Burning Bright

by Chris Cannon

“And yet life never seems to work that way,” he said. “Come on. We should go back downstairs before someone notices our absence and sends out a search party.”

  “Fine.” She followed him back inside. As she shut the rooftop access door, she said, “Do you think this should have been connected to some sort of alarm?”

  “Probably. I’ll send word to my father. He can do what he wants with the information.”

  They headed back downstairs to the second floor; when they’d almost reached her dorm room door, Jaxon’s friend Quentin approached from the opposite direction.

  “I need to speak to Quentin,” Jaxon said. “So I’ll see you later.”

  “Excuse me?” Was he blowing her off?

  He stopped walking and turned to look back at her. “We ate lunch and took a walk. I think that’s enough bonding time for one day.”

  “Fine by me. This was your idea in the first place.” She continued to her room. Once she was inside, she leaned back against the door. Huh? Why did it feel like she’d been blown off? And why did it bother her? It’s not like she wanted to spend time with Jaxon.

  She was, however, annoyed. Why? She headed for the couch, flopped down, and grabbed a throw pillow, playing with the fringed edge. Mentally, she ran over the day’s events in her head. Maybe she was annoyed because she’d had fun with him. They’d talked and joked around. She’d had one of those even-though-my-life-has-been-hijacked-and-I’m-being-forced-to-marry-my-former-frenemy-it’s-okay-because-we’re-in-this-together kind of camaraderie. And then he’d declared his obligation done and headed off to be with his actual friend.

  Then again, maybe she was irked because she didn’t want to be alone right now, but none of her friends lived in the same dorm. That had to be it. She was irritated that he had friends while they were on lockdown, and she didn’t.

  Bryn’s phone rang at eight thirty that night. Hopefully, it would be good news. She set her book down and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Bryn.” It was her grandmother. “How are you?”

  “Feeling a little stir-crazy, but other than that, I’m good.”

  “You’ll be happy to know that the restrictions should be lifted tomorrow morning.”

  “Did the investigators figure something out?” Bryn asked.

  “You must keep this to yourself, but they’ve investigated every lead. They’re going to let students roam about campus again, with heightened security in the hopes of capturing someone in the act.”

  “They’re using students as bait?” Bryn asked. That didn’t sound right.

  “No. They are using several college students who volunteered as bait. Since one of them is your former friend, Zavien, I wanted to warn you not to speak with him because he’ll be wearing a recording device.”

  “So if I said something snarky about Jaxon, his father would hear it,” Bryn said.

  “You can interpret my message that way if you like. I just didn’t want you interfering in the investigation since you have a way of ending up in the middle of things.”

  “I’m hoping that trend is over,” Bryn said. “Can I tell Clint and Ivy to watch what they say?”

  “You can tell them security has been heightened so they should be careful with what they say, but don’t mention the college students.”

  “I understand.” While she had her grandmother on the line, she might as well bring up something that had been on her mind. “Do you think we could have lunch with mom at some point in the near future?”

  “Well…Ephram is not ready to speak to your mother yet, but I think we could manage a civil lunch on neutral ground…maybe someplace in Dragon’s Bluff, like Suzette’s.”

  “I’d love that,” Bryn said.

  “How are things going with Jaxon?”

  There wasn’t anyone else she could talk to about Jaxon. “Something he did annoyed me.” She told her grandmother about him sort of blowing her off after lunch, but she omitted the part about them heading up to the roof.

  “So he asked you to lunch, went for a walk with you, and then went about his day like you were unimportant to him,” her grandmother said.

  That summed it up in a not-so-positive nutshell. “Sort of. Maybe I’m just being overly sensitive.”

  “Jaxon may be more evolved than men of past generations, but his actions today prove he isn’t too far removed from them. You can expect his dismissive behavior to continue and you can let it annoy you or you can learn not to be bothered by it. I suggest the latter. Your life may be intertwined with his, but it is still your own. Develop your friendships and your hobbies because you will need both later in life.”

