Page 38 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)
As Rhodes and I reached the bottom of the stairway, we were immediately swept up in the tide of cadets surging through the hall. While we had been on the rooftop, the cadets who had taken leave had returned to Mageia. Rhodes placed a steady hand on my shoulder to keep from losing me in the crowd.
The stream of cadets funneled into the auditorium, where we all filed into rows of seats. Rhodes took the seat to my right. I scanned the sea of faces, searching for Shayde, but he was nowhere to be found. The bells continued to ring, though no one had yet explained why.
Rhodes nudged my arm and gestured to the right. Laney, Tatum, and Cleo had turned in their seats a few rows down, trying to get my attention.
“Are you okay?” Laney mouthed, her expression filled with concern.
I sent her a reassuring thumbs up.
As Cleo turned back to face the front of the auditorium, she flashed me a peace sign with her pointer and middle fingers. Tatum winked playfully, flipping her long black ponytail over her shoulder.
War Chief Kalluri then approached the podium at the center of the stage, raising a hand to quiet the room. He shifted uneasily, his weight shifting from one foot to the other. His grip on the side of the podium was so tight that his knuckles had turned white.
I leaned over to Rhodes and whispered, “What do you think is going on?”
He tilted slightly closer, his voice low and tense. “I’m not sure, but it can’t be good.”
My eyes swept the auditorium once more, and I finally spotted Aunt Cora standing in one of the lower alcoves. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her gaze fixed on the ground as if she were trying to hide her face.
“I have gathered you all here this evening to deliver grave news,” War Chief Kalluri began, his voice heavy. “A small group of villagers was discovered brutally murdered just beyond Mageia’s grounds.”
Panicked whispers rippled through the auditorium like wildfire. Amid the chaos, someone called out, “Is Tyria to blame?”
Kalluri slammed his palms against the podium; the room fell silent.
“Our forces in the Barrens are resolute and unyielding,” he said, his tone firm.
“We believe the perpetrator lies within Ayria’s borders and will be found.
” He paused and cleared his throat. “Shortly after this horrific discovery, Professor Hogboom was found dead in his chambers.”
A wave of gasps swept over the cadets, but Kalluri raised his hand, commanding stillness once more.
“This was not a natural death,” he continued, his voice thick with foreboding. “The remaining liquid in the chalice at his bedside was tested and confirmed to contain nightshade.”
This time, the auditorium erupted into a storm of stunned murmurs. Kalluri didn’t silence them.
I looked over at Rhodes. His face was drained of color.
The muscle in his jaw tensed as he stared straight ahead at the War Chief, not returning my gaze.
My attention then shifted to a familiar figure seated beyond Rhodes in the last seat of our row—Shayde.
His expression mirrored Rhodes’s; his eyes fixed forward as he nervously bounced one knee and rubbed his jaw. He, too, didn’t look my way.
“As you all know, Mageia has always upheld the highest standards of security within our walls,” War Chief Kalluri began, though his voice now held a tremor that betrayed the weight of the moment.
“Never before in our long history has there been…” He paused, struggling to find the words that could not be softened.
“A murder within these sacred grounds since the founding of this war college.”
A heavy silence fell over the room, the gravity of his words sinking in like a stone.
“We will share information as it becomes available,” he continued, his tone now somber.
“Your families will be contacted on our behalf. Classes will proceed as scheduled, but be warned—cadets will now be under strict curfew until we can ensure that no further dangers lurk among us. Do not venture into the halls alone. Do not leave the school grounds unless chaperoned with a professor. Report any unusual sightings or behavior immediately.”
A hand shot up in the air, and then I realized it was a fiery redhead.
“Will the curfew affect the All Hallows Eve Ball coming up?” Pehper asked.
Leave it to her to ask the most inappropriate question at the most inappropriate time.
“The event will not be affected since the ball is held on school grounds. As of now.” His eyes swept over the sea of cadets, each face reflecting the same shock and fear. “Dismissed,” he added, the word echoing like a final toll of a bell, signaling a dark turn in Mageia’s history.
My friends and I spent the rest of the evening holed up in our dorm, our minds still reeling from the day’s events. We took turns sharing our thoughts on Professor Hogboom, doing our best to give the situation the gravity it deserved.
“So, who do you think the murderer is? Someone within these walls? And how would you even poison someone with nightshade?” Laney asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
Tatum and I exchanged a shrug before Cleo, calmly fiddling with her fingers, responded, “The most toxic part of the nightshade plant can be ground easily in a mortar and mixed into potions.”
