The Hunger of REIN and SNOW ∞ tom & louis au

Chapter 9

Later that evening, four peacekeepers escorted Louis through the Academy, his wrists bound in chains. He posed a variety of questions with apprehension, yet the officers kept quiet—except for the infrequent grunt.

At the monkey house, the mentors were arriving to engage with the audience and their tributes. Louis had watched the entrance to the zoo, waiting for his Capitol boy to show up again, but there was no sign of him.

Peacekeepers came over to load him onto a truck, leaving Edith alone with a mentor she did not trust.

"It's gonna be okay. I'll be back, don't worry," he promised her as they whisked him away. But of course, he had no idea if he'd be back.

Louis wanted to ask once more where they were taking him, but the soreness made it difficult to raise his voice. He worried that someone had reported his conversation with the guards that morning, but it didn't make sense why they would take him to his mentor's academy as punishment.

They reached a door with a gold plaque reading "Professor Ava," and everything clicked when Coriolanus appeared on the other side of it. He greeted them with a charming smile and a white rose in hand.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Coriolanus nods at the guards. "Thank you for bringing him here without harm. Professor Ava bestows her grace." He glances at Louis and winks.

"Whatever. You have ten minutes, then we're bringing him back to the zoo." The Peacekeeper instructs, taking the chains off Louis' hands and pushing him forward. "Dr. Gaul's orders."

"Yes, will do." Coriolanus steps aside, letting Louis in the office. He then shuts the door on the officers, cutting off any further demands.

The boys fell silent as they heard the Peacekeeper mumble. Then, they laughed together.

Coriolanus turned and said, "I apologize for that. I hope they didn't frighten you."

Louis rubs his wrists. "I was worried for a second. I thought I was in trouble for..." He hesitated and decided not to inform his mentor about the failed attempt to see a medic.

The strain in Louis' voice made Coriolanus cringe. It's gotten worse, but he smiles and hands over the rose in full bloom. "As promised."

Louis felt his cheeks flush as he took the rose. He breathed in the fresh scent, imagining he was in a meadow somewhere. The fond memories of his youth evoked a sense of nostalgia, and it was enough to please him for the moment.

Coriolanus gestures toward Ava's refectory table. "I made tea for you. Chamomile and lavender. Very soothing, she says."

"Thank you," Louis says. He comes over and sits on the comforter. "It might work wonders for my throat." He lifts the cup to his mouth. "Did you know both herbs are antiviral? They might protect me from whatever's flying around in that cage."

He raises the teacup to his mouth and takes a cautious sip to test the temperature. Pleased, he indulges more, allowing the warm liquid to soothe his throat. "Though stronger herbs would work more efficiently. Chamomile just makes me sleepy."

"I didn't know that, actually," says Coriolanus. He sat down and leaned back on his favorite throw pillows, feeling right at home. He was secretly elated to share his second home with someone else, someone he was growing fond of.

"As a child, my mother taught me a lot about herbs and how they can help or harm you. It's how we took care of ourselves living outside the district. If someone fell ill, we would use our tips to buy pills. But those were rare times."

Coriolanus hums. "If I came down with a cold, what would you give me?"

"Right away, I'd grab some echinacea and elderberries for tea," Louis said, then coughed into his arm. "The flowers will prevent your symptoms from getting worse, and the berries will help relieve the symptoms you already have. If you're feeling stuffy and clogged up, I'll have you breathing over a pot of boiling eucalyptus." He chuckled. "And I'll cook up some broth to keep you fed, keep you hydrated, and make sure you get plenty of rest."