by Chris Cannon
That sounded absurd. Jaxon didn’t need rescuing, but maybe she needed to make a point to the other Blue females who might think he was open to some sort of discreet relationship.
Bryn wiped her hands on a napkin. “Okay. I guess I’ll go let him know that we can leave whenever he’s ready.” She headed across the room, trying to figure out why this was annoying her so much. It wasn’t that she wanted him. It was more that if she couldn’t have anyone then neither could he. And that sounded petty but it was the honest truth. They could be miserable together, because she sure as hell wasn’t going to be miserable alone.
When she reached him the other girl barely acknowledged Bryn’s presence. “Enjoying the Gala?” Bryn asked him.
He raised an eyebrow. “Almost as much as I enjoyed the half dozen we attended this summer.”
“I was hoping we could leave,” Bryn said. “What are your thoughts?”
He checked his watch. “If your grandmother or my mother were here I’d say no, but since we’re on our own, I think we can leave in ten minutes.”
“Works for me.” Bryn smiled at the girl. “What were you two talking about before I interrupted?”
The girl gave a tight-lipped smile. “Nothing important. Excuse me.” And then she walked away.
“I don’t think she liked me,” Bryn said.
“She isn’t open-minded to the new students on campus,” Jaxon said. “And she was fishing for information about the Directorate’s approval process.”
Ten minutes later they joined Clint and Ivy and walked back across campus.
“From a Blue Clan point of view,” Ivy said. “What was the purpose of that event?”
Jaxon didn’t respond, so Bryn prompted him. “Excuse me, Son-of-the-Speaker, I believe that question was directed at you.”
“Social gatherings are supposed to improve unity,” Jaxon said, “and shore up alliances.”
“And here I thought I was just eating cookies and drinking coffee,” Clint said.
Bryn and Jaxon headed to the Blue dorm while Ivy and Clint went to the Black dorm. When they reached her dorm room, Bryn felt the need to say something but didn’t know what to say, “Would you come in so we can talk for a minute?”
“Nothing would please me more,” he said, laying on the sarcasm.
“First off, bite me,” she said. “And second, this will only take a minute.”
“Fine.”
Once they were in her living room, Bryn paced back and forth while Jaxon stood staring at her. “This is going to sound strange, but you and I have never discussed certain issues about our situation.” Her face heated. She should just spit it out. “It looked like that girl was flirting with you, and I wouldn’t want other people to think you were open to discreet relationships.”
Jaxon backed up a step like he wanted to put some distance between them while simultaneously looking at her like she was insane. “The entire purpose of all these ridiculous events is for us to present a united front. I can’t imagine anyone being stupid enough to consider that either of us would be open to something like that.”
“As long as we’re on the same page,” Bryn said.
“Of course we are,” he said.
“Good, because like you said, we’re putting a lot of effort into this non-relationship in order to make it appear real.”
Chapter Nine
Sunday after dinner, Clint, Ivy, and Bryn walked across campus, admiring the newly planted landscaping. A couple of adult Orange dragons were walking among the trees, touching them, sending Quintessence into the trunks and making the trees grow. Limbs shot out, reaching for the sky, and leaves popped out as tiny buds blossomed and then tripled in size.
“That is so cool.” Ivy stopped walking.
“It is,” Bryn agreed. Orange dragons had a connection to the earth. Their power of sonic waves could open fissures that would swallow a person whole or create agricultural feats like the forest Jaxon’s parents had commissioned inside Westgate Estate…as in they had a forest in their house…which was weird but amazing.
“I don’t know that I could ever be that skilled,” Ivy said. “I can make plants grow into twisted topiaries, but I can’t make them mature like that.”
“How do you know?” Bryn asked.
“I tried over the summer. I transformed all of our houseplants. I can twist the vines into hearts or corkscrews but I can’t make them grow.”
One of the Orange dragons stopped working and came toward them. She was an older bronze-skinned woman who wore her dark hair in two long braids. “You want to learn how to make plants grow?”
Ivy nodded. “I like doing topiaries, but it doesn’t feel like enough.”
“Given our population’s decline there aren’t enough of us to continue our work. So maybe it’s time we teach those willing to learn. Come.” The woman led Ivy back to the trees. “Let me show you what it feels like. Place your hand on the bark.”
Ivy placed her palm on the tree trunk and the woman placed her hand on top of Ivy’s. “I will direct Quintessence through your hand so you can understand what we do.”
Wide-eyed, Ivy nodded.
The woman closed her eyes and Ivy sucked in a breath. A huge smile lit her face.
After a few moments the woman pulled her hand away from Ivy’s. “Now you try.”
Ivy took a deep breath and then laughed. “It’s silly, but I’m nervous.” Closing her eyes, Ivy furrowed her brow like she was concentrating. Nothing happened. “Maybe I need to keep my eyes open. I’m used to looking at the things I’m working on.” Ivy moved her hand to a low branch and stared at it intently. The branch shook and shot out several new leaves. “I did it,” Ivy exclaimed.
“Yes. You did.” The woman beamed. “Do you want to stay and help us?”
Ivy looked at Bryn questioningly.
“Stay. Have fun,” Bryn said.
