Page 96 of The Scars Within
“This is getting on my damn nerves,” Laney muttered, yanking up a clump of weeds that had sprouted after she buried her third attempt.
My results weren’t much better—tiny baby vegetables, still far from the harvest I had hoped for.
“Now, now, class!” Aunt Cora clapped her hands, strolling through the rows of cadets kneeling in the dirt. The sunlight blazed through the conservatory windows, making it hard to concentrate. “The key isnotto overdo the grounding of your sheeshkaferns! If you grind them too much, you’ll end up with rotten veggies. Too little, and they’ll mix improperly with the umproot seed, leading to... well, this.” She gestured at the unwanted weeds littering the ground in front of Laney.
I nudged Laney, who hastily flipped her mortar, dumping its contents in a huff.
“You know, this is why we’re friends with Cleo. She could do this in her sleep,” Laney whispered sharply.
“True, but Cleo may not always be by our side,” I reminded her. “Relax, start over, and go step by step.”
I could barely contain a laugh as I watched her glare at the mess in front of her, fighting her rising frustration.
“Once you have the sheeshkaferns ground properly, then– oh!”
I turned around, sitting back on my heels, to see what had startled Cora. Four men in military uniforms had entered the conservatory, their leader scanning the group of cadets until his gaze landed on me.
“Can I help you, gentlemen?” Cora asked, her voice tense.
The group leader cleared his throat and shifted his focus to her. “We need Cadet Thorne to come with us. Immediately.”
My heart pounded. What the hell have Inotdone now? I stood up, brushing the soil from my leathers, and walked toward Cora and the men.
“Why on earth for?” Cora demanded, her voice edged with nerves.
“That is none of your concern, Professor,” the man growled.
“We are in the middle of herbology class! You have no right to remove her without my permission. I was not informed of this, and I cannot allow you—”
“It’s fine, Aunt Cora.” I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her. “I’m sure they just want to ask me some questions about the Burn Trials.”
Cora looked at me, her eyes filled with worry. She gently laid her hand on top of mine. “You don’t have to do anything they say, my girl,” she whispered.
“I’ll be okay. I always am.” I forced a grin, though inside, I felt far from okay.
I have no idea what these men want, but it can’t be anything good. So, I threw on my strong-bitch attitude and prepared for whatever came next. I straightened my shoulders, raised my chin, and looked the leader straight in the eyes.
Raising an eyebrow, I said, “After you.”
We left the conservatory without another word. Two men walked ahead of me, two behind.
Like I’m some damn criminal.
Thankfully, Lakota soared above us. As if reminding them not to lay a hand on me.
They didn’t lead me back to the castle as I had expected. Instead, they took me to the far side of the school grounds, opposite Dragon Valley. A small stone building was hidden behind a cluster of tall, thick trees. A chimney rose from its roof, soot trailing up from a lively fire.
The leader opened the door and gestured for me to enter.
The building was just one open room, shrouded in darkness except for the light from the fireplace. Although the floor was cobblestoned, the air smelled musky and…
I closed my eyes, breathing in, breathing out.
This isnotthe shed.
The men moved around me, silently taking their posts in different corners of the room. The leader spun a chair around to face me, his eyes locking onto mine with a smugness that made me want to slap the look off his face.
But I didn’t.
