Scorched

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Surface Lands—Year 183 Post-Scorch

Dad’s about to slay the dragon, Connor. Come on, come on!

Ten-year-old Connor looked up from his reader just in time to see Caleb come bursting into the crumbling church sanctuary. His brother was bouncing with excitement, his blue eyes shining and his mouth twisting into a gleeful grin. Could this really be it? Connor rose from the pew slowly, setting down his reader, his heart thudding in his chest.

Are you sure? he sent back, using their silent twin language. The one they used when they didn’t want anyone else to hear. He tossed a cautious glance to their mother, who was humming quietly to herself as she stirred soup over a makeshift fire pit at the other end of the church. She didn’t look up.

Of course I’m sure. Come on! Before it’s too late! Caleb turned back to the door.

Scrambling over the pew, Connor dove after his brother, out of the sanctuary, and down the burnt-out hallway. They’d been camped out in the ruins for weeks now, waiting for Dad to draw the dragon near, and they’d been practicing the quickest route to the roof for nearly as long. As they leapt over charred cinderblocks and ducked fallen archways, Connor could barely believe that this time was for real. The last song must have done the trick.

They weren’t supposed to leave the sanctuary, of course. Their father would have had their hides if he’d known they’d traded the safety of four walls and a barricaded door for the fully exposed rooftop of the Pre-Scorch church. But the chance to watch the legendary Dragon Hunter finally down the fiery serpent they’d been chasing for weeks was more than worth risking his wrath.

Connor followed his brother through a caved-in wall, taking the rotted-out wooden steps two at a time. At the top of the steeple, Caleb didn’t pause, dodging the cracked church bell and squirming through the broken window, making his way out onto the steeply sloped roof. He turned back to his brother.

Come on! Hurry!

A cry cut through the night air. Screeching, inhuman. Connor paused, fear sliding down his back. His eyes fell upon the jagged shards of glass jutting out from the window. The roof outside, slick from recent rain.

I don’t know…he hedged. It was different now from when they’d practiced. More real. More dangerous. Outside, the dragon let out another cry, chilling him to the bone.

Caleb gave him a disgusted look through the window. You really want to miss this?

He sighed. Of course he didn’t. Pushing down his rising dread, he forced himself to step through the window slowly, carefully, so as not to cut himself on the glass. Up here on the Surface Lands, even the smallest cut could turn deadly.

Once outside, he cautiously slid down the roof to join Caleb below. It was even slipperier than he’d imagined; the sudden drop in temperature had made it almost icy. When he finally reached his brother, he let out a sigh of relief. Caleb gave him an approving grin, then pointed to the ground below. There, their father readied himself for battle, unaware of his sons watching from above. This was it!

The sky darkened, causing Connor’s heart to stutter all over again. Looking up, he caught a large, dark shadow eclipsing the setting sun. He gasped, fear thrumming through his veins. There she was, in the flesh.

She was huge. The hugest he’d ever seen, with shiny, blue scales sparkling in the fading light. Connor drew in a breath. She must have been old—maybe one of the original fifteen even—and he knew the Council would pay top silver for her head. Enough to keep their mother in medicine, pay their rent down below, and maybe even have a little left over for Caleb’s tuition to the academy. So the first-born twin could carry on the family tradition and become a Hunter himself.

“She’s so beautiful,” Caleb marveled. “It’s almost a shame Dad has to kill her.”

Connor shook his head. He had no idea how his twin could see beauty in the empty-eyed, overgrown lizards with razor-sharp teeth and bulletproof scales, especially considering what these creatures had done to the world. In his opinion, they all deserved to die—as painfully as possible.

Pride flowed through him as he watched his father line up his target with deadly precision. He could almost hear his Hunter’s song as he enticed the beast closer and closer, until she was finally within range.

BANG!

The recoil from the gun-blade echoed through the Surface Lands, shaking the roof of the church. The dragon squawked as the bullet bounced harmlessly off her sapphire scales. Their father swore under his breath. He’d missed the sweet spot. The one soft scale under the left wing that could take down even the mightiest of beasts. His father liked to brag about one-shot kills. But today evidently wasn’t his day.

The creature retaliated immediately, opening her mouth and releasing her flames. Searing the ground mere inches from where their father stood. Connor watched, drenched in sweat from the sudden heat, feeling as if the pounding of his heart would crack his ribs. Come on, Dad! he urged. Kill her already!

The dragon stopped short. She turned slowly, abandoning his father, her beady black eyes scanning the sky until they fell upon Connor. He gasped, shrinking against the roof as the creature met his gaze. Had she heard his thoughts somehow? Had they broken his dad’s spell?

They had to get inside. Now. Before it was too late.

Come on! he cried to Caleb, who sat unaware, still mesmerized by the creature. We’ve got to go!

He grabbed his brother’s hand, trying to drag him to the window. But Caleb wouldn’t budge—he just kept staring into the dragon’s eyes. Connor yanked him again—there was no way he was leaving his twin behind—but the jerky movement only served to throw him off balance. A moment later, Connor found himself sliding down the roof at top speed. He screamed.

“Caleb! Help!”

But Caleb didn’t seem to hear him. And as Connor tumbled from the rooftop onto the ground below, the dragon’s screech reverberated in his ears. He slammed onto the desert floor, a sharp pain shooting up his leg as his ankle crumpled beneath him.

“Connor!” he vaguely heard his father cry. But the dragon was already on him, black smoke billowing from her nostrils, sparks crackling at the back of her throat. Connor tried to scramble away, but his foot dragged uselessly behind him, trapping him where he stood. Unprotected. Exposed.

The deadly beast pulled back her gigantean head, opening her mouth, ready to release her inferno upon him. One more moment and the fire would come. If he was lucky, it’d be over quickly. If not…

Suddenly he was tossed to the side like a sack of potatoes. He hit the ground hard, a few yards away, the pain shooting up his leg all over again. Grasping his ankle, he looked up just in time to see the dragon let loose a stream of fire—hitting his father square in the chest.

“No!” he cried as his father collapsed, engulfed in a sea of flames.

The dragon turned back to Connor, her mouth curling into a sadistic smile.

On instinct, Connor dove for the discarded gun-blade, ignoring the brutal pain in his ankle. Gripping the weapon in both hands, adrenaline pounding through him, he charged the creature full force, putting everything he had into the weapon’s thrust, just as his father had taught him. The blade sung true, sliding into the dragon’s one soft scale like a hot knife through butter.

The beast bellowed in agony, collapsing to the ground and writhing in pain as the steel pierced her unprotected heart. Black blood oozed from the wound and Connor met the creature’s eyes with his own, staring her down with defiant rage. He yanked the blood-soaked blade free, then stabbed the fiend again. And again. And again. And—

“Connor, stop! She’s dead. The dragon’s dead!” He felt his mother’s arms grab him from behind and drag him away. He fell to the ground, still half lost in an adrenaline-induced haze. His mother dropped to her knees, searching his face with her own tear-stained one.

“Dad?” he managed to blurt out, even though he knew in his heart what her answer would be. No one survived a full-on dragon blast—not even the best Hunter in the land.

Mom shook her head. “I’m sorry, Connor,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. He buried his face in her shoulder, allowing the grief to consume him. His mother held him close, rocking him gently, soothing him in soft whispers. “But he died a hero. A true Hunter.”

Her words were meant to comfort but only served to wrack Connor with guilt. He’d acted foolishly, disobeyed orders, and now, because of it, a great man was dead. His father was dead. And more would likely follow too—with the people of the strata now left without a trained Hunter to protect them. Who knew how long it would take for the Council to send reinforcements to this forgotten corner of the world? They barely had enough Academy graduates to protect the big cities.

It was up to him now. He had no choice but to shoulder his father’s birthright. It was the only possible way to make himself worthy of his father’s sacrifice. He rose and limped over to the dragon’s corpse. The beast looked smaller now. Shrunken. A shadow of the deadly creature she’d once been. As he stared down at the monster who had stolen his beloved father away, disgust and fury threatened to consume him.

He squeezed his hands into fists, his nails cutting into his palms. “I will hunt your kind until you’ve been wiped off the face of the Earth. No matter what I have to do.”

“Dad!”

Connor shot up in bed, a sharp pain drilling through his skull. He was in a small room—two matching beds, simple furniture—smelling slightly of mildew. A radiator in one corner rattled and spit while the TV on the dresser blared an advertisement for soap. Outside the window, a neon sign buzzed and flickered, matching the beats of his throbbing head.

He sank down onto his pillow, sucking in a breath, forcing the nightmare to retreat to the back of his mind. It had been seven long years since his father’s death and yet hardly a night went by when his brain didn’t manage to conjure up a full-color torturous play-by-play of that day.

The day he’d killed his father.

He’d told Trinity he was here to save the world. But that wasn’t the whole truth. He wanted to save his father.

“I’ll do whatever it takes, Dad,” he whispered.

“Whatever what takes?”

Connor looked up. The bathroom door at the far end of the room squeaked opened and Trinity’s grandfather stepped out, buckling his belt as he limped back over to the motel television, palming the remote and increasing the already near-deafening volume. He’d been glued to the set since they’d arrived in New Mexico a few hours before—the last location Connor had felt Trinity’s spark before it had sputtered out.

“Nothing,” he said quickly, sitting up in bed. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his father’s death—or hear the comforting rationalizations that were bound to follow. That it wasn’t his fault, that there was nothing he could have done. It wasn’t true. And it didn’t make him feel any better either.

He sighed. What a mess this all was. If only he’d woken Trinity up when he and her grandfather had first returned to her mother’s house the night of the Reckoning. Everything would be different now. They’d have the egg. They’d be on their way to the volcano to destroy it. Mission practically accomplished.

But he hadn’t. Mainly because she’d looked so exhausted. So dead to the world. And once again, the soft spot he had for her had botched his common sense. And so, instead of waking her and bringing her downstairs where he could keep an eye on her all night, he’d let her sleep alone. It wasn’t until he heard the banging on the rooftop a few hours later that he realized something was wrong. Unfortunately, by the time he’d reached her room, she was already on the back of his brother’s motorcycle, zooming into the night.

God, he’d been such a fool. He’d had the egg. He’d had the girl. His whole mission practically wrapped up in a Christmas bow. And yet he’d screwed it all up, underestimated his brother, and let it all slip through his fingers.

His father would be so disappointed.

I’m sorry, Dad, he thought. I won’t let you down again.

His thoughts were interrupted by the television, blaring some kind of news broadcast at top volume. Trinity’s grandpa, Connor realized, must be going a bit deaf.

“Could you please turn that—” he started to beg, but his mouth snapped closed as his eyes caught the video on the screen: black-and-white surveillance tape of a small convenience store. Two very familiar people walking up to the cash register.

Connor dove off the bed, joining Grandpa in front of the TV. He stared, mouth gaping. Could it really be?

“Suspected terrorist Trinity Foxx was last seen at a Santa Rosa Circle K,” the announcer informed them. “She and her unidentified partner purchased food and drinks, and then took off in a green Ford pickup, according to witnesses. Anyone with information on the pair’s whereabouts should call the Crime Stoppers’ hotline. Police warn not to approach them; they are considered armed and dangerous.”

Connor watched as the tape looped, his stomach swimming with nausea. On the screen, Trinity turned to his brother, poking him playfully in the ribs before setting her snacks down on the counter. The two of them started to laugh.

“What are they doing?” her grandpa cried, furrowing his bushy gray eyebrows. “I thought you said he’d kidnapped her.” He turned to Connor, his eyes filled with accusation.