“I think I’ll hang around too just in case she tires herself out,” Clint said. “This summer she went overboard with the rose bushes at my house and I had to feed her half a pizza before she was back to herself.”
“No problem. You two enjoy yourselves.”
Garrett was flying around in the stadium when Bryn arrived. The last time she’d seen him he was basically hang-gliding. This new wing moved up and down. The motion was a bit jerky, but it allowed for more realistic flight.
When he spotted her, Garrett came in for a landing. He stutter-stepped, but his landing was no more awkward than hers. “What do you think?”
“It’s amazing,” Bryn said. “You’ve made so much progress.”
“I worked on it during all my waking hours this summer,” Garrett said. “It’s not perfect, but I can take off and land by myself.”
“Show me,” Bryn said.
Garrett crouched down and shot up into the sky, flapping his prosthetic wing in time with his one functional wing. He didn’t get a lot of vertical lift, but he was able to get off the ground under his own power, unlike the last time she’d seen him, when she’d had to lift him up into the air and drop him so he could glide. Once he was aloft, he flapped both wings and climbed higher.
He circled a few times and then landed again. The wing retracted until it looked like he was wearing a large black leather backpack.
“That’s so cool,” Bryn said. “You could wear it all the time, if you wanted.”
“That’s the idea,” Garrett said. “I have something else to show you. Follow me.”
What else could he have to show her? She trusted him but wasn’t sure why he was leading her to the back side of the bleachers. What she saw took her breath away.
“Dad?” Her father stood there, leaning on a cane with some sort of black plastic brace on his right leg. He looked oddly weak, but the smile that lit up his face was exactly the one she remembered. Running to him she threw her arms around him. “I’ve missed you so much.”
He hugged her one-armed and lifted her off her feet. “Bryn,” his voice broke as he said her name
.
Tears streamed down Bryn’s face as her dad set her back down. She kept her eyes on his face, not wanting to look at his leg. “I’m so happy to see you.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “I was getting ready to storm the campus if they didn’t let us out to visit you.”
Bryn laughed. Wait a minute. “Us?” Was her mom here, too?
“Hey, baby.” Her mom stepped out of the shadows.
“Get over here,” Bryn said, holding one arm out so they could have a family hug.
Her mom laughed and joined them. “Garrett managed to get us day passes out of Sanctuary. He’s a good friend.”
“Yes, he is.” Bryn stepped back and looked for Garrett who stood off to the side, smiling. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And you don’t have to stay hidden back here. You can go to your room or hang out on the bleachers. Mr. Stanton knows they’re here.”
She had no idea how long her parents would be allowed to stay, and she didn’t think her father would want to make the trek across campus to her room. “I’m good with staying here.”
“There’s an office for the referees over this way,” her mom said. “We can sit in there and have some privacy.”
“Sounds good.” Bryn followed her parents to the small office. Her dad actually moved at close to a normal pace, which made his injury a little less unsettling. Once they were seated in the small office, her mom said, “How’s your senior year shaping up?”
“Seriously?” Bryn laughed. “I’m okay. I’ve been worried sick about you guys. I don’t know why they wouldn’t let you come visit or me go visit you.”
Her dad frowned. “Ferrin kept interrogating all of us, making us drink those stupid potions where you spill your guts and then feel lightheaded afterward. I understand that they’re trying to root out anyone who might want to attack the campus or start a war, but he seems to be going overboard.”
“He does love to exert his power,” Bryn said. “Which is why I can’t believe I’m stuck in this crap-tastic marriage contract with Jaxon. I was sure he’d find a way to outmaneuver mom’s parents.”
“Please tell us that Jaxon is not the complete jackass his father is,” her mom said.
“He’s not. He’s crabby and snotty, but he’s also noble and loyal and he can be kind when he doesn’t have his Blue panties in a bunch.”
“Do you like him?” her dad asked.
“I don’t hate him like I used to. Which may not sound like a lot but I’m trying to look on the bright side. I hope one day we’ll become friends, but that’s probably the best I can expect.”
Her mom and dad exchanged a look and then her dad said, “We could leave. Go back to living the way we did before, alone in the human world.”
“Tempting offer, but I don’t think that would work.”
“We made it work before,” her mom said.
“That’s because you two were running away to be together. You gave up everything for love. I understand that, but I don’t have love, and I probably never will. But I do have flying, and friends, and dreams of becoming a Medic.”
“Is that enough?” her mom asked.
Part of her brain screamed no. “It kind of has to be, since I don’t have a better option.”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but what happened with Zavien?” her dad asked. “He’s the lesser of two evils and he liked you.”
This was going to be awkward. “We dated before I realized he was already promised to someone else…who happened to be one of the leaders of the Rebels.”
“Then I’m guessing she’s dead,” her mom said. “The Directorate wouldn’t let her live after the damage she caused.”
“You’re right. She’s gone,” Bryn said. “And they interrogated him the same way they did you guys…probably worse. He didn’t have a clue what she was up to. It blindsided him just like the rest of us.”
“So Zavien could be an option again,” her dad said.
