by Chris Cannon
“Thanks for asking me. I had a nice time.” Good God, did that sound as lame as she thought?
“It was fun.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. A lovely, warm sensation filtered through her body. He pulled back and grinned. “See you in class tomorrow.”
She smiled like an idiot as he trotted away. When he was gone from sight, she entered the dormitory.
Chapter Twenty
In her room, she found signs Zavien had dropped by. Several pieces of carrot cake sat on her desk. Guilt gnawed at her for not being there when he visited. The more reasonable part of her brain pointed out he shouldn’t expect her to be waiting at his beck and call. The traitorous part of her brain admitted if he asked her on a date, she’d do cartwheels.
“All of you shut up.” She checked for a note. There wasn’t one. Unable to resist, she unwrapped a piece of cake and took a bite. The cream cheese icing melted in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she savored the spicy cake. Thinking she should at least call and thank him, she picked up the phone and dialed.
“I called to invite you over for cake.” She chuckled at her own joke as she popped another bite into her mouth.
“What cake?” he asked. “Did Keegan buy you cake? That’s supposed to be my job.”
Could he be jealous?
“I thought you brought me cake. It was here when I came in.” She licked a bit of icing off her finger. A strange aftertaste filled her mouth. “Can cream cheese frosting spoil if it sits out?”
“Probably. Why?”
A chill ran down her spine. Queasiness set in. “Crap. I think I’ve given myself food poisoning.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I—” A convulsion racked her body and knocked her from the chair.
Her muscles spasmed, arching her back off the floor. The pain took her breath away. She tried to call for help. An inarticulate growl emerged from her throat. Her arms and legs flailed independently. It felt like her muscles were trying to rip her body apart.
She smacked her forearm hard against the antique desk. Pain burned through her arm, made worse by the distinct sound of bones snapping. Her leg kicked out and then slammed down on the wooden chair. Her ankle bent sideways. Fresh agony swept down her leg. Her vision wavered. The last thing she saw before the world went dark was a flash of black scales.
…
Someone was screaming. She wanted them to stop. Her body was limp with pain and fatigue. A layer of warmth surrounded her, and the yelling faded. Grateful for the quiet, she drifted off to sleep.
When she became aware again, the pain was gone. In its place, a lovely numbness saturated her muscles. She fought to open her eyes.
The room was dark and murky. Either it was nighttime, or she wasn’t able to focus. From the smell of rubbing alcohol and antiseptic, she assumed she was in a hospital.
Voices argued. Her vision blurred. Colors were indistinct in the dim light. Blond, red, and black shifted together. Her eyes drifted shut, and she floated on the edge of consciousness while dragons growled.
Later, she woke because it was too quiet. Where had the voices gone? Was she alone?
There was pressure on her hand. It took effort, but she flexed her fingers.
“Bryn?”
“What happened?” Her voice came out harsh and raspy.
“She’s awake,” a familiar masculine voice called out.
Soft light came on, making her eyes water. Zavien’s face came into view.
“You’re going to be all right.” He held a straw to her lips. “Drink.”
The cold water soothed her sore throat.
A dark-complexioned woman appeared on the other side of her bed. “Don’t give her too much.”
Bryn growled in protest when he removed the straw from her mouth.
“I’m Medic Williams. We’ll let you have more when we’re sure you can keep it down. We had to purge your system to remove all traces of the poison.”
“Poison?” Bryn croaked. “Someone poisoned me?”
“Don’t ask too many questions now. Your friend has been shouting questions since he brought you here. We don’t have any answers.”
Zavien squeezed her hand. “We’ll find out who did this. They’ll pay.”
“Leave the investigation to us. Whoever did this will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” an upper-class male voice said.
Bryn searched the room. Merrick Overton stepped out of a shadow. A low growl erupted from her throat.
“I’m here as a legal representative. Put anything else from your mind. Although it was rude of you to send me a refund for a gift.”
She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that she’d been poisoned. Focusing her anger on Merrick was easier. “Why is he here?”
Zavien brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “Once word about the attack made the rounds, Keegan reported that Jaxon had threatened you in Dragon’s Bluff. Merrick came to represent Jaxon. Once we discovered that was unnecessary, Merrick stayed to help with the investigation.”
“Jaxon didn’t do it?” He would’ve been her first guess.
“No.” Merrick’s voice held disapproval. “Jaxon explained the conversation he had with you. While it was rude and juvenile, it didn’t show murderous intent.”
Wait a minute. “He just volunteered that information, and you believed him?”
“No,” Zavien said. “I pushed him.”
Jaxon as Puppet Boy. It wasn’t really funny, but Bryn laughed. “I bet he loved that.”
“We needed answers, and I didn’t trust him to tell the truth on his own. He did threaten to sue my family into bankruptcy afterward.”
Of course he did. Bryn stifled a yawn. “What time is it?”
“It’s two in the morning,” Medic Williams said. “You’re lucky. If Zavien hadn’t found you when he did, you wouldn’t be alive right now. Dragonbane is fatal.”
