Smoked

by Mari Mancusi

  Mara looked up at her. The Dracken Chief Birthing Maiden, who had once been so beautiful and elegant and poised, had been reduced to a hot mess. Her normally smooth blond hair was snarled and ratted, and her face was covered with scratches and ash. Her clothes were ripped, and there was a long, ugly gash on her left arm that looked infected.

  She leveled her gaze on Trinity and Connor. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”

  What had happened to her? Had she been here when the dragons were freed? Had she helped Zavier set them on the world? After all, the Dracken’s true mission had been to cause chaos and burn the planet down so they could eventually take over. They had to be pretty pleased at how things were turning out.

  But for some reason, Mara didn’t look pleased. In fact, she looked downright defeated as she collapsed onto the cage’s filthy floor. For a split second, Trinity was tempted to move to help her but forced herself to stand back. This was the woman who had kidnapped her dragon. The one who had tortured Scarlet. The one who had set this whole nightmare in motion. She didn’t deserve a scrap of pity.

  But she might be able to give us some answers, Connor reminded her silently. If we push her right.

  Trinity nodded. In fact, looking around at the state of things here, Mara might be their only hope in ever learning for sure what these dragons were made of.

  “What happened here?” she asked, trying to keep her voice cool and calm. “Why are you in that cage?”

  The Dracken’s eyes darkened. “Isn’t it obvious?” she snapped. “I locked myself in here for protection when they were destroying everything in sight. And now they’re gone. The dragons are loose. Everything I’ve worked for is ruined.”

  “Ruined?” Trinity repeated. “And here I thought you’d be thrilled. That was your endgame, was it not? To reload the apocalypse? Pretty mission accomplished, if you ask me.”

  Mara’s eyes dropped to the ground. Her hands wrung around one another. “You’re thinking of Darius,” she said in a voice so low Trinity could barely hear her. “He was the one who wanted to destroy the world.”

  “And you didn’t?” Trinity asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

  “Of course not!” Mara snapped. “What rational person would want to burn down the world? It was madness, of course!”

  “And yet you went along with it anyway.”

  “I had no choice,” she informed her sadly. “I didn’t know of his true plan until it was too late. His gift is strong. He held us all in thrall. Me, the Potentials…” She looked up. “Even your little pal Caleb there.”

  Trinity stiffened at the mention of Caleb’s name. “You better start talking.”

  Mara sighed, suddenly looking very old. “I was on the streets when he found me, having been fired from my job as chief scientist by the Council after someone sold me out as a dragon sympathizer, citing some of the research I’d been doing on the side on how to tame hybrids.” She made a face. “At the time, I thought he was my savior, picking me up off the streets and giving me a job and a home and a new lab to continue my research. It wasn’t until much later that I suspected he was the one who had turned me in to begin with. He needed my expertise, but he knew I’d never work with him unless I had nowhere else to go.” She shrugged. “That’s how he does it. That’s how he gets everyone. They’re either already hopeless, or he makes them become so.”

  Trinity thought about how Darius had tried to trick her much the same way—telling her that her grandfather was dead, then sending assassins to make it true. But she’d had no idea that this was his typical MO. She glanced over at Connor, realizing his face had paled.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  He ignored her, his eyes locked on Mara. “Caleb,” he said. “You said he did this to Caleb too?”

  Mara smiled wanly. “Who do you think gave you that anonymous tip?”

  “What tip? What are you talking about?” Trinity demanded, looking from one to the other, her pulse kicking up in alarm.

  Connor turned to her, a sober expression on his face. “I’d just gotten back from seeing my mother,” he said slowly. “She’d told me Caleb had a dragon, and I was looking everywhere for him to find out if it was true. At the time, I’d planned to just lecture him—to try to talk him into giving it up. But then I got this strange call—the caller told me that the Council had learned about my brother’s dragon. That they were sending a team. That if I didn’t get there first and take care of things, Caleb would be killed along with her.” He grimaced. “I thought I was helping him. I thought I was saving his life…” He trailed off, looking devastated.

  “It was the only way for Darius to ensure your brother’s loyalty,” Mara broke in. “Give him the ultimate gift, then have someone he loves steal it away. Follow up by feeding him bread crumbs—or in this case, Nether gems—to allow him to see his dead dragon. And he’s putty in Darius’s hands.”

