Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)(56)

“Of course.” Clint put his arm around Ivy’s shoulders. “Do you think the Directorate wants to deal with a bunch of surly teenagers griping about missing Christmas?”

“They’re attacking the school because we’re like sitting ducks here. We’re probably safer spread out in different cities,” Bryn said.

Clint and Ivy gave her the “you don’t have a clue” look, which she hadn’t seen in a while and hadn’t missed. “What? You all live in some color-coded apartment complex?”

“No.” Ivy leaned into Clint. “The Blues stick to their estates, which are scattered in the forest surrounding the institute. Clint and I live in a town about twenty minutes from here called Lakeview Hills.”

“Because there are hills that overlook a lake?” Bryn asked.

“Yes. It’s a bunch of three-bedroom houses and parks. The business district is one town over in Emberville. A lot of dragons live in apartments or condos close to where they work. There are a few small villages mixed in throughout the forest. I mean really small, like just a mom-and-pop store and a gas station with one blinking stoplight.”

“So dragons mostly populate small areas and keep to themselves.” Speaking of people keeping to themselves, Bryn needed to email her parents and break the news about Christmas Eve.

“What’s wrong?” Ivy asked.

“I have to tell my parents I won’t be home for Christmas Eve. It’s always been just the three of us.” The depth of her parents’ isolation finally became clear to her. “I never thought about it before. How lonely they must be.”

“Do they seem lonely?” Clint asked. “Because the way you described them, they seemed happy.”

“I thought they were. Now I realize they’ve never had any close friends.”

“Given a choice of marrying Ferrin or keeping to yourself, which would you choose?” Ivy asked.

“Good point.” Maybe she was projecting her own feelings on her parents. They’d never seemed unhappy when she was growing up. “I think I’ll call them tonight to tell them about Christmas.”

Later that night in her room, she made the call. No one answered, so she left a message and decided to email them. She explained that she’d come home on the twenty-second, fly back to her grandparents’ estate for the Christmas Eve ball, and then come home later that night so she’d be there to open presents Christmas morning. After sending the email, she waited for a reply. None came. They were probably out Christmas shopping.

That brought a puzzle to mind. How could she shop if she wasn’t allowed to leave campus? If she had a credit card, she could shop online. She crossed her fingers for luck and pulled out her Dragon’s Bluff credit card. Sure enough, there was a Web address, which allowed her to shop online at several stores. First she needed to check her balance. Her parents didn’t have that much to give her. Before she tried to order Christmas presents, she should check her limit.

After typing in her information, she gaped at the screen. The number for her account had far too many zeros at the end. She checked her account’s history and saw the modest balance she’d begun with. The extreme jump in her funds had come after her grandparents had recognized her. Huh… That was weird. It was nice that they were willing to help out with her expenses, but why hadn’t they mentioned it?

She’d ask her grandmother about it later. Right now, she’d shop. First, she ordered a giant tin of caramel corn from Snacks Galore and several frozen pizzas from Fonzoli’s to be shipped to her parents.

Now, what to get Clint and Ivy? An art set would work for Ivy. For Clint, she bought a T-shirt that looked like a tuxedo jacket and shirt when you put it on. Since he’d made such a big deal out of hating to wear a tuxedo to the dance, maybe he’d find it funny. Guys were hard to buy for. That left Valmont and her grandparents to shop for. For Valmont, she found a rug that would match the pillows his sister gave him as a housewarming gift for his cabin. For her grandparents…she had no clue. What did you buy people who had two ballrooms?

After scrolling through multiple Web pages, she settled on a gardening club membership for her grandmother, which sent one plant a month in the mail. Gardening was the only hobby she knew her grandmother had. For her grandfather, she bought a dessert-of-the-month-club membership, since he seemed to like food as much as she did. Was that lame? Probably, but it would do until she came up with a better idea.

The next morning, Bryn didn’t know if she had class or not. She showered and dressed just in case. When she wandered down to the café for breakfast, it was empty. A sign posted in the café informed her classes would resume at normal times and the dining hall was open. “Nice of them to let us all know.”

Should she run and knock on Ivy’s door? Ivy and Clint coming down the stairs answered that question. They checked out the café. Bryn pointed at the sign.

“Okay.” Clint yawned and walked toward the front door of the dorm with Ivy in tow.

The mood in the dining hall was cautiously optimistic. Students talked about leaving school at the end of the week.

“How did your parents take the news about Christmas Eve?” Ivy asked as they filled their plates at the buffet.

Bryn drenched her pancakes in syrup before adding a pile of bacon to her plate. “They haven’t answered yet. I don’t know if they’re busy, or if they don’t know how to respond.” A nervous feeling plagued her stomach. That didn’t stop her from eating her weight in pancakes. As her mom once told her, when she’d explained that dragons could eat as much as they want and not gain weight, there are few problems in life sugar and fat can’t solve.