Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames)

by Chris Cannon

  “I can’t believe it was booby trapped with poisonous darts.” Clint shook his head. “Who knows when those darts were placed in the case? What type of poison is good for decades like that? The whole thing is seriously messed up.”

  “Agreed.” Valmont sat with his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. He glanced at Bryn. “Can I tell them about the sword you commissioned for me?”

  Was he asking if he could share the truth with them? They already knew about the cases. “Sure.”

  Valmont drew his favorite new toy and held it up so the light reflected off the blue and red metal intricately worked into the sword, depicting frozen flames and fire. “I retrieved this from one of the cases.”

  “You could have been killed,” Clint said.

  “No. It was meant for me. I mean a knight like me who was bound to a Red-Blue hybrid dragon. I could hear the magic of it calling to me.”

  Ivy pointed at Valmont. “That is so cool. I know you met Adam and Eve, so you know there are hybrids on campus, but the sword is proof hybrids existed in the past, and it wasn’t a secret. Do you know how old it is?”

  “If the Institute wasn’t on lockdown,” Valmont said, “I could ask one of the metalsmiths in Dragon’s Bluff to examine it.”

  It had never occurred to Bryn that someone in Dragon’s Bluff was still making swords. Back in her old life she’d heard of people buying all sorts of ninja swords and throwing stars online but she’d assumed they had been made in a factory somewhere.

  “Speaking of the lockdown,” Ivy said, “I wonder if they’ll lift it any time soon. There hasn’t been an attack on campus in a while, except for the guard, of course, but that’s kind of a separate thing.”

  A voice in Bryn’s head urged her to speak. “If anyone is waiting to attack, the Valentine’s Dance is the perfect opportunity.”

  “No. It’s not.” Ivy glared at her. “Repeat after me. The dance will be wonderful. We will all have a fabulous time.”

  Bryn rolled her eyes. “Fine. The dance will be wonderful. We’ll all have a great time.”

  “Not exactly what I said, but close enough.” Ivy grinned.

  Later that night after her friends left, Bryn asked Valmont a question that had been bothering her. “Do you think someone will attack the dance?”

  “They might,” Valmont said. “They could attack at any time. On any given day they could attack the dining hall at lunch or gym during Basic Movement. Students congregate in groups all the time, so I don’t think the dance is any more dangerous than sitting right here, right now.”

  “I’m not sure that makes me feel better.” And then she remembered something she wanted to share with him. “Telling my grandfather about the symbol in that book today reminded me of something I found at Sinclair Estates.” She went to her room and retrieved the legends books her mother had secreted away in the attic. Valmont would probably tease her about the books, which told stories of dragons from different Clans who fought side by side and fell in love with one another. The star-crossed romances were a big part of the books’ appeal. And there were a few scenes she would be embarrassed to read if Valmont were in the room. A small part of her heart ached at the memory of her first kiss with Zavien. He’d teased her about reading the books, too. She’d refused to let him read them because he’d make fun of the romance. It was hard to reconcile the Zavien who’d saved her when she’d been poisoned with the one who’d lied to her about the dance and led her on, talking about a future he knew they’d never have. Anger, embarrassment, and guilt banked the fire in her gut.

  Wow. She’d thought all of that was in her past, but her first kiss with Zavien was a powerful memory.

  “Bryn, is everything all right?” Valmont called from the living room.

  Her subconscious was playing whack-a-mole with her emotions. Other than that, everything was just peachy.

  She returned to her knight, who would never leave her side, even if he wanted to. Not that he wanted to, but her brain seemed intent on pointing out how strange her life had become.

  Time to ignore her past and concentrate on the future.

  Funny how The Days of Knights books hadn’t featured more than a chaste kiss between a dragon and a knight. And that thought brought her to a full stop when she was within a few feet of the couch. What if they didn’t include anything else because nothing more was supposed to happen between them?

