Trial By Fire (Going Down in Flames #3)(83)

Garret pulled Bryn off to the side. “Do you think your grandfather will be there?”

“I don’t know.”

Garrett’s gaze flicked toward Jaxon. “Could you call and ask him to come? I respect Jaxon, but I do not trust his father.”

“And you trust my grandfather?” Bryn asked.

“No,” Garret said, “but I trust you, and you seem to trust him.”

“I do.” That was an interesting realization. After Jaxon ended his call, Bryn called Sinclair Estates where Rindy the all-knowing phone operator redirected her call to her grandfather’s cell phone. He told her he would be there.

Forty minutes later, Bryn entered a private dining room with a U-shaped table. Half a dozen Directorate members, her grandfather included, sat at the back of the U. Bryn, Valmont, Jaxon, and Garret sat on one side, while the four other Greens sat on the other side.

“Divide and conquer?” Garret said loud enough for Bryn and Valmont to hear.

Strangely enough, Jaxon chose the seat at the end of the U-shape farthest from the Directorate members. Bryn sat next to him, which left Valmont next to Garret.

“Why did you choose this seat?” Bryn asked.

“It allows me to observe the other Green’s reactions to the Directorate’s questions, and it gives me a clear view of how the Directorate handles the situation.” Jaxon nodded toward his father who acknowledged him with the same cold nod.

Bryn waited to catch her grandfather’s attention and gave a small wave. Miraculously enough, he smiled at her, so she smiled back. Then he went back to talking with a man she didn’t know.

“What was that?” Jaxon asked Bryn.

“What was what?”

“Your grandfather is here on business,” Jaxon said, “and you distracted him.”

Seriously? “No, I didn’t. I greeted him like he was family.”

“And that would be proper if you were meeting him at a social occasion,” Jaxon spoke to her like she was stupid. “This is business.”

From her other side, Valmont muttered something about Jaxon and his amazing ability to walk with such a giant stick crammed up a certain orifice. Bryn clamped her lips shut to keep from laughing and then turned to glare at her knight.

“I make no apologies.” Valmont crossed his arms over his chest. “It needed to be said.”

Waiters pushed carts into the room. The savory scent of steak filled the air, and Bryn’s stomach growled.

As the waitstaff passed out plates, Ferrin stood. “It’s my understanding you were falsely detained and questioned last evening. And I do see the irony in your presence being mandated here. Please enjoy lunch and then we’ll discuss this situation.”

Bryn inhaled her steak, and then wondered if she could ask for seconds.

“Don’t even think about it,” Jaxon said.

“Fine.”

“I don’t like that,” Valmont whispered to Bryn.

“Don’t like what?”

“The way you two seem to know what the other is thinking. Earlier in the gym you warned him not to do something and now he did the same to you.”

“Oh.” What did she say to that? “Maybe it’s a Blue thing.”

The plates were cleared away. Coffee was served.

“Now,” Ferrin said, “we’d like to start with Garret. Can you walk us through the events of last evening?”

Garret launched into his tale about being detained and questioned. “They made us drink something and then badgered us with questions about the attack on Dragon’s Bluff, which none of us were present for. Although that didn’t seem to matter to them. Then they lectured us about obeying the curfew law which made no sense given that we hadn’t been out after curfew.” Garret blinked. “Now that I know you weren’t involved, I think their main purpose was to make us hostile toward the Directorate.”

“And why would they want that?” Ferrin asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Garret sat back in his chair and looked at Ferrin like he was the one being interrogated.

“I have my own opinions,” Ferrin said. “I’d like you to share yours.”

“I think all of it—last night, the attacks on campus, and on Dragon’s Bluff—are meant to set us on a path to a revolution. The attackers think if they can sway the students’ opinion on the Directorate then maybe we can convince our parents to rebel, which would lead to a change in how dragons are governed.”

“And is that something you’re interested in?” Ferrin’s question sounded more like an accusation.

Garret pushed his chair back and stood. “I lost the use of my arm because of those bastards. In what world would I ever side with them?”

Everyone froze as the tension in the room skyrocketed.

“And you tried to keep me from coming back to school because of my…how was it phrased in that wonderful letter… deformity. You suggested I not return because of my deformity.” Garret spat the word. “But I’m here because I want to study and learn, and because I plan to create a prosthetic which will allow injured dragons to fly. I expect this creation to be fully funded and backed by the Directorate as recompense for what happened to me and my fellow students.” He leaned on the table with his good arm, like the speech had taken a lot out of him. “Sorry, these are emotional times. And I hate that someone manipulated me and my Clan-mates last night. It worked, until I spoke to Bryn and Jaxon.” He chuckled. “They are an oddly effective team.”