by Mari Mancusi
“Saved me the trouble?” she repeated incredulously. “Are you even on this planet? We just freaking live streamed Dragon World War Three to four million people. I mean, maybe you haven’t noticed, but we’ve been working our asses off to sway public opinion when it comes to dragons. And now everything’s ruined. You think anyone’s going to be Team Emmy now? Do you think we’re going to get people writing their congressmen in favor of dragons being allowed to roam free after seeing that firestorm?”
“A firestorm created by your dragon,” Scarlet broke in. “May I remind you that Zavier was only trying to defend himself after your stupid dragon viciously attacked him for no reason. Hell, she’s admitted she’s wanted them dead from day one. So who’s really the bad guy here?”
Trin closed her eyes, trying to reset her sanity. She didn’t even know what to say at this point or if it was even worth saying anything at all. After all, what good would it do? The most she could hope for was an apology. And that apology would change nothing in the end. What had happened had happened. It couldn’t be changed. They could only figure out a way to best move forward from here.
Caleb groaned. “Look, I’m sorry, Trin,” he said. “I admit, it wasn’t my brightest idea ever. But trust me, we were trying to do the right thing. I thought if Emmy just saw them again, realized they weren’t the monsters she believes them to be…” He gave her a helpless look. “What do want us to do?”
“I don’t know,” she snapped. “I just don’t know. The group is freaking out. Connor’s still unconscious. Emmy’s shut herself away.” She shook her head slowly. “Look, can you guys just hang tight for now? I promise we won’t take any action until we have a chance to talk things over as a group.”
“Uh, are you really suggesting that we leave the fate of our dragons up to a committee?” Scarlet broke in. “’Cause I’m definitely not cool with that.” She made a move to rise to her feet. “Our dragons have done nothing wrong. Emmy should be the one being punished, not them!”
Trinity shot a look at Caleb. You need to calm her down, she pushed.
“Scarlet…” Caleb said in a warning voice, reaching out to try to pull her back down beside him.
She shook off his hand, looking down at him with angry eyes. “Oh, of course. Let me guess. You’re just going to take her side, right?”
Seriously, Caleb, Trinity pushed again.
What am I supposed to do? he pushed back, looking from one girl to the next.
Whatever you have to. Do not let this get any worse than it already is.
“Look, Buttercup,” Caleb said, after drawing in a breath. “No one’s taking sides here. It’s just a simple chat between friends. And I do agree with you—Emmy’s as much to blame as anyone else if not more so. And I’m sure Trinity is on her way to talk to her now. She’s not going to just get a pass. Right, Trin?”
Trinity gave a grudging nod. “Though to be fair, you did blindside the poor dragon. And during her big party too.”
Caleb shot her a look. You’re not helping.
Trinity sighed. “Look, we just need to keep clear heads, okay? We’ve been in tight situations before, and we’ve always managed to work things through. We’ll regroup in the morning and assess the situation. You guys can properly introduce your dragons to the group, and I will do what I can to talk Emmy down. Does that sound fair?”
Scarlet opened her mouth to speak, then glanced guiltily to Caleb. Trinity noted he was squeezing her hand very hard. “Fine,” she spit out instead. “We’ll wait until morning. But we’d better get our fair say, Trinity Foxx. Zoe and Zavier deserve another chance.”
“And they will get one,” Trinity assured her, dropping her shoulders in relief. “I promise.” She rose to her feet. “Now if this is all settled, I’m going to go talk to Emmy.”
She glanced over at Scarlet, still not liking the dark look in her eyes. She turned back to Caleb.
You told me once—whatever I needed—you would be here for me. That all I had to do was ask.
Caleb bit his lower lip. Yes. Of course. But…
Then keep her away from those dragons tonight. No matter what you have to do.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Emmy? Are you awake?”
Trin stepped quietly into the hangar, blinking her eyes to adjust them to the darkness. From the far end, she could hear the hum of the television set and see the faint, blue glow seeping under the red curtains.
Her shoulders relaxed. Emmy was watching TV. That had to be a good sign, right?
Crossing the hangar, she pulled back the curtains, peering in to find Emmy curled up in front of the set, her long tail wrapped securely around her body and her head resting on her paw.
Trin cleared her throat to make her presence known. “Did you start watching the fourth Harry Potter without me?” she started to tease. “I thought we were…”
She trailed off as she caught sight of the TV screen and frowned. No, not Harry Potter. Something much darker.
FOX News. And, it appeared, the subject of the day was none other than the once-dubbed Touchdown of Terror herself.
Crap.
“Watch this,” one of the commentators was saying as the video rolled on the other half of the screen. A disturbing, slow-motion replay of Emmy blasting fire at Zavier. “Does this look like America’s next top house pet to you?” he asked gleefully.
“I don’t know. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t afford the fire insurance premiums,” joked his cohost.
Oh God.
“Emmy…” Trin tried. But the dragon’s eyes stayed glued on the TV.
