Survivor - Coriolanus Snow [1]

12

Five days and only four were left. Soteria from twelve, Teslee from three, Reaper from eleven, and Treech from seven. Coriolanus couldn't help but be impatient as he was so close to winning the Plinth Prize money and getting the tuition to pay for school. Oh and getting Soteria. Coryo looked at his friend next to him. Sejanus even though he was out of the running still sat in the viewing room with Coriolanus. 

Coryo watched as Soteria took advantage of the puddles left by the rain and poisoned both of them. She then disappeared as she waited for one of the others to come out. It seemed like it was going to take forever when slowly Teslee the girl from three appeared. 

Coriolanus smirked as Treech appeared after her and quietly stalked her. Treech took his axe and took it to Teslee's head killing her almost instantly. However, Treech had failed to realize that Soteria was sneaking up behind him. He didn't have time to react before Soteria swung her fan and cut his head clean off. 

Coriolanus gasped and his mouth dropped open as blood splattered all over Soteria. She looked up and smirked making her look like a demon from hell. Many people including Coriolanus were wondering how in the world he had gotten her so wrong. 

The next thing anyone knew was that Reaper, the boy from Eleven appeared. Coriolanus watched Soteria as she stayed hidden in the shadows as Reaper drank from the water that was poisoned. Soteria revealed herself with a smirk and walked toward Reaper. 

Coriolanus Snow watched floored as Soteria Baird took her fans to Reaper's neck. Within seconds, a girl from District Twelve had won the 10th Hunger Games. She was covered in blood from the people she had killed but there she was still standing. Coriolanus knew that not only had Soteria won him the Plinth Prize but she had quite possibly made him the most powerful mentor in history given the show she just put on. 

Like a raven, she outplayed the game. Hiding until there were only a few left and then using the others to help take them out. Even making an alliance with someone she then killed. Not for the first time did Coriolanus despise Soteria because although he cared for her and loved her, he only wanted her if she was easy to control, and up until now, she was. 

Coryo waited for Soteria to come out of the arena and immediately rushed to her, ignoring the two sides of him that were battling for control. Soteria collapsed in his arms and he revelled in that. It meant that she was somewhere he could see her. 

Both were about to walk out when Highbottom cleared his throat "Mr. Snow, I would like to talk to you for a moment." Coryo looked at Soteria who nodded and then at Tigris who took Soteria to get her cleaned up. 

Coriolanus stared at Highbottom as he was dragged into another room. Suddenly, Coriolanus Snow had a nagging feeling that everything was about to go wrong. Highbottom looked at him "congratulations on winning except you didn't win did you?" 

Coriolanus looked at the Dean and tried to hide his worry. Then he saw the handkerchief and the compact on the table. His face hardened and he felt that everything he ever wanted was in his grasp and then taken from him. Coryo looked at him "what did you do to Soteria?" 

"I would be more worried about your own survival." Coriolanus trusted Tigris to take care of Soteria but he knew that the dean could be vindictive. "It's fitting that both your parents could be here for the big moment. That compact. How many times did I see your mother use it?" 

Coriolanus suddenly realized his mistake. Dean Highbottom had known both his parents of course he would have recognized the compact. "And that old handkerchief, we found it in the snake tank. Appropriately, condemning you with your father's own initials." Coriolanus stared in disbelief "your family won't ever see that prize money now of course. President Ravenstill has left your form of punishment to me and I've decided banishment to the districts where you'll serve your capital in exile for the next 20 years as an anonymous peacekeeping grunt." 

Coriolanus remained still not saying a word not giving the satisfaction to the man who had hated him for as long as he could remember. Highbottom looked at him "do you hear that? It's the sound of snow falling." Coryo was excited at the prospect of finding Soteria again after he was sure that she ended back up in twelve. On the other hand, Coriolanus was silently seething. He vowed that he would do his time and then come back to get his life back. 

Author's Note: The end of Act Two. Only one more act until the end of this book. Coryo and Coriolanus are battling for control and it'll only get worse in the third act.