49. Zeina
ZEINA
There was a tiny passage that led to the library, its opening hidden behind an old metal air vent grate.
Zeina hated taking it; it housed about an inch of dust and always made her sneeze.
She would have rather dealt with a vent full of Bugs.
But she needed to brave the dusty passage to follow Ahmina. To watch her.
Ever since she caught Barrow poisoning Ahmina in the infirmary, she had kept a close eye on him, internally cringing every time she saw him slip a potion into Ahmina’s drink.
Ahmina was undoubtedly the worst first year student at the Academy, and it didn’t take long for Zeina to put two and two together.
But she still hadn’t worked out why Barrow would target Ahmina. What did he want with her? She was pretty certain he hadn’t poisoned any other students. What was so special about Ahmina?
No matter the reason, she couldn’t allow it.
Ahmina’s livelihood at the Academy was Zeina’s only cover.
So, she had spent the last month perfecting an internal power potion that would counteract Barrow’s.
It was a highly advanced potion gleaned from Hashiluna’s ancient text.
One that was difficult for her to master.
She had poured hours into getting it right.
And she had slipped it into Ahmina’s coffee exactly one hour ago.
She watched as Ahmina sat flipping through textbooks, writing notes, and reciting words to herself in a gentle whisper. As the hour pressed on, there was no sign of improvement, and she watched as Ahmina spiraled into a tornado of confusion and stress.
Zeina hated to admit it, but she had become somewhat attached to Ahmina after watching her all these weeks. And her heart sank with disappointment.
She must make a more potent batch, she thought, crawling out of the passage. Barrow’s potion was having a greater effect than she realized.
????
Zeina had followed a group of graduate Defenders beyond the wall to find fresh penulia—the key ingredient in Ahmina’s potion. Perhaps if she used fresh, instead of dried as the recipe intended, the potion would have greater effect.
She searched for an hour before she found it peeking out of a crack in bark at the base of a great oak. Aria’s voice was in her mind as she plucked it gently, tucking it into the waistband of her pants. A foe is near.
Zeina stood, dagger ready and on high alert, but she couldn’t hear anything over her own breathing. Gripping the hilt, she narrowed in on every sound around her: the bristle of creatures in the upper branches. A gentle stream of water in the distance. A slither through the grass.
A Venom Viper.
Zeina spotted it then, its slick midnight scales reflecting pockets of sunlight along the damp forest floor.
She glanced up, shooting Aria a look, who simply fluttered in the air above her head. Yes. Aria answered the question floating in her mind. So, this was the same Viper that almost killed Ahmina. Spiteful, she shot the Viper a nasty look.
Youuuu would tooooo if you were paiddddd handsomely. The Viper said into her mind, every word drawn out. Zeina froze. What!?
“Paid with what? By whom?” she asked out loud.
The Viper’s black eyes remained fixed on her, watchful, as it slowly crept closer. Zeina stood frozen in place, her heart hammering in her chest, afraid that any movement would provoke it.
Magic.
Since arriving at the Academy, she hadn’t once felt fearful of the creatures. If anything, she related to them more than the students. But the Viper had unlocked a primal fear in her. It took every ounce of strength in her to stay rooted where she was.
If she ran, the Viper would have her on the ground, oozing with venom in seconds. Above her, Aria became more distressed, her wings buzzing chaotically by her ear. The Viper inched closer, eyeing the delicate skin of her bare feet. She was very much regretting not wearing shoes.
She swung her dagger down, aiming for its head, but it slipped away and targeted her ankles.
It helped that Zeina was swift, and she narrowly dodged two attacks before piercing the forest floor with her dagger.
Another miss. Zeina was quick, but the Viper was quicker, and it slithered up her leg.
An ankle is easy, but tasteless, the Viper whispered in her mind, an inner thigh however…
Zeina slid her dagger in between her leg and the Viper, flinging it off her, and cutting her inner knee in the process. She darted her eyes around to find its landing place. The Viper thrashed, held to the ground by a hidden trap.
Defenders.
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.