Page 65 of Trivium

He ignored her comment. “Tell me.” The way he looked at her made her heart skip. She cleared her throat.

“Rory, Kit, and I were surrounded by Slyfoxes. You showed up out of nowhere and did this crazy animal call that made them run away. Where did you learn that by the way? I wondered because I couldn’t find it in any of the textbooks last night. Anyway, then you were gone.” She shifted in her seat. “And by the way, we could have handled them ourselves, even without your odd animal call, so you didn’t need to be so egotistical about it in the end.”

Lennox laughed. “How was I egotistical?”

“You winked at me.”

“That does sound like me.” Smiling and nodding, he went back to eating.

“You really don’t remember?”

“Now that you mention it, it’s all coming back to me.” He winked at her again. Goddess, it was so infuriating when he acted arrogant. But she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Can we ever just have a conversation without you making it into some big joke?” She hit his shoulder playfully and got up to leave.

“Wouldn’t count on it.” He shrugged. “And, hey.” He stopped her as she turned to leave. His eyes traced his spoon as he swirled it around his meal. “I heard you passed the second assessment. Congrats!”

“Thanks,” she whispered, guilty for letting Lennox believe a lie. The only reason she passed was because she cheated.

“I guess whatever Barrow is teaching you is working… right?”

Her stomach dropped. It was the way he said it. Like he knew what was going on with Barrow and was just waiting for her to give any indication that his assumption was wrong. She hadn’t let Barrow cross any lines yet. At least not physically. But still, shame twisted in her gut. How much longer would that last? Sure, with Loveleena’s help she had passed the second assessment, but what about the third? What about her grades? How long could she skirt around Barrow’s crude comments and advancements?

“I mean, I’m happy to train you if you want to try a different approach, or I can ask Serena if you’d feel… you know, more comfortable?” His eyes flashed to hers. It was rare to see Lennox like this, awkward and reserved—like he was scared he would spook her if he said the wrong thing. And something about the way he said it softened the shame in her. It was still there, clambering around in her gut, telling her to keep Rory, Lennox, and anyone else she loved at an arm’s length as to not see the truth.

But Lennox had found a way around her defenses, making a home in her heart, and no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t stop herself from letting him in. From giving into the longing, the aching, to be close to him.

“Thanks.” She offered him a soft smile, letting out the shaky breath she had been holding. “I’ll think about it.”

He nodded, satisfied with her answer, and gave her a genuine smile in return. “See, I can be serious. Only for a few minutes though, I’m so much more attractive when I’m funny. Can’t rely on looks alone.”

Ahmina rolled her eyes and left Lennox at the table to finish his lunch. She’d never tell him but she quite disagreed. Sure, like everyone, she enjoyed his humor and charisma. But Lennox was incredibly handsome, painfully so, when he was serious, caring, and soft.

She tucked the feeling in the center of her chest to keep it safe.

46

ZEINA

There were two ingredients Zeina needed for the truth serum that she didn’t have at the Academy. The first, a rare flower that only bloomed after extensive rain, which, luckily, she located in the forest during the assessment. The second was a luxury tea brewed in northern Jarrah. A tea she had no idea how to find.

She had scoured the kitchens early in the morning before the cooks rose but found nothing, and on her way back to her and Lennox’s dorm, she ran into Loveleena.

“Oh, Ahmina, hi,” Loveleena said, yawning as she carefully closed the dorm door across the hall from Lennox’s. Her hair was a curly nest, her lip stain rebelliously smudged off her lower lip.

Zeina’s eyes flickered to the door, and Loveleena followed her gaze. “I needed a distraction… a six-foot-four, tattooed, highly skilled with female anatomy kind of distraction.”

“I didn’t ask.”

Loveleena smiled. “Right, well…” She put on the large sweater she was holding and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Zeina said, and Loveleena turned.

“I need a special tea for your potion.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t know where to find it. It’s not here in the school.”