by Mari Mancusi
Emmy turned away, unable to meet her eyes. You don’t understand, she began.
“You’re damn right about that.”
The dragon gave her a hurt look. She was crying for help. She was scared. These men…they were hurting her. What was I supposed to do? You told me I should save people if I could.
Oh God. Trinity didn’t even know what to say as her words from the day before were thrown back in her face. “I didn’t mean by murdering someone else!” she cried.
He was hurting Scarlet. I couldn’t let him hurt Scarlet, Emmy said stubbornly.
Trinity froze. She stared at the dragon incredulously. “Wait, what? What do you mean Scarlet? Is Scarlet here?” Her heart started pounding in her chest. Had the girl followed them all the way to San Angels? “What would Scarlet be doing here?”
I don’t know. But I think she’s in trouble, Emmy confessed. She was with that girl. That bad girl who tried to kill you back at the mall.
It was all Trinity could do not to fall over backward at this point. “Rashida? Are you sure it was Rashida?” This was getting worse and worse.
The dragon nodded reluctantly. She wanted me to come with her. She said she could help me. But I remembered what you said. And I came straight back here.
“Thank God.” Trinity scrubbed her face with her hands. Still, this was not good. This was so not good. The Potentials were here. The military was on its way. They had to get out of here and fast.
A knock came to the door. “Trinity? Everything okay in there?”
She drew in a shaky breath, not sure what to say. Half of her wanted to tell Connor to pack his things—that they needed to get out of town, to not pass go, to not collect two hundred dollars. But then Connor would want to know why. Especially with Caleb still missing. After all, she wasn’t exactly known for leaving people behind.
You have to tell him, a voice inside of her nagged. He can’t help you if he doesn’t know what’s going on.
But what about Emmy? If Connor found out the dragon had gotten out again—and killed someone this time—there was no way on earth he was going to agree to stick with the plan to go find her father. He’d want to get far away then hunker down. Wait for the heat to cool, no matter how long it would take. And in the meantime, Emmy’s future would be put on hold all over again. And who knew how long her dad and Virgil would even wait for her? They were already three months behind schedule. What if they gave up and disbanded? What if Emmy’s one possible ticket to salvation expired because Trin listened to someone else instead of her dragon?
No. She couldn’t do that. She wouldn’t do that.
“Caleb’s still missing,” she blurted out, her mind grappling for a plan as she pulled open the door to face him. “Can you go see if you can find him? He’s probably just zonked out in the Nether somewhere. I’m sure he didn’t go far.”
Connor sighed, not looking happy about the idea. But he reached for his shoes all the same, just as she knew he would. Connor was nothing if not dependable. She watched him, her heart aching as she remembered the feeling of his warm arms, spooning her against him. It already seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Look, Trin,” he said, shifting from foot to foot. “I’ll apologize, okay? I’ll tell him it was my fault. That you had nothing to do with any of it.”
Her heart broke as she realized that he was misinterpreting her real upset. Thinking she was worried about the fight he and his brother had had. And she was, of course she was. But that wasn’t the half of it. And if only he knew what she was truly stressing about, he might not be so sympathetic.
“This thing between my brother and me,” he continued. “It’s been going on a long time. And it’s not fair for us to keep putting you in the middle. From now on, I’m not going to let that happen. We’re going to act like a real team. I promise.” He gave her a shy grin. “Team Dragon forever.”
His earnest eyes were like a punch to the gut. He had sacrificed everything for her and the dragon. Put his trust in her assurances that she had it all under control. Even after all that had happened—he still stood by her side. Even as she lied to his face.
“Connor…” she started, before she could stop herself.
“Yeah?”
She shook her head. “Nothing,” she said quickly. Too quickly. “Just…if you find him?”
“When I find him.”
“Right.” Her mouth twisted. “Tell him…tell him I’m sorry.”
He gave her a heartbreaking look. “Trin, you didn’t do anything wrong. To either of us. You have to know that. None of this is your fault.”
“Yeah,” she said, turning from him, unable to bear the sight of his regretful eyes. “Sure. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
She could feel his gaze upon her, but she refused to turn around. Finally he sighed, and she could hear him turning, heading toward the door. Only when it closed behind him with a loud crash did she dare turn back to where he’d just stood, staring into the now empty room.
You didn’t do anything wrong. To either of us.
“Not yet anyway,” she said with a sigh then turned to her dragon.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Come on, Caleb. Where are you?”
Connor raked a hand through his hair as he exited yet another bar without having found his twin. He’d already traversed the entire town at least twice and been in almost every restaurant or shop he had come across that had been open for business. Which, oddly enough, few had been. In fact, the whole town seemed eerily quiet, as if everyone were sleeping in.
He’d texted Trinity a couple of times to make sure Caleb hadn’t gone back to the motel, but each time she assured him that she hadn’t seen him and he hadn’t called. Connor didn’t want to admit it, but he was beginning to worry about his twin.
He’s like a bad copper, he reminded himself. He’s bound to show up.
But as the morning surrendered to the afternoon, Connor’s apprehension began to grow. Where was he? Had he left town? Caleb had taken off many times during their arguments, but he’d never gone far. Not to mention the van was still parked out in front of the motel and their money was all in the safe, meaning he would have had very few options, even if he did want to take off on them.