Connor shrugged helplessly, still staring at the TV in horror. All this time he’d been so sure Trinity must have been tricked, taken against her will. But looking at the video made him wonder. His brother had always been charming—could he have convinced her somehow that he was out for her own best interests? That Connor was the bad guy, not him? Or was it the dragon bond itself? Poisoning her mind against him more and more each day. He shuddered at the thought.

At least that explained why he’d lost her signal. He’d been following her spark, reaching out to her through the back door he’d created in her mind when he’d shown her the vision of the Scorch. But as of yesterday, he’d found himself at an impasse, her mind blocked against him. Caleb must have shown her how to shield herself, which would make it nearly impossible to find her.

“Santa Rosa, New Mexico.” Connor glanced over to see Trinity’s grandpa consulting an old-fashioned paper map. The man looked up. “It’s not even fifty miles from here. Let’s head out.” He rose to his feet, his eyes shining with eager desperation.

Connor sighed, feeling old and defeated. He wanted to tell the man it would do no good. That they could follow them to the ends of the earth, but they’d always remain one step behind as long she kept herself blocked to him. If she didn’t want to be found…

“Are you coming?” her grandfather asked, hovering at the open door.

He reluctantly rose to his feet, resigning himself to the fool’s mission. At least it would make her grandfather feel better. To feel like he was doing something instead of just sitting around uselessly, waiting for news.

They’re quite a pair, he thought as he followed Trin’s guardian to his parked car. So devoted to one another. Ready to risk everything to keep one another safe. He tried to imagine what it must be like to have someone like that in his life. Someone who cared more about him than even the end of the world.

Of course, his father had once. And he’d died because of it.

He firmed his resolve. In the end, nothing had changed. His mission was still on, still vitally important to the survival of the world. And if Trinity didn’t believe him? If she refused to go along with the plan they’d made? Well, that made her his enemy. Just like his brother.

Don’t give up on her, Connor.

He started at the sudden thought slamming into his brain. No, not just a thought—a push. A powerful push. So strong that even he, with all his training, had to fight to keep it from lodging into his consciousness. He looked around, wondering where on Earth it could have come from. After all there were no—

He stopped short, catching Trinity’s grandpa squeezing his eyes shut, as if he were in sudden pain.

“Did you…um…say something?” Connor stammered, searching his deeply lined face.

The old man’s eyes snapped back to the road, but not before Connor caught a flash of guilt cross his face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered. “Now, are you ready to go or what?”

But you do, Connor thought excitedly. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Aloud he said, “Yes, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

Her grandfather grunted and pulled out of the parking lot, the car’s tires screeching as he turned onto the street. As they drove down the road, toward Trin’s last known whereabouts, the sharp push came again.

She’s worth fighting for. She’s worth everything.

Chapter Twenty-Four

If you’d asked Trinity what she thought Dracken Headquarters would look like, she probably would have guessed like something out of a sci-fi movie—deep in the desert with watchtowers and electric fences, maybe a few landmines littered along the way. Not to mention the requisite men with machine guns, high-tech security gates—all the stuff that was supposed to go along with any self-respecting top-secret military operation. So she was quite surprised when Caleb directed her to pull off the highway and into the parking lot of a seemingly abandoned shopping mall instead.

“We’re here,” he announced, gesturing for her to stop the truck and put it into park. “Home sweet home at long last.”

“Um.” She looked around doubtfully. “This is it? This is Dracken Headquarters?”

The Nevada mall sprawled out before them had presumably seen better days. The store signs were crumbling, and colorful graffiti had been splashed over almost every available surface. Tall weeds poked defiantly from cracks in the pavement, and the sidewalks were lined with rusty shopping carts from days gone by.

Caleb looked at her with piercing eyes. “Is something wrong?”

Trinity shook her head. “Sorry, I guess I just didn’t expect the secret headquarters of a dragon-worshipping sect from the future to have a JCPenney.”

He snorted. “The actual mall went bankrupt five years ago, princess, after a developer built an open-air shopping center a few miles down the road. The Dracken were able to scoop it up cheap. It’s actually the perfect home base if you think about it. Lots of space. Lots of bathrooms. They’ve spent the last two years converting it. The outside’s just to scare off the tourists. Wait till you see what’s beyond the front doors.”

He shot her an excited grin; he’d been in a good mood all morning, becoming more and more animated the closer they got to their destination. As if he couldn’t wait to introduce her to his world and his friends. She, on the other hand, felt more than a little apprehensive about the impending meet-and-greet with the Dracken. Unfortunately she had little choice in the matter. While Caleb didn’t treat her as a prisoner, he also wasn’t about to let her go.

They parked the car and headed into the mall’s main entrance, Caleb triggering some kind of special sensor at the door that pricked his finger and matched his DNA before unlocking and swinging open. As he gallantly suggested “ladies first,” Trin gathered her nerve and stepped into the belly of the beast.

The two-story mall was dimly lit and more than a little dusty, the entryway caked with cobwebs and littered with debris. Just more props to scare away potential intruders, Trin wondered, or were the Dracken simply lousy housekeepers?

At first glance, the place seemed deserted. At the same time, she got the uneasy feeling of being watched as their footsteps echoed down the hall—by a hundred pairs of unseen eyes. The whole thing was unnerving to say the least. Even more so when the doors behind them clanked shut with a booming crash, effectively sealing them in.

“What, no welcoming party?” she managed to joke, shoving the fear down her throat. “You’d think for the Fire Kissed they’d at least spring for a few balloons. Maybe some chips and dip?”

Caleb smirked. “Just wait, princess,” he replied. “You’ll get all the welcome you want. And then some.”

Sure enough, not a moment later, Trin caught a mop of blond curls poking over the mall’s second floor railing. “He’s back!” the girl shouted, her voice echoing through the empty corridors. “Hey, guys! Caleb’s back!”

The mall sprang to life, dozens of people spilling out in every direction, rushing toward them with wild abandon. Soon Trinity found herself completely engulfed in a sea of excited faces, all babbling over one another, trying to get her attention.

“You’re here!”

“You’re finally here!”

“We’ve been waiting so long!”

“We’ve been dying to meet you!”

“Where’s the egg? Has she hatched yet? Did you bring the dragon?”

Overwhelmed, Trin took a hesitant step back, shooting Caleb a “help me” glance. He laughed, then clapped his hands together loudly.

“Hey, hey! Back up!” he commanded the crowd. “Let the poor girl breathe.” As the multitude sheepishly complied, he turned to Trin. “Guess I should have warned you,” he said with a sly grin. “You’re a bit of a legend here.”

Trinity’s eyes darted around the crowd, trying to take it all in. The group standing before her appeared to be all kids around her own age, dressed identically in navy blue sweats, white T-shirts, and matching tennis shoes. But the similarities ended there. Some were tall; some were short. Some were athletic, while others were fat or thin. Male and female, fair-skinned and dark—seemingly from every country under the sun. As if someone had managed to gather up an entire teenage United Nations under one roof.

“Are these the Dracken?” she asked hesitantly. “Are they all from the future?” The idea that all these kids had traveled back in time together was hard to believe.

Caleb shook his head. “These are the Potentials,” he explained. “All from your time.”

“Potentials?”

“Potential Dragon Guardians,” he clarified. “For the last two years the Dracken have been busy combing the world, looking for kids born with the gift. The ones they find are brought here to be tested. If they pass their initial trials, they’re initiated into the organization. Eventually each one will be assigned a dragon to bring back to his or her country. It’s the best way to make sure everyone gets to enjoy the dragons’ gifts in a peaceful, ordered way.”

“Right.” Once again, Trinity couldn’t help but wonder what the dragons themselves would think of such an arrangement. Would they get to choose their country or just be randomly assigned? Like, what was the poor dragon stuck shivering in Siberia going to think of his friend happily firing things up in Fiji? There were still a lot of unanswered questions to the Dracken’s master plan.

Before she could ask, a tall girl with smooth, olive skin and large, golden eyes stepped out from the pack of Potentials. She offered Trin a wide smile, then, without pause, threw her arms around her in a big bear hug. Trinity stiffened at the sudden spontaneous display of affection, but somehow managed to stand her ground.

“I’m Rashida,” the girl said as she pulled away from the hug. “May I be the first to welcome you home.”

Welcome home. Trinity couldn’t help but flinch at the all-too-familiar greeting. The same one she’d always hear when walking through the front door of yet another foster family. As if it could be that simple. As if the strangers standing before her could somehow become an insta-family—just add water!—by simply uttering those magic words. And while sure, some of the foster families had been nice enough and she’d eventually settled into their rules and routines, never once had any of those houses ever felt like home.

But this girl looked so happy. In fact, they all did. Every face in the crowd glowing with enthusiasm, as if completely thrilled to have Trin join them at last. She found she didn’t have the heart to disappoint them.

“Well, there’s no place like home,” she declared, flashing the Lollipop Guild a smile she didn’t feel. Now if only she could score some ruby slippers…

As Rashida retreated back into the crowd, a sudden rumbling echoed through the mall. Trin’s eyes lighted on an elevator at the center courtyard, its doors yawning open with a loud groan. The crowd immediately parted like the Red Sea as a man and a woman stepped out and made their way toward Trin and Caleb.

They were dressed simply—not unlike the rest of the Potentials. But something in their manner—something fluid and graceful—made them stand out from the pack. They were also older. The man was probably in his late fifties, black hair speckled with gray. The woman’s age was harder to judge; she had a seamless face but dark, serious eyes and long blond hair cascading down her back like flowing water. They glided through the crowd, and the Potentials bowed their heads one by one as they passed.

These had to be the Dracken, Trin determined. The real ones who had come back from the future with Caleb.

“Welcome,” the man said, his voice warm and rich, a blinding smile spreading across his clean-shaven face. He reached out, pumping Caleb’s hand vigorously while the woman opened her arms, enveloping Trin into another hug. These Dracken people certainly were touchy-feely. She shot a furtive glance at Caleb and realized he was smiling broadly.

“Trinity, I’d like you to meet Darius and Mara,” he said. “Darius is Master of the Dracken and Mara is our Chief Birthing Maiden.”

“Um, hi,” she managed to spit out, not sure the proper Miss Manners etiquette for greeting visitors from the future. “Nice to meet you.” She realized her hands were shaking and shoved them behind her back.

Thankfully the Dracken didn’t seem to notice. Darius turned to Caleb. “You have done well,” he told him. “Even with the extenuating circumstances. I am very pleased.” He gave him an approving smile and Caleb beamed back happily. From the way he was acting, Trin got the feeling the Dracken leader must be some kind of father figure to him.

“And you, my sweet girl,” Mara said to Trinity, her voice light and musical. “Welcome to our humble headquarters. I know this must all seem very strange to you, but we hope you will find a way to make yourself at home here. You are our honored guest. Our Fire Kissed. And we are here to meet your every desire. Anything you need, you must only ask.”

“Can I go home?” Trinity blurted, not missing a beat. She could hear the other Potentials snicker until Darius shot them a look. “Sorry,” she muttered. “But you did say anything.”

Mara gave her an apologetic smile. “You’re right. I did. And if only we could honor your request. It would be my greatest pleasure to allow you to return home. But I fear it’s not safe for you there, and your safety is of utmost importance to us.”