  “Bryn?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry, weird random thoughts are ambushing me.” She laid the books out on the table. “My mother had these stashed in a secret hiding place along with my father’s picture.” Bryn’s breath caught and her eyes grew warm. Taking a deep breath, she laughed. “Sorry, I’m not sure why this is getting to me tonight.”

  “You never have to apologize to me for mourning your parents.” Valmont grabbed her hand and pulled her to sit beside him on the couch.

  He didn’t need to know those weren’t the only memories bothering her. She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Anyway, these are like the legends books Miss Enid gave me from the library which contain stories about a time before the Directorate when dragons were allowed to fall in love based on instinct rather than by Directorate-sanctioned arranged marriages. I’ve read other books, but I never looked through these.” She ran her fingers over the cover of the closest book. “Not that I expect to find anything in them except dog-eared pages, but I thought you could be here with me when I look through them. It’s not something I want to do alone.”

  “Of course. Do you want my help?”

  It’s not like she could tell him no. “Sure.”

  They each selected a book. Bryn flipped through the pages, looking for random notes or drawings or doodles or any clue her mother had touched the pages.

  Halfway through the sixth chapter, she noticed the page felt oddly loose. Maybe the binding was coming undone. Inspecting the book, she held it up to the light and saw what looked like the shadow of a handwritten note. “That’s strange.” She held the page between her thumb and index finger, rubbing them back and forth to see if she could detect any indentation on the page. Part of the page separated from the binding and opened like a leaflet.

  “What’s that?” Valmont asked.

  “Good question.” What had seemed to be one page was really a singular piece of paper folded in half. The outside held the typewritten story, but the inside portion, which was hidden, held handwritten notes, which Bryn read out loud.

  “I’m not sure how much longer I can wait. Ferrin grows more obnoxious by the day, demanding we share every meal in the dining hall. It grows harder and harder to slip away to see Ian. There is the constant worry someone will discover us and turn Ian over to the Directorate. If that were to happen, I fear my father would have him thrown in jail.”

  “Do you think your grandfather would have had him thrown in jail?” Valmont asked.

  “Yes.” There was no question in her mind. “I can’t believe my parents were brave enough to run away. Makes me feel like a traitor for working with my grandfather.”

  Valmont’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I have a question to ask you, but I’m afraid of what your answer might be.”

  She tried to lighten the mood. “Should I repeat my grandfather’s snooty you-can-ask-but-I-may-choose-not-to-answer response?”

  He looked down as he spoke. “It’s probably not fair of me to ask this, but if you still had family in the human world, would you choose to return to it, leaving everything behind?”

  “No.” The word shot out of her mouth without her even having to think about it. “I could never just walk away from you. Don’t you know that?” She touched his cheek.

  He lifted his head meeting here gaze. “Thank you. I was worried you’d run away in a heartbeat if you could have your old life back.”

  “Nope.” She leaned closer and pressed her lips against his in a quick kiss and then leaned her forehead against his. “My knight. We’re a package deal.” A funny question popped
into her brain. “If I had to leave, to run away, would you go with me?”

  “I left Dragon’s Bluff to come stay with you, didn’t I?”

  He had, and yet that wasn’t the answer to her question. If war broke out and her grandparents sent her away, not that they’d do that, would he go with her? Of course he would. What am I thinking?

  She sat back and smiled at him like her subconscious wasn’t shooting out strange questions meant to drive her crazy. “I think everything that has happened over the past few days is finally catching up with me. My mind seems to be spinning in circles.”

  “It’s my experience that most problems in life can be solved by one of three things: good food, good friends, or a good nap. I know you’re always up for food, I’m here for you as your knight and your friend, and this couch happens to be my favorite place to take a nap. So you choose.”

  “I want to see if there are any more notes hidden in this book, and then I vote on taking a nap with my knight—with a snack later.”

  Bryn flipped through the pages of the book, holding them up to the light. Every other chapter, there was a hidden page which she never would have found if the first one hadn’t been loose. Reading her mother’s journal entries made her heart hurt. Every entry was about how much her mom loved her dad and the rising fear that someone might find out about them. The notes of Ferrin’s obnoxious behavior proved the man had changed little over the years.

