by Chris Cannon
“Purple,” Bryn replied with a straight face.
“Right.” He pretended to believe her. “I can see why you’d want to cover that up.”
“If I could have everyone’s attention,” the tour leader bellowed. He shot a scathing glance at the two Orange dragons, who’d stayed ten feet behind the group the entire tour. “Classes start bright and early tomorrow morning. Tardiness is not tolerated. Be sure to visit the tables along the walking paths to acquaint yourselves with the extracurricular activities we provide. Remember, you’re required to maintain an active membership in at least two clubs during your time here.”
Students drifted off in different directions.
Ivy continued their conversation. “You’ll get your share of grief from the Blues. That’s okay. You can hang with us.” Ivy winked at Bryn. “I’ll let you introduce me to Zavien.”
“It’s his hair, isn’t it?” Clint said. “I could wear my hair like that.”
“Speak of the devil.” Ivy pointed down the sidewalk.
Zavien stood behind a table labeled Wilderness and Survival Training. He gestured with enthusiasm as he spoke to a group of dragons that included several Blues. Bryn moved closer to eavesdrop.
“Camping is a wonderful adventure. We teach you how to survive in the wild. You’ll learn to catch fish, clean them with your own hands, and cook them over an open flame. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.”
Zavien grabbed a twelve-inch, serrated knife from the holster on his belt. “Let me explain the proper way to gut a fish.”
The Blue dragons turned away with expressions of horror. Bryn strolled into his line of sight. “Are you trying to appear criminally insane?”
Zavien twirled the knife in his hand. “I’ve no idea what you mean.”
“Those are new.” She pointed at the lip rings he sported.
Reaching into his mouth, he pulled out several magnets. “I thought they were a nice touch.” He made a yuck face. “The magnets taste terrible.”
Ivy sidled closer and cleared her throat.
Bryn took the hint. “Zavien, this is Ivy and Clint. We met on the tour.”
Zavien’s lopsided grin made an appearance. “Nice to meet you. Any friend of Bryn’s is a friend of mine.”
He assumed a lot.
Ivy smiled. “We thought we’d adopt her. She has good hair. All she needs is a few tattoos.”
“The filthy mongrel needs dog tags,” drifted out of a group of students passing by. Cruel laughter followed.
Fists clenched, Bryn glared at the students laughing at her expense. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t set their hair on fire.”
“You don’t want detention your first day here.” Zavien returned the knife to his holster. “I assume you’ll all join my group.” He passed out application forms.
Hands shaking, Bryn reached for a pen. Zavien placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze.
That helped, a little. “What other group will cause me the least amount of pain?”
“My friend, Nola, runs the theater and stagecraft groups. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
She followed him over to a table with a large, colorful banner that proclaimed, “Theater students are more interesting than normal students.”
Sitting on the table was a woman who resembled a dark-haired Barbie doll.
Clint stepped forward. “I’ve always been interested in the theater.”
“Really?” Nola said. “What’s your favorite part?”
“The beautiful women.” Clint winked.
Nola chuckled and pointed at Zavien. “Did you teach him that line?”
“I wish.” Zavien clapped Clint on the shoulder. “That was good.”
Clint puffed out his chest with pride. “Thanks, I try.”
A tingling sensation crept up Bryn’s scalp. What now? After scanning the sidewalk, she located a group of older students staring at her. She reined in the urge to flip them off. Instead, she took a membership form for the stagecraft department and filled it out.
Ivy passed her another piece of paper. “Sign up for the theater department, too.”
“No, thanks. I’m already onstage.”
“She’s right.” Zavien moved to stand between her and the group of students. “She doesn’t need to draw more attention.”
Nola checked her watch. “It’s time to close up shop.” She collected her papers and pens and placed them in a floral fabric bag. “Why don’t I take you on a tour of the theater?”
“You three go ahead.” Zavien placed his hand on Bryn’s arm. “We’ll catch up with you.”
Clint, Ivy, and Nola walked off down the path.
“Come help me pack my stuff.” Zavien headed toward his Wilderness and Survival Training booth.
When they reached his table, she helped him collect his papers. “Is this where I get my secret decoder ring so we can pass messages back and forth?”
“No,” Zavien said. “This is where I ask why you approached Jaxon Westgate.”
His expression wasn’t angry, but his tone of voice was.
“I didn’t know who he was. He was next to me in line, and I thought it would be nice to get to know some people. I had no idea he was Ferrin’s son.” Her stomach rolled as she remembered the encounter.
“You didn’t know who he was?”
“No.” The note of disbelief in his voice ticked her off. “You don’t believe me?”
“Sorry. It seemed odd.”
“Welcome to my life. Odd is an understatement.”
Zavien nodded. “True.”
She didn’t like the silence that settled between them. “What do you think about Clint and Ivy?”
“They seem nice,” he said. “I don’t think they have an agenda.”
Did he have an agenda? Best not to ask. At this point, she wanted to believe there was one person she could rely on.
“Ready to tour the theater department?” he asked.
