Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames)

by Chris Cannon

  “You’re not serious.” Valmont pointed in the direction Jaxon had gone. “He’s a manipulative, insecure control freak.”

  It was Blue dragon logic and the fact that she understood Jaxon’s thought processes scared the hell out of her.

  Chapter Twelve

  Sunday morning Bryn woke tangled in her blankets and breathing like she’d run a mile. Kicking and wiggling, she shucked off the blankets and headed for the shower. As the warm water sprayed over her body, she tried to remember what she’d dreamt about which had left her so twitchy. Something about the Black dragons from the forest and a group of militant hybrids hunting her across campus, killing anyone who got in their way. A lump came to her throat as the all too realistic image of Ivy laying on the ground, gutted, in a pool of her own blood, flashed in her mind.

  She washed her hair twice, hoping it might help scrub the disturbing images from her brain, but it didn’t work. Maybe one of the Green dragons could create a selective memory-erasing drug. That would be awesome.

  By the time she made it to the living room, she smelled coffee. She peeked around the corner. Valmont waved and held a cup of coffee toward her. “I wondered when your nose would wake you up.”

  “Thank you.” She accepted the coffee and sat across from him. He seemed at ease this morning, so she relaxed back in her chair, took a sip, and sighed in satisfaction. At the moment, life was good.

  Valmont drummed his fingers on the table. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

  “No.” She set the cup of coffee down with a thump. “Whatever it is, just no.”

  “It’s not bad. I think something is bothering both of us.”

  “Can it wait until after I finish my coffee?” Just a few minutes of caffeinated bliss. That’s all she asked for.

  “Sure.”

  Once she was done, she scooted her chair back a bit, in case what he said really set her off. “What’s up?”

  “I think we’re both a little freaked out about the whole bond thing.”

  She nodded. Where is he going with this?

  “I need you to listen to my words and really hear what I’m saying. Don’t jump to any conclusions. If what I say isn’t clear, ask questions. As your knight, I will never leave you. I will never want to stop being your knight. But, the fact that you could get sick if we get in an argument terrifies me.”

  He was worried about her health. She relaxed back in her seat. “To avoid any fatal illnesses, how about I promise to understand that we may fight but you will never abandon me, like Jaxon threatened to do to Rhianna yesterday. That’s where some of this is coming from, isn’t it?”

  “The look on her face when he threatened to end things with her…” He shook his head. “I was about thirty seconds from punching him.”

  “I’m quite familiar with that feeling.”

  “Did you see the look on her face?” Valmont asked. “At first she was sad, but then she looked angry. I bet if he tried to pull that crap again, she’d call his bluff.”

  “The sad part is, he wasn’t bluffing.”

  “You think he’d really leave her?”

  She nodded.

  “Why would he do that? He obviously cares about her.”

  “As much as he’s capable of caring about anyone. If Rhianna ever crosses him, or he feels like she does, he’d walk away and never look back.” And then she might die in a car accident.

  “I’ve lived around dragons my whole life, but some of their logic makes no sense to me.”

  “At least you’ve had time to take it all in. I was dumped into this world without an instruction manual. For some of this crap, there is a steep learning curve.”

  Valmont stood and held out his hand. “Come here.”

  She stood and took the hand he offered. He led her over to the couch, where he sat down, and pulled her onto his lap. It felt natural. She laid her head on his shoulder and let the sense of warmth and security surround her.

  “This feels right.” He ran his hand through her hair.

  “It does feel right.” His fingernails grazed her scalp, making her shiver. “No matter what weird stuff happens, promise you’ll always be there for me.”

  “I promise.”

  Medic Williams’s warning played on a loop in the back of her mind and kept her from relaxing completely. Keeping the information from Valmont felt wrong. “While you were picking up food the other day, Medic Williams lectured me about reining in my feelings for you. She said I shouldn’t have gotten so sick so quickly.”

  Valmont was silent.

