Page 25 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

“Where in the elements are you taking me, Shayde?” I asked as he guided me, his hands covering my eyes. I was completely blind, trusting him to lead me.

“Just wait, we’re almost there. Keep walking straight—I won’t let you trip. Unless you want me to,” he added dryly, and I could feel him shrugging his shoulders.

I took another cautious step forward. “And why would I want to trip?”

Shayde leaned in closer, his breath warm against my neck. “So I could be a gentleman and help you up, of course,” he whispered in my ear.

A spark of defiance flared in me. “And what makes you think I need a man to help me up if I fall?” I retorted.

“You don’t. I have zero doubts about that. But pinky promise me that if you ever do need saving, you’ll let me. Okay?”

His words shook me to my core. Nobody has ever promised to save me before.

I sniffled, fighting the sting behind my eyes. “Pinky.”

We came to a stop, and he whistled into the quiet .

With my eyes still closed, I stood still, feeling the cool breeze on the parts of my face that weren’t covered by his hands.

I presume we are now outside the college grounds.

The air was almost too calm when suddenly, I heard a powerful whoosh of wind.

A deep, resonant rumble filled the air, growing louder each second.

My heart began to race, but I focused on the sound.

The ground trembled with a thunderous impact.

Vibrations traveled up through my legs as if something massive had landed in front of me.

The wind whipped around us, rustling my hair and clothes.

My eyes were still closed, but I could hear the heavy, leathery sound of wings unfolding.

A warm, rumbling exhale of a dragon’s breath blew in my face as the growing vibrations told me it was stepping closer and closer.

I stood my ground, even as my heart pounded through my chest. I waited for Shayde to intervene, but he didn’t move. He didn’t step in front of me to guard me or signal to the dragon that I was a friend, not a foe.

A wave of anxiety crashed over me. Did Shayde summon his dragon to burn me to a crisp? Was he working with the ones who captured me and held me prisoner in that shed? Was this all a ploy to get me alone and finish what they started?

If it was, I had walked right into it like a child lured by a piece of candy.

The ground beneath me trembled as the dragon’s footsteps drew closer.

Shayde slowly lowered his hands from my face, and I realized I’d been squeezing my eyes shut.

The scent of citrusy bergamot and spice lingered in the air, telling me Shayde had moved past me toward the dragon.

The sound of his boots in the grass confirmed he was now turning back to me.

“Scar,” Shayde called softly, reaching for my hands. “You can open your eyes.”

I hesitated, cracking one eye open. Shayde chuckled under his breath .

“I want you to meet Drithan,” he said, nodding toward the enormous brown dragon who almost appeared black with the growing night. Drithan exhaled again deeply, the warm breath blowing my braid behind me.

I cautiously opened my other eye, lowering my gaze to the ground.

A fragment of knowledge surfaced in my mind—what to do in the presence of a dragon that isn’t bonded to you.

It is said that in such moments, you should bow your head as a sign of respect, allowing the dragon to sense your intentions.

Then, you wait, giving the creature time to decide whether to remain in your presence, leave, or—well, burn you to a crisp.

“He says hello.”

I snapped my gaze to Shayde, shock likely written all over my face. “What do you mean he says?”

A corner of Shayde’s lips quirked into a side grin. “Bonded riders share a connection strong enough for mind-to-mind communication with their dragons.”

My jaw dropped; it might as well have hit the ground.

“Drithan and I have grown very close over the past year. He’s a loyal companion and very, very protective of me,” Shayde said, turning to Drithan and raising his hand to rub the dragon’s brown scales gently. Drithan leaned into Shayde’s touch in his own colossal, majestic way.

“Why isn’t it common knowledge that dragons can communicate with their riders?” I asked.

Shayde lowered his hand but kept his gaze on Drithan.

The tone of the conversation subtly shifted.

“Because a bond that strong is a rare and highly dignified act. Mageia has been careful to keep it confidential, especially since we can’t be sure if the Tyrians harbor the same kind of connection with their dragons. Our legion protects that secret.”

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind.

These past two weeks at Mageia have been the best experiences of my life, but I can’t ignore the mysteries lurking within the college walls.

