Toasted chocolate and vanilla merged as they perfumed the entire home. Despite the darkening skies outside, the house was warm and comfortable.

"It's almost ready, everyone," Fern's voice mingled with the mouthwatering aroma.

As Hazel made her way down the grand stairway, Oren, Leo, Sage, and the twins gathered. An unusual-looking cake rested on the table before them. One half was a pale yellow, while the other was a deep chocolatey brown. Hazel nearly laughed at her mother's efforts to accommodate the polar-like tastes of the twins. Despite what should have been a celebratory occasion, there was a thickened strain in the air that had nothing to do with the heat from the fire or the scent of the sweet dessert.

As Hazel reached the last step, she realized someone was missing, "Rowan hasn't come home yet?"

Oren shifted rigidly as Fern waved her hand, "I'm sure he's on his way."

Hazel met Leo's eyes for a moment as a grimace crossed his lips. He was standing, arms crossed at the edge of the room, keeping watch. Hazel sidled up to him as Oren gathered candles and a couple of matches while Fern layered white and brown frosting over the cake.

He leaned in as she approached, "I can send Bellona to search for him?"

Hazel glanced at the softly ticking kitchen clock. It was nearly time for their shift change. "Doesn't she take over for you at any minute?"

Leo shrugged, "I don't mind a little overtime." A hint of a smile twitched at the edge of his lips as he shot a look at the cake.

"Cake might help you get rid of that aftertaste." Hazel couldn't help but smile at his shudder. She shot a look out at the growing darkness and sighed, "Let's give Rowan a few more minutes."

"I'm not waiting," Linden said as he scooted closer to the table until his nose was practically grazing the icing.

Lily nudged him, "Don't be greedy."

"It's my birthday. I can be greedy if I want." Linden replied, nudging her back

"Our birthday." Lily corrected a hand on her hip.

Linden glowered. "You wait for him then."

"Hold on," Fern commanded as she finished delicately laying out twelve candles around the cake's border. "Let's open presents first."

Linden grumbled while Lily brightened at the idea. Oren smiled and gently wrapped a hand around Linden's shoulder, advising him about the virtues of patience.

As if on cue, the French front doors burst open, Rowan striding through, cradling two sizeable packages. One was wrapped in bright purple, the other in deep gray.

"Ro, you made it!" Sage exclaimed with a wide grin. "Linden was going to eat all the cake without you."

"That's not true," Linden replied.

"Where have you been?" Oren's tone was low, worry evident despite his attempts to mask it.

Rowan shrugged, shaking the packages in his arms, "Present shopping, of course."

Oren pursed his lips and shared an apprehensive look with Fern as Rowan set the gifts before Linden and Lily. It proved to be an effective distraction from the cake. Linden tapped the edges of his gift while Lily ran her fingers over the glossy purple wrapping over hers.

"Trying to take the position as favorite, I see," Hazel teased.

"Not sure I can compete; you got them a new house," Rowan whispered as he gestured to the grand home around them.

A resounding knock on the front doors pulled everyone's attention away. Soon, Bellona and Sable entered, shutting out the rapidly cooling air behind them.

"Did you want to join us?" Oren asked stiffly as he studied the two peacekeepers.

"Wasn't about to miss out on whatever that smell is." Sable's nostrils flared as he relished in the aroma.

"I swear, you could convince him to do just about anything for food," Leo said in Hazel's ear as she suppressed a small laugh.

"That's not true." Sable turned his sharp attention to them, "It has to be good food."

"Only kind we have around here." Fern smiled at Bellona and Sable. Rowan and Hazel shared a look. The statement was mostly true. However, they had still not fully recovered from the trauma of asparagus. Fern continued, "You are more than welcome."

With that, the group gathered around the twins. Each of them was practically twitching in anticipation of opening their birthday presents. Oren's shoulders tightened as the peacekeepers made themselves comfortable on the living room couches, but his face remained passive.

Without any further distractions or discussions, Linden and Lily got to work, tearing open their presents. Both struggled to convey genuine thanks when they opened the finely tailored dress clothes from their mother. Fern didn't seem to notice and insisted that they would look sophisticated when Capitol cameras inevitably came around again. She elatedly tried to persuade them to try on the outfits to show to the rest of the family. They were even less enthused by that idea. To everyone's appreciation, Oren was able to dissuade her eagerness until a later time. There was cake waiting after all.

Next were Sage's gifts. For Linden, it was a drawing he had attempted of a white wolf in a flowering meadow. While the image was not near Linden's level, it contained much more color. For Lily, he had woven a wreath of dried leaves and flowers. The twins thanked Sage, who beamed with pride over his contributions, while Oren presented his own gifts.

He placed a leather bundle wrapped in fine rope in each of their laps. The twins shared a knowing look before they untied the bindings. Unlike their cake, these were identical. In each bundle was a slab of thick, unstained hickory, a hand-forged axehead, wetterings, wedges, and several squares of various grits of sandpaper.

Leo whispered in her ear, "What are those?"

"A gift every child in District Seven gets when they reach this age. All the things they need to make their own axes." Axes were a rite of passage in the District. They would carry the handmade weapon with them for the rest of their lives until, one day, they were buried with it.

