A Court of Ashes ↠ Peeta Mellark [3] ✓

08 ; The Ghost of You

Rhea Watson was the type of person who just looked like a mother. With her smiling pink lips, beautifully aged face with crows feet in the corners of her eyes when she'd smiled; she looked like the type of mom who'd make you cookies and tuck you into bed at night.

She was the exact opposite of the mother Emberly had grown up with.

 Bentley was attached to her, it was something you'd be blind not to see. With how he was helping her place a platter of carrots onto the table, telling her to sit down as he got the mugs from the cabinets, how he wasn't as confused as he'd been when they'd first landed in District 1.

Emberly, Kade, and Ruby sat uncomfortably at the table in the Watson's home. Their black outfits contrasting against the yellow wallpaper Rhea had decorating her house. Rhea was watching them closely, sipping the warm tea from her mug.

"I'm sorry for scaring you four, it wasn't my intention." She begins, placing her mug gently down onto the table. "Your father, Emberly, told me to watch over your home before he left. I was just going outside to tend to my rose garden when I saw the front door open and I thought someone was trying to steal something. Hence, why I was carrying a knife."

"That's alright," Emberly says, blowing gently on her tea before taking a sip. The tea is severely watered down and has the consistency of the dirt from outside but Emberly doesn't complain and politely swallows it down. "How have you been? It doesn't look like there's been any bombings here."

Rhea shakes her head instantly. "Oh, no, no. President Snow has been so generous not to bomb us. I can't say the same thing for the other districts though."

Emberly tightens her jaw. There are plenty of words she'd use to describe President Snow, but 'generous' surely isn't one. Rhea doesn't seem to know who she's talking to, being she has no regard for mentioning the districts that have been reduced to rubble. 

"Yes, he's been very... strict with the others." Emberly says, licking her lips and placing her barely drunken tea onto the wooden table.

"You don't have to walk on eggshells around me," Rhea says sternly, crinkles forming onto her forehead in either confusion or anger. "I'm very aware the three of you are proud members of the filthy rebel cause."

"Listen here you-" Ruby begins, voice loud as she begins to stand up from her chair.

"We are," Emberly says, grabbing Ruby's arm and jerking her back down into her seat without sparing the red head a glance sideways. "But we don't appreciate you belittling our beliefs."

"You're in my home," Rhea says, a nasty snarl forming onto her lips. It at that moment, the saying 'wolf in sheep's clothing' comes to Emberly's mind when she looks across the table at Rhea Watson."If you don't like it, you can leave."

"I must inform you, we are not here for pure enjoyment of your company. We're here for your-we're here for Bentley." Emberly says calmly, not raising her voice, because like Rhea was strict to mention.

This is her home, they're meant to follow her rules.

"Good, because I normally kill rebels on sight." Rhea grins, pink lips moving underneath the lip of her white tea cup in glee at her insult.

"That's strange, because I've heard it's the other way around." Emberly states, watching as Rhea's blue eyes turn darker in shade and she's slamming her tea cup onto the table. The hot tea splashes out of the cup, some of it landing onto Rhea's hand but she doesn't seem to notice because she's gritting her teeth like a rabid animal.

"You are in my house, you will not disrespect me!" She shouts, instantly cueing for Bentley to walk out of the kitchen. His eyes take in the scene before him, seeing his mother glaring heavily at Emberly; while Emberly looks strictly casual.