  Valmont had held the pages of the other books up to the light, but no secret messages were revealed.

  “Do you think my mom bought this journal somewhere and hid it among the other books?”

  Valmont rubbed his chin. “The books themselves were frowned upon because they go against Directorate-sanctioned marriage. It makes sense the same people who produced them might create a journal where people could write down anti-Directorate thoughts.”

  “Maybe I’ll ask Miss Enid if she’s ever heard of any secret journals.” Bryn hugged the book to her chest. “But showing my mother’s secrets to the world doesn’t feel right.”

  A sense of sadness rolled over her like a fog. “I think I’m ready for that nap now.”

  “Works for me.” Valmont kicked off his boots and lay down on his side.

  She lay with her back against his chest so his arm wrapped around her waist. His solid warmth was reassuring. It helped her feel less alone in the world, like he was her family now.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The next day in Basic Movement, Bryn noticed several students were missing. “Where is everyone?” she asked Ivy who stood next to her in line for the joust.

  “I have no idea.” Ivy pointed at a group of Blues. Her lips moved like she was counting how many students were present. She did this for each Clan and then scratched her head. “We’re low on Greens. What does that mean?”

  Was Ivy right? Bryn scanned the room and saw Jaxon doing the same thing. They made eye contact, and he frowned, and then he seemed to check the room one more time before heading in her direction.

  Valmont huffed out an irritated sigh.

  “Play nice,” Bryn warned.

  “We’re missing half a dozen Greens,” Jaxon said by way of greeting. “Where are they?”

  “Good question.” It’s not like dragons took sick days.

  The sound of the door to the gym opening and slamming shut drew her attention. Garret stalked in looking like he’d had a rough night. “Something’s not right,” Bryn said at the same time Jaxon said, “He’ll know what’s going on.”

  Bryn grabbed Jaxon by the bicep. “He looks like crap. How about we go with a soft approach instead of marching over and pummeling him with questions.”

  Jaxon’s eyebrows came together in a way, which Bryn knew meant, I-don’t-like-what-you-said-but-now-I-have-to-think-about-it kind of way. “Fine. Go play nice. I’ll wait here.”

  “I’m going with you,” Valmont said as he joined Bryn and headed toward Garret.

  The Green saw their approach and changed course to intercept them. “We have a problem.”

  “You’ll have to be more specific,” Valmont said.

  Bryn elbowed her knight. “Knock it off. Garret, what’s wrong?”

  “The Directorate is out of control. Last night a group of my Clan members and I were studying together in the library. We planned to exit the library half an hour before curfew, which would have given us plenty of time to return to our rooms. Someone ordered us rounded up like cattle. We were taken up to the top floor and questioned.”

  “Did they throw you in a study cubicle overnight?” Bryn asked.

  Garret’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, and worse than that, they made all the males drink some concoction and badgered us with questions for more than an hour. I don’t know what they expected to find. It was absurd. Once they were done with the interrogation, they stuck us in the study cubicles. They released us about an hour ago and told us to clean up and go to class.”

  “I’m sorry. The same thing happened to Clint and Ivy not too long ago, except they were out after curfew.”

  “Well, we weren’t.” The air around Bryn seemed to churn as Garret’s anger swelled. He pointed at Jaxon. “His father is to blame.” He stalked toward his target.

  Oh, hell.

  “Please, let Garret kick his ass,” Valmont whispered to Bryn.

  Bryn dashed after Garret. Jaxon would pulverize him. Why did Valmont not realize that?

  “He had no idea where your Clan members were, either,” Bryn said as they reached Jaxon. “And I’m sure he wouldn’t approve.”

  “Approve of what?” Jaxon asked, projecting cold upper-class snootiness.

  “Just listen to him before you start to argue,” Bryn said.

