Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(8)

Smoke shot from her nostrils. “They didn’t tell me anything.”

“It wouldn’t have changed the situation. Ferrin has been furious since your mom ran out on him.”

“Can you blame her?”

“No. But others will. That’s what I need to talk to you about.”

She might as well listen. Maybe he could help. “Fine. Talk.”

“The Directorate controls everything from employment opportunities to arranged marriages and even what classes you’re allowed to take at school. For decades, everyone has done what the Directorate decreed. No one questioned them. You’re proof that the Directorate can be wrong.”

Great. “Can you get me out of dragon school?”

“No. We all have to go. But I can offer support while you’re there. I supervise a student club for Wilderness and Survival Training. It’s an excuse to go camping and discuss opinions the Directorate may not like. We write petitions and encourage dragons to question the status quo.”

Like she needed to stir up more trouble. “What if I want to go with the flow?”

He snorted. “I don’t believe that’s in your nature.”

Bryn opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. “I don’t expect you to give speeches. Come camp with us and listen to the others. If you have an opinion, voice it.”

It might be a good way to make friends. “Fine. I’ll go camping.” Her life was going to hell, so she might as well add sleeping on the ground and catching poison ivy to the list. “Anything else? I’m exhausted.”

He held a shiny object out to her. “Take this. Keep it with you at all times. It’s spelled to act like a transmitter.”

It was a silver pen. Hadn’t he said something about how she smelled earlier today? “Couldn’t you follow my scent?”

He gave a slow grin. “Individual scents can’t be tracked…unless you know someone intimately.”

Oh God. Her face heated, and her pulse went into overdrive. She ducked her head and pretended to examine the pen. It was a nice gesture, but did she want him to know her every move? “Why would you need to track me?”

“You’re going to a new place. You might get lost.”

There was something he wasn’t telling her. “I’m tired of people lying to me. Tell me the reason you want me to take it, or I’ll throw it in the trash.”

“That would be a shame. It’s a nice pen.” He stood and walked past her. “Leave your window open at school, and I’ll visit you.”

What did that mean?

He walked to her window. After pushing it open, he climbed out onto the ledge. Before she could ask what he was doing, he threw his body into the night sky.

She ran to the window, hoping not to see him splattered on the pavement below. Whoosh. A dark shape flew down the street and into the darkness.

“Way to make an exit.” She closed the window and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. Her room smelled like a summer rainstorm. Closing her eyes, she inhaled again and detected a warm, masculine scent. Her stomach flipped. She glanced at the pen in her hand. Maybe having Zavien keep track of her wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.





Chapter Four


Bryn woke to find her father standing next to her bed, scowling.

“What?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this question, but I’m going to give you the opportunity to confess. Why does your room smell like a Black dragon?”

“The guy from the bookstore dropped by last night. It’s not like I invited him.”

Her dad growled. He’d never done that before, so he was pretty hacked off. Time for damage control.

“I planned to tell you at breakfast. After everything else yesterday, it wasn’t a big deal. Compared to Ferrin, he seemed warm and fuzzy.”

“Compared to Ferrin, Jack the Ripper seems warm and fuzzy. That guy is trouble. You need to stay away from him. Got it?”

Even though she thought he was overreacting, she nodded in agreement. The silver pen on the nightstand caught her eye. Should she tell him about it? Maybe. Then again, he’d kept plenty of secrets from her.

Her dad’s posture relaxed. “Time for breakfast. Your mom made pancakes.”

The smell of warm maple syrup floated down the hallway, making her mouth water. In the kitchen, a plate of pancakes swimming in golden syrup waited on her placemat.

Her mom poured two glasses of juice and joined her at the table. “Here’s my advice for the day: there are few problems in the world sugar and fat can’t solve. Now that you’ve shifted, you can eat as much as you want and not gain weight.”

“Really?”

Her mom nodded. “Your metabolism runs at a much higher rate.”

Good to know while she was at school she could drown her frustrations in pizza and chocolate and still fit into her clothes.

After breakfast, she returned to her room and did her best to contemplate the situation head-on. She was going away to dragon school. On top of the whole “I’m a dragon” scenario, she’d be living away from home for the first time.

She needed more information. Time to read the stupid Welcome to School packet. She sat cross-legged on the bed and investigated her soon-to-be new life.