Shattered

by Mari Mancusi

  But he got no further than the first sentence when a sudden scream caused him to drop the book. Racing from the library, he ran through the bedroom and down the stairs, almost tripping over Gunn’s body, lying bleeding on the white shag rug. Horrified, Caleb looked around the room, trying to determine what had happened to his friend. Before he could figure anything out, another piercing scream rang out through the air.

  Screw this. Caleb dashed for the elevator, only to find the door sliding shut in his face. Digger shrugged helplessly then gave a small wave as he cowardly shot back down to the earth below, leaving Caleb trapped in the sky house with whatever was killing the others.

  “Get back here, you bastard!”

  He bashed his fist against the door, but it did no good. He’d have to wait for the elevator to reach the bottom and pray Digger would at least have the heart to send it back up to him once he got out.

  If he managed to stay alive that long.

  Suddenly he felt a hot blast of air at the back of his neck. He froze, his breath stolen from his lungs. Slowly, he forced himself to turn around, with no idea what he’d find—or if he’d even live long enough to find anything at all. His eyes rose slowly, coming face-to-face with…

  A dragon. An actual dragon…inside the house.

  The creature stared back at him with big eyes and bloodstained teeth. She had teal scales that sparkled from the light outside and was about the size of one of the meat cows back home. His eyes bulged from his head. She was both impossibly beautiful and totally terrifying all at the same time, and he realized, vaguely, that he should try to back away. To get out of the line of fire. But the glass elevator shaft effectively blocked his path, and there was nowhere else to go. He was trapped.

  About to become dragon lunch.

  Squeezing his eyes shut, his hands uselessly covered his face in a vain attempt to ward the creature off. He thought wildly of his mother and his brother and wondered if either of them would even notice he was gone. They’d probably never know exactly what happened to him. They might not even care. In fact, there was no one in the entire world that would be all that broken up about Caleb Jacks’s death. Except, he supposed, Caleb Jacks himself. And he wasn’t even a hundred percent sure about that.

  You don’t know if you want to live? How sad.

  Huh? He pulled his hands away, jerking his head from left to right, trying to determine where the sudden voice was coming from. But there was no one there.

  No one? The voice repeated, amused. But I’m right here in front of you.

  Caleb’s mouth dropped open. The dragon’s lips hadn’t moved. But he’d heard her, as clear as if she were speaking aloud.

  “How did you…how do you do that?” he asked in a quaking voice.

  The dragon’s mouth curled, almost as if she were smiling. Then she stepped closer and sniffed his face. Caleb tried not to wince as the dragon’s breath tickled his nose, praying the creature wouldn’t decide to take a test bite. Then, to his surprise, he felt a wet roughness on his cheek.

  Had the mighty dragon that had just taken out his crew actually licked him?

  “I think she likes you.”

  A new voice came from the direction of the staircase. Caleb watched as a good-looking guy, dressed in a fine linen suit, drifted down the stairs with ultimate grace.

  “Back off, Trinity,” he commanded. “Caleb’s had enough of you for the moment, I think.”

  Trinity? Caleb gawked. This deadly beast’s name was Trinity? Like that legendary girl from his history texts?

  Trinity the dragon—if that indeed was her name—huffed twin puffs of smoke from her nostrils, as if annoyed by the man’s command, but obediently took a few steps backward, curling her long, scaly tail inward and looking expectantly at the Dracken.

  Caleb staggered, barely able to comprehend what was happening here. He’d heard rumors of the Dracken, of course, that they could somehow make dragons bow to their will. But to see it happen in real life? Mind-blowing, to say the least.

  “How did you…?” he stammered. “I mean…” He realized dimly that he might never be able to form a complete sentence again.

  “Tame a dragon?” the man finished in a kindly voice. “Why, it’s easy, if you have the gift.”

  “It…is?”

