Page 89 of Trivium

Lennox dragged his palm over his face and sighed, though it came out more like a growl. “It’s supposed to be mutual. Not some job you need to do.”

She had been young and never really considered how it should be, only that she desired his approval. But she never had that burning, all-consuming need with her ex that she felt with Lennox. With him, it wasn’t about approval. She simply craved him like lungs craved air. Then again, she told herself, that was probably just the creature blood talking. She was never, ever going to drink it again. And tomorrow, she’d pretend none of this had ever happened.

“MINA.” Rory crashed through the door, making her jump. “Goddess of the moon, help me.” She turned to Lennox. “What are YOU doing in here!?”

“Rory—”

“I saw you leaving, she was practically unconscious. What did you do!?”

Lennox’s softness disappeared, his casual, careless demeanor back in place. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

Rory looked like she was trying to decide if she should believe him. Her eyes ran over the two of them, taking in the scene, snagging on Lennox’s belt which was still half unbuckled. Her eyes narrowed. “Just because you saved her life twice⁠—”

“Actually, the second time was⁠—”

“—doesn’t mean you wouldn’t.” Rory stopped mid-sentence. She didn’t need to say it. They all knew what she meant.

“Ror, he didn’t do anything. He helped me,” Ahmina argued.

Rory looked like she wanted to believe them but still wasn’t sure. “Get out.”

Hands up in defense, Lennox rose to his feet, leaving a chill in his wake. Before she could think about it—she wasn’t thinking properly anyway—she jumped up and threw her arms around his neck, wrapping him in a tight hug. He faltered for a moment, taken by surprise, before embracing her in return.

“Thank you for taking me back to my room. Sorry if I was, you know… weird, or whatever.”

She felt him melt into her after she said it. As if her gratitude was a relief somehow. She slid her arms down around his torso and he set his chin on top of her head. Their embrace stretched on and she found herself hanging onto him a little longer than she should. A lot longer than friends would.

Friends.

It wasn’t until Rory cleared her throat that she released him.

In the doorway, she thanked him again for taking her back to her room. And when Lennox spoke ever so quietly in her ear, his breath warm on her neck, she felt as though she might float away.

“You tell me when you’re ready, Mina-baby. When—” He paused, only for a moment, but even in her post blood-induced high she noticed. “If you want it, and I will so fucking gladly take care of you, expecting nothing in return.” Another brief pause. “Anything you want, I’d give it to you.”

Her heart felt like it would explode out of her chest and take flight into the night sky.

After he left, Ahmina flopped into bed, purposely ignoring Rory’s pointed glare.

“I heard that, you know,” she said, and they both fought off cheeky smiles.

61

ZEINA

Back in her dorm, tucked under her bedsheets, Zeina opened the cover of the book she had stolen from Loveleena’s dorm room.

The first page was blank, so she flipped to the next. But it was blank too. She flipped to the middle of the book and there was nothing there either; the whole book was blank.

Weird.

She flipped through each page, picking up her speed when the pages started to glow. With each turn, the light increased, until she finally reached the brightest page. The light pulsed gently, and a soft voice filled her mind.

Was this the voice of the book itself?

She would have been shocked if she weren’t so used to Aria communicating that way.

Zeina Veloria. Descendant of Ember and Misha Veloria.