Burning Bright

by Chris Cannon

  “Who do you think our guinea pig will be today?” Janelle asked.

  “I don’t know.” Bryn squirmed in her seat. “I know we need to practice on people and these dragons who volunteer to work with us are over eighteen, but I don’t know why anyone would agree to being poked and prodded by amateur Medic students.”

  “I think they get extra credit,” Janelle said.

  “All right, class,” Medic Williams said. “Today I’m setting you up with volunteers who have minor scrapes and cuts. I’ll be monitoring your progress. Please respect the volunteer’s privacy.”

  Bryn kept her eyes on the stream of older students and adults who entered the classroom. When Zavien walked in and headed straight for her, she was at a loss for words.

  “Hello, Bryn.” He sat between her and Janelle, looking more like his old self, minus the spiked hair.

  “Zavien? What are you doing here?”

  “I’m volunteering for the greater good,” he said. “And for the extra credit.” Amusement flashed in his dark brown eyes. “It was either this, or nude modeling for the art class.”

  Bryn’s face heated. “That seriously can’t be an option.”

  Zavien grinned. “Ask Clint and Ivy.”

  “So how do you two know each other?” Janelle asked.

  “Sorry,” Zavien turned on the charm, smiling at Janelle. “Didn’t mean to ignore you.” He held out his hand. “I’m Zavien. Bryn and I met when she first came to school.”

  That was one way to put it.

  “I’m Janelle.” She shook his hand.

  “All right, class, now that you’ve introduced yourselves, please take turns healing your volunteer.”

  A nervous feeling settled in Bryn’s stomach. While she’d fantasized about injuring Zavien when he’d ducked out on her during their pseudo-relationship, she had no desire to injure him now. “So…why are you here?” He didn’t appear to be hurt.

  He unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and rolled up his sleeves exposing his forearms, which were covered in scrapes.

  “What did you do?” Bryn asked.

  “I was working on a wooden sculpture last night, but the oak fought back. I kept scraping my forearms.”

  “Why didn’t you go to a Medic right after this happened?” Bryn asked.

  “I did. She mentioned that I could volunteer today and receive extra credit.” He flexed his forearm. “It’s not like it hurts. It’s more annoying than anything and if there’s any way to graduate early and get out of here, I’m willing to give it a shot.”

  “Too many memories?” Bryn asked.

  Zavien nodded and stared straight into her eyes. “Too many memories and too many bad decisions.”

  Bryn blinked. Was he talking about their failed relationship? No. He was probably thinking about Nola.

  She broke eye contact and placed her fingertips on his forearm. “Let me know if this is uncomfortable.” She focused her life force in her chest and then imagined the Quintessence flowing from her fingertips like beams of healing light.

  Janelle worked on his right arm while Bryn worked on his left. Time seemed to slow down, and she traced her fingertips over the scratches and scrapes while she imagined the skin mending itself…returning to its unblemished state. The fact that she was touching Zavien made the whole thing disconcerting, and he was smiling at her like they shared some sort of secret. They didn’t. At one time she had fallen for him, but it had been a first crush, not first love. Although it hadn’t felt that way at the time. What she’d felt after Valmont had broken things off with her…that had been far more devastating, but maybe that had to do with the dragon-knight bond they’d shared. At least she’d never have to worry about having her heart broken again. She’d never have the chance because she’d never have the opportunity to fall in love…which was depressing and reassuring at the same time.

  It took ten minutes to heal Zavien’s injuries. “There you go.”

  He held out his arm and turned it over, looking at it from all angles. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Maybe you should invest in a pair of protective gloves.”

  “Not a bad idea. Or I could go back to painting. My paints never fought back.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.” The way Zavien was looking at her and talking to her reminded her of how things had been when they’d first met…when they’d been friends, which was kind of nice.

  Janelle was still working when Medic Williams came over to check on Bryn’s progress.

  “Nice job, Bryn.” She checked the arm Janelle worked on. “Try focusing on one scrape at a time rather than healing the whole arm.”

