Going Down in Flames (Entangled Teen)

by Chris Cannon

  The woman threw her head back and laughed.

  Was this a good reaction or a sign of mania? Unsure, Bryn backed up a step.

  “I find this situation delicious. I’m sure the Directorate is in a snit.”

  “You’re not a fan?”

  “No, I’m not, but now isn’t the time for my story.” She retrieved a closed sign from her desk and hung it in the window. “There’s more you should know about the key.”

  Zavien and Bryn followed Talia into the back of the store where she herded them down a flight of wooden stairs into a small living room. Through an open doorway at the back of the room, a kitchen was visible. Talia must live here, too.

  They settled on a small couch upholstered in the same green velvet as the leaves in the store. Zavien knocked his knee on the wooden coffee table and winced. “What can you tell us about the key?”

  “There are many legends surrounding ancient keys. The Directorate dismissed them as romantic fairy tales. My grandmother swore the stories were true.” Talia clasped her hands in her lap. “Long ago, there were dragon wars. Each Clan kept to themselves and fought over territory and treasure. After heavy losses on all sides, an accord, which portioned out parcels of land, was created. Marriages between the clans were arranged. Most of the couples were barren, but a few managed to have children who were said to have unusual powers. Despite this, there was peace for a while.

  “A crossbreed named Wraith Nightshade broke away from his Clan and started his own kingdom. People followed him. Soon, he amassed a great fortune. Wraith conquered almost all of the nearby kingdoms. It seemed no one could stand against him, and most didn’t want to. Some claimed he was charismatic, while others swore it was some form of magical compulsion.”

  “He was like the Pied Piper of Dragons?”

  Talia laughed. “I suppose. When there was only one rival Clan left, the woman he loved betrayed him. He was captured and executed. His kingdom was disbanded, and the Directorate was formed. They decreed dragons should marry within their own Clan to keep certain powers from coming to light.

  “Rebels tried to convince the Directorate not all the crossbreeds were dangerous, but the Directorate wouldn’t listen. In the end, the Rebels hid certain artifacts in special chests. The keys to the chests were charmed so a dragon of a certain lineage could open each one.

  “Your type of key is made for a dragon of Blue and Red descent.”

  Bryn clasped her necklace. “Are you telling me this key unlocks a treasure chest?”

  “I’ve seen many replicas. Yours is old, and it’s real gold. But that doesn’t mean it’s anything but a pretty bauble meant to annoy the Directorate.”

  Zavien checked his watch. “Anything else we should know?”

  “The Directorate frowns on reminders of the past. Keep the key out of sight. Some may question its origins.”

  “I agree it would be best to keep it hidden, but how will she change clothes for Basic Movement?” Zavien asked.

  “I have an idea.” Talia led them back upstairs to the store. “What if we put the key in a locket?”

  “That might work.” A locket shaped like a dragon caught Bryn’s attention. “I like that one.” She pointed it out to Zavien. “It reminds me of your tattoo.”

  “People won’t know it’s a locket.” Talia plucked the golden dragon off the green, velvet leaf. “The key should fit in the span of his wings.” She pried the locket open while Bryn removed the necklace.

  The key slid in place. “Perfect fit.”

  Talia picked a chain off one of the bottom leaves. “Did I mention we’re having a sale?” She smirked. “People who plan to give the Directorate grief receive a free chain with the purchase of a locket.”

  “I believe I qualify for that sale.” She accepted the chain and restrung the dragon. When she fastened the clasp and released the necklace, the dragon landed below the hollow of her throat. It felt right.

  “Ivy will ask why you bought it,” Zavien said.

  “We’ll tell her the locket is a birthday present. Today is my sixteenth birthday.”

  “Since that’s the case, I’ll buy you the locket as a gift.” Zavien handed Talia his Dragon’s Bluff credit card.

  “Thanks.” Warmth filled her chest. More than likely, he was only being nice, but it made her feel special. She inspected her new trinket in a nearby mirror. The dragon’s outstretched wings caught the light.