Trin frowned. Of course they’d play the safety card. And, she had to admit, it was a tough one to argue with. “I’m sure I’d be okay,” she tried. “If I could only—”

“I don’t think you understand,” Mara interrupted in a kind but firm voice. “Your government has labeled you a terrorist, dealing in what they consider biological weapons of mass destruction. If they capture you, they will hold you without trial for as long as they wish. Torture you even. Are you prepared to face something like that?”

Trin stared at her, heart pounding in her chest. Terrorist? Sure she’d broken some laws. But terrorists were Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, not teenage girls from West Texas who only advocated violence when it came to zombie-blasting video games.

“Not to mention the Hunter is still at large,” Darius added. “If he tracks you down—and I have no doubt he would if we allowed you to leave—he will kill you in order to slay the dragon. And we cannot, under any circumstances, allow that to happen. After all, this little dragon holds the future of the world in her hands. And so, through her, do you.”

Trin swallowed hard, looking around the room. And here she thought Caleb was intense. What had she gotten herself into? She tried to force her pulse to steady, to order her thoughts. Okay, fine. They wouldn’t let her go. It wasn’t a big surprise, really, she tried to tell herself. But there was one thing she could ask for. Something they might still agree to.

“If I can’t go home to my grandpa,” she said, after gathering her nerve, “then can you bring him back here to me? He’s the only family I have and I won’t be able to settle in until I know he’s okay.”

Darius looked at Mara. She nodded. “Now that’s something we can arrange,” she said.

Trin’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you. That would be great. Really.”

“We’ll put our best men on it,” Darius assured her, laying a hand on her arm. “They’ll find him and bring him back here and he can live as our honored guest just like you. If we’re quick, perhaps he’ll even be able to arrive in time to witness the dragon’s birth.”

Trinity nodded enthusiastically, loving the idea of her grandpa getting to see Emmy hatch. After all, he was the one who had brought the egg into their lives in the first place. Without him, none of this would be happening.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“Not half as much as you mean to us,” the Dracken returned grandly. He turned to Rashida, who was still hovering at the front of the crowd. “Now, would you mind, Sister, taking our guest to her chambers? She must be exhausted from her trip.” He turned back to Trin. “We have prepared everything for your arrival—rooms, clothing. Even now your handmaiden is drawing you a hot bath.”

Trinity raised her eyebrows. She had to admit, a bathtub sounded good in and of itself after their days on the dusty road. But a freaking handmaiden to boot?

Emmy, we’re not in West Texas anymore.

But where am I? she wondered as she followed Rashida down the darkened hall, the creepy feeling returning with a vengeance the further they went. And what do they want from me, now that I’m here?

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Hey! Fire Kissed! Over here!”

Rashida waved wildly across the food court, attempting to get Trinity’s attention. Trin waved back awkwardly, then headed over. She could feel the stares of the other Potentials as she wove through the tables and tried to acknowledge each of them as she passed, not wanting people to think she was a snob. At school, Trin always tried to avoid being the center of attention, but she realized there was no helping that here.

“This place is like a maze,” she remarked as she slid into her seat. “I got lost three times trying to get here from my room.”

“That’s because you were given a crap tour guide,” the tall, blond boy across from her quipped, playfully poking Rashida, the tour guide in question. She poked him back twice as hard.

“As if you don’t still get lost going to the bathroom,” she retorted, “and you’ve been here half a year.”

“This was the biggest mall in Nevada before they shut it down.” The petite Asian girl on Rashida’s left looked up from the journal she’d been scribbling in. Some kind of poetry, Trin noticed. Or maybe song lyrics? “But I found the original blueprints if you ever want to learn your way around.”

“If you ever want to be a complete nerd,” the boy shot back, but he was smiling at her.

“This is Aiko,” Rashida introduced, ignoring him. “Our very own rock star, straight from Japan. She may look like a tiny little thing out of an anime film, but don’t let her fool you. The girl’s got mad pipes.” Aiko blushed prettily, closing her notebook and reaching out to shake Trin’s hand. Her fingers were dainty but calloused on the tips, assumedly well acquainted with guitar strings.

“And this is Malia,” Rashida continued, gesturing to a broad-shouldered, dark-skinned girl across from Trinity. “She’s from Kenya and serves as our resident gamer girl. Many of the boys have tried to take her down,” she added with dramatic flair. “But the girl somehow manages to frag them all.”

Trinity raised an eyebrow. “You have video games here?” she asked, her heart beating a little faster.

“Of course,” Malia replied shyly. “The Dracken turned the old Apple store into a game room. We have every system and all the best games. A few of us meet up on Friday nights to play. You should join us sometime. We could use more girls on the team.”

“Do you have Fields of Fantasy?” Trin dared to ask, her breath caught in her throat. “The new expansion pack?” Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to be stuck here after all.

Sadly, Malia shook her head. “Sorry, nothing that requires a Wi-Fi connection,” she told her. “We can play on a closed LAN line with one another, but Darius has strict rules about going online.”

“Which means no satellite TV to watch the matches,” the blond boy added gloomily. “I don’t suppose you know who won the Rugby World Cup this time around? It’s been bloody killing me.”

Trinity shook her head. “Sorry,” she said. The boy sighed loudly, dropping his head onto the table with over-exaggerated despair.

Rashida rolled her eyes. “And last but not least, this is Trevor,” she introduced with an impish smile. “As you can probably tell, he’s from Australia and like most Aussies will never let you forget it.”

“It’s a bloody great country,” he declared, breaking out into what Trin assumed to be some kind of national anthem in a loud, booming, and terribly out-of-tune voice. The girls groaned and threw their napkins at him, which only made him sing louder.

Trin shook her head, watching their antics, surprised at how normal the whole scene felt, as if they weren’t in the middle of an abandoned shopping mall, but rather some kind of European boarding school or something. It was hard to believe, just by looking at them, that these kids weren’t studying for their SATs. They were training to take care of dragons.

“So where do we get the food?” she asked, gesturing to her tablemates’ heaping trays.

Rashida waved an arm around the food court. “Each of the stations has food from a different continent,” she told her, “to make sure all of us get to eat what we’re used to. Well, not all of us,” she added, glancing teasingly at Trevor. “The Dracken come from a long line of animal rights activists, which means no shrimp on the barbie for poor Trevor here.”

“I could skip the shrimp,” the blond boy protested, “if only I could score a nice, juicy T-bone once in a while.” He stabbed a piece of tofu with his fork and stuffed it into his mouth with a miserable look. The girls giggled.

“So how long have you guys been living in this place?” Trin asked curiously. They all seemed so at home here, so comfortable with one another. And their English was impeccable. She could barely detect any accents.

“Malia was one of the first to come here. You’ve been here almost two years, right?” Aiko asked the girl across from Trin, who nodded in agreement. “I’ve been here just over a year myself.”

“I’ve been here a year and a half,” Rashida offered. “Trevor’s the baby of the group. He only arrived six months ago.”

“And yet I’m already beating you in your lessons,” Trevor shot back. Rashida patted him on the back patronizingly.

“Sure you are,” she said.

“Wow,” Trin marveled, looking them over. “That’s a long time to be gone. Do you get, like, spring break or summer vacation to go visit your families?”

The four Potentials exchanged looks. “We don’t have families,” Malia replied quietly.

“What?” Trinity asked, completely thrown by the answer.

“We’re all orphans,” Aiko explained.

“All of you?” Trinity glanced around the bustling food court. There had to be a hundred Potentials eating lunch here alone. Did none of them have parents? Family? People back home?

“My parents died in the tsunami,” Aiko said matter-of-factly. “My entire village was wiped out. I had no family left, no place to go.”

“I was living on the streets of a Mumbai slum,” Rashida added. “I’d spend my entire day just trying to find a place to sleep where I wouldn’t be attacked or robbed.”

“My mother died of AIDS when I was young,” Malia said quietly. “My aunt took me in until the drought hit. Then she had to make a choice—her own children or me.”

“What about you, Trin? What happened to your parents?” Trevor asked pointedly. “If you’re here, you must be an orphan too.” They all turned to look at her. She felt her face heat and she stared down at her hands.

“She doesn’t have to say if she doesn’t want to,” Rashida scolded him. “It’s not any of our business.” She gave her a kind look. But Trin knew they were expecting her to say something. After all, they’d all shared their stories with her—stories that must hurt to talk about just as much.

“I…I never knew my father,” she said at last. “He died before I was born. My mother…well, I guess she was one of us. She had the gift too. But the voices got too loud…” Her own voice cracked on the words and she found she couldn’t continue. In any case, what could she say? That her mom preferred to blow her own head off than spend Christmas Eve with her only child?

The girls looked at one another. Then, without saying a word, they reached out, grabbing Trin’s hands in their own and squeezing them tight. She watched, puzzled, as they closed their eyes in unison and bowed their heads. For a moment she was convinced they were about to break out into prayer. Or at least a rousing round of “Kumbaya.” But no words came from their lips. Instead, suddenly Trin felt an overwhelming sense of comfort pass through her. As if she were being wrapped up in a warm, billowy blanket and hugged tightly.

They’re using their gifts, she realized, fascinated. Trying to send her comfort. And it was working too. She could actually feel the anger and pain slipping away. Which was cool, she tried to tell herself. But also massively weird—not to mention invasive. Like, what if she wanted to keep that pain? Hold on to that anger? What if it was a part of her she wasn’t ready to let go of yet? They hadn’t even asked permission. Just dove inside her mind and—

She yanked her hands away.

The girls opened their eyes, gazing at her with pity. She averted her own eyes, staring down at the table in front of her, trying to still her erratic pulse. They’re only trying to be nice, she tried to tell herself. They aren’t trying to hurt me.

“In any case, that’s when the Dracken came,” Aiko continued, breaking the awkward silence. “They found us and rescued us and brought us back here, where we no longer have to worry about anything. Food, shelter, school—it’s all provided by the Dracken.” She stared off into the distance, a dreamy look on her face. “We owe them our lives.”

“We’re a family,” Rashida declared. “And now you’re our family too.”

They fell silent, as if waiting for her response. She bit her lower lip. She knew what they wanted her to say. The foster families had always wanted the same thing—for her to be thrilled to be a part of it all, for her to consider herself one of them. But try as she might, the words stuck in her throat, just like they had a dozen times before.

I’m not like you, she wanted to scream. I don’t belong here.

And this time it was especially true. After all, these kids had come here willingly, following the pied piper of dragons and his promises of a better life. They’d given up their freedom, their free will—and evidently the chance to wear something other than navy blue sweat pants. And yet they all seemed so happy, perfectly content to live out their lives in this creepy mall without Internet access or TV.

Content? something inside of her nagged, or brainwashed?

Either way, now she was stuck here right alongside them, she realized, as the panic rose inside of her once again. Whether she liked it or not.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Two hours later—or was it three?—Trinity paced the soft-carpeted floor of the most luxurious chamber she’d ever seen, located in a space that had once held a Baby Gap. Draped in lush crimsons and accented in gold, the room had all the luxuries Trinity could have ever imagined and then some, all done up in her favorite colors and styles.

It was almost as if someone had gone into her head and plucked all her secret fantasies from her brain and made them real. From the king-sized canopy bed wrapped in sheer silk curtains to the stylish sitting room with plush upholstery and a glittering chandelier. There was even a gigantic marble bathroom, complete with steam shower and whirlpool tub—and one of those fancy Japanese toilets with all the extra buttons that Trin had always been curious to try.

The other recruits—the Potentials—all lived in dorms, she’d been told, located in the former Sears at the other end of the mall. The boys on the second floor, the girls on the first. But the girl who had founded their organization—the Fire Kissed herself!—was too special to be subjected to those humble accommodations. She deserved only the best.

