Page 110 of Trivium

They studied each other without looking away. She still felt it. The desire, the lust, the tension. Wasn’t she supposed to be angry with him? Somehow, the feeling seemed far away, disguised by a deeper need. In that moment, she didn’t care. Everything that she had been holding inside—grief, magic, anger—needed a release.

She stood up, putting space between them so she could think.

Sex didn’t embarrass her. Declaring her attraction toward someone didn’t make her feel vulnerable or weak. If anything, it empowered her.

But sex with Ren?

Did she really want to get tangled up with him given everything between them? Given how often she wanted to push him off the Great Wall?

“Is that really all from my wild uncontrolled magic?” she teased, emphasizing the words before looking down at his bulge, which was still obvious through his pants.

How much of this was magic, and how much was genuine attraction?

Ren looked down at himself and back up at her, before he draped one arm over the back of the chair, having some sort of internal debate with himself. “Come here and find out.”

At some point she had ripped off his shirt. Her eyes dragged over his tousled hair. His eyes. His defined abs. And the two lines that made a v-shape into his pants…

It was just sex, she told herself.

Put everything else aside.

Just sex.

Eyes locked on his, she lowered herself back on his lap and cupped his jaw. “Not just magic then.” She needed to know it was real. She needed to know he felt what she felt. That he wanted her. As much as the idea of seducing Ren with her magic appealed to her, she would never take away his choice.

Ren’s eyes searched hers. “No. Not just magic.” Then he brought her mouth to his.

Their kiss was deep, and she sunk into it, moaning into his mouth.

“No magic?” his voice was low.

“No magic.” They were in agreement then.

He kissed her again, and this time his hand was in the back of her hair, fist bunched at the root, tugging gently. The other was on her ass, pulling her against him before he mumbled something barely intelligible against her mouth. “This isn’t going to get you out of training. We will resume after.”

“Shhhh.” Her fingers pressed to his lips. “Before we change our minds.”

73

AHMINA

The first years had risen before sunrise, anxious and impatient. Lennox had come to her dorm to greet her, coffee in hand, before walking with her down to the mess hall.

“You’re going to kick ass today Mina,” he had said, wrapping one arm around her and giving her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t forget that. You got this.”

Ahmina couldn’t eat breakfast. She felt determined, ready to tackle whatever the final assessment threw at her. She’d done all she could to prepare. Now all that was left was to get it over with. Still, her stomach remained in knots.

Even Rory was nervous, and while no one else admitted it, the rest of her friends—Loveleena, Kumani, Emerson, and Artie—all seemed on edge.

They collected at the bottom of the ladder to the Hydra enclosure with the rest of the first years, waiting for the assessment to begin. When the sun finally emerged, radiating down on them, Ahmina soaked it up, letting it warm her skin and calm her nerves.

Ahmina looked around to see if she could spot Zeina hiding in the bushes. She didn’t know if Zeina would come to watch. Maybe some small part of her wished she would. It might calm her to see her sister there, close by. Although she knew that even if she had come, it was unlikely she’d find her. At least she had Rory, Loveleena, and her friends. The fact that she wasn’t doing it alone comforted her.

“Welcome to your final assessment. Each student will climb the wall and descend into the Hydra chamber.” Headmaster Adeyemi stood in front of them with some of the faculty to their right.

“When I said they would throw us to the Hydra, I didn’t think they’d actually, literally, throw us in with the Hydra,” Rory said, brows furrowed.

“To pass the assessment, each student must make it out of the chamber alive. Whether that is through a clever escape, or a battle to the death, is the student’s choice. But keep in mind you will be assessed on your decision, so choose wisely.”