Fanning the Flames

by Chris Cannon

  “That sounds lovely, but Asher isn’t the only person who needs new clothes. I’m sure we could all use a few summer outfits to round out our wardrobes.”

  Sadness clutched at Bryn’s chest. Summers used to mean grilling hot dogs and wearing jean shorts and staying up late to watch the truly ridiculous monster movies her father had loved. All of that was gone. No more snow cones from the park. No more late-night card games betting pretzel sticks. No more simple anything, ever again. Bryn closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the pain, pushing back the tears. Once she had herself under control, she opened her eyes and pretended everything was fine because her parents were gone and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it except live her new life as best she could.

  “What’s your stance on wearing shorts?” Bryn asked her grandmother. “Just so I know what kind of battle I’m going to face when we go shopping.”

  “I tend to think of shorts as something for toddlers,” her grandmother said. “But capri pants can be fashionable.”

  Bryn had another question, “What do dragons do over the summer while they are wearing their fashionable capris?”

  “Normally, we travel, but this summer I have the feeling your grandfather and all the Directorate members will want to stick close to home.”

  “We can still have picnics and dances,” said Lillith.

  “Picnics sound like fun.” If she never went to another dance again, it would be too soon.

  Chapter Four

  After dinner, on the ride back to the Institute for Excellence, Bryn’s grandmother said, “It’s strange, I never would have spent much time with Lillith due to our family history with Ferrin, but I find I enjoy her company.”

  “She feels like the big sister I never had,” Bryn said.

  “I want you to be aware, and I haven’t discussed this with your grandfather yet, so please don’t repeat it, but she’s asked me to be Asher’s godmother.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” Bryn felt a surge of warmth for her grandmother.

  “I think so, too.” Her grandmother gave a sad smile. “It’s funny how fate brings people into your life.”

  As far as she was concerned, fate owed her and her grandmother a little happiness. “I wouldn’t mind babysitting for Asher.”

  “Have you ever cared for a baby?” her grandmother asked.

  “In my former life, I helped a few friends babysit their little brothers or sisters.”

  “While I’m in no hurry for you to make me a great-grandmother, it’s good that you enjoy children, and I’m sure Lillith would appreciate the help.”

  After reaching campus and saying their good-byes, Bryn and Valmont headed up to her dorm room. He had been uncharacteristically quiet this evening. Which could he be more upset over, the awkward employee/employer relationship issue or the constant in-his-face reminders that she might have to marry Jaxon?

  As they headed up the stairs in the Blue dorm, two females Bryn didn’t know came down the stairs toward her. “Hello,” Bryn said, smiling at them.

  The girls froze for a moment, like they didn’t know how to respond, then they both gave polite nods and continued down the stairs.

  Once they were out of range, Bryn said, “That was almost funny.”

  “Are you enacting the I’m-not-going-anywhere-so-you-might-as-well-suck-it-up-and-deal-with-it plan?”

  “Yes. Do you like it?”

  “I’m not sure it’s going to work.” Valmont’s tone bordered on irritated and disinterested.

  Something was definitely not right. “Pajamas and then couch time?” Bryn asked as she unlocked the door to her room.

  “I’d like that.”

  Bryn retreated to her room and carefully took off the bracelet and earrings. Strangely enough, she’d forgotten she was wearing them, which was weird. The jewelry probably cost more than what a normal person would pay for a car. Changing into black yoga pants and a red tank top made her feel less like an entitled Blue and more like her normal self.

  Valmont waited on the couch, wearing gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt. There was a furrow between his brows and a straight set to his mouth, which meant he needed to talk.

  “Feel free to vent or gripe about anything that happened this evening.”

  “It’s not a gripe really…more of a rant.” He reached up and rubbed his forehead. “The Westgate’s have a freaking forest inside their house. A forest. What the hell? Who lives like that? And why? Why do they think they need—or deserve—to live like that? It’s ridiculous. I mean, I knew the Blues were wealthy, but the idea that someone is rich, versus the reality of a freaking forest inside a house… It’s just… I don’t have the words for how absurd the whole situation is.”

