Page 50 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

We decided to grab our dinner to-go, preferring the quiet comfort of the rooftop over being the center of attention in the bustling dining hall.

It was the first time I’d invited my friends up there, and as we settled in, the cool breeze hinted at the subtle shift in the weather now that the Burn Trials were behind us.

The temperature had dropped just enough to be noticeable—and appreciated.

The evening was still young, with the sky streaked in fading hues of pink and orange. So, with a renewed sense of excitement, I spoke up. “Tatum, wanna introduce them to our dragons?”

“Fuck yeah!” She replied as she jumped up and grabbed her belongings. “Wait,” she stopped. “What about the War Chief’s orders?”

“He said I couldn’t channel or fly without supervision. He never said I couldn’t visit Lakota.”

The four of us hurriedly ran back to the cafeteria to return our trays and escaped the castle without being noticed.

On the venture to Dragon Valley, Tatum and I shared the exhilarating feeling of being bonded with a dragon to Cleo and Laney.

They had so many questions that we couldn’t answer yet, but hopefully would be able to once we attend a few fire-wielding classes.

How am I going to manage both air and fire classes ?

I glanced at Tatum, remembering how I hadn’t had the chance to appreciate her dragon the first time around fully. I’d been too busy running for my life from Lakota.

“ Slowly running for your life. ”

I ignored that.

Once we made it to Dragon Valley, Tatum released a sharp whistle, easily calling her blue dragon. I, on the other hand, reached down the bond to Lakota. “ Come meet my friends,” I urged.

Almost immediately, I heard the steady rhythm of wings in my mind, Lakota’s response dripping with his usual dry humor.

“ You know, you really should learn to whistle. It takes way less energy than bonding communication—and honestly, you tense up so much when you reach out, it looks like you’re constipated. ”

I rolled my eyes, already feeling the heat of annoyance rising. “ Whistling isn’t exactly a trait you just learn, Lakota,” I snapped back.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through the bond. “ You humans and your excuses. ”

I sighed. I could sense him drawing closer, his massive form descending through the evening sky. “ Just hurry up and get here, ” I thought, knowing he would, despite his teasing.

Moments later, both dragons appeared over the mountain peaks. Tatum’s blue landed first, the fading light shimmering off her sapphire scales with a metallic sheen.

“This is Echo,” Tatum announced proudly.

Lakota touched down beside Echo, folding his wings with a dramatic flourish. His towering frame dwarfs Echo’s, and he wasn’t even trying to hide his pride. His deep, crimson scales rippled in the light as he held his head high, and his golden eyes gleamed smugly.

“ Show-off, ” I thought, but there was no denying how magnificent he looked.

Lakota’s eyes flicked over to me with a smirk-like gleam. “ Gotta keep up appearances, Caffeinated One, ” he teased .

He then lowered his head toward Cleo and Laney, who stood frozen in awe, looking like they were about two seconds away from bolting—or wetting themselves.

I shot him a glare, trying to ignore the flutter of amusement in my chest. “ How did you even know I grabbed a second coffee today? You know what, don’t answer that. ”

Lakota huffed an amused laugh. His tone oozed arrogance as he added, “ Oh, I’m always watching. ”

Trying to suppress my grin, I groaned and shook my head.

As much as I pretended to be annoyed, there was something comforting about his playful banter.

Deep down, I couldn’t help but smile. Lakota was by far the largest dragon to have graced Dragon Valley in a long time—at least according to the gossiping professors I’d overheard in the triage tent yesterday.

But to me, he seemed more like a giant teddy bear than the imposing figure others saw.

Suddenly, he snapped his head towards me and let out a low growl, his eyes flashing with mock irritation.

I raised a brow in protest, meeting his gaze defiantly.

The rumble of an approaching dragon shattered our conversation. My friends and I exchanged wide-eyed glances as Lakota’s voice echoed in my mind, “ It’s just Noemi and Rhodes. ”

I dropped my shoulders with relief and quickly passed on the message.

All eyes turned skyward as Noemi descended gracefully, her silhouette framed by the fading light.

