I looked at Samson, who is blushing scarlet red. I quickly turned away when he looks at me.
"Sure." I smiled at the President, trying to hide my anxiety. The gaze of the President screams danger. Why does he need to find me? Did I do anything wrong? Is it because of my frustrated act on the chariot? The longer he stares at me, the more I get nervous.
"Samson, you won't mind if I steal Capillia for a moment?" The President asked, but it seemed to be a statement instead of a question.
"No problem." Samson laughed nervously, but not noticeable.
"Thanks for understanding, now Ms. Capillia please follow me." I nodded solemnly as he smiled at me, then he head towards the stairs.
I followed him before I felt Samson tapping my shoulder. I looked up at him, questioned him silently with my eyes. He mouthed something.
'Stay safe for me okay?'
I nodded. When I left the Roof, I smiled idiotically despite of the dangerous talk ahead with the President.
* * *
"Please sit Ms Heartten." smiled the President as he took me into a greenhouse, full of roses.
I looked around in awe as I examined the bushes of roses. Red, pink, yellow, milk green, blue, violet...
The President grinned as he saw my eyes laid on the bush of white roses.
"Beautiful aren't they?" He said.
I nodded politely, continuing to glance at the delicate flowers until I heard a muffed scream.
I turned around in shock while the President smiled gleefully as a guard forcefully pushed an avox in front of us. She was too familiar for me, from her silky red hair to her unique emerald eyes.
Lavinia stopped in front of us as the President gestured the guard to leave Lavinia alone. Without hesitation I hugged Lavinia with all my might, while she hesitately put her arms around my waist.
"Lavinia..." I whispered to her as I refused to let go, afraid of losing her again.
A few scattered claps can be heard. I finally released my grasp on Lavinia to looked up at the President, a mock smile plastered on his face.
"What a tearful reunion of the Endian sisters." he said, walking towards us "but," he yanked Lavinia away from me "I guess we have business to talk about. " He smiled wickedly as he pull out a knife from his suit.
"What are you going to do?" I panicked as I heard Lavinia's muffed scream which only cause the President to hold the knife closer to her.
"Well, this beautiful lady..." Snow said as he examined Lavinia's face with a creepy smile on his face "why is she caught by us?"
"Because of her relationship with Duhmer?" I replied after a few seconds of silence.
The president laughed and shooked his head.
"That's what Heartten said when he killed your father right? I thought you would be smart enough to figure it out." Snow laughed in mock disappointment "Of course it's not the whole story. Two people who just broke one teeny rule is not worth our hovercrafts to chase them."
The President paused for a dramatic effect, his snake-like eyes stared at mine, waiting for me to question him. I wanted to, but I won't let him get the reaction he wanted. I don't want to act like a puppet controlled by a puppeteer.
He continued his speech with his knife on Lavinia's neck "This girl," he stared at Lavinia "your sister, is a traitor to the Great Panem. This traitor was going to District 13, to plan a revolution." Snow smiled as he saw my face. Yes, I gave in, I gave him the reaction he wanted.
"But in the end, she was just a little girl, a weakling, and caught by us. As for the boy, he's never a concern of us. So we just killed him. What we really want is the information from her. For years, we never got the information we want. But the moment you came in the scene, the story took a surprising twist." he smirked as he said the last sentence, like that satisfied face when a psychopath killed someone.
I shuddered at the end of the sentence. The way he spoke about life like it was a piece of dead thing, like it doesn't have a value. The smile that emphasis cunning and poison. Then I realised, I'm no longer looking into the eyes of a human, I'm looking into the glacial, merciless eyes of a deadly snake. A pair of predator's eyes.
"So, what then?" I tried being arrogant, tried to be a person who isn't scared of his words, I couldn't deceive him, he already smiled as he looked down at my shaking hands.
"I'm offering you a bet."
Never make bets with the devil. My mind screamed. I narrowed my eyes.
"Pretty sure it's not a fair one." I snapped.
The President chuckled "Sisters do act the same right? Do not jump into conclusions at once Volcania. Listen to the conditions first.
If you won the Hunger Games, you'll save you and your sister's life. Your sister would follow you home and back to District 5. You'll enjoy the riches and safety of being a Victor.
But if you don't, you'll be dead, your sister will be tortured forever in order for us to know the information we wanted."
Lavinia let out a muffed scream as she heard about the bet. Frantically she shooked her head, her eyes pleading me to not take the bet.
Snow laughed at her reaction, which only caused Lavinia to scream louder "My dear Ms Endian, unfortunately you don't have the choice to choose if you take the bet. You will be in this bet, your stance doesn't matter anyways."
"Volcania Endian, may the odds be ever in your favor." He gave me the white rose on his suit, let go of Lavinia, and left us behind in the greenhouse.
Lavinia screamed in frustration at the direction he left as I looked down at the white rose.
The bet is not over money, not over jewels or power, it's over life. And I am forced into it. If I lose, this is it.
Lavinia wrote me a message in a piece of paper.
I'm sorry about all of that. I didn't tell you the truth. It's all my fault, that Dad died, that you suffer from what I caused. Now you're suffering from my act of pretending Rebella*
I shooked my head "It's alright, I'll survive this, I'll bring you home with me." I said as I hugged her hardly. She hugged me harder, her sobs muffed.
Or maybe I cannot.
***
Samson nearly gave me a heart attack when I returned to the training centre building by giving me a crushing hug.
"God, I'm so worried about you." He murmured as he stroked my hair.
I didn't say anything, I was frozen, because I realized that this boy who was embracing me has to be dead if I have to win the Hunger Games.
"Capillia?" He questioned as I didn't give him a reply, he released me and looked into my eyes.
I didn't answer him, but the tears that were swelling replied him.
So here we are, me crying for no reason and Samson calming me down as he hugged me.
I let him hug and comfort me as I feel his warm hand on my back. I don't want him to let go, I don't want him to leave me, I don't want him to die.
But also I want my sister live, I want her to leave the Capitol and to District 5, where she belong.
As I let the tears fall, the voice of the President echoed in my mind.
"Volcania Endian, may the odds be ever in your favor."
One thing for sure, this voice will be haunting me forever and ever. Nothing else will help me to cope with it, not my sister and her gentle gazes, not Samson and his hugs.
He'll be haunting me forever.
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
*Rebella
Refer to my other book named Rebella
