Page 82 of The Scars Within
Every sound around me was muffled again, the crowd’s roar and the beat of my heart drowning out everything else. The sheer size of the red dragon made it impossible to escape. The weight of its presence pressed down on me, making each step feel heavier.
Despite the growing fear, I refused to let it overpower me.
Like Tatum, I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
A fight that I would never throw.
I pushed myself harder, my lungs burning with each desperate breath. The distance to the nearest cavern felt insurmountable, but I kept running, determined to make it there before the red dragon’s wrath overtook me.
My vision blurred with exhaustion and fear as I neared the cavern entrance. My legs threatened to give out beneath me, but I kept moving forward. The dragon’s roar echoed behind me, a reminder of the peril that drove me onward.
That was when my time was up. I heard the crackling first, and then the smell of sulfur washed over me.
And then there was nothing but flames.
I fell to the ground, curling into a ball. My eyes were on fire. The pain was worse than any pain I’d felt before. I screamed, begging for mercy.
I survived Rock Bottom only to be burned alive.
Chapter 33
What in the elements is fucking happening?
The fire continued to rage around me, but I wasn’t being consumed by it. The heat was unbearable moments ago, but it’s only as hot as a summer day. I can still feel the heat radiating, but it’s like an unseen barrier protecting me from its worst. My lungs forced me to inhale, but the flames didn’t sear through my throat. I opened my eyes cautiously, blinking through the haze of smoke and fire.
I lay there trembling, taking in my surroundings. I could see the scorched grass around me and figures racing towards me within the rising smoke.
The feeling of the skin under my fingertips told me my clothing had been reduced to ash. I knelt on the ground, covering myself as best as possible with my arms.
The red dragon’s towering presence came into view as the smoke cleared. Its deep breaths sent waves of smoke billowing in the air. Its golden eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that felt like they were reaching into my very soul.
Absolutely magnificent.
I blinked repeatedly, trying to shake off the lingering tingling sensation in my eyes. My eyesburned. Even as people approached us, thedragon’s gaze was unyielding. But then it rose, unfolding its wings, and slowly ascended.
“Found you,” a deep, resonant voice echoed in my mind. It was not a sound but a sensation, a presence that filled my thoughts much like my own voice in my mind.
A blanket fell around my shoulders as I watched the red dragon vanish into the sky. The familiar voices around me became a blur of anxious tones, and then Rhodes Wylder’s hands gently cupped my face. His eyes, usually so controlled, now brewed with an intense storm of emotion. His jaw was clenched tight, and I could sense his inner turmoil.
Laney pushed Rhodes aside before I could say anything, enveloping me in a tight hug. “Go grab her some water, please!” she shouted at Rhodes.
Laney leaned back and looked at me with wide eyes and a face full of shock. She staggered back, her gaze fixed on me as if she had seen something impossible.
“Scarlet,” her voice trembled as she spoke.
“I’m okay, Laney,” I rasped, trying to reassure her despite my own confusion of what just happened.
Laney shook her head, her eyes fixed on mine with a mixture of awe and fear. “No. Your eyes. Your irises are scarlet red.”
Chapter 34
For the past few hours, I’ve been staring at the wooden doors to the War Chief’s office, the muffled sounds of arguments drifting through. The War Chief summoned every first-year professor, including Aunt Cora. She didn’t want to leave me alone on this bench, but she had no choice.
I’m lost, confused, and feeling utterly alone. All cadets were ordered back to their dorms, leaving me to sit here, waiting in anxious silence.
I’ve been trying—and failing—to reach out through the dragon bond to the red dragon who claimed me. I heard his voice in my mind once, but he hasn’t spoken since. I’ve been fidgeting with my thumbs and bouncing my knee nervously, feeling increasingly restless.
Laney, Rhodes, and Cora had escorted me to the triage tent earlier. Medics checked my vitals and gave me a new set of clothes. My health was fine, except for one glaring issue—my eyes.