“As you know, over the last few months, the liberal media has been all over themselves trying to convince us that this creature should be part of some kind of animal-rights campaign,” added the third commentator. “And PETA has been actively petitioning to get this fire-breathing beast on the endangered species list.” He turned to face the cameras. “We have social media expert Ike Sudukus with us via satellite. Ike, is this the kind, cuddly creature we should be embracing as a society?”
“I know I’m not embracing anything with claws like that,” the first commentator interrupted with a snort. “I mean, give that poor beast a mani-pedi, why don’t you?”
Trinity cringed as she caught Emmy stealing a peek at her actually very beautiful, shiny claws. The dragon had spent months growing them back after the government had shorn them and had been so proud of their length, showing them off to everyone who came to visit. Now she looked down at them sorrowfully and tucked them under her belly, hiding them from view. It was all Trin could do not to take a bat to the TV set.
The video switched to the social media expert. “It’s clear this creature has a fan base. There are thousands of websites dedicated to the dragon, and its weekly web show has drawn viewers from all over the world. The question is will those fans stay loyal now that this video has surfaced? Now that it’s obvious that this is, indeed, a wild animal and clearly dangerous.”
“Not your grandma’s Puff the Magic Dragon, kiddos,” chimed in the female commentator. And Trinity’s heart broke at the shame she saw in Emmy’s eyes.
“In the last twenty-four hours, we’ve started to see an anti-Emmy backlash—with websites popping up all over. And the hashtag Kill Emmy is currently trending on Twitter,” added the social media expert helpfully.
Emmy’s eyes widened as the graphical representation of the hateful hashtag flashed across the screen. Trin grimaced. This was so not good.
“And yet this dragon has been so popular for months now. Why do you think people are so angry?” asked the host.
“Basically, they believe they’ve been lied to. Manipulated. Played for cash. For example, since the beginning, the Free Emmy group has been touting this creature as ‘the last of its kind,’ and yet now you clearly see on the video, there are at least two more in existence.”
“And they don’t appear to be besties either,” joked the female host as the video looped and Emmy shot fire at Zavier all over again. “I mean ouch! Take a look at the blast radius.”
“Right? Maybe the military needs to start recruiting dragons,” added her cohost. “Talk about a weapon of mass destruction! I mean, can you picture the look on a terrorist’s face when they suddenly find themselves up against a real-life dragon?”
Trinity stalked over to the TV and switched it off. Emmy whined, looking angry, then guilty—then just plain sad.
“Talk to me, Emmy,” Trinity commanded, sitting down in the chair across from the dragon. “Tell me everything that went down.”
Emmy didn’t reply. Instead, she dropped her head to the floor and stared off into space. Trinity’s heart wrenched to see the anguish on the dragon’s face. But she couldn’t let her get off that easily. She thought back to her talk with Scarlet. If she didn’t make good, the girl was going to do something rash. And things were bad enough already.
“You thought they were dead, didn’t you?” she pushed. “You told Scarlet to kill them, and you thought she had.”
Emmy gave a small huff. Trinity decided to take that as a yes.
“Why didn’t you come to me from the start?” she demanded, her voice rising in frustration. “I could have helped you. We could have dealt with this together. Instead, you went and hid it from me!”
I didn’t want you to know.
“But why?” Trinity cried. “I thought we were a team. I thought we shared a bond. And yet, over and over, you’ve chosen to go behind my back. How am I supposed to help you, Emmy, if you never tell me what you need?”
I don’t deserve your help. Not when I can’t help you in return.
Trinity sighed. “What are you talking about, Emmy? You’ve done so much. Hell, you sacrificed your one chance at true happiness to save the boy I loved.”
And now all you do is fight with him—because of me.
Trinity cringed. She hadn’t realized the dragon had picked up on the tension between her and Connor. “That’s not your fault,” she tried to protest.
But Emmy wasn’t listening. Because of me, you have lost everything. Your mother, your grandfather, your normal life. She closed her eyes, letting out a soft groan. If I had just done what you asked. If I had gone to the place with all the dragons, none of this would be happening now. The world would not be doomed.
Trinity cringed at the self-loathing she saw clear on the dragon’s face. Poor Emmy. No wonder she’d been so miserable this whole time. The guilt she’d been living under must have been suffocating.
When I saw you walk into that lab, I could barely look at you. I was so ashamed. After what I let them do to me…
“You didn’t let them do anything,” Trinity corrected, her voice cracking with frustration. “Emmy, you were captured. You were tortured. You were experimented on and impregnated against your will. How can any of that be your fault?”
Emmy didn’t answer, and the silence stretched out between them. Finally, she looked up at Trinity, her eyes unbearably sad.
You said there might be a way to turn back the clock? she asked. A way to undo all that’s been done?
“Maybe,” Trinity said hesitantly. “I mean, my dad’s still trying to work that out, to see if it’s even possible. I don’t know how much progress he’s made though. Maybe someday. But in the meantime, Emmy, we have to deal with what’s happening now. You have two children, whether you like it or not. And how we deal with them now will make all the difference for the future.”
Emmy regarded her with solemn eyes. You want me to give them a chance, don’t you? Even knowing what we know?
