Caleb's voice, a hushed echo in the still night, murmured, "Good luck, Red," as the peacekeepers sternly urged Hazel to her feet. The fear that gripped her was an icy presence, overshadowing the dull ache in her left arm. She caught sight of Silus being similarly pulled upright. Ruby's soft sobs grew louder.
Percy's commanding voice cut through the tension. "Put the rest in their rooms and bring that brat from District 8 out here," he ordered. The peacekeepers began herding the remaining tributes back towards the manor, their steps echoing on the stone patio.
Leo shifted subtly, positioning himself a few steps closer to Percy. In the dim light, Percy reached into his back pocket and withdrew a small box. He expertly pulled out a thin cigarette and lit it in one swift motion. He took a deep drag, exhaling a cloud of smoke that mingled with the night air. Holding the cigarette elegantly between his fingers, he massaged his temples with his other hand.
The peacekeeper who had whispered to Percy earlier returned, extending his hand to deposit two all too familiar items into Percy's palm. Hazel's heart sank as she recognized the small bottle and tube of ointment.
The glowing tip of Percy's cigarette cast a faint light in the dark, accentuating the grim set of his features as he took another prolonged drag. Smoke curled around him. Hazel watched him intently, a knot forming in her stomach. His gaze, sharp and penetrating, shifted from the items in his hand to where Hazel and Silus stood before him.
"Well, this is certainly interesting," Percy murmured, "I wouldn't have guessed all this trouble would have come from you two." He scrutinized them, his eyes narrowing. He held up the bottle and the tube. "Care to explain these?" he asked, his voice deceptively calm. "And, more importantly, I'm interested to know who gave them to you."
Percy took another deep inhale from his cigarette, the smoke swirling in the cool air, his eyes never leaving Hazel and Silus. Hazel's body trembled slightly.
Silus's voice emerged, steady yet filled with an underlying urgency. "They're mine," he claimed.
She watched, her heart pounding, as Percy leisurely strolled towards them, a menacing calmness in his steps. He handed the items back to his peacekeeper with a casual flick of his wrist. "Hold onto these for me."
Percy's approach towards Hazel and Silus was deliberate, his footsteps measured and purposeful. His presence loomed over them, the cigarette in his hand emitting a thin trail of smoke that curled into the air. He stopped directly in front of Silus. The smell of the cigarette smoke mingling with the cool night air.
"Are they now?" he asked, skepticism lacing his tone as he took a long drag from his cigarette. The smoke swirled around them as Percy exhaled, directing a stream of it towards Silus's face. Despite the smoke, Silus remained stoic, his gaze unwavering, his jaw set in a firm line. Silus's silence only seemed to heighten Percy's interest. With a slight tilt of his head, Percy leaned in closer, the tip of his cigarette glowing in the darkness. "Don't go quiet on me now."
Percy inhaled deeply on his cigarette, then stepped closer to Silus. He grabbed Silus's cuffed hands, forcibly turning them to expose the stitches on his palm. "Hmm, I have some ideas about where that needle came from," he remarked, his tone icy. In a swift gesture, Percy pressed the burning cigarette into Silus's injured hand. The sharp hiss of skin meeting the hot ember filled the air. Silus's neck muscles tensed, a grunt escaping his lips as his face contorted in pain. Hazel felt a surge of anger and helplessness at the sight, her own hands clenching into fists.
"Stop!" Hazel yelled, the peacekeeper holding her maintained a firm grip. "It was me. They are mine."
"There we go," he murmured. Percy shifted his attention towards her, his dark hair slightly disheveled.
"Haze, don't," Silus urged, his voice laced with pain.
Percy leaned in closer to her, the scent of cigarette smoke was strong, mingling with the sharp note of his aftershave, creating an almost overwhelming aroma that invaded Hazel's senses. She fought the urge to recoil from the smell. "Tell me, Seven, are you lying to me?" Percy's voice was low, the words almost a hiss.
Hazel's reply was quiet, yet firm. "No," she said, meeting his intense gaze. "He couldn't stitch himself with one hand. The needle, the pills, and the ointment — they're all mine."
"I'll admit, stitching oneself single-handedly does seem a bit difficult." Percy's smirk deepened slightly. He tilted his head, his gaze sharpening. "But that brings me to another question. If you indeed had those purple pills, why weren't you and your dear brother among those attempting to escape?"
"The pills were stolen from me," Hazel insisted, her voice quivering with the strain of the moment. "I had no idea about any escape plan, I swear."