  “Oh God.” Connor cringed. “I was so concerned with doing the right thing, I never questioned—”

  “None of us did,” Mara interrupted. “Darius played us all like fiddles. And when he offered me the chance to come back in time—to stop the government from creating hybrids in the first place, of course I jumped at the opportunity. I thought if I could infiltrate their ranks and show them how to breed pure-blooded dragons this time, I’d not only be saving the world, but I’d be saving the dragon race as well.” She sank back onto her knees. “It was only after you broke into the mall to rescue Trinity that I learned his true plan.

  “And so I sold him out,” she continued. “I testified against him so they’d send him to federal prison, and I joined the government scientists to continue my work. I had stolen some sperm samples from the dragons we had brought back in time with us, but I needed more. I needed a host…a mother.” She gave Trinity a rueful smile. “And there was only one dragon that fit the bill.”

  Trinity bristled. “So you kidnapped Emmy. And you tortured her.”

  “I saved her life,” Mara shot back angrily. “The rest of them had no idea how to take care of a dragon. Without me, Emmy wouldn’t have survived a week. I made sure she was properly fed, and I insisted on her receiving daily visits from the girl who surrendered as her Fire Kissed so she’d have some emotional support as well. But in the end, there was only so much I could do without risking my position and losing her forever.” She gave Trinity a pleading look. “You have to understand. The fate of the world depended on me being there, making sure things didn’t go the way they had the first time around. So yes, I’m sorry to say your dragon suffered collateral damage,” she added flatly. “And the girl did too. But we all must make sacrifices to save the world. No one is immune.”

  Trinity sucked in a breath, forcing her anger at bay. Then she closed her eyes, using her gift to push into Mara’s head, searching, seeking for some kind of clue as to whether she was lying or telling the truth. But try as she might, she could find no traces of deceit, only tumultuous feelings of regret mixed with frustration.

  She opened her eyes, stealing a glance at Connor. What do you think? she asked him silently.

  From what I can tell, she’s sincere, he replied with a shrug. She was a victim, just like the rest of us.

  Trinity nodded, turning back to Mara. “So the dragons you created,” she managed to ask, wanting to be clear once and for all, “what are they mixed with? What’s in their DNA?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What?” Trinity cocked her head in question. “What do you mean nothing?”

  “I mean, they’re pure-blooded dragons,” Mara clarified, looking a little offended. “The true sons and daughters of Emberlyn and a dragon named Gabriel that we brought back from the future. I mean, come on! Do you think I’d really create hybrids after what happened the first time around?”

  Trinity stared at her, then turned to Connor. His face had gone stark white. “They’re pure
-blooded?” he whispered. “All of them? Even Zoe and Zavier?”

  “Of course. They’re all from the same litter, after all. We had put Emmy to sleep right before you staged your little rescue and had harvested most of the eggs by that point. Unfortunately, we were still working when all that craziness happened with the flash mob you staged, and we were told to finish up later. But of course, then you all barged in and set her free. I always wondered if the last two eggs had survived. From the state she was in when she left, I was pretty certain she would have just killed them herself.” She sighed. “But evidently not. And now, thanks to your massive screwups, everything I’ve worked for is ruined. The dragons are loose in the world, just like the first time around. Congratulations. Darius, in whatever prison he’s rotting away in, must be thrilled.”

  “But wait—you just said yourself they’re not hybrids this time,” Trinity cried. “Doesn’t that make a difference?”

  Mara gave her a rueful look. “Nature can only make so much of a difference. In the end, I believe nurture plays the largest role. Think of a dog: some breeds tend to be more prone to violence, but any dog can turn if it’s mistreated enough. Dragons are no different. With more time, we could have raised them to respect and value humans. Now it’s too late.”

  Trinity heard Connor’s low moan beside her. She reached out to squeeze his hand, knowing what must be going through his mind. If he hadn’t acted, if he hadn’t killed Zoe—basically proving mankind to be the bad guys—would everything be different now?

  After all he’d done to try to stop the apocalypse, had he been the one to start it all?

  She turned back to Mara, squaring her shoulders and firming her resolve. This wasn’t over yet. Not by a long shot. “There’s got to be a way to prove to them that we’re not the enemy,” she argued. “If we could just gather them up somehow, talk to them, tell them what happened and apologize…” She trailed off. “I know that’s probably impossible.”

  Mara was silent for a moment. Then she slowly nodded her head. “There may be one way,” she said at last. “It’s a long shot…but…”

  “What is it?”

  “If we could get our hands on some of the Nether dust.”

  “Nether dust? What’s that?”

  “It’s something the Council was working on,” Connor broke in. “To help control the hybrids. They crush up Nether gems into microscopic particles and put them through a vaporizer.”