And only the best it was. The best prison cell ever.

It was the silence that was the worst. When she’d gotten back to her room after lunch, she’d tried to reach Emmy, to restore the connection between them. She’d gotten so used to the dragon babbling and chirping in her head over the last few days, the sudden absence felt deafening. Where had they taken her? Was she okay? She wondered if she’d made a mistake allowing them to make off with the egg in the first place. But Caleb had assured her they would take good care of the dragon. That was the whole reason they’d come back in time to begin with, after all. But still, Trinity couldn’t help but wonder.

A knock sounded on the door. She turned to it reluctantly. “Who’s there?” she asked.

“Caleb.”

Her heart started. Where had he been? She hadn’t seen him since they’d first arrived and she realized, annoyingly, that she’d kind of missed him. Which was stupid, she knew, to miss someone who’d basically kidnapped you and held you against your will. What did they call it? Stockholm syndrome? Ugh. What a total cliché. Just because he’d been kind to her, helped her shut out the voices in her head, held her hand as she cried for Emmy. Big freaking deal. At the end of the day, he was still sardonic and cynical and kind of a douche. Nothing like his brave, heroic brother, Connor, who had honor and dignity and…

…wants you dead, a voice inside jabbed.

She sighed, stalking to the door and ripping it open. “Where have you been?” she demanded, her voice sounding angrier than she’d meant it to.

“Nice to see you too, princess,” he replied coolly as he stepped into the room. He had changed from his dusty road clothes and was now wearing a plain white T-shirt and slouchy jeans. His hair was still damp, slicked back from his face, and he smelled of Irish Spring soap. She cleared her throat, pretending not to be affected, as she stole a glance at herself in the mirror, wishing she’d taken the time to comb out her curls after her bath, then scolded herself for caring.

She realized he’d come bearing gifts—namely a cart of covered silver platters, linen napkins, fine tableware, and a carafe of what appeared to be coffee and another of soda. Prison room service? She would have laughed if she weren’t so pissed.

“I’m not hungry,” she declared, forcing her eyes away from the cart.

Caleb didn’t reply. Instead, he busied himself with the covers, removing them one by one. Heaping bowls of pasta, steaming platters of rice, pizzas dripping with cheese—it went on and on, the rich, savory smells torturing Trinity until her stomach betrayed her with a feral growl. After her uneasy conversation with the Potentials, she’d been too freaked out to eat and now she was absolutely ravenous. But still. She scowled and turned away, plopping down on her bed, arms crossed over her chest. She would not be bought by something as simple as a mall-cooked meal.

“I don’t want it,” she repeated. “Take it away.”

But Caleb only continued his reveal—mountains of mashed potatoes, buttery rolls fresh from the oven, glistening vegetables, and sugary desserts. Every single dish one of her favorites.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked, giving her a skeptical look. “After all, everything’s been prepared exactly the way you like it according to our records.”

She frowned. According to their records. In other words, the time travelers had studied her life like it was some kind of history project—just like with the bedroom—thinking they could win her over by plying her with her favorite things. It should have felt good, for them to have given so much thought, taken so much care. But instead it felt invasive, an unfair advantage.

“Come on, Trin,” Caleb cajoled. “It’s just food. It’s not like I looked up your bra size.” He gave her a winning smile. She scowled back.

“What, do you want a medal for that?”

“Hey, I think I exhibited tremendous restraint!” He joined her over on the bed, dropping his impish grin and giving her a serious look. “Okay, what’s wrong?” he asked. “I thought you’d be pleased. The Dracken went through a lot of trouble to design all of this for you. We did extensive research into what makes you happy. So why aren’t you happy?”

He made it sound so simple, like a math problem or something. They gave her what she wanted; she’d do what they wanted. But it didn’t work like that.

“How can I be happy?” she demanded, turning to him and meeting his eyes with her own. She realized her hands were shaking and shoved them under her thighs. “I’ve lost everything I ever had. My only family is MIA and I’m trapped in a freaking shopping mall with the children of the corn. Trust me, no amount of pineapple and feta cheese pizza is going to make this any better.”

“Even if it came from Deluca’s?”

She involuntarily glanced over at the pizza sitting on the tray. “Did it come from Deluca’s?”

“Sadly, no.” Caleb shrugged. “I was just curious if it would have made a difference.”

She groaned, grabbing a pillow and shoving it into his face. “You’re so not helping.”

“Oh really?” He tapped the side of his head, his eyebrows quirking. “Mind reader, remember? I know for a fact that I’m helping. Helping a lot, actually. You don’t want to admit it, I know. But that doesn’t make it untrue.”

Her face flushed. Rising to her feet, she stalked over to the other side of the room. “That’s so unfair,” she growled.

He laughed. “I know, I know. I’m sorry.” He pranced over and grabbed her hands in his. “But you’ve got to try to relax, princess. You’re going to drive yourself to an early grave. Which, I might selfishly mention, would be catastrophic for the rest of us sorry humans. After all, you’re—”

“The Fire Kissed,” she finished for him in her best over-the-top fantasy-film voice. “The one who will save our world.” She yanked her hands away. “Seriously, if you start telling me there’s one ring to rule them all or that the force will be with me always, I’m going to smack you upside the head.”

“Please,” he scoffed. “You don’t need the force or some silly ring—not when you have a dragon by your side.”

She groaned loudly, pressing a hand to the wall and leaning against it. “I’m going insane. That’s the only explanation for any of this. I’m going insane and the men in white coats will be showing up at any moment to tell me this has all been a psychotic delusion. They’ll take me away and lock me up, and I’ll be free to drool in the corner of my padded cell for the rest of my life without a care in the world.”

“But then you’d never see me again,” Caleb reminded her with a wink.

“Really? Can I get that in writing?”

He gave her a mock offended look, then grabbed her arm, dragging her back over to the bed. He sat her down, taking her hands in his own. She tried not to notice the way her skin warmed under his touch—or the shivers that tripped up her spine as his eyes turned serious.

“Look, I get it, okay?” he said. “I understand how hard it must be for you to be here. And the Dracken can come off as pretty radical—”

“Radical?” Trinity repeated. “Come on, Caleb. If you looked up ‘evil cult out to destroy the world’ in the dictionary, you’d find these guys’ pictures.”

He shook his head vehemently. “You’re getting the wrong idea. I’m telling you. Darius and Mara and the rest of them aren’t like that at all. They’re good people. They believe in what they’re fighting for. They’re trying to save the world. And you’re so important to that mission. Everything they’ve worked for their whole lives rests on you—and their ability to keep you safe. Imagine yourself in their shoes. You’d want to keep you under lock and key too, wouldn’t you?”

Trinity bit her lower lip, hating the fact he was making so much sense. She turned to face the wall, feeling his stare burning at her back but refusing to meet his eyes. For a moment he was silent. Then he spoke.

“I was homeless,” he stated flatly, “living on the streets of Strata-D, probably only a few demerits away from a lifetime in the mines. Everyone had dismissed me, the no-good shadow of my hero brother.” He sighed, remembering. “But then Darius came. He plucked me from the streets and offered me hope. Recognized my gift and gave me a job. He told me I could be great if only someone would give me a chance.” His voice cracked. “And then he gave me that chance. So here I am, working every day to prove he wasn’t wrong about me.”

His words were so earnest, so proud. But Trinity could hear the doubt threaded just below the surface. As if he himself wondered if he was worthy of the chance he’d been given.

“He can save you too, Trin,” Caleb said softly. “If only you’ll let him.”

A silence fell over the room as she struggled for a clever reply. But her mind had gone completely blank. The silence stretched, awkward and long. Finally, Caleb let out a long, deep sigh.

“Look,” he said, “do you want to get out of here for a bit?”

She turned, her eyes widening. “Can we?”

“Well, not like you’re probably thinking,” he admitted. “I mean, your physical body has to stay here in the mall. Darius would kill me if I put you at risk. But we could go to the Nether.”

“The Nether?” she repeated doubtfully. “You mean the place with the dragons?”

Caleb nodded. “It’s a place beyond time and space,” he replied, “ruled by the collective unconsciousness of dragons. Before they’re born and after they die, they exist here, in this Nether space. Those with the gift have the ability to travel there, channeling our energies through special gems.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out two glittering rubies, and grinned. “It’s like this big, amazing playground—and it can become anything you make of it.”

“Will Emmy be there?” she asked, intrigued despite herself.

“Absolutely. And my dragon too.”

“You have your own dragon?” The thought had never occurred to her. But she supposed it made sense. “Is it an evil mutant one out to destroy the world?”

Caleb laughed and shook his head. “Sorry to disappoint, but we don’t clone mutants anymore. Our technology is a bit more advanced than yours. My dragon was made from a pure strand of DNA from one of Emmy’s true children. Darius gifted her to me after I passed my Guardian trials. Wait until you see her, Trin. She’s so beautiful—sparkling teal scales, huge golden eyes, a wingspan that could block out the sun.” He smiled dreamily. “First time I laid eyes on her, I fell in love.”

“Cool. What’s her name?”

His smile faltered. “Um…what?”

“Her name?” Trinity repeated. “Your dragon, I mean. Does she have a name?” She glanced over at Caleb curiously, surprised to see he’d gone bright red.

“Oh. Um, yeah. Sure she does. Her name is…Fred.”

Trinity burst out laughing. “Fred?” she repeated incredulously. “Your beautiful, majestic, not to mention female dragon is named Fred?”

“Hey! You’re the one who called your dragon Emmy,” Caleb protested, his face now a peculiar shade of purple. “That’s not exactly High Goth’Or the Great and Terrible either!”

“Okay, okay!” She held up her hands in innocence. “Fred it is. Fred the dragon.” A snort escaped her, despite her best efforts.

“Are you going to laugh at my poor dragon all day or would you actually like to meet her?”

She forced herself to sober. “Explain how this works again?”

“The how is irrelevant,” he assured her. “I mean, you don’t need to know how one of your cars works in order to drive it, right?” He reached out, taking her hands in his, pressing the ruby gems between their palms. “All you have to do is enjoy the ride.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The thunder came first. Then a sharp wind, scraping her face and stealing her breath. Her eyes flew open, a screech of surprise tumbling from her lips, as the world shot back into focus.

She was flying—or riding at least—on the back of a mighty dragon.

“Oh my God!” she cried, throwing herself against the creature’s back, terror surging through her. Her arms flailed, seeking handholds around the dragon’s thick neck as her thighs squeezed its midsection, desperate to hang on.

Please don’t let me fall. Please don’t let me fall.

She dared, for a split second, to look down, and her stomach rolled as the earth seemed to weave dizzyingly in and out of focus miles below her.

Please don’t let me fall. Please don’t—

You okay?

She opened her eyes in surprise at the voice. In her initial panic of waking up on the back of a dragon, she’d all but forgotten she’d come to this nightmare of her own free will. With Caleb holding her hand. He pulled up alongside her, astride his own dragon, flashing a cocky grin. He was wearing black leather pants that molded to his thighs and a black T-shirt that couldn’t disguise his strong, flat abs. He looked confident and happy and, well, pretty damn hot, she had to admit, despite herself. Something about a guy on a dragon… And the dragon herself, Fred, was as beautiful and majestic as he’d promised, despite her silly name. Her massive wings steadily beat the air currents into submission—leather cracking, membranes stretching—as an elegant tail flapped lazily behind her, serving as rudder.