Percy nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful yet still edged with skepticism. "Now, answer me this, my dear," he demanded, his eyes searching her face with relentless scrutiny. "Who gave them to you?"
Hazel hesitated, feeling the tension tighten around her throat. With a voice barely above a whisper, she confessed, "Senator Snow."
A flicker of disbelief crossed Percy's features. "Bullshit," he snapped dismissively, lighting another cigarette.
Several peacekeepers arrived, roughly dragging Ian Threader into the space. He was clearly beaten, bruised, and shackled, with a gag stuffed in his mouth. Despite his state, he continued to resist their grip.
"Excellent timing," Percy remarked dryly, turning his attention to Ian.
The peacekeeper yanked the gag from Ian's mouth. He spat on the ground, his eyes full of cold fury and wild desperation.
Percy's eyes narrowed as he addressed Ian, his voice carrying a mix of accusation and demand. "Okay, eight," he said, gesturing towards Hazel and Silus. "I have your conspirators here, and I'm looking for some answers."
Ian's gaze shifted to Hazel and Silus, his expression clouded with confusion.
Percy pressed on, his tone sharp. "Tell me, which one of them gave you the needle?"
Ian's eyes hardened as he met Percy's gaze. "They are not my conspirators," he stated firmly, his voice laced with defiance.
Unfazed, Percy took another drag of his cigarette, the smoke curling into the air. "This isn't the time to protect your little friends," he chided.
Ian's response was laced with venom. "Friends?" he echoed scornfully. "They are not my friends. I have nothing to do with them." He looked at Hazel and Silus with clear disdain.
Percy raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear in his voice. "Oh no?" he challenged. "Then explain how you came to possess that makeshift shiv, my boy?"
Ian's glare intensified as he answered, "It was left in my room. I don't know by who." His words hung in the air, leaving an uncomfortable silence in their wake.
Percy's gaze swept across the yard, a calculating look in his eyes. He walked over to Ian and delivered a sudden punch to the gut, sending Ian crumpling to the ground. "Worthless," Percy muttered, his voice barely audible.
Turning to Hazel, "Back to you, cherry," he began, his tone laced with suspicion. "Did you give the needle to our little vigilante, murderous friend here?"
Hazel's response was quick, her head shaking emphatically. "No," she said firmly. "It went missing from our room." Ian grunted, slowly pulling himself back to his feet after the harsh blow from Percy.
Percy's expression hardened. "How convenient that various forms of contraband keep being stolen from your room," he said, his words dripping with skepticism. Closing the distance between them, Percy leaned in closer to Hazel, his eyes probing. "Now, I know as improbable as it might be for that prick Snow to give you medication, I know he is not dumb enough to give a needle to a tribute." He studied Hazel's face closely, his gaze intense. "Tell me who gave it to you," he demanded.
Hazel froze, not daring to look at Leo but also not daring to give him up as the source of the suture needle.
Percy's smirk widened as Hazel remained silent, clearly hesitating to betray Leo. "I see," Percy remarked, his tone indicating that he was not convinced by her silence. "Seems like you need a little motivation to talk as well. Must be a family trait."
Silus, hearing this, began to struggle against his restraints. "Don't touch her," he warned, his voice strained with concern and anger.
Ignoring Silus, he almost gently placed his hand on her left shoulder. Hazel flinched slightly under his grip. "Come on, tell me," Percy coaxed, his voice a dangerous whisper. "The sooner you tell me, the sooner we can get this over with."
Hazel looked up at Percy, yet she remained silent. Percy, reading her expression, let a sadistic half-smile cross his face. "Or have it your way," he said, his tone turning cold.
Percy's grip tightened around her neck, as he pressed the lit end of his cigarette against her collarbone. The pain was immediate and intense, searing her skin. Hazel whimpered in agony, her breaths quickening from the sharp, burning sensation.
At that moment, Leo's voice cut through the tension. "Commander, stop." His tone was firm and authoritative as he stepped closer, placing his hand on Percy's arm. "It was me."
Percy's grip on Hazel released as he turned his full attention to Leo. Hazel stood frozen, her eyes locked with Leo's, the smell of her own burning skin filling her nostrils.
"I gave her the needle," Leo stated firmly, facing his brother with a calm resolve. "The other items, I believe she's telling the truth. They came from Senator Snow. He drove her back to the manor tonight, without authorization. But ultimately, it was my lapse in supervision that led to this. The responsibility is mine."