  When Jaxon looked at her like he was about to rip into her, she added, “Please.”

  Garret repeated his story of unfair detainment and questioning.

  Jaxon ran his hand back through his hair. “That makes no sense. At any point, did you speak to or see my father?”

  “No, but it was his guards that did this,” Garret seethed.

  “Wait a minute. Ferrin actually interviewed Clint and Ivy when they were taken upstairs. Are you saying that didn’t happen?”

  “No. It was a bunch of Red Guards who work for the Directorate.” A look of surprise and then fury crossed Garret’s face. “If your father wasn’t involved, then this could have been something else.”

  “A plot to turn the Greens, the smartest Clan, against the Directorate,” Jaxon said. “Come with me. We need to make a call.”

  Bryn followed him over to Coach Anderson where he requested access to a phone. She led them to her office.

  Jaxon dialed and then spoke to his father rapid fire. Bryn couldn’t tell how the conversation was going from Jaxon’s clipped responses. When he hung up, he faced Garret. “On behalf of my father, I apologize for your mistreatment last night. The men who detained you were not acting on Directorate’s orders.”

  “How do you know that’s true?” Garret asked.

  “The Directorate was in session at Bryn’s grandfather’s house last night, and all members were accounted for since they were voting on several measures.”

  Garret growled and papers flew off Coach Anderson’s desk as the air swirled around.

  Bryn could tell Jaxon had more to say. “He’s already angry. Tell him the rest of it.”

  “The rest of what?” Garret asked.

  “Unfortunately, the real Directorate members would like to question you now. They plan to set up a late lunch in one of their private dining rooms. You’ll be excused from classes for the rest of the day.”

  “And if I refuse their lunch?” Garret asked.

  “I believe you know the answer to that question,” Jaxon said. “Attendance is mandatory.”

  “We should go with him,” Bryn said, and then indicated she meant herself, Jaxon, and Valmont.

  The look Jaxon leveled at her showed what he thought of the idea.

  “Gre
at idea,” Garret said. “Because I’m not going anywhere alone with anyone claiming to represent the Directorate ever again.”

  “Fine.” Jaxon grabbed the phone. “I’ll let my father know there will be extra guests.”

  Garret pulled Bryn off to the side. “Do you think your grandfather will be there?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Garrett’s gaze flicked toward Jaxon. “Could you call and ask him to come? I respect Jaxon, but I do not trust his father.”

  “And you trust my grandfather?” Bryn asked.

  “No,” Garret said, “but I trust you, and you seem to trust him.”

  “I do.” That was an interesting realization. After Jaxon ended his call, Bryn called Sinclair Estates where Rindy the all-knowing phone operator redirected her call to her grandfather’s cell phone. He told her he would be there.

  Forty minutes later, Bryn entered a private dining room with a U-shaped table. Half a dozen Directorate members, her grandfather included, sat at the back of the U. Bryn, Valmont, Jaxon, and Garret sat on one side, while the four other Greens sat on the other side.

  “Divide and conquer?” Garret said loud enough for Bryn and Valmont to hear.

  Strangely enough, Jaxon chose the seat at the end of the U-shape farthest from the Directorate members. Bryn sat next to him, which left Valmont next to Garret.

  “Why did you choose this seat?” Bryn asked.

  “It allows me to observe the other Green’s reactions to the Directorate’s questions, and it gives me a clear view of how the Directorate handles the situation.” Jaxon nodded toward his father who acknowledged him with the same cold nod.

  Bryn waited to catch her grandfather’s attention and gave a small wave. Miraculously enough, he smiled at her, so she smiled back. Then he went back to talking with a man she didn’t know.

  “What was that?” Jaxon asked Bryn.

  “What was what?”

  “Your grandfather is here on business,” Jaxon said, “and you distracted him.”

  Seriously? “No, I didn’t. I greeted him like he was family.”

  “And that would be proper if you were meeting him at a social occasion,” Jaxon spoke to her like she was stupid. “This is business.”