Goose bumps broke out on her arms. Had the key protected her after all? Was that why she had called Zavien? Her mind shifted to the ugly reality she didn’t want to face. “Someone tried to kill me?”
Zavien nodded.
This had to be some type of sick joke. “Why?”
“There are a number of reasons,” Merrick said. “You aren’t supposed to exist. You threaten the stability of society. The—”
What could she say to make him go away? Why not start with the truth? “I don’t like you.”
“You’ll get over that. Now, the important question isn’t why someone did this, it’s who had access to your room and knew about your odd propensity for eating large amounts of cake?”
If she felt better, she would’ve shot a fireball at his head. For now, she took a deep breath and considered the question. “I leave my window open so my friends can visit.”
“That’s not smart.” His tone was patronizing.
She spoke to the medic. “Am I healthy enough to shoot a fireball?”
“I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Fine. I live in the Green dorm. My friends don’t. They prefer to visit using the window. From now on, I’ll lock my window, and they can knock.”
“Wise decision. Who knows about the cake?”
“Anyone who attended orientation saw me eat carrot cake. In the dining hall, Zavien gives me cake if he eats with us.”
“Why?” Merrick asked.
“It’s part of an extended apology,” Zavien said.
“That doesn’t give us much to work with. Any of the students could’ve known about the cake.”
“Instead of grilling her, why don’t you find out where the cake came from?” the medic said. “We sent samples to the lab for analysis.”
“Was it the same cake you ate before?” Merrick asked.
“It seemed like the same cake.” How different could cake be? Not that she’d ever eat cake again.
“We’ll start with food service and see what we can discover.” Merrick stepped away from her bed and exited the room.
&nbs
p; Good riddance.
Zavien squeezed her hand. “I’ve had your things moved into my dormitory. You’re a few doors down from Ivy. She offered to be your roommate, but then her roommate would’ve been odd man out.”
Living alone wasn’t an issue. She was used to it. Plus, she’d be closer to her friends, and Zavien could visit more often.
“Thanks for moving me.” She yawned and drifted off to sleep. At the back of her mind, a thought pricked at her conscience. She should be thinking about Keegan rather than Zavien. When she woke again, she’d ask about the redheaded dragon.
…
Someone moved her arm. Bryn grumbled and attempted to turn over.
“Lie still,” a feminine voice commanded.
A hot sensation filtered through her right arm. She opened her eyes and saw Medic Williams staring intently at her forearm as she retraced an area with her finger.
“What are you doing?”
“You still have a hairline fracture. I’m mending it.”
Bryn could feel the heat in her arm but couldn’t figure out what was happening. “How’re you doing that?”
“Much the same way you change your hair color.”
Busted. “How’d you know?”
“I direct a flow of Quintessence into your body in order to heal you. I can feel where you’ve redirected yours.”
That made sense. Sort of. Either way, the process of healing with Quintessence intrigued her.
The woman ran her fingers over Bryn’s arm one last time. “All done. I wouldn’t recommend flying or competitive sports for a few days.”
“How’d you learn to heal bones?”
“I have a degree in Quintessential Medicine from the Institute. You should check into it. You’re a natural.”
Interesting idea. She moved her arm. “It doesn’t hurt. I feel pretty good. When can I leave?”
“I’d like to observe you one more day.”
Bryn’s stomach growled. “Can I eat?”
“Of course. I’ll send someone for a tray.”
Who would she send? Who would touch her food? “Can we have it tested for poison?”
“I see your point. I’ll send a friend to bring a tray from the dining hall. If they take it from the buffet line, we’ll know it hasn’t been tampered with.”
Half an hour later, Ivy and Clint arrived carrying three trays.
“We thought we’d join you.” Ivy gave Bryn a one-armed hug and then pulled a tray table over to the bed. After placing a tray loaded with chicken strips and fries within reach, Clint sat in the visitor’s chair, balancing a tray on his lap.
“Thanks, guys.” Bryn propped herself up with pillows. The savory scent of fried food made her mouth water.
Ivy sat at the foot of the bed. “How’re you feeling?”
“Tired. Angry. I can’t believe someone tried to kill me.”
“Some students think it’s because of the race,” Clint mumbled through a mouth of food.
“Chew and then talk,” Ivy said. “I don’t understand why they’d think that. It was a fun afternoon. Everyone said so. Everyone but Jaxon.”
Clint wiped his mouth. “I love that Rhianna beat him the second time. You should’ve heard him going on about how he was fatigued from the first race.”
How obnoxious would Jaxon be with a bruised ego? “Poor Rhianna.”
“Keegan came to visit a couple of times while you were sleeping,” Ivy said. “He asked if we’d been able to speak to you.”
While she liked Keegan, her true interest lay in Zavien. “What should I do about Keegan?”
“Date him,” Clint said.
“Ask him who his intended is,” Ivy suggested. “I bet she’s someone younger who’s not at school yet. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be free to date.”
Suddenly, she didn’t feel bad for harboring feelings for Zavien while seeing Keegan.
Ivy touched her arm. “You knew he’d have marital arrangements in place. Didn’t you?”