“In the interest of not keeping secrets, there’s something I need to tell you about. Onyx—”
“Not here.” He glanced around like someone might be listening. Placing an arm around her shoulders, he steered her down the sidewalk. “We need to visit the library.”
Most of the students they passed gave her dirty looks. “By my calculations, two-thirds of the students aren’t pleased to see me.”
“Think of it this way. More than thirty percent of the students aren’t hostile.”
“As long as the others don’t come after me with torches and pitchforks, I’ll try to be optimistic.”
Once they entered the library, Zavien pretended to show her around. Why all the secrecy? Why couldn’t he talk to her in the theater department? Didn’t he trust Nola?
When they reached the second floor, he led her to a row of doors. “These are study cubicles.” He checked the area, which seemed devoid of students. “All clear.” He opened a door and shooed her inside.
The four-by-four-foot room didn’t allow for much personal space. She breathed in his summer rainstorm scent, and butterflies flew around her stomach.
“Onyx came to see me. He gave me a gift.” She tugged on the necklace, which caught on her bra. Her face heated. Why wasn’t anything ever simple? She turned her back on Zavien, sliding her shoulder against his chest and kicking her hormones into second gear in the process. And now she was reaching into her shirt. Awkward didn’t begin to cover it.
“I would ask what you’re doing, but it’s more interesting to wait and find out.”
She could hear the smirk in his voice.
“I’m having technical difficulties with my necklace. There, I got it.” She turned around, holding the charm away from her skin. “Onyx gave me this. I don’t know what it’s for, but there’s some sort of spell on it.”
Zavien placed his hand under the key. “You’re right. It feels enchanted.”
He leaned in to take a closer look. When he exhaled, his warm breath feathered acr
oss her chest and neck, sending inappropriate signals to her nerve endings. Suddenly, there wasn’t enough air in the little room.
“My dad tested it and said it wasn’t a bad charm, but I don’t know how it could be a good one. Onyx said I was the key to the Directorate’s downfall.” And she was babbling. “To sum up, do you have any idea about the key or Onyx’s message?”
“If he gave you this key, it’s safe. As for the other, he likes to dramatize things.” Zavien straightened so he was no longer breathing into her cleavage. “I’ll leave word you have questions, and he’ll find you.”
He released the key and backed up a step. “Anything else I should know about?”
His tone was all business, like he hadn’t just been breathing down her shirt. “Nope. That’s it.”
“We should get out of here. I’ll go first. Meet me on the front steps, and I’ll take you to Clint and Ivy.”
“Why can’t we leave together?”
“Some students use the study cubicles to hook up. If people see us leaving together, they’ll assume you’ve fallen victim to my charm.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“Are you sure you’re not related to Clint?”
He laughed and walked out the door. Bryn recited the alphabet in her head and then left. She made it to the front steps of the library without incident.
Zavien was nowhere in sight.
Chapter Nine
Where was he? She waited to see if he’d reappear. No such luck.
People were starting to stare, again, so she walked toward the theater building.
“Bryn McKenna,” an authoritative voice called out.
She cringed. Now what? Bryn turned to see a man she’d never met scowling at her. Brown hair, dark skin, and hazel eyes indicated he was a Green dragon.
“You missed your counseling appointment.”
“What counseling appointment?”
The man rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Ten more years until retirement. I might not make it. Let’s try this again, shall we?”
“I didn’t know I had an appointment.” If he’d come in search of her, the appointment must be important. Either that, or he had nothing better to do.
“Your appointment would have been included in your Welcome to School packet.”
Had she overlooked the information somehow, or had Ferrin left it out just to mess with her? “I guess I didn’t see it. Do you want me to reschedule?”
“No. I want students to arrive at their appointed times. Since that seems to be an impossibility, why don’t you come with me now?”
“I’m sorry, who are you?”
“My name is Mr. Stanton.” He flashed an ID badge. “I’m head of the Green Clan on campus. It’s my duty to counsel all students who reside in my dormitory, and for some odd reason, that includes you.”
Time to kill him with kindness. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me stay in your dorm.”
Mr. Stanton gave her a terse nod and then pointed down the sidewalk. “This way.”
Bryn followed. Most people gave way to his determined gait. She bet he had a reputation for being disagreeable.
He led her into the science building to a sparsely decorated office. A plain oak desk held his appointment book, computer, and phone. The only picture on the wall was a framed photograph of a large, brown dog with a drooling problem.
She sat on an uncomfortable wooden chair and waited for him to speak.
After opening two drawers, he retrieved a green file folder and placed it on his desk. Her name was written in neat, black script on the front. “What do you hope to accomplish during your time here?”
Best to go with the truth. “I want to get through school with as little conflict as possible.”
“Do you consider yourself intelligent?”
She sensed a trap. “I won’t be valedictorian, but I’m not stupid.”
“If you have an inkling of intelligence, then you should know your time here will be filled with conflict.”
Bryn realized her mouth was hanging open. “What do you expect me to say to that?”
