Page 73 of Trivium

“Clever shadows will follow behind us once we’ve cleared the path of any threats. The Alchemy shadows will follow behind them. Elmerian, you’re in the back with Lennox,” Ahman ordered, before aligning with Sasha and Barrow in the front. The Clevers spoke in hushed voices behind them, whispering nervously, and Loveleena looked back to find Ahmina and Emerson among the Clever group.

They didn’t speak much during the journey, and as the trees grew taller and the flora thicker, they kept having to untangle vines from their boots so they wouldn’t trip. Loveleena found herself at the back along with Ren and Lennox, unable to take the silence any longer.

“So, Ren, how was the Moon Festival?” she said once there was a bit of distance between them and the rest of the students ahead.

“What are you talking about?”

“Never pictured you as the dancing type.”

Lennox eyed them both, confused.

“I’m not.”

“Oh, because I could have sworn I saw⁠—”

“—Hallucinating just like your friend. Careful or you’ll end up going mad, too.”

Speechless, Loveleena’s blood boiled. How dare he.

“Looks like we have company,” Lennox said, scanning the bush. To their right stood a giant black creature with crimson eyes, fixated on hers. She pulled out her sword, her heart racing.

“Soul Snatcher,” Lennox confirmed.

The rest of their group was farther ahead, and Loveleena watched them all collect behind the Defenders. It was then that she realized that Ren and Lennox had both stepped backwards, singling her out.

“Help me, you idiots!” she whisper-yelled to Ren and Lennox.

“This should be interesting,” Ren muttered.

“We will step in if needed,” Lennox said a little too casually for Loveleena’s liking.

The familiar hum rose up within her, ready to protect, once she realized no one would help her. The creature let out a growl that vibrated the earth below them, its jowls dripping with saliva. Part of becoming top of her class in Mastery was the result of her cramming The Creature Encyclopedia like her life depended on it. She knew exactly what this creature was about to do to her if she made one wrong move.

The creature’s head hung low as it watched her.

“Be careful, L,” Kumani said from somewhere in the distance.

With everyone watching, and the creature staring intently at her, she moved in a semi-circle to her right, gripping the hilt of her sword with both hands. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to,” she said to the creature, as if it understood her. “You can’t kill me. I have to track down my best friend—” Thinking about what happened to him sent a surge of energy through her. “And probably take out whoever was involved,” she added, because she felt like the creature would understand her plight.

The Soul Snatcher stood silently, watching her.

“But if you really need a tasty snack…” She nodded toward Ren, suddenly vengeful for the careless way he tossed her into this situation. Let the Soul Snatcher target him instead; at least he would know how to handle it. “That one would be prettyyyy tasty.”

For a moment, the Soul Snatcher stared at her, unflinching. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, but she refused to show fear. Then, a sharp, maternal voice filled Loveleena’s mind. I’m here to check up on something—someone.

For what felt like forever, she stared past Loveleena to where the rest of the group stood, and Loveleena didn’t dare move. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready for a fight. But the dark creature left without another word, sprinting into the forest as quickly and as silently as it appeared.

Loveleena let out a shaky breath and turned to see shock and terror on everyone’s faces. Ren’s face was ghostly pale, his mouth a flat line, and Lennox studied her, brow furrowed. She turned to the graduate Defenders, Sasha and Ahman, for some sort of direction, but they simply scowled at her, eyes wide.

It was Barrow who spoke first. “That’s never happened. The creature, it—” He stammered, trying to piece together what he just witnessed. “It was killing you. It lifted your soul from your body, and then it just… stopped.”

“Oh, so you were all just going to let me die?” Loveleena spat, annoyed.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Sasha said, shaking her head. “That’s impossible.”

“How did you do that?” Ahman approached her and fisted the collar of her shirt, lifting her off the ground. Ren and Lennox stepped forward, flanking her.

“I didn’t do anything.” She squirmed. “Let go of me!” Her senses were heightened, alert in a way she had never experienced before. Blood hummed in her veins; she could see and hear everything in sharp, clear focus.