  “Caleb, thank you for coming. My name is Darius. We’ve been expecting you. Sit down.” The man ushered him over to the sofa by the window and gestured for him to be seated. Caleb forced himself to follow, not taking his eyes off of the dragon for a moment. She was still watching him closely, her mouth open and her tongue lolling out in a friendly looking pant. At the moment, she actually looked less mean than his dog back home.

  “Don’t worry, she won’t bite,” the man teased. Caleb shot an involuntary look at the bloody corpses of his comrades nearby, his stomach lurching. “Oh right,” Darius chuckled. “What I meant was, she won’t bite you.”

  Caleb sank to the couch, his heart beating a mile a minute. He folded his hands to keep them from shaking. “Are you going to kill me?” he blurted out, unable to help himself.

  Darius laughed softly. “Absolutely not,” he replied. “After all, you have a precious gift. It would be a great waste to kill you.”

  “A gift?” Caleb raised an eyebrow skeptically. “I think maybe you’re mistaking me for my brother, Connor. He’s the Dragon Hunter, not me.”

  Darius frowned. “Personally, I don’t consider the ability to destroy life much of a gift, Caleb,” he replied. “Do you?”

  Caleb looked over at him, surprised. Darius was perhaps the first person he’d ever met who didn’t think his brother walked on water.

  “Your brother’s gift is to destroy. Yours is to bring life. And if you agree to work with us, we can bring a lot of life to a lot of people. We may even be able to bring your father back from the grave someday.” He paused, then added, “But I think we’ll start with something a lot more simple.”

  Caleb squinted at him, his brain whirling. Was this guy for real? What kind of gift could he possibly have? Him, the brother no one wanted. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Your mother suffers from bone cancer, yes?”

  Caleb nodded reluctantly, wondering how this man knew so much about him and his family. He suddenly realized stealing the elevator code probably wasn’t the lucky accident he’d assumed it to be.

  “Well, for starters, we can cure her of that.”

  “You can?” Caleb cried, against his better judgment. Could they really do that? She’d been so sick for so long—it seemed impossible. But then, so was a big-ass dragon licking his face…

  He imagined waltzing into the hospital, past the doctors, his mother’s cure clasped in his hands. Him—the so-called useless son—finally doing something worthwhile. Something his brother—even with all his superpowers—hadn’t been able do.

  Darius smiled. “With your gift, we can do all that and a lot more as well,”

  “This gift…” Caleb forced his thoughts back to the present. “You keep talking about a gift. What gift do I have that’s so valuable to you?’

  “Why, isn’t it obvious?” Darius asked kindly. “You were born a guardian.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “Hang on, Em, I think we’re almost there.”

  After pulling up to the stoplight just outside of Fauna, New Mexico, Trinity stole a glance into the back of the van. Before he died, Grandpa had made the vehicle “Emmy proof” by adding a flame-resistant coating of paint to the walls and blacking out the windows to deter any potential spies. He’d even added a little nest of blankets for the dragon to sleep on, creating a cozy cave. But while Emmy normally enjoyed her plush accommodations, today she couldn’t seem to relax, pacing from wall to wall, puffs of smoke twining from her nose.

  “Are you okay?” Trinity called back to her.

  I’m ju
st excited, Emmy replied. Do you really think your father can help me? Do you think he has a plan?

  She gave the dragon a small shrug before turning back to the road. “I wish I could say for sure,” she said. “But I honestly have no idea. I mean, the whole thing seems absolutely crazy, right? But then everything about this has been crazy from the start. And if there’s any chance that he can help? Well, we gotta find out for sure.” She gripped the steering wheel with both hands. “Don’t worry. I promised to protect you, Emmy. And I’m going to keep that promise, no matter what. No more distractions—no more boys—from now on, it’s all about you.”

