by Chris Cannon
“I’m working to change the Directorate’s marriage law. Nola is fine with putting off our wedding as long as possible. I could always work on a master’s degree to extend the deadline if the Directorate doesn’t change the law soon enough.”
“I hate the Directorate. They are screwing up a wonderful moment.”
“I can fix that.”
He leaned in. This time she met him halfway. Determined to ignore reality, she threw herself into the kiss. Heat thrummed through her body. She threaded her fingers through the hair on his nape.
Zavien jerked away from her.
She fell against him. “What the—”
“Someone’s knocking,” he said.
Whoever it was could go away. The only person she wanted to see was Zavien.
The knock sounded again. She realized it was coming from her bedroom door. Irked, she walked over and opened it. Valmont and Miss Enid stood in the doorway. Both wore smug expressions.
Miss Enid walked into the living room. “Sorry to interrupt, but we need to leave.”
Valmont rocked forward on the balls of his feet. “I’m willing to stay—”
“No,” Zavien snarled.
“What a surprise.” He winked at Bryn. “Call if you need me.”
The librarian moved around Zavien to reach the door.
Valmont followed her lead. As he pulled the door closed, he called back, “Some guys can’t stand a little healthy competition.”
Bryn bit her lip to keep from laughing.
Zavien reached over to lock the door. “I hate him.”
Another knock had Zavien yanking the door open. “What?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Clint and Ivy stood in the hall, wearing surprised expressions.
“Weren’t we supposed to stay with Bryn?” Clint asked.
“Sorry.” Zavien stepped aside to give them room to enter. “I thought you were someone else.”
Ivy picked up the bag by her side and walked to the couch. “We’re going to have a slumber party. I can sleep in Bryn’s spare bed, and Clint will sleep on the couch.”
“Wasn’t that your knight we saw leaving?” Clint asked.
Bryn jumped in before Zavien said anything negative about Valmont. After all, she was indebted to the knight for moving Zavien to action. She couldn’t wait to tell Ivy the big news. “He stopped by to visit.”
Her stomach growled.
Zavien raised an eyebrow. “Did they forget to feed you?”
“They offered. I slept through dinner.”
“That has to be a first,” Clint teased.
“What do you want to eat?” Zavien asked.
Her stomach growled again. “Anything is fine.”
“I’ll grab something from the café downstairs.” He touched her cheek before walking out the door.
As soon as the door closed, Bryn turned to Ivy and jumped up and down. “He kissed me.”
Ivy zipped across the room and hugged her. “Tell me everything.”
“You can’t tell anyone,” Bryn insisted. “It has to stay a secret.”
Ivy held her hand over her heart. “We promise.”
“Valmont made Zavien jealous. Zavien kissed me.”
Ivy did a happy dance.
Clint snorted. “It’s about time he got his head out of his ass.”
Bryn gaped. “You knew?”
“Just because he’s clueless doesn’t mean all guys are.”
“There’s one major problem.” She hated saying the other woman’s name. “His intended is Nola.”
Ivy cringed. “That sucks.”
“He said they’re friends.” Bryn took a seat on the couch. “Nola doesn’t like his hair or his tattoos.”
“That’s good.” Ivy sat next to her. “How are you going to handle this?”
“We can’t be together in public. I don’t like it, but I’d rather have that than nothing at all.”
Ivy pointed at the workout dummy in the corner. “Whenever you get frustrated, wail on the Slam Man.”
As soon as Zavien walked in the door, the conversation stopped. He looked at Clint. “How many seconds was I gone before she told Ivy?”
“Maybe two.”
Bryn met Zavien halfway across the room and took the white plastic bag he carried. “I won’t tell anyone else.”
In the bag, she found several submarine sandwiches and bags of chips. She chose one of each and set the rest on the coffee table.
Clint snagged a sandwich. “Do we have anything to drink?”
Zavien jerked his thumb toward the door. “Vending machines are down the hall.”
Ivy stood. “I’ll go with you. I want a candy bar.”
Chocolate sounded good. Since her mouth was full, Bryn raised her hand.
“I understand,” Clint said. “Soda and an assortment of candy bars, coming up.”
Zavien chose a sandwich and sat on the floor.
She wished he’d sit on the couch with her. Good Lord, she was clingy already.
“There’s something you should know,” he said. “Nola camps with us.”
“Bummer. I suppose we’ll have to act normal.”
He grinned. “You never act normal.”
Bryn balled up her napkin and threw it at his head. He caught it and spread it out on his lap. “Thanks. I needed a napkin.”
Ivy and Clint returned with armloads of soda and candy bars. “We need a cooler for your room,” Clint said.
Bryn surveyed the room for a suitable container and decided the plastic bag from the café should work as a temporary cooler. She opened it and exhaled chunks of ice until the bag was half full. “Ask and you shall receive.”
Clint and Ivy stared.
“My mom is a Blue,” she reminded them.
“You never told us you could breathe ice.” Clint looked offended. “You’ve been holding out on us.”
“I didn’t want to freak you out. Since the poisoning, I figure you’re up for anything.”
Ivy placed the extra sodas in the plastic bag to keep them cold. “You’re handy to have around. Any other tricks we should know about?”
