Page 62 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

The wind whipped loose tendrils of hair around my face as I asked, “Okay, so what’s going on here?”

“From now on, your private lessons will be held here. With me.” Rhodes’ voice was steady, deliberate. “Maksimov agrees with me that your flying skills are impeccable. But this... this is more important.”

I glanced at Lakota and Noemi, hoping for some explanation, before turning back to Rhodes.

“I’m going to teach you the basics of self-defense,” he continued, his tone sharp and commanding like he was addressing a soldier. “So if you ever find yourself in a position like yesterday, you’ll be able to take care of yourself. There is only one rule today. No elements.”

I huffed, “You’re abiding by Kalluri’s rulebook?”

“Nobody, not even Kalluri, can take your power away from you. Only the Mareki decides who is honorable enough to wield an element. But, I’m not here to teach you elemental combat.”

I paused, considering his words and adding this to my long list of confused thoughts since I entered Mageia. “You’re... going to teach me how to defend myself without my elements?” I asked dumbfoundedly.

He nodded subtly.

The air was ripped from my lungs when I asked. “Why? ”

Rhodes didn’t answer. We stood there for a beat. I could tell by his expression that he wanted to answer but didn’t know how.

He closed the distance between us, towering over me as he dipped his chin, leveling his gaze so he didn’t have to look down his nose at me. Without a word, Rhodes held out the rolls of leather for me to grasp.

I carefully unrolled the leather to find a dagger.

Its blade was forged of a dark steel that glistened in the sunlight.

I glanced up at Rhodes, searching his face, before letting my eyes drift back to the weapon.

Tilting it slightly, I caught the shimmer of tiny, intricate runes etched in a precise line down the center of the blade—delicate yet powerful.

The hilt was wrapped in leather dyed a sage, almost mint, color. The color was bright but faded softly. The cross-guard and pommel gleamed with an unfamiliar metal. Resting in the pommel was a gemstone, the same shade of soft green as the leather.

It’s beautiful. Lethal. Otherworldly. And—

“Yours,” Rhodes murmured, his voice low and almost tender, sending a shiver through me.

He unrolled the second bundle, revealing a matching dagger.

“These are small enough to stay hidden in those leathers, but will provide ample protection once you know how to wield them. Those leathers can pass for Mageia’s dress code, but let me know if someone starts asking questions about them.

I will get you more sets, but you’ll have to launder them so nobody gets too curious. ”

Any words I could manage died in my throat.

My gaze flicked between his mismatched eyes, searching for something—answers, maybe, or the right thing to say.

Why did he have to be so ominous about all of this?

Why did he have to bring me to a secret carving of the mountains, dress me in mysterious leathers, and give such precise instructions for when we return to Mageia?

But then he added to my confusion as he slipped the daggers into the pockets of his leathers, which I now realize are sheaths.

“You will get these when you earn them,” he said.

“And how do I earn them? ”

“By taking them from me.”

His voice was dark and sensual, his eyes brimming with a hunger I couldn’t ignore. But then, as if realizing his mask had slipped, he pulled it back into place in an instant—so fast I almost doubted I’d seen it fall at all.

Rhodes’s demeanor softened. “How did the men attack you first?”

I thought back to the incident, trying to untangle the chaotic blur of events. It was hard to piece together—disjointed and hazy, especially after the fall into the collapsed cavern.

I bit the inside of my cheek, careful not to touch the side where the skin was missing. “They grabbed me.”

His jaw clenched. “Grabbed you how?”

I swallowed hard, rubbing my arms in an attempt to ward off the breeze. “By... by my arms. They snatched me up and dragged me backward.”

Before I could finish speaking, Rhodes was suddenly behind me, his firm grip on my biceps pulling me harshly against his chest. The sudden contact stole my breath, his body solid and unyielding.

“Like this?” He snarled in my ear.

My heart was pounding— half scared elementalless and half perplexed by how my body was reacting to him. I nodded.

His grip tensed around my arms. “First, I’d say to drop your weight, but you’re practically weightless, so scratch that.

When you’re in a position like this, remember one thing.

The assailant’s grip is weakest at the thumb and base of their fingers.

Throw everything you’ve got into twisting toward that weak spot.

Rotate your wrists as sharply as you can.

Keep your arms bent, and use your body’s natural momentum to break the hold. ”

I nodded.

“And if that isn’t enough, always go for the back of the knee. It’ll cause them to collapse and help to loosen their hold on you. ”

“Okay,” I whispered. I glanced up over my shoulder at him, his face mere inches from mine. “How did you learn to fight?”

He paused, his gray-blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. “How about this—do the moves correctly, and I’ll answer one question per move. But not that one.”

I started to protest, but before I could get a word out, he twisted his body and yanked me backward. He dragged me across the dirt like the men did in the cavern. I kicked at the air, screaming, but he hauled me a few yards before dropping me on my ass.

