Status: A Tribute
Blood and Roses
Page Two
Katniss' mouth went dry and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as those cold eyes studied her closely. He didn't look like a snake up close. His lips were overtly puffy and a pale pink color and his skin was tight over his bones but no scales. His eyes were that of a predator though, cold and empty. She wasn't sure how she managed to sound as steady as she did when she said,
"Yes, I think that would save us both time." Snow smiled, a dramatic and sinister turn of those puffy lips that erupted with invisible bugs crawling under Katniss' skin.
"My advisers were concerned that you would be trouble, but you don't intend to be trouble do you?" he asked arching a bushy white brow. Katniss replied with a curt,
"No."
"Oh good," he said leaning back in his chair making it lean back. The woman shifted her feet; she had one ankle propped on a knee and a boot hit Snow's chair when he reclined. "See, that's what I told them. A girl that had gone to such lengths to preserve her own life wouldn't possible throw it away with both hands. And there's her family to think of. A mother and little sister and of course all those- cousins," the way he said 'cousins' sank Katniss' heart to her feet. If there had been any doubt that he may not have known about Gale it was gone now. He knew. And she knew he knew. The woman snorted a quick laugh implying she knew all about the charade, too. She wore a bemused and all-knowing smirk as Snow went on, "And even if that were the case, you wouldn't be so inclined to test the strength of my personal guard would you?" At that, the woman lifted her head and that smirk spread into a dangerous and calculating smile.
Now those were the eyes of a poisonous snake. A pale and sickly yellow-green that were hallow and calloused. Hers were the eyes of undying preparation; an eagerness and preparedness to kill shining into those eyes that struck Katniss to the core. It was also just enough for Katniss to realize who the woman was. Katniss was just a girl when she first saw those eyes, peering from behind a bloody and torn body of a Tribute just six years younger than the woman was now. Ricochet Sanders of District 3.
The Serpent of District 3.
Snow smiled at the look of recognition on Katniss' face. Katniss now knew, in great detail, the trouble she was in and it was obvious that the ripple of punishment would spread out into her friends and family if she messed this meeting up. He glanced to Ricochet who still lounged in her chair as if she had not a care in the world, but a poised and calculated readiness to pounce. Like a coiled snake or a crouching mountain lion. She lifted her eyes off Katniss to glance at Snow, that pretty smile still on her shapely lips.
Ricochet was a natural sort of pretty, as far as Katniss could tell, but more than pretty she was sneaky. Katniss distinctly remembered her winning the Games by a combination of looks, manipulation and brute animalistic brutality that no one had quite seen in the Games for years. There wasn't a thing Ricochet hadn't done to win the Games that year, no one was spared her viciousness. And when she did win and when other Victors just wanted to crawl back to their Districts and disappear, she opted to join the guard and climbed the ranks until she was seated in the single highest position the guard had to offer. Snow's right hand guard. There was no telling how much blood was on those pretty but calloused hands, but if Katniss didn't watch herself she knew for sure she would put more on them.
"Sit," Snow told her gesturing to the seat across from him. Katniss took the seat carefully, feeling the eyes of Ricochet on her; watching every twitch of her eyes, every trembling inch of her hands. Katniss wouldn't have been surprised if Ricochet could hear her heartbeat and was timing the beats just to further monitor Katniss.
If Katniss so much as looked up too quickly, there was no doubt Ricochet would have a blade to her throat before she could make another move.
"Yes, I think that would save us both time." Snow smiled, a dramatic and sinister turn of those puffy lips that erupted with invisible bugs crawling under Katniss' skin.
"My advisers were concerned that you would be trouble, but you don't intend to be trouble do you?" he asked arching a bushy white brow. Katniss replied with a curt,
"No."
"Oh good," he said leaning back in his chair making it lean back. The woman shifted her feet; she had one ankle propped on a knee and a boot hit Snow's chair when he reclined. "See, that's what I told them. A girl that had gone to such lengths to preserve her own life wouldn't possible throw it away with both hands. And there's her family to think of. A mother and little sister and of course all those- cousins," the way he said 'cousins' sank Katniss' heart to her feet. If there had been any doubt that he may not have known about Gale it was gone now. He knew. And she knew he knew. The woman snorted a quick laugh implying she knew all about the charade, too. She wore a bemused and all-knowing smirk as Snow went on, "And even if that were the case, you wouldn't be so inclined to test the strength of my personal guard would you?" At that, the woman lifted her head and that smirk spread into a dangerous and calculating smile.
Now those were the eyes of a poisonous snake. A pale and sickly yellow-green that were hallow and calloused. Hers were the eyes of undying preparation; an eagerness and preparedness to kill shining into those eyes that struck Katniss to the core. It was also just enough for Katniss to realize who the woman was. Katniss was just a girl when she first saw those eyes, peering from behind a bloody and torn body of a Tribute just six years younger than the woman was now. Ricochet Sanders of District 3.
The Serpent of District 3.
Snow smiled at the look of recognition on Katniss' face. Katniss now knew, in great detail, the trouble she was in and it was obvious that the ripple of punishment would spread out into her friends and family if she messed this meeting up. He glanced to Ricochet who still lounged in her chair as if she had not a care in the world, but a poised and calculated readiness to pounce. Like a coiled snake or a crouching mountain lion. She lifted her eyes off Katniss to glance at Snow, that pretty smile still on her shapely lips.
Ricochet was a natural sort of pretty, as far as Katniss could tell, but more than pretty she was sneaky. Katniss distinctly remembered her winning the Games by a combination of looks, manipulation and brute animalistic brutality that no one had quite seen in the Games for years. There wasn't a thing Ricochet hadn't done to win the Games that year, no one was spared her viciousness. And when she did win and when other Victors just wanted to crawl back to their Districts and disappear, she opted to join the guard and climbed the ranks until she was seated in the single highest position the guard had to offer. Snow's right hand guard. There was no telling how much blood was on those pretty but calloused hands, but if Katniss didn't watch herself she knew for sure she would put more on them.
"Sit," Snow told her gesturing to the seat across from him. Katniss took the seat carefully, feeling the eyes of Ricochet on her; watching every twitch of her eyes, every trembling inch of her hands. Katniss wouldn't have been surprised if Ricochet could hear her heartbeat and was timing the beats just to further monitor Katniss.
If Katniss so much as looked up too quickly, there was no doubt Ricochet would have a blade to her throat before she could make another move.