I’ve seen her from afar on a few rare occasions, but she holds an aura that’s larger than life.

For someone like her to choose Rhodes as her bond, she must be every bit as unexplainable as he is.

Rhodes dismounted with effortless precision. The wind tossed his hair, and his leathers clung to every defined muscle beneath. Even in the dim twilight, his presence was impossible to ignore.

“Ladies,” he greeted my friends with a nod before his gaze settled on me.

“ Subtle, ” Lakota’s dry tone filled my thoughts, his sarcasm unmistakable.

I smirked but kept my eyes locked on Rhodes. “We were just introducing Cleo and Laney to Echo and Lakota,” I said, glancing briefly toward the others.

He raised a brow, his expression unreadable. “I don’t think any of us are supposed to be out here,” he pointed out. “Especially you.”

A flicker of unease rippled through me. I opened my mouth to say something, but shut it.

“Have either of you flown yet?” he asked, his gaze flicking to Tatum before settling on me.

Just the thought of riding on Lakota’s back sent my heart into a frenzy.

As much as I tried to focus on everything else, I hadn’t allowed myself to imagine what it would be like to soar through the skies.

A part of me has held back, worried that the War Chief wouldn’t let me stay close to Lakota—that somehow, I’d lose him too.

I didn’t want to dream about something that could be ripped away like every other good thing in my life has been.

War Chief Kalluri’s words echoed in my mind.

If it is decided, Lakota and I will be exiled to the Barrens.

No one really knows what happens to those sent there—so for all we know, riders could be separated from their dragons, stripped of that connection.

A fire wielder can still channel without their dragon close by, but it is said that their power would weaken.

Maybe that is the military’s aim, to weaken those sent to the Barrens, especially if they were exiled for bad behavior.

Keep them in check and control their abilities.

And if we are exiled…

I forced myself to stop. I don’t even know the truth. My past has a habit of feeding me the worst-case scenarios, making me imagine the absolute worst when I don’t have to. I am still here. Free. Kind of. And apparently, the most intimidating cadet in the entire war college.

Tatum spoke up, “No. But I sure as hell want to. ”

“Then we don’t have much time to waste tonight. Let’s mount,” Rhodes called out, clapping his hands together before striding toward the three dragons waiting in the field.

“But... they don’t have saddles yet,” Tatum said apprehensively.

Rhodes paused, turning back to us with an arrogant but amused grin. “A good rider can fly without a saddle.”

Noemi snorted, a plume of steam escaping her nostrils as if to back up his bold claim.

“And,” my words were stunted with nerves. “I’m not allowed to fly without supervision.”

Rhodes winked, “Call me Professor Wylder, then.”

“ You humans and your foreplay, ” Lakota muttered.

I didn’t fight back my grin, and nodded.

I watched as Rhodes patiently guided Tatum through the process of mounting Echo.

He didn’t just tell her what to do—he demonstrated it himself, earning Echo’s calm approval with every move.

From a distance, I heard him assure Tatum that while it was crucial to mount without support, she didn’t need to worry about falling.

“I’ll catch you before you hit the ground,” he promised with a hint of his usual confidence.

Of course, Tatum, being who she was, managed to mount Echo perfectly on her first try.

I observed as she nestled herself between Echo’s shoulder blades, finding the right position where she could tuck her legs into the natural crooks of Echo’s muscles.

Rhodes explained that this would keep her balanced but emphasized the importance of finding the right-sized spikes along Echo’s back.

Tatum’s hands wrapped firmly around them, giving her the perfect grip for stability without needing to be strapped in.

When she was good to go, Rhodes made his way over to me.

He slipped off his riding gloves as he approached. “Are you ready?”

I shook my head slowly. “What if we get caught out here?”

Rhodes tilted his head, leaning in with a reassuring smile.

“Scarlet, you’re a mage now. One of the most powerful and esteemed among the elementals.

Dragons aren’t just a cadet privilege—Lakota is yours, and no one can take that bond away from you, even if you are expelled.

Mageia may be providing your education, but you are your own warrior.

