Page 6 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

By the time I could respond, almost everyone had left the Great Hall. Shayde still had his eyes on me, obviously not budging on his offer. Realizing I had nothing better to do until the dinner bell and remembering what Delaney said about the twins, an idea sparked in my mind.

“Sure, but only if you help me with something after.”

Shayde guided me past the auditorium and through another turret until we emerged into the courtyard.

It was mostly bare except for a large weeping willow in the center.

Each corner has stone benches with plenty of open grass in front of them, making it the perfect spot for study groups.

A few more trees fill the space, and flower bushes line the walls, giving the area an open, airy feel.

“So, how long have you wanted to attend Mageia?” Shayde asked .

Again, it is time for my rehearsed answers. “Ever since I was a girl. My father was an elemental.”

“Was?” Shayde asked, his tone laced with concern.

“Is. Was. Who knows. He left my mother and me when I was a child,” I explained. No need for the pity of a dead father as well.

“Oh…” he paused. “I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t know what kind of parent could ever abandon their own kid.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it. I’ve grown used to being the odd one out among my peers.”

“What do you mean?”

I took a breath as we rounded the other side of the courtyard. Groups of cadets walked around us, enjoying the beautiful day. I noticed an older cadet showing off earth magic to his friends, making wilted roses bloom with a flick of his wrist.

“Parentage is usually one of the first questions asked when you’re greeted by new people. There’s a special category in society for bastard children. People either pity you or cast you aside as someone not important enough to converse with.”

“You sound like you have a lot of experience meeting these people,” Shayde said, his tone dropping.

“You have no idea.”

Shayde gently grabbed my elbow and guided me to a corner of the courtyard where a few guys were chatting on the grass. “Scar, these are some of my friends. Don’t take them too seriously. And never let them help you with your homework,” he laughed.

I gave the boys a slight grin and a wave. They stared at me, mouths agape as if they’d been frozen mid-sentence.

“Stop being weird,” Shayde chided. “Introduce yourselves.”

The one leaning against the courtyard wall stood up and offered his hand. “Hi, I’m Davis.” Now I recognized him; he was the cadet who made a joke in the Great Hall earlier today .

I shook Davis’s hand as the others introduced themselves. Shayde and I had obviously interrupted a private conversation, as they didn’t continue where they’d left off. We left them to their gossip and continued our walk around the courtyard.

“Hey, I noticed that bruise on your forearm when you shook Davis’s hand. That’s a deep one. What kind of activities do you participate in at home?” Shayde asked curiously.

“Oh, I…” I glanced down at the bruise I hadn’t noticed before. “I bruise like a peach. I’m used to it. Probably happened during my travels to Mageia.”

He scrunched his eyebrows and nodded, walking closer to me now.

Curiosity piqued, I asked, “So you’re a second-year?”

Shayde nodded. “Yep.”

“And what element do you wield?”

“Fire,” he replied, pausing when he saw my eyes widen. He grinned, “It’s a lot of fun, and flying on the back of a dragon? That’s an experience like no other. Have you channeled any magic yet?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. I haven’t felt any magical pull so far.”

“Well, hopefully, you’ll discover it soon,” he said with a hopeful smile. “It’d be nice to have a fresh face in our fire-wielding classes.” He glanced over at me and winked.

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks, and I quickly looked away.

We had almost completed a lap around the courtyard when Shayde asked, “Now, what do you need help with?”

“I must admit, this isn't what I expected from my team leader job.”

I poked my head in the arched wooden doors, whispering, “Told you, I’m unusual.”

I heard him chuckle softly, "Do you need an escort in there? Wouldn’t want you to get lost. ”

I turned back to face Shayde, grinning. "No. But thanks, I appreciate it. I can take it from here. And thank you for the walk.”

He smiled, his expression genuine. “No, thank you for the walk. I look forward to getting to know you, Scar.”

I dipped my chin in a nod and entered the dining hall.

Thankfully, a few torches were still lit, giving enough light to navigate.

I walked over to the serving station and found a sign with a hand-drawn coffee mug on it.

My gaze locked onto the espresso machines once I slipped through the swinging door.

Mageia doesn’t have just one, but three machines.

There are smaller devices next to them that I’d never seen before.

Of course, they have a typical drip coffee pot large enough to fulfill several orders with one brew.