  “Okay.” Janelle frowned and concentrated. Soon the scrapes and cuts began to disappear.

  “Much better,” Medic Williams said.

  Once Janelle was finished, Zavien stood and rolled his shoulders. “That was oddly relaxing.”

  Later, in Basic Movement, Bryn told Clint and Ivy about her experience healing Zavien. “At first it was awkward, and then it felt sort of okay. Is that wrong?” Bryn asked.

  “No. He has kind of paid his dues,” Clint said.

  And then she remembered something. “Do people really volunteer to pose nude for art classes?”

  “Yes,” Clint said. “And most of the time it’s someone our parents’ age, which is disturbing.”

  “It’s not sexy,” Ivy said, “if that’s what you’re wondering. It’s more…hellaciously awkward.”

  Bryn cringed. “I can’t imagine. Have you ever known any of the people who have volunteered?”

  “Not so far,” Clint said. “And that’s a good thing.”

  “What are we going to do today?” Bryn asked, gesturing at the joust station, the weight lifting area, and the treadmills.

  “That depends,” Ivy said. “Do you want to punch something or whack something with a giant cotton swab?”

  The joust featured two platforms raised high in the air where students faced off with jousting sticks which resembled giant foam-tipped cotton swabs. You could push people around with them but not really hurt anyone. It felt like being hit with a couch cushion. Although being knocked off the pedestal into the pit of foam blocks below was still unnerving…especially since she’d once landed on a javelin buried in the pit.

  She shook off the remembered sensation of the metal tip driving through her thigh. Jaxon had been the one to help her that day. Funny how that was one of her positive memories of him. “There are days when I feel like my life is a game where people keep changing roles. Jaxon used to be evil, now he’s mostly my ally, with a dose of asshat and sadness thrown in. Zavien used to be my friend, my sort of boyfriend, the guy I most wanted to blast into a cinder, and now he’s an acquaintance I could become friends with again.”

  “At least we’ve stayed your friends the whole time,” Ivy said.

  “Yes. You have,” Bryn said. “Thank you for that.”

  “You’re welcome. Now let’s go see who we can knock off one of the platforms,” Clint said.

  …

  At lunch Bryn was surprised when Zavien approached their table. He wasn’t carrying a tray, so he probably hadn’t been through the buffet line yet. “Can I ask you a question about what you did to my arms?”

  “Sure.”

  He sat down, rolled up his sleeves, and held out his arms. “It may just be a difference in skill level, but the arm you fixed feels normal.” He held out the arm Janelle worked on. “My right arm feels weak, and does the skin look strange, or is it just me?”

  Bryn traced her fingers over the arm Janelle worked on. “It’s not just you. You almost look dehydrated. Let me try something.” She focused Quintessence through her fingertips into his forearm. His skin returned to a normal color and his muscles flexed and filled out. Once she stopped they compared the two arms. “There you go. You now have a matched set.”

  “Thanks.” He rolled his shirt sleeves back down. “What do you think she did wrong?”

  “I don’t know.
She’s new at this. It’s like she used your own Quintessence to heal your injuries rather than using hers.”

  “Maybe you should tutor her before she works on someone else.” He grinned and headed for the buffet line.

  Clint cleared his throat. “You’re about to have company.”

  Jaxon came to their table and he was carrying a lunch tray. Without asking he sat and said, “I hadn’t planned on eating with you but since you were just seen touching your ex-boyfriend in a strange manner, I thought I’d come say hello.”

  “You mean Bryn hasn’t told you about her forearm fetish?” Clint asked.

  Jaxon snorted in response.

  Bryn laughed. “It’s not like I was groping him. He was one of the guinea pigs in my Quintessential Meds class today. My partner didn’t do such a great job on his arm so he asked me to look at it,” she explained about Janelle.

  “Maybe she should change her field of study,” Jaxon said.

  “Or maybe she’s a Quintessence-sucking vampire,” Clint said. “A dragon-pire.”

