Page 139 of The Scars Within
Chapter 56
Lakota’s panic rippled through our bond, but I had nothing left to give.
Everything I’ve done since escaping the shed has been to rebuild myself, learn from my past, and carve out a better future. The day I left the women’s shelter and returned to my cottage, I fell to my knees at the sight of it. There was nothing left but ash. I dreaded the moment I’d have to tell Cora that it was my fault her home had been destroyed.
All I owned were the clothes on my back and the elemental documentation clenched in my hand. Attending Mageia was my last hope.
I just wanted life to pass me by.
I didn’t care about making friends or feeling a sense of belonging. I already knew the pain of losing something I loved all too well, so preventing that was easy.
Don’t allow myself to let anybody in.
But I failed at that.
Cleo, Laney, and Tatum became more than friends—they became my family.
After my mother passed, I felt like I was drifting, marking time until another day ended. No matter where I lived, I felt like I was borrowing someone else’s home. Their safe space. Their comfort. Where they belonged.
I never felt like I had a home of my own.
And then Laney… She brought me home.
That’s when I realized that home isn’t just a place. It’s wherever you feel safe, where you find comfort.
Where you feel as if you belong.
And for me, that was with them.
Cleo. Tatum. Laney. They are the best parts of me.
And now Laney… She’s gone.
The sharp pain in my chest forced my eyes open. I rolled onto my back, letting the cold rain lash my face, hoping it might numb the pain.
Just please.
Anything.
Something.
Numb my pain.
The sound of wings beating fiercely filled the air, and Lakota’s landing vibrated the ground.
“I’m with you. You don’t have to go through this pain alone. Just don’t let go. He’s coming.”
More thundering wings filled the air, blending with the rapid patter of approaching footsteps.
Then, I was lifted from the ground and cradled into the warmth of cashmere sandalwood and vanilla. Rhodes’s face came into focus through my blurred vision. He held me gently, his touch both tender and desperate. His hands roamed over my body, searching for wounds, and his expression twisted with horror as he saw the blood staining his hand that had supported my head.
All this time, I had seen Rhodes as an unpredictable storm—uncontrollable and fierce. But perhaps the true storm was within me, tearing through everything in its path. Rhodes was the shelter, the steadfast foundation meant to protect me from the chaos.
He was a beacon, guiding me towards safety.
And I ran the other way.
My eyes fluttered shut.
