Page 77 of The Scars Within (Twisted Thorn #1)

I never knew my heart could seize until I saw Scarlet lying beside Delaney in the rain. One glance was enough to tell me—the thorny vines had taken Delaney’s life almost instantly. And from the blood covering Scarlet, I knew she had fought desperately to save her best friend.

I scooped Scarlet into my arms, yelling at her to stay awake. I was there now. She would be okay. For the first time in her life, she had people willing to fight until the end to keep her safe.

From the moment she bumped into me on initiation day, I knew she would be the one to unravel me.

It wasn’t just her beauty—it was the fire in her hazel eyes, the unyielding strength that radiated from her.

She was like me, walled off, protected. And every time I was near her, she chipped away at those walls.

I didn’t even realize there was still a heart within those walls until Scarlet Thorne.

When I first channeled fire, my father began training me for war. And once I accidentally… he made it clear—I had to become the strongest soldier Kalymdor has ever seen or die trying. So, I shut out everything. Everyone. Including my own brother.

Over time, I became exactly what my father wanted: a soldier, untouchable and inhuman. People who knew me kept their distance—people who didn’t learned quickly. But Scarlet was different. She didn’t run.

Whatever hell she’d been through had sharpened her into something unbreakable. She had built walls around herself that even the worst natural disaster couldn’t tear down.

Scarlet Thorne would be the one to withstand my storm.

I never knew my heart could fall for someone until I saw her standing at the top of the ballroom steps. She was a goddess—a flame that refused to be extinguished. She had just survived one of her lowest moments, and still, she overcame it. I was in awe of her. I was inspired by her.

I was in love with her.

Realizing just how devastatingly in love with her I am made the dragon-sized guilt within me erupt, consuming every corner of my heart. She asked me once what color I’d choose for my eyes to be: blue or gray.

I’ve been destined—no, designed—to be gray. A soulless, ruthless weapon shaped by duty and destruction. And while I want to believe her question had no right or wrong answer…

I’m terrified to show her my shade of morally gray.

I never knew my heart was capable of happiness again until we spent that night together, tangled in each other. If I could freeze time, I’d stay in that moment forever. But the fear written on her face when she found the note in my jacket crumbled me.

All of this could have been avoided if she had just listened—if she had let me in.

If only I hadn’t been so stubborn. I’ll never forgive myself for the things I said as she fled from the rooftop. She just needs someone to prove they will stay, no matter the circumstances. Someone to fight for her. And I stood there like a coward.

I fooled myself once thinking that I could let her walk away from me .

As I had changed into my leathers, an unexpected surge rippled through the marekem —the first in years.

The sudden rush of power nearly knocked me off my feet, but I welcomed it.

Something was wrong. Drithan’s fear and anger scorched through the marekem , but his link felt completely disconnected from my brother.

Shayde’s presence blazed with dread, and I knew he was on the move, needing me to find him.

Without a second thought, I grabbed my hidden daggers from my dresser and raced to the rooftop, where Noemi was ready to go.

We took to the skies in an instant, soaring toward the mountains. Shayde was heading north—too close to the Barrens’ borders.

“ What in the elements is this dimwit doing? Drithan is throwing a fit. ” Noemi snarled, her voice sharp as she cut through the mountain winds.

“ I don’t know, but whatever it is, he needs us. ” I placed my hand on her scales, the familiar hum of my magic flowing into hers. The bond we shared crackled to life, her speed increasing as we raced against the storm, the peaks blurring beneath us.

The jolt of pain that hit me like a lightning strike—knocking Shayde unconscious—nearly threw me from Noemi’s saddle.

I hadn’t taken the time to strap in. I had only leapt onto her back, gripping the spikes along her spine as tightly as I could.

My heart pounded in sync with the sudden shock coursing through the marekem . Shayde was in danger.

“Hurry!” I yelled, the word barely leaving my throat as the wind whipped around us. Noemi responded instantly, her powerful wings beating harder as she tore through the sky.

Hours later, I am carrying Scarlet’s limp body through the mountains. My lungs burn, and my muscles scream for a break. But I can’t stop. I won’t.

I’ve been trailing behind the mysterious woman who is clearly Scarlet’s identical twin. She didn’t give me a chance to ask questions as she hoisted my brother over her mount’s back, barking orders for me to keep up on foot if I wanted to reach help before it was too late .

I never knew my heart could break until I felt the dampness of Scarlet’s head wound and watched her beautiful crimson eyes shutter closed.

She isn’t just the storm that set me free. She’s my exact match, the only tempest powerful enough to make me feel alive. Scarlet gave me her heart, and I will gladly watch the world burn to ash before I give it back. There’s no fooling myself twice. There is no me without her .

As we entered a village not marked on any of our maps, I was led to a stone building with a red plus sign on the door.

Scarlet’s twin pounded on it with urgency, demanding the people inside come to her aid.

The door flung open, and three strangers rushed out, swiftly taking Scarlet from me.

The door slammed shut behind them, and I fell to my knees.

I never knew my heart could shatter.