HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 29

For about two minutes Lilith had totally neglected Snow's presence, and now, as she remembered that he'd been watching and listening all along, a cold dread swept over her. Apprehensively, she twisted around and was left to wonder what expression might have preceded his neutral mien. Raising his palms just enough to indicate surrender, her direct superior shrugged.

"I'm not here," he said innocently.

Having neither gained a clue on how to react—nor act—none of them reacted—nor acted. Lilith reckoned, however, as this was ultimately her project, she was supposed to be in-charge. Supposed was the key word, she supposed, because she felt by no means in command. But she supposed she could pretend to be, and strived to put her teammates' grudging and mutinous faces out of her mind.

"Well, now that I've made myself clear," began Lilith, consciously steadying her voice, "and that we have security properly covered, I'd like to move on to planning the other aspects of the event, if you please."

To her dismay, though she couldn't say she'd not anticipated it, nobody moved. To her surprise, it was one Hector Abernathy, who'd been the least vocal thus far, that piped up.

"Why don't we take a break?" he suggested. "We've all been here awhile. Let's go get some coffee and stretch our legs and brains for a bit."

The marketing twenty-something was all dark curls and golden skin that gave Lilith a peek into the future—she imagined this was how Val might be when he grew up. If the boy had irises that were blue—or were they grey? Lilith couldn't quite decide—instead of the onyx ones he'd inherited from his mother, that was. In any case, Lilith always knew her baby brother would become a looker; he was such a handsome young chap.

At present, the resemblance was further augmented as Hector Abernathy's blue-grey eyes channeled little Val's kindly aura. Perhaps Lilith should never have been all that surprised. Having been the least vocal meant that he had been the least abrasive towards the victors, and therefore the least at odds with her program.

Therefore, by extension, her values.

Therefore, by extension, her.

"That's a good idea," said Lilith gratefully. "Thank you, Hector. Let's come back in fifteen."

Theseus and Marcella scattered at once. Hector offered to get coffee for Lilith; she was good, but thanked him anyway. And what about the Head Gamemaker? But he was fine, too.

Once Hector disappeared after the others, Lilith groped in the front pocket of her backpack. She kept a tab of aspirinth for emergencies and now broke out a couple from their blister packaging. Popping them swiftly into her mouth, she unscrewed her water bottle's cap and took a large gulp. As the pills were flushed down, she massaged her temples, which ached with such tenacity she could cry. Lilith sniffled simply at the thought and had to fumble for a piece of tissue to blow her nose as if her fictitious allergies had suddenly acted up—in this pollenless, windowless room, no less.

"You shouldn't have come if you're not well," said Snow, and Lilith gave a gasp.

Even as she wished it was inaudible, she knew it was wishful: the room was as pollenless and windowless as it had been soundless, which was what had made Snow's comment so startling in the first place. Of course, there was also the embarrassing fact that she had, in a matter of minutes, forgotten about him for a second time. One could argue that she was merely following instructions, and that, conscientious as she was, she was doing a perfectly thorough job of it, for Coriolanus Snow was, otherwise, and by all accounts, quite unforgettable.

Spinning around on her swivel her chair, Lilith found him watching her and quickly bowed her head to acknowledge the remark.

"I'm fine, sir," she insisted.