  After the transaction was complete, Talia led them to the door. “Come back any time. If you ever need a place to lay low, come knock on the back door. I’m here most nights.”

  “Thank you.” Hopefully, she’d never need to take the woman up on her offer.

  On the walk to meet Clint and Ivy, Bryn ignored the gawkers. If anyone met her gaze, she smiled. A few individuals smiled back. Others mouthed the word mongrel or stared through her.

  The sweet, salty scent of caramel corn drifting in the air made her mouth water. “That smells better than before.”

  “Snacks Galore is famous for their caramel corn.”

  Inside the restaurant, Ivy and Clint waved at them from a corner table. A stainless steel bucket of caramel corn sat on the red lacquer tabletop. Ivy doled portions into white paper bowls with a metal scoop.

  Bryn sat and took a bowl. The popcorn was warm to the touch. She popped a piece in her mouth. Yum. Salty, sweet perfection.

  “Did you buy a necklace?” Ivy asked.

  “Guess what today is,” Zavien said.

  Bryn’s face colored. “It’s my birthday.”

  “Happy birthday,” Ivy said. “Mine was a week ago. Clint’s was the first of the month.”

  Weird. “What are the odds of all us having a birthday in the same month?”

  Zavien, Clint, and Ivy stared at her like she had two heads.

  “What?”

  Ivy gave an apologetic smile. “All dragons are born in July or August.”

  “How’s that possible?”

  Clint snorted, and Ivy smacked him in the back of the head. “Grow up.” She cleared her throat. “Most animals give birth in the spring. We conceive in November and December and give birth in July and August.”

  “My parents didn’t tell me any of this.” Damn it. “What else do I need to know?”

  Even though she planned on running back to humanity as soon as possible, she needed more information about dragon society so she wouldn’t keep putting her foot in her mouth.

  Ivy tapped her fingernails on the table as she thought about the question. “Let’s start with the big stuff. Mr. Stanton told you most dragons marry after they finish their college classes. There are dragons who aren’t allowed to marry their intended partner because the bloodlines wouldn’t combine well. Sometimes the Directorate recommends an alternative; sometimes they let the dragon choose again. Most dragons agree to the Directorate’s choice. Some refuse.”

  Leaning forward, Ivy spoke in a conspiratorial tone. “The librarian, Miss Enid, isn’t married. Rumors have circulated about her since my parents were in school. Some say she was heartbroken over the loss of her love. Others say she’s carried on an affair with her true love for years.”

  The sweet caramel taste in her mouth turned sour. “If what Mr. Stanton said is true, the Directorate won’t let me marry.”

  “You could shack up with Valmont,” Ivy said.

  Zavien choked on his popcorn.

  Clint whacked him on the back. “Chew and then swallow.”

  Ivy continued talking. “My dad said during different times in history, the dragon population has increased and decreased. There were years when females or males outnumbered each other. The Directorate allowed dragons to marry into the population of Dragon’s Bluff, but none of those couples had children.”

  Was the lack of children due to the Directorate’s interference, or genetics?

  Zavien touched Bryn’s hand, making her skin tingle. “There’s one other possibility I want to warn you about, and it’s going to piss you off. Earl
ier today, Clint mentioned some of the upper class have affairs. The affairs aren’t random. Those men keep mistresses.”

  “What could any guy offer to make a woman want the title of mistress? What does she do while he’s with his family? Play video games? Who are her friends?”

  “Maybe the mistresses all hang out together during their free time,” Ivy said.

  She knew one thing for sure. “The first person who suggests I become a mistress is going to lose a limb.”

  “To keep Bryn’s mind off of dismembering people, I think we should take what we bought back to our rooms and then go flying,” Clint said.

  Zavien pushed his chair away from the table. “Count me out. I promised Nola I’d lend a hand sorting through the props.” He stole a piece of Bryn’s popcorn. “Call if you need anything.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The shuttle bus ride back to campus was blissfully uneventful. Clint and Ivy agreed to meet Bryn in her room after dropping off their things. Despite everything—even certain rude people—she was doing okay. That was until she saw the note taped to her dorm room door. Note wasn’t really accurate. More like a drawing of a hybrid dragon with what looked like a huge knife, or maybe that was a lance, shoved through its chest. Either way, the pool of blood that the dragon was laying in showed the end result.

