Page 141 of The Scars Within
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 themarekem—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 themarekem, 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 themarekem. 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 nomewithouther.
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.
Epilogue - Fallon
River walked beside me as we made our way through the village. The wind was brisk; my favorite season is approaching. We took a shortcut through the eastern huts to avoid the probing questions from our neighbors—questions I wasn’t ready to answer and perhaps never would be.
My leather gear was still soaked from the downpour, growing insanely fucking uncomfortable with each step. But he demanded that I see him immediately.
Fucking asshole.
He’s probably worried I’d go to see Scarlet first, but that is the last thing I want to do. Rhodes Wylder had carried her on foot for miles until we reached the Hollow. He didn’t question me when I told him that the rocky mountains and overcast sky would make it impossible for him to follow on dragonback.
I tossed the other Wylder boy over River’s back like a sad sack of potatoes. I noticed that his nose didn’t heal correctly from when I broke it last year.
I’ll gladly do it again. It was clear to me what had happened when I felt Scarlet’s fear of Shayde through themarekemand then found him knocked unconscious when I arrived.
She should have known better than to trust a Wylder.