  She wondered if Connor had returned with his brother yet. If they’d found her note. She felt like such a coward, just taking off like that, without even saying good-bye. Not to mention stealing some of their remaining cash and her grandpa’s van. After all they’d done for her…

  But she’d had no choice. They would have tried to convince her to stay. To say that they’d change—that things would be different from there on out. That they’d work together this time, no more drama, no more fights, no more putting Emmy last. And maybe, for a time, that would be true. But then they’d find themselves at another standstill. And Emmy would be the one to suffer.

  As she pulled out from the light, Emmy padded up to the front seat, effectively claiming shotgun. Trinity wondered if she should insist the dragon return to the back of the vehicle. After all, if someone were to peer inside, they might catch a glimpse of something they weren’t supposed to see. But in the end, she allowed it. She was feeling a little lonely now that she was on her solo mission, and Emmy’s company definitely helped.

  As she turned a corner at the next light, a large shopping center loomed in front of her, a lone behemoth in an otherwise undeveloped desert. She stared at it for a moment, puzzled, wondering if she’d made a mistake. But no, a quick glance at her phone’s GPS told her this was the address she’d gotten from the Ouroboros.

  She’d expected a secret laboratory. Or a hidden bunker deep in the desert maybe. Something. Anything. Except for this.

  A Wal-Mart Supercenter?

  A little unnerved, she pulled into the busy parking lot. She let the engine idle for a moment as she watched a harried-looking mom herd three children into the store, while a man in a mustache and cowboy hat exited with arms filled with purchases. A few teens hung outside, leaning against the store’s exterior wall, playing handheld video games, while another kid in a trademark blue smock corralled shopping carts into a long train.

  Trin sighed, suddenly envying the normalcy of the scene. She tried to tell herself these carefree Wal-Mart shoppers had hopes and fears and stresses and worries just like everyone else—just like her—but in her heart she knew it wasn’t the same.

  She glanced over at Emmy who was watching her curiously. “What do you think?” she asked. “Why would Dad send us here?”

  Emmy peeked her head up to look out the window. Because he wanted you to buy me something shiny? she suggested, batting her eyes at Trin.

  Trinity snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure that was it,” she said with a laugh. “Forget the fate of the world and concentrate on some retail therapy.”

  You did say it was all about me, Emmy reminded her slyly.

  Trinity groaned. “I’ll see what I can do, okay? You stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  Can’t I come with you?

  Trinity sighed, noting the pleading look on the dragon’s face. “You know I’d want nothing more,” she assured her gently. “But it’s too dangerous. You do remember what happened at the football stadium, right?”

  Emmy gave her a regretful look. I was hoping you’d forgotten.

  “Trust me, I will never forget that little adventure,” Trin said with a laugh. Then seeing Emmy’s hurt expression, she softened. “Look, I’ll keep the link open between us, okay? You’ll be able to hear everything that’s going on the whole time. And if I need help, you’ll be the first dragon I call.”

  Emmy nodded, seeming appeased by this. She leapt into the back of the van and curled up in her pile of blankets. Relieved, Trinity popped open the door and stepped out of the van, locking it behind her. She looked around for a moment, making sure no one was watching her. But everyone seemed to be going about their business, not giving her a second glance. Finally satisfied, she headed into the store.

  “Okay, Dad,” she murmured. “Ready or not, here I come.”

  Once inside, she grabbed a cart and began going down the main aisle, feeling a little stupid, not sure who—or what—she should be looking for. Her father would have aged sixteen years since the vision she’d seen—would she even recognize him now if she saw him? She studied the faces of each person she passed, but none looked even remotely like dear old Dad.

  Anything? Emmy asked impatiently from the van.

  Trinity shook her head before remembering the dragon couldn’t see her. No, she sent instead. I mean, I don’t think so. But it’s a big store and a lot of people—it’s going to take a while to cover it all.

