Page 32 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

We ended up closing down the bar. Once Walter saw us hit the dance floor, he put my second drink away for safekeeping.

By closing time, I’d managed to catch my breath and finish the delicious lemon drop martini.

Everyone in the tavern whom I had spoken with seemed friendly and genuine.

Rhodes introduced me to a handful of people I probably won’t remember in the morning—though not because of the martinis.

I’m simply terrible with names and faces.

On the other hand, I’m surprisingly adept at picking up line dances.

We made our way to the hitching post, and Rhodes whistled cheerfully, saying, “Hello, Dahlia darling. Did you miss us?” The horse neighed in response as he stroked under her snout.

He helped me onto the saddle like before and climbed on behind me.

As everybody turned in for the night, we left the quiet, cozy village.

The only sound was the steady click of Dahlia’s hooves on the cobblestone as we headed back toward Mageia. Like before, Rhodes had one hand on the reins and the other wrapped securely around my waist, a comforting presence in the quiet night.

Maybe it was the martinis, but his hold didn’t make me feel awkward at all. In fact, I didn’t notice how much they’d hit me until a few miles in when I realized—I really needed to pee. Rhodes’s firm grip and the sway of Dahlia’s steps weren’t helping either.

“Hey, um, Rhodes.”

“Hey, um, Scarlet,” he mimicked my tone, a smirk tugging at his lips.

I rolled my eyes. “Can we stop for a minute, please?”

He tensed slightly, concern flickering in his voice. “Everything alright? You’re not saddle-sick, are you?”

I giggled softly at his worry. “No, I just need to…”

“Need to what?”

“Relieve myself.”

“Relieve yourself of what?” he asked, feigning innocence.

I rolled my eyes so far that I thought they might get stuck. “I need to pee, Rhodes!”

His chuckle rumbled through his chest, a sound that brought a wave of relief. “You’re such a thorn in my side.” He tugged at Dahlia’s reins, signaling her to stop, then hopped off the saddle with ease and reached up to help me down.

As I started to walk off the path, I hesitated, realizing how dark the forest was without the sconces’ light. I turned back to Rhodes. “Do you have a small torch or something?”

He walked over, his features obscured by the shadows. I heard the rustle of his sleeves before a bright ball of flames conjured in his hand. The fire element was magnificent, glowing fiercely as it rested on his palm, illuminating his face in the darkness.

“I applied a protection shield around the orb so you can carry it without burning yourself or setting the grass on fire. Here,” he said softly, reaching down to grab my hand, moving slowly in case I rejected his touch.

He raised my hand, palm up, to his, and before he transferred the orb, our eyes locked—a silent promise of trust passed between us.

He gently rolled the orb into my palm, and I gasped at the unexpected sensation. The flames felt like a cool, smooth glass ball resting in my hand. It was mesmerizing, but I really needed to empty my bladder.

After finishing, I walked back to Rhodes and Dahlia.

He stood with his back to me, giving me as much privacy as possible.

Just then, the rustling of leaves came from the trees behind me.

I spun around, angling the fire orb toward the bushes, but saw nothing.

My heart pounded—darkness always messed with my mind, reminding me too much of the shed.

Fear crept up my spine, making me shiver in the cool night air.

“Scarlet?” Rhodes called.

“Yeah, I’m coming. Did you hear that?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“No, what was it?”

I took a moment to calm myself, convincing my mind it was just a small critter in the woods. But as I walked back to Rhodes, I felt a prickling sensation between my shoulder blades, like eyes were watching me.

I ignored the feeling and accepted Rhodes’s hand, letting him lift me back onto the saddle.

But my gaze couldn’t help drifting back to the woods, where I locked eyes with a beast. A pair of glowing eyes stared straight into mine.

All I could make out was the pointed ears and the glint of black fur under the moonlight.

But I wasn’t afraid. In fact, I felt oddly calm, as if I knew this creature somehow, though I couldn’t pinpoint how.

We arrived at the stables, and Rhodes reached up to help me after he dismounted. As I slid into his arms, a silent lightning bolt lit up the dark night.

I flinched.

His eyes went to the sky as he murmured, “Yeah. A storm is rolling in. ”

My chest seized. The irony of a storm rolling in after spending the night getting lost within the storm of Rhodes is uncanny. Is this the universe warning me to stay away?

