Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames)

by Chris Cannon

  He stared up at the ceiling. “I’m trying to figure out how to say this without starting a fight.”

  Great. She was never going to another dance again. Crossing her arms over her chest, she waited.

  “Who are you wearing that dress for?”

  What was he talking about? “I don’t understand the question.”

  He reached into her armoire where the copper dress from the fall dance still hung. “Did you buy this dress with someone in mind?”

  “Ivy forced me to try on a dress even though I didn’t think I was going. I loved it, so I bought it.”

  “So you didn’t buy this for Zavien?”

  Seriously? “I bought the dress because I liked it. Zavien didn’t have anything to do with it.” Liar, her subconscious screamed. “This dress,” she touched the navy-blue dress, “was bought to attend the Valentine’s Day dance with you. So this dress should rank higher on whatever weird boyfriend rating system you’re using.”

  Valmont froze. “Did you just call me your boyfriend?”

  And now the situation had reached a whole other level of crap-tastic-ly awkward. She ducked her head. “That’s kind of how I think of you.”

  One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three…she counted seconds while waiting for a response, which so far he wasn’t making.

  “Bryn?” Valmont whispered.

  Her stomach twisted and pitched like she was riding a roller coaster. She was afraid to make eye contact, so she kept her head down. “What?”

  His warm hand touched her chin and pressed up, signaling he wanted her to look at him. She met his gaze, which was far too serious, and it felt like the room shifted under her feet. She forced a laugh. “Forget I said that. I shouldn’t have assumed you were interested in that title.” And why in the hell isn’t he interrupting me and telling me he wants to be my boyfriend?

  “Remember what we said about how even if we have an argument or a misunderstanding that I’ll still be your knight, so there’s no reason to become sick?”

  She nodded and backed away from him. “Yep. Not going to get sick, but you should go.” Because she was going lose it and either cry or flash-fry him.

  “You want me to go?” He seemed surprised.

  Fire banked in her gut. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A memory reared up and made her laugh. “Jaxon once told me what I want is irrelevant. I guess he was right.”

  Valmont bristled. “Excuse me?”

  “Don’t even think about getting mad because I mentioned Jaxon. Some of the things he’s told me have been painfully true. This happens to be another one of those times.”

  Valmont closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “How did we end up here?”

  “You followed me into my room.”

  He looked at her likes she was being ridiculous. “No. I mean how did we end up in this situation, irritated with one another over something stupid, again?”

  So, her thinking of him as her boyfriend was stupid. Flames crawled up the back of her throat. She took a moment and pushed them back down, but smoke drifted from her lips as she spoke. “You know what? Forget about it. I’ll never refer to you as anything but my knight ever again. Happy?”

  “No.” He closed the gap between them and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m about as far from happy as I can be, because I can’t ever really be your boyfriend.”

  “You can’t? Why not?”

  “Because every time we walk out that damn door, I can’t be anything but your knight.”

  Bryn latched onto the light at the end of this dark murky tunnel. “Wait a minute. Are you saying you want to be my boyfriend, but you’re mad because we can’t act that way in public?”

  “Of course that’s what I’m saying.”

  “Thank God.” She felt her body sag with relief. She moved forward and leaned her head against his chest. “I thought you meant you didn’t want to be my boyfriend.”

  “How could you—”

  She growled, and it wasn’t a friendly growl. “You just traumatized me. So I suggest you shut up and hug me.”

  She felt his chest vibrate with laughter, but he wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “We need to work on our communication skills.”

  “Agreed.”

  …

  The Valentine’s Day dance seemed to provide the distraction students needed to avoid thinking about war and politics. Girls talked about their dresses. Boys griped about their tuxedos. All in all, the balance of normal teenage drama in the universe seemed to be restored.

  So of course, Jaxon had to do something to mess the situation up. At least that’s what she figured he was doing since he showed up at her door after classes.

  Instinct told her she shouldn’t invite him inside, but she couldn’t leave him standing in the hall, either. “Hello, Jaxon.” She backed up so he could enter. “To what do we owe the honor of your presence?”

  “There’s something we need to discuss. Privately.” He directed his gaze at Valmont. “Tell your knight to give us some privacy.”

  Where does he get off? “Number one, he’s not deaf. And two, whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of him.”

  “No. I can’t.” Jaxon crossed his arms over his chest. “And I’m not leaving until we talk.”

  “That’s a threat I’ll actually respect.” Valmont stood. “In the interest of getting rid of him, I’ll wait in my room.”

  Bryn wanted to tell Valmont she didn’t want to speak to Jaxon alone, but that wasn’t a choice. Once her knight had relocated, she walked over and sat at the library table, gesturing that Jaxon should join her because she was tired of everything being on his terms. “What new drama is about to befall my life?”

  “We need to discuss the dance.” His tone was so serious, she wanted to laugh.

  “Okay. What about it?”

  His gaze darted to Valmont’s door. “It’s essential everyone believes your relationship with Valmont is appropriate.”

  She so did not like where this was going. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

  “You must appear to be friends and nothing more.” Jaxon was so adamant, she took a moment to analyze the situation. And it came to her. “Are you worried about how it will look if your, God-forbid-possible-future-wife, is out on a real date with someone?”