Hazel cast a glance at Oliver, resting like a forgotten ornament in the axe rack by the door. It had been weeks since she had even touched it. A part of her yearned to be back in the woods, Oliver in hand. Maybe then she could pretend, even for a short while, that her life was somewhat normal again.

Oren studied the twin's suddenly serious faces. "You two are old enough now. It is time you make your own axes. I will help you, of course."

"What's the point?" Rowan frowned. "They won't ever fell or log."

"Maybe not." Oren rubbed a hand over his chin. A wave of sadness and fear flashed over his face for a brief moment. "It doesn't mean they won't need to know how to use one."

Hazel let her eyes close for a moment, wrestling with the horrid images of her recent dreams.

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Fern cleared her throat, "Besides, they deserve an axe all of their own. Just as all of us did, and one day, when he is old enough, Sage will have one as well."

The twins shifted uncomfortably at the dialogue as the family simmered in the implications. Hazel couldn't stand the stuffiness of the air any longer. "All right, mine next."

The twins relaxed as they set aside their axe kits, and Hazel dropped her contribution into their laps next. "Time to cash in that rain check," she murmured.

Each perked up while simultaneously insulting the other when they discovered the pickleberries and pine butter. Leo covered a laugh with his palm over their banter as they made their arguments that the other had a broken palate.

"You two are braver than me," Sable commented as he eyeballed the greenish butter and sour-looking berries.

"You've no idea." Leo groaned.

When they got to Rowan's gifts, surprise surged through the room. Linden's gift was a stained cherrywood miniature easel. In contrast, Lily's was a set of brand-new gardening tools. Each handle was painted purple with little white daisies.

"Thank you, Ro!" Lily squealed, wrapping her arms around Rowan. Linden fingered the easel, and while his reaction was more subdued, he clearly was just as grateful. "I wasn't going to eat all the cake without you."

Rowan ruffled his hair, "I know."

"Where did you get those?" Hazel asked.

Rowan's face settled into a non-chalantness, "Saved up."

Hazel studied him for a moment when Linden called, "Finally, let's get to the good part." he closed in on the cake once again.

"Exactly." Sable agreed, groaning as he disengaged himself from the couch.

With that, Fern lit the candles, and after a short, rough couple of verses of Happy Birthday, Lily enthusiastically blew while Linden's breath barely reached the flickering little flames. Once the candles were removed, Oren cut the cake, dolling out a piece to each.

A collective sigh filled the room as they chewed in satisfied silence. Which was only made mildly uncomfortable by Sable practically moaning with each mouthful, "This has to be the best cake I've ever had."

Fern's face brightened, "Thank you, Private Pytash."

Oren cleared his throat, "Yes, it is excellent, my love."

The rest of the gathering hummed their agreement between bites. Lily daintily chewed on a piece of the vanilla cake while Linden practically inhaled his chocolate one.

"It's even better than that cheesecake you made last year," Linden commented before he caught himself. The chewing of the family ceased almost in unison while the three peacekeepers stared on in confusion. A heavy emptiness filled the space as Hazel swallowed down the decadent bite in her mouth. The sugar soured on her tongue.

Fern's face fell, and she bit her lip. Hazel remembered the day with fondness and also sorrow. Fern had worked diligently for hours on the dessert while Silus had relegated himself to the backyard, refusing to even be in the house with the stuff.

"He would have loved this, Mom," Lily placed her small hand over her mother's.

Fern patted the top of Lily's head, wiping at her eyes as the room fell into a contemplative silence. Any jovialness of the celebration was sucked out of the room at the mention of cheesecake and the collective memory that went along with it.

Rowan studied the twins for a long, quiet moment before he turned his attention to Hazel. "Do you think having a Victor in the family lowers our odds in the reaping?"

Lily and Linden shared a solemn look while Sage pushed a bit of frosting around his plate. Hazel sighed, shivering as she shook her head. She tried to push away the idea of another one of her siblings being chosen. Odds. Hazel nearly scoffed at the falseness of the word. With Oren hard at work and her father off the Capitol's workforce, she prayed it was enough to change their odds.

Hazel met Oren's eyes across the table; his gaze was glistening. His voice was rough as he answered Rowan's question, "The chances of that have never been lower." Oren and Fern shared a pained look, "I promise."

Fern brushed her hand over Oren's shoulder, squeezing it softly.

"Couldn't you ask him just to remove our names?" Rowan asked.

Hazel's stomach roiled, and it wasn't from the excess of sugar. "It's not that simple, Ro."

"Why not?" he challenged, "After everything that has happened?"

"It doesn't just work like that." Hazel implored. In reality, she wasn't exactly sure how any of it worked. A Victor's family had never been exempt from subsequent Hunger Games. At least so far.

Lily wiped away a few stray vanilla crumbs from her lips, "Why hasn't he come here? Or called?"

"Lily," Fern's voice was gentle but stern.