Caleb lifted a hand, offering a casual salute, a teasing smile playing at his lips. Trin gritted her teeth, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her frightened. Instead, she forced herself to straighten and her shoulders to drop, as if she were on some casual bike ride—no big deal.

We couldn’t have started this out on the ground? she sent, realizing it was the only way to communicate over the thunderous flapping of dragons’ wings.

He shrugged playfully. Why waste time walking when we can fly?

Gee, I don’t know. So I could learn to steer?

She couldn’t hear his laugh but she could see the amusement dance across his face and it made her hackles rise. So this was a big joke to him? He thought it was funny? What if she fell? What if she careened to her death? If you died here, in this Nether place, did you die in real life? She remembered her real-life burn from the last time she’d visited and shuddered.

Just tell Emmy where you want to go. She’ll get you there.

Emmy? Trinity’s gaze shot down to the dragon beneath her, eyes widening in realization. This was Emmy? But she was so big! And besides her green scales, she looked so different than the dragon she’d met dying in her cage. This dragon wasn’t sad and defeated and wounded—she was gorgeous, alive—with emerald scales that snared the very sun and reflected the rays back tenfold.

In the Nether I can be anything I want to be, look any way I want to look, Emmy broke in, her voice unmistakable. The beast turned her giant head, acknowledging Trin with a quick nod. It was then that she recognized the dragon’s eyes. Such pretty eyes—all blues and golds swimming together in the depths of the deepest sea. And so can you.

Can I be someone who isn’t afraid of heights? Trin winced as she accidentally looked down again. Maybe if she just stared straight ahead, the nausea would go away.

Emmy’s laugh was rich and affectionate.

You can trust me, Fire Kissed. I’d never let you fall.

Trust. It had never been one of Trinity’s strong points. Not when so many people in her life had let her down. Her own mother even—with all her promises that they’d be a family again. Promises as empty as the shotgun barrel she’d left behind. And then there was Connor, who’d promised to keep her safe while secretly planning to kill her. No, it was better in the long run not to trust anyone in this world.

But I’m not just anyone. I’m your dragon.

Emmy’s words sent a shiver down her spine, as if she could feel them as well as hear them. And strangely, suddenly, she found herself wanting to trust those feelings, to let herself go. To feel what it would be like to soar through the skies. To understand what it really meant to be Fire Kissed. To become one with a dragon.

She shook her head. Okay, where had that thought come from?

Let yourself go, Trinity. Trust me.

On impulse, she reached down to stroke the dragon, surprised to find the creature’s scales soft and satiny to the touch. As her fingers tripped down the beast’s neck, Emmy wiggled appreciatively and made throaty noises that reminded Trin of her cat purring. She drew in a shaky breath.

“Okay, fine,” she declared, squaring her shoulders. “What the hell. Let’s do this.”

You won’t be sorry!

And with that, Emmy took off, soaring through the heavens at top speed. Trinity squealed and grabbed on tight, her pulse skyrocketing and her heart lodging in her throat. It was as if she was on some living, breathing rollercoaster, rolling and dipping across the sky, and it was hard to believe a creature so big and gangly looking could be so graceful. Soon as they whirled and swirled in their dragon dance along the horizon, she found herself laughing out loud—an unguarded, joyous laugh. This was actually fun!

Faster! she cried to Emmy. Go faster!

Emmy tossed her head excitedly, then turned her snout to the sky. Higher and higher she pushed, chasing the currents of wind, gaining more altitude every second, until Trinity half wondered if they’d collide with the sun. Finally, the dragon stopped, hovering in midair, turning to face her, a challenging look on her face.

Are you ready? she asked teasingly.

Trin gulped but somehow managed to nod. No sooner had she finished than Emmy turned her nose down, dive-bombing the ground, fast and furious. Trinity screamed in a mixture of delight and fear, white-knuckling the dragon’s neck as the earth rushed to meet them at frightening speed.

Trust her. Trust Emmy. You can trust her.

Emmy stopped on a dime, practically throwing Trin from her back with the sudden halt of momentum. She gasped as she realized they were hovering only a few yards off the ground. Had they really been so close to colliding? Emmy snorted excitedly, then shot back up into the air again, the wind pounding at Trin’s face, drawing tears from her eyes. She laughed and shook her head.

Show off, she admonished her dragon.

Oh, you liked it, Emmy shot back. And Trinity had to agree.

And so they kept going, dipping and diving, soaring and seeking, skimming trees and ponds, then shooting high into the atmosphere, teasing the sun. Emmy even attempted a few clumsy barrel rolls that made Trinity’s stomach lurch. But through it all, she couldn’t help the big grin spreading across her face. For the first time in her life, she felt free. Absolutely, one hundred percent free.

What do you think? Caleb asked, leading his own dragon up beside her. Is Emmy taking good care of you?

Oh my God! she cried. This is, like, the best thing ever!

I told you, he teased. Now come on. Race me to that ledge!

Before she could respond, he urged his dragon forward, diving down toward the craggy cliffside before them at top speed. Trinity stared after him with amused outrage.

“Cheater!” she cried out after him. Go, Emmy! Don’t let them get away!

The dragon shifted position, diving after Caleb and his mount. Trinity cheered her on as the wind thundered in her ears. It wasn’t long before the two beasts were neck and neck again, beads of dew sparkling on Emmy’s shining scales as her muscles rippled beneath her thighs. The boy and his dragon may have stolen a head start, but it was obvious to Trin who really ruled the skies.

Yeah, baby! she taunted Caleb. Wingspan definitely matters.

Oh, you think so? he replied without missing a beat. He gave her a cocky grin. Watch and learn, princess.

Trinity glanced over just in time to see Caleb waving his hand in the air. To her surprise, a piece of raw meat, dripping with blood, seemed to appear out of thin air. He grabbed it in his hands, then tossed it in the direction of her dragon.

The meat flew temptingly through the sky, causing Emmy to stop short, her eyes locking onto the bloody snack. Before Trinity could protest, the dragon was suddenly dive-bombing for her dinner, the race all but forgotten.

No, Emmy! Trinity tried. Go back!

But the dragon either couldn’t hear her or chose not to answer. A moment later she caught up to the meat, snapping it into her massive jaws. Trinity sighed as she watched Caleb and Fred come in for a triumphant landing on the ledge above. First by more than a snout.

“Cheater!” she yelled up at them, shaking her fist. But Caleb only laughed, sliding down his dragon’s wing in a graceful dismount.

“The first rule of the Nether,” he yelled back. “There are no rules in the Nether.”

“Now you tell me,” she muttered as Emmy finished her meal and headed up to join Caleb and Fred on the ledge. Once she’d landed, Trinity attempted a graceful dismount, but only managed to land painfully on her butt.

“Better luck next time,” Caleb teased, holding out his hand. She refused it and stuck out her tongue at him—childish but pretty satisfying all the same.

She looked around, taking in their surroundings; they’d landed on the edge of a rocky cliff face, with an overhang that created a small cave. As she watched, Caleb started gathering a few chunks of wood and branches that the wind had blown their way, creating a makeshift fire pit. When Trin looked at him questioningly, he shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I’m freezing.”

She nodded, letting out an involuntary shiver as the icy wind pricked at her skin. It was strange—she hadn’t felt the least bit cold when she was riding Emmy. Maybe it was the adrenaline. Or maybe dragons were just hot-blooded. Whatever the case, she hastened to help Caleb with the wood.

When they had finished, she stepped back, regarding the fire pit with critical eyes. “Do you have a match?” she asked.

Caleb laughed. “Are you kidding? Watch and learn!” He turned to Fred. “Light my fire, baby!” he crowed to the mighty beast. Fred cheerfully obliged, puffing out a small fireball in the direction of their woodpile.

Trinity smiled. “I should have known.”

As the fire crackled to life, she settled down on a nearby log, holding out her hands to warm them by the flames. A moment later, Emmy curled up by her side, contentedly snorting a few puffs of smoke from her snout before closing her large blue eyes. Trin reached over and stroked the dragon’s nose, thanking her for the amazing ride.

But next time, no lunch breaks! she scolded her gently. And no letting them win. They’re already too cocky as it is.

She heard a loud snort and glanced up to find Fred looking at Caleb expectantly, her golden eyes shining with eagerness and a large splotch of drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. Caleb rolled his eyes and waved his hands in the air. Once again, a piece of meat appeared, even more bloody than the one Emmy had devoured if that were possible.

“Okay, okay, I guess you deserve this,” he said grudgingly. “I’m still in shock you let the other one go.” The meat dropped to the ground with a bloody plop and Fred dug in with gusto. When she had finished, she looked up, her mouth smeared with blood like some crazy clown lipstick, batting her eyelashes at Caleb, obviously hungry for more. Trinity giggled. She was worse than a Labrador Retriever.

“No more!” Caleb cried, playfully shoving her huge snout away. He turned to Trin. “Lesson one when raising dragons: they’re all complete gluttons. They’d eat until they exploded if you let them.” He gave Fred a scolding look. “Now settle down and go to sleep. You’re not getting anything else from me today.”

Fred hmphed her disapproval but eventually gave up, settling down beside Emmy. A moment later, her eyes drifted closed and she started snoring like a buzz saw. Caleb groaned. “Gotta love dragons,” he said derisively, poking the beast with his boot to get her to quiet down. Then he settled in front of the fire himself, closing his eyes and holding out his hands, as if he were meditating. Trin was about to ask what he was doing, but before she could speak, a bag of marshmallows dropped from the sky, out of thin air, just like the meat. Two large toasting sticks soon followed.

“Wow,” she breathed. “How are you doing that?”

“Ask and the Nether shall provide,” Caleb replied nonchalantly, though Trin caught him wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow. Whatever he’d done, it’d taken a lot out of him. “That’s what makes this place so cool. We can do anything we want to do. Be anyone we want to be. It’s limitless! Well, until you get back to real life that is,” he amended. “Then you have to face the fire.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember how you felt after using your gift on that cop?” Caleb reminded her. When she nodded, he added, “Imagine that but ten times worse. Like a hangover, I guess. And your spark is totally depleted.” He gave her a rueful look. “Sorry, I probably should have warned you in advance.”

She shrugged, taking a marshmallow and stuffing it onto her stick. “Whatever,” she said, waving a hand in dismissal. “This is well worth a little hangover.” She looked out over the valley below, at the sky, flaming red from the setting sun. “To be here. To see this.” She shook her head. “It’s unbelievable really.” She gave him a shy look. “Thank you. It’s just what I needed—a chance to get my mind off everything.”

“So you enjoyed your ride?”

“It was incredible,” she admitted, watching the marshmallow turn a golden brown as she held it over the flames. “I can’t even put it into words. And it wasn’t just the flying either. But the chance to let go like that—to just be able to enjoy the ride.” A warm glow flowed through her. “Let’s just say that’s not something I’ve been able to do much in my life.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” he said with a slow smile. “I’ll never forget my first time. I thought I was going to die. Instead, it’s when I finally started living.”

A silence fell over them, each lost in their own thoughts as the fire crackled between them. She looked over, watching him gazing tenderly at his dragon and she felt a warmth settle in her stomach. He was so different here than he acted in the outside world. As if just being here allowed him to shed his prickly skin and reveal his true self underneath. Here he seemed relaxed, gentle, kind. Almost sweet. So unlike the sullen, sarcastic boy he pretended to be.

He looked up, catching her gaze. His eyebrows raised. She felt her face heat and she turned quickly away. As she stared purposely into the fire, she could feel his eyes rake over her with curious intensity, as if asking a question she wasn’t sure how to answer.

