Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)(7)

“Falling in love with anyone is a risk,” Ivy said.

Bryn finished off the third piece of pie and ignored the nervous feeling in her stomach.

…

Back in her room, Bryn picked up one of the legends books she had checked out of the library based on a time when dragons were allowed to fall in love by instinct, before the Directorate mandated arranged marriages to keep dragons in line. She curled up on the couch and lost herself in the battles of love and war. Funny how the war part seemed easier to negotiate.

The Directorate had wanted to ban these books from the library, but Miss Enid the librarian had fought them fang and claw. The Directorate probably didn’t want anyone reading these stories because they might inspire dragons to think for themselves. In her mind, she imagined small communities of dragons living under the radar. There had to be other hybrids out there. Her parents couldn’t have been the only ones to ever defy the law.

A knock on the door had her up and running. No. She stopped herself. She would not run to him. “Who is it?”

“It’s Zavien.”

By the clock on her desk it had been five hours since he’d ditched her. She pulled the door open a few inches. “What’s up?”

Hands shoved in the front pocket of his jeans, he had the good sense to look sheepish. “Can I come in?”

She stepped back, crossed her arms over her chest, and waited for him to explain.

He entered and leaned against the closed door. “Sorry about earlier. Nola needed me.”

Not what she wanted to hear. “Really? What did she need you for?”

“I knew you’d be like this.” He rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin.

Flames roared in her chest. She tamped them down. “Don’t patronize me. She’s your friend. I get that. What if Valmont dropped by and I left with him. How would you feel?” Valmont was her own personal knight, who had become magically bonded to her when he’d protected her from a perceived threat. It was an added bonus that he was smoking hot and had made Zavien jealous enough to kiss her and admit his feelings.

Zavien bristled at the knight’s name. “You have a point, but what did you expect me to do? She was crying.”

“What was the emergency? Why were you the only person she could confide in?”

“Can we sit?” Zavien asked.

Shadows stood out under his eyes. In fact, now that she really paid attention, he looked like crap.

She waved him toward the couch. He sat close enough that his thigh brushed against hers, creating a frisson of warmth. Hormones would not distract her right now. At the moment, she’d rather kick him than kiss him.

“Nola is having a hard time dealing with Alec’s death. She always felt like she should’ve been a better influence on him.”

“Why would she think that?”

“He was her brother.”





Chapter Three


Bryn sucked in a breath. “Does she know?”

Zavien gave a bitter laugh. “Does Nola know I killed her brother? No.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry. You must feel awful.”

“He wouldn’t stop.” His shoulders slumped and his voice sounded hollow. “If Alec would’ve stopped attacking, I wouldn’t have been forced to kill him.”

Guilt rained down on her. He’d killed Alec to protect her. How could she have forgotten that? Needing to look him in the eyes, she sat on the coffee table and placed her hands on either side of his face. “It wasn’t your fault. Alec was crazy with grief over his marriage petition being denied.”

The pain in Zavien’s eyes made her heart ache. It was stupid not to worry about the effect this might have on him. The Directorate’s only concern had been to cover everything up. No one had thought to offer him counseling.

“I’m so sorry.” Bryn pressed her lips against his forehead. “What can I do?”

“Promise me you’ll never tell anyone what happened that night. I don’t want anyone to know. Nola can never find out.”

The other woman’s name sliced into her heart like a dagger. Ignoring the pain, she stroked his cheek. “I promise.”

Zavien’s body relaxed. He leaned his forehead against hers. “I don’t want to think about anything right now. Talk to me. Tell me what you did tonight.”

He’d been strong for her when she’d needed him. She could be strong for him now. “Let’s lie down.” They settled onto the couch. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she laid her head on his chest.

“Ivy and I flew for a while. Jaxon showed up to mock me, so I beat him in a race. Then we went to the dining hall for dessert, and I ate three pieces of apple pie to celebrate my victory.” So what if it was a skewed version of her evening; it wasn’t an outright lie.

She continued talking, weaving together unimportant details from past conversations with Ivy. When Zavien’s breathing became regular, she stopped talking and thought about their situation. In two years she’d finish her high school classes. The degree in Quintessential medicine could take four to six more years. Zavien was in the first year of his bachelor’s degree. He could work toward a master’s degree and extend his time at school.

Originally, he’d told her Nola didn’t want to marry until they had to. The thought of Zavien marrying Nola was like a splinter under her skin. It was always there, annoying her. If she came upon it unexpectedly, it jabbed deeper, causing true pain.