At last Connor decided he would grab some food at the local pub and bring it back to Trinity. They could eat and then regroup. Maybe look at a map and figure out where he hadn’t checked yet.
So he headed into the pub and sidled up to the bar. After ordering two burgers—and then changing that order to four to accommodate Emmy—he settled on a stool and waited. The bartender wandered over, filling up a pint glass and pushing it in his direction.
“What’s this for?” Connor asked.
“Your bravery.” The bartender grinned, filling up another glass and holding it out to toast. “And for being my one customer for the day!”
“Is it some kind of holiday?” Connor asked, glancing at the door. “The whole town is dead.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you hear?” he asked, sounding a little incredulous.
An uneasy feeling wormed through Connor, though he wasn’t sure why. “Hear what?” he asked.
The bartender reached for the remote and pointed it at the television above them. He pressed a button and the volume rose through the empty bar.
“The victim was identified as twenty-three-year-old Travis White, a drifter who has had his share of run-ins with the police.”
“I don’t get it,” Connor said, looking back at the bartender. “Some homeless guy died?”
The bartender’s face lit up. “Died? Dude, he was ripped apart limb from limb. My buddy Dave works over at the coroner’s office. He texted me a few pics. You want to see?”
“Um, I guess?” Connor said doubtfully, really confused now.
The bartender pulled out his phone. “They’
re trying to decide if it’s the same one as down in Texas,” he said as he scrolled through his texts. “The police aren’t saying. But I think it is. I mean, how many dragons can there be in the southwest—”
Connor dropped his beer. It smashed onto the bar floor, glass shards exploding in all directions. “Dragon?” he whispered.
“Yeah, you know, like what happened at that stadium in Vista. Man, you need to start watching the news,” the bartender scolded, grabbing a rag and handing it to a stunned Connor. “You mind wiping that up? Anyway, the military is on their way. They’re the ones who told everyone to stay inside. But I said to my wife, I got a business to run and—”
“I’ve…got to go,” Connor blurted, on his feet. He reached into his wallet and threw a wad of cash on the counter, not bothering to count it.
“Hey, wait! Don’t you want your burgers?”
But Connor was already outside the pub, racing down the street as fast as his legs could carry him. Reaching the motel in record time, he dashed up the stairs then down the hall until he came to their rooms. He pulled the card key from his pants’ pocket, his hands shaking so badly he could barely shove it into the reader. Once the green light finally flashed, he burst into the room.
“Trinity! They’ve found us. We’ve got to…”
He trailed off, scanning the empty space.
Trinity wasn’t there.
Nor was Emmy.
He ran into the other room, just to make sure, his heart slamming against his rib cage. Had the military already come? Had they found them and taken them away? Fear wrenched in his stomach so hard he nearly doubled over in pain.
“No,” he whispered. “No, no, no!”
Forcing himself to close his eyes, he sucked in a much-needed breath as he attempted to regain his soldier’s sanity. When he opened his eyes again, he took another look around the room, more slowly this time, taking in all the details.
Like the fact that Emmy’s bed was no longer by the radiator. And Trinity’s suitcase was no longer under the bed.
He ran to the safe, spinning the dial with shaky hands. He had to do it twice, but it finally popped open. As he stared into the velvet-lined box, he felt all his worst fears coming true. The van keys were gone. So was much of the money. In its place was a page of motel stationery, scribbled on in Trinity’s handwriting. Somehow Connor managed to pluck the letter from the box and stagger over to the bed, plopping down on the mattress to start reading.
Dear Connor and Caleb,
This is by far the hardest letter I have ever had to write. Even putting pen to paper feels like ripping out my heart from my chest with my bare hands. But I’ve been too selfish for too long. I hope you can understand.
Emmy chose me to be her Fire Kissed. To put her first and keep her safe from harm. But it seems I haven’t been very good lately, keeping up my end of the bargain. I’ve been distracted, dealing with the drama and the fights and the tangled loyalties of our little group, and I haven’t done what I promised to do. We call ourselves Team Dragon, but half the time the dragon is the last teammate we consider when weighing our options.
I love you both. Never doubt that for a second. You gave up your entire worlds to come to Emmy’s aid, and I will never forget that. But now it’s time for me to do the same thing.
Please don’t try to follow me or contact me—it will only make things harder. I hope we will be able to meet again someday. But I truly have no idea whether that will be possible.
Love always,
Trinity
Connor’s hands fumbled with the note as numbness spread over his entire body. His knees buckled and he fell back onto the bed. Unable to move, unable to even think. On instinct, he reached out with his gift again, searching for some sign of her, desperate to regain the connection—to beg her to come back. For a fleeting moment, he thought he could feel her, but a second later, the sensation was gone.
And so was Trinity. Maybe forever. Anger rose up inside of him, warring with his fear. He wanted to blame Caleb—for his childishness, his recklessness. But he knew in his heart he was just as much to blame. What he’d gone and done. What he’d promised never to do.