“Wow, this fire is pretty hot,” she stammered, pushing back on her log.

“Yeah,” he answered slowly. “Some might say scorching.”

Scorching. Yes, she felt scorched all right. But not by the fire. She cleared her throat, trying to still her pounding heart as her stomach flip-flopped madly. She tried to tell herself it was because she still hadn’t eaten. But deep down, she knew that wasn’t it at all.

“So do you only do this in the Nether?” she asked quickly, desperate for a subject change. “Or do you ride Fred in real life too, back home in the future?”

Caleb’s face sobered. “I used to,” he replied, a bitterness creeping into his voice. “Before.”

“What do you mean? Did something happen?” Trinity glanced worriedly over at Fred, who was smacking her lips in her sleep and moaning loudly—likely dreaming of jerky treats. Had someone hurt her? Or worse?

“Remember what I told you—only dragons yet to be born or those who have already died can exist here in the Nether,” Caleb said slowly. “In other words, Fred is no longer a part of the real world. I can only see her when I come here.”

“What happened to her?”

He gave her a hard look. “How do you say it in your world? Oh yeah: I’ll give you three guesses, but the first two don’t count.”

She stared at him, dread rising within her. It couldn’t be true. Could it? “Oh God. Not…”

“Oh yes. The great and glorious dragon hunter,” he spat. “My own brother.”

“How could he do that?” she blurted out, horrified. But even as she asked the question, she realized she already knew the answer. Connor believed dragons were evil. They’d killed his father. They’d destroyed his world. None of them were pardoned from his bloody crusade—not even sweet, silly Fred.

And especially not Emmy.

Caleb scowled. “He actually had the nerve to tell me he was doing me a favor,” he ground out, “that I had been brainwashed by an evil fiend and he was only doing his brotherly duty, breaking me free.” His hands curled into fists, his fingernails cutting into his palms. “But Fred didn’t do anything wrong, Trin. She wasn’t a monster. Her only crime was belonging to me.”

His voice broke. Trinity’s heart wrenched at the naked pain she caught in his eyes. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for him—to lose someone he loved at the hands of his own twin. No wonder he was so bitter. So angry. So sarcastic. He was hiding a mountain of pain behind those sullen eyes.

“But I don’t understand,” she tried. “If you were bonded to a dragon and she died…”

“Our bond hadn’t yet been completed at the time he did the deed,” Caleb explained. “That was one of the excuses he gave, actually—he had to kill her to save me.” His expression darkened. “I told him not to do me any favors.”

Trinity nodded slowly, knowing all too well what he meant. That helpless feeling of being left behind. Of having someone you love ripped away and the sudden realization that you’re all alone—and will be forever. After all, hadn’t she herself once stared down the barrel of a certain shotgun, hopelessly broken inside, wondering if Mom had seen fit to leave her dear old daughter a spare bullet? If her grandpa hadn’t walked in at that very moment, things could have turned out very differently.

“Fred was the only one I could trust,” Caleb continued. “The only one who gave a fleck about me in this stupid world. And Connor murdered her in cold blood. Left me all alone.” He looked up. “And now he’s after your dragon too.”

Trinity flinched. She glanced over at Emmy, sleeping peacefully by her side, her emotions spilling over. She knew, in her head, why Connor would want Emmy dead. But at the same time, her heart told her it wasn’t fair. To punish Emmy for something she didn’t do.

She turned back to Caleb. “You must miss her,” she said softly, not sure what else to say. Words seemed so inadequate in the face of such exquisite loss.

“I do,” he admitted. “It’s one reason I travel to the Nether so often. It’s tearing my body apart in the real world and I know I should stop before I suffer some kind of permanent damage. But,” he whispered, looking sorrowfully at his dragon, “how can I leave her here, all alone?”

Trinity’s heart tore at the wretchedness in his voice, the pain she saw in his eyes. Even if he won this fight, she realized, he’d already lost—lost the one thing he cared about more than anything in the world. All of a sudden, she understood why it was so important for him to help the Dracken succeed. While nothing could bring Fred back, with Emmy, he still had the chance to usher new Freds into the world. Giving other lonely, orphan Potentials a chance to feel valued and whole.

On impulse, she rose to her feet, walking over to his side of the fire and sitting down beside him. Without a word, she reached out, pulling him into her arms. At first he didn’t move, as if startled by her offer of comfort. Then, slowly, he wrapped his hands around her waist, burying his face in the hollow of her throat. She could feel his erratic heartbeat against her chest as he struggled silently with his demons.

For a moment, they just sat there, completely still, locked in their embrace. Then, without warning, Caleb pulled away, pinning her with a dark, hungry gaze. She shivered as she recognized the naked need on his face—the worship in his storm-tossed eyes. As she drew in a shaky breath, he reached out, tracing her cheek with a trembling finger, his touch speaking words she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear.

And then he kissed her. Not the whispering kiss Connor had given her back at her mother’s house. Not tentative, not shy, not the wisp of a butterfly’s wing brushing against her skin, but hard, angry, almost brutal in its intensity—as if trying to punish her for what they’d done to him. Hot blood pounded in her ears as his mouth moved over hers, his hands clamping the sides of her face.

She knew she should break away, to get as far away as possible as her emotions whirled and skittered. But her traitorous body seemed to have other ideas, pressing closer against him, wrapping her legs around his, digging her hands into his hair. As if she could simply melt into his embrace and be done with it all. In that moment, there truly seemed to be nothing else in the world. No dragons, no apocalypse, no loved ones in danger. Just a boy and a girl tangled in one another’s arms.

“You have to admit,” Caleb murmured against her mouth. “You’re suddenly feeling a lot, lot better.”

Oh God. She froze, his words breaking the spell. What the hell was she doing?

Ripping herself from his grasp, she somehow managed to scramble to her feet, staring down at Caleb with wild, unfocused eyes. How could she have let this happen? It was wrong. So wrong. On so many levels.

Caleb looked up to her, his lips swollen and his face torn with confusion. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice hoarse and horrified, and sounding so very scared. He started to rise to his feet. She held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

“I’m sorry,” she cried. “But this isn’t right. There’s too much going on. Too much at stake. I can’t afford to be distracted. I can’t lose…” She trailed off helplessly, unable to finish. But from the look on Caleb’s face, she knew she’d said enough. Maybe too much.

“I’m sorry,” she said again. But he was no longer listening.

Trinity’s stomach roiled. She leaned over, spewing her guts out onto the hand-scraped hardwood floor, sickly yellow bile pooling at her feet. She groaned, her head aching, as she looked around the room, trying to gain her bearings. No longer was she sitting by the fire on the side of a cliff, two dragons curled up nearby. She was back in the real world—and with the promised Nether hangover to boot, ten times worse than she’d imagined it would be.

She looked down, her breath catching in her throat as she found Caleb’s hands still wrapped in her own. The ones that just minutes before had been touching her so desperately. It was all she could do not to grab him all over again. Surrender to the hot blood still coursing through her veins.

But it was wrong. She had to stay strong. She had to focus on the task at hand and not let anything else distract her. This kiss was nothing more than another trap—like the fancy rooms or the delicious food—seeking to wrest her under Dracken control. To make her forget her real life outside these prison walls.

But she would not surrender. She would not lay down and die. She would not kiss him again.

Caleb opened his eyes. For a moment he sat still, looking dazed and confused. Then a shadow crossed his face and he ripped his hands from hers, ruby red dust flying as he stood up and stalked to the other side of the room. She looked down at her empty hands, a sudden aching emptiness throbbing in her fingers. She frowned and shoved them under her thighs.

“Look, Caleb,” she tried. “I’m—”

Her words were interrupted as the bedroom door flew open. Rashida burst into the room, her eyes wide and frightened. “Mara sent me,” she told her in a voice that betrayed her fear. “She said you have to come now.”

“What is it?” Trinity asked, rising to her feet, sudden fear pounding in her chest. She knew somehow, before the Potential even opened her mouth, that it must have something to do with her dragon. “Is Emmy okay?”

“She’s hatching,” Rashida told her in a tight voice. “They tried to stop it—it’s far too early—but they couldn’t.” Her mouth quivered. “The dragon’s coming, Trinity. And the Dracken need your help.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Trinity raced after Rashida, through the mall corridors, past curious Potentials, trying not to puke again as the aftereffects of her Nether trip still thrashed at her insides. Her head pounded, her legs felt like lead, but still she pressed on, only one thing on her mind. One name on her tongue.

Trust me. I’ll never let you fall.

Yet now it was Emmy who was falling, who was failing. Fighting for her life. And Trin was the only one who could help her.

Hang on, Emmy, she sent. I’m on my way.

The birthing chamber had been constructed out of a two-floor Neiman Marcus, repainted entirely in white save for intricate, silver runes etched into the cathedral ceiling. Men and women—presumably other Dracken she hadn’t met yet—bustled about the room, occupied with equipment Trinity couldn’t identify. In the center of the room sat the egg itself, swaddled in a bathtub-sized pool of crystal. From high above, water cascaded down onto the egg, splashing over its shell.

Trinity drew in a breath. She remembered how blown away she’d felt the first time she’d laid eyes on the egg under the glass case in the Millennium Chamber. But that was nothing compared to how she felt now, as she watched the egg trap the chamber’s light and toss it around in a kaleidoscope of color. Emmy was more beautiful than ever—luminous and glowing and ethereal. But it was not her shell’s outer brilliance that brought tears to Trin’s eyes—rather the slight movement, the desperate struggling, just beneath the now translucent surface.

Is that you, Emmy? she whispered, mesmerized by the dark, dragon-shaped shadows. Is that really you?

“Thank God you’re here.” Trin turned to see Mara on approach. The Birth Maiden’s eyes were vivid but frightened.

“What’s wrong with her?” Trinity asked worriedly. Her eyes searched the egg, catching the hairline fracture at the top. She stepped forward, reaching out to trace the crack with a soft finger, warm water sluicing over her hand. But the warmth was short-lived as she felt Emmy’s chill of terror wash over her. Her stomach clenched.

“We don’t know,” Mara confessed, giving her a helpless look. “I’ve assisted in countless dragon births over the years. But the equipment we have to work with here is practically prehistoric—it can’t tell me what I need to know. All that I can tell is that she’s trying to break free of the egg, but she’s not having any luck. Maybe the shell hardened somehow, by being in the ice so long. Maybe its composition changed after so many years. All I know is the baby dragon’s struggling. And her vital signs are weakening. If we don’t get her out now, she’ll likely die before she can ever be born.”

Trinity cringed and pressed her palm flat against the egg, closing her eyes. Somehow she knew it was up to her. That she was the only one who could save the dragon now.

Or you could end it all, a quiet voice tugged at the back of her brain. This is the perfect opportunity—they’d never know it was you.

Her pulse raced as she stole a glance around the room—at the men and women all around her. The dragon sympathizers who had inadvertently sparked an apocalypse once upon a time in another future. Caleb promised that they had the best intentions, that they knew what they were doing this time around—that by saving dragons they would save the world.

Save the world? the voice whispered. Or leave it vulnerable to attack?

Her mind flashed back to Connor and his talk of the Scorch. Of his father, burned alive by dragon’s breath. Of the vision he’d shown her: the screams of agony, the smell of burning flesh, the shadows falling, never to rise again. The entire world all but destroyed because of one single egg.

This one, single egg.

What if the Dracken couldn’t stop history from repeating itself no matter what their intentions? Would keeping Emmy alive be putting the entire human race at risk?

