Clint snorted. "She's trying to bribe you to accept her son."

"There aren't enough book bags in the world for me to accept that proposal."

On the way to cla.s.s, a blond female Bryn didn't know fell in step beside her. "That's a lovely bag. Where'd you buy it?"

"It was a gift. I'm not sure what store it came from."

"I see." The blond girl drifted back to her friends. Rhianna was among them.

When Bryn reached Elemental Science, the seating chart on the board had her seated next to Jaxon. What the h.e.l.l? Had her grandmother blackmailed Mr. Stanton? A quick check showed the entire cla.s.s was no longer seated by Clan, so Mr. Stanton maintained his spot as her favorite teacher.

Jaxon ignored her, so she smiled at Keegan, who sat to her right. He returned the smile and then yawned, which made her laugh.

Mr. Stanton entered the room from the adjoining cla.s.sroom-turned-storage-room that he always seemed to lurk in and gave an approving nod. "I hoped you'd notice the new chart. Since it's Monday, I had my doubts."

Students chuckled.

"Pair up with two other students with different breath weapons. I've seated you in an alternating pattern, so it shouldn't be difficult."

To her right, Keegan huddled in a group with two other students. She looked front and back to find the same thing.

Great. She faced Jaxon. "Do you have room for one more in your group?"

Octavius, the only male Orange dragon on campus, spoke from Jaxon's other side. "You're welcome to join us, Bryn."

"Thanks."

Jaxon sighed as if the situation caused him great pain. "Haven't we spent enough time together?"

"You're such a joy to be around I couldn't stay away," Bryn mocked.

"Something's changed between you two." Octavius's deep voice carried through the room.

"We learned to tolerate each other at the Directorate meeting." Bryn turned her desk to face them and tapped her pencil on the desktop while she waited for further instructions.

A moment later, Jaxon's hand flashed out and smacked the pencil down. "That's annoying."

Unable to help herself, Bryn raised the pencil and tapped it one more time. Childish, but fun.

Mr. Stanton cleared his throat. "Our elemental breath weapons were obviously designed to be used as weapons. While we've become more civilized over the centuries, it's a good idea to know how to protect yourself if the need arises. Just a reminder, since we are inside, don't blast your cla.s.smates full force. Use an emissary, and by that I mean a small controllable amount, and aim it at one of your partners. Your partner in turn will deflect it back. Learn what it feels like to defend against ice, fire, wind, lightning, and sonic waves. You never know whom you might face in battle."

That's a cheery thought.

Octavius frowned. "My sonic waves are invisible. I don't wish to hurt either of you."

"You hit me before by accident," Jaxon said. "I fell out of my chair, but no harm was done. Maybe you should use a smaller amount than you normally would."

"I'll try. Why don't you and Bryn start?"

"Ladies first," Jaxon said.

"This isn't as much fun when I have your permission." The first time he'd verbally attacked her, she'd retaliated by shooting a fireball at his head. Remembering his expression of surprised terror still gave her a warm fuzzy feeling. She allowed heat to build in her chest, took in a measured amount of air, and shot a much smaller fireball at Jaxon's head.

He exhaled frozen flames and the fireball fizzled out in midair. The ice went up in a puff of steam. Water droplets drifted down and spotted their desks.

"Ready?" Jaxon asked Octavius.

The Orange dragon nodded. Jaxon held his hand palm out toward his cla.s.smate and concentrated. Frozen flames shot from his hand.

Show-off.

Octavius opened his mouth, and the ice disintegrated into snow.

"Your breath weapon is the coolest," Bryn said.

"I believe that's why the Directorate deems us such a threat." Octavius's tone was bitter.

"What has the Directorate done?" Bryn asked.

"Ask him." Octavius pointed to Jaxon.

Jaxon squared his shoulders. "The decrease in your Clan's numbers is not the Directorate's fault."

"Really?" The muscles in Octavius's forearms flexed. "Then whose fault is it?"

"I don't know. Perhaps you should address the Directorate and find out," Jaxon said.

"If I addressed the Directorate I'd probably die of an aneurysm like Alec. His death was rather convenient, don't you think?"

Bryn froze under Octavius's questioning gaze.

"She tried to save him. Don't blame her," Jaxon said.

Guilt flooded her system. Alec had tried to kill her and Jaxon, but he'd been wronged first. Since she'd signed that stupid paper, she couldn't explain any of this to Octavius. "We're supposed to be working. Whose turn is it?"

"Why don't you go against Octavius?" Jaxon said.

"Can you repel flame? I don't want to hurt you."

He snorted. "You don't have to worry about me, hybrid. Maybe you should scoot back a bit so we have more time to react."

She moved her chair a few feet from her desk, took a deep breath, and huffed a fireball toward his shoulder.

Octavius exhaled, and her ball of fire broke into shimmering individual flames, which winked out of existence.

"That is so-" Wham.

Something slammed into her chest, knocking her backward, chair and all. She windmilled her arms, but momentum threw her to the floor. Smack! Pain shot down her spine as her head whacked the floor. "d.a.m.n it." Cradling her head, she rolled to her side.

Jaxon draped his jacket over her legs. "Can you sit up?"

She gritted her teeth as he helped her to a seated position on the floor. "Tell me I didn't flash the entire cla.s.s."

"About a third of them know you wear stockings. I'll keep the information about the b.u.mblebees to myself." His smirk spoke volumes.

"Wonderful."

Octavius appeared by her side. "I'm sorry. I thought the lesser amount was safe."

