𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒 | hunger games ✓

chapter 4

━━･❪ 🌸 ❫ ･━━

Iskra called for supper in about an hour. Daphne couldn't bring herself to care about her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks as she threw on a clean dark blouse and some pants. She tucked her pendant beneath her shirt before showing up. Azalea and Theron were already seated, as were Iskra and Theia Gumede.

Theia gave Daphne a welcoming smile, those dark brown eyes rimmed with sympathy. She knew first hand what it was like to be in Daphne's position. Iskra, on the other hand, scowled at Daphne's flushed face as Daphne took the seat farthest away from Azalea, finding herself next to Theia. The escort's highlighted eyelashes, long and spider-like, framed her pale blue eyes glimmering with disdain.

"What?" Daphne snapped at Iskra. "Never seen a tribute show emotions off camera before? What are we, just toys for Panem's amusement? Not even deserving of human feelings?"

Usually, Daphne wouldn't have dared talk to one of her superiors that way. Today, however, she couldn't stop herself.

"Why don't you wipe that ugly frown off your face, Iskra?" She spat, her hand inching towards the knife utensil in front of her. "What the hell do you have to be so miserable about? It's not like your life is on the line. Do you even know how much it hurts, being ripped from everything you've ever loved and knowing that you'll never get it back again?"

Caelum walked into the room, having combed his hair and put on fresh clothes. Daphne couldn't care less as she turned to Azalea, rising to her feet. Azalea flinched away from her burning glare.

"And you." Daphne's voice cracked. "To hell with you!"

Theia was on her feet then, her hand on Daphne's shoulder in a gentle but firm grip as she eased the knife out of reach. She didn't say a word, but her eyes told Daphne everything. Theia understood her anger, understood better than anyone, but Daphne wasn't helping the situation by blowing up.

Daphne gritted her teeth, snarling at Azalea one last time and sitting back down, glowering at the empty plate in front of her. Caelum hesitated for a moment before taking the last available seat; the one across from her.

Daphne shot him a grim smirk, since she was on an audacious streak anyways. "What? Afraid you'll catch cooties or something?"

All he did was roll his eyes in exasperation and sat down heavily. Daphne didn't wipe the smirk off her face. If she were to keep talking, she might as well shoot to kill.

"Isn't that why you've ignored me like hell for the past year, pretty boy?"

Caelum's narrow jaw twitched, but he remained silent. Daphne knew it was taking all of his willpower not to fire back, to give her that brutal satisfaction of ticking him off. Iskra thumped her fist on the table, her blue eyes blazing as they pinned Daphne down. "That is quite enough, Miss Feng."

"Please, Miss Feng is my mother." Daphne crooned. "Call me Daphne. Or rather, piece-of-crap, since that seems to be all I am to you."

Theia cleared her throat sharply. "May I have a moment with you, Daphne."

It wasn't a question. She stood with a threatening sense of calm and strode out of the dining room. Daphne was tempted to stay put just to spite her, but she felt that she'd caused enough damage for the night. With a reluctant grunt, she followed.

Theia turned to her once they were well inside a corridor, out of earshot from the others. The artificial light gleamed against Theia's dark skin, illuminating the crease between her knitted eyebrows.

"Daphne, I understand that you're angry." She said, her voice calm and gentle. "Trust me, I do. I remember feeling the same when I was a tribute. But you can't keep acting like this."