Once she’s born, it’ll be too late, the voice whispered. You’ll be as hunted as she is. Your life forces intertwined. And if anything happens to the world—like it did the first time around—it’ll be your fault.

She pulled her hand away and felt the eyes of the Dracken shift in her direction, watching, waiting to see what she would do. Pressure started to expand inside her chest, building and pushing against her ribs until she felt as if she were going to explode.

She could end this all now and hope for the best. And maybe the Dracken predictions were wrong. Maybe mankind would find a way to survive without the dragons’ gifts. At least they wouldn’t be burned alive. At least the earth would remain intact.

But what about Emmy?

She closed her eyes, remembering her flight through the Nether. The majestic dragon, soaring through the skies, brave and beautiful, her eyes bright and her head held high. She’d carried Trin on her back. She hadn’t let her fall. Didn’t Emmy deserve the same chance now? The chance to live her life? The chance to fly free?

Emmy didn’t start an apocalypse. She didn’t burn the world to the ground. It was man who caged her, tortured her, stole the spark from her eyes. Man who robbed her of her dragon’s dance and created monsters from her DNA. Emmy didn’t bring about the end of the world—man did, with his lust for war and power. And who was to say he needed dragons to do it the next time around?

Trin shook her head. In the end, she realized, this wasn’t a question of whether dragons would save the world or tear it apart. It didn’t matter what destruction they might bring or what gifts they might offer. This was about a life—one single, precious life, struggling to enter the world. Emmy was pure; she’d committed no folly. She had caused no harm. Her life should not be held forfeit to pay for mankind’s sin.

There was no more decision to make. Trin pressed her hand against the egg once again. Are you there, Emmy?

Nothing. She pulled the egg from the basin, out of the water. A few of the Dracken jumped in alarm, but Mara held out a hand. “Let her try,” she told them. They reluctantly stepped back. Trin took Emmy and brought her to the floor, cradling her in her lap.

Emmy? Can you hear me?

Still nothing. Then…

Trinity?

Her heart leapt. She was alive!

Yes, Emmy! I’m here. Are you okay?

So…weak. So…tired.

As Trin rolled her hand over the egg, stroking it gently, she felt an overwhelming exhaustion come over her. Emmy’s exhaustion, she realized, threatening to crush her with its intensity. But she forced herself to swallow it back, gritting her teeth with the effort.

Listen to me, Emmy. You can rest later. Right now, I need you to fight. You must break through your shell.

I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.

Then take my strength instead. Take whatever you need. The Potentials had been able to push comfort to Trin’s mind back in the food court. Surely she’d be able to do the same, giving her dragon the strength she required.

Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.

I’m sure. In fact, Trinity had never been so sure of anything in her life.

She emptied her mind, sweeping all the doubts and insecurities away, preparing to give everything she had inside to the dragon and then some if need be. At that moment, she told herself, she was no longer Trinity Foxx, broken orphan of West Texas. She was the Fire Kissed. The one Emmy had chosen out of all the others. And Trinity wasn’t about to let the dragon down.

Emmy hadn’t let her fall. Now it was Trin’s turn to return the favor.

Do it, Emmy! she cried. Break free! She pushed with all her might.

And then the pain came. Excruciating, all-encompassing agony, lashing at her insides and stealing her breath away. Her muscles clenched and her eyes lost focus, sharp screws drilling into her brain while a thousand spiders crawled up and down her skin. She was sure, at one point, she would pass out from it all.

But instead she fought it, refusing to give up on her dragon. Clinging to consciousness as hard as she clung to the egg. Bright lights popped in and out of the room and a strange wailing sound echoed in her ears. It took her a moment to recognize it as screaming. Another to realize it was coming from her own lips.

“Her vital signs are weakening!” she heard somewhere in the distance.

“She’s not going to make it,” another voice cried. Trinity didn’t know if they were talking about the dragon or her. Or maybe both.

She turned her attention back to the egg. Why wasn’t it working? She was giving all she had and it still wasn’t enough. Emmy still wasn’t breaking free. She reached out to the dragon, combing her mind, desperately trying to figure out what was wrong. Why she still was too weak to—

And suddenly she realized the problem. It wasn’t that Emmy was weak or powerless at all.

She was scared.

In fact, she was petrified. But of what?

Trin squeezed the egg between her hands, gritting her teeth and forcing away the pain. What’s wrong, Emmy? she begged the dragon, praying there was still time to make things right. What are you so afraid of? Whatever it is, you can tell me.

And so…the dragon did.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Emmy watched from inside her egg as her mother, Lyria, paced the low-ceiling cave, her muscular legs making short work of the distance between the walls. It was nice to finally be able to see her mother—really see her at last—through the haze of her growing-translucent shell. Before today, Emmy had only been able to hear her mother’s low growls and comforting snorts and had to imagine what she must look like on the outside. Now she realized she could have never envisioned how beautiful her mother really was, how noble and regal she could be. With emerald-green scales and massive, golden wings, she looked like an angel sent from the Nether. Emmy stole a glance down at her own pitiful flaps and wondered if she’d ever have anything so grand.

The temperature had dropped and snow swirled madly outside the shallow cave, which had been cut into the side of a steep cliff. Lyria had landed here the week before, the encroaching storm preventing her from reaching safer ground further south, where the other mothers had gone to lay their eggs. Now they were stuck here until the eggs hatched and the baby dragons could spread their wings and fly. A fact Emmy knew made her mother increasingly nervous.

She also knew her brother wasn’t far from hatching; he’d been pecking at his shell all night long. She’d tried to work on hers as well, but her shell seemed so thick, so unyielding to her soft snout, and she was getting a little worried. She’d tried calling out to her mother, to beg for some help, but the elder dragon seemed not to hear her. Emmy narrowed her eyes and tried again. She couldn’t give up—no matter what.

A loud cracking broke through the silence and Emmy turned just in time to see her brother poking his snout from his golden shell. Their mother approached, snorting in excitement, nudging the shell with her nose, widening the crack. A moment later, a tiny, red head poked out from the egg, followed by a gangly body, tripping out of his shell and onto the cave floor. A ruby dragon! The rarest of all. Emmy’s mother tossed her head in pride. The other mothers would be filled with envy at such a living treasure.

Emmy watched as her baby brother took a few awkward steps, then worked to spread his fledgling wings. They looked so fragile but at the same time so strong. A moment later, he tripped over the left wing, falling flat on his face. He scowled, shaking his tiny head, puffing smoke from his snout. But Emmy’s mother only laughed, giving him a long, wet slurp from her massive tongue.

What about me? Emmy pleaded as she tried once again to poke through her unyielding shell. The storm outside was getting worse. They had to leave soon or be trapped here forever, buried in a ton of ice. But try as she might, she couldn’t break free.

Help me, Mama! I need your help!

But her mother was too busy with her brother—the precious ruby—to hear her call. And Emmy was beginning to despair. She knew what happened to dragons who couldn’t break out of their shells. They returned to the Nether. Forever. Emmy liked the Nether. It was fun to play there. But it was also lonely. Her family was here.

Outside, the lightning danced across the sky, followed by a crack of thunder. The cave shook, stalactites crumbling from the ceiling. Emmy’s brother squawked in fear as a rocky spike came crashing down only inches from where he’d stood. Lyria quickly scooped him up with her paw, pulling him protectively against her massive chest. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then stepped toward the edge of the cave.

Emmy’s heart stuttered. What was she doing? She watched in terror as her mother inched closer to the edge, still holding her brother under her arm. Once she’d reached the precipice, she paused, then turned back to the unhatched egg, indecision warring on her face.

No! Emmy cried, realizing what her mother was contemplating. Don’t leave me, Mama! Please don’t leave me here alone!

But her mother didn’t answer. Instead, she turned away, unfurling her massive wings and gliding off the edge of the cliff, her precious ruby son cradled protectively in her arms. Emmy watched as they soared off into the distance until they had disappeared from view. A lone tear slipped down her snout. She knew in her heart they were not coming back.

And she would be alone forever.

“Emmy!”

Trinity opened her eyes, heart wrenching and tears coursing down her cheeks. She was back in the birthing chamber, back with the Dracken, still clutching the egg with both hands. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and she was drenched in sweat, but she paid it no mind, looking down at her dragon, reliving her pain, feeling her fear. Finally she understood. In fact, she understood perfectly.

Oh, Emmy…I’m so sorry.

No wonder the dragon was so hesitant to enter the world. The world had left her behind. Everyone she knew was dead. Had been dead for millions of years. They’d abandoned her, sacrificed her to save themselves—left her all alone.

My mother left me too, she told Emmy. I trusted her and she let me down. Left me behind without even saying good-bye. She stroked the shell with gentle fingers. I promised myself I’d never trust anyone again after that day—until I met you.

The dragon stirred from inside the shell, swimming around in a hazy black shadow. Trin dug her fingers into the crack, trying to widen it as she’d seen Emmy’s mother do.

You flew me through the skies. You took away my fears. You told me you’d never let me fall. She drew in a breath. Well, Emmy, I’ll never let you fall either. You can trust in that. You can trust in me. As you told me, we are destined…

She closed her eyes, the exhaustion overwhelming her at last. There was nothing else she could do. Nothing else she could say. She only hoped Emmy could hear her. That she believed what she’d said and—

“The egg! It’s cracking!”

Trinity looked down at the egg. Sure enough, it had cracked wide open, all the way down each side. She watched, not daring to move, as a tiny, birdlike head popped out from the now broken shell, bobbing up and down on a wobbly neck. The dragon regarded her with large, serious blue eyes rimmed in gold—eyes she would recognize anywhere.

“Emmy!”

The dragon let out a triumphant squawk, tiny wisps of smoke puffing from her snout. The room exploded in applause, everyone rushing to witness the miracle for themselves. But Trin held up a hand, forcing them back. To give her baby dragon space to breathe. To protect Emmy as she’d promised she would.

She was the Fire Kissed, after all.

She ached all over, as if she’d been hit by a truck. And she was so exhausted she could probably sleep for a month. But it was all worth it to watch Emmy spread her tiny, webbed wings and give them a tentative flap. The dragon looked up at Trinity shyly, inquisitively. Trin found herself laughing, tears still splashing down her cheeks.

“They’re beautiful,” she assured the tiny dragon. “Just like your mother’s.”

The dragon squawked happily, making her way up Trinity’s arm and settling contentedly on her shoulder. Her claws tickled and tugged, but Trinity didn’t mind at all. She reached up and scratched her dragon on the ridge of her nose. Emmy purred in delight. Trin felt a little like purring herself.

For the first time in her life, she felt whole. Complete. And she would do anything to keep this baby dragon from harm.

Chapter Thirty

Two nights later, there was a massive celebration—all the Potentials, all the members of the Dracken gathering together to celebrate Emmy’s birth. The tables and chairs at the food court were cleared away and a few of the Potentials who were musically inclined set up a makeshift stage and blasted out the tunes. Aiko turned out to be quite the talented singer, belting out hit after hit to the cheering crowd. Even Trevor got into the spirit, asking Rashida to dance. And she didn’t even tease him before saying okay.

Through it all, Trinity sat in a special seat of honor at the head of the room, gaudily decorated with green ribbons and bows. She was too drained to dance or join in with the festivities, but she was having a blast watching everyone else. And little Emmy, sitting proudly on her shoulder and wearing a red ribbon, wasn’t bad company either.

“She’s so cute!” Malia cried, coming over with Rashida and Aiko during the band’s break. They’d been allowed to change out of their training uniforms for the night and each wore sparkling emerald cocktail dresses in honor of Emmy.