  She tried to sound optimistic, not wanting Emmy to think they’d made a mistake coming here, but as she walked down aisle after aisle with no sign of her father, a sinking feeling began to settle in her stomach. Was she crazy to have even come? What had she expected to find? Her dad popping out from aisle thirteen with a rollback special on a can of dragon-disaster removal? Heck, even if he had originally planned to meet her here, he would have expected her to show up months ago. How long would he have staked out the superstore before giving up or accidentally alerting the security detail?

  Did you find him yet? Emmy broke in again. Does he have a plan to save me?

  Trinity sighed. This was useless. I’m coming back to the van, she told the dragon. Just let me grab some supplies while I’m here. At least then it won’t have been a total waste of time.

  She stopped in the grocery section to pick out a rack of ribs for Emmy then, remembering the dragon’s request, headed to the jewelry counter, choosing the most glittery costume jewelry necklace she could find. She smiled a little as she tossed it into the cart, imagining the look on Emmy’s face when she pulled it from the bag. She’d been through a lot, poor thing. It was the least Trin could do. And maybe it would soften the blow a little that her big plan had been a big fail.

  She had just finished paying when Emmy’s voice invaded her consciousness again.

  Better get out here, Trin. We’ve got company.

  What? Heart in her throat, she grabbed the bag and ran out of the store without bothering to take her receipt. When she stepped outside, she almost dropped her purchases. Her van was now surrounded by what looked like the same teens she’d seen hanging out by the wall as she’d entered. But now they had put their video games away and were concentrating on….

  …taking photos?

  “What are you doing?” she demanded, running up to them, heart pounding in her chest. “Leave my van alone.”

  The three teens turned to her. One by one their mouths fell open in shock. One of them actually dropped his iPhone, and it fell to the pavement with a loud clatter.

  “It’s her,” the girl wearing black-rimmed glasses and a “timey-whimey” Doctor Who T-shirt said in an awed whisper. “You were right. It’s totally her.”

  The boy who had dropped his phone fumbled to pick it up so he could resume taking photos—this time of Trinity herself.

  “Stop that!” she cried, horrified. “Give that to me.” She lunged for the phone, but the boy dodged her nimbly. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Did they recognize her? She’d been on the news quite a bit. But still…

  “Cut it out, Nate,” the third boy commanded in a voice that made Trinity guess he was the leader. He was Asian, sporting a blue streak through his bleached blond hair. She watched as he took a step toward her, and she half wondered if she should try t
o make a break for it. But where would she go? Not to mention she couldn’t just leave Emmy in the van. Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for his next move.

  To her surprise, he held out his hand. “My name’s Luke,” he said in a casual voice. “I’m sorry about Nate and Natasha here. They’re just a little starstruck.”

  Trinity stared at him. “Starstruck?” she repeated doubtfully.

  “Yeah, you know,” he said with a small laugh. “It’s not every day we get honest to goodness celebrities here in Fauna.”

  Trinity realized he was still holding out his hand. Not wanting to be rude, she reached out, giving it a tentative shake. “Um, I don’t know who you think I am,” she stammered. “But I’m not—”

  “Trinity Foxx, dragon rider?”

  She dropped his hand like a hot potato. It took everything inside of her not to bolt in the other direction.

  Luke grinned. His teeth were a little crooked, making him look slightly mischievous. “Oh, we know all about you, Trinity Foxx,” he assured her. “We’ve been following you from the very beginning. Ever since the government tried to steal the dragon egg from your grandpa’s museum. You may have heard of us. Free-Emmy-dot-com?” He looked at her expectantly.

  She gaped at him. “Free-Emmy-dot-com?”

  “Well, I guess you probably haven’t had a lot of time to surf the web these days,” Luke said, looking slightly disappointed. “Anyway, we’re currently the number one visited Emmy fan site in the world. We get over two hundred thousand unique visitors every day,” he added proudly.

  For a moment, Trinity found herself speechless, trying to process all he just said. “Okay, back up a second,” she blurted out at last, holding up her hands. “You made a fan site for my dragon?”

  “No, we made the fan site,” Nate interjected.