"Homework. Wait a minute, I had three completed a.s.signments in my book bag." She groaned and headed for their usual table. "I wonder if the Directorate would write me a note so I won't have to do them again."

"What happened to your book bag?" Ivy asked.

"Legally, I can't tell you. But watch." She pantomimed an explosion.

Ivy's jaw fell open. "Your bag blew up?"

Bryn nodded.

Her friend scooted closer. "Were you hurt?"

Bryn batted her eyelashes. "How do you like my new eyebrows?"

"It sucks that you can't tell us what happened."

"Later, we can play charades. The Directorate never said anything about that." Bryn took a bite of pie. "Do they offer cooking cla.s.ses as an elective?"

"My sister used to gripe about being paired with a Blue who couldn't cook to save his life, so there must be a foods cla.s.s somewhere in the curriculum."

They chatted as they ate. Bryn tried not to look for Zavien, but his absence gnawed at her. Where was he?

"You've checked the door every time it's opened." Ivy licked chocolate icing off her fork. "Did Zavien say when he was coming back?"

"No." Bryn finished off her second piece of apple pie. One major perk of being a dragon: a much faster metabolism, which gave her the ability to eat whatever she wanted and never gain weight. "Once she appeared, he never looked back."

"He cares about you."

"I know." She smacked her fork down on the table. "He swore they were just friends. What if that changes? I know they're not into the same things, but she's so freaking perfect."

"I don't think she's perfect," Ivy said. "Her look is too contrived. No one walks around in those flowing dresses in real life. It's like she's putting on a show."

"For whom?"

"I don't know." Ivy toyed with her cake. "Now that your grandparents have recognized you, do you think an arranged marriage is in your future?"

"My grandfather wants the Sinclair line to continue." Bryn slumped in her seat. "He told Ferrin to have me declared eligible for marriage. I don't even want to think about what a nightmare that might be. On a happier note, Merrick retracted his offer to be my benefactor."

"That must be a relief. Now you don't have to wonder at his motives when he's helping you."

"Exactly. My grandmother wanted me to accept him. She doesn't think the Directorate will declare me fit to marry."

"You'd think she'd want what's best for you."

Bryn leaned closer. "In the human world, no one a.s.sumes a woman needs a man to support her. I told my grandmother that if Zavien and I don't work out I'll become a medic and take care of myself. She didn't approve of my answer."

"Growing up, we were taught that only a small percentage of pet.i.tions are denied based on lineage. About half of those denied are offered an arranged marriage that would be more suitable. The unlucky ones with undesirable genes are offered a benefactor."

"And everyone just accepts that?"

Ivy shrugged. "It's the way things have always been done, but if you told your grandmother you'd be happy single she should respect that."

"Happiness isn't a big part of the Blue Clan's belief system. 'Honor and loyalty above all else even if you're miserable' seems to be their motto." Bryn sipped her soda and tried to focus on the positives. "My grandfather was warmer while I was there. The only time my grandmother showed any emotion was when she warned me about being involved with Zavien. She said he was just amusing himself-gave me this whole 'only those you love can truly hurt you' speech."

"Falling in love with anyone is a risk," Ivy said.

Bryn finished off the third piece of pie and ignored the nervous feeling in her stomach.

Back in her room, Bryn picked up one of the legends books she had checked out of the library based on a time when dragons were allowed to fall in love by instinct, before the Directorate mandated arranged marriages to keep dragons in line. She curled up on the couch and lost herself in the battles of love and war. Funny how the war part seemed easier to negotiate.

The Directorate had wanted to ban these books from the library, but Miss Enid the librarian had fought them fang and claw. The Directorate probably didn't want anyone reading these stories because they might inspire dragons to think for themselves. In her mind, she imagined small communities of dragons living under the radar. There had to be other hybrids out there. Her parents couldn't have been the only ones to ever defy the law.

A knock on the door had her up and running. No. She stopped herself. She would not run to him. "Who is it?"

"It's Zavien."

