Page 73 of The Scars Within
“Figured Mr. Cooper left the sugar on the top shelf again. He forgets not everyone’s over six feet tall like he is,” Rhodes said.
I glanced back at him and started to climb the shelves. “It’s just a few steps up. One second—”
“Scarlet, no!”
The warning came a second too late. As soon as I started climbing, I realized why Rhodes had protested—the shelves weren’t bolted to the walls. The whole unit wobbled dangerously under my weight, tipping forward.
I didn’t have time to react before I felt the entire shelving unit begin to tilt.
Suddenly, Rhodes wrapped one arm around my waist, yanking me to the side as his other hand shot out to stop the shelves from crashing down on us both. I looked up just in time to see him shove the unit back towards the wall—just as something fell from the top shelf.
There was a loud swoosh as a bag burst open over Rhodes’s head, drenching him in flour. White powder flew everywhere, coating him from head to toe, with a dusting even splashing onto me.
For a moment, we just stood there in the middle of what looked like a flour tornado. Clouds of it puffed up with each of his breaths, making the scene even more absurd.
His grip around my waist loosened, and I stumbled back onto my feet. I turned to face him, covering my mouth with my hands. “Oops…”
Rhodes remained silent, now completely white from head to toe, his expression unreadable beneath the layers of flour.
“Thorn in your… um…” I squeaked shakily. “I’m. I’m gonna go.” I pointed my thumbs toward the door, backing out slowly, trying to suppress a laugh.
Chapter 30
“We kicked their sorry elemental asses!” Laney cheered as we raced off the field. Our second Arcane Battle Simulation was this morning, and I was put in a team with Laney again. But this time, we had our elements.
Although we were shit at channeling them.
Tatum and Cleo welcomed us on the sidelines with high fives. All four of us have earned visitation leave this weekend again. But the privilege comes with conditions. Any cadet leaving for the weekend has to use the transportation provided by the college, with military officers accompanying the wagons for extra protection.
Our team was the last of the first-years, but we all decided to watch more of the simulations since we didn’t have classes for the rest of the day. Cleo pulled buttered corn pops out of her bag as second-year cadets took the field. Shayde was huddled with his team, laying out a game plan with pure determination.
“Oh, heeeey, boot-scootin’-boogier!” Laney sang, looking over my shoulder.
I turned to see Rhodes walking toward us, wearing his leather belt with flags for the simulation. His cheeks flushed from Laney’s witty comment, a clear sign that her humor was not lost on him.
I widened my eyes at her in an attempt to sear into her soul that she needed to shut her mouth.
She shrugged.
I turned to Rhodes, who was adjusting his belt, and puckered my lips to suppress my laugh.
Pointing to my ear, I murmured, “You have a little... flour. Right here.”
Rhodes glared daggers at me before running his hand through his hair and walking onto the field.
Laney wiggled her brows at me before turning back around.
Shayde and Rhodes were on the same team, battling against Davis and other elementals I haven’t met. An Arcane Battle Simulation between second-years was completely different than first-years. These cadets were much more experienced in channeling their elements and working alongside other elementals.
Professor Reynoski fired a horn and the simulation was on. Bolts of flames soared back and forth amid thorny vines shooting from the ground and gushes of water to drown out the fire. Everything happened so quickly that I could barely keep up.
But my eyes focused on the Wylder boys, who fought beside each other. For twins who don’t utilize theirmarekem, they work in sync in total harmony. Rhodes and Shayde kept a steady torrent of flames as a barrier between the teams. Cadets are not allowed to purposefully cause bodily harm to others in these simulations, so fire elementals must show a strong sense of control.
I couldn’t help but admire how effortlessly Rhodes and Shayde wielded their fire, each movement a dance of controlled chaos. I am over the elements grateful that I channeled air, but a slight tinge of jealousy flickers in my chest. Their fire element is magnificent—a fire that burns hot and bright enough to command the very world around it.
I was jolted out of my trance when an air elemental charged at the boys. He surged through their flames with a shield of swirling wind, thefire bending and twisting around him like a sideways tornado. In one swift motion, he ambushed them, leveling Shayde with a brutal right hook.
I gasped.