  This was about the trees? Okay. What could she say? “I agree. It’s an insane amount of wealth. I’d love to redistribute it Robin Hood style, but I don’t think my grandfather would allow that.”

  “What really bothers me is, they act like it’s normal. Like they have every right to own all these ridiculous things. And in my life, or what used to be my life, I saw other dragons count out nickels and dimes to pay for lunch at Fonzoli’s. And my family…every year we wait to turn on the air conditioning in the house until it’s necessary because of the expense. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we’re comfortable. No one is suffering. No one goes without food, but…” He seemed at a loss for words. Throwing his hands up he said. “They have a freaking forest in their house.”

  “I get it. My parents weren’t rich. They worked to pay the bills, and we ate a lot of mac-n-cheese…and sometimes it was generic mac-n-cheese. I never thought we went without. I was happy. And now…now my grandmother wants to take me shopping and spend obscene amounts of money on fashion. It’s hard to integrate the two worlds.”

  “I know one thing for sure. If Ferrin had been there, I would not have been invited to eat dinner with you. And in the grand scheme of things, it shouldn’t bother me, but it does.”

  “I wouldn’t have eaten dinner if they hadn’t added a place setting for you,” said Bryn.

  “Yes, you would have…for your grandmother’s sake, and I understand that, but I really don’t like it.” He stood. “Being around such a ridiculous amount of entitlement made my head hurt. And the idea that you’re going to be a part of that world makes my head want to explode.”

  “No matter what happens, I promise I will never act like a Westgate,” Bryn said.

  “No, but you’ll become one eventually,” Valmont said. “And maybe that’s what’s really bothering me.”

  Well, hell. What can I say? “Just so you know, the idea that I might have to become a Westgate one day is the stuff my nightmares are made of. It’s terrifying. Like some sort of Devil’s Bargain. I can have a life as a shape-shifting dragon, but only if I marry someone who I don’t love—who is obnoxious 80 percent of the time.”

  “There is no good answer to this problem,” Valmont said. “I’d say we should run away together, but I’d never leave my family and I’d never ask you to leave yours.”

  “We have a plan, remember?” Bryn reminded him. “You and me living in one wing while Rhianna and Jaxon shack up in the other.”

  “And while this multi-winged estate is being built, which takes who-knows-how-much time, you’ll be living with Jaxon’s parents. So how will that work? Will you hide me in the closet? Sneak me in through the butler’s pantry?”

  That did add a new and not-so-fun variable to the equation. “I don’t know. My life is basically one of those choose-your-own-ending adventure books. Fate keeps throwing new and strange plot twists at me, and all I can do is pick the path that seems to make the most sense.”

  “That’s an interesting interpretation.” Valmont yawned. “I can’t think any more big thoughts tonight.”

  “I’m going to bed.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Good night.”

  Rather than stretching out on the couch with her, he headed for his room. Maybe he needed some
time alone. Not that she could blame him. It had been a strange day. Still, she felt oddly abandoned.

  Maybe she should focus on what she could change. They still needed a Red dragon and knight to help search through the vaults under the library.

  …

  The next day in Elemental Science, Bryn pulled Keegan aside. “This is going to be a weird conversation, but my grandfather asked me to find a Red dragon I trusted who is willing to take on a knight to help in the investigation against the Rebels.”

  “Why would I need a knight to help you?” Keegan asked.

  “This is where the weirdness kicks in.” Bryn gave him an abbreviated rundown of Blood Magic and how the Institute would assign him a male knight.

  “Seriously?” Keegan glanced back and forth between Valmont and Bryn like this might be some sort of joke.

  They both nodded.

  He rubbed his chin. “If you need my help, I’m in, but this is really messed up.”

