HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 45

The door slammed shut, and Lilith jumped.

"Could you get this for me, please?"

Dutifully, Lilith accepted the parcel that had been thrusted out to her, laying it gingerly atop her lap. The colourful paper box, radiating strongly of Earl Gray, was still warm.

"It's crazy out there," said Athena, yanking off her beanie and shaking out her luscious blond mane like a model in a shampoo commercial.

Lilith gazed out the window. In the misty glow of the street lamps, it was drizzling slightly, but she guessed the issue was the wind—the whistling could be heard even from here.

Athena squeezed her shoulder, catching Lilith in the middle of her thoughts. As happened so often these days, they tended to drift of their own accord unless Lilith had an intentional rein on them, always gravitating back to the same subject no less.

"Are you in pain?" asked Athena. "You look a little off."

"I was just thinking of Bud," admitted Lilith.

Bud Huckleberry. Bud Huckleberry of District 11. Bud Huckleberry, victor of the 17th Hunger Games. Bud Huckleberry, who had been brought back to the Capitol at her behest. Bud Huckleberry, who had been executed.

The news had come the evening following the gala, along with Olympia's return. As it transpired, she had been hooking up with one of the division's junior legal executives. Behind closed doors of the hotel room, after a day whose details were unnecessary, she had stumbled upon the horrible truth: Found guilty of assault and battery of a Capitol citizen, Bud Huckleberry had been sentenced to death. From what Lilith gleaned, she had been having her arm casted while he was at the mercy—or lack thereof—of the firing squad. The image of him with a bullet through his chest and keeling over haunted Lilith's dreams even to this day.

A boy, younger even than her, dead. Over something so trivial. Over her. How could this be justice? How could this be?

"Lil, it's not your fault," repeated Athena.

That was what everybody said. Only, Lilith could not be convinced. She might not have been the one to press charges, but if she had not invited him here, if she had just left him alone, he would still be in 11. All of it had been for nothing.

Still, Lilith nodded, determined to snap herself out of it. She could wallow any other day—just not today.

Today was not about her.

"We should go," said Lilith, "before the cupcakes get cold."

It was not likely, with the heat on full blast and the vents blowing straight at her, but they should go. Athena obliged, pulling them out of the kerb-side lot, and they drove several blocks down the deserted Corso to Olympia's apartment. Most of the city was only just awakening, but it was part of their tradition to be early. As was tradition, their visit to the Heavensbee flat was a brief one, and they arrived at the University's carpark in good time for Olympia's second-period class.

"Thank you for coming," she said, handing Lilith her tote bag as she climbed out of the passenger seat.

Hooking her good elbow through the handles so that she could grasp Olympia's palm, Lilith gazed earnestly into the hazel depths of her eyes.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

Precisely one week ago, when there had been apparent doubt as to her participation in their customary activity of six years, Lilith had said the same thing. She wasn't going to let anything as superficial as a fracture stop her. Forget superficial. She would have to be dead to abandon the affair.