  “I don’t know what she expects us to do.” Bryn brushed hair out of her eyes. “Any ideas on how to handle all this?”

  He ran his hand up and down her arm. “I don’t have a clue.”

  At least they were on the same page. “So we forge ahead like everything is normal?”

  “Define normal.”

  “Good point. I guess we move forward and hope for the best.”

  He yawned. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep much last night.”

  “We could take a nap,” she suggested.

  “That sounds good, but you still need to fill me in on what happened with those wild Black dragons.”

  “First off, I signed papers saying I would never speak about this, so you can’t tell anyone. Ever.” To emphasize how serious this was, she added. “Clint and Ivy don’t even know the truth of what happened with Alec.”

  “You can trust me not to share,” Valmont said.

  “Okay. Here’s the short version. Alec drugged and kidnapped Jaxon and his mother. He planned to kill me, too. We fought. I rescued Jaxon and Lillith. Zavien finished off Alec.”

  Valmont stared at her like she’d spoken in a foreign language, and then words burst out of him like water from a ruptured pipe. “Why in the hell would the Directorate cover that up? People need to know the Black dragons in the forest are dangerous.”

  Bryn sighed. “Jaxon’s Uncle Merrick, who is also a member of the Directorate, said if Alec’s friends knew he died by our hand, they’d come after us. They probably suspect that’s what happened, but they can’t prove it.”

  “But—” Valmont’s mouth hung open for a moment before he snapped it shut and rubbed his chin. “How many times has the Directorate changed facts to suit their purpose?”

  “I think it’s how they do business. Not that it’s right.” Bryn snuggled up against him. “I have this fantasy where I find a community of nice hybrids, and I become their voice on the Directorate.”

  He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. “That’s a nice dream. Speaking of dreaming, I think it’s nap time.” Valmont scooted lower on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. “Does that work for you?”

  “Yes.”

  Bryn lay there listening to the comforting rhythm of Valmont’s heartbeat, but her mind wouldn’t stop spinning. She trusted Valmont not to share her secrets. What did that make him? A good friend? A confidant? They were more than that. She cared for Valmont, and she knew he cared about her, but after the relationship debacle with Zavien, she didn’t trust her own instincts. The irony of the situation hit her. She’d been sure of her love for Zavien, but due to the arranged marriage laws, they could never be together. She liked Valmont, but wouldn’t go so far as to say she loved him because it was all so new. Due to the bond, and no matter how she and Valmont truly felt, they could never be apart. Fate had one hell of a sense of irony.

  …

  Monday morning at breakfast, Bryn checked to see if Rhianna had the solidarity bracelet on her book bag. She did. The crystal charms twinkled and caught the light on the black leather strap of the bag. It probably showed up better there than it would have on her wrist. Maybe she’d start a trend.

  “What are you looking at?” Ivy asked.

  Bryn turned back around to face her tablemates. “I was checking on Rhianna. It looks like she has the bracelet situation under control.”

  Clint shook his head. “Someone
needs to knock some sense into Jaxon.”

  “I volunteered,” Valmont said. “Bryn said no.”

  Everyone at the table laughed. Bryn forced a smile even though she wanted to tell them this wasn’t something they should talk about in public. Oh, crap. When had her grandmother invaded her head?

  “New topic,” Bryn said. “Was there any news in the Black dorm about when Stagecraft will start again?”

  “Yes, and people aren’t happy about it. The Directorate made a statement about the Arts not being a high priority,” Clint said. “Maybe it’s not a high priority for them, but to my Clan it is.”

  “Did they forbid you from fixing the theater building?” Valmont asked.

  “What do you mean?” Ivy asked.

  “Just because they aren’t going to fix it, doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed by someone else.” Valmont sipped his coffee. “Right?”

  “Could we work on it without their permission?” Ivy asked.

  “Let’s find out.” Clint stood and walked over to a table of Black dragons. He spoke with them and then they all started talking at once. Half of them stood and approached other tables of students and the pattern repeated like ripples in a pond.