Next to the machines is a bookshelf of glass containers holding everything from whole coffee beans to ground beans and teas. They also had a surplus of herbs and flavorings, such as vanilla, peppermint, chocolates, and more.

I moved to the cooler fridge. No, fridges. There are two! I opened one and found it full of labeled milk cartons, such as cow’s and oat milk. That’s interesting. I didn’t know you could milk an oat.

In the second fridge, I found what my heart desires most for my coffee: sweet cream—enough to serve every cadet in the college for a month. Holy elements. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I can’t wait until assignments begin to brew myself a cup of coffee. I grabbed some medium roast coffee grounds and sweet cream and started looking for a mug.

A whole pantry is full of mugs and glasses of different colors and sizes.

I took my time admiring the variety. This may seem silly to others, but picking your mug of the day is a small piece of joy that nobody can take from you.

I ran my fingers along the line of mugs in front of me, taking in the beauty of the craftsmanship.

Then, my eyes locked on one particular mug with a body of light gray clay and an intricate design in pastel colors. The raised color design makes it look handmade with colored gel paint. Tiny dots of color, when added together, create the most interesting design I’ve ever seen.

I picked up the mug and tested the handle in my grip. It is the perfect fit for my small hands.

Joy.

This brings me joy.

This could bring me joy even on my darkest days.

I approached the drip coffee pot, added a thin linen filter, the grounds, and water from the kitchen sink spout, and waited a few minutes for a full cup of coffee with sweet cream.

It doesn’t matter if it’s late in the evening; holding a warm cup of coffee in my hands brings me a feeling of peace I can’t describe.

Deciding to head back to our dorm, I slipped through the quiet cafeteria, hoping to find a peaceful spot to sip my coffee.

The courtyard would be a beautiful place to enjoy my brew, but there were just too many humans.

And I’d rather avoid humans at all costs, especially when I’m trying to enjoy a moment of peace with my coffee.

I walked past fellow cadets chatting in the halls until I found the furthest set of chambers—ours. In the corner of my eye, I noticed a darkened turret of stairs that I hadn’t seen earlier.

Heading up, up, up, I came to an iron door with a latch. I should be near the top of the castle by now, so I decided to test my luck and keep exploring.

With a steady grasp on my coffee and a shoulder on the door, I heaved it open to find the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen. I have made it to a rooftop spot that overlooks the entire grounds.

With no humans in sight. Score.

Sitting on the parapet, I took a deep breath in. I have almost completed my first full day at Mageia without a panic attack, which is a big win in my book. From this spot, I have a clear view of the courtyard, the outdoor class fields, and the pathway to Dragon Valley .

Dragon Valley is the home of all dragons within our territory. Each dragon has a special bond with their chosen rider– the closer they are, the stronger the force of fire magic.

In about a month, the entire college will gather within Dragon Valley for the Burn Trials. These Burn Trials are when fire wielders can be chosen by unbonded dragons.

Some snooty officials believe they control their dragons, but it is definitely the other way around.

The first dragon eggs were left behind when the fire element retaliated during the Battle for Mareki.

It is said that the fire burned so incredibly hot, hotter than ever before, that it formed the eggs of fire-wielding creatures.

Once these hatched, our land had dragons.

During the Burn Trials, fire wielders will enter the pit. Unbonded dragons seeking riders will fly around the stadium, assessing the willing cadets. No one knows why or how dragons choose their riders. Humans are not worthy to understand their ways.

When a dragon chooses its rider, it will land on the field and examine them. Once the dragon decides, it will light the cadet in its flames. Fire wielders can’t be harmed by dragon fire, so their clothing would be the only thing burning to ash.

Bad news: they’d be butt naked in front of the entire college.

Good news: they’d get a dragon out of it.

Fire wielders aren’t the only ones allowed to enter the Burn Trials. Technically, any cadet that hasn’t channeled an element can participate, hoping to be a late-blooming fire wielder. This is a last-chance way to stay in Mageia as a cadet.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. And you have to be extremely desperate to be in this war college if you are willing to risk your life like that.

The sound of the iron door closing made me jump so high that my coffee would have spilled everywhere if it were full. Thankfully, it only landed a drop on my new cadet leathers .

“You’ve found my spot,” said a male voice behind me.

Great. There goes my peace.

Fucking humans.