“I change my hair color by visualizing it. Mr. Stanton thinks I’m using Quintessence.”
Clint’s soda landed on the coffee table with a thunk. “Get out.”
“Watch.” She closed her eyes and pictured her hair a deep blue green to match her eyes.
Ivy gaped. “I’m jealous. Teach me how you do that.”
“I’m not sure how it works.” Bryn focused on her sandwich.
“Too bad.”
Ivy and Clint chatted about classes. Bryn listened. She felt Zavien’s gaze and turned. His expression wasn’t what she’d expected.
“What’s wrong?”
“I wonder if I should tell Nola about us.”
Clint and Ivy stopped speaking.
Even though her heart was about to beat out of her chest, Bryn played it cool. “Why tell her? You’re not doing anything wrong. You both agreed to see other people.”
“We did.” Zavien sighed. “I’d hate for her to hear that we’re more than friends from someone else.”
“We’ll be discreet. We’ll stay in most of the time, like tonight.”
“Secrets have a way of coming to light,” Zavien said. “I should be honest with her.”
Not a good idea. Nola might decide to go after what the Directorate declared was hers. “Would you want to know if it was the other way around?”
“I’ve always thought she was seeing someone else, but she’s never mentioned anyone.”
“If she hasn’t told you about who she’s seeing, then I doubt she wants to hear about who you’re seeing.” Bryn crossed her fingers and hoped her line of logic worked.
“I guess you’re right.” Zavien opened another bag of chips.
“What’s next on the Revisionists list?” she asked to change the topic.
Zavien sat forward. “I want to push the idea of choosing majors outside of wha
t’s the norm. Your desire to be a medic is a good example. Normally, only Green dragons are allowed into medical classes.”
Ivy frowned. “Clint and I both want to be artists, so we’re doing what they want.”
Clint reached over and took her hand. “We’re not going to change our goals to spite them.”
“What are you going to be when you grow up?” Ivy asked Zavien.
“I want to be a tattoo artist.”
Bryn remembered a promise he’d made when he talked her into staying at the Institute. “You owe me a tattoo.”
“Know what you want?” he asked.
“I want a yin and yang symbol. Instead of a circle, I want a Blue and a Red dragon arranged head to tail. The two halves symbolize who I am.”
“I love it,” Ivy said.
“It’s you,” Zavien agreed. He finished his sandwich, stood, and moved to the door.
“Where are you going?” Bryn asked.
“I’m going to my room for supplies.”
“Know where you want your tattoo?” Ivy asked.
“No.” She brushed potato chip crumbs off her shirt. “Any suggestions?”
“Where you put it depends on who you want to see it.” Clint wiggled his eyebrows.
Bryn rolled her eyes. “We’ll stick with G rated areas.”
Zavien entered, carrying what resembled a tackle box. It was made of polished wood and had brass hinges. His name was carved into the lid. When he opened it, she expected to see needles and bottles of ink. Instead, the interior held tubes of paint and markers.
He must’ve noticed her confused expression. “No needles for you. We’re going to use semipermanent markers and paint. With your gift for manipulating Quintessence, you can make it last as long as you want.”
“I never thought of that.”
“I think we should put it on your shoulder.”
Something about this didn’t feel right. Needles seemed scary, but she wanted this to mean something.
“All three of you have real tattoos. I want to be part of the group.”
“If you like it, we can make it real. Your father will attempt to shove my head through a wall when he finds out I kissed you. I might as well go for broke.”
“How big is her father?” Clint asked.
“He’s not as big as the no-neck guy from the gym,” Bryn said. “But he’s close.”
Clint faked a shiver. “You have my sympathies.”
“First things first,” Zavien said. “We need to wipe your shoulder with alcohol. Otherwise, the paint won’t adhere.”
“I have a first aid kit in the bathroom.” Bryn retrieved the blue and white plastic box from the cabinet under the sink. Back in the living room, she handed the bottle of alcohol to Zavien.
“Left or right shoulder?” he asked.
“You choose.”
He made quick work of swabbing her left shoulder. She was surprised when he swabbed a spot on her right shoulder. “What’s that for?”
“Humor me.”
What was he up to?
He sat behind her on the floor and sorted through the markers in his wooden box. When he placed the flat of his hand on her shoulder blade, heat flowed into her skin.
What if she didn’t like what he drew? She thought he’d sketch the dragons on paper first. If she didn’t like it once it was on her shoulder, there was no way she’d tell him.
The fine tip of the marker pressed against her skin. “Don’t make any sudden movements.”
The marker moved in short strokes against her left shoulder. Occasionally, she’d feel a long stroke. It didn’t feel like he was drawing a dragon. It felt like he was playing tic-tac-toe.
“What part are you drawing?”
“Worried?” he asked.
“I trust you, but an update now and then would be nice.”
“I’m creating the Red dragon. I’m building the body outline with scales so it will appear more realistic. When I finish, I’ll move on to the Blue. I’ll color them in afterward.”
“It looks good.” Ivy moved into Bryn’s line of sight. “Could you change my hair color?”
“After Zavien finishes, I can try.”
