Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(82)
“Watch out,” Clint advised. “Bryn might suck the Quintessence from your brain into your hair. I’d hate for you to lose IQ points.”
“I’m not a Quintessence vampire.”
“There are legends of dragons who stole Quintessence from other dragons.” Zavien stopped drawing. “Those who were caught and convicted had their wings amputated.”
A wave of revulsion turned Bryn’s stomach. “You can’t be serious. That’s—”
“A fate worse than death,” Zavien said. “I agree, but their crimes were horrendous. They would keep dragons locked away and feed off their Quintessence until the dragons died.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Bryn asked.
“I’m making a point. Let Ivy color her hair with dye. You shouldn’t mess with things you don’t understand. Others could misinterpret your actions.”
Her temper spiked. She turned to face him. “Someone tried to kill me already. Don’t manipulate me with gory legends. Make your point. I’m not stupid. I’ll listen.”
“When I tell you to do something, sometimes you do the opposite.”
Busted. “I haven’t done that in a while. State your case in plain English. I’ll remember you’re doing it for a good cause.”
“Agreed. Now turn around unless you want it to look like the Red dragon ate the Blue dragon and left half a corpse.”
It didn’t take him long to finish the yin and yang dragons. What did it look like? When he pulled the marker away from her skin, she attempted to stand up.
“Be patient.” The marker moved to her right shoulder. “Change your hair back while I’m working.”
She’d forgotten about her hair. “You don’t like my hair blue?”
“I like girls with striped hair.”
A happy glow settled in her chest. She changed her hair back to blond and cherry-red stripes.
“You forgot the black streaks,” Ivy pointed out.
She added black streaks. “Better?”
Ivy nodded. “You look like you’re supposed to.”
The marker stroked against her right shoulder a few more times. Zavien made a satisfied sound. “That’s it.”
Bryn bolted to the bathroom. She stood with her back to the mirror and tried to see her new tattoos in a hand mirror. “This is too small.”
Ivy entered the bathroom with a trifold makeup mirror. “Good thing I packed this.”
Bryn held the bigger mirror and checked her reflection. The yin and yang dragons were perfect. “I love it.”
“Look at your other shoulder,” Zavien instructed from the doorway.
She focused on her right shoulder. A small Black dragon flew with wings extended. A lightning bolt shot from his open mouth.
“You’re an honorary Black dragon,” he said.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Thanks for making me feel like I belong.”
Ivy hugged her.
Clint seemed embarrassed. “Who wants chocolate?” He retreated to the living room, and Ivy trailed after him.
Zavien gave her the lopsided grin she’d grown to love. She reached for him and wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. You make everything better.”
“You’ll never have to find out.” He pressed his lips against her forehead. A warm, fuzzy feeling suffused her body. For the moment, all was right with her world.
“Zavien, you better get out here,” Clint called.
They walked hand in hand into the living room.
Clint and Ivy stood staring at the floor where an envelope lay by the door.
“I checked the hall when I saw it,” Clint said. “Whoever left it was gone.”
“Not this crap again.” Bryn moved to pick it up, but Zavien grabbed her arm.
“Let’s not take any chances. Cake isn’t the only thing that can hide poison. I’m calling Professor Stanton. He can put a containment field around it and open it safely.”
“It’s probably a get well card.” Ivy’s tone wasn’t convincing.
Mr. Stanton arrived ten minutes later.
“I might be overreacting.” Zavien explained the situation.
“You did the right thing.” Mr. Stanton held out his hands, and an emissary formed in each one. He expanded the twisters until they resembled two large bowls. Then he scooped the envelope into one bowl and sealed it with the other. The ball of wind containing the envelope hovered in midair.
With his right hand, Mr. Stanton reached into the ball of air. A white light surrounded his hand so his skin didn’t come into contact with the envelope. He extracted the card. On the front, in elegant script, was the message, “Thinking of you.”
Bryn breathed a sigh of relief. “It is a get well card.”
Mr. Stanton opened the card. Inside, someone had taped a picture of Bryn walking across campus with Merrick the day she was released from the medical wing. Underneath the picture someone had scrawled, “Next time, we’ll finish the job.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Fire crawled up the back of Bryn’s throat. Sparks shot from her nostrils. Fighting to contain the inferno raging in her chest, she clutched at Zavien’s arm.