He thought back to her soft lips, hungry against his mouth. Her head, heavy against his chest as his fingers tangled in her hair. He should have never allowed any of that to happen. He’d promised her he’d stay strong. Instead, he’d been weak. Allowed his vulnerability to show. Gave into temptation. And it had cost him.
It had cost him everything.
He lay back on the bed, staring listlessly up at the ceiling, his heart feeling as if it would tear in two. It took every ounce of strength in his body not to run after her, to search the streets until he wore holes through his boots and bloodied his feet—refusing to give up until she was back in his arms where he could protect her and keep her safe. Instead, he forced himself to stay put, to respect her wishes, and let her strike out on her own path.
He tried to imagine her now behind the wheel of the beaten-up old van, a determined look on her face. A small smile tugged at his lips at the image.
That was his Trinity. Stubborn till the end.
“Take good care of her, Emmy,” he whispered, though he knew there was no way for the dragon to hear him. “I hope you know how lucky you are to have her as your Fire Kissed.”
PART 4:
FISSURE
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sky House Elevator—Year 189 Post-Scorch
“Hot damn, will you look at that?”
Sixteen-year-old Caleb peered out the glass windows of the elevator in the direction Digger was pointing, his eyes sweeping the barren, burned-out city ruins below. They’d broken through the surface of the world a few moments before and were now shooting up into the air, sliding along a thick vertical track in a three-sided glass tube. The code he’d pickpocketed from that Netherhead down in Shanty Town the day before had worked like a dream—activating the secret private elevator, conveniently mapped out in the guy’s wallet. And Caleb and his buddies were now on their way up to a real, honest-to-goodness sky house.
“You really think one of the Dracken lives up here?” asked Burr, one of Caleb’s drinking buddies from Shanty Town. He hadn’t had much time to gather a crew, seeing as the code would probably change the second Mr. Rich Guy realized he’d been ripped off during his black market journey of self-indulgence. And it was a degenerate lot to say the least.
“Who else would live above ground?” Digger asked disdainfully. He flexed his meaty arms and cracked his knuckles. He’d just gotten out of ten years at a forced labor camp mining operation. And would be asking for ten more if caught on this job. But the spoils from pulling off such a heist—in a real sky house—were well worth the risk.
“I used to,” Caleb admitted, looking down at the rusted iron ruins below. He could almost see him and his brother, chasing each other through the rubble, pretending to be Hunter and Dragon. “My family and I lived up here when I was a kid.”
It seemed a million years ago. When he was just a normal boy with a family who loved him and the possibility of a real future. Until, of course, that fateful day when his brother ruined everything, vaporizing Caleb’s entire universe with one clumsy fall. It was Connor’s fault that their father was killed—and yet somehow his brother walked away from the murder scene a hero. And from then on, no one remembered Caleb even existed.
“Man, that must have sucked dragon eggs,” Gunn, the youngest of the crew, remarked, spitting the black tar he’d been chewing onto the elevator’s glass floor. “I’d be freaking out if I were up here, worrying about dragons every day.” He turned to Caleb. “Of course, I don’t have a big time Dragon Hunter in my family like some people.”
Caleb scowled. Seriously, was there nowhere he could go to escape his brother’s legacy?
Thankfully, at that moment, the elevator creaked to a halt and i
ts door silently slid open, revealing the interior of a large circular room, covered in windows, providing a 360-degree view of the ruins below them. Caleb gave a low whistle and motioned for his crew to follow him out.
“Okay, now be careful,” he instructed. “I told Penny to keep the owner busy at her place for the next few hours. But we don’t know if he set up any alarms or traps. Grab whatever you can—the smaller it is, the easier it’ll be to hock later. And meet back here in ten minutes.”
The crew nodded their greasy heads then dashed around the large room, peeking in chests and pulling back curtains. The home was dripping in rich reds and golds and stocked with real wood furniture—something not even the richest Council members could afford down below. Caleb couldn’t help but marvel how each piece had been carved with intricate designs and painted with vibrant colors. The floors were made of marble and great tapestries hung on the walls, depicting beautiful golden dragons with mouths blazing crimson fire. It was so opulent it nearly took his breath away.
But the real awe of the room came from the sun outside, peeking in through the many windows and gracing the entire place with warm rays of light. He imagined himself sprawling out on the sofa by the wall, napping peacefully under the sun’s gentle caress.
But there would be no sleep. It was time to steal. So as his crew busied themselves by pilfering everything not nailed to the floor, Caleb decided to climb the sweeping staircase in the center of the room to see what else he could discover.
At the top of the stairs, he found a large bedroom, complete with a huge, carved wooden canopy bed, draped with thick velvet curtains. He pressed a hand down on the bed’s surface, trying to imagine what it would be like to sleep there. The Dracken probably had no trouble getting girls to come home with them.
Off the bedroom, he discovered an even greater find—a library, filled floor to ceiling with hardcover books with real paper pages. Caleb pulled one out at random, putting his nose to the book to breathe in the comforting musty smell. He shook his head, completely awed by the whole thing. What would it be like to read from these kinds of ancient tomes, instead of just downloading stories to a reader? He found himself turning to page one, dying to read real print just once in his life.