By the clock on her desk it had been five hours since he'd ditched her. She pulled the door open a few inches. "What's up?"

Hands shoved in the front pocket of his jeans, he had the good sense to look sheepish. "Can I come in?"

She stepped back, crossed her arms over her chest, and waited for him to explain.

He entered and leaned against the closed door. "Sorry about earlier. Nola needed me."

Not what she wanted to hear. "Really? What did she need you for?"

"I knew you'd be like this." He rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin.

Flames roared in her chest. She tamped them down. "Don't patronize me. She's your friend. I get that. What if Valmont dropped by and I left with him. How would you feel?" Valmont was her own personal knight, who had become magically bonded to her when he'd protected her from a perceived threat. It was an added bonus that he was smoking hot and had made Zavien jealous enough to kiss her and admit his feelings.

Zavien bristled at the knight's name. "You have a point, but what did you expect me to do? She was crying."

"What was the emergency? Why were you the only person she could confide in?"

"Can we sit?" Zavien asked.

Shadows stood out under his eyes. In fact, now that she really paid attention, he looked like c.r.a.p.

She waved him toward the couch. He sat close enough that his thigh brushed against hers, creating a frisson of warmth. Hormones would not distract her right now. At the moment, she'd rather kick him than kiss him.

"Nola is having a hard time dealing with Alec's death. She always felt like she should've been a better influence on him."

"Why would she think that?"

"He was her brother."

Chapter Three.

Bryn sucked in a breath. "Does she know?"

Zavien gave a bitter laugh. "Does Nola know I killed her brother? No."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry. You must feel awful."

"He wouldn't stop." His shoulders slumped and his voice sounded hollow. "If Alec would've stopped attacking, I wouldn't have been forced to kill him."

Guilt rained down on her. He'd killed Alec to protect her. How could she have forgotten that? Needing to look him in the eyes, she sat on the coffee table and placed her hands on either side of his face. "It wasn't your fault. Alec was crazy with grief over his marriage pet.i.tion being denied."

The pain in Zavien's eyes made her heart ache. It was stupid not to worry about the effect this might have on him. The Directorate's only concern had been to cover everything up. No one had thought to offer him counseling.

"I'm so sorry." Bryn pressed her lips against his forehead. "What can I do?"

"Promise me you'll never tell anyone what happened that night. I don't want anyone to know. Nola can never find out."

The other woman's name sliced into her heart like a dagger. Ignoring the pain, she stroked his cheek. "I promise."

Zavien's body relaxed. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't want to think about anything right now. Talk to me. Tell me what you did tonight."

He'd been strong for her when she'd needed him. She could be strong for him now. "Let's lie down." They settled onto the couch. He wrapped his arm around her waist and she laid her head on his chest.

"Ivy and I flew for a while. Jaxon showed up to mock me, so I beat him in a race. Then we went to the dining hall for dessert, and I ate three pieces of apple pie to celebrate my victory." So what if it was a skewed version of her evening; it wasn't an outright lie.

She continued talking, weaving together unimportant details from past conversations with Ivy. When Zavien's breathing became regular, she stopped talking and thought about their situation. In two years she'd finish her high school cla.s.ses. The degree in Quintessential medicine could take four to six more years. Zavien was in the first year of his bachelor's degree. He could work toward a master's degree and extend his time at school.

Originally, he'd told her Nola didn't want to marry until they had to. The thought of Zavien marrying Nola was like a splinter under her skin. It was always there, annoying her. If she came upon it unexpectedly, it jabbed deeper, causing true pain.

Zavien a.s.sumed Nola was dating someone, but if Nola had someone else in her life, why had she come running to him? If she didn't have someone else, then where did that leave Bryn's fledgling relationship with Zavien?

