Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(16)

“I’m sorry.” Zavien held the envelope toward her. “Here’s the letter.”

Angry tears distorted her vision. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. She was supposed to have a sleepover at Beth’s house and see her friends one last time. Her hands shook as she read the simple note.

Miss Bryn McKenna is to report to the Institute for Excellence upon receipt of this letter. If she does not comply, legal proceedings will begin against her parents.

The name written with a flourish at the bottom of the message was “Ferrin Westgate.” Evil jerk. He’d probably set her up. She growled and showed it to her mom.

Her mom’s hand shook as she read the letter. “I’m sure he told us the wrong date on purpose. Manipulative bastard.”

Garret made a choking sound.

Her mom stalked toward the stairs. “Come, Bryn. You need to pack.”

Not the answer she wanted. “Dad?”

His shoulders slumped in defeat. “Listen to your mother.”

“Wait,” Garret called out. “Did Ferrin see you in dragon form?”

“Yes.”

“When you’re at school, stick with the form he saw.”

“Why?”

Garret gave a sly smile. “Information is power. If you know something he doesn’t, then you have power over him.”

What she wanted was to drive a truck over Ferrin…repeatedly.

Forty minutes later, Bryn stared at the bags lined up in the hall. How could her entire life be condensed into two suitcases? “That can’t be everything.” Her chest felt tight.

“Bryn, come into the kitchen,” her mom hollered.

She took a deep breath, backed out of the room, and pulled the door shut.

Think of this as an adventure. How many other sixteen-year-old girls are whisked away to a private boarding school? Maybe if she thought of it like a fairy tale, it wouldn’t seem so bad.

The plain girl is transported to a magical realm where a handsome prince slays a dragon for her. No, wait. She was the dragon. Her life was the suckiest fairy tale ever.

In the kitchen, she found her parents and a cake complete with lit candles. Knowing it was the right thing to do, she forced a smile. But when her mom opened her mouth to sing, it was too much.

“My birthday wish this year is not to be sung to.”

Her mom pouted.

“It’s my wish. You have to honor it.”

“Fine. You still have to blow out the candles and make your secret wish.”

Bryn closed her eyes and wished with all her heart she didn’t have to go away to school. She blew out the candles and waited.

“Did you wish for Ferrin to burst into flames?” Her dad snickered. “That’s one of my favorite fantasies.”

“I’d love to see that happen.” Although, the idea of running him down with a large truck seemed more satisfying. Did her dragon nature make her more violent? She’d never fantasized death for anyone before. Then again, she’d never met someone like Ferrin.

Groping for a topic of conversation that didn’t involve dragons, she scooped a bit of chocolate icing on her finger and popped it into her mouth. Yum. “Great cake. Where’d it come from?”

“I flew to an all-night diner,” her dad said.

No way. “You flew to a diner?”

“Your mom wanted a cake.”

Would she ever find anyone who’d be as devoted to her as her dad was to her mom? Zavien’s sexy grin flashed in her mind, and she noticed his absence. “What’d you do with our visitors?”

“I asked them to give us some time alone.” Her dad cut the cake and passed out slices.

“You threatened to spar with them if they didn’t leave for a while,” her mom said.

Bryn could imagine the terrified look on Garret’s face. “We’ll offer them cake when they come back.”

For the next half hour, Bryn pretended life as she knew it wasn’t about to end. The vanilla cake contrasted with the rich, chocolate icing. She savored every bite and reminded herself there were still good things in life.

A knock sounded on the kitchen door, and her neck muscles tensed. This was it. She pushed to her feet and trudged across the room. When she reached the door, she let her hand rest on the knob for a moment before opening it.

Zavien entered the kitchen. He gave an apologetic smile. “We should head out.”

“How long is the drive?” She hoped it wasn’t far. The more time she spent on the journey, the more time she’d have to dread the arrival.

“Why would we drive when we could fly?” Garret asked from the doorway.

His tone made her feel stupid. “I just found out about this whole dragon business. Cut me some slack.”

Garret shot Zavien a look. “You never mentioned that.”

Zavien moved closer and put his arm around her shoulders. “What did Garret tell you about information?”

Butterflies flew around her stomach. His warm, summer rainstorm scent made her heart skip a beat. She ignored the impulse to lean into him. “I forgot. I’m not used to being secretive.”

Her dad cleared his throat.

“Right, the wall.” Zavien dropped his arm and stepped away. “Before we go, change your hair to red and blond stripes.”