• Athena Spring has spent her entire life carefully curating the perfect image. Perfect grades, a proud family, and the Plinth Prize nearly within her grasp, Athena has it all. However, when her plans are derailed by an unexpected twist of events, s...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Athena's gaze locks onto the screen, her eyes widening in horror as Treech lies motionless. She knew it had been a race against time. She knew that winning hadn't guaranteed his survival. Yet watching him die for the second time is an even greater stab to the heart. Her mind screams in protest, the only thought coursing through her brain is that she has to get to him. She has to make sure he's okay, even if it means going into the arena herself.
"No, no ,no," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the cacophony of applause and chatter around her by the audience oblivious to the danger Treech is in. Without a backward glance at Persephone, Festus, or Dani, Athena surges forward, her body moving on instinct as she shoulders her way through the crowd.
The auditorium's exit beckons, a narrow passage to freedom, but as she reaches it, a hand clasps her shoulder, halting her escape.
"Miss. Spring, a word, please," Dean Highbottom's voice is calm, but it carries an undercurrent of authority that is not to be ignored.
"Sir, I can't-," Athena protests, her voice laced with urgency, but the Dean is unyielding.
"This way, Miss. Spring," he commands, leading her away from the exit as she sighs in exasperation.
A short walk away lies the doors to a large, eccentrically-decorated room, guarded by a pair of peacekeepers. The grandeur of the marble pillars and the intricately carved table in the centre do nothing to ease Athena's growing apprehension.
"What is this about?" Athena demands, her patience wearing thin.
Dean Highbottom points to a small compact on the table, replying in a bored tone, "We found this on Lucy Gray's body. Do you recognize it?"
Athena stares down at the little silver compact, far too extravagant for Lucy Gray to have brought from District Twelve. Of course, Coriolanus was stupid enough to use something so recognisable as his own mother's to give the poison to Lucy Gray, just as he'd tried to use his father's signature handkerchief to put in the snake tank. The thought almost makes Athena laugh. Coriolanus Snow, the self-proclaimed future President of Panem, not thinking to worry about his cheating being traced back to him so obviously.
"It's rat poison," she admits, her gaze hardening.
"And?" Dean Highbottom prompts, his gaze piercing as he raises his eyebrows. He seems to be almost... happy.
"It was used to poison Treech," Athena says, "Coriolanus gave it to Lucy Gray."
She no longer had any qualms about exposing Coriolanus. After what he'd done in that arena, killing that boy and trying to kill her... well, Athena wouldn't allow him to get away with it.
Dean Highbottom's eyes narrow as he contemplates, "Do you have proof?"
Without hesitation, Athena produces Coriolanus' handkerchief from her pocket and lays it on the table next to the compact.