  Jaxon paused mid chew and looked at Clint like he’d just said something insane…which he sort of had. After chewing and swallowing Jaxon said, “What are you talking about?”

  Clint explained about the Silver dragons and the theory that the Cult might be making a comeback.

  Jaxon reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “We just fought off a Rebel uprising. For the first time in the history of the Institute, hybrids and throwbacks have been welcomed onto the campus. I am not mentally prepared to deal with an evil Quintessence sucking cult, so I sincerely hope you’re wrong.”

  “But you’re not dismissing the idea completely,” Clint said.

  “If this involved anyone but Bryn…” Jaxon didn’t bother finishing his sentence.

  “We’ve decided she’s a chaos magnet,” Ivy said.

  Jaxon nodded. “Sounds about right.”

  “What can I say?” Bryn shrugged. “I lead an interesting life.”

  Chapter Twelve

  That night after dinner, Bryn went to speak with Medic Williams in the infirmary.

  The Medic looked up from the file she was reading. “Bryn, are you injured?”

  “No. I wanted to talk to you about something and I didn’t want to do it in front of the class.”

  “Okay.” She closed the file and placed it on a stack to her right. “Have a seat.”

  Bryn sat in the hard-plastic chair in front of Medic William’s desk. Hopefully she wasn’t about to make a mistake. Maybe she should hedge her bets a little bit. “This is going to sound weird, and it’s probably all in my head.” And then she launched into the story about Zavien’s forearms and Clint’s dragon-pire theory.

  “That is odd.” She tapped her nails on the desktop. “Janelle is inexperienced, but that was also a low-level injury. Before we decide a dangerous cult is back on campus, I’ll have a talk with her.”

  “I’m beginning to understand how those conspiracy theorists feel,” Bryn said. “I feel like I’m overreacting all the time but if I don’t say something I’m afraid it could lead to disaster.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I think we all feel that way after the attack on campus. Dragons I’d known my whole life had been Rebels, and I never had a clue that they were anything but what they said they were. Feel free to bring your suspicions to me. I’m always willing to listen.”

  “Thank you. Hopefully, I won’t have to take you up on that offer.”

  Later that night, Bryn tossed and turned. Her mind wouldn’t stop spinning speculations about possible spies. Was Janelle part of a cult? Did Silver dragon-pires even exist? Why couldn’t she stop focusing on all this weird crap and fall asleep? At least tomorrow was Friday. Not that she had any special plans, but two days spent either hanging out with Clint and Ivy or hiding in her room reading books, eating pizza, and avoiding the world in general, sounded fabulous.

  …

  In Quintessential Medicine the next day, before class started, Janelle was too quiet. Bryn got a funny feeling in her stomach. Had Janelle heard that Zavien had come to Bryn or that she’d spoken to Medic Williams? It’s not like Bryn had ratted her out. If Clint hadn’t put the idea of Quintessence sucking dragon-pires into her head, she wouldn’t have gone to Medic Williams. Should she bring it up?

  “Class, we are low on volunteers for healing at the moment, so we are going to read over some interesting case studies.”

  Bryn doubted the interesting part. She leaned toward Janelle. “I was hoping this class would be mostly hands on.”

  Janelle nodded. “Me, too.”

  Medic Williams passed out bound copies of case files. “The names and other personal information have been redacted. Focus on how the Medics diagnosed the patients rather than the actual treatment. Not every injury is clear-cut. You need to be part detective to be a good Medic.”

  Bryn read the first few lines. A female dragon had been admitted to the clinic with a strange rash. Not exactly a page turner.

  Janelle scooted her desk closer to Bryn’s. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.” Please don’t let this be awkward.

  “Why did Zavien have you look at his arms yesterday?”

  And it’s awkward. How could she say this without putting Janelle’s efforts down? “One of his arms felt a little weaker,” Bryn said, not specifying which one.

  “Crap,” Janelle said. “I screwed up. Didn’t I?”

  “No.” Bryn stalled for time. “I think you stopped just short of putting on the finishing touches. The skin was healed, but he needed a little bit more of a boost, if that makes sense.”

