HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 26

Snow's face was not good news.

"Let me get something straight." His voice was quite calm—too calm. "You want to invite the victors here? Show them around our city? Have them join us at the gala?"

Getting that feeling like the time she had been made to admit she had accidentally knocked over one of her grandfather's precious vases at the holiday house in a race against the Avoxes, Lilith swallowed. "Yes, sir."

"You don't see a problem with that?"

"Money?" she said tentatively. She hadn't managed to get around to the budget section before they were due for their lecture. Then, it was all she could do to endure sitting on the opposite end of the room from Athena, who pretended as if she was invisible.

His blue eyes flashed. "Security!"

"Security?" Lilith frowned in confusion.

"What you're suggesting is tantamount to releasing twenty inmates onto the streets of the Capitol. Do you really think that's wise? Do you not realize how dangerous that will be? These people are killers."

"They are victors" was all the argument she could muster, so horrified she was.

"And how did they get there?" persisted Snow. "By killing other people. They are murderers, Lilith."

"Not by choice," she countered.

"Blame it on the circumstances all you like, but they made the choices they made, no one else. If it were outside the arena, they would have been thrown in jail or hung for their crimes."

"If it were outside the arena, they wouldn't have killed anyone!"

"How do you know?" demanded Snow.

For a moment, Lilith was tongue-tied. Then she challenged him. "How do you know otherwise?"

If Snow was surprised by her daring—as she most certainly was—he concealed it impeccably.

"Because I've been among them," he said firmly. "I've worked in the districts. I've seen how little it takes to bring the beast to the surface. Just the tiniest slip up and all hell can break loose."

The word tiniest triggered her memory: she recalled something he'd mentioned during his guest lecture. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Was that what you meant?" asked Lilith, gazing at him ruminatively. "About humanity imploding on itself?"

Now, something registered in his expression, almost as if he were impressed. "So, you understand where I'm coming from."

Perhaps she did, or perhaps she didn't, but something told her she didn't quite agree with it. Lilith said nothing as she tried to sort all that out.

"I hate to be the one to tell you," Snow continued, "but it's not possible. The resources required would be exorbitant. We simply can't justify the means for such little end."

"Then forget the tour," said Lilith quickly. "I can talk to them at the gala."

Snow sucked in a sharp breath as if on the verge of an outburst, but ultimately, he refrained from even a sigh.

"Fine. Let's just assume for a minute that they're not a pack of wolves. How were you planning to seat them?"

He leaned back and waited. Lilith did turn the question over in her head, but only to wonder about its strangeness rather than the answer. She had not been aware that seating plans were her responsibility—surely that was someone else's jurisdiction? She couldn't see how it could be of consequence besides.