  “Yes. Everyone knows our lineage came back a match. While I prefer to live in the land of denial, we still need to be aware of our behavior in public which means you cannot undermine my status by being seen as romantically involved with someone else.”

  A base drum started beating in her temples. “I get the whole I-must-appear-to-be-the-Alpha-male-to-protect-Rhianna routine. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on having a fun night. Your ego will have to deal with it. Besides you’ll be on a real date with Rhianna.”

  He opened his mouth to speak.

  “I swear to God if you give me that no-one-cares-what-I-do-because-there’s-a-double-standard line of bullshit again, I will blast you across the room.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I came here as a courtesy to you.”

  And now he’d stumped her. “How do you figure?”

  “If I approached you in front of other students to speak about your knight and someone overheard, your grandfather would have Valmont thrown off campus so fast it would make your head spin.”

  What the crap was he talking about? “In case you forgot, it was my grandmother who asked Valmont to watch over me.”

  “Yes, but if your grandfather decided the situation was inappropriate, he could end it. He outranks your grandmother. Haven’t you figured that out, yet?”

  “No, he doesn’t.” Bryn smacked her hand down on the table. “If my grandmother wants something, she makes it happen. No matter if my grandfather agrees or not. In case you haven’t noticed, the Blue females let the men think they are in charge, to save their egos. The women control things behind the scenes and don’t brag about it.”

 
“Or maybe,” Jaxon placed both his palms flat on the table and leaned into Bryn’s personal space, “the males let the females believe they have some influence in order to keep the peace.”

  If that was true, she was so going to get herself elected to the Directorate, if for no other reason than to piss Jaxon off. “That’s a nice little fantasy you have there, but it still doesn’t change the situation. I’m going to the Valentine’s dance with Valmont. We will behave however we want.”

  Jaxon pushed to his feet. “Just remember, if your grandfather gets wind of any inappropriate behavior, Fonzoli’s might burn to the ground.”

  Fire climbed up the back of Bryn’s throat. Sparks shot from her mouth as she spoke. “Are you threatening Valmont’s family?”

  “No. I’m warning you. I’m trying to explain the facts of life, which after all this time, you somehow still fail to grasp. Your grandfather is ruthless, and he will hurt Valmont if you give him reason to do so.”

  Bryn closed her eyes and focused on pushing the fire back down. “So even though you’re an insensitive ass-hat, you’re warning me away from behavior that might endanger Valmont’s safety.”

  “Yes. So I suggest you keep the name-calling to a minimum, keep your knight in line, and try not to do anything that will reflect poorly on your Clan.”

  “The Blues aren’t my Clan.” The words slipped from Bryn’s mouth before she thought about them. While she thought of her grandparents as family, the Clan at large didn’t give her the warm fuzzies.

  Jaxon’s eyes narrowed. “Those words are treason. Never say anything so disloyal ever again. Not even your grandfather could save you, nor would he want to if anyone heard you utter such blasphemy. You should be grateful the Directorate afforded you such an honor. Otherwise you would be Clan-less. It’s not like the Reds offered to take you in.”

  Why hadn’t the Reds offered to take me in? She’d never thought about it before. Maybe because her father’s family was all dead, and she had no blood relation left to speak for her. Still, she hated to let Jaxon think he had the upper hand. “The Oranges offered to take me, so it’s not like I was desperate for the Blues to step in.”

  “Fine. Run away and live with the Orange Clan. While you’re at it, take your knight with you. If both of you disappeared, my life would be vastly improved.”

  Valmont’s bedroom door popped open. He strolled out with a cynical smile on his face. “I’m good with that plan.”

  Hands on her hips, Bryn sighed. “While getting away from Jaxon sounds divine, I can’t abandon my grandmother.”

  “She could come with us,” Valmont said.

  Like that would happen. Time to come back from fantasyland to sucky reality. “I’ll try to restrain myself at the dance.” She pointed at Jaxon. “Thanks for raining on my parade. Now, go away.”

  Jaxon slammed the door on his way out.

  “I really want to hit him,” Valmont stated with utmost sincerity.

  “Get in line.”

  “What you told him, about the Blues not being your Clan, why did you say that?”

  His tone was normal, but his disapproval came through loud and clear. “Seriously? Most of the Blues still hate me, and I’m pretty sure they’d do a happy dance if I fell into a rift and was crushed to death.”

  “Rhianna, Lillith, and your grandmother are good to you.”

  What the hell? “Why are you defending the Blue Clan and trying to make me feel like crap?”

  “Family is important.” Valmont ran his hand down his face. “Maybe I’m only saying this because I miss mine.”

  Rather than soothing her irritation his words fanned the flames. “To paraphrase, I’m disloyal, and it’s my fault you miss your family. Thanks for a lovely evening.” She stalked toward her bedroom.