“I’m still adjusting to the whole arranged marriage thing. I must’ve blocked it out.” She shoved a few French fries in her mouth while she ignored the question her brain screamed for her to ask. Who was Zavien supposed to end up with? He was nineteen. His family would have petitioned for someone. He may already be approved. She pushed her tray away.
“What’s wrong?” Clint asked.
“The topic is killing my appetite.” She winced. Bad word choice. “I should say it’s dulling my appetite.”
“Ask him,” Ivy said. “I don’t know, and if I did, it wouldn’t be my place to tell you.”
“Whenever Keegan stops by, I’ll mention it,” Bryn said.
“I wasn’t talking about Keegan. That’s not who you’re worried about, either.” Ivy pointed at the tray of food. “Eat. You need to get your strength up.”
“Don’t make us go camping without you.” Clint spoke in a mock serious voice.
Camping? Wait, what day was it? She came up blank. Maybe she should start with time of day for better reference. “This is lunch, right?”
“Dinner,” Clint corrected.
“Today is Monday?”
Ivy shook her head. “It’s Wednesday.”
“It’s Wednesday night?” Bryn yelled.
Medic Williams appeared. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Wednesday. How long did I sleep? Why didn’t you wake me?”
The woman took Bryn’s hand. “Even though we purged your system, you had seizures for two days. The first time you were fully conscious was Tuesday. That was last night when you woke and spoke with Zavien and Merrick. You slept all day today until I woke you working on your arm.”
She’d lost three days. “The last thing I remember, it was Sunday. I ate cake. I had seizures and woke up here.”
“Your body was exhausted. Seizures take a lot of energy. Purging your system takes a huge toll,” Medic Williams said. “All you missed was a couple days of school. The teachers said you can make up the homework at your own pace.”
Bryn sniffled. It was all too much. Someone had tried to kill her. They’d almost succeeded. Zavien walked into the room, and she burst into tears.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Oh hell.” Zavien walked over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
She turned her face to his chest and let out all the frustration and rage in a flood of saltwater.
He stroked her hair. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Wednesday,” she blurted between sobs.
“Did you just figure out how long you’ve been here?”
“You should have told me.”
“I tend to avoid anything that causes this type of reaction.”
She wanted to stop crying, but her body wouldn’t stop producing tears. “It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not.”
She breathed in his summer rainstorm scent, and her tears slowed. “I don’t know how to deal with this. I’m so angry. I want to shoot fireballs at someone.”
“Merrick is down the hall. I can send for him if you want.”
She growled into his chest.
“That’s the Bryn I know. You’re supposed to be feisty and give people hell.”
She peered up at him. “It’s hard to give people hell when you’ve slept for three days.”
“True.” He moved his hand from her hair to her face where he trailed his fingertips down her cheek. “I bet you’re on a regular schedule after today. You’re eating dinner, and you’re having a coherent conversation. These are all good signs.”
His touch soothed her. “Have you told me everything?”
“What else do you want to know?”
“I don’t know what to ask. Are you keeping anything from me?”
His lips set in a thin line. “You had some minor injuries from thrashing around, which the medics treated.”
“Define minor.”
“It’s over and done with. Why dwell on it?” Zavien asked.
She needed to know.
That’s why. “Tell me.”
“Fine.” He looked into her eyes as he spoke. “You suffered a broken forearm, a broken ankle, and a fractured wrist.”
Bryn sucked in a breath. “How?”
“Dragonbane causes intense muscle spasms we refer to as seizures,” Medic Williams said. “The victim thrashes around so violently they break bones. Cranial trauma and internal bleeding result in death within hours. That’s why you were lucky to be found so quickly. That’s why you’re still alive.”
Bryn slumped back on the bed. “Someone hates me that much.”
“I’d bet this was political,” Zavien said, “not personal.”
“It feels pretty damn personal.” She examined her forearm and noticed a thin, pink line, like a new scar. She threw back the covers and noticed her right ankle showed similar signs of recent healing. On her left ankle, the charm bracelet winked in the light. Had Zavien recognized the key and insisted they leave it on? Did it matter?
Recuperating from broken bones in a human hospital took months. She sent out a silent prayer of gratitude to the skilled dragons who’d healed her body. Still, she wanted to understand what had been done to her.
“Tell me more about Quintessence.”
“Quintessence speeds the body’s natural healing process. I’m one of four Medics who worked on you for the first forty-eight hours. Once we had you restrained, where you couldn’t hurt yourself, we healed your bones. Purging the drug from your system took longer.”
She was surprised the Directorate would go to so much trouble. “The Institute provided all of this?”
“No.” Medic Williams shook her head, but gave no other explanation.
“Who paid for the extra medics?” Bryn asked.
“An anonymous donor,” Zavien said. “If you’d like to thank the individual, I’ll forward a card.”
“Why wouldn’t the person want me to know?”
“They have their reasons.” He retrieved a small, blue envelope from his back pocket. “I brought a thank you card. Write a nice note, and I’ll pass it along.”