  Hands shaking, she pulled the picture off the door and crumbled it into a ball. On the off chance that someone was spying and waiting for a response, she called out, “Nice drawing. You might want to sign up for some art classes, moron.”

  She opened the door and entered her room. What kind of idiot tapes threatening pictures to a door? A note would have been more effective. This was stupid.

  After putting away her new shower gel sets, she brushed her teeth and checked her laptop for email. Nothing from Beth yet.

  Ivy knocked on the bedroom window and then pushed it open. “Ready to fly?”

  Bryn was torn. “Yes and no. I want to fly, but everyone’s going to stare to see what I look like. And I’ve had enough crap today.”

  “Ignore them and eventually they’ll stop,” Clint said.

  “We could take the stairs down. Shifting on the ground won’t attract as much attention as shifting on the terrace,” Ivy said.

  “Good idea.” Clint and Ivy climbed inside and walked into the living room. Clint grabbed the doorknob and then frowned. “That’s funny. It won’t turn.”

  “What do you mean? I just came through it ten minutes ago.” Bryn grasped the doorknob and gave a vicious tug. Something rattled. “It won’t budge. What the hell?”

  “How could someone lock the door from the outside?” Ivy asked.

  Clint tried the doorknob again. “A better question is, why? I mean they must have seen her come in here. They’d know locking the door wouldn’t trap her in her room.”

  “Maybe they wanted to see how strong she was.” Ivy shrugged.

  What Zavien said on the shuttle ride came back to her. “Maybe they wanted to check out my dragon form. If they locked the door, they knew I’d have to fly off the terrace. Jerks.” Bryn stalked into the bedroom and climbed out on to the terrace.

  Being manipulated like this pissed her off. Smoke shot from her nostrils. She concentrated on shifting. The physical transformation came with ease. She looked down at herself to check her coloring. Red scales tipped with blue.

  Clint and Ivy both gave her a once-over.

  “Cool,” Ivy said.

  “I’m disappointed,” Clint said. “I thought you’d be purple.”

  She probably could be purple if she tried, but now wasn’t the time for experimentation. It was time to fly.

  Clint and Ivy shifted. Bryn glanced at them. There it was again. She saw their human faces superimposed over their dragon faces for a second, and then it was gone.

  All three dragons pushed off the terrace.

  “Follow us. Try to keep up.” Clint shot past Bryn with Ivy by his side, driving into the sky.

  She raced after her friends. Zooming past them, she performed the diving roll she’d learned from her mom.

  Blue scales flashed past Bryn, accompanied by a deafening roar. Recognizing an insult when she heard one, she took off after the unknown Blue.

  Damn, he was fast. Her dad had said Blues were the fastest fliers. And this guy was faster than her mom had been. Bryn worked at catching up to him, pushing down harder with her wings until the muscles at the base of them protested.

  He glanced back at her and roared again. It sounded like a challenge. If he wanted a race, he’d get one.

  She growled, and sparks shot from her nostrils. She pushed harder with her wings. Closer and closer she came. She almost had him. She could see the individual scales on his tail. She was so close. Whoosh. He rolled and shot off in a different direction.

  Damn, damn, damn. She would not let this jerk outfly her. She pushed harder, ignoring the throbbing pain in her wings. The distance between them closed…ten feet…five feet…three feet. He twisted midair, changed direction, and flew straight at the ground.

  What was this, an aerial game of chicken? Did he expect her to pull up first? Not a chance.

  Whipping around, she pumped her wings and aimed for the sea of grass below. The ground came up fast. Straining her muscles until they screamed, she used the extra strength from her Red genes and shot past the Blue dragon. Roaring in triumph, she banked hard to the right, skimming the grass with her belly.

  Woo hoo. She’d done it. Take that, snotty Blue dragons.

