Page 64 of Trivium

“You want to bring your little creature friends into a Slayer’s dorm?” Lennox laughed.

“You have to promise not to hurt them,” Zeina said, a hint of vulnerability in her voice.

“They’re creatures. They could kill you so easily. At any moment. Just because they look cute doesn’t mean⁠—”

“—they won’t.”

Lennox stared at her, contemplating his decision. His gaze was intense for someone who seemed to be unserious about most things.

“Alright,” he said finally. “But if either of them tries anything they’re dead. And you better keep them hidden in there because the Slayers will be foaming at the mouth to butcher them.”

Against her better judgement she followed Lennox back to his dorm. He quickly introduced her to the space and where to find everything. Lennox had barely made it to his side of the room before she had tucked herself into the blankets. Zeina sighed as she pulled the warm fabric up around her neck; the bed felt like a dream. Aria had disappeared, settled on a ceiling beam no doubt, and Watson crawled out of her pocket, nuzzling back into the crook of her elbow.

“What’s your story, Zeina?” Lennox asked as he removed his clothing save for underwear and crawled under the covers of his bed. Zeina closed her eyes so she didn’t have to watch him.

“Let’s just go to sleep.” Zeina suddenly felt more tired than she ever had in her entire life.

“It would be nice to know who I’ve just let sleep five feet away from me. You could be some evil killer.”

“You’re confusing me with a Slayer.”

Lennox laughed.

“You should be used to sleeping next to killers,” she added. “This whole floor is full of them.”

“Slayers are predictable. It's the quiet ones who sneak around campus pretending to be someone else you gotta watch out for.” That made Zeina smile. Maybe she would share something. But how could she explain her life and how she ended up here, of all places?

“I’ve lived alone on the streets of Jarrah for most of my life. I ended up here by accident and decided to stay. Free food and all.” She kept it short, hoping Lennox would drop the subject.

Lennox propped himself up onto his elbow.

“What about your family?”

“I don’t have one. Now can we please just go to sleep?” She yawned.

Zeina was inches away from sweet slumber when Lennox said something that hammered at the outer shell of her heart. “You’re safe here, Zeina. I promise.”

45

AHMINA

The following day at breakfast when Ahmina spotted Lennox in the mess hall, she let out a deep breath. She had been worried about him ever since her, Kit, and Rory had left him in the forest. It was a relief to see him in one piece—well, mostly. He sported a bandage wound tightly around his upper thigh. As she approached him, she pushed everything that had happened between them down. Friends, she reminded herself. Just friends.

“Hey,” she said, sitting down next to him. “What happened to your leg?”

Lennox set down his spoon and turned to face her. “I fell on my dagger.”

She rolled her eyes, and Lennox cracked a cheeky grin, returning to his food. She watched him dip his bread into his spicy stew, taking a messy bite. Juice dripped down his chin, and she had the sudden urge to lick it off. Instead, she reached up to his bottom lip, wiping it gently with her thumb. Lennox froze at her touch but quickly regained his composure. “Nothing. Just a little creature run in. A wild one too. It attacked me out of nowhere. But don’t worry nosy-mina, it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” He tore off another piece of bread. “Want some?”

Ahmina frowned and shook her head, distracting herself with cleaning her fingers on a napkin. “You looked fine when I saw you, and that was at the end of the assessment.”

Lennox stopped mid chew and put down his bread, as if suddenly very interested in what she had to say.

“Your leg was fine.” She thought back to the previous day; she didn’t recall Lennox bleeding, limping, or showing any kind of injury.

Lennox tilted his head to the side, curious, his cheek stuffed with bread. “Refresh my memory.”

“Did the creature get your brain too?” She tapped his temple. “Leg wasn’t enough?” She just wanted another reason to touch him.