“I want hot pink streaks.”
The marker continued to move over Bryn’s skin. She ignored it and focused on Ivy. “Pick a color out of Zavien’s paints so I have a guide.”
“Watch out,” Clint advised. “Bryn might suck the Quintessence from your brain into your hair. I’d hate for you to lose IQ points.”
“I’m not a Quintessence vampire.”
“There are legends of dragons who stole Quintessence from other dragons.” Zavien stopped drawing. “Those who were caught and convicted had their wings amputated.”
A wave of revulsion turned Bryn’s stomach. “You can’t be serious. That’s—”
“A fate worse than death,” Zavien said. “I agree, but their crimes were horrendous. They would keep dragons locked away and feed off their Quintessence until the dragons died.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Bryn asked.
“I’m making a point. Let Ivy color her hair with dye. You shouldn’t mess with things you don’t understand. Others could misinterpret your actions.”
Her temper spiked. She turned to face him. “Someone tried to kill me already. Don’t manipulate me with gory legends. Make your point. I’m not stupid. I’ll listen.”
“When I tell you to do something, sometimes you do the opposite.”
Busted. “I haven’t done that in a while. State your case in plain English. I’ll remember you’re doing it for a good cause.”
“Agreed. Now turn around unless you want it to look like the Red dragon ate the Blue dragon and left half a corpse.”
It didn’t take him long to finish the yin and yang dragons. What did it look like? When he pulled the marker away from her skin, she attempted to stand up.
“Be patient.” The marker moved to her right shoulder. “Change your hair back while I’m working.”
She’d forgotten about her hair. “You don’t like my hair blue?”
“I like girls with striped hair.”
A happy glow settled in her chest. She changed her hair back to blond and cherry-red stripes.
“You forgot the black streaks,” Ivy pointed out.
She added black streaks. “Better?”
Ivy nodded. “You look like you’re supposed to.”
The marker stroked against her right shoulder a few more times. Zavien made a satisfied sound. “That’s it.”
Bryn bolted to the bathroom. She stood with her back to the mirror and tried to see her new tattoos in a hand mirror. “This is too small.”
Ivy entered the bathroom with a trifold makeup mirror. “Good thing I packed this.”
Bryn held the bigger mirror and checked her reflection. The yin and yang dragons were perfect. “I love it.”
“Look at your other shoulder,” Zavien instructed from the doorway.
She focused on her right shoulder. A small Black dragon flew with wings extended. A lightning bolt shot from his open mouth.
“You’re an honorary Black dragon,” he said.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Thanks for making me feel like I belong.”
Ivy hugged her.
Clint seemed embarrassed. “Who wants chocolate?” He retreated to the living room, and Ivy trailed after him.
Zavien gave her the lopsided grin she’d grown to love. She reached for him and wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You make everything better.”
“You’ll never have to find out.” He pressed his lips against her forehead. A warm, fuzzy feeling suffused her body. For the moment, all was right with her world.
“Zavien, you better get out here,” Clint called.
They walked hand in hand into the living room.
Clint and Ivy stood staring at the floor where an envelope lay by the door.
“I checked the hall when
I saw it,” Clint said. “Whoever left it was gone.”
“Not this crap again.” Bryn moved to pick it up, but Zavien grabbed her arm.
“Let’s not take any chances. Cake isn’t the only thing that can hide poison. I’m calling Professor Stanton. He can put a containment field around it and open it safely.”
“It’s probably a get well card.” Ivy’s tone wasn’t convincing.
Mr. Stanton arrived ten minutes later.
“I might be overreacting.” Zavien explained the situation.
“You did the right thing.” Mr. Stanton held out his hands, and an emissary formed in each one. He expanded the twisters until they resembled two large bowls. Then he scooped the envelope into one bowl and sealed it with the other. The ball of wind containing the envelope hovered in midair.
With his right hand, Mr. Stanton reached into the ball of air. A white light surrounded his hand so his skin didn’t come into contact with the envelope. He extracted the card. On the front, in elegant script, was the message, “Thinking of you.”
Bryn breathed a sigh of relief. “It is a get well card.”
Mr. Stanton opened the card. Inside, someone had taped a picture of Bryn walking across campus with Merrick the day she was released from the medical wing. Underneath the picture someone had scrawled, “Next time, we’ll finish the job.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Fire crawled up the back of Bryn’s throat. Sparks shot from her nostrils. Fighting to contain the inferno raging in her chest, she clutched at Zavien’s arm.
He turned her away from their friends. “Think of snow. I won’t let them hurt you. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
It took every ounce of willpower she had to rein in her fire. Think cold. Think ice. Think snow. After a few minutes, the sparks changed to sleet. There. At least she wouldn’t burn the room down.
“Call Merrick,” Mr. Stanton said in a tight voice.
Anger and panic gnawed at her gut. She focused on the cold and listened to Zavien making soothing sounds while he rubbed his hand up and down her back. When the sleet changed to frost, she rested her forehead against Zavien’s chest. His warm scent helped her relax. She counted the times his chest rose and fell. After ten exhalations, she raised her head.
“We need to find these bastards before they come after me again.”