Page 72 of Trivium

The trap was of Academy origin, and she knew the one who set it would be nearby.

She left the serpent for the Defenders to deal with and didn’t breathe normally again until she was safe in Lennox’s dorm.

That night, she dreamt she was Ahmina, seizing from Viper venom on the forest floor. Except there was no one there to help her—no Lennox or Rory. Not even Aria.

She was completely alone.

50

LOVELEENA

Ever since her heart-to-heart with Kumani, things between them had shifted significantly. They eased into a familiar comfort with one another and spent more time together than they had previously. She hadn’t realized how much guilt she was carrying from the past or how tense it had made her.

Kumani had said Loveleena was running from her grief. Maybe she was right. At least now, she was running toward something—transforming herself into a walking, breathing, lethal weapon that would avenge Park. Even if he had gone mad, there was still someone responsible. And she was going to find out who it was and make it right.

And when she did find them, she would be ready.

She rose to the top of her class in all subjects easily. But she found Combat the most enjoyable and had become the best weapons master in her squad.

Maybe she should feel guilty for having such natural talent when other students had to work three times as hard to be half as good. But unlike the rest of the students, she grew up with the best of everything. Physical training, education, and wellness routines—all taught at the highest level by the best in the city. Not that she had paid that much attention in her lessons. But admittedly, it had given her a solid foundation for her Defender work. She was grateful for that.

To be honest, she loved swinging a sword around, pinning men twice her size to the ground. It gave her immense satisfaction. Perhaps best of all, the words she uttered during sparring were so vulgar they made the taunts between Slayers sound cute.

For the first time in a long time, she felt truly alive.

“The much-anticipated shadow sessions are here,” Barrow announced as he stood at the front of their Trivium class. Now that their friendship had fallen into an easy flow, she sat beside Kumani, whispering about what the shadow sessions would entail.

“This is your only opportunity to see in real time what each chosen specialty does beyond the wall and how it will influence your life as a Defender. At the end of the year, your specialty will be given to you by the headmaster. Today’s activities are meant to give you a true look into the specialty you’re hoping for, and maybe even have the chance to prove why you should be chosen for that specialty. You’ll accompany Defenders beyond the wall and be given their protection and guidance. But don’t be fooled—your leads will challenge you. This isn’t a free pass. When you step beyond the wall, anything can happen.”

Loveleena knew she made the right choice to shadow the Slayers when she saw Ren standing in the Bloodring alongside two other graduate Slayers and Lennox. She hadn’t seen him since she had caught him sneaking off to the Moon Festival.

The two leading Defenders introduced themselves as Brin Sasha and Theron Ahman. Loveleena recognized them from Defender’s Village but had never met them face-to-face before. Studying them from a distance, she took in Sasha’s olive skin, white hair, and piercing blue eyes—a vibrant contrast next to her counterpart, a short, stalky, bushy-browed man. Both were covered in tattoos and scars, and looked as if they might skewer a human and roast them for a single wrong glance.

“Defender’s Sasha and Ahman, some of our most experienced Slayers, are here today to show you what they do beyond the wall,” Barrow said as he stood beside them, sharpening his dagger. “I’ll be here to support you as well, but they are your leaders.” He strapped his dagger to his thigh in the traditional Slayer position and stood up tall. “Today you will each be given extra weapons in case you need to defend yourself. As you know,” he said, dragging over a crate full of weapons. “Slayers always keep a host of weapons on us when we travel beyond the wall. Daggers, swords, chakrams, bows, traps—take your pick. We hope there’s no need to use them, but you can never be too careful. Strap up.”

Loveleena had brought her sword and dagger, but she picked up an extra dagger just in case and strapped it tightly to her thigh.

“Sasha and I will lead you east, toward the river. As Slayers, it’s often our job to clear the path for the rest of our squad to do field work,” Ahman explained while Sasha handed out a small circular item to each of them.

“You’re holding a creature compass,” Sasha said, returning to her place beside Ahman. “It tells you which direction a creature is approaching from, to help prepare you.”

Loveleena studied the compass in the palm of her hand. It was carved from kempaswood with an inner wand that moved around sporadically, pointing in all directions.

“The Clever and Alchemist shadows will conduct research on the plant life and creatures to help us stay on top of their development. In order for Clevers to develop a defense strategy, and Alchemists to gather fresh supplies for their potions, they need up to date information on the creatures and the forest. That’s what field work is for,” Sasha explained. “It’s our job to keep them safe.”

“Do Slayers do any field work?” Loveleena asked. She wanted to know if she could get extra time beyond the wall. Field work could be the perfect cover for her to look for Park.

“Sometimes…” Sasha said slowly, as if studying Loveleena’s body language before answering. “We track creatures to understand their movement. Which is often done in collaboration with other squad members.”

“We better go,” Barrow cut in, urging them along. “The other squads are waiting.”

They followed Ahman, Sasha, and Barrow down to the outpost, Lennox and Ren bringing up the rear, before descending into the cool, dark depths of the earth.

It took a moment for Loveleena’s eyes to adjust to the light again once they surfaced on the other side. Every other time she had been beyond the wall it was blanketed by formidable clouds or the darkness of night. In the daylight, the forest was kind of… magical. The sun shone down through the canopy of tangled branches and greenery, it’s golden light highlighting the array of colorful fauna.

And in front of the beautiful backdrop was a brooding Ren.

He always had a kind of detached and careless exterior. But somehow, out here beyond the wall, he looked even more commanding. She took him in before his eyes caught hers. She kept her gaze steady, challenging him.