Trinity bit her lower lip. “We don’t know anything,” she corrected. “Not anymore. Connor and Caleb’s future, as far as I’m concerned, has already been eradicated. We’re on a new path now. And each step on that path can lead to a new destiny.”
But is it worth the risk?
“You were a risk once,” Trinity reminded her. “If Connor had had his way, you’d have been dropped into a volcano when you were still in your egg. But Caleb convinced me that we should give you a chance to prove yourself. And you did, Emmy. Ten times over. Don’t these dragons deserve the same opportunity? They are your children after all.”
She rose to her feet, giving the dragon a sympathetic look. “I’ll let you think it over, okay?” she told her. “But, Emmy, really think about it. Think about what it could be like for you to have children. For your children to have a real mother—like you never had. Imagine what you could do if the three of you were on the same team.” She gave the dragon a wistful smile. “Imagine what it’d be like…to never be alone again.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
I think he’s in here.
Zoe peeked her head through the window, squinting to see inside. Zavier stepped up beside her, shoving her snout away so he could get a better look for himself. From this vantage point, he could just make out Caleb-dad’s brother, lying very still on the bed.
Yes, he agreed. That’s definitely him. He frowned, glancing at the door they’d come through from the outside. Are you sure you want to do this?
It’s our fault he’s in there, isn’t it? Zoe reminded him stubbornly. I’m not going to just let him die on us. He’s Caleb’s brother, after all. Just like you’re my brother.
Zavier opened his mouth to remind her that it had been Caleb who had done this to his brother in the first place, then gave up before speaking. He knew better than anyone that there was no way to change his sister’s mind once she got something in her head. Besides, if it would make her feel better about everything that had gone down, how could he deny her that? Anything to get off the hook for his earlier actions.
Zoe had been so furious at him. And he supposed he’d deserved it in a way. But still, what choice had he had really? Just stand back and let that bitch dragon threaten his poor sister for no good reason? All poor Zoe wanted was to be acknowledged. To be loved by her mother as any dragon deserved to be loved. But instead, she’d been scorned. Dismissed. As if she were nothing more than last night’s soup bones, already gnawed clean.
No one treated Zoe that way. Not with Zavier around.
Emberlyn had looked so angry—as if she were only seconds away from attacking Zoe where she stood—and the ice in her eyes had made his blood run cold. He knew he had to do something to distract her away from his sister before she made a move, and going after her food was the only thing he could come up with on short notice.
Sure, he knew it was wrong; Caleb and Scarlet had taught them both that touching food that didn’t belong to you was disrespectful and rude. But how much ruder had Emberlyn been to Zoe? The dragon deserved to have her dinner devoured—and so much more.
He spit, remembering. The food hadn’t even tasted good—it was raw and bloody and disgusting.
But it had gotten Emberlyn’s attention, that was for sure.
He groaned. He hadn’t meant for anyone to get hurt. And the last thing he wanted was for Zoe to be angry with him. So when she had brought up the idea of going and healing Caleb’s brother, he’d agreed to it, despite thinking it completely insane.
And so they’d broken through their chains—which were nothing more than a joke really—and headed to the main building after everyone went to sleep. They’d snuck through the back door and were now ready to prove to the gang that they really were good dragons, despite public opinion.
You wait out here, Zoe instructed him. Make sure no one’s coming.
What am I supposed to do if someone comes?
Something nonviolent. Something a nice dragon would do.
Should I offer to make them tea and crumpets?
I’ll settle for you not burning them to a crisp.
Fine, Zavier replied, his eyes dancing. But hurry up. We don’t want to ge
t caught out here.
Zoe nodded, clamping her teeth over the door handle and twisting it open. The door creaked loudly, and for a moment, both dragons froze, wondering if the sound would wake someone up. But the building remained silent and still, so Zoe carefully pulled the door open a little more, then slipped inside to do what she had come there to do.
Zavier peered through the window, watching her lean down to bite at the soft scale on her arm. The scale that, according to Scarlet-mom, could heal people who were sick or hurt. Just as his own blood had healed Caleb-dad, both back when he was a baby and earlier today. It was a pretty cool superpower, he had to admit, though the blood was in limited supply. He, himself, was currently all tapped out and would be for the next couple weeks. As Zoe would be once she was done giving her blood to Connor.
The blood transfusion only took a moment, and before he knew it, Zoe was bursting back through the door, her eyes shining with excitement. I did it! she announced proudly. Then she turned, peering through the window. She paused for a moment, then bounced up and down in glee. He’s waking up! she cried. He’s okay! She turned to Zavier. I did it! I healed him!
Good work, Sis, Zavier said, softening. Zoe’d been so upset earlier; it warmed his heart to see her happy again, no matter what the reason. Now let’s get out of here before they find out we broke through our chains.
Zoe nodded. And then tomorrow, we can tell Scarlet-mom what we did! And she’ll tell everyone else. They’ll call us heroes. Good dragons who save people, she added with much bravado. And then they’ll have to let us stay.
They walked out the back door and into the open air. The night was cool but not cold, and a full moon shone down on them, illuminating the landscape and casting dark shadows on the field. Zavier found himself looking out into the distance, wondering what the world was like beyond this place.