  “Right,” Mara agreed. “It produces a highly concentrated dose that can put even the largest of dragons into a Nether state. If we could use it and bring them all to the Nether at one time, we may be able to force them to listen, without the dangers of doing so in real life.”

  “But if it’s something from your future—”

  “It was stolen,” Connor interrupted, his voice hoarse. “The Dracken stole it from the Council.” He turned to Mara. “Did they bring it here? Do you know where it is now?”

  Mara shrugged. “I assume it’s still at the mall where we once had our headquarters. Safe and sound, deep in my lab. I don’t know if we’ll be able to reach it—the mall is in pretty bad shape these days—after the fire and all. But if we could, it could give us a chance.”

  “If we’re going to do this,” Connor said, “we need all the chances we can get.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  “Where is he? He should be back by now!”

  Scarlet scanned the skies for what felt like the thousandth time, a shiver escaping her body. The temperature had dropped, and the chill was beginning to creep into her bones. Still, she refused to give up, pacing the area and watching the sky, waiting for Zavier to return.

  Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. She turned to find Caleb standing there, a distraught look on his face. A shiver ran down her back.

  “What is it?” she managed to ask, though she was already pretty sure she didn’t want to know the answer. Please don’t let Zavier be dead.

  Wordlessly, he held out his cell. She took it with trembling hands, holding it for a moment before daring to look down at the screen. It was a news report. About dragons.

  Not dragon singular. Dragons.

  And they were tearing up the state.

  “How in the hell…?” she whispered, sinking to her knees as the report played on, showing building after building aflame. The president had declared martial law, the reporter was saying. The military had been dispatched. People were on the streets. Looting had begun.

  Scarlet swallowed hard as Emmy’s long-ago words raged back to her consciousness.

  If they live, they will burn down the world.

  She looked up at Caleb. “I don’t understand. How…?”

  He gave her a grim look. “There must have been more dragons back at the government lab. Zavier must have gone and freed them, recruited them for his revenge.”

  She nodded, handing the phone back to him with trembling fingers, unable to look down again and watch the devastation. “I should have made him stay here,” she said, her voice betraying her barely concealed hysteria. “But he was so restless. So angry. Honestly, I was getting a little scared. So I told him he should go hunting, you know? I thought maybe that would calm him down until I could figure out our next move.” She shook her head. “What an idiot I am.”

  “No.” Caleb dropped to his knees before her, taking her hands in his. “You’re not,” he insisted. “If you had let him stay, he might have hurt you. Not on purpose—I know he loves you. But he’s angry and hurt—and he might have lashed out. You did the right thing.”

  “The right thing,” she repeated bitterly. “I’m sick to death of people and their so-called right things. It’s how we justify everything we do. And yet, if we’re all really trying to do the right thing, how come everything keeps going so wrong?”

  Caleb was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke. “Maybe because it was meant to be this way.”

  “What?” She stared at him, confused.

  He sighed. “I know you came late into this whole thing, but it’s been like this since the beginning. Every move we’ve made, everything we’ve tried to do, it’s like it makes no difference. We still keep charging forward—to the brink of disaster.” He dropped her hands, staring down at his phone. “Sometimes I don’t know why we even bother to keep trying. No matter what we do, the Scorch keeps looming. And I don’t know anymore if there’s any way to truly stop it.”

  She scrunched up her face, trying to interpret his words. “What are you talking about, Caleb?” she asked. “What’s the Scorch?”

  “I have to tell you something,” he said suddenly. “Something I should have told you a long time ago. I warn you, it’s going to sound crazy—like really crazy—but I promise you, it’s true. And maybe it’ll help you see: none of this is your fault. None of this is any of our faults. Or maybe it’s all of our faults, I don’t know.”

  “Oh-kay…”

  And so he told her. A story too insane to be true yet too insane to be made up. She listened without interrupting, and when he had finished, he gave her an apologetic look.

  “I’m sorry, Scarlet. You should have never been dragged into any of this. This should have never been your fight.”

  She sucked in a breath, her mind racing, trying to sort it all through. “Why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?”

  “Would you have believed me if I had?”

  Of course she wouldn’t have. She could barely believe him now.

  “But you knew this whole time what could happen,” she insisted. “You knew, just like Emmy did, what these dragons were supposed to grow up and do? And yet you decided to help me protect them anyway?”

  “I thought they deserved a chance. Just as Trinity gave Emmy.”

  “Right. Trinity.” Scarlet made a face. “I guess that explains why everyone’s always kissing her ass too. She’s like the Luke Sky
walker chosen one in this whole deal, right?”

