Shattered

by Mari Mancusi

  If he can’t help us, he can’t help us, she told herself. No big deal.

  Except that it was a big deal. A huge deal, in fact. She hadn’t quite realized, she supposed, just how much she’d been secretly counting on this miracle until it had started to fizzle. What would she and Emmy do if her dad couldn’t help them? Where would they go? The Dracken kids seemed cool, but they were just kids themselves, and eventually their mom might catch on to the extra girl and extra large reptile squatting in their garage. The money she’d taken from Connor and Caleb wouldn’t last long, and her criminal status assured her she could never apply for a real job. Hell, she didn’t even have her own transportation anymore.

  She sighed, missing Connor and Caleb and her grandpa more than ever. The life of running from the law and hiding out together seemed almost blissful compared to her dark, unknown future.

  She gritted her teeth, shoving the worried thoughts to the back of her mind. There was no use borrowing trouble, as Grandpa used to say. Her dad had promised to help her. She had to hang on to that promise with both hands and have a little faith.

  As Luke drove the truck up to the front of the store, Trinity pulled down the visor mirror and checked her reflection. Natasha had done her best, but she had gotten a bit…enthusiastic with the makeup. Looking now, Trin could barely recognize herself, which she supposed was a good thing. She pushed up the mirror then looked back at the store, her heart pounding in her chest.

  “Maybe this was a bad idea,” she blurted out.

  “What are you talking about?” Lucas cried. “Your dad said he could help you. How could that be bad?”

  “You’re not scared are you?” Nate blustered. “I mean, how can you, of all people, be scared? You’re Trinity Foxx, for Captain Kirk’s sake! You ride freaking dragons for a living.”

  “That’s a bit of an overstatement, actually…”

  Natasha gave her a disappointed look. “Do not make me have to stop fan-girling you,” she scolded. “I spent way too much time on my Trinity is a rock star Tumblr theme to have you fall apart now.”

  Trinity sighed. “Okay,” she relented. She supposed that was one kind of motivation. She popped open her door and dropped down to the sidewalk. As she closed the door behind her, she felt Emmy perk up from inside the truck.

  Be careful, the dragon warned. Call me if you need me.

  I will, she assured her. Don’t worry.

  She didn’t love leaving Emmy alone in the back of the truck, but what was the alternative? Walk into Wal-Mart with a dragon on a leash, hoping people mistook her for a labradoodle?

  She walked inside, the glass doors sliding silently shut behind her. She stood still for a moment, not sure where to even begin in the overwhelmingly large store. Her dad could work in any department—or in an inaccessible back room. He might even have the day off—or he could have called in sick. And what if someone recognized her as she walked around the—

  “Welcome to Wal-Mart!”

  The voice made her nearly jump out of her skin. She whirled around, a small cry of relief escaping her as she realized it was only the store’s greeter, standing behind her. He was an older man, dressed in a blue vest covered in multicolored buttons, and he beamed back at her with a guileless grin on his face. He was balding on the top and appeared as though he hadn’t made friends with a razor in at least a week. She swallowed hard, trying to steady her racing pulse. Not her father.

  “Sorry,” she said, feeling her face flush. “You scared me.”

  “Definitely didn’t mean to.” The man smiled amicably, running a hand through his thinning gray hair. “Just wanted to welcome you to our humble store. Can I offer you a button?” He looked at her hopefully.

  Trinity cocked her head. “Excuse me?”

  He reached into his pocket then extended his hand toward her. Clasped in his fingers was a yellow, smiley-face button. She stared down at it, horribly confused. Then she managed to shake her head.

  “Oh. No, that’s okay. I don’t really need—”

  A flicker of shadow crossed the man’s face. “Oh I think you do,” he said. “I think you’ve been looking for this button for a very long time.” He paused, his eyes leveling on her, the smile fading from his lips.

  Take it, Trinity. It’s from your father.