He leaned back in his chair. “At this point, I don’t expect much of you at all.”
Oh, really? “You don’t know me. I can do whatever I set my mind to.”
“That’s better. Now, what do you hope to accomplish during your time here?”
Smoke shot from her nostrils. He’d set her up, and she’d fallen for it. She wouldn’t let that happen again. What did she hope to accomplish here? She wanted to blurt out, “I want to graduate and get away from other dragons.” Instead, she went with, “I want to run my own business, like my parents.”
He flipped through her file. “Given your unique situation, that is appropriate.”
What did he mean by that?
He cleared his throat, like he expected a reaction.
“Was that comment supposed to tick me off? I know I’m the only crossbred dragon at school. Calling me unique isn’t an insult.”
“Your parents raised you to be independent, didn’t they? Most of the young ladies who cross my path talk about what studies they want to complete before they marry.”
Bryn snorted. “I can’t imagine thinking about marriage at sixteen. It’s absurd. Most people don’t marry until they’re in their midtwenties.”
“You’re right. Most people don’t. However, it’s tradition for dragons to marry after they complete their college studies here at the Institute.”
She did some quick mental math. After a bachelor’s degree, most people would be twenty-two. That seemed awfully young. He couldn’t be serious. “All dragons marry after they finish their college courses? How is that possible?”
“Dragon families petition the Directorate for approval of an arranged marriage. Some petitions are approved earlier than others. A petition must be applied for by the time children turn eighteen.”
It felt like someone punched her in the gut. “All dragons are paired up by eighteen?”
“If the Directorate approves, betrothal arrangements are announced during high school or after high school graduation. Some approvals take longer than others. Once both parties complete their college degrees and turn twenty-two, they’re married. Some dragons marry earlier.”
In theory, she knew her mom had run away to escape being married to Ferrin. But in practice on a school-wide level, this seemed medieval. How could someone just assign you a partner for the rest of your life? “I didn’t realize… My parents didn’t explain any of this to me.”
“I tell you now so you’ll understand. Use your time here wisely. Network with your peers, cooperate with the Directorate, follow their rules, and your business could flourish. You can live a prosperous life.”
There was something he wasn’t saying. It came to her like a blow to the head. She sat stunned for a moment.
“You don’t think the Directorate will allow me to marry.”
“It has already been decided.” He hesitated and then straightened the papers in her folder. “They consider your genes…undesirable.”
Who in the hell was the Directorate to decide anything about her genes? Not that she wanted to get married, but being declared unfit…seriously? She ground her teeth together. There were no words to describe how screwed up this system was. At least none she could say in front of a teacher.
He glanced up at her. “I am sorry. There have been other cases where petitions were denied. Those people went on to lead productive lives.” He sighed. “I’m supposed to talk to you about what classes you’ll take this semester, but sometimes I find there are more important matters to discuss. On to business.” He placed a piece of paper in front of her.
It was a copy of her schedule with the subjects and room numbers.
“If you have any questions, email me.”
Realizing she’d been dismissed, Bryn left his office. How could a governing body she’d never met have so much control over her life? It was ridiculous. It made no sense. None. She’d never ev
en heard of Ferrin and his evil minions before yesterday. Now he was controlling her future? It was laughable.
She trudged across campus, ignoring the muttered insults and hostile looks. A Blue male coming toward her shifted so he was in her path. She stepped to the side, and he followed suit. When they were a foot apart, she stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. “Can I help you?”
He moved in closer and gave a smile that made her blood run cold. “You won’t survive the semester.”
Heart beating too fast, she worked hard to keep a neutral expression on her face. “Do you make a habit of bullying girls? I thought Blues were supposed to be honorable.”
He leaned in closer, so his face was inches from hers. “I’m not bullying you. I’m stating a fact.”
Sweat slicked her palms as this interaction reached a new level of crazy. “Thanks for the heads up.” She stepped to the side, hoping he wouldn’t follow. He didn’t, so she resumed walking toward her dorm.
When she reached her room, she stripped off her clothes and climbed into the shower.
Hot water streamed over tense muscles, and angry tears flowed down her face. Okay. One problem at a time. She might have to stay here and go to school. She might not date much, or at all, but that was okay. Random wack jobs might threaten her, but not everyone hated her. Clint and Ivy were nice.
While these thoughts were reassuring, she couldn’t get past the gut-wrenching anger over being controlled by the Directorate. Her life had turned into one of those dream scenes where everything that could go wrong, did. And yet, she wasn’t waking up.
The not-good-enough-to-date-or-be-betrothed part stung. Betrothed? What a stupid, out-of-date word. It sounded like something people would say when they were trying to appear sophisticated, but weren’t. And who thought about this crap at sixteen? When it came to life plans, she intended to graduate high school, get whatever degree took the least amount of time, and then get the hell away from these psycho, controlling Directorate members and live a normal life back in the real world, if they would let her. They didn’t own her or anything, right? Once she did her time at the Institute, they’d have to let her go, wouldn’t they?