Page 116 of The Scars Within
Rhodes’s demeanor softened. “How did the men attack you first?”
I thought back to the incident, trying to untangle the chaotic blur of events. It was hard to piece together—disjointed and hazy, especially after the fall into the collapsed cavern.
I bit the inside of my cheek, careful not to touch the side where the skin was missing. “They grabbed me.”
His jaw clenched. “Grabbed you how?”
I swallowed hard, rubbing my arms in an attempt to ward off the breeze. “By... by my arms. They snatched me up and dragged me backward.”
Before I could finish speaking, Rhodes was suddenly behind me, his firm grip on my biceps pulling me harshly against his chest. The sudden contact stole my breath, his body solid and unyielding.
“Like this?” He snarled in my ear.
My heart was pounding— half scared elementalless and half perplexed by how my body was reacting to him. I nodded.
His grip tensed around my arms. “First, I’d say to drop your weight, but you’re practically weightless, so scratch that. When you’re in a position like this, remember one thing. The assailant’s grip is weakest at the thumb and base of their fingers. Throw everything you’ve got into twisting toward that weak spot. Rotate your wrists as sharply as you can. Keep your arms bent, and use your body’s natural momentum to break the hold.”
I nodded.
“And if that isn’t enough, always go for the back of the knee. It’ll cause them to collapse and help to loosen their hold on you.”
“Okay,” I whispered. I glanced up over my shoulder at him, his face mere inches from mine. “How did you learn to fight?”
He paused, his gray-blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. “How about this—do the moves correctly, and I’ll answer one question per move. But not that one.”
I started to protest, but before I could get a word out, he twisted his body and yanked me backward. He dragged me across the dirt like the men did in the cavern. I kicked at the air, screaming, but he hauled me a few yards before dropping me on my ass.
Anger surged in my chest, burning hotter with each second. As he rounded me, arms crossed like this was some game, he said, “That was the complete opposite of what I just told you to do.”
“The literal opposite,” Lakota agreed.
I glared daggers at him and sprang to my feet. I twisted toward Lakota and Noemi, trying to think of a witty remark, when Rhodes snatched me by my arms again. He was walking forward, pulling me behind him by my arms like a wheelbarrow.
My boots slid against the stoney dirt ground as I growled. I was helpless in the shed when the men beat me to a pulp while I was chained down. And I wasstillhelpless in the cavern, although I wasn’t chained down that time.
I refuse to be helpless again.
I skipped the weight drop, knowing that Rhodes could carry me with his pinky. I twisted my body with every ounce of strength, aiming for the weak spot in his grip like a key clicking into a lock. He kept dragging me back and forth, turning us when we reached the edge of the peninsula, letting my feet dangle off the edge for a moment—just enough for the dramatic effect. I screamed and cursed him but still kept twisting, my arms bent as I fought to loosen his hold.
Nothing worked. My arms burned all the way to my shoulders, like fire in my muscles. I pressed my boots flat to the ground, using that brief moment to push back and force both feet into the back of his knees.
Rhodes collapsed.
We toppled on each other. Both of us were breathing heavily as we lay in a pile of tangled limbs.
“That’s my rider!” Lakota snapped his head to Noemi, and I realized that he had said that to both of us. Noemi rolled her golden eyes.
Rhodes sat up, propping one arm on a knee as he smiled at me. “Ask away.”
Pride swelled in my chest, but I kept myself humble, knowing this was just the beginning. “How did you know mint is my favorite color?”
His face flickered in surprise, as though he wasn’t expecting such a mundane first question. “I asked Lakota. He said that color brings you joy every time you come across it.”
I blinked, completely stunned by his admission. “I thought my favorite color was red?” I asked Lakota.
He grumbled loudly for all of us to hear before replying, “It’s your second favorite. This is the Wylder boy I’m shipping for you.”
My cheeks heated. Suddenlyextremelyhappy that Rhodes can’t hear him.