  Clint returned to his seat with a sly grin on his face. “I think we started something.”

  Across the cafeteria, students of Red, Black, and Green Clans shared information between the tables. “They’re leaving out the Blues,” Bryn said.

  “Let’s see how long it takes a Blue to ask someone what’s going on,” Ivy said. “I bet Jaxon sends Rhianna over here to find out.”

  “No. He’ll want the information first hand,” Bryn said.

  Valmont tilted his head and studied her. “It’s scaring me that you understand how he thinks.”

  “It terrifies me,” Bryn said. “Blame my grandparents.”

  “And here he comes.” Clint sat back and threw an arm over the back of his chair, like he was totally relaxed and didn’t see anyone approaching.

  Jaxon came to the table and stood glaring at Clint. “Are you going to tell me, or are you waiting for me to ask?”

  “I’m waiting for you to ask.” Clint raised an eyebrow in challenge.

  “Fine.” Jaxon spoke in a tone like he didn’t really care. “What did you tell the other students that they are passing around?”

  “Some of us would like to see the theater building repaired. Since the Directorate doesn’t have the time or the manpower to do the job, we’re going to do it ourselves.”

  Jaxon shook his head. “You can’t do that.”

  “Why not?” Bryn asked. “It’s not like the Directorate banned anyone from fixing the building. They said they weren’t going to do it. The students would be helping.”

  “The Clan who paid to have the building built will be the one to restore it,” Jaxon stated like it was law.

  “They’ll restore it with their own hands, or they’ll pay the other Clan members to restore it?” Ivy said, “Because those are two different things.”

  “The Blue Clan will fund the repairs at the appropriate time,” Jaxon said. “Then the work will be contracted out to professionals who won’t screw anything up.”

  Jaxon would hate what Bryn was about to say, and that knowledge gave her a big warm fuzzy. “If you’re worried about the design of the building, why don’t I call my grandmother and ask if she’d like to help with the planning. That way a Blue would be in charge.”

  Jaxon reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Bryn, do you remember when I said all the irritation in my life leads back to you?”

  “I do.”

  “That truth still holds.” He turned and stalked back to his table.

  Valmont high-fived Bryn. “Well played.”

  “Your grandmother trumps Jaxon’s Directorate rhetoric.” Ivy laughed. “I love it.”

  After classes, Bryn called her grandmother and explained the situation. “So what do you think? Can you use your influence to sidestep the Directorate and help us restore the theater building?”

  “I’m proud of you, Bryn. You’re learning how to play the game.”

  “Thank you. You should have seen the look on Jaxon’s face.”

  “I’m sure it will be similar to the look on your grandfather’s face at dinner tonight when I tell him about my plans. For this to work, I need you to spread the word among the students that the Women’s League is sponsoring the repairs for the theater.”

  “I can tell people at dinner.”

  “No. Start right after we hang up. Call someone from each dorm and ask them to spread the word.”

  “No problem.”

  Bryn called Clint and Ivy, who promised to pass the word around their dorm. Then she contacted Garret who promised to take care of the Green and Red dorms, since he had contacts from his support group.

  “Thank you, Garret. I wasn’t sure who to call.”

  “One side effect from the support group is being more comfortable with members of other Clans. Maybe working together on the theater building will encourage more cross-Clan friendships.”

  The image of the dead boy who was half Red and half Black dragon flashed in her mind. “That would be great, but let’s not advertise that aspect. My grandfather doesn’t approve of cross-Clan interaction and we don’t want to draw his attention.”

  After she finished her phone calls, Valmont took one look at her face and said, “In your head, you’re mentally taunting Jaxon.”

  “I am.” Bryn grinned. “And I’m doing one hell of a victory dance.”

  …

  Tuesday night, Bryn, Valmont, and the rest of the Stagecraft students sat in the auditorium listening to her grandmother talk about the planned restoration.

