A Lesson In Thorns Novels & Stories

I close my eyes biting my lower lip and say softly, “Hands to yourselves Mr. Hawthorne.” “You make me turn on whenever we’re alone, especially when we are in a confined space.” Adrian whispered into my ear as I felt his breath tingling around my neck and could feel my arm hair rise, having goosebumps as he stroked my arm gently up and down. He pushes me slowly into the small room that has a small bed which has only a divider that separates the room.

These were dark, their petals the color of dried blood, and they were guarded by thorns as long and lethal as daggers. In the center of the courtyard sat a stone altar, its surface etched with runes that seemed to writhe if she looked at them too long. Without a word, Thorne lifted her and pushed her onto the cold stone. The chill of the rock was a shock against her heated skin, but before she could recoil, he moved. He positioned himself between her legs and spread her thighs wide, pinning her knees back toward her shoulders. "They all know what you are now," he murmured. His voice was a dark caress, a low vibration that made her skin crawl even as it ignited a spark of heat she couldn't ex

“Yeah, I guess,” “We talking about Mateball?” Kairos and Maximus snapped their heads up to look at the door to Kairos’s room. Lounging against the door frame was Thorne. His bleach blonde hair had been freshly washed and toned. It stood out against his deep olive skin. He wore thick black rimmed glasses over his honey-gold eyes. “Yeah,” Kairos said. “You going? You taking History of Wolves or The Last Great Queen this year?” “Har, har,” Thorne rolled his eyes. “I’m taking no one. Unlike you two, I’m trying to not piss off the Queen.”

Thorns grew from the petals of roses around, forming a spiral shape. The air, husky and aggressive. Lana, clothed in white linen that stopped around her knees, barefoot walked the straight path to where she could see brightness. Jerked out of her trance, she whined in pain, reaching for her feet. They were bleeding, having been pricked countless times by the thorns on the path she wasn't conscious of.

My chest tightened with something close to relief. I smiled wildly with a flash of relief on my face, but the relief disappeared as quickly as it came the moment I noticed the huge thorns surrounding it. I shook my head in disappointment, knowing there was no way I would be able to get past it. The thorns were very long and sharp, surrounding the plant perfectly with not a single weak point. They formed a near perfect circle, dense and unforgiving, like they had been growing there for centuries for the sole purpose of making sure no one ever touched what was inside.

Thorne grunted as he pressed his fire into the shield causing it to instantly shatter, "I heal fast, though. She's going to have to do a lot more than shoot spikes made of water and wood at me to do actual damage." Julian and I stepped forward, each of us grabbing the bars of the cage and yanking until we heard a clang. The gate easily tore off its hinges and we tossed it aside. Thorne entered the cage first, throwing small balls of hellfire along the circumference to burn through the shadows and grant us light. "Baby..." The word left him in a weak voice that cracked with emotion. Thorne rushed toward the woman he loved, scooping her into his arms, "you're going to be okay," he assured with

“When Ravencrest turns on you, you’ll remember this day. And you’ll wish you had stood with us.” The guards moved forward, swords half-drawn. Thorne’s remaining warriors tensed, ready to fight, but he raised a hand to stop them. They were outnumbered. Outmatched. Another slaughter would serve no one. He turned on his heel, his shoulders rigid, and walked out of the hall with his head high. The journey back through the streets felt like a funeral march. His people followed in grim silence. Outside the gates, Thorne stopped, breathing hard, fists clenched at his sides. The sun had set, leaving the valley in shadows.

His crimson eyes glowed with a sick, triumphant light, entirely unbothered by the silver sword I had just driven completely through his heart. ​He squeezed. My airway crushed shut instantly. My vision dotted with black stars, the edges of the room blurring, but I absolutely refused to let go of the hilt of my sword. I twisted it harder, digging the silver deeper into his corrupted flesh, determined to sever his spine. ​CRACK. ​A blur of pristine white steel shot past my peripheral vision. General Vesh’s heavy, armored boot slammed into the side of Thorne's knee. The joint shattered backward with a sickening, wet snap.

two fugitives bound by a ring and a dead man’s blessing. As we scrambled through the backyard, the cream lace—my wedding dress—snagged on a jagged thicket of thorns. I didn't stop. I pulled with everything I had, the sound of the fabric ripping echoing like a scream in the quiet of the old man's backyard. A long, jagged strip stayed behind, dancing on the thorns like a ghost. I didn't know why, but the sound felt like an omen. The 'legal shield' hadn't even lasted an hour before it was torn to shreds." As we hit the main road, the briefcase felt like a lead weight between us. We weren't just running for our lives anymore. We were running with the only evidence that could take the enemies dow

I frantically reached into my bag for the emergency inhaler. My fingertips had just touched it when Linda suddenly lunged forward. She snatched my bag away and hurled it to the ground. Everything spilled out across the floor. The life-saving inhaler rolled away and stopped right at Henry’s feet. “Trying to fake an illness to get out of paying?” Linda sneered. Then, she stepped on my bag and crushed the inhaler beneath her heel, grinding it slowly. The sharp cracking sound made my heart shatter.