Page 32 of Trivium

She wanted to win.

22

ZEINA

After her first lecture, Zeina tried to stay away from the classrooms. She told herself over and over that it was too risky. Ahmina was her cover and she needed to be careful with how she used it. Hiding in plain sight worked until everyone knew where to look.

But as the days went by, she dreamt of listening to Professor Hashiluna’s lectures. Alchemy was fascinating. She had never heard anyone talk about plant magic before, which Hashiluna had clarified was more like magic dust. Not real magic, traces of magic. Still, it was rarely talked about. Sure, most Jarrians practiced basic Alchemy—a potion to aid an illness, a light sleep tonic—but nothing as complex and intricate as what the Academy taught.

Zeina had gone to school until age eight when her parents disappeared. With no one to take her in, she lived on the streets, fending for herself. She knew how to read and write, but not well. What she knew about the world, about people and magic, she gathered on the streets, like collecting small, pretty pebbles. The knowledge she gained and the people she got to know made it tempting to stay in one part of the city. Anytime she settled somewhere, life became easier for a while until the inevitable shift. Staying in one place put her at a greater risk of being caught stealing or talking her way into free food and supplies, which could land her in prison. Jarrah didn’t take lightly to the homeless mooching off of hard-working citizens. Not only that but any connections she forged with people put them at risk alongside her; as much as shop owners liked her, they liked safety more. One of the reasons she was able to survive this long was because she didn’t have emotional attachments to cloud up her mind and put her in danger of getting caught. Anytime she got too comfortable, it was her cue to leave. Being comfortable meant being slow. And being slow meant getting caught.

But at the Academy… she couldn’t help herself. She was drawn to the classroom, drawn to what was possible when she was Ahmina. She craved more.

She should have been focused on her escape plan. Instead, all she could think about was Alchemy.

It started small. She learned Ahmina’s schedule, and then became braver, spying on Ahmina from hallway closets and dark corners, testing out how well she could blend into crowds and classrooms if she pretended to be her. It wasn’t unusual for students to temporarily join lectures to make up for absences or for extra practice.

If Zeina knew anything, it was that people were usually too engrossed in their own miserable lives to notice half the things going on around them. Certainly, most wouldn’t notice a girl as quiet and careful as morning mist.

Still, she couldn’t let her guard down. And really, Alchemy was the only lecture worth risking her identity for. She loved learning about all the plants that stretched beyond the wall. The Academy focused so much on the creatures. But the plants, they held magic too. If you listened carefully, you could hear it. And it called to her.

The Apothecary had been restored, and Alchemy was back in its usual location. Its stone walls were lined with rows and rows of indented shelves, carrying jars of herbs, seeds, pastes, flowers, and all sorts of plants that Zeina couldn’t name.

Sitting at a lone table, she read the instructions for the potion they were making in class. Well, she tried to read the instructions. She struggled to read regular Jarrian, but the script in the textbook was even more difficult as it was filled with old Jarrian and exotic plant terms she didn’t recognize. In a whisper, she sounded out the words to herself.

“Feel like blowing this place up?” Lennox tossed his brown leather satchel in the seat beside her and sat down.

“Excuse me?”

“An explosive potion. Could be fun?” He smiled and raised his eyebrows.

Zeina deadpanned before returning to her text. She could feel Lennox’s gaze shift between the book and her.

“Alright, everyone,” Professor Hashiluna called across the class as students gathered around the tables. “Today we’re doing a sedative potion. If you get it right, your partner will only get a little sleepy for a few minutes. Get it wrong, and they will be in a coma for a week.”

A student raised their hand. “When would we use this potion in real scenarios?”

Professor Hashiluna’s demeanor was as consistent as a stone wall. Nothing phased her. Nothing pleased her. She was like an emotional vault. Her only show of emotion was the occasional raised eyebrow and today was no different. “Yes, you all want to know. Get the potion right and I'll tell you.” The students groaned and started shuffling around the room, grabbing jars and mixing materials from the shelves. Zeina pulled the textbook closer, sounding out the words in her head.

“Okay, Alchemy partner, what ingredients do we need?” Lennox tilted his chair back so it was balancing on just the back legs, his boots resting on the table.

“I’m not your partner. I work alone.”

“Suit yourself, but the last student who tried to do that was kicked out of school for not being”—he mimicked air quotes with his hands—“a collaborative teammate.”

“Kicked out?” Panic rose in Zeina’s chest. She couldn’t go, not yet. Weeks of having a comfortable, safe place to sleep and warm, fresh meals felt good. Not to mention she had only just started learning Alchemy.

“Yeah, I mean they didn’t even⁠—”

“Just copy him.” She pointed to a student picking jars off the shelf. “And hurry up.”

Lennox dropped the chair back down and stood up. “Alright, alright, all you had to do was ask.”

A few minutes later, Zeina was no closer to figuring out the instructions, and Lennox was back with an arm full of jars.

“Listen, I know you’re into reading and shit but if you stare at that textbook any longer, you’re going to go cross-eyed,” Lennox said, setting the jars down on the table in one big heap.

Zeina sighed, flopping the textbook down with a thud. She studied him for a moment, contemplating whether to accept his help, before shoving the book across the table into his hands.