Page 52 of The Scars Within
“Are you sure you’re fine to stay here?” Laney asked, hauling her duffle bag over her shoulder. “You can come with me. My family loves to feed the people.”
“I’m fine,” I drawled out, placing my hands on her shoulders. “Have fun. I will see you in a couple of days.”
“I really think you should take her up on that offer,” Shayde’s voice rang from behind me, casual yet worried. He was lounging on my bed with his back against the wall, snacking on a handful of trail mix that hehad swiped from Cleo. She was now in the corner of her bed, wrapping her arm around the bowl and guarding her snacks with her life.
I shot him a glance before reaching for one of his pretzels, which he handed over without a fight.
Then I threw it at his face, but he was too quick. He opened his mouth and caught it with ease. Laughing as he crunched.
“Fine. But I’m not gonna be happy about it!” Laney grumbled, hands on her hips, before sticking her tongue out at me.
I mirrored her playfulness, flashing a grin and earning a mock glare in return.
Everybody grabbed their weekend bags and hugged me. One by one, my friends exited the dorm, but Shayde lingered, waiting until the last one left.
As the door clicked shut, I turned to him, giving his shoulders a firm but affectionate pat. “Have fun this weekend. And be safe.”
His eyes sparkled with that familiar warmth. He closed the distance between us, trapping me between himself and the wooden door. He cupped my face with his hands and brought his lips down on mine for a quick kiss. “Don’t go having too much fun here without me, alright?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I’ll try not to. No promises.”
Once Shayde reluctantly let me go from a tight hug, I grabbed the book I finished last night and headed to the library. The quiet of the nearly empty halls was soothing, with half of the cadets gone for the weekend. There weren’t many rules for earned visitation leave—just that you had to return by dusk on Sunday.
The library was even more blissful than usual. Without the usual crowd, I could truly appreciate its beauty. Besides the rooftop, this is my favorite place in the entire college. My go-to spot is the fiction section on the second floor, where hundreds of shelves hold a world’s worth of stories, offering endless possibilities to live vicariously through the characters.
I returned another book from theThrone of Steelseries. I am falling head over heels for the story and all its characters. When I read late at night, I can’t help but imagine myself as the main heroine. She is utterly fearless, even when fear threatens to consume her. She cares so deeply for the people in her life that she would put herself in harm’s way to protect them without a second thought.
And they would do the same for her.
I was browsing the shelves when I spotted the next book in the series. As I reached up to pull it down, a few others tumbled off the shelf and crashed to the floor. Thankfully, the library was nearly empty, so the loud thud wouldn’t disturb anyone. I knelt down to gather the fallen books, but someone else did the same as I did, and our foreheads collided. I sat back on my heels, pressing a hand to my face, stunned by the unexpected impact.
“You know, I was just trying to help. No need to give me a dragon egg on my forehead,” the person in front of me teased.
I started to laugh as I opened my eyes and locked eyes with the genre I’ve been failing to comprehend.
Rhodes knelt before me, propping his elbow on one knee while holding his opposite hand out for mine. His dragon mark snaked up his veiny arm, and his black hair was tousled casually across his face but didn’t cover his eyes. The dim lighting of the library cast shadows across his features, but his gray-blue eyes shined bright, making him look like an actual storm about to touch the ground and deliver chaos.
But a part of me is curious to see what the calm before his storm is like.
Our touch sent an electrifying surge through my chest as I laid my hand in his. He pulled me up effortlessly but didn’t loosen his hold. His skin was warm but rough; I could feel the calluses on his palm. Proof that he must spend hours honing a craft or training with a weapon. Even though weaponized combat isn’t taught here at Mageia.
Finally finding my voice, I said, “Thanks.”
Rhodes responded with a brief nod and released my hand. He gathered the fallen books in one arm, sorting them back onto the shelves. I stood there, watching him like a weirdo. Once finished, he tilted his head at me again and walked away.
“What are you reading?” The question slipped from my mouth before I could stop it.
He slowly turned back toward me, a fleeting expression crossing his face before I could decipher it, as if he hadn’t expected me to stop him. He glanced down at the novel resting casually in his arm.
“Oh, um. It’s fantasy.”
Ignoring the vague description, I reached for the book I’d been searching for, careful not to pull down the others again. “This is too. I’m halfway through the series.” I raised the book to show him the title.
“That’s a good one. I just finished it recently.”
“Oh really? Should I read what you’re working on next?”
He looked back at the book he was holding and hesitated as if pondering how to describe it. “This one’s a bit more… fantasy. But maybe if you’re up for a challenge.”
