Sea of Flames | f. odair

CHAPTER 07 | THE PROMISE

She was shaken back to reality, finding focus in Finnick's eyes as she snapped out of her despairing guilt. Her bottom lip trembled and she hated that it did such, but in the silence of the room with only her heavy breathing, she could only feel like she was being put on display for her foolishness. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm an idiot."

The frustrated expression on Finnick's face fell into one of sympathy. The hands that grasped her shoulders softened and eased her to sit on the edge of her bed, with him sitting beside her. He grabbed her hand; the first amount of affection she has gotten since arriving at the Capitol. The warmth of his hand brought her comfort, but it didn't make her feel any less miserable.

"Tell me what you did in your private session," he lowly asked her. He didn't sound angry or upset, he just sounded like he was trying to understand the situation. Cassia couldn't imagine the position she was putting him in. He was adored by the citizens of the Capitol and most of Panem, so for his tribute to get a score of one was embarrassing.

"I was going to do what we talked about. I was going to throw the knives, but then," she swallowed the emotions that had swarmed her heart and continued on—trying to ignore the way his thumb brushed over the back of her hand—"but then I thought of my sister, and all the moments I've shared with her; all the ones that the Capitol has stolen from us. I got angry and I couldn't control it." She looked away from Finnick to stare at their clasped hands. "I try to contain my emotions most of the time, but this—I have never felt such hatred for anything in my life. So I took the knife I was going to throw and started carving into the floor." Cassia stopped herself, regret souring her tongue.

Another swipe of his thumb against her skin, another distraction as his alluring voice pulled the truth from her while he murmured, "and what then? What did you carve into the floor?"

"I wanted them all dead. Every single one of them. But it was useless when I knew another one would take its place. So I figured who better than their master, their president, their king." Cassia stared back into Finnick's eyes with a heat in her face that was minor compared to the furnace roaring in her soul. "I wrote 'kill the king', and I meant every letter I scratched into that concrete floor."

Her eyes burned with hot tears of frustration. She wasn't upset anymore, she was only reminded of how angry she had been and how it had made her ultimately skewer any chance she had of getting back to her family. Finnick let go of her hand and gave a deep sigh, running his hands through his sandy strands of hair.

"Okay," he finally said.

"Okay?" Cassia asked in confusion.

He looked at the mirror in front of them; she looked so small next to him. "Yes. Okay. Cassia," he turned to her, "you've made yours and my life much more difficult after this, you'll have to do everything I say from here on out if you truly want to win, no more disobeying or going behind my back. You've just gotten the lowest training score in Hunger Games history, sponsors are going to stay away from you unless you wow them in the interview tomorrow and if you stick to the plan in the arena. Do you understand me?"

She was scared of what the future would hold, but she knew that Finnick knew what he was talking about. She would do everything he said, for the interview and for the arena no matter the circumstance. She couldn't allow for anymore slip-ups. She nodded. "Yes, I'll do everything you tell me. I promise."

There was something solemn in his eyes as he stared at her. He was so close to her and the warmth that radiated from his body was pleasantly nice. She found herself comforted by his presence. She wanted to tell him about her dream with the water, but she pushed it aside. As he smiled, her eyes traced the smile lines that creased into his cheeks, admiring how perfect he really was.

"What was their reaction?" Finnick asked.

"What?" She looked up at him, her face flushing.

His smile widened. "What did they do when you were in your training session? Were they shocked? Did they gasp?"

Cassia looked down at her lap, "oh I'm not sure." She thought back to the other day, past her anger and to the men sitting above her with their glasses in hand and their eyes watching her like vultures. "Some complained at the noise, but I kept going. One in particular, Poe Elders, he just sat and watched me."

His face twisted as he thought. "Elders, huh? Best to stay on the Head Gamemaker's good side, but I guess we're past that now. Only thing we can do is go forward." He paused and let the silence in the room wash over them before he suddenly asked, "how's your smile?"

"My what?" She replied.

"Your smile. I don't know that I've ever seen it." His eyes dropped down to her mouth as if he was expecting her to give him an award-winning smile.

She doesn't smile much; not anymore, at least. "There isn't much to smile about," she shrugged.

He sighed and looked back to the mirror. She couldn't tell if he was staring at her or himself with that solemn blue-green gaze as he spoke. "No, there isn't."

A/N: another update! i apologize if i've been slow with them, it seems even though i'm now home from school that the homework has doubled for me :( but on a lighter note, i think that things are starting to heat up with finnick and cassia! i'm so excited to write about her time in the arena, i think that it will be so unlike anything i've written in awhile. did you guys expect her score to be so low? do you think cassia will win her games?

also, i would like to note that please don't post mean comments on my message board, or anywhere for that matter. i am human just like you and i do have feelings, even tho it did make me laugh at how random it was. i write to make other people and myself happy and so that they can enjoy reading the stories i write, if you don't like my writhing then simply leave it's just that easy! shocking ik. i only want a positive community on my account and for us all to love and respect each other equally (which i know isn't universally possible unfortunately). if you've read this far, tell me one of your current favorite songs! (mine is heather by conan gray and wildflower by 5SOS).

i'm so grateful for all the support i get, i'm shocked on the daily that after all my time on this app i still have people who read my stories. i love you all and if you ever need to talk to me or need to hear that on the daily, message me! i've made some really close friends on this app and would love to be yours! so on that note, let's spread some positivity! xx