Hazel pushed away the half-eaten cake, Sable's stare following her plate. She hadn't discussed Senator Snow with any of her family members or even her peacekeepers, for that matter. The time never felt right, and even when she thought a moment might be appropriate to broach the subject, hesitation consumed her. Fear, even. She needed to be delicate with the information. Better to avoid the topic than to accidentally reveal too much. Only she, Snow, and Indira really knew the truth about their relationship. Maybe Dr. Gaul had figured it out, but it was unclear. Her three peacekeeper guards seemed to be in the dark as well, as far as she could tell.

While she didn't enjoy keeping things from her family, she preferred they were as far removed from any of the Capitols Games as possible. As she shifted her spine backward in the dining room chair, she could practically feel the tape burning in her pocket. She kept it with her, along with Grace's coin. Too afraid to leave it where someone might inadvertently find it. Its contents were not only a mystery, but they were slowly driving her mad. At least madder than she already was. She so wished the junk shop had what she had been looking for, but so far, her quest had been a bust.

"Marlowe?" Leo's voice broke her out of her thoughts, his eyes raking over her face.

She turned back to Lily, "He's giving me time and space." Hazel chewed on her lips as she let the lie slip from between them.

Fern's gaze was glued to her oldest daughter, studying her with a careful look.

"Well, maybe next time you see him, you could mention that girls usually prefer if their boyfriends don't help send their siblings to their graves." Rowan's eyes locked onto hers, "At least not anymore, siblings."

"Rowan Starling, that is quite enough." Oren's tone had grown clipped and severe, which was rare for him outside of the lumber mill.

Guilt swirled within her. Along with everyone else, she had also not told Rowan the truth. Not that he hadn't pushed the subject over the last several months. Yet, every time, she dodged his questions. Unable to bring herself to give him an answer. Now, she could sense his patience was waning.

"Ro...It's not... He's .... It's complicated." Hazel's voice cracked and trailed off. But she had no words to explain to him what must've seemed like a betrayal. He watched her with glistening eyes. There had never been such a secret between them before, and she hated hiding anything from him.

Another loud knock on the front door startled her, along with the rest of the gathering. Hazel ran a hand through her hair, grateful for the interruption. Get it together.

"Maybe it is more presents," Sage suggested, looking at the double doors.

"Only one way to find out. "I'll get it." Bellona strode to the front of the house and pulled open the front doors. The night air swirled into the heated space, which was refreshing while, at the same time, intimidating. It smelled like an approaching storm.

An unfamiliar peacekeeper stood with a letter in hand.

"Maybe you are right." Lily smiled at Sage.

Bellona took the letter after a few words with her co-worker and quietly pulled the door shut. She made her way across the room as her eyes met Hazels, "It's for you."

Hazel's unease went from a simmer to a full boil. In Bellona's hand was a large, refined envelope with a dark blue seal and a white rose in the center. Leo glanced at the letter and then met her stare. She guessed the concern and curiosity within the dark depths mirrored her own.

Rowan scoffed as he slid back into the chair, crossing his arms. Every eye was on her, and the sound of chewing had faded outside of Sable's, of course, as she took the letter and broke the seal. She trembled as if the frigid night air was still flowing into the room. The words on the page blurred, but the message was clear.

Her head swam, and she pulled her thumb away from the page; it was wet and sticky. Covered in a layer of red. Blood. She sucked in a breath as she pushed her hand under the table.

"Is it from the senator?" Lily asked.

"Yes." Hazel croaked.

"What does it say?" Lily questioned further.

Hazel swallowed, but her throat rebelled due to sudden dryness. "I'm almost out of space and time."

"What?" Rowan asked, sitting forward, holding out his hand. Hazel gave him the letter without a word. But Rowan was not disgusted or seemed to notice the blood at all.

Sweat formed at the nape of Hazel's neck, and her fingers dug into her bandage while she continued to hide the stain. Her heart raced as Silus's voice played through her mind, followed by Cedars. It was as if they were standing behind her chair, whispering into her ears. Leo studied her as she pressed harder into the center of her left palm.

The room's occupants held their breath as they watched Rowan read her letter. Under the table, Leo's warm fingers tapped subtly three times against Hazel's knuckles.

"What color do you think the sky is?" Leo whispered.

She zeroed in on the sensation as she fought to focus on what she knew was reality. "Dark, maybe black..." She pulled her hand into her lap. After a couple of deep breaths, she spared a look at her finger. However, instead of blood, all that met her gaze was black. A streak of ink coated her skin. Hazel sighed, glancing at Leo. He gazed at her hand for a moment before shifting to her face, his eyes shining with questioning.

"What does it say?" Sable asked, shoving the last bite of his cake in his mouth.

Rowan searched Hazel's face, "The preparations for the Victory tour are going to start."

"When?" Fern sat back in her chair, the line deepening between her brows.

Hazel cleared her throat as she tapped back against Leo's hand. "Tomorrow."

"Maybe it won't be that bad," Lily said.

"That's not all," Rowan continued.

"Here." Hazel pushed her unfinished cake closer to Sable, who brightened immediately.

"Tomorrow, the Senator is joining us for dinner," Rowan said.

Hazel wanted nothing more than to vomit.