  “Welcome to my life,” Bryn said. “It’s odd, but it’s never boring. We’ll let you know when they have a knight lined up for you.”

  After class, Bryn let Mr. Stanton know Keegan had agreed to help before she and Valmont headed for the library, since she’d been banned from history class for arguing with her teacher on her first day of school.

  Valmont seemed back to his normal self this morning, so she didn’t mention their conversation from the night before. All she wanted today was something close to normal.

  “We talked to Keegan. What’s next on the agenda?” he asked.

  “I need to work on my term paper for Mr. Stanton.” As they walked across campus to the library the spring breeze stirred up the scent of grass and new leaves. Bryn inhaled. “I love that smell.”

  “Me, too.” Valmont stopped walking. “I wonder if we could work outside. There’s no rule that says you have to write in the library, is there?”

  “Not exactly, but someone who didn’t know I’d been granted special permission to work in the library might think I was skipping class. If that were to get back to my grandfather, there would be hell to pay.”

  “Right, I forgot. With the Blues, it’s all about appearances.” Valmont’s tone sounded a little bitter.

  Apparently, last night’s mood was still with him. Not that she could blame him. “Yes. Appearances are important, and it’s best not to give my grandfather a reason to be upset.” Especially since she’d started to like him lately. “I have to admit. He’s not the ice king I thought he was.”

  “Ice king?” Valmont asked.

  “Everyone uses ice queen to describe a cold standoffish woman, so I think ice king works for a man.”

  “I have no valid argument against that,” Valmont said. “But it doesn’t sound right.”

  “Fine. Then you can come up with a masculine form of ice queen.”

  Valmont tapped his chin, and then he grinned. “I’ve got it. You could say, ‘He’s not quite the Jaxon I thought he was.’”

  Bryn laughed. She was glad to see him joking around again. “Uhm…you’re not wrong but no, for the obvious reasons.”

  “I’ll keep working on it.” Valmont opened the door of the library for her. They entered and were stopped by two Red guards.

  “Sign in if you wish to access the library.” The guard thrust a clipboard at Bryn.

  This was new. “Why?” Bryn asked as she signed her name.

  “Tighter security measures are being taken,” the guard held the clip board out to Valmont who scribbled his name without making a single comment, which showed a great amount of restraint.

  After they’d passed the guards, Bryn said, “I’m surprised you didn’t feel the need to comment.”

  “After our ‘everything is about appearances’ discussion, I decided to rein in my normal troublemaking instincts.”

  “I’m impressed.” She headed for the stairwell they normally took up to the third floor. Valmont grabbed her elbow and steered her toward the front desk. “We’re taking a detour. Miss Enid is holding a book for me.”

  “What kind of book?”

  “A book for troublemakers.”

  When they reached the desk, the librarian was absent. “Maybe she’s downstairs in the vaults.”

  Miss Enid emerged from behind a shelf of books. “Hello, Valmont. Your special request came in.” She pulled a slim volume with the familiar title Days of Knights from underneath the desk.

  “There are more of these books?” Bryn asked. They’d already read through five or six of them, which featured fairy tales involving knights and dragons from a time before the Directorate, when there hadn’t been so many rules and restrictions.

  “This is a smaller set of tales,” Miss Enid said. “I think it has the story Valmont referred to about the strange crown that helped one dragon hold another prisoner.”

  That would be a cheery and highly controversial read.

  “It might help us figure a few things out, and it gives me something to occupy my time while you do your homework.”

  “I’ve offered to let you do some of my homework,” Bryn said, like she had tried to share something fun with him.

  “Sorry,” Valmont said, “My duties as your knight only go so far.”

  Once they were seated at their normal table on the third floor, Bryn found she couldn’t concentrate on her essay. “It’s like my brain is on strike.” She shut the notebook and tossed it back into her book bag.

  Valmont didn’t acknowledge her comment. Eyebrows furrowed, he seemed completely absorbed in his book. “It’s that good?” she asked.