  Trinity gulped as the words tripped across her mind, clearly from the man in front of her, though he never moved his lips. “How did you—”

  He shoved the button into her hand then turned so abruptly it left her reeling. The doors behind her had opened, she realized. A mother and three kids were walking into the store.

  “Welcome to Wal-Mart!” the man greeted in the same cheerful voice. But he didn’t, Trinity realized, force a button on them. And he didn’t call them by name.

  Somehow she managed to get her feet to cooperate, walking through the store, her legs feeling as if they were made of lead as she clutched the button in her hands. She made her way to the bathroom, selecting the handicapped stall and closing the door behind her. Only then did she allow herself to look down at the button.

  At first glance, it seemed like every other button. Bright yellow smiley on the front, metallic pin on the back. But then she noticed a small scrap of something caught in between. Digging her fingers into the sides, she managed to pry it apart with some effort.

  A small piece of folded paper fluttered from the button. Trin gasped, scrambling to grab it before it fell into the toilet. She could barely breathe as she pulled open the paper, staring down at the scrawling text.

  Meet me at the back of the store at midnight tonight.

  Tell no one.

  P.S. Bring Emberlyn.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “How’s he doing?”

  Scarlet looked up as Rashida entered the bedroom just after nine p.m. The Potential glanced over at Caleb, who was still passed out on the bed, same as he’d been for the last two days. Rashida had insisted he needed to be tied up, just in case, though Scarlet really didn’t see the point. He was too weak, too out of it, to try to escape, even if he wanted to.

  The Potentials had taken turns watching over him while Scarlet had refused to give up her perch by his side, save for a few brief breaks for sleep. Now that she was aware they’d lied to her about the whole vaccine thing, she wasn’t about to leave them alone with Caleb for too long, just in case.

  Rashida had tried to talk to her during her shift, insisting again that their motives hadn’t been malicious. That Trinity was a vicious dragon thief who had infiltrated their headquarters, seduced Caleb, and taken off with the dragon. That the fate of the world rested on them being able to get Emmy back where she belonged. And Scarlet had to admit she could hear the conviction in the girl’s voice; she really seemed to believe everything she said.

  But if all that were true, why not just tell Scarlet that from the beginning, instead of feeding her a lie?

  Rashida had sworn it was only out of desperation—she couldn’t have been sure Scarlet hadn’t been bewitched by Trinity too. But deep down, Scarlet was sure there had to be more to the story. She said nothing, however, not wanting to lose their fragile trust until she was sure she and Caleb could make an escape if needed.

  And so she’d sat there until the sun peeked over the horizon, watching Caleb toss and turn in a restless sleep, dabbing his damp forehead with a towel every time it got too sweaty. Truth be told, it was an all too familiar routine for her. How many times had she done the same for her brother over those last few months? Not that he ever appreciated her efforts. She wondered if Caleb would, if he could tell somehow that she was there—that she hadn’t left his side.

  He moaned and writhed, and her heart wrenched at the pain she saw etched on his face. Scarlet wished, for the thousandth time, there was something she could do to relieve it. That had always been the worst part for her. The helplessness she felt when wa
tching those she cared about suffer—even if the cause of their suffering had come from their own doing.

  “No real change,” Trevor, the Australian kid who’d taken the last watch, reported to Rashida. “He hasn’t woken up since we got back.”

  Rashida frowned. “Man, that’s crazy,” she said. “He must be a true Netherhead for the hangover to affect him this bad.”

  There was that word again. “What is this Nether thing anyway? Some kind of drug?” Scarlet couldn’t help but ask. She had to admit, Caleb certainly looked like he was on drugs, with his pale skin and bruised eyelids. She wondered, not for the first time, if he should be taken to the emergency room. But perhaps that would bring up too many unanswerable questions.

  “Not exactly,” Rashida said, turning to her. “From what I understand, it’s more like a kind of place. Another dimension or something—where all the dead dragons live. People travel there with their minds by channeling their energy through special gems.”

  Scarlet stared at her. She’d heard of some weird drugs in her day. But one that took you away to some kind of dragon heaven? That was a new one. She waited for Rashida to say she was joking, but her expression remained ultra serious.