Percy's face contorted with a mix of confusion and rage as he fully faced his brother. His broad shoulders heaved with barely contained anger. "Leo, I warned you about the consequences. You know I have to hold you accountable."
"I understand," Leo replied, his voice carrying a hint of resignation.
With a swift motion, Percy flung his cigarette to the ground, where it sizzled and died on the cold stone of the patio. He then reached behind him and withdrew his baton, his expression grim. "I cannot allow any challenge to my authority or the security of the Capitol to go unpunished."
Leo nodded in acknowledgment, his expression stoic. "I'm sorry, Percy."
Percy seized Leo by the neck, his gaze intense as he searched his brother's eyes, perhaps looking for signs of deceit. "No one is above punishment," his voice firm and unyielding.
Leo didn't flinch, earnestly staring at his brother, "I understand."
"Then you understand what I must do next." Percy's voice gave a slight quiver which was immediately covered with a gruff statement, "Lock them all in their rooms, now."
As the peacekeepers began to escort Ian, Hazel, and Silus back into the manor, Hazel attempted to interject. "Wait, it isn't his fault," she pleaded, her voice strained with urgency. Leo cast a fleeting, warning glance at her.
Percy, however, was resolute. "You're wrong," he declared coldly, not breaking his intense stare with Leo. "And he will face the consequences in place of your brother and you."
As they were briskly ushered inside the manor, a pained yell from Leo pierced the night, followed by the chilling echo of a baton striking repeatedly. The sounds reverberated through the air, each thud resonating.
As Hazel was pushed back into her room, she caught no glimpse of where they took Silus. The peacekeepers' firm grip guided her inside, her wrists still restrained by the cold handcuffs. The door closed with a definitive click, sealing her in the dimly lit room. The sounds of Leo's punishment, echoed in her mind. .
Time seemed to lose its meaning as hours slowly passed. Hazel remained motionless, her body stretched out on the bed, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. She tried desperately to divert her mind from the events of the night, but they replayed relentlessly in her thoughts. Hazel felt the tears that had brimmed in her eyes gradually dry, leaving behind a salty residue on her skin Gradually, the outside's darkness of the night gave way to the light of day. The warm sun began to shine through the window. No one came to her room, and the manor seemed unusually quiet. With the effects of the pain medication having long worn off, Hazel's body ached with a dull, persistent pain.
As the morning wore on, the exhaustion of the previous night's events began to take its toll. Hazel's eyelids grew heavy, and she eventually drifted into a uneasy sleep.
Hazel's body felt strangely warm, as if cradled in the embrace of a bed of grass on a summer evening. She stretched her limbs out, noticing with surprise that the ache that had plagued her was absent. No longer feeling the burn on her collar bone or the ache on her left side, something felt different, surreal. Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings. The warm summer sun shone down on her, warming her face. Beneath her, a sea of flowers, vivid and mesmerizing in their blue hue, spread out around her, lulling her into a brief moment of tranquility. A soft breeze tickled the tops of the flowers, making them gently sway. She took in a deep, fresh breath of the air, earthy but also oddly sweet. 'Was the sweetness from the flowers?' She looked closer at the sapphire field around her – these weren't just any flowers. She felt a spike of anxiety as her mind slowly recognized the shape of the petals and the bright blue hue. Sapphire's Breath.
Panic surged within Hazel as she abruptly sat up, hastily covering her mouth with her shirt. The air was laden with an intoxicatingly sweet aroma, thick and overwhelming. She knew she had to escape, but where could she go? Her eyes darted towards the horizon, focusing on a distant forest that beckoned like a beacon of hope amidst the swaying sea of blue flowers. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Hazel started running towards the trees. However, her legs felt uncooperative and weak, betraying her. Each step through the dense patches of flowers felt heavier, as if the flowers were trying to pull her down, luring her to succumb to their lethal embrace. The scent of roasted marshmallows, vanilla, and an alluring sense of surrender filled her nostrils. Despite her efforts, the forest seemed to recede further with each step, turning into an unreachable mirage. Desperation gripped her as the realization dawned on her – she was lost in an immense expanse of cerulean doom.
Her pace dwindled from a run to a walk, then to a crawl, her strength fading with every strained breath. The seductive fragrance of the flowers intensified, clouding her mind with a euphoric fog. She collapsed onto her back amidst the sea of blue, her eyes fixated on the sky above as she surrendered to the intoxicating scent. A sense of serene euphoria enveloped her mind, and as the world around her faded into oblivion, she let the deadly beauty consume her completely.