Page 29 of The Scars Within
Maksimov turned towards us and said, “Soon, that will be you all who breathe fire within your veins.”
Cleo, Laney, and I had just sat down with our dinner trays when Tatum strolled over. She nudged Cleo’s shoulder with her hip and tilted her head toward the doors. “Grab your stuff. I’ve got something to show you.”
We exchanged confused glances but did as she said. Following Tatum through the halls with our dinners in hand, she led us down the eastern corridor. When we reached a worn, wooden door, Tatum leaned against it, pushing it open with a loud creak, proof it hadn’t been used in ages.
We stepped into a tiny courtyard, barely connected to the castle by that single door. The space was at most ten feet by ten feet. A small fountain trickled in the center, but there were no benches. The bushes in the corners had dried up, and vines snaked across the stone walls. Above us, the night sky was visible through the open roof.
Tatum plopped down by the fountain. “What do you think?”
We followed her lead, and I leaned against the fountain’s edge.
“How did you find this?” Cleo asked.
Tatum had already started to dig into her shepherd’s pie, “I was trying – to learn my way around the castle when – I stumbled on it. Isn’tit cool?” She swallowed her bite. “We could give it a name, like the Sanctuary, and it could be our little secret. Our place to hang out and get away, without actually getting away.”
I looked around the mini courtyard. It definitely needs a cleanup, but it has potential. Like the rooftop, it could be another place to escape.
“I love it!” Laney said, excited. “We could bring some cushions or chairs and make it cozy.” She stuck her pinky out in the center. “Let’s promise to keep it between us and brainstorm a codename.”
We linked pinkies, giggling.
“What about ‘The Hangout’?” Cleo suggested between bites.
“Boring,” Laney groaned, rolling her eyes.
“Sanctuary 2.0?” Tatum offered.
Laney shot her a glare in response.
We sat in silence for a while, eating, when Laney suddenly jumped up. “Bolthole!” she shouted with her hands in the air and a huge grin on her face.
“Bolt...hole?” I asked skeptically.
“Yeah! It’s another word for hideaway.”
“I think that sounds a bit... inappropriate,” Cleo deadpanned.
“Exactly! No one would suspect anything if they thought they heard me ask you to meet me in the butthole!” Laney defended, grinning mischievously.
We all burst out laughing, tears forming in my eyes. Laney wandered around the space, finger to her lips, as if calculating how to redecorate.
“Bolthole it is,” Tatum said, shaking her head with a smirk.
Cleo snapped her fingers and brought the bushes back to life.
Chapter 11
If the Grim isn’t going to blow my cover at the college, his ridiculous missions will. He was relentless about me breaking into the conservatory the other morning. The task couldn’t wait, he insisted. I tried to reason with him, reminding him that most cadets would be in the valley for the day, and it would look suspicious if I strolled into class late.
But, as usual, he didn’t care.
The Grim made it clear that his requests are more important than my classes. And he threatened to rat me out to the War Chief if I didn’t stop complaining. The warning cut deeper than I wanted to admit.
I dropped the box at the exact spot he demanded, then sprinted to class. Thankfully, nobody had second-guessed why I was tardy.
Despite attending every Intro to Wielding class, I still haven’t felt any magical pull toward an element. We typically have a few more classes towards the end of each week, but the college gave first-years these days off to adjust to everything we’ve experienced so far.
I’m trying notto panic.