  “Medic Williams’s watching made me nervous,” Janelle said. “I guess I stopped when the cuts were healed and didn’t think to finish up.”

  “No big deal,” Bryn said. “We are here to learn.”

  “As a Green, there’s pressure to always do the best job possible. Sometimes I get distracted. I’m not the perfectionist most of my fellow Greens are.”

  “That’s not a bad thing,” Bryn said.

  Someone shushed Bryn. She rolled her eyes. “Speaking of perfectionists,” she whispered, which made Janelle smile. Bryn went back to reading her case study. Thank goodness Janelle hadn’t been offended.

  In Basic Movement, Bryn ran on a treadmill next to Ivy while Clint used a stair climber.

  “What are we doing tonight?” Ivy asked.

  “What are our options?” Bryn asked.

  Ivy reduced the speed on her treadmill to a slow jog. “We can go to dinner in Dragon’s Bluff or eat pizza in your room and play cards.”

  “Are you still carrying around a deck of cards at all times?” Bryn asked Clint.

  “Yes. I think of them as my good luck charm,” he said. “Plus I rock at building card houses.”

  When they’d been trapped under the library, the hallways had seemed like a never-ending maze. Clint had left a card at every turning point in numerical order so they would know where they’d already been. Ever since then he’d carried a deck, just in case.

  “I used to build those with my dad,” Bryn said. And then another memory hit her. “I wonder if Valmont’s dad went through with his plan to create those pizza-shaped decks of cards he told Valmont about.”

  “If you’re talking about him, does that mean you’re ready to go to Fonzoli’s?” Ivy asked.

  Was she ready to go visit Valmont’s family restaurant? Dragon’s Bluff wasn’t very big. She’d bump into him eventually. Maybe it was better if she did it on her own terms. “I might be willing to give it a shot.”

  “Cool,” Clint said. “I’ve been craving Fonzoli’s pizza, but I didn’t want to mention it.”

  “And if it’s too weird we can order carryout and come back to campus,” Ivy said.

  Bryn nodded. Hopefully, she wouldn’t need to take that route.

  They took one of the sanctioned SUVs into Dragon’s Bluff that evening and had the driver drop them off down the st
reet from Fonzoli’s. Bryn inhaled the garlic and Italian-seasonings scent drifting through the air. “That smells amazing.”

  “It does,” Ivy said.

  Even though her mouth was watering, she wasn’t quite sure about this. She wouldn’t just be facing Valmont. His entire family had disapproved of their relationship…especially his grandmother. “If it’s super awkward we can leave, right?”

  “Yes,” Ivy said. “If it’s too much you can say you’re running to All That Sparkles to pick something up, and I’ll have them change our order to go.”

  “Okay.” She could do this. Clint walked into the restaurant in front of them. Bryn trailed behind Ivy. The hostess smiled at them like they were just another set of customers. Bryn scanned the room for Valmont but didn’t see him…thank goodness.

  The hostess seated them up front near the window. “Megan will be with you in just a moment.”

  Holy crap. Bryn hadn’t even thought about Megan, the cute young waitress who’d had a crush on Valmont…the human girl who could give him the simple, uncomplicated life that he wanted…that he deserved. Maybe coming here was a mistake.

  Megan approached with a smile on her face. The smile slipped a bit when she saw Bryn. “Welcome back to Fonzoli’s. Are you ready to order, or would you like me to bring your drinks while you look over the menu?”

  “Clint and I want to split a large sausage pizza,” Ivy said.

  “I’ll have two pepperoni calzones,” Bryn said, like the situation wasn’t all sorts of awkward.

  Megan stared at Bryn for a moment.

  “Something you want to say?” Bryn asked.

  Megan frowned. “Honestly, I’m stuck between wanting to yell at you and wanting to thank you.”

  And that’s when she understood. The spicy scent which had made her hungry moments before now made her slightly nauseous. “You got your wish. You’re with Valmont now.”

  Megan nodded.