren't just going to have the odds at our favor, we are going to have freedom, the world at our fingertips" Cruz pulls me into a hug, stroking my hair. Finnick's strong hand rubs my back, and Allesandra's shaky hand holds my own.

In that moment, I realized that these people were now my family. That I too had lost something dear to my heart, but gained so much more.

{~}

   The food that sat out in front of me was untouched except for the mint tea. Katniss was in her room, and I still haven't had the nerve to talk to her about what President Snow had said to me earlier. My heart still ached for my new family and what they had to loose for me.

   Finnick had lost his freedom. He was a slave of the Capitol. He is selling his body, selling his innocence, selling his worth and talent. He is selling everything to be in my life.

   Allesandra had lost her husband, the man she truly loved, the man she had dreams for, the man she wanted to start a family with. She lost the one person she loved most in this world, to be in my life.

   Cruz had lost his oldest son. He was a fashion designer and had one of his own shops in the Capitol. His son was all he had left of his family, but lost the only person dearest to his heart, to be in my life.

   Who else will have to lose something in their lives to be a part of mine?

   "Coral" a raspy hoarse voice calls my name , and I immediately recognize it as Haymitchs.

    "Yes?" I call out to him

   "Katniss wants to see you" I sigh and stand, taking my now cold tea to her room. It has been about an hour sense we picked her up, and I've been avoiding her presence. Walking past Haymitch, and into her room, I see that her back is turned to me. She is sitting on the edge of her bed in her silk nightgown. The door closes behind me, and I step closer to her.

   "Katniss?" I step even closer, but stop as her hand shoots up, telling me to stop. "I have some mint tea if you want a sip. It's cold, but still tastes the same"

   "I've been having nightmares" she stands and goes to her window, her back still turned to me. "I can't do anything without remembering the time in the arena, I can't even look at my own sister without remembering Rue's death. I can't go outside without fear of there being a killer, or a wall of fire trying to kill me" her words shake, and I know that she is crying. "I can't go on like this Coral. I can't go on showing the Capitol that I'm okay, that I've never been happier. I can't do it anymore"

   "What do you mean?" I set the mug of tea on her nightstand and sit on her bed. She turns to me, and I gasp at her grizzly sight.

   Her face is beaten, black and blue. Her left eye is closed shut with swelling. Her lips are dry and cracked, bleeding at the edges. Her neck has hand ligatures on it, as if someone had choked her. As if someone had tried to kill her. Her right eye is blood shot, and the white of the eye is now a gray shade.

   "What in the world happen to you!?" I stand and grab her hand, drawing her into a hug.

   "President Snow" I drop my arms and stare at her face.

   "Why? Why did he do this?"

   "Because I'm the one who leaked the video of your brother getting killed"