Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(30)

Being manipulated like this pissed her off. Smoke shot from her nostrils. She concentrated on shifting. The physical transformation came with ease. She looked down at herself to check her coloring. Red scales tipped with blue.

Clint and Ivy both gave her a once-over.

“Cool,” Ivy said.

“I’m disappointed,” Clint said. “I thought you’d be purple.”

She probably could be purple if she tried, but now wasn’t the time for experimentation. It was time to fly.

Clint and Ivy shifted. Bryn glanced at them. There it was again. She saw their human faces superimposed over their dragon faces for a second, and then it was gone.

All three dragons pushed off the terrace.

“Follow us. Try to keep up.” Clint shot past Bryn with Ivy by his side, driving into the sky.

She raced after her friends. Zooming past them, she performed the diving roll she’d learned from her mom.

Blue scales flashed past Bryn, accompanied by a deafening roar. Recognizing an insult when she heard one, she took off after the unknown Blue.

Damn, he was fast. Her dad had said Blues were the fastest fliers. And this guy was faster than her mom had been. Bryn worked at catching up to him, pushing down harder with her wings until the muscles at the base of them protested.

He glanced back at her and roared again. It sounded like a challenge. If he wanted a race, he’d get one.

She growled, and sparks shot from her nostrils. She pushed harder with her wings. Closer and closer she came. She almost had him. She could see the individual scales on his tail. She was so close. Whoosh. He rolled and shot off in a different direction.

Damn, damn, damn. She would not let this jerk outfly her. She pushed harder, ignoring the throbbing pain in her wings. The distance between them closed…ten feet…five feet…three feet. He twisted midair, changed direction, and flew straight at the ground.

What was this, an aerial game of chicken? Did he expect her to pull up first? Not a chance.

Whipping around, she pumped her wings and aimed for the sea of grass below. The ground came up fast. Straining her muscles until they screamed, she used the extra strength from her Red genes and shot past the Blue dragon. Roaring in triumph, she banked hard to the right, skimming the grass with her belly.

Woo hoo. She’d done it. Take that, snotty Blue dragons.

Reducing her speed, she flew in lazy circles, basking in the moment.

Ivy flew up beside her. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Superior hybrid genes,” Bryn joked.

Clint joined them. “I bet the Blues are pissed.”

Beyond her friends, Bryn could see a trio of Green dragons approaching with Garret flying in front.

“That was spectacular,” Garret said. “I’ve never seen anyone outfly a Blue.”

“Thanks. It wasn’t easy.”

“We should set up timed trials to see how fast you are.” Garret’s eyes seemed to light up at the idea.

“Maybe I should get a handle on homework and classes first.” If she put him off long enough, maybe he’d forget.

“Classes start tomorrow. After a week, you should have your study habits established. I’ll check back with you next weekend.”

Great. “I’ll let you know if I need help with my homework to speed the process along.”

“Garret, did you lock Bryn’s door?” Clint asked.

“Why would I do that?”

“Someone locked it, and they waited until they knew I was inside to do it.” Smoke drifted from Bryn’s nostrils.

“Forcing you to shift and fly from the terrace. Who would do that? Unless…” Garret turned his head and searched the area. “And there’s your answer. Check out the group under the trees. As a rule, Blue males don’t congregate in large groups. They seek exclusive relationships with the more powerful dragons in their Clan. They don’t play well with others of their own kind because they’re too competitive. Since they’re all together like that, there’s probably a reason.”

She followed his line of sight and saw a gathering of blond males engaged in a heated debate.

“Okay, but how could they get into the Green dorm?” Bryn asked.

“We came in your window,” Ivy pointed out. “One of them could have come in through your room and gone out the door and then waited nearby until they saw you go in.”

“Fine,” Bryn said. “They could do it, but why would they?”

“Two reasons. They wanted to see your dragon from, and I think this was their way of testing you, trying to prove that you’re inferior,” Garret said. “I bet they’re quite unhappy at the moment.”

Bryn tried to figure out how to flip someone off in dragon form. The gesture didn’t translate. For now, she delighted in her victory and their irritation.

“Let’s check your door,” Garret said.

They landed near the front door of the Green dormitory. Bryn dug her claws into the dirt to steady herself and succeeded in ripping up hunks of sod.

“You can fly like the wind,” Clint said, “but your landings suck.”

Bryn shifted into human form. “Thanks for bringing that to my attention.”

Garrett took a moment to stomp the sod back into place. “You need to work on that.”