Sneak Peak at the New Chapter for Golden Cages & Borrowed Wings: Ch 19 -Loss & Gain
(Katniss POV)
The stage lights go up and I squirm uncomfortably in my barely there dark green gown. The thing was obscene. It looked more like something I’d wear on a night I was scheduled to perform at The Decadence rather than something I’d wear for another interview with Caesar. It consisted of a halter top, studded with giant pearls and crystals that screamed it was trying hard to be elegant and just ended up looking overdone and kind of tacky compared to the simple elegance of Cinna’s usual designs.
And I wondered, not for the first time if Cinna had paid for helping to ship the supplies that we needed to make our escape. Had they cut out his tongue and turned him into an avox? Or worse, had they already executed him? Or was he rotting away in some cell right now….just like I did in the hours they weren’t displaying me like a rare bird captured and made to sing at their pleasure?
When they drugged me up I almost sighed in relief. No more rage. No more fury. No more anything really. Just calm, and fuzzy sparkles that made me falsely giddy.
“We’re going to have a grand ole time tonight sweetheart.” Peeta with the one greenish blue eye says as he slips his large warm hand around my waist and leads me towards the stage. I smile at him lazily, and try to blink away the shiny spots from my vision.
“Oh, the grandest.” I murmur as I take his arm and wrinkle my nose against the odd smell of his cologne. Try as I might, I never could get used to the new way he smelled.
Gale was waiting for us on stage and his lips curled in disgust at the sight of my dress.
“That’s what you’re wearing? Might was well just put a fucking price tag across your chest.” He says insultingly when we get closer.
“I think it looks hot.” Peeta snaps back.
“You also like cheap whores.” Gale says with a laugh.
And I laugh too, like it's the funniest joke in the world. I smile at them both and giggle. They wear identical confused expressions.
“I may be a whore now, but we all know I’m not cheap. And no matter how much dancing and flirting we do up on stage tonight, at least I can rest easy knowing neither of you has the credits to buy even an hour kissing with me!” I tell them both with a hysterical laugh as the stage hands lead us to our marks so we can go through the rehearsal.
NotGale rolls his eyes. NotPeeta practically snarls at me. I spin in a lazy circle above my little red X on the stage. People around us whisper and gawk openly at my strange behavior. I probably look mad. I certainly look high. But I have to get the energy out somehow or I’ll be too jittery when we start to dance. I’m supposed to be graceful and sensual, not manic and hyper.
“She’s fucking losing it. I don’t know how much longer this shit can last.” NotGale says under his breath.
Me either, I think silently...