  That was not the answer she’d been hoping for. “I don’t understand why he runs hot and cold. He acts like he’s my friend and then once he’s met his goal, he bails. It’s weird. That’s not how you’re supposed to treat your friends.”

  “I’m not sure Westgates have friends,” her grandmother said. “Ferrin has allies and enemies. That’s about it.”

  “But Jaxon has friends he hangs out with,” Bryn said. He’d just taken off with Quentin.

  “I hope he does, but I’m not sure you should count on being one of them.”

  “This conversation is starting to suck,” Bryn complained.

  “I’ll always tell you the truth, even if it’s not something you want to hear,” her grandmother said.

  …

  Bryn strolled around campus after breakfast Saturday morning with Clint and Ivy. “Both of you guys are feeling better now?”

  Clint nodded.

  Ivy said, “We’re back to normal. I have no idea what that was about. At least it went away quickly.”

  “And hopefully, it won’t come back,” Clint said.

  Bryn stretched, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine and the early morning breeze. “It feels so good to be outside.”

  “Agreed,” Clint said. “It’s not like I’m claustrophobic but the walls of my dorm room felt like they were closing in on me.”

  “I know what you mean,” Bryn said. “And I only had Jaxon for company which was kind of depressing. Which reminds me, I want your opinion on something.” She told them about Jaxon’s dismissive behavior. “Am I just being a drama queen?”

  “Not necessarily,” Ivy said. “He does change moods on a regular basis.”

  “Here’s my question,” Clint said. “Why do you expect him to act any different than he always has?”

  “Because of the way he acts like we’re a team when we’re in public,” Bryn said. “I don’t understand how it can totally be an act. Instead of acting like he’s my friend, why not just be my friend? It’s not that hard.”

  “As long as you’re fed and caffeinated on a regular basis, you’re pretty easy to get along with,” Clint said.

  “I know. So why does he flip back and forth like this?”

  “Ask him,” Ivy said. “You can guess all you want, but he’s the only one who has the answer.”

  “True, but what are the odds his answer won’t make me want to blast him to a cinder?”

  “Given his history, zero to none,” Clint said. “He is who he is. An elitist asshat with occasional moments of niceness.”

  Bryn sat on a bench under one of the new trees in the recently restored green areas. “Every time I think I have a handle on my life, someone switches up the cast or changes the rules.”

  “Look at it this way,” Ivy said. “The cast for your future is pretty well set. Maybe not with the people you expected or necessarily wanted, but at least they shouldn’t be changing.”

  “True.” Maybe she just needed to sit down with Jaxon and hash this out. If he said he wasn’t interested in a real friendship then she could move on…or flash fry him, depending on his level of rudeness.

  “So have you heard anything about dragon-pires?” Clint asked.

  “No, but I do know the powers-that-be are upping security again just in case someone evil really is running around campus.”

  �
�Great,” Clint said. “So we have to assume that someone is watching us all the time?”

  “Watching or listening,” Bryn said. “And that used to annoy me, but now I kind of understand.”

  “It was only a matter of time,” Clint stage whispered to Ivy. “Bryn has turned into the establishment.”

  “That is a scary thought,” Bryn said. And it might not be far from the truth, which was truly frightening.

  That night, Bryn called Jaxon’s room. He answered on the third ring.

  “Do you have time to stop by for a few minutes?” she asked. “I want to talk to you about something.”

  “How long will it take? I’m meeting friends in fifteen minutes.”

  That probably wasn’t enough time. “Never mind. Call me when you have half an hour to spare.”

  “What’s this about?” he asked.

  “It’s nothing life endangering,” she said. “Go out. Call me tomorrow some time.”

  “Okay.” And he hung up.