  “It’s hard to wrap your head around, right?” Trevor asked with a laugh. “But I’ve done it myself, so I know it’s real. It’s pretty spectacular if you want to know the truth.”

  “Yeah, until you end up like him,” Rashida broke in, gesturing to Caleb with a derisive snort. “Though I suppose in this case, it’s for the best. Keeps him quiet until the boss shows up.”

  Scarlet cocked her head. “Boss?” she repeated doubtfully, her pulse kicking up in concern. “What boss?”

  Rashida and Trevor exchanged looks. “Her name is Mara,” Rashida said at last. “She’s one of the Dracken I told you about. We’ve been trying desperately to reach her—ever since we got separated back at the mall. And this is the first time I was able to get through. She evidently was in jail—but now she’s out and reunited with some of the others. When I told her we had Caleb, she got really excited and said they’d come right away.”

  “Wow,” Scarlet said slowly. “That’s…really great.”

  “It’s more than great. It’s out of this world fantastic,” Trevor corrected, his eyes shining his enthusiasm. “We won’t have to be on our own anymore, scraping to find a place to stay or something to eat…” He trailed off, catching Rashida’s expression. “No offense, love,” he added. “You’ve done great by us. But you have to admit, being back with our fearless leaders sounds pretty damn good right about now.”

  Again, doubt prickled at the edges of Scarlet’s mind though she wasn’t sure why. Maybe because it all sounded too good to be true—or that the facts weren’t adding up the way they should. Like, for example, if the Dracken had gathered all these kids from around the world to raise dragons, why had they abandoned them when the plan went sour? And why were they only showing up now, when the kids finally had something they wanted? Scarlet knew there had to be more to the story. Something they weren’t saying.

  Or didn’t know…

  She swallowed hard. “Um, that’s awesome,” she managed to say. “And, uh, maybe this Mara person will let me go home? I mean, now that you have Caleb to help you find Emmy, you really don’t need me, right?”

  Rashida’s smile faltered, though only for a moment. “Um, yeah, sure,” she said, with a confidence that failed to reflect in her eyes. “If you have someplace you’d rather be…”

  “It’s not that,” Scarlet said quickly, not wanting to hurt her feelings or raise her suspicions for that matter. “I mean, I think you guys are great. It’s just, well, my mom. She’s all alone right now, and she’s not well. I’m the only one she has left.”

  “Right,” Rashida replied slowly. “I understand. I suppose if I had a mother, I’d want to be with her too.” She sighed, staring past Scarlet at the blank wall beyond. Then she shook herself. “Anyway, just ask Mara when she gets here. I’m sure she’ll be totally cool with it.” She nodded her head a bit too vigorously. “Totally cool.”

  No way is Mara going to let you go.

  Scarlet startled. What was that? That voice tripping across her brain. It wasn’t Trevor’s. It certainly wasn’t Rashida’s. Could it belong to Caleb? Was he not as passed out as he appeared?

  You and I are the only ones who can lead them to the dragon.

  Rashida looked at her strangely. “Are you okay, Scarlet? You look a little pale.”

  And once they get her back? There’s no way they’ll let you walk away. You’d know too much. You’d be a liability. They would have to tie up all loose ends, if you know what I mean.

  “Scarlet? Earth to Scarlet…”

  “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Just tired. When are the Dracken going to get here again?”

  Rashida glanced at her watch. “Probably in a half hour or so. Do you want me to have someone relieve you for a while? You’ve been here all day.”

  Don’t leave me, Scarlet. Don’t you dare.

  “No, I’m good,” she stammered, forcing herself not to look over at Caleb. “I mean, I’ll hang out here until they arrive at least. I don’t want to miss meeting them. They sound really…cool.”

  Yeah, cool as cucumbers laced with arsenic.

  “That they are,” Trevor pronounced. “Now, how about we round up the littler ones and make sure they’re packed up and ready to go? We don’t want the Dracken to think we ran a loose ship while they’ve been away.”

