Page 105 of The Scars Within
“Here you go,” Shayde replied.
The clicking continued as Laney worked to revive the fire. Davis must have turned in for the night; his voice was absent from the conversation.
“You’ve been distant lately,” Laney finally said, cutting through the quiet.
I had to bite back a grin. Typical Laney—never one to beat around the bush.
“Everything okay?” she pressed.
“Fine. Just a lot going on,” Shayde muttered, his voice low and guarded.
More clicks filled the silence as Laney kept trying with the flint.
“Damnit, we should just wake Scar,” Laney said, frustration creeping into her voice.
“No, no. Let her sleep. It’ll be okay,” Shayde reassured her. “You go rest. I’ll keep watch and work on the fire. I’ll wake Davis in a few hours to switch.”
I heard Laney approach, her bedroll rustling as she scooted closer to my back. Shayde continued striking the flint, determined not to give up. I forced myself to stay awake just a little longer, giving him silent company without him knowing.
I don’t understand what happened between us these past few weeks. We weren’t exclusive, sure, but... he’d asked me to be his date to the All Hallows Eve Ball. He’d set up that picnic in the valley and spent so much time around me and my friends. Then, the Burn Trials happened.
And he disappeared.
Click, click, click.
Part of me has wanted to reach out to him, and the other part is just pissed. Or maybe stubborn. Okay, both. It should be obvious to him that I didn’t run into the pit to bond with a dragon. I was already an air elemental—why in the elements would I do that? It was clear I was chasing after Tatum... and running for my life from Lakota.
Click, click, click.
Shayde was the first person I expected to follow me into the pit. But it wasn’t him.
It was his brother.
Rhodes.
Rhodes had been there when Lakota’s flames evaporated. Shayde must’ve seen that. So, did he think something was going on between Rhodes and me?
Click, click, click.
“Aha!” Shayde whispered as the fire came back to life.
Now that he was able to get the fire going again, I let myself fall back asleep.
Chapter 41
The wind whistled, whipping my hair in every direction as I crossed the swinging bridge. Each step made the wooden planks creak, and though the bridge swayed with the gusts, it never felt like it would give way. I kept my focus ahead, squinting against the blinding morning sun and raising my arm to shield my eyes from the harsh light.
I turned to the next bridge on my right as I reached the far side. The sun’s intensity faded as I stepped off the bridge onto a narrow dirt path nestled between towering stone walls. The cool shade offered brief relief, and the sound of my footsteps echoed off the rock, making it feel as though the mountains themselves were whispering around me. The path twisted and turned, first to the left, then to the right, guiding me like a snake weaving through the rocky terrain.
Finally, the stone walls parted, revealing a small village of huts with cone-shaped roofs, each one with thin trails of smoke rising from its chimneys. The smell of burning wood lingered in the air. People moved about in a quiet rhythm—gathering laundry from lines, carrying crates from place to place—but no one seemed to notice me as I walked through.
The huts were old, their thick stone walls weathered and rough. Each one was circular, with numbers painted haphazardly on theirbattered wooden doors. I passed a couple of windows but made sure to keep my head down and not invade anybody’s privacy.
A siren blared suddenly, pulling me from the peaceful scene of the village. My heart pounded as I blinked and found myself back in the cave. The odd dream lingered, my pulse racing in my ears as I tried to control my breathing. Sitting up in my bedroll, I reached over and shook Laney. She didn’t stir, but Pehper was already up, standing near the cave entrance with her back to us.
I groaned, rolling out of my bedroll and pulling on my boots before walking over to her. “Did they go scout?” I asked, my voice rough from sleep.
“Mhm.” Pehper barely acknowledged me, her eyes fixed outside the cave.