I know it’s not in you to sit back and let others lead, so let’s mount up and take charge. ”

The impact of Rhodes nonchalantly addressing me as a mage shook me to my core. Sensing the moment, Lakota bent his elbow closest to us, creating a makeshift ladder with the gaps between his spikes. “ He’s got a point. Hop on, ” he urged, making it easy for me to climb aboard.

I steadied myself and faced Lakota, feeling the cool night air against my skin. I wrapped my hands around a spike above me, bracing a foot on a lower spike for support. Rhodes stood behind me with his arms extended to catch me if I slipped.

With each pull, confidence surged through me. I reached Lakota’s shoulder, scrutinizing the gap between the top spike and his back. I glanced down at Rhodes and then back up at the distance.

“I don’t think I can make that leap,” I said, my voice tinged with uncertainty.

“Place your hands on his scales and let the bond fuel through the touch. The magnetization isn’t strong enough to hold you in place, but it should be enough to help you climb up and settle between his shoulder blades,” Rhodes instructed.

Following his guidance, I placed one hand flat against Lakota’s scales and closed my eyes, envisioning the swinging bridge from earlier—the one that felt closest to my bond with him.

As I focused, warmth spread through my skin, blending with the heat radiating from Lakota.

It felt like my hand was gently suctioned to his scales, giving me just enough grip to climb the rest of the way.

I repeated the motion with my other hand, then tested my shin against Lakota’s back.

This is wicked cool .

With only a few feet separating me from the top of his back, and knowing Rhodes would catch me if I fell, I leaped. Instinct kicked in, my fear melting away like I had done this countless times before.

“ Without a seatbelt, please keep all limbs inside the vehicle. ”

I examined the small spikes along Lakota’s back, carefully choosing the best ones to fit my small hands. After testing my grip on several, I found the right ones and committed them to muscle memory. The magnetized pull connected with my body, enhancing my grip and boosting my confidence.

But my newfound confidence was quickly overshadowed by the sound of wings beating the air as another dragon approached the valley. Everyone halted, eyes trained on the incoming dragon—a smaller red than Lakota.

The rider dismounted with impressive agility before the dragon’s feet even touched the ground, sliding off with ease.

“ Who is that? ” I asked Lakota, but he remained silent.

As the rider walked towards us with a stern, purposeful stride, her features became more evident in the dim light.

Professor Maksimov.

Shit.

“What’s going on here, cadets?” she called out, her voice carrying so both Tatum and I could hear while mounted.

Rhodes stepped forward. “Professor, I was just helping them learn how to mount during the downtime we had today. My apologies.”

Maksimov held up a hand to stop him and walked directly to Tatum before making her way to me.

“Wasn’t it declared that no classes were to be held today, Wylder?

” she said, turning to face Rhodes. “I hardly consider being this deep into Dragon Valley as staying within the school grounds. And Cadet Thorne is certainly not supposed to be out here.” Her tone was firm, suggesting she was about to report us for disobeying orders .

I called out to her, hoping to redirect her focus. “Professor Maksimov, it was my idea. Please, don’t reprimand my peers. I’ll dismount and head straight to the War Chief’s office.”

I lifted my leg into a side-saddle position, preparing to dismount, when Roux’s footsteps halted me. She trotted over, raising her head to meet mine as I sat on Lakota’s back.

Roux’s shimmering golden eyes met mine as she gently nudged my legs with her snout. I reached down to pat her nose, appreciating her gentle encouragement. Taking her hint, I swung my leg back over, settling into the correct position for flight.

As I admired Roux, I noticed Maksimov conversing quietly with Rhodes, Cleo, and Laney. After a moment, she broke away and walked over to Tatum and me.

“As much as I hate to say it,” she began, her tone solemn, “Mageia is entering a perilous period. I worry about my students not having the chance to reach their full potential. If you two are willing, Roux and I will meet you here—secretly,” she emphasized, “for extended lessons. But this cannot interfere with your regular curriculum.”

Stunned, Tatum and I responded in unison, “Yes ma’am.”

Maksimov’s lip curled into a determined smile, a spark of resolve in her eyes. “Great. You can call me Allie. Let’s fly.”