  “What about him?” Rashida asked, pointing to Caleb.

  “I think our girl Scarlet can handle one tied-up, sick Netherhead,” Trevor replied. “Can’t you, Scarlet?”

  “Yeah, I can watch him,” Scarlet agreed, her heart pounding in her chest. “You go get ready. I’ll be fine.”

  Rashida gave her a strange look, almost suspicious, and Scarlet wondered if she’d gone too far with her willingness to help. But eventually the girl just shook her head and followed Trevor out the door. Scarlet stood in place, waiting to hear the lock click behind her before turning back to Caleb. His eyes were open and he was looking right at her. When he caught her gaze, his mouth quirked into a self-satisfied grin.

  “Nice work,” he said, his voice sounding a little raspy, as if he were a long-time smoker. “I’d shake your hand, but I find myself a bit tied up at the moment.” He lifted his arms, his wrists straining against his bindings. “Perhaps you could help me with that?”

  “Caleb!” she started to cry, then put her hand over her mouth to silence herself. She looked him up and down. “You’re awake,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”

  “To be honest, I’ve had better days, but I imagine I’ll pull through,” he replied with a weak smile. “If you’d be so kind as to help me make my escape, that is. Unless…” He trailed off for a moment, looking down at his wrists again. “You’ve joined forces with the enemy? ’Cause that would be awkward.”

  “No,” she cried. “I mean, I haven’t joined anyone’s forces. The only reason I was helping them was because they said Emmy needed me. But now…”

  She looked around, her mind racing for a plan. Her eyes settled on the open window at the far side of the room. But they were on the second floor. Even if she were able to untie him, would he have the strength to climb down the side of the house and be away before any of these Dracken people showed up?

  “Right. The Dracken,” he interjected suddenly, evidently overhearing her thoughts. Seriously, these people and their psychic abilities were really starting to freak her out. His playful demeanor faded, replaced by stark fear that chilled her to the bone. “Fleck. I can’t believe they’re actually on their way. I swear, if I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.”

  She turned back to him. It was time for some answers. “Caleb, what’s going on here? They told me all these things. Like that
you helped Trinity steal Emmy from them in the first place. And that they’re just trying to get her back to the people who can help her.” Her voice cracked, all her reserves crumbling. “I don’t know what to believe. I don’t know who to trust. All I want to do is what’s right for Emmy, and yet all I seem to be able to do is put her in more danger.”

  Caleb sighed, giving her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Scarlet,” he said, sounding truly contrite. “None of this is your fight. You never should have been involved in the first place, and I’m sorry they dragged you back in. But I promise you, the Dracken are no good. And we had a very good reason to break her out.”

  “Which was…?”

  He swallowed hard then seemed to come to a decision. “Come here,” he beckoned, holding out his hands. “And I’ll show you.”

  She stared at him for a moment, not sure what he meant. He was tied up. How could he show her anything? But eventually she gave in, stepping forward and placing her hands in his. They were cold, sweaty, and—

  She stifled a cry as a shock jolted through her. Caleb’s nails burned into her palms, as if they were made of fire. For a split second, everything went black.

  Then she could see again. And all she could see were dragons.

  Dragons. Sick, mutated, baby dragons, stacked in cages from floor to ceiling on every possible wall. Some sported three eyes, others a fifth leg or a stump where their leg should be. Some had no legs at all, flapping their misshapen wings against the wire cages, looking at her with hollow, desperate eyes.

  “Just like Sodom and Gomorrah, the world has become a filthy, corrupt place—far beyond the point of redemption.”

  Scarlet whirled around at the voice. A man, dressed in a fancy suit, stood by the door. He smiled at her—a smile that chilled her to the bone.

  “And so we are left with no choice but to raze the Earth to the ground and then rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes. Except this time,” he added, “it will be on the backs of dragons.”

  Scarlet broke from the trance, finding herself now inches away from Caleb, his eyes a kaleidoscope of colors, swirling madly. She fell back, breaking their connection, her own eyes filled with tears.