Anger surged in my chest, burning hotter with each second. As he rounded me, arms crossed like this was some game, he said, “That was the complete opposite of what I just told you to do.”

“ The literal opposite ,” Lakota agreed.

I glared daggers at him and sprang to my feet. I twisted toward Lakota and Noemi, trying to think of a witty remark, when Rhodes snatched me by my arms again. He was walking forward, pulling me behind him by my arms like a wheelbarrow.

My boots slid against the stoney dirt ground as I growled. I was helpless in the shed when the men beat me to a pulp while I was chained down. And I was still helpless in the cavern, although I wasn’t chained down that time.

I refuse to be helpless again.

I skipped the weight drop, knowing that Rhodes could carry me with his pinky.

I twisted my body with every ounce of strength, aiming for the weak spot in his grip like a key clicking into a lock.

He kept dragging me back and forth, turning us when we reached the edge of the peninsula, letting my feet dangle off the edge for a moment—just enough for the dramatic effect.

I screamed and cursed him but still kept twisting, my arms bent as I fought to loosen his hold.

Nothing worked. My arms burned all the way to my shoulders, like fire in my muscles. I pressed my boots flat to the ground, using that brief moment to push back and force both feet into the back of his knees .

Rhodes collapsed.

We toppled on each other. Both of us were breathing heavily as we lay in a pile of tangled limbs.

“ That’s my rider! ” Lakota snapped his head to Noemi, and I realized that he had said that to both of us. Noemi rolled her golden eyes.

Rhodes sat up, propping one arm on a knee as he smiled at me. “Ask away.”

Pride swelled in my chest, but I kept myself humble, knowing this was just the beginning. “How did you know mint is my favorite color?”

His face flickered in surprise, as though he wasn’t expecting such a mundane first question. “I asked Lakota. He said that color brings you joy every time you come across it.”

I blinked, completely stunned by his admission. “ I thought my favorite color was red? ” I asked Lakota.

He grumbled loudly for all of us to hear before replying, “ It’s your second favorite. This is the Wylder boy I’m shipping for you. ”

My cheeks heated. Suddenly extremely happy that Rhodes can’t hear him.

Rhodes stood, leaving the dust on his leathers to settle as he reached a hand down to me. I placed mine in his, and he tugged me effortlessly to my feet. I had thought Rhodes was lethally beautiful before, but now, with a streak of war paint marking his face, he looked…

Without warning, he twisted my body with the hand he held, pulling me against his chest in a bear hug, my arms pinned tightly to my chest.

“Next, a man’s advantage over a woman your size,” he murmured, his voice low in my ear. “If a man grabs you like this, he’s using his size and strength to overpower you. But there is always a weakness.”

His warm breath tickled the sensitive skin of my neck, and the combination of his proximity and the heat of his body sent a shiver down my spine. The cashmere sandalwood and vanilla scent of him flooded my senses. His arms caged me in like iron bars.

Iron chains .

I swallowed hard, my mind spinning faster than my heartbeat as the memory resurfaced. “I’m listening,” I muttered, though it sounded more angry than I intended.

“Good. First,” he said, his arms tightening slightly to demonstrate, “drop your weight.”

I obeyed and bent my knees, letting myself sink lower. It wasn’t much—Rhodes is strong enough to lift me off the ground like a ragdoll—but I could feel a slight shift in his hold as his stance had to adjust to my weight.

“See that?” he murmured, his voice still infuriatingly calm. “It throws the attacker off balance. Now, create space. Use your hips to push backward, hard.”

I took a steadying breath and thrust my hips back into him as forcefully as I could.

He cut me off before I could make any more attempts.

“Okay, okay,” he tensed. “Now, the weak spot. Here.” He released me just long enough to grab one of my wrists and guide it toward his own hand, positioning me to twist against the base of his thumb.

“Find the same spot in his grip, and twist with everything you’ve got just like before. ”

I did as he instructed, twisting my wrists as sharply as I could while simultaneously pushing back again with my hips. Rhodes’ arms slipped just enough for me to feel the pressure release, but he locked his arms around me once more. I huffed.

“That was a good try. I’ll give you one question for it,” his voice rumbled in his chest.

I fought to catch my breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly against the crushing weight of his hold. Each exhale came out in ragged puffs, and Rhodes must have sensed my struggle because his grip loosened just enough to let me draw a full breath.

Big mistake.

I drove my elbow back into his gut with everything I had .

Rhodes grunted, his hold faltering just enough for me to step forward and twist sharply toward him. When I turned to face him, Rhodes was hunched over, coughing and clutching his stomach, a small, satisfied smile pulling at the corners of my mouth.

“Two questions,” I breathed, brushing the sweaty hair that was sticking to my face. “But I’ll save them for later so I can make them count.”