Page 51 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

My stomach lurched as Lakota dove through the dense clouds, the turbulent storm ahead casting the sky in a dark shroud. The low-hanging clouds would hide our descent until the very last second.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind, some of the best days I can recall.

It feels like I’m finally starting to chip away at the fortress I built around myself, letting people in piece by piece.

Yet, a part of me still clings to caution, a defense mechanism deeply ingrained—one I’ve come to rely on to survive.

Survival Training has quickly become my favorite class.

Professor Lamport is an enigma. Some days, he’s approachable, the kind of person whose presence alone makes you feel like you can ask any questions without fear of ridicule.

On other days, he’s all business, strictly focused on the task at hand, with no time for pleasantries.

No matter his mood, though, his lessons are invaluable.

He’s taught us things no one else could—skills that don’t rely on our elements.

This week, we even had a guest instructor.

Aunt Cora dropped by to teach us how to identify edible and poisonous plants and which ones could be used to make emergency salves.

“ Hold on! ” Lakota called out.

I tightened my grip, my right hand gripping the saddle pommel while my left curled around a perfectly shaped spike. Allie and Rhodes drilled it into Tatum and me—find your grip, and always have a backup plan, just in case.

Lakota’s saddle, custom-made for him, was a masterpiece.

Crafted from the finest materials in Kalymdor, it was designed for my safety and to protect him from the dangers of magical combat.

Intricate runes line the straps that loop securely around his spikes.

I’d lost count of how many there were, but each one hummed with power.

It was also mind-blowing that the saddle was nearly invisible from the ground.

Lakota barrel-rolled to the left, the straps around my thighs tightening as the wind whipped past. I glanced back, catching a glimpse of his tail flicking in excitement.

We skimmed past Davis and Spear by just a hair.

Or should I say… scale.

“ You really need to work on your jokes. ”

“ Stop reading my thoughts! ”

“ It’s hard when you’re literally attached to my back. And you’re awful at guarding your mental gates. ”

Rhodes has been relentless this week, pushing Tatum and me to strengthen our mental defenses. Now that we are connected to our dragons, our minds are vulnerable to prying thoughts. He has been coaching us to raise and lower our gates, using our bonds with our dragons as practice.

“ I’ve got movement on our right—orange, ” I relayed.

“ Got it. ”

Lakota banked smoothly, diving through the thick clouds as we surged forward. Flying felt exactly how I’d imagined.

Powerful.

Unstoppable.

On top of the world.

Free .

Tatum and I were progressing faster than the other first-years, thanks to our brutal private lessons with Professor Maksimov. If Rhodes was tough, Allie was preparing us for war.

A flash of orange glimmered ahead, the form of another first-year atop their dragon. I released Lakota’s spike, flattening my hand against his scales and letting our energy merge. Together, we propelled forward faster, cutting through the sky like a knife.

Tatum and Echo appeared at my side, their synchronized movements reflecting hours of practice. With perfect timing, our dragons engulfed our opponents in a swirl of flames.

Tatum and I exchanged an air high-five as we descended back to the valley below.

Davis landed beside me, smirking. “Damn, Thorne. You sure you’re new at this?”

I winked in response, the adrenaline still buzzing through me.

While Shayde has been completely absent, Davis has spent more time around Rhodes. He’d even been invited to our private lessons, though he swore to Allie to keep his mouth shut.

It was a sight to see when Allie twisted his arm behind his back, making him swear multiple times before letting go.

Ignoring my conflicting feelings for Shayde, I slid off Lakota’s back and peeled off my leather jacket. The breeze was cool, contrasting the heat pulsing under my skin.

Tatum slapped my hand. “Atta girl! We kicked their asses.”

“Hey, I’m standing right here,” Davis muttered, slipping off his own jacket.

Tatum flipped her braids over her shoulder, blowing Davis a playful kiss. His face flushed pink as he threw his jacket at her. She caught it with ease, laughing as she inspected the tag inside.

“L. Davis? What’s the ‘L’ stand for?” she teased.

I must’ve zoned out because Laney snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Hello? Elements to Scarlet. What’s on your mind? ”

I shook my head quickly. “Nothing, just winded from the flight,” I lied.

In reality, the uncertainty of the past few weeks has been gnawing at me.

None of it makes sense—the Burn Trials, the prophecy no one seems to know about, and the hidden chamber that definitely no one knows about.

A map of the college would answer so many questions, but there are none due to ‘safety concerns.’

What in the elements does that even mean?

Laney’s voice boomed in my ear before I could continue with my inner dilemmas.

“Hey, Wylder! How about you row, row, row your ass over here and help us figure out how to make them win faster?” Delaney bounced on her tiptoes, cupping her hands around her mouth as she called out to Rhodes, who was deep in conversation with Allie.

He grinned and jogged over to us. As our group bantered back and forth, Rhodes strolled over to me, leaning in close. His voice was a low murmur in my ear.

“How’s the view?”

I blinked, confused, looking up at him. “What do you mean?”

He smirked. “The view of what it’s like when you finish first,” he added, nudging my shoulder.

I smiled, nudging him back.

My life has been very different lately. It’s been filled with a lot more excitement, laughter, and friends.

I’ve been keeping myself busy so that my mind doesn’t spiral into wondering why Shayde has disappeared from my life.

Yeah, his brother has been around a lot more lately.

But Shayde is a fire elemental, too. Couldn’t he be helping us all with our lessons?

Maybe I am overthinking it.

Or maybe I’m not.

Even though I am comforted by having so many people around me, I can’t help but feel so alone.