  Maybe calling him had been a mistake. Asking him if he could be her real friend sounded sort of desperate and ridiculous. His actions would prove more than his words. She should just forget about having any touchy-feely moments with him and move on with her life.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Bryn stared into her armoire, trying to find a balance between the person she was now and the person she was before she’d come to the Institute for Excellence. Her grandmother loved shopping and had succeeded in replacing most of Bryn’s casual clothes with nicer high-end clothing. Not that Bryn minded. Her grandmother had been very generous, but sometimes the clothes made her feel like an imposter.

  She grabbed her favorite jeans. Should she wear them? Would her mom wear jeans to a lunch this important? Then again, who knew what her mother had to wear. It’s not like she could have brought much with her when she’d been running for her life.

  Should she call her mom and ask if she needed to borrow something? Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? Nothing to be done about it now. She checked the alarm clock on her dresser. Her grandmother would arrive to pick her up in twenty minutes. Time to stop worrying about things beyond her control. She picked a simple navy dress and boots. That should appease her grandmother and not look too uppity to her mom.

  How would her mom be traveling to Suzette’s? That was another question Bryn hadn’t thought to ask. The students who traveled from Sanctuary came by SUV, so hopefully transportation would be provided. Why was she focusing on these things? Probably because she was worried about how her mom and grandmother would deal with being in the same room after all this time.

  Half an hour later, Bryn was hugging her mom in the nice back room of the restaurant while her grandmother acknowledged Sara with a nod.

  “Mother,” Sara said. “It’s nice to see you.”

  Marie Sinclair gave a tight smile. “Nice to see you, too, Sara.”

  The waitress delivered a round of ice water and left them to read the menu. From behind the piece of laminated plastic, Bryn said, “I don’t suppose there’s a way to skip over the awkward part and just be happy that we’re taking a step in the right direction?”

  Her mom and her grandmother both snorted in the exact same manner. Bryn laughed. “That must be genetic.”

  “Perhaps,” her grandmother said.

  Sara set her menu down. “I want to thank you for all you’ve done for Bryn. I know it couldn’t have been easy when you first met.”

  “We had a bumpy start,” Marie Sinclair said, “but eventually we found our footing.”

  “I’ve corrupted her a bit,” Bryn whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “She says things like ‘That sucks’ now.”

  Sara laughed. “I can’t imagine those words coming out of your mouth.”

  “We’ve all changed,” Marie said. “And no matter how at odds you and I may be, I commend you on raising such a strong-willed, loyal daughter.”

  “She is pretty great,” Sara said.

  Their food arrived. As they ate and made small talk, Bryn ignored the other patrons of the restaurant who seemed to be watching and waiting to see what would happen.

  “Should I just stand up and announce that there isn’t going to be a battle so everyone can go back to minding their own business?” Bryn asked.

  “No,” her mother and grandmother said in tandem. Again they sounded exactly the same, which made Bryn laugh. “I never noticed the similarities in your mannerisms and some of the things you say,” Bryn said.

  “How are things out at Sanctuary?” Marie asked.

  “We’re comfortable,” Sara said. “And everyone there seems to be genuinely happy that they no longer have to hide who they are.”

  Marie opened her mouth like she planned to say something and then she paused. “There are so many things that I want to say. Questions I want to ask about the path you chose, but this is not the place.”

  Uh-oh. It was only natural that her grandmother would be hurt by what her mom had done…running away in the middle of the night…rejecting everything she’d ever been taught about loyalty to the Clan.

  “I’m sorry for the pain I caused you,” Sara said. “But if I hadn’t done what I did, Bryn wouldn’t exist.”

  “Think of me as a sarcastic consolation prize,” Bryn said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

  Her grandmother didn’t smile or respond in any manner. Damn. Damn. Damn.

  What could she say to appease her grandmother? “Maybe fate is trying to heal this rift by having Jaxon and I marry. The Sinclairs and the Westgates are coming together in a different way than originally intended, but it’s still happening. Does that help?” Bryn asked, hoping she hadn’t laid it on too thick.

  “A bit,” her grandmother said. “I suggest we stick to less inflammatory topics for the remainder of this meal.”

