𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏)

Chapter 10

✯Coriolanus Snow✯

"Coriolanus, can we talk now? I have plans later." He nodded briefly. Just get through it quickly, then he could finally sleep. Or have a drink. He would like to do both now.So they both got up and left the stand. Coriolanus now also thought it unlikely that Shane had realised the futility of their so-called relationship. Even if she had otherwise made a clever impression on him, she was really naive in that respect.Shane opened a door that led to a stuffy corridor. The sun wasn't even shining in, yet it was more than 30° Celsius here.

"I wanted to talk to you to make one thing clear." Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head. He also felt quite dizzy, which must have been due to the high temperatures. Coriolanu's gaze found a small table next to him. He quickly supported himself with one hand, but his arm was shaking badly. "Coriolanus, are you all right?"

"Yes, what do you want to make clear?" Coriolanus mumbled. He wasn't sure if Shane had understood him. "I don't need the job." "Why?" Damn it, why couldn't his voice just sound louder and less shaky?"It's a big step for you and I know you'll get further. Higher than the top playmaker. When you become president, in four or five years, I can still become the top playmaker.""President? Don't exaggerate." The room continued to spin before his eyes. Was it finally over now? Coriolanus wanted to breathe oxygen again. Didn't the stuffy air bother Shane at all?"You have what it takes, and Dr Gaul will support you. If you can't make it on your own, she'll certainly push you up. I'll give up now if you promise to make me the top playmaker when you stop." "I promise."

❊Isadora Coral Baird (Beffery)❊

Isa jumped joyfully from the car. "That was great! Can we do it again?" Lecan looked at her a little uncomprehendingly. Franklin Clyson, on the other hand, gave her a dismissive and annoyed look."Didn't you enjoy it? All those people were cheering for us!" "Today they're cheering for us, in a few days they'll find it amusing how we slaughter each other."Oh yes, that was the catch. Blimey, these Hunger Games were ruining everything for her."Well, I have to admit, you did a pretty good job." Isa and Lecan winced. When they both turned around, they realised that it had been Janine's high-pitched voice that had spoken."Weren't you allowed to leave, or why are you still here?" Lecan asked with a sarcastic undertone. Janine's angry look almost pierced Lecan. But he was right. Janine had made an angry exit after all.

"Unfortunately, I have to look after you until the games. I don't expect you to win, because you," she pointed at Lecan, "might still make it into the top six. But you," she pointed her finger at Isa, "will die in the bloodbath in the first few minutes."Just as Isa was about to defend herself against Janine's death prophecy, Lecan beat her to it. "Isa won't die from the cornucopia. You underestimate her."She looked at him in astonishment. Where had that come from?Janine wordlessly raised her fiery red eyebrow."We should make our way to the House of Tributes. You'll meet your mentors there."

❁Lucy Gray Baird❁

She carefully pushed a branch aside. It was back there. The house they had lived in with the Coveys. Lucy Gray had to swallow.How would they react to Lucy Gray coming back after all these years?Would the Coveys even remember her?What if they had no idea where Isadora Coral was either?Lucy Gray's heart grew heavier again and she could feel sneaky tears beginning to form. She blinked them away, even though it was hard. Lucy Gray had been in more hopeless situations, but Isadora's disappearance hit her incredibly hard.

What had she done wrong?Why hadn't Isadora come back yet?What if a peacekeeper had shot her?
Lucy Gray swallowed back the tears. She would manage. Surely nothing too bad had happened to Isadora, she was just worrying unnecessarily, even if the quiet voice in her head thought otherwise.Lucy Gray stepped out from behind the tree, slowly approaching the hut. The back of a blonde woman's head appeared behind the kitchen window.Was that Maude Ivory? Lucy Gray quickened her pace. Suddenly she felt a cold blade against her neck. Startled, she gave a short cry."Not another step. Who are you and what are you doing here?" a deep male voice hissed in her ear.

"Skeius, what are you doing?" The blonde woman came running out of the house."Lucy Gray?" Lucy Gray struggled to smile, a small challenge from the knife at her throat. "Yes, could you take the knife away?"The latter was addressed to Skeius, whom she did not know.

"I- I think I owe you one or more explanations.""Only to me." Lucy Gray looked at Maude Ivory in astonishment. "You first," Maude Ivory decided.So Lucy Gray explained everything to her without further ado. About her plan to run away with Coriolanus, about her escape from Coriolanus. She went on about her pregnancy and her life, secluded and safe from District 12 and the cruel reality of the Hunger Games."Why did you never come back? And why are you back now?""I was afraid. Of your reaction. Isadora Coral has been gone for a few days. I trusted that she might have come here." "Isadora Coral, you say?" Maude Ivory looked sadly at Skeius. "Maybe we'll go inside. Then you can sit down."Now the fear crept back into Lucy Gray. What had happened?

The house hadn't changed much. "Mum, who is that?" A little girl with straight dark hair looked at her curiously. "Maude Ivory, is that your-" As Lucy Gray spoke, Maude Ivory smiled. "Yes, it's our daughter." Now she smiled in Skeiu's direction. Then she turned to her daughter. "This is your aunt Lucy Gray." The girl giggled and ran off."What about the other Covey? Where are they? Where's Isadora?"Maude Ivory lowered her eyes sadly and sat down at the dining table, Skeius and Lucy Gray did the same.

"It started when you ran off with Snow. He came back later that day, but alone. Then we were told a week later that you were missing and dead. I- We believed it. It was getting harder to make money on the Hob without your voice."Maude Ivory paused for a moment. Skeius reached for her hand and squeezed it briefly.

"Anyway, we were running out of money faster and faster. About three weeks after you disappeared, peacekeepers arrived." A tear ran down Maude Ivory's cheek and she let out a short sob."They thought we were suspicious in some way because you had disappeared. What's more, we couldn't pay our taxes. Then they took everyone away. To the Capitol." She whispered the last two sentences.

"I was at the lake getting Katniss at the time. I know all this from families in the hem. They took the Covey to the Capitol and turned them into Avoxes. How are they supposed to sing without a tongue? I don't even know if they're still alive."Now tears came to Lucy Gray's eyes.She was to blame. It was all because of her."Can you tell me about Isa?" "Just to be sure: does Isadora have white-blonde hair and blue eyes? Does she look like a female Coriolanus?"Lucy Gray nodded cautiously. Was Maude Ivory trying to stall for time?

"When we - me, Skeius, Joline, Reyn and Will - went to the harvest, a girl suddenly burst in.She tried to run away-""Is Isadora in the games?" Lucy interrupted Gray in a panic. No, that couldn't be true."Yes, but to reassure you, she didn't use our surname.""That doesn't reassure me at all!"Isadora didn't know anything about the Hunger Games. How was she supposed to survive? At least Coriolanus didn't know about her. Lucy Gray didn't want him to know either.

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