  He nodded and turned the page. “Let me finish this tale and then you can read it.”

  Five minutes later, he closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m not sure we should show this to anyone, least of all your grandfather.”

  “It’s that bad?” Bryn asked.

  “See for yourself.” He flipped back a dozen pages and then handed it to her. “Each tale stands on its own.”

  Once upon a time, there was a world where certain dragons thought they knew what was best for everyone. The arrogance of this Clan was beyond measure. Dire steps had to be taken so the other Clans could prosper.

  “I don’t see this making my grandfather’s top ten reading list.”

  “Keep going,” Valmont said. “It gets worse.”

  “Great.”

  The smartest dragons joined forces with the most creative dragons. Together they designed a weapon that would render a dragon unable to shift. It was called a Tyrant’s Crown. When placed upon a dragon’s head, the crown would activate, creating a containment spell around the wearer’s head and neck, which rendered them incapable of shifting. Stuck in human form, these dragons were less powerful. The crown could only be removed by a knight and a dragon working together using Blood Magic.

  Bryn closed the book. “Even reading this makes me nervous, like if someone found out we had it, we’d be accused of conspiring with the enemy.” She turned the book over in her hands. “I think we should return it to Miss Enid and let her decide what to do with it.”

  “I disagree.” Valmont plucked the book from her hands.

  Okay. That didn’t happen very often. “Why? What do you think we should do?”

  “I think we should search the book for clues which might lead us to more artifacts. Better we find them than they end up in enemy hands.”

  “I see your point, but the Directorate isn’t one to give second chances. We should give it to Miss Enid or my grandfather.”

  Valmont flipped through the pages. “I suppose, but since it’s checked out in my name, I’m going to finish reading it first. There might be valuable information we can use.”

  She didn’t love his plan, but he had mentioned the tale to her grandfather already so it wasn’t like he was hiding information. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

  “I’ll probably finish it this evening. You can turn it into someone tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” She tried to keep the annoy
ance in her voice to a minimum. Valmont might be her knight, but he was still his own person, capable of making decisions for himself. Still, it rankled. How could he not see the risk he was taking by keeping this to himself?

  In the locker room before Basic Movement, Bryn shared the situation with Ivy. “What do you think?”

  “He’s allowed to have his own opinion, but I’m not sure he’s right.”

  Now she didn’t feel so narrow minded. “Do you think I should call my grandfather and let him know we have the book?”

  “That would cut down the opportunity for anyone to rat you out.” Ivy said. “So it might be a safer way to play it.”

  As long as no one freaked out about the book before she had time to call her grandfather, it would be okay.

  When they entered the gym, Mrs. Anderson was separating students into groups. Bryn, Ivy, Rhianna, Keegan, and Valmont were grouped together.

  “Class, today we’re going to try something new. Within your groups are several different Clans. We are going to run obstacle courses where you are encouraged to use your breath weapons to the best of your ability. Figure out how to use fire, ice, lightning, wind, and sonic waves to overcome the obstacles set before you. The team that finishes the fastest wins.”

  “Sounds like fun,” Bryn said.

  Ivy peered across the gym to where Clint was gesturing wildly as he talked to his teammates. “I hope they have medics on call. Without me to tone Clint down, he might do something crazy.”

  “The Clint we know is toned down?” Valmont asked.

  Ivy nodded.

  “Then this should be interesting,” Valmont said.

  Mrs. Anderson led them from the main gym to the stadium. Obstacles which had been stored in the rafters several stories above were now on the ground.

  The way the course was set up reminded Bryn of the American Ninja Warrior races she’d seen on television. There were some walls you had to climb and some that you had to go under. There were bridges you had to cross and ropes you had to climb.

  “Are we doing this in human or dragon form?” Bryn asked.

  “Whatever works best,” Keegan said. “When you have to squeeze through a tunnel, you’re better off in human form. If you have to reach a flag at the top of a pole, you fly.”