Why is there no map of the castle? Why does all correspondence in and out of the college have to be scrutinized by faculty?

And why is Mageia so secretive about the possibility that the mages from the Battle of Mareki might not have perished in the flames?

If any mages had survived, why aren’t we doing everything in our power to find them and restore their titles so they could fight alongside our military?

The punishment for hiding signs of channeling an element at Mageia is exile to the Barren Watch.

But I had never considered the deeper meaning behind hiding a second elemental power.

Wouldn’t the emergence of a mage with dual elements be a cause for celebration at Mageia, rather than something to be hidden?

Shayde’s deep voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. “I’m sorry, Scar. I didn’t mean to turn tonight into a discussion about politics. Drithan’s been eager to meet you, so I thought—two elements, one stone.” He walked back to me, close enough to see the stars reflected in his brown eyes.

“Then what did you mean to make tonight about?” I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze.

Shayde whistled again, a different rhythm this time. Drithan stood tall, raised his wings, and was soaring back into the night sky in the span of a breath. Shayde pivoted, revealing an unlit bonfire and blankets scattered by the wind from Drithan’s departure.

“Damnit, Drithan!” Shayde shouted, darting after one of the runaway blankets.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Shayde glanced back at me, narrowing his eyes in mock annoyance. I quickly raised a hand to my mouth, trying to stifle a snort.

After ten minutes of wandering around in the dark, gathering everything that had blown away, we finally settled by the unlit fire.

Shayde spread out the blankets and placed a wicker basket in the center.

He dropped down on one side and patted the spot beside him, a silent invitation for me to join him.

With a snap of Shayde’s fingers, the bonfire instantly roared to life.

“If you could do that the whole time, why were we stumbling around in the dark on a scavenger hunt?” I reached over and playfully smacked his shoulder. His eyes gleamed with mischief as he laughed.

“I thought a little adventure would be more fun,” he replied unapologetically.

I shook my head, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from firing off a sarcastic remark.

Shayde reached into the wicker basket between us and sighed, pulling out a pack of broken graham crackers that must have been jostled when the basket went flying.

“I’m gonna ground him,” he muttered.

“Can you even ground a dragon?”

“Probably not, but that doesn’t mean I won’t try.”

He laid out the rest of the contents: broken graham crackers, small squares of chocolate, and marshmallows. My brows furrowed in confusion.

“Why do you look like you’ve never had a s’more before?” Shayde asked, raising an eyebrow.

“A what?”

“My elements. What am I gonna do with you?” He chuckled, then crawled onto his knees and grabbed a marshmallow. Without hesitation, he lowered it into the fire with his bare hand. Instinctively, I jumped up to stop him.

His opposite hand landed gently on my knee, halting me.

“Relax, fire wielder. Remember? Dragon flames can’t harm me—nor can the ones I channel myself.

” He held the marshmallow over the fire until its edges started to brown.

Then, with a practiced flick, he removed it from the flames and started blowing on it to cool it down.

He grabbed a small piece of chocolate and held both out to me with a mischievous grin. “Open wide. ”

The look I gave him must have conveyed my confusion and reluctance because he laughed and added, “The crackers are broken, so it’s just chocolate and marshmallow tonight.”

Feeling a bit silly but intrigued, I opened my mouth. Shayde laid the chocolate square on my tongue and carefully placed the roasted marshmallow on top. It was a somewhat awkward mouthful, and I struggled to keep my composure as I closed my lips over the makeshift treat.

A groan of delight escaped me, surprising both Shayde and myself.

The combination of gooey marshmallow and rich chocolate was a revelation.

The sweetness and warmth melded perfectly, and I could feel my taste buds dancing joyfully.

I would never have thought to pair these two together, but the improvised s’more was far more satisfying than I’d expected.

Shayde watched with a satisfied smile as I savored the treat. “Glad you like it,” he said, reaching for another marshmallow. “I think Drithan owes us a new pack of graham crackers.”

As I savored my s’more, I felt a comforting warmth that had nothing to do with the bonfire before us. Tonight is my first time alone with Shayde, and the need to be ‘perfect’ is absent. I’ve let my guard down and won’t derail myself about it.

It is okay to let myself feel joy.

That does not mean that the result will be pain.