  Reducing her speed, she flew in lazy circles, basking in the moment.

  Ivy flew up beside her. “I can’t believe you did that.”

  “Superior hybrid genes,” Bryn joked.

  Clint joined them. “I bet the Blues are pissed.”

  Beyond her friends, Bryn could see a trio of Green dragons approaching with Garret flying in front.

  “That was spectacular,” Garret said. “I’ve never seen anyone outfly a Blue.”

  “Thanks. It wasn’t easy.”

  “We should set up timed trials to see how fast you are.” Garret’s eyes seemed to light up at the idea.

  “Maybe I should get a handle on homework and classes first.” If she put him off long enough, maybe he’d forget.

  “Classes start tomorrow. After a week, you should have your study habits established. I’ll check back with you next weekend.”

  Great. “I’ll let you know if I need help with my homework to speed the process along.”

  “Garret, did you lock Bryn’s door?” Clint asked.

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Someone locked it, and they waited until they knew I was inside to do it.” Smoke drifted from Bryn’s nostrils.

  “Forcing you to shift and fly from the terrace. Who would do that? Unless…” Garret turned his head and searched the area. “And there’s your answer. Check out the group under the trees. As a rule, Blue males don’t congregate in large groups. They seek exclusive relationships with the more powerful dragons in their Clan. They don’t play well with others of their own kind because they’re too competitive. Since they’re all together like that, there’s probably a reason.”

  She followed his line of sight and saw a gathering of blond males engaged in a heated debate.

  “Okay, but how could they get into the Green dorm?” Bryn asked.

  “We came in your window,” Ivy pointed out. “One of them could have come in through your room and gone out the door and then waited nearby until they saw you go in.”

  “Fine,” Bryn said. “They could do it, but why would they?”

  “Two reasons. They wanted to see your dragon from, and I think this was their way of testing you, trying to prove that you’re inferior,” Garret said. “I bet they’re quite unhappy at the moment.”

  Bryn tried to figure out how to flip someone off in dragon form. The gesture didn’t translate. For now, she delighted in her victory and their irritation.

  “Let’s check
your door,” Garret said.

  They landed near the front door of the Green dormitory. Bryn dug her claws into the dirt to steady herself and succeeded in ripping up hunks of sod.

  “You can fly like the wind,” Clint said, “but your landings suck.”

  Bryn shifted into human form. “Thanks for bringing that to my attention.”

  Garrett took a moment to stomp the sod back into place. “You need to work on that.”

  “I know.” Face red, Bryn headed for the dorm and stalked up the stairs. With every step she climbed, her thighs complained. “This school needs elevators.”

  When they reached her door, what she saw made her growl in outrage. A length of chain wrapped around her door handle and was anchored to the doorknob across the hall.

  Garret ran his fingers along the metal links. “It was charmed, but the spell has worn off. I can feel the residual magic. And look there.” He pointed at a space where it looked like half a link was missing.

  Bryn touched it. The entire link was there; part of it was invisible. “What the hell?”

  A concealment spell would be my guess.” Garret rubbed his chin. “That’s high-level magic. There aren’t many students who could manage it.”

  “You think an adult locked me in my room?” That made it even creepier.

  “Maybe.” Garret exhaled onto his palm, and a small, twisting ball of matter appeared. He set the twister on the chain, and it slid between the links. He exhaled again and sent another gust toward the chain. The small tornado grew and ripped the metal link in half.

  “How’d you do that?” Bryn asked.

  “You’ll learn to use your breath weapon in Elemental Science.” He unwound the chain, and it dropped to the floor with a metallic clunk. “Let’s make sure your personal belongings are in order.”

  Bryn entered and surveyed the room. Nothing seemed out of place. “Everything is the same. I was just in here.”

  “Good.” Garret cleared his throat. “I hate that someone locked your door. If they’d broken into your room, it would’ve meant serious trouble.”

  She remembered the drawing of the skewered dragon taped to her door. “Do you think I’m safe? It’s not like I have a roommate to help fight off attackers.” She was only partly joking.