HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 20

Lilith Gold bowed her head. "Good evening, sir."

"Good evening, Lilith. Welcome. Please, come in and have a seat." As she obeyed, Coriolanus turned to his assistant. "Thank you, Gaia. That'll be all for today."

It was his due diligence, done moore for the sake of doing so than anything else. He knew that she was bound to still be at her station when he emerged again. The instances in which she'd left before him he could count in one hand. Although he knewshe was just following the working hours of her husband, an employee in another department upstairs so low-ranking he was able to put in more hours for extra pay, Coriolanus took her presence to be the mark of an outstanding aide.

Re-entering his office, he shut the door and sauntered towards his mini bar.

"May I offer you a drink?" said Coriolanus, then froze temporarily.

During his time, the legal age for alcohol consumption had been eighteen, but the city had witnessed a rising trend of teenage-related intoxication accidents (and deaths) that was honestly appalling, and a new law had recently been passed to increase that limit to twenty-one. This latest regulation, however, did not apply across the board, but was relevant only to those born after a certain year. Why the officials had saw fit to make such a distinction, he would never comprehend, but Coriolanus had to admit he wasn't well-versed with the details, seeing as it was none of his concern. Wondering if he might become an accessory simply by asking the question, he remembered, and realized it was too late: If she was indeed underage and had listened to him to try the champagne, he would already be guilty.

"No, thank you, sir," replied Lilith.

Suddenly wary, Coriolanus found his hand sailing past the gin and going straight for the tonic. Even though it was for him, he only filled his glass with some ice cubes and the carbonated liquid.

Like his refreshment, his original intention for a casual session had been thwarted by his guest. Patently mistaking his gesture, which had been aimed at the couch, Lilith had settled herself into the leather chair occupied by Laurentia just minutes ago, and their differences were thrown into sharp relief anew: Laurentia had been poised, if slightly nervous, and undoubtedly a grown-up. With her bare face and the backpack she clutched in her lap, Lilith was the epitome of a school girl—one who had been summoned to the principal's office for some misdemeanor, no less.

Her anxious manner puzzled him. It was not uncommon for people to regard him with awe, but there was little to no admiration to her mien—just fear. It made no sense for someone who'd been granted their very wish to be so glum, moreover, but hitherto nothing about her had made sense, Coriolanus reminded himself as he resumed the seat across from her, and he sipped his beverage with an unaffected air.

"Well," he began, as he smacked his lips, "firstly, congratulations. And I hope you don't mind my using your first name? Now that we'll be working together, I thought we'd drop the formalities."

"No, sir."

"Good. So, I've invited you here today for several reasons. One, there are some administrative matters we ought to get out of the—"

"Excuse me, sir," Lilith piped up. "If I may?"

Her gaze, tentative yet somehow eager at the same time, trained on him, and it made him notice the whites of her eyes—they were bloodshot. Coriolanus lifted his brows as a cue for her to proceed.

"I'm afraid there's been a mistake, sir," she asserted. "I can't be your apprentice."

He gave her determined expression a once-over.

"Where's the mistake?" he asked smoothly.

"It should be Thena—Athena. Athena Click. She's the best in our class. I'm sure you remember her from the lecture and party, and her proposal on revamping the arenas. It's revolutionary—you said so yourself. It should be her—not me."