Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames #3)(5)

“I know what you mean.” The attack on Dragon’s Bluff had come in the form of fire. Bryn and many other Blue dragons had tried to beat back the fire by combatting the flames with ice. Still, damage had been done. None of the attacks made sense. If the enemy wanted to overthrow the Directorate, then they should attack the Directorate, not everyone else. Bryn trudged up the steps and nodded at the Red guard who opened the door for her.

Ironically enough, the buffet was loaded with Italian food. Bryn inhaled. “Hey…that smells like Fonzoli’s.”

“It should, since a Fonzoli made it.”

Bryn whirled around. Valmont Fonzoli, her knight—a human who’d been bound to her when a dormant spell in his blood had been activated by an act of chivalry—stood there smiling, wearing a pair of dark jeans and a white shirt with Fonzoli’s Catering stitched across the pocket.

She dropped her book bag and threw her arms around him in a hug. He laughed, wrapped his arms around her waist, and picked her up off the floor.

There was that happy warmth again, which she associated with him. He set her down. “And here I thought you might not be happy to see me.”

“What? I’m always happy to see you.”

“As heartwarming as this is, you’re blocking the line for food.” Jaxon’s voice came from the small crowd gathered behind them.

Reluctantly, Bryn released Valmont and grabbed her book bag. “Can you stay and eat lunch with us?”

“Planned on it.” Valmont gave a small bow. “After you.”

A part of her brain knew the joy she felt when she was with Valmont was a side effect of the Knight-Dragon bond but who cared? He made her happy. She made him happy. It was a win-win situation.

After filling their trays, they joined Clint and Ivy.

Ivy opened her mouth. Clint cut her off. “You have thirty seconds to tell Ivy what’s going on between you two before she explodes with questions.”

“Hey.” Ivy whacked her boyfriend on the arm.

“Am I right?” he asked.

“Yes. But that’s beside the point.” Ivy rearranged the pepperoni on her pizza in a symmetrical pattern. “So what’s new with you two?”

Valmont shrugged. “We spent time together over the holiday break, and now we’re closer than ever.”

“That’s the boring version.” Ivy pointed at Bryn. “Show him how it’s done.”

“Well…” How much should she say? “We did spend a lot of time together over break, and we fought together when Dragon’s Bluff was attacked, so I think our bond is stronger now.” She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Valmont. She couldn’t read his expression. “But it’s more than that. He makes me happy, and he’s incredibly handsome.”

Valmont puffed out his chest and nodded. “I am, you know. It’s the caterer’s uniform. Girls love a man in uniform.”

Clint and Ivy laughed. Bryn relaxed and leaned her shoulder against Valmont while they ate because whenever he was near, she felt the urge to touch him.

“So how goes the recovery process in Dragon’s Bluff?” Clint asked.

“Thanks to your Mr. Stanton and the Green Clan, we were able to restore power and communication. Now, we’re working on finding homes for those who lost their houses.” Valmont leaned back in his chair and frowned. “I don’t understand…” He clamped his lips together and looked into the distance like he was trying to push down his anger and keep his emotions inside.

“There’s nothing to understand,” Bryn said. “Because whoever did this isn’t logical.” She grabbed Valmont’s hand and laced her fingers through his.

“You’re right.” He shook his head like he was trying to shake off the negative emotions. “So what’s new at school?”

“Bryn’s grandma kidnapped her from our dorm and forced her to move in with the Blues,” Ivy said.

Valmont cringed. “Sorry about that.”

“The upside is I’m rooming with Rhianna. The downside is I’ll probably see more of Jaxon.”

“So he’s continuing their relationship despite his mother and your grandmother’s deranged plan that you two should have an arranged marriage?” Valmont said.

“Yes.” And she respected the hell out of him for it. Females who the Directorate declared unfit to marry had only one option. It was a weird yet sanctioned game where an older male, normally a Blue, offered to be the female’s benefactor, no matter what Clan she was from. Which meant he’d keep her as his mistress after she graduated. And that’s what Jaxon had promised to do for Rhianna. In this world where the Directorate was all-powerful and could deny marriage petitions without giving a valid reason, Jaxon was trying to do right by the girl he’d been promised to marry.

Clint snorted. “Every time I think of you and Jaxon together, I imagine fireballs flying.”

“You need to come up with a plan on how to deal with that nightmare of a situation,” Ivy said.

“I have a plan.” Bryn said. “It’s called denial. I choose to believe the Directorate will not take me off the unfit-to-marry list.”

“After you finish school, we could run away to Vegas,” Valmont said. His tone was teasing, but she knew true emotions lay underneath it. She needed to tread lightly.