“It’s hard to believe she’s really here!” added Aiko. “I feel like we’ve been waiting forever.”

“Some of us never believed it was going to happen at all,” added Rashida, giving Trevor a knowing nudge. He rolled his eyes and blushed.

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered. Then he turned to Trinity. “She’s brilliant, Trin. Truly brilliant. Good work.”

Trinity grinned with pride, reaching over to stroke Emmy on the nose. The little dragon danced and purred happily, causing the Potentials to crack up. Malia reached over, daring to touch her tiny nose and Emmy rewarded her with a big slurp of her tongue. Malia screeched in surprise, yanking her hand away, then laughed sheepishly and reached out to pet her again.

“I can’t wait to get one of my own!” she cried. “It’s going to be so amazing.”

Trinity nodded happily, a strange sense of contentment washing over her. It was strange. In some ways, nothing had changed—she was still technically trapped here, still unable to walk out the front doors. And yet now, with Emmy here, she wasn’t all that sure she’d want to even if she could.

It wasn’t easy taking care of a newborn dragon, and it didn’t take long for her to realize she had no idea what she was doing. Thankfully, the Dracken had been endlessly patient, showing her how to feed Emmy, to bathe her, to keep her warm. Not to mention babysit her at times when Trin just needed a few precious hours of sleep. And most importantly, they showed her how to use her gift to communicate with the dragon, to ensure Emmy not only felt safe but loved. That was the fun part, actually—to spend hours just cuddling her dragon while whispering in her mind all the things they would do together. Trinity found she never felt happier than when Emmy was in her arms.

She tried to imagine what it would have been like if she and Emmy had been out in the world when the dragon was born. The creature probably wouldn’t have made it through her first night—or have been able to hatch at all. The Dracken had made it all happen, continued to make it all happen, and Trin found herself left with a grudging sense of gratitude and respect for the ragtag team of time travelers and orphans. And she felt bad for being so suspicious at first.

It still wasn’t home, but at times it felt pretty darn close. And it would feel even more so, she knew, when her grandpa joined her at last.

Wait until you meet him, Em, she sent. You’re going to love him as much as I do. The little dragon bobbed her head excitedly, and Trin tried to imagine her grandpa’s face when she presented Emmy to him for the first time. The moment he would realize, without a doubt, that he’d been right all along—that all his lifelong dreams had finally come true.

She looked up just in time to catch sight of a dark figure skulking across the back of the room. Her heart snagged. Caleb. She hadn’t seen him since their little trip to the Nether. He hadn’t even shown up with the others after Emmy’s birth. After all the work he’d done to bring the little dragon here, he should have been first in line to greet her. But instead he stayed away, lurking in the shadows. And she was pretty sure she knew why.

She sighed. Time for an apology.

“I’ll be back,” she told her new friends. The girls gave her knowing looks and smiles as they followed her gaze.

“Take your time,” Aiko teased.

“Yeah, no rush at all,” added Rashida with a wink.

She shot them a weak smile—at times, they really did seem like sisters—then pushed across the dance floor. It took a while to cross—everyone wanted to talk to her and meet Emmy—but finally she managed to reach the edge of the food court. Spotting Caleb trudging down the darkened hall some distance ahead, she picked up the pace.

“Wait!” she cried.

He stopped, stiffened, then turned around slowly, his face unreadable. “What?” he asked.

She faltered, words failing her as her eyes caught his, flashing and cruel. “About what happened,” she started.

Caleb waved her off. “Please. Don’t embarrass yourself on my account. It’s really no big deal.”

“But—”

“I was in the mood. You were ready and willing. It happened. Now it’s over and done. Let’s move on with our lives, shall we?”

His words stung. Badly. Even though she was the one who had pulled away. But that wasn’t because it hadn’t meant anything. It was just—

“What, do you think you’re the first girl I took into the Nether?” he scoffed, catching her anguished expression. “Please. I’ve had half the Potentials in there. Nothing like a good dragon race to get a girl all hot and bothered.” He snorted. “You should have seen when I took Aiko in there three months ago. She was practically ripping off her shirt before I could even manifest a single marshmallow.”

Trinity’s throat seemed to close up. “Oh,” she stammered. “Wow.” She no longer had anything to say—at least nothing she could force past the huge lump that had formed in her throat. Her mind flashed back to the cliff side, to Caleb’s tormented face. The story that had broken her heart. Had it all been an act? A signature move honed and perfected over the years to lure Potentials in? Make them feel sorry for him so they’d agree to hook up?

“Now why don’t you go back to your little birthday party and your little friends?” he added with a sneer. “I’ve got things to do.”

“Yeah. I’m sure being a full-time douche keeps you pretty busy,” she retorted, feeling the tears well up in her eyes. She turned and walked away before he could see them fall. Thank God she’d had the sense to break things off first. How far would he have taken it if she’d lost herself in his arms?

She stalked down the corridors, no longer in the mood to party. The happy, carefree faces of the Potentials would only serve to torment her. Had Caleb really taken Aiko into the Nether? Had he broken her heart too?

Not that her heart was broken, she reminded herself. Like Caleb said, it was no big deal. Just a kiss. Nothing more. And not even a good idea. She had enough going on with her newfound mission to save the world to be wasting time on some doomed romance. She was the Fire Kissed, after all. She didn’t have time to be some guy’s girlfriend too.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Don’t cry, Trin.

She gave the dragon a rueful look. Emmy gazed back at her with concern deep in her blue and golden eyes. She reached out a hesitant paw and brushed Trinity’s cheek, swiping away a tear. Trinity gave the dragon a sad smile. At least she had someone who cared.

“You know, that was the first thing you ever said to me,” she reminded Emmy. “Back at the museum. When I thought you were fake.” She twisted the ring on her finger. “It seems a million years ago at this point.”

She sighed. She was so tired. So, so tired. But she squared her shoulders and shook it off best she could. Emmy needed her to be strong after all, to keep the promise she’d made. And so when the dragon gave her a doubtful look, she reached out to pat her wing reassuringly.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I just need a good night’s sleep.”

“You do indeed,” boomed a deep voice. Trinity whirled around, startled. The Dracken Master himself, Darius, stood not two feet away, dressed in a smart black tuxedo, his hair slicked back with a bit too much grease. She hadn’t heard him approach. “Your training begins tomorrow. And I must warn you, it will be nothing if not intense.”

She forced herself to smile back at him. “Intense is my middle name,” she declared, mustering up her bravado. “I can hardly wait.” She turned on her heel, ready to head back to her bedroom.

“Stop,” he commanded suddenly in a voice that caused her heart to leap to her throat. Turning back slowly, she leveled her eyes upon his face. His smile had disappeared.

“Yeah?” she asked, biting her lower lip.

For a moment the Dracken leader said nothing, just regarded her with solemn eyes. Then he sighed deeply. “Before you go, I have some news. About your grandfather.”

Her heart fluttered. “News?” she repeated warily.

“Maybe you should sit down. We could go to my office and—”

“No.” She shook her head vehemently, scarcely able to breathe. “Just tell me.”

Looking regretful, he reached into his jacket’s interior pocket and pulled out a folded newspaper, holding it out to her. “What is this?” she asked, heart pounding madly now as she took the paper and unfolded it with shaky fingers. Her eyes widened as she realized she was holding a copy of the Old Oak Grove Gazette. Today’s Old Oak Grove Gazette. She looked up at Darius, confused. “I don’t understand.”

Without a word, he took the paper from her and flipped it over. She looked back down. “The obituaries?” she asked. “What…?” She trailed off, her eyes falling on the single entry for that day. She nearly dropped the paper.

“No,” she stammered, her world falling out from under her. “There must be some mistake.”

Darius shook his head slowly, then opened his arms. She fell into them, sobbing hard against his chest. He wrapped his hands around her, rubbing her back with long, even strokes. She didn’t have the strength to pull away.

“I’m so sorry, Trinity. I wanted to wait to tell you, so you could have your celebration. After all you’ve been through, I didn’t want you to have to deal with this too. At least not before you regained your strength.”

“What happened?” she asked, pulling away, searching his face. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Emmy, dancing nervously around her, clearly upset at her mistress’s distress. But she needed answers first—before she could reassure her dragon.

He gave her a sorry look. “From what my men could gather, your grandfather was found a few days ago, down by exit 13 off the old, abandoned interstate. He had been beaten within an inch of his life.” He cringed. “They tried to operate but his heart couldn’t take it. He was in a coma for a few days before he finally let go.”

He kept talking but Trinity could no longer focus on his words. Exit 13. That was where she’d told him to meet her. But then she’d sent Connor instead. The Dragon Hunter who she hadn’t realized at the time was trying to kill her.

She broke out into a fresh set of tears. Had Caleb been right about his brother all along?

“I’m so, so sorry,” the Dracken leader murmured, taking her face in his hands and peering down at her with intense brown eyes. “I know how much he meant to you.”

“He was my family,” she sobbed. “My only family.”

“No!” Darius’s eyes flashed fire. His hands tightened against her face until she almost cried out in pain. “We’re your family now. And we’ll always be there for you no matter what. We’ll never let anything happen to you. I promise.”

His words were fierce and passionate, and probably meant to comfort, but instead chilled her to the bone, realization hitting her hard and fast. As nice as they were and as helpful as they’d been…

They were never going to let her go.

Forcing the fear back, she looked down at the paper again, as if she could somehow change what it said by sheer force of will. But, of course, the words were written in indelible ink.

She looked up. “The funeral is on Friday,” she managed to say past the lump in her throat. “I’d like to go.”

Darius regarded her for a moment, then shook his head slowly. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s not possible.”

“Please,” she begged, her voice trembling. “I’ll leave Emmy here. You can send guards with me. We’ll leave immediately after the service.” She gave him a pleading look. “I just want to have the chance to say good-bye.”

Darius gave her a pitying look. “I know. But I can’t allow it. It’s too dangerous.” He shook his head. “We’ll hold our own memorial here,” he told her. “We’ll all come together as a family to honor his memory. He was important to us too, Trinity. Without him, Emberlyn might still be trapped in a glacier. It was his dedication to his work that set her free.” He smiled sadly. “Why, we owe him our very existence.”

Trin frowned, unease itching at the corners of her mind. His words were exactly right and yet something still felt wrong—something hazy just around the edges. On impulse, she attempted to push into his brain, as Caleb had done to read her thoughts, but found herself blocked by a solid, black wall. And suddenly doubt seeded in her mind.

Maybe it was just desperation—of not wanting to believe a truth too horrible to swallow. Or maybe she was just going crazy—with all that had happened, it didn’t seem too farfetched. But what if there was something else going on here? What if he was lying? Doctored the paper to say what he wanted it to? What if her grandpa wasn’t dead after all? What if this was just another way of trying to keep her here?

“Look,” she tried. “I just want to—”

“I’m sorry, Trinity,” he interrupted, his tone final. “But it’s too dangerous. You will not be allowed to leave these walls.”

“For how long?” she demanded, the anger and frustration inside of her threatening to boil over. “How long are you going to keep me locked up in this damned place?”

The Dracken didn’t reply, simply bowed his head respectfully, then turned to walk away. Trinity watched him go, furious beyond belief, then found herself reaching out again, trying desperately to break through his wall.

And then, just before the Dracken leader slipped into the shadows, she heard it. Escaping his mind like a tendril of smoke, twining its way back to her and her dragon.

What do you care? it taunted. It’s not like you have anywhere left to go.