  “Bryn, wait.” Valmont jogged across the room and stood between her and the bedroom door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound judgmental. I was stating a fact. I miss my family. You don’t have to love the Blue Clan. If you ever find a group of hybrids to run off with, I will be by your side. For now, the Blues are your dysfunctional, snotty, elitist family, and I think you have to claim them as your Clan. As your knight, it feels like my duty to protect you by recommending you acknowledge this completely irritating, yet strong and possibly protective, alliance.”

  Where in the hell was this coming from? “Should I make a sign that says I’m proud to be Blue?”

  He pointed his finger at her like he was about to give her a lecture, but then he stopped. “I need you to take a deep breath and listen to my words. As a knight, my job is to protect my dragon. Having my dragon aligned with an entire Clan of dragons makes sense strategically. This isn’t me telling you to act a certain way. This is me recognizing a better battle strategy.”

  Her anger level went from a rolling boil to a soft simmer. “That makes sense. It still ticks me off, but it makes sense.”

  “So we’re okay?” He didn’t sound sure of himself.

  “Honestly, I think we’re both candidates for a psychological study on magical bonding making people a bit emotionally unstable, but other than that, we’re good.”

  He hugged her to his chest. She inhaled his warm sunshine and leather smell, which allowed some of the tension to drain from her muscles. “I feel stupid worrying about the dance when we still don’t know if there is anything worth investigating under the library.”

  “After what happened with Clint, and knowing Ferrin keeps an office on the top floor, I’m less inclined to go poking around,” Valmont said. “The best option would be a teacher sanctioned trip to the archives.”

  “I do owe Mr. Stanton a research paper. Maybe I can talk to him about it.”

  …

  Friday Mr. Stanton asked Bryn to stay late after Elemental Science. Once the last student had left the room, he waved her up to his desk. “You need to pick a topic for your research paper.”

  “About that. I heard there were vaults below the libraries. I’d love to see them.”

  He chuckled. “Most of the information down there is dry and literally dusty.”

  “Can I see for myself?”

  “Given your personality, if I don’t allow you access, you’ll fantasize about sneaking in. So, here.” He grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a few lines on it. “Here is a list of topics for you to choose from which might give you an excuse to access the library archives. Talk to Miss Enid. She can arrange that for you. Don’t blame me when you see how boring the information is. I helped Miss Enid catalog some of those files years ago, and it was almost coma-inducing.”

  “Thanks,” Hopefully she’d find something more useful than information for a paper. She took the list and headed for the door.

  Valmont read over her shoulder as they walked to the library. “Lineage checks, Clan population, and historical taxation? None of those sound interesting.”

  “Maybe Miss Enid can help us pick the least boring topic.”

  When they reached the front desk of the library, Miss Enid frowned at the note. “I’m sure you are aware that you’ll need access to the vaults to research these topics.”

  Bryn nodded. “That was sort of the plan.”

  “And you know asking for access to the vaults will raise a few red flags with the Directorate.”

  Valmont drummed his fingers on the desktop. “I want to see what’s in the vaults, but not at the expense of Bryn’s safety. Do you think pursuing this quest, for lack of a better term, will endanger her?”

  “Knowing Bryn, she won’t rest until she sees the vaults for herself. As her knight, I hold you responsible for making sure she isn’t out after curfew.”

  Listening to them discuss her like she wasn’t present was delightful. “I am standing right here, you know.”

  “I know you’re here,” Miss Enid said, “as does anyone watching the camera feeds on the top floor.”

  Bryn scanned the ceiling for a red light or a mirrored dome or any clue that a camera was present and recording
her every move.

  “You won’t see them, but they will see you,” Miss Enid said. “After Christmas, the Blue Clan claimed offices on the top floor and had surveillance security cameras installed throughout the library.”

  “Why?” Valmont asked.

  “The more offices they have, the less likely people with ill-intent will be able to find them.”

  “To sum up, whatever we do in the library is being recorded and analyzed.” Bryn frowned. “I still need to see what’s in the vaults if you can make it happen.”

  Miss Enid typed on her computer. “I’ll submit a form saying you would like to do a research paper on lineage checks. Given your impending union with Jaxon, no one will suspect you aren’t interested in that topic.” Her fingers flew across the keyboard, and then she hit enter. “Now we wait. I’ll let you know when I have their answer.”

  It took three days for Bryn to hear back from Miss Enid about the vaults. “You can visit the vaults this evening for two hours,” the librarian said from behind the front desk. “Are you wearing a watch?”

  “I am.” Valmont held out his wrist.

  “Good. Follow me.” Miss Enid signaled Bryn and Valmont should follow her to the offices behind the desk. They walked through a room with a copy machine and entered the back storage area, which housed damaged books waiting to be repaired. There was no other door visible.

  “Here we are.” Miss Enid smiled at Bryn and held out the key.

  “Are we playing guess where the hidden door is?” Valmont asked.

  “Look down.” Miss Enid pointed at the floor.

  Hinges and a keyhole on the floor were the only clue a trapdoor lay underneath. The edges matched seamlessly with the hardwood floor. Bryn took the key, knelt and placed it in the lock. She turned it hard to the right. There was an audible click, and then the trap door swung up and open, revealing a narrow set of corkscrew stairs.

  Bryn stepped down onto the first step and then paused. “Valmont grab the key.”