The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)

by Suzanne Collins

“And last but least, District Twelve girl . . . she belongs to Coriolanus Snow.”

Your own father used to say those people only drank water because it didn’t rain blood.

“It’s just the kind of story that catches fire.”

“Well, you know what they say. The show’s not over until the mockingjay sings,”

Coriolanus felt sure he’d spotted his first mockingjay, and he disliked the thing on sight.

but something about the mockingjays repelled him. He distrusted their spontaneous creation. Nature running amok. They should die out, and die out soon.

“Some people call them swamp potatoes, but I like katniss better. Has a nice ring to it.”

Deep in the meadow, under the willow A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lucy singing the song katniss sings to rue!!

Poor Sejanus. Poor sensitive, foolish, dead Sejanus.

If he’d felt better, he’d have laughed at the irony of how quickly their relationship had deteriorated into their own private Hunger Games.

as the dean drew his final breath, he’d realize what so many others had realized when they’d challenged him. What all of Panem would know one day. What was inevitable. Snow lands on top.