Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames #3)(50)

Ivy let the ball of lightning flare up, doubling in size before she extinguished it. “So… thoughts?”

“Besides, what the hell? No.” Bryn’s mind raced. “We need someone on the inside who can give us some information. Since Mr. Stanton already told me to stop asking questions, who does that leave?”

“You could call your grandmother,” Valmont said. “She knows how the Directorate operates.”

“True. And I don’t have a better idea. Ivy?”

“Call her.”

Bryn dialed and told her grandmother she was worried about her friend’s strange behavior.

“I’m sure you’re worried about nothing,” her grandmother said. “Why don’t you call Jaxon and spend some time with him this evening. He always makes you feel so much better.”

Had her grandmother turned into a pod, too? Or was she saying they couldn’t talk about this over the phone?”

“You know what would make me feel better? Cherry pie from Suzettes. I wonder if they deliver.”

“Pie sounds wonderful. Why don’t we have dessert in your room this evening. I’ll have the driver stop by Suzettes for carryout.”

“That sounds like a great idea.”

“I’ll see you in an hour, Bryn.”

Valmont walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed all six copies of Days of Knights. “I’ll put these in my room.”

Ivy glanced at the books. “Wait a minute. Weren’t there five books?”

Bryn nodded. “There was an extra one when we came back last night. It has stories of dragons who went insane with greed and lust for power. It’s different than the other ones.”

“Definitely not a book the Directorate would want us to read.” Ivy stood. “I’m guessing we’ll tell your grandmother the same story we told the guard.”

“That’s my plan,” Bryn said.





Chapter Fifteen


An hour later, Bryn’s grandmother arrived. She wasn’t alone. Her driver walked behind her, carrying a large picnic hamper, which he set on Bryn’s library table before exiting the room.

Bryn smiled and hugged her grandmother. “Thanks for coming over.”

“It’s always nice to see you.” Her grandmother opened the hamper and pulled out china plates and real silverware. “Valmont, why don’t you help me set the table.”

“Sure.” He made fast work of the place settings and then cut and divvied out slices of pie to three of the plates. On the fourth plate he set an entire pie. “Bryn, can you guess which spot is yours?”

They all laughed. Due to the fact that Bryn used Quintessence to color her hair and do her makeup every day, she burned more than the average amount of calories, which meant she ate more food than most dragons. Valmont removed the whole pie and put a generous slice in Bryn’s spot instead.

They all sat and Ivy recounted her story, in between bites of pie.

“What do you think?” Bryn asked.

Her grandmother laid her fork on the edge of her pie plate. “Let’s start with the easiest solutions first. Do you think Clint feels guilty he’s the reason you were in trouble and maybe that’s why he’s acting strangely?”

Ivy shook her head. “Clint is…affectionate.” She grinned. “If he’s within touching distance, he’s holding my hand or touching my hair or something. This morning he didn’t touch me except to kiss me good-bye on the cheek, and even that didn’t feel right.”

“Perhaps he was sedated,” her grandmother suggested. “If he was uncooperative when they questioned him, they could have medicated him in some way.”

“You saying that like it’s a normal occurrence concerns me,” Bryn said.

“In the past, when witnesses have been uncooperative, medics were called in to help with the situation. While it’s not common, it’s not unheard of.”

“But we weren’t questioned,” Ivy said, “except for in Ferrin’s office.”

Her grandmother’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”

What was her grandmother getting at? “Do you think maybe they questioned Clint, but not Ivy?”

“Ferrin would be more likely to question a male’s allegiance or to think he might be the one behind some sort of espionage.”

That was an interesting bit of information to file away for later.

Ivy stood. “If he was drugged, it would have to wear off eventually. Right? I’m going to check on him.” She wrapped a slice of pie in a napkin. “I’ll take him dessert as an excuse to go see him, which is stupid, because I shouldn’t need an excuse to visit my boyfriend.”

“Your young man may be keeping you at arm’s length due to some threat made by Ferrin. If that is the case, he should be willing to tell you behind closed doors.”

“Is there any way someone could impersonate Clint, act like a spy, and look exactly like him in an effort to gain information?” Valmont asked.

“None that I know of,” her grandmother said, “but that doesn’t mean it’s not a possibility.”

“So not the comforting advice I’d hoped you’d all give me,” Ivy said.

“Call me later.” Bryn stood and walked her friend to the terrace window, letting her out and then locking the window again.