Frustration fanned the flames in her gut. And then a ray of hope... He'd agreed to take her to the fall dance. That was a victory not easily won. He'd told her over and over again that asking someone to the fall dance was akin to declaring intent to pet.i.tion for a lineage check. Legally, his contract to Nola was already in place. Even though everyone knew he and Nola were just friends, he'd refused to take Bryn to the dance until she had threatened to go with Valmont. That had changed his uncooperative mind-set. Then he had agreed they could go to the dance with Clint and Ivy.

Feeling better, she inhaled Zavien's summer rainstorm scent and watched the rise and fall of his chest. Zavien's scent differed from Ivy's and Clint's. While all Black dragons smelled of rain, Ivy smelled of a lush rainforest, while Clint smelled like wet gra.s.s.

She'd never been close enough to other dragons to detect individual scents. Scratch that. Before she and Zavien had gotten together, Keegan had kissed her. Like all Red dragons, he had smelled of smoke and flames. His scent had reminded her of a cozy fireplace. The only other scent she might recognize would be Jaxon's. Blues smelled of ice and snow, but Jaxon had an undercurrent of something crisp and clean. He smelled like a fresh-cut pine tree on a snowy day.

Funny, how Jaxon no longer sat at the top of her most-loathed list. Since she'd sent her life force through Jaxon's veins to burn out the poison meant to kill him, they'd developed an odd camaraderie. It was a strangely intimate procedure to heal somebody with Quintessence. Now his insults were more of a joking nature.

Knock knock knock.

Who was that? She wiggled out from under Zavien's arm and answered the door.

An auburn-haired security guard stood scowling in the hall. "Curfew is in ten minutes. Mr. Blackthorn needs to return to his room."

His rigid posture and clipped tone implied she'd been up to no good. She opened the door wide enough for him to see Zavien. "He fell asleep on the couch. How'd you know he was here?"

The guard relaxed his stance. "What do you think all these cameras are for? We're trying to keep you safe." He winked. "As far as your grandfather's concerned, that means your friend needs to sleep in his own bed."

Her face heated. "Is my grandfather monitoring all my friends?"

"He thinks Zavien Blackthorn deserves special attention." The guard chuckled.

Great. "Give me a minute to wake him. I'll send him on his way."

The guard pointed at the camera across the hall. "I'll know if you don't."

Despite her irritation, she was grateful someone was looking out for her. "Thanks for checking on me."

The guard strolled away, whistling.

This new development could put a crimp in her social life.

She brushed her fingertips along Zavien's cheek. "Wake up. It's almost curfew, and the security guard says you have to leave."

He stretched and frowned. "What security guard?"

"One of the men my grandfather hired stopped by to say you needed to sleep in your own bed."

One corner of his mouth turned up. "I wonder if the guards are susceptible to bribes."

She laughed. "We'll investigate that later. Right now, you need to smile for the camera in the hallway, or my new friend will be back."

The sound of a piano worked its way into Bryn's dreams. No. It couldn't be morning already. She pulled the pillow over her head.

The music became loud and discordant. Her blood pressure rose as the alarm clock fulfilled its function of causing stress in students who didn't immediately wake up and turn the d.a.m.n thing off.

Stumbling to the dresser, she whacked the top of the alarm. In the shower, she used extra tangerine-grapefruit shower gel, hoping the sharp scent would wake her. No such luck. Her orange bra and underwear set covered with fat yellow b.u.mblebees made her smile. She pulled on gray thigh highs she wore in place of the outdated dress-code-mandated panty hose and moved to the armoire to choose an outfit.

Dressed in the first skirt and blouse she laid hands on, she grabbed her new book bag and headed for the dining hall.

Coffee. She needed lots and lots of coffee.

In the dining hall, she yawned her way through the buffet line. Students kept glancing her way and making comments to their friends. What is that about? She had managed to wear her underwear on the inside of her clothes, hadn't she? She glanced down. Yep. No b.u.mblebees were visible. Must be her fancy new book bag.

After filling her tray, she joined Clint and Ivy at their regular table. "Mondays suck."

"They do," Clint agreed.

"Cool new book bag." Ivy ran her fingers along the leather. "It's soft."

"Lillith gave it to me."