“And the villagers…” Laney’s eyes glossed over. “My elements. Who could do such a thing?”
We sat in a tight circle, trading questions and connecting fragments of what might have happened to Hogboom and the villagers.
The one thing we all agreed on was this: whoever killed Hogboom had to be someone familiar with the castle.
His body was found in his chambers, nestled deep within the faculty wing—an area accessible only through a secret entrance sealed by a magical oath.
However, based on what we pieced together, the two incidents occurred within the same time frame.
That could only mean one thing: they were separate causes.
By the end of our conclusion, we all made a solemn pinky promise: no one would leave the dorm alone. We’d always stick together, even if it meant escorting each other to our classes.
Amidst the fear and uncertainty, I found myself oddly grateful.
Having my friends close again felt like reclaiming the happier parts of my life.
Laney, Tatum, and Cleo filled me in on their weekends with their families, and then Tatum steered the conversation toward me.
“So, how was your weekend?” she asked, her voice gentle but probing.
I was tired of holding everything in. After everything that had happened, punishing myself more was the last thing I wanted to do. I felt safe with my friends, like I could finally let my feelings spill out.
Well, not all of them.
Deep down, I knew why I hadn’t told anyone the whole truth about what happened to me—or how I’ve hurt myself mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Admitting those things out loud felt like a sure path to abandonment.
It would mark me as a toxic presence, a darkness better kept at a distance.
It would make them fear that the darkness follows me and that keeping me around would only drag them into it, too.
It would show that I’m unstable. That I’m not worth keeping around.
So, I kept those truths to myself, as always. Instead, I walked them through some of my weekend, starting with the library and the tavern. I hadn’t even finished skimming over the events of the last two days when Laney cut in.
“Wait. You went to a tavern with Rhodes?”
My eyes went wide as dragon eggs when I looked up to see my friends staring intently at me. I nodded.
Cleo jumped in next, “And what happened at this tavern?”
“We… had a nice time. It was a fun environment, and we danced until closing time.”
Laney jumped off her top bunk and squealed. “You did what? You danced?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”
“With Rhodes?” Her jaw dropped.
“Yes.”
“Like, together?”
“Well, yeah. Kinda!” I threw my hands up. “It was a line dance.”
“Are you going to the All Hallows Eve Ball with him? She asked.
“I highly doubt that Rhodes is the type of guy to go to a ball, Laney.”
“Well obviously he’s the type of guy to take you to a tavern and dance, so there’s that!”
I glared at her, trying not to be offended by that comment.
Laney faked a dramatic faint, collapsing backward into Tatum’s lap.
“Tell us everything,” Cleo insisted, munching on potato crisps.
I pursed my lips and gave them a look of reluctance, but I spilled the beans anyway. I vaguely recounted my time with Rhodes, carefully leaving out the part about the storm and how I was about to reveal my darkest secrets to him earlier today.
And then it hit me.
I jumped up from my bed, only to bang my head on the bottom frame of the top bunk. “Motherelemental!” I screeched as everyone else burst into laughter. Pressing a hand to the bump forming on my head, I made the announcement. “I channeled air!”
So much had happened since I accidentally slammed that iron door shut with the element that I hadn’t taken the time to process it all. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing I wouldn’t have to consider leaving Mageia or offer myself up as a roasted marshmallow for the Burn Trials.
My friends swarmed me in a group hug, their voices all blending into an excited blur. When the noise settled, they bombarded me with questions, eager to know how and when I channeled air.
I opened my mouth to answer but then shut it. I wasn’t ready to tell them the truth about Captain Thorne and my past. I didn’t want to scare them away. So, I lied by omission.
“While I was on the rooftop earlier, I waved my arms, and the door to the stairway slammed shut. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks, so I guess my tension just bottled up and let loose.” I shrugged.
Everyone but Laney looked convinced, but she didn’t call me out. She just let Cleo and Tatum drown me with their questions.
Three of the four of us have channeled an element so far.
Laney and I will be attending air-wielding classes together while Cleo attends earth-wielding.
There’s only one more full week of classes before the Burn Trials.
And that means the toughest, most confident, and inspiring one of us may soon find herself vulnerable.
That worrisome thought drove my attention away from my friends. My eyes wandered away from their conversation until my gaze locked on something disturbing. Our potted plants were still resting on the windowsill, but one of Jeffery’s lively stems was now black and rotten.