“Not after what happened between us.” Bryn sighed. “He really let me down. Finding someone else is a nice fantasy. While I don’t have the warm fuzzies for Jaxon, I do respect him.”
“Does he feel the same way about you?” her mom asked. “There have to be other Blues that lost their intended mates. Maybe he could be with someone else.”
“Maybe, but I’d appreciate it if we could change the subject because I prefer to live in denial.”
“Okay,” her dad said. “We just want what’s best for you.”
“Tell me about Sanctuary,” Bryn said.
“It’s coming together,” her dad said. “The remaining hybrids and throwbacks are going out of their way to fly under the radar. Everyone is being painfully polite and respectful to the Directorate and the guards they’ve stationed there to keep tabs on us.”
“I’m amazed at the supplies and building materials that have been donated. It’s not like we’re living in luxury, but they added on to the original Miner’s Hall, turning it into a community center with cots and an industrial-sized kitchen. Everyone is allowed to stay there until enough houses are built. There were dozens of old cabins that we helped fix up and they’ve started new construction which is designed to resemble the existing cabins.”
“So it will be a Stepford town, like Dragon’s Bluff, where all the buildings match?” Bryn asked.
“Pretty much,” her mom said. “So anyone who doesn’t want to live in a semi-rustic-looking log cabin is out of luck. Honestly, I’m just grateful that we have heat, indoor plumbing, and food. We camped in the woods for weeks before they opened the Sanctuary, and I’d hate to live that way for the rest of my life.”
“I still don’t fully trust the Directorate’s motives,” her dad said. “They’re almost being too civil.”
“I think they’re trying to bring everyone back into the fold. The Rebel attack took them completely by surprise. If they make the hybrids and throwbacks feel welcome and semi-respected, then there’s no reason to start another war.”
“We raised a smart girl,” her mom said. “I’m sure that’s why they are doing it.”
“I was stunned to find out that there were other hybrids,” her dad said. “Here I thought we were the lone rebels.”
“You were the only rebels out in the open,” Bryn said. “It’s nice to know that I’m not the only hybrid, but it’s terrifying to see how many other hybrids were sort of insane.”
Her mom nodded. “I never really understood the bloodline tests the Directorate based their decisions on, but now I understand why they’d be cautious.”
“You have to wonder about nature versus nurture,” her dad said. “How many of those hybrids would have been normal if they hadn’t been raised to hate the Directorate?”
His question reminded Bryn of the first time she’d met Jaxon. “Funny, but Jaxon was raised to hate me. After we were forced to spend time together and ended up helping each other, he saw that I wasn’t the evil person his father claimed I was.”
“I can only imagine what Ferrin said about me,” her mom said.
“You don’t want to know. I suggest avoiding him at all costs,” Bryn said. “But I think you’d like his wife Lillith. She’s really nice.”
“Poor woman,” her mom said.
“She’s checked out emotionally, like it seems all Blue wives do with their husbands, but she seems happy most of the time.” And that gave Bryn hope for her future.
“I forgot how crazy this world was,” her dad said.
“It’s plenty nuts,” Bryn said. “But the flying and magic kind of balance things out.”
“Speaking of balance.” Her dad pointed at the brace he wore. “Your friend Garret is a genius. This brace has made a huge difference in my ability to move around.”
“Good. Garret is probably the first dragon to work on prosthetics since injured dragons used to be shunned.” Bryn thought of something ironic and grinned. “Did Garret tell you who funded his research and development of these products?
”
“No,” her dad said.
“Your father-in-law,” Bryn said. “I asked him to help Garret, so he funded the whole thing.”
Her mom stared open-mouthed. “I have no idea how you worked your way into their hearts, but I’m so glad you did. I think you’ve had a positive influence on them.”
“They’ve been good to me,” Bryn said. “I care about them. I know they still care about you, and I’m hoping they’ll let you back in to their lives.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” her mom said. “I committed an unforgiveable crime in their eyes. I’d love to make amends somehow, but for now, I’m grateful that they’ve taken care of you.”
“Your mom and I are prepared to live in Sanctuary so we can be near you. We have no illusions that we’ll be welcomed back into Dragon society. I hope your mom can visit her parents, but I have no plan to ever step foot into Sinclair Estate.”
That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. Not that her grandparents would welcome him with open arms, but she hoped they could all be together one day. “Maybe for special occasions like Christmas you could visit,” Bryn said. “Because honestly, Christmas without you guys last year, when I thought you were gone…” Bryn teared up. “Worst holiday ever. I really want us all to be together this year.”
“We may be able to meet on neutral ground,” her mom said. “But I don’t expect to be invited into my parents’ home. Truthfully, it might be better that way.”
“You are ruining the family reunion I’ve spent many hours planning in my head,” Bryn said. “And I’m only sort of joking.”
Her mom grabbed Bryn’s hand and squeezed. “Having you back in our lives is a miracle. I knew that once you attended the Institute and had a taste of living like a dragon…flying whenever you wanted…using magic…you’d never be satisfied with the human world again. So being able to visit you, and eventually having you visit us, is enough for me. Don’t push my parents to make amends. I don’t want to upset the balance of your new life for something that will probably never happen.”
“Well, that sucks,” Bryn said.