by Chris Cannon
Valmont’s eyes went wide and then he said, “Bizarre is an understatement.”
Bryn yawned. “I’ve slept more than enough. Why do I still feel like crap?”
“Want me to ask Clint and Ivy to bring you carry-out?”
Yes, but she needed to show the world she was okay. Rumors about her condition had to be running rampant. She needed to show the Rebels that they hadn’t beaten her. Because she was a Blue, and apparently that’s what Blues did. Even if she did feel like death warmed over. “No. Give me a few minutes to get ready.” She changed into a plain black skirt and a gray blouse hoping she’d blend in rather than stand out. She’d had enough attention lately, thank you very much.
Apparently, her bland clothing didn’t do the trick. Dinner in the dining hall was proving to be a test of patience. Everyone was back to whispering and staring at her. “Seriously? Haven’t I played this game enough?”
Ivy shrugged. “Everyone is curious about what happened. You can’t really blame them.”
“I understand, but occasionally I’d like to pretend my life is normal. And all of this,” she gestured at everyone in the vicinity, “is making that a little difficult.”
Clint’s eyes went wide. “Your life is about to get stranger. Jaxon is headed this way.”
“What’s he wearing?” Bryn asked, praying his ensemble was disco-sparkle-free and provided full coverage.
“Normal clothes,” Ivy said. “Why?”
Thank goodness. “Long story. Strange dream. I’ll explain later.”
She turned to greet him but didn’t get a word out.
“We’ve been summoned to the library tomorrow evening. We’re supposed to report there at six.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “It doesn’t matter. They asked us to go, so we’re going.”
“We who?” Bryn asked. “We, meaning me and Valmont, or everyone at the table?”
“Neither,” Jaxon said. “We as in you and me, alone. Your knight can escort you, but he isn’t invited into the conference room. He can stand guard in the hall.”
Like hell. “Where I go, Valmont goes. And in case you feel like arguing with me, it was my grandmother who laid down that decree.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass if he comes or not. I’m just passing along a message.” And with that friendly response, Jaxon turned and headed back toward his table.
“What was that about?” Ivy asked.
“Who knows?” Bryn took a drink of her iced tea. “But I don’t like it.”
“I’d like to point out that Jaxon used a Bryn-ism,” Clint said. “And those are words I never expected to hear from a Blue, so it’s worth noting.”
“It didn’t sound quite right coming from him, did it?” Bryn asked.
“No.” Valmont checked his watch. “I do know one thing. I don’t want to arrive early tomorrow evening and have to stand in the hall while everyone else arrives. That would be awkward.”
“It they won’t let you into the room, then I won’t be going in, either,” Bryn said.
“Yes, you will,” Valmont said, “because we’ll need to figure out what’s going on.”
“I’m not sure I want to know.” Bryn glanced over at Jaxon. “He’s acting like his normal snooty self, so I guess it’s nothing too earth shattering.”
“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Ivy asked. “I know you’re probably exhausted, but I thought maybe we could go back to your room and hang out.”
Clint held up a small rectangular box. “I bought a new deck of cards. I almost feel like I have to carry a set with me everywhere I go in case we need to leave a trail to find our way home.”
“A deck of cards should be added to everyone’s survival gear,” Valmont said. “You can stave off boredom or use them to mark where you’ve been.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Bryn said. “Maybe you should talk to your family about selling personalized decks of cards. The front of the cards could say Fonzoli’s so they’d work as advertising, too.”
“I like it,” Valmont said. “When we go back to the room, I’m going to call my father and suggest it. He’ll probably think I’m crazy, but it will be fun to hear his reaction.”
Back in Bryn’s room, she sat at the library table with Clint and Ivy playing Go Fish, while Valmont spoke on the phone. The sound of him laughing made Bryn smile.
“You’re such a sap,” Clint said.
“I am not. I grew up in a house with a lot of laughter. It’s nice to hear it again.”
