Going Down in Flames (Going Down in Flames #1)(94)

Merrick slid his pie to her.

“Are you sure? It’s the best pie I’ve ever tasted.”

“Coconut has never been my favorite.”

“Thanks.” She dug into the second piece of pie and chose to ignore the smirk on her grandfather’s face. Let him think what he wanted. It would take more than a slice of pie to make her abandon her moral code and become someone’s mistress.

Once she finished, her eyes grew heavy. She checked the clock hanging on the far wall. It was only seven? It felt like midnight. “When are we returning to school?”

“You’re staying the night,” her grandfather announced as he poured cream into his after dinner coffee. “We’ll have security in place at the Institute tomorrow.”

“Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

Her grandmother stood. “I’ll show you to a room.”

Were her mother’s old rooms nearby? Would they let her see them if she asked? If she could form a relationship with her grandparents, would they let her mother back into their lives? It was a lot to think about.

As she stood, her muscles protested. It felt like she’d run a marathon. Thankfully, she didn’t have to walk far. Her grandmother led her to a room diagonally across the hall.

“You’ll find new pajamas and whatever else you might need in the dresser and armoire.”

Bryn placed her hand on the doorknob and hesitated. The sensation of being blown backward replayed in her mind. Jaw clenched, she turned the knob. She couldn’t be afraid to open doors for the rest of her life. Her muscles relaxed when the door swung open to reveal a room decorated in shades of blue. A four-poster bed sat on one side of the room. A small sitting area filled the rest of the space.

She stepped inside, expecting her grandmother to follow. Instead, the older woman closed the door without a word. Bryn yanked the door open. Her grandmother stopped walking. Without turning back, she asked, “Did you need something?”

“No. I wanted to thank you for helping me.”

“If you require anything else, there’s a bellpull in the bath.”

Unbelievable. She restrained her instinct to slam the door. Pushing it closed, she muttered, “Don’t be offended. Your grandmother isn’t a warm person.”

A search of the top dresser drawer turned up unopened packages of pajamas in several different colors and sizes. The next drawer revealed an odd assortment of new underthings. Why would anyone keep these items on hand? Maybe her grandparents liked to be prepared for surprise guests?

Or, her grandfather kept clothes on hand for different females who spent the night. She cringed.

On impulse, she investigated the armoire. Inside, she found new dresses. The exact dress she wore hung on a hanger. She checked the tag. It was a larger size. Her grandmother hadn’t gone far to find new clothes after all.

Don’t think about it. Just go to sleep. After changing into a pair of gray and black striped pajamas, she climbed into bed. The sheets were cool and crisp. She adjusted the pillows once and drifted into oblivion.

…

The sound of a door opening invaded her dreams. She struggled to hold on to the images, but the scene disappeared. Her eyes flew open. Where was she? It took a moment to remember she was at her grandparents’ house. Where someone had tried to kill her. Again.

What woke her up?

The dark outline of a man stood silhouetted in the light from the hall. He entered and pulled the door closed. The dim light from the lamp on the dresser didn’t allow her to see who it was. If he were friendly, he would’ve said something by now. Who the hell was in her room?

“Bryn, are you awake?”

“Awake and terrified. Damn it, Merrick, why didn’t you say something when you opened the door?”

“Sorry.” He turned on the overhead light. “I wasn’t thinking. It’s been a long day.” He moved across the room and sat on the couch. “We need to talk.”

The clock on the nightstand said eight, which meant she’d laid down an hour ago. What could have happened since then? Only one way to find out. She joined him on the couch. “What’s up?”

He studied her. “You look odd in real pajamas.”

Like she needed this right now. “Did you stop by to annoy me?”

“No. There are a few things I can’t figure out. You might have a different perspective. Why would someone take the chance of breaking into your grandparents’ house to attack you? It’d be easier to reach you on campus.”

“That’s a comforting thought.”

“We’re increasing security at school. You’ll be safe there when we return.”

Sure she would. “Maybe they wanted to prove the secret Directorate meeting wasn’t a secret.”

His eyebrows came together. “You’re right. The second attack may have been meant to show the Directorate they aren’t invulnerable.”

“I don’t get it. I’m against the Directorate playing God. Why would the Radical Revisionists target me?”

“Radical Revisionists is an interesting term. Where did you hear it?”

“I don’t know. Zavien represents the regular Revisionists. He preaches peaceful change. The dragons who live in the forest preach radical change, so that’s what I call them.”