Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(22)

“You didn’t know who he was?”

“No.” The note of disbelief in his voice ticked her off. “You don’t believe me?”

“Sorry. It seemed odd.”

“Welcome to my life. Odd is an understatement.”

Zavien nodded. “True.”

She didn’t like the silence that settled between them. “What do you think about Clint and Ivy?”

“They seem nice,” he said. “I don’t think they have an agenda.”

Did he have an agenda? Best not to ask. At this point, she wanted to believe there was one person she could rely on.

“Ready to tour the theater department?” he asked.

“In the interest of not keeping secrets, there’s something I need to tell you about. Onyx—”

“Not here.” He glanced around like someone might be listening. Placing an arm around her shoulders, he steered her down the sidewalk. “We need to visit the library.”

Most of the students they passed gave her dirty looks. “By my calculations, two-thirds of the students aren’t pleased to see me.”

“Think of it this way. More than thirty percent of the students aren’t hostile.”

“As long as the others don’t come after me with torches and pitchforks, I’ll try to be optimistic.”

Once they entered the library, Zavien pretended to show her around. Why all the secrecy? Why couldn’t he talk to her in the theater department? Didn’t he trust Nola?

When they reached the second floor, he led her to a row of doors. “These are study cubicles.” He checked the area, which seemed devoid of students. “All clear.” He opened a door and shooed her inside.

The four-by-four-foot room didn’t allow for much personal space. She breathed in his summer rainstorm scent, and butterflies flew around her stomach.

“Onyx came to see me. He gave me a gift.” She tugged on the necklace, which caught on her bra. Her face heated. Why wasn’t anything ever simple? She turned her back on Zavien, sliding her shoulder against his chest and kicking her hormones into second gear in the process. And now she was reaching into her shirt. Awkward didn’t begin to cover it.

“I would ask what you’re doing, but it’s more interesting to wait and find out.”

She could hear the smirk in his voice.

“I’m having technical difficulties with my necklace. There, I got it.” She turned around, holding the charm away from her skin. “Onyx gave me this. I don’t know what it’s for, but there’s some sort of spell on it.”

Zavien placed his hand under the key. “You’re right. It feels enchanted.”

He leaned in to take a closer look. When he exhaled, his warm breath feathered across her chest and neck, sending inappropriate signals to her nerve endings. Suddenly, there wasn’t enough air in the little room.

“My dad tested it and said it wasn’t a bad charm, but I don’t know how it could be a good one. Onyx said I was the key to the Directorate’s downfall.” And she was babbling. “To sum up, do you have any idea about the key or Onyx’s message?”

“If he gave you this key, it’s safe. As for the other, he likes to dramatize things.” Zavien straightened so he was no longer breathing into her cleavage. “I’ll leave word you have questions, and he’ll find you.”

He released the key and backed up a step. “Anything else I should know about?”

His tone was all business, like he hadn’t just been breathing down her shirt. “Nope. That’s it.”

“We should get out of here. I’ll go first. Meet me on the front steps, and I’ll take you to Clint and Ivy.”

“Why can’t we leave together?”

“Some students use the study cubicles to hook up. If people see us leaving together, they’ll assume you’ve fallen victim to my charm.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“Are you sure you’re not related to Clint?”

He laughed and walked out the door. Bryn recited the alphabet in her head and then left. She made it to the front steps of the library without incident.

Zavien was nowhere in sight.





Chapter Nine

Where was he? She waited to see if he’d reappear. No such luck.

People were starting to stare, again, so she walked toward the theater building.

“Bryn McKenna,” an authoritative voice called out.

She cringed. Now what? Bryn turned to see a man she’d never met scowling at her. Brown hair, dark skin, and hazel eyes indicated he was a Green dragon.

“You missed your counseling appointment.”

“What counseling appointment?”

The man rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Ten more years until retirement. I might not make it. Let’s try this again, shall we?”

“I didn’t know I had an appointment.” If he’d come in search of her, the appointment must be important. Either that, or he had nothing better to do.

“Your appointment would have been included in your Welcome to School packet.”

Had she overlooked the information somehow, or had Ferrin left it out just to mess with her? “I guess I didn’t see it. Do you want me to reschedule?”

“No. I want students to arrive at their appointed times. Since that seems to be an impossibility, why don’t you come with me now?”