Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(62)

“What’s wrong?” Keegan came toward her down the aisle.

She shook her head to signal she needed time. Closing her eyes, she thought of lemon ice from Fonozli’s, and the fire in her belly died.

“Jaxon stopped by to taunt me.”

“What’d he say?”

It would be stupid to tell Keegan what Jaxon said. It would either force him to ask her to the dance or cause him to scurry away like a frightened chipmunk. “It’s not important. He was trying to annoy me. It worked.”

“You need to develop a thicker skin. He isn’t worth worrying about.”

“Is it wrong that I fantasize about setting his hair on fire?”

“I’d say that’s healthy. If you actually follow through with it, that’s another matter.”

She put on a fake pout. “Fine. What’s plan B?”

He reached for her hand. “Let’s find him and recount the race in loud voices.”

She laughed as he pulled her down an aisle. When they couldn’t locate their prey, he stopped walking. “On to plan C?”

She surveyed the aisle. Baseball equipment lined the shelves. “What’s plan C?”

“This.” He leaned down and pressed his mouth against hers. His lips were soft and warm. A frisson of excitement ran down her spine as his hands came to rest at her waist.

“Keegan, let’s go,” a masculine voice called.

He pulled away from her and sighed. “Remind me to punch him later.” Still holding her hand, he led her toward the door. She concentrated on not tripping over her feet while she tried to figure out how she felt about the kiss.

They browsed a few more stores. Keegan continued to hold her hand. It was comforting and exciting at the same time. When they returned to school, he walked her to the Green dragon’s dorm. Butterflies flew around her stomach as they stood by the front door.

“Thanks for asking me. I had a nice time.” Good God, did that sound as lame as she thought?

“It was fun.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. A lovely, warm sensation filtered through her body. He pulled back and grinned. “See you in class tomorrow.”

She smiled like an idiot as he trotted away. When he was gone from sight, she entered the dormitory.





Chapter Twenty


In her room, she found signs Zavien had dropped by. Several pieces of carrot cake sat on her desk. Guilt gnawed at her for not being there when he visited. The more reasonable part of her brain pointed out he shouldn’t expect her to be waiting at his beck and call. The traitorous part of her brain admitted if he asked her on a date, she’d do cartwheels.

“All of you shut up.” She checked for a note. There wasn’t one. Unable to resist, she unwrapped a piece of cake and took a bite. The cream cheese icing melted in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she savored the spicy cake. Thinking she should at least call and thank him, she picked up the phone and dialed.

“I called to invite you over for cake.” She chuckled at her own joke as she popped another bite into her mouth.

“What cake?” he asked. “Did Keegan buy you cake? That’s supposed to be my job.”

Could he be jealous?

“I thought you brought me cake. It was here when I came in.” She licked a bit of icing off her finger. A strange aftertaste filled her mouth. “Can cream cheese frosting spoil if it sits out?”

“Probably. Why?”

A chill ran down her spine. Queasiness set in. “Crap. I think I’ve given myself food poisoning.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I—” A convulsion racked her body and knocked her from the chair.

Her muscles spasmed, arching her back off the floor. The pain took her breath away. She tried to call for help. An inarticulate growl emerged from her throat. Her arms and legs flailed independently. It felt like her muscles were trying to rip her body apart.

She smacked her forearm hard against the antique desk. Pain burned through her arm, made worse by the distinct sound of bones snapping. Her leg kicked out and then slammed down on the wooden chair. Her ankle bent sideways. Fresh agony swept down her leg. Her vision wavered. The last thing she saw before the world went dark was a flash of black scales.

…

Someone was screaming. She wanted them to stop. Her body was limp with pain and fatigue. A layer of warmth surrounded her, and the yelling faded. Grateful for the quiet, she drifted off to sleep.

When she became aware again, the pain was gone. In its place, a lovely numbness saturated her muscles. She fought to open her eyes.

The room was dark and murky. Either it was nighttime, or she wasn’t able to focus. From the smell of rubbing alcohol and antiseptic, she assumed she was in a hospital.

Voices argued. Her vision blurred. Colors were indistinct in the dim light. Blond, red, and black shifted together. Her eyes drifted shut, and she floated on the edge of consciousness while dragons growled.

Later, she woke because it was too quiet. Where had the voices gone? Was she alone?

There was pressure on her hand. It took effort, but she flexed her fingers.

“Bryn?”

“What happened?” Her voice came out harsh and raspy.

“She’s awake,” a familiar masculine voice called out.

Soft light came on, making her eyes water. Zavien’s face came into view.