  Now what? Bryn racked her brain for an interesting topic. “Jaxon likes to read,” she said. “So we’re having reading dates. He brings cookies and milk and we each enjoy our books without talking to one another.”

  “A Westgate brings you cookies and milk?” Her mom laughed.

  “I’m glad to see you’re finding a way to make the situation work,” her grandmother said.

  Was that a slap at her mom?

  Her mom didn’t seem to notice, so Bryn decided to ignore it, too.

  The rest of lunch was tense, but civil.

  After they finished dessert, her grandmother said, “Bryn, why don’t you come back to the house with me? I want to talk to you about the Christmas Ball.”

  And that was a pretty clear signal that her mom and dad wouldn’t be invited, which is what her mom had expected and probably preferred. “Sure.”

  They exited the restaurant together. All three of them headed over to the corner lot where SUVs waited to drive passengers where they needed to go.

  “It was nice seeing you, Mother,” Sara said.

  “It was. Over time I think it will become easier,” Marie reached over and touched her daughter on the cheek. Then she dropped her hand and backed up a step. “But I’ll never truly be able to forgive you.”

  Wham! Bryn sucked in a breath. It felt like someone had punched her in the gut. From the look on her mom’s face, she felt the same way.

  “I understand,” Sara said in a tight voice. “I regret that my actions hurt you, but I don’t, for one second, regret the path I chose.” She put her hand on Bryn’s shoulder. “Hopefully, we’ll come to an understanding that will benefit Bryn.”

  “I believe we will. Bryn, I’ll wait by the car while you say goodbye to your mother.” Marie walked over to the black SUV where her regular driver sat waiting for them.

  Feeling shell-shocked, Bryn just looked at her mom. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Her mom pulled her into a hug. “There’s nothing to say. I knew how this would end before we sat down to lunch, but she still caught me off guard. For now, this is the best happily-ever-after you can expect.”

  Bryn relea
sed her mom and backed up a step. “We’ll plan a pre-Christmas or a post-Christmas celebration at your cabin.”

  “That will work,” her mom said.

  Bryn schooled her features into a non-judgmental smile as she joined her grandmother in their car. Her best defense against becoming overly emotional would be to focus on something else. Something her grandmother would be excited about. “So what do you have planned for the Christmas Ball?”

  “This year I thought we’d have silver and gold trees rather than the traditional green.”

  “Sounds pretty.” Would the trees be made of real silver and gold? “What color ornaments would you use?”

  “I’m of two minds. My first thought was to decorate with blue, but then I thought about decorating the gold trees with silver and vice versa.”

  “If you go with gold and silver, maybe the stars on top could be blue or have blue in them?”

  “That might work. We’ll draw up some samples and see which is more eye-catching.”

  Once they were back at the Sinclair Estate, in the atrium, Bryn watched as her grandmother sketched trees decorated with different color combinations. They had avoided any mention of the lunch or her mother and that’s how Bryn wanted to keep it.

  “Can we put a tree near Ferrin’s table with a bunch of S’s on it?” Bryn asked.

  Her grandmother laughed. “I’m not sure he’d find that amusing, but that does remind me of something. Lillith has asked several times if you and Jaxon planned to move in with them while your estate was being built.”

  “Wait.” Bryn held her hand out to signal her grandmother should stop speaking. “I hadn’t planned on thinking about this until I was legally old enough to drink.” Because the idea of living under the same roof as Ferrin was enough to drive anyone to drink.

  “There’s something Lillith doesn’t know,” her grandmother said. “It’s something even Ephram doesn’t know.”

  Now she was curious. “What?”

  “I designed an estate for your mother. I meant to give it to her as a wedding gift.”

  “So you drew up plans for their home?” Bryn asked.

  “I did,” her grandmother said. “But there’s more to it than that. The estate is partially built. We stopped construction when…when I realized the house would no longer be needed. Right now it’s a shell with a few interior rooms. The plumbing and electricity haven’t been hooked up. There’s no flooring or paint on the walls, but the structure is there. Would you like to see it?”