"It's not your fault." Bryn rubbed the sore spot on the back of her head. "I thought my fire would disintegrate your sonic waves like Jaxon's ice did."

Mr. Stanton knelt next to her. "The ma.s.s of the ice stops the waves. Fire has no ma.s.s so the waves travel through."

"You might have mentioned that before," she snapped.

"Sorry. Do I need to call a medic?"

"No. Only my pride is wounded."

"Let's get you back in your seat," Mr. Stanton said.

Holding Jaxon's jacket in front of her, she stood and took her seat.

"Thanks." She pa.s.sed the jacket back.

He nodded. "I reserve the right to antagonize you about this later."

After Elemental Science, Bryn headed to the library while the rest of her cla.s.smates attended history. Being banished from history cla.s.s because she'd argued with the teacher-in her very first cla.s.s-had its perks. She had an hour in the library to outline the history text or work on one of the term papers for Mr. Stanton.

First things first, she approached the librarian, Miss Enid, who sat behind the front desk. Bryn pulled out the legends books she'd finished reading, and placed the story about the Red and Black dragon falling in love on top. "This one was my favorite."

"I wonder why?" Miss Enid grinned as she picked up the books and placed them below the desk. "How are things progressing on that front?"

Miss Enid was one of the few who knew about her relationship with Zavien. "It could be better. I'm never sure where I stand."

"You never are, dear. That's why love is so complicated." She pulled two books from the depths of her desk. "Try these. I already checked them out for you."

"Thanks." On the cover of the first book, a woman with red hair swung a torch at a blond man who resembled Jaxon. "I feel her pain." The second book showed a dark-skinned woman blocking a sword thrust from a male member of her Clan.

Bryn climbed the stairs to the third floor and walked past the intricate stained gla.s.s windows depicting dragons in flight. Each dragon was blasting its breath weapon into the heavens. The Blue's ice, Red's fire, and Black's lightning were easily recognizable. The Green dragon's wind and the Orange dragon's sonic waves were more abstract. The artist had probably done the best he could. In the far back corner, she set her things on the table and began to work.

Ten minutes later, the chair across from her was pulled out. Now what? Without looking up from her history text, she asked, "Friend or foe?"

Chapter Four.

"a.s.sociate," a male voice replied.

"That's an interesting category." She gripped her pencil and raised her head. Onyx, the leader of the Revisionists, sat across from her dressed impeccably, as usual. The silver tie he wore with his black suit matched the silver at the temples of his hair. And it made him look like he was trying way too hard. Even though Onyx had given her a key pendant with a protection charm, she didn't trust him. He was too slick.

"What's up?"

"Zavien informed me you've used up the protection charm." He chuckled. "Those normally last ten years. You're a lot of trouble."

"It's not like I ask people to try to kill me."

His smile widened until she could count his molars. "Too true. If you'll return the key to me, I'll have the charm replaced."

Her fingertips touched the dragon locket Zavien had given her as a birthday gift, where she kept the key. "Do you think I still need it? My grandfather did recognize me."

"That was an unusual turn of events. I fear there may still be those who wish you harm."

Alec's wild eyes flashed in her mind. Maybe Onyx could answer a few questions. "How well did you know Alec?"

"He was a brilliant but misguided young man." Onyx's face clouded over.

Nice vague answer.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't put the anxiety spell on it this time." Bryn popped the locket open and retrieved the small golden key with the red and blue stones. "Since I know what it is I won't take it off."

"Of course."

He reached to take it, but Bryn pulled her hand back. "Where did the key come from?"

"It's something I had lying around." Onyx's fake smile came on full beam. "Given the color of the stones, I thought it suitable. Why do you ask?"

Did he really expect her to believe that? "Someone told me a legend about keys like this." She opened her hand and let the stones sparkle in the light. "They claimed the key would unlock treasure chests containing secrets the Directorate wanted to hide."

"An amusing fairy tale, and that's all it is, I a.s.sure you. Jewelers made these keys to promote that sort of story. They considered it an act of rebellion because they knew such stories would annoy the Directorate."

That made sense, sort of. "So there are other keys out there with different-colored stones?" She sighed. "No magical treasure chest waiting in my future?"

"Sorry to disappoint you." He s.n.a.t.c.hed the key from her palm and slid it in his jacket pocket. "I'll be in touch, once the protection charm on the key is restored."

Onyx stood and headed for the stairs. Black material billowed out behind him. Holy c.r.a.p, was he wearing a cape? She stifled a laugh. Who wore a cape rather than a coat? It was absurd, and it reminded her of Nola and all her flowing dresses. He and Nola would make a fabulous fake couple. And that would solve one of her problems.

Bryn gathered her things and set out for Basic Movement. It was the dragon equivalent of gym cla.s.s, but far cooler. Next to Elemental Science, it was her favorite cla.s.s.

"What do you want to do today?" Clint asked as he climbed onto a treadmill.

"I want to joust." Ivy punched the b.u.t.tons for a fast warm-up walk.

Bryn warmed up on her own treadmill while she checked out the raised platforms where students did battle with what appeared to be giant cotton swabs. At the moment, a blond and a dark-haired boy faced off. When the dark-haired guy knocked his opponent off the platform, she gave a silent cheer. Sometimes, the whole color-coding system made it easy to know who to root for. Not that she hated Blues, but Reds, Greens, Blacks, and Oranges had been far nicer to her during her time on campus. She couldn't help but think that Blues were behind the carrot cake poisoning, and she'd bet money it was Jaxon's father who'd arranged it. Not that she had any proof.