There haven’t been any terrible storms since before I was rescued.

And I think a part of me has buried my fear of them deep down, pretending they don’t exist anymore.

Storms were the worst assailant while I was shackled in that shed.

My mental health worked closely with every storm that passed.

While my mind drove me deeper into the darkness of my soul, the storms sent a tangible threat to the physical part of my existence.

“Scarlet?”

Rhodes addressing me by my first name snapped me back into the present. Shaking it off, I asked, “What?”

“Where’d you go just now?”

To hell .

I wiped my palms against my tunic to hide my trembling. I walked past Rhodes and softly petted Dahlia’s ears. He began unfastening her saddle, not pushing the question any further.

Rhodes set Dahlia’s saddle on the rack and came back for her saddle blanket when I finally found my words. “Storms just aren’t my favorite.”

I saw him pause in the corner of my eye. His hands rested on Dahlia’s back while his gaze was on me.

“You never know which ones will result in a beautiful day or utter destruction,” I said breathily, my voice shaking.

“Do you want to wait out the storm together?” He asked.

My eyes slid to his. As much as I wanted to say yes, I knew better. I may not have any true obligations to Shayde, but morally speaking, I know I need to end the night here. Tonight has been a whirlwind of emotions, and I need the night alone to sort through my thoughts.

I want to curl up in bed with my book and let my fantasy world inspire me to decide what happens next .

I cleared my throat, “No, I’m okay. Thank you, though. And thank you for tonight. I had a lot of fun with you.”

Rhodes grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Me too. Goodnight, Scarlet.”

I lowered my chin and started to walk away, but just as I rounded the corner, Rhodes’s voice caused my heart to skip a beat.

“You know where my dorm is. If you need me, just knock.”

I was lost in my book when a sudden crash of thunder ripped me from my escape. Rhodes had mentioned that the weather would be bad tonight, but I was foolishly hoping it would pass us by. I tried to ignore the sounds, using the book in my hands as a shield against my growing unease.

Sharing my vulnerability may feel like being swept into a twisting storm, but being trapped within that shed was like bringing that metaphor to life.

The thunder, the rain, the wind—they assaulted the flimsy walls of my Rock Bottom with such ferocity that I was certain both the shed and I would be torn away.

I had made peace with the idea of dying at someone else’s hands, but the thought of being swept up in a whirlwind, tossed like a ragdoll, crushed by debris, or suffocated by the very air itself—that terrified me in a way nothing else could.

Another boom of thunder shook my dorm window, snatching my breath away. I could hear the glass trembling in its frame, the vibrations creeping through my bedpost and dragging me right back to that corner of the shed.

Rain pelted the roof, and the wind howled through the gaps in the planks.

Cold drafts seeped through the cracks. Each whip of thunder reverberated through the walls, causing the structure to tremble and sway.

The wooden beams creaked, and the frame struggled with every gust of wind.

The air inside was thick with the smell of damp earth and wet wood.

I could feel the rainwater seeping through the dirt beneath me, pooling into a cold, muddy mess under my curled-up body.

With every gust of wind, I watched as a corner of the shed wall lifted slightly from the ground, threatening to tear away.

My only source of shelter was ready to take me with it.

Another whip of thunder roared, ripping a scream from my throat. I didn’t even realize it at first, but after the second boom, I instinctively curled back into a fetal position, pressing myself against the corner of my bedpost, my face, arm, and legs all leaning against the wall.

Just like I did in my corner of Rock Bottom.

My fingers were clenched so tightly that I could feel my nails digging into the skin of my palms. My breath came in shaky gasps, each one more desperate than the last, as if I couldn’t quite get enough air.

“I’m. Fine. I’m. Safe.” I choked out the words between ragged pulls of breath.

Lightning struck, flooding the entire dorm room with blinding light. Even with my eyes shut tight, all I could see was a burst of white.

That was when my willpower broke.

I sobbed, my voice ragged and desperate, screaming every time thunder rolled against my window. I begged for it to stop, for the storm to just end. But a loud thud rang in the air, closer to me than the storm outside.

Then, suddenly, I was enveloped in warm, strong arms, held against a firm chest with a heartbeat almost as loud as the thunder outside.

I didn’t care who it was—I clung to them, wrapping my arms around their neck like I was holding on for dear life.

They ran with me, holding me tightly as they kicked open a door.