  Dressed in a pale lilac suit, her grandmother stood in front of the empty space where the stage should’ve been, gesturing at a placard with designs for the new theater. “We’ve chosen to go with a theme featuring colors from each Clan interspersed throughout. The curtains will be navy. The carpet will be a pattern featuring black, orange, and red. The seats will be forest green.”

  “Are we going to be doing any of the work?” Clint asked Bryn.

  “I don’t know.” Given her grandmother’s personality, she’d probably hire a staff to take care of it.

  “I’m sure some of you are wondering what you can contribute.” Bryn’s grandmother seemed to zero in on Clint. “The answer is simple. You can contribute what you wish. If you’d like to help with painting or installation of the new stage, you can show up here Thursday evening and offer your assistance to the workers I’ve hired. If you’d rather wait to see the finished product, that’s fine, too.”

  “That last part,” Valmont said, “was directed at the Blues.”

  Bryn glanced around. “I don’t think there’s a single Blue here.” Neither Zavien nor Nola were present, either, which was weird.

  “Maybe the Blues are boycotting the whole thing,” Ivy said.

  And miss the opportunity to boss others around? Bryn didn’t think so. “They’ll probably show up Thursday once the plans for the theater get around.”

  “Thank you for coming and being such attentive listeners,” her grandmother said in a way that made Clint and Valmont slide lower in their seats. “Refreshments will be served in the back of the room. Please feel free to socialize.”

  “I’m going to say hello.” Bryn popped out of her seat and headed for her grandmother with Valmont in tow.

  “Your design is beautiful,” she told her grandmother. “It reminds me of the fall leaf decor of my bedroom.”

  “Thank you. That was my inspiration.” Her grandmother nodded at Valmont. “How are things going between you two?”

  “Fine.” Valmont’s cheeks colored. “I’m sure you heard about our bump in the road, but I can assure you nothing like that will happen again.”

  “Good.” She gestured toward the back of the room. “Let’s have a drink.”

  Punch in hand, Bryn and her Grandmother st
ood off to the side, while Valmont watched from a few feet away.

  “Did I make a mistake in appointing him your bodyguard?” her grandmother asked.

  “No.” Bryn sipped her punch while she tried to figure out what to say next. “The nature of the bond has changed since we fought in battle together, and it’s taken some getting used to.”

  “What do you mean?”

  So much for an easy explanation and glossing over the details. “Honestly, I think it heightens our emotions. I have abandonment issues, and he is insecure. When you put both of those together, it’s complicated.”

  “All relationships are complicated. What you need are some ground rules. The first rule, should be that your relationship cannot cross the line into anything beyond friendship.”

  That didn’t seem fair. “I don’t think it can help crossing beyond friendship. When we fly together, it’s like we’re one person. The feelings that come away from that are hard to ignore.”

  “Ignore them you must. Anything else will be inappropriate, and you’ll be setting yourself up, and I do mean both of you, for disappointment. I’m sure you’ve heard the lineage check with Jaxon came back compatible. It’s only a matter of time before the Directorate approves your marriage contract. That means you will marry Jaxon.”

  If she’d eaten any of the cookies from the buffet, they would’ve come back up. “We don’t know that for sure.”

  Her grandmother placed a hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. “You promised me once that you would never run away.”

  “I did.”

  “And do you intend to keep that promise?”

  “I do.” What was her grandmother trying to say?

  “Then you will marry Jaxon and you will do so with a smile on your face.”

  “So those are my choices? Marry Jaxon or break my promise to you? Because both of those options suck.”

  Her grandmother brushed Bryn’s hair back off her forehead. “The second option would suck more than the first.”

  Bryn laughed. “I can’t believe you said that.”

  “You’re a bad influence.” Her grandmother leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. “You have years before marriage to Jaxon becomes a reality. While you’re here at the Institute you should enjoy your friends and spend time with your knight. After you’re married, you may not see much of each other.”