“Do you have any fours?” Ivy asked.
“Go fish,” Bryn said. She matched the pairs of cards in her hand and moved the unmatched ones to the side. “Do you have any sevens?”
Ivy handed over a seven. “We should talk about fun summer plans.”
“Like what?” Bryn asked.
“What do you normally do during the summer, “Clint asked.
“At my house, summers always meant hanging out with friends, going to the dollar show, and staying up late to watch bad monster movies.”
“If it’s bad, why would you watch it?” Clint asked.
“I asked my dad the same question once. He said it was like the audience was in on the joke. The movie didn’t take itself seriously, so it was fun to watch. Most of the time, if we stayed up late enough, we’d go to an IHOP down the street for pancakes.”
“What’s an IHOP?” Ivy asked.
“International House of Pancakes… Surely you’ve heard of them.”
Clint and Ivy gave her blank looks.
“Where you do you go for pancakes?”
“The diner,” Ivy said. “Every small town has a diner and a few nice restaurants.”
“And you never venture out into the world to try anything else?”
“The Directorate doesn’t encourage fraternizing with the rest of the population,” Clint said. “Any time you venture into the human world, you put the entire dragon population at risk.”
Wow. She’d never thought of it that way. “Then I guess I’m glad I got to experience the outside world before I came here, but there isn’t a chance I’d be able to resist sneaking out.”
Ivy frowned. “Since we were toddlers, our parents have told us fairy tales about dragons who ventured into the human world and were discovered. The humans all wanted to study and dissect the dragons or use them to make a profit. Those stories still give me nightmares.”
“Maybe that’s why my parents kept their identities under wraps,” Bryn said.
“And since you didn’t know you were a dragon, they never told you those stories,” Clint said.
“If those tales kept you from wanting to roam, they must have been really effective,” Bryn said.
Clint nodded. “Dissection is a definite deterrent.”
“Now that you’ve freaked me out, tell me what you like to do during the summer.”
“We have an amazing park with a pool and water slide,” Ivy said. “And there’s a lake. Bonfires are always fun because it’s a way to have s’mores without camping.”
“S’mores work for me,” Bryn said.
Valmont hung up the phone and came to join them. He was chuckling to himself. “My father is going to take the deck of cards idea and run with it. But he wants the cards to be round, so they’re shaped like pizzas.”
“Wouldn’t those be hard to shuffle?” Bryn asked.
“I mentioned that, but he didn’t think it would be an issue,” Valmont said.
“And if round cards don’t sell, you can use them as coasters,” Ivy said. “So they wouldn’t go to waste.”
The next evening, the closer it came to six, the more nervous Bryn became. She changed her outfit three times.
“What do you think of this one?” she asked Valmont.
He glanced up from his book. “It looks good, just like the last two outfits did. Why are you acting like this?”
“I don’t know. The fact that you aren’t suppo
sed to come in with me makes me think it’s some snooty Blue dragon event.”
“And you’re afraid your outfit isn’t snooty enough?” Valmont teased.
“Yes.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I’d like to look as snooty as possible.”
“As long as you’re wearing those earrings and the bracelet your grandfather gave you for Christmas, you are top-tier snooty, so don’t worry about it.”
He was probably right. She smoothed her hands down the front of the navy and cream striped blouse she’d put on with her navy skirt. “Then I guess I’m ready to go.”
They walked across campus with Valmont staying a step behind her, playing his role as her dutiful protector and employee. He stayed behind her as they entered the library and climbed the stairs to the top floor. She understood why he was doing it, but it still annoyed the crap out of her. Her grandmother waited for her in the foyer. That was a surprise.
“What are you doing here?” Bryn asked as she moved in for a hug.
Her grandmother beamed as she returned the gesture of affection and then held Bryn at arms length. “I’m here to celebrate the approval of your marriage contract to Jaxon.”
Holy hell. The floor shifted under her feet. “Excuse me?”
“The Directorate approved your contract,” her grandmother’s smile was genuine.
Bryn opened her mouth and then paused because she had no idea what to say. “I…so the Directorate approved our marriage contract?” She was hoping maybe she’d misunderstood her grandmother.
“Yes. It passed by a slim margin, but that’s all we needed.”
No way. I’m not ready for this. “I thought this wouldn’t happen until later, like in the far away future. Can’t we put it on hold for awhile?”
“No. This is happening tonight.”
Nope. Not now. It can’t happen now. There has to be a way to stop this. “But what about Ferrin? He despises me. I can’t understand how he’d let this happen.” She’d harbored hope he would somehow save her from this fate.
“Ferrin was resistant to the idea at first, but he came around after your grandfather discussed a new and very profitable business venture with him.”
Seriously? “So you bribed him to accept me as his daughter-in-law. That must have been one hell of a business deal.” Bryn laughed. Neither Valmont nor her grandmother joined in.
“Sorry, that was me using inappropriate humor as a coping mechanism.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
This could not be happening. Fire sparked in her gut. The taste of smoke filled her mouth. She pushed the flames back down. A wisp of smoke drifted from her lips. “Do I really have to do this?” Bryn hoped against hope her grandmother would suggest some alternative. “There’s no other way?”
Her grandmother gestured across the lobby toward the mahogany conference room door. “After you.”
Okay. This was it. She either bent to her grandparents’ will or she walked out of their life forever. Good-bye flying. Good-bye Clint and Ivy. Good-bye magic and fire and becoming a medic. Good-bye to life as she knew it. If she refused this marriage contract, her grandparents would disown her. She’d lose everything, and if she was lucky, she’d escape to the human world where she’d spend the rest of her life living a lie, afraid to fly, afraid to use magic, afraid to become too close to anyone because she’d risk exposing the shape-shifting dragon community.
All of these thoughts led to one terrifying conclusion. She really had to do this.
Her grandmother pointed down the hall. “Everyone is waiting for us. I knew you’d be surprised by this news, so I wanted to tell you ahead of time and give you a moment to compose yourself.”
“That…that was a good idea.” A moment? She’d need way more than a moment to deal with this, but she nodded and bit her lip while she tried to figure out how to handle this catastrophic event. At least her grandmother had thought to warn her in advance. Not that this was enough warning. Why was it happening now? It didn’t make sense. And holy crap, what must Valmont be thinking? She turned to him, wanting to say something comforting or share a joke, but he was staring at the floor. “Valmont?”
“Go on,” he said in a voice devoid of any warmth. “You wouldn’t want to be late to your party.”
“He’s right,” her grandmother said. “This is the start of your future.”
“Can’t I wait to start my future?”
“No,” her grandmother’s tone was kind but firm. “This is the only way.”
Okay then…the only way to move forward in her life was to agree to this antiquated arrangement. And it wasn’t really a marriage. It was a stupid agreement. That’s all. She could do this. It’s not like she had a choice. Okay. Deep breath. Put one foot in front of the other.
With every step her feet seemed to become heavier. A part of her brain screamed RUN! FLY! Another part of her brain ran through a list of facts. Marriage was a business partnership. Jaxon understood this. It’s not like he’d try to kiss her. Dear God, she hoped that wasn’t part of the ceremony. Since Blues were so formal, the odds of that happening were miniscule. She needed to find out before she entered the room of doom.
“How am I supposed to behave in there? I don’t want to embarrass you because I don’t know the rules.” Her grandmother should believe that.
“You’re overthinking it. Just smile and nod. If anyone asks, you reply, ‘It’s a good match.’”
Okay. Nothing physical seemed to be involved. That ramped her panic down from a ten to a seven. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. I can handle this. She could, but she so didn’t want to. She looked at her grandmother. “Say something encouraging, please.”
“You’re forming a business partnership with Jaxon, and you two already seem to work well together.”
“True.” Bryn reached for the door handle. She could do this. She was a kick-ass shape-shifting dragon. This was no big deal. Nope. Not a big deal at all. If that was true, then why did she feel like lying on the floor and throwing a temper tantrum worthy of a toddler?
“Allow me.” Valmont stepped around Bryn and pulled the door open for her. His face was a blank mask, which gave away no emotion, but his eyes…the look of anger and betrayal that shone from them made her heart hurt. This wasn’t her fault. She wasn’t doing it on purpose. This was being thrust upon her. He couldn’t be mad at her for this. That wasn’t fair.
“Bryn,” her grandmother prompted, “it’s time.”
Valmont stood to the side, staring at her with accusation. Inside the room, Bryn saw her grandfather discussing something with Ferrin and a few other Directorate members. Lillith stood off to the side with her arms wrapped around her belly, exuding maternal joy. Jaxon stood by himself. His gaze met hers. He raised a brow and walked toward her like he was issuing a challenge. When he reached her, he said, “I suppose you’ve heard the joyous news.”
She nodded and swallowed over the lump in her throat. “I have.”
“Then you have a choice to make,” Jaxon said. “Are you coming in, or not?”
Every instinct in her body told her to run, but she couldn’t do that to her grandmother. So, she stepped over the threshold and entered the room.
“Good choice,” Jaxon said. “And now that you’ve chosen to make this commitment, my father asked me to give you a message.”
This should be interesting. “Did he tell you to welcome me to the family?”
“Not exactly. He said, if you pull the same stunt your mother did, he will hunt you to the ends of the earth and slit your throat.”
Bryn realized her mouth was hanging open. She snapped it shut. “Seriously?”
Jaxon shrugged. “He wanted to make sure you understood the stakes of the game before you agreed to play.”
Oh, she would play their game all right, but she’d be making her own damn rules. If any of them expected her to sit quietly and accept the status quo, they were all in for a surprise. If they were going to force her to become a Westga
te, she would use all the power behind that name and her grandparents’ influence to change how society was governed. But, rather than explain any of that to Jaxon she went with a simple nod and an, “I do.”
“Good. Now let’s pretend we’re happy about this.” He placed his hand on her lower back and steered her toward his father and her grandfather.
She plastered a smile on her face and spoke through her teeth. “How are you not freaking out?”
“I’m freaking out on the inside,” he said. “Play your part, and we’ll be able to leave in an hour.”
“An hour?”
“Bryn.” Her grandfather toasted her with a glass of champagne. “I’m sure you’re thrilled to learn your marriage contract was approved.”
“Yes.” Bryn nodded in agreement. What was that line her grandmother told her to use? “I think we’re a good match.”
“I believe you are,” her grandfather said. “And I know you’ll make your grandmother and me proud.”
“I’m sure she will,” her grandmother said from behind her.
Bryn glanced back. The door to the hallway was closed. Her escape route cut off. Was there any way she could get one of those glasses of champagne or maybe a Valium? Anything to quell the instinct to run screaming from the room.
“Did Jaxon deliver my message?” Ferrin asked in a tone like he’d sent her a have-a-good-day smiley-face cookie.
“He did. And I understood every word.”
“Good.” Ferrin leaned toward her. “Because I meant every…single…word.”
Would it be wrong to start off her new life by kicking Ferrin in the balls? Probably. So she settled for nodding and biting her tongue.
“It’s time for a toast,” her grandfather said. A waiter passed out champagne. Bryn was surprised when he gave her a glass. Maybe it was meant to calm her nerves. Whatever. At this point she’d drink moonshine if they had any on hand.
Her grandfather cleared his throat and waited for everyone to quiet down. Then he raised his glass and said, “Tonight we are here to celebrate a new chapter in our lives. To Jaxon and Bryn. They are both fierce and loyal. Together they will make a formidable couple. Cheers.”
“Cheers,” everyone repeated and then sipped their champagne.
