Page 63 of Trivium

Lennox rubbed his jaw, his face serious for a moment, before shrugging it off like some kind of joke. “If I was in a killing mood today, you’d be dead.”

Zeina glared at him.

“Are you coming or what?”

Zeina hesitated, brushing off the plant material that had stuck to her pants before finally agreeing.

The journey back took them twice as long because Zeina insisted they stop every few minutes to collect plant samples. When they finally made it back to the wall, the clouds had parted and the sun was shining.

“Here,” Lennox said as he lifted up a section of forest floor to reveal a trap door. Zeina descended underground with Lennox and Aria in tow, a rare flower tucked into her palm—its quiet chime carrying a promise of truth.

✧✧✧✧

“So this is where you sleep?” Lennox busted into the closet where Zeina had settled a few minutes before. After returning to the castle, they had parted ways. She was certain no one followed her but apparently she had been wrong. “I wondered, since you obviously weren’t staying in Ahmina’s dorm.”

“What are you doing?” she hissed. “You followed me here? Get. Out!”

“Personally, I prefer a bed, but I guess I can see the appeal.”

Zeina pulled him into the closet and shut the door. “Shut up, you idiot. Someone will hear you.”

“I’m surprised no one has caught you yet.”

Zeina stared at the floor.

“Ohhh…” His face brightened. “Someone has caught you!”

“It’s not a joke,” Zeina said, crossing her arms.

“Come stay in my dorm,” Lennox said matter-of-factly.

“No.”

“You’d rather sleep with the cleaning equipment?” One arm was tucked into his pocket while the other gestured to her makeshift bed.

When Zeina didn’t say anything, Lennox sighed. “Look, Zeina. You’re going to get caught again. Maybe not tonight, but eventually. There’s a second bed in my room that’s empty.”

Zeina hesitated. A comfortable, warm bed was more than she’d ever had in her adult life.

“I promise.” He placed his hand over his heart. “You’re safe with me. I won’t do anything ungentlemanly… especially now that I know you have zero reservations about sticking a dagger in my leg.”

Once again, Zeina’s logic protested, but her intuition won. Maybe Aria was right; maybe Lennox had become a sort of friend. Aria had always protected her as far as Zeina could tell. Ever since Aria came into her life and she felt real friendship for the first time, she craved more. Her survival instinct screamed not to trust anyone but herself. But a smaller, stronger, and quieter part of her longed for connection. For friendship.

“On one condition.”

Lennox raised an eyebrow.

“My friends can stay too.”

“Friends?” Lennox asked, confused.

Zeina pulled Watson out of her pocket where he had been snuggled up sleeping. She hadn’t realized he was there until they were about halfway back to the castle. She had gone to stick plant samples in her pocket only to find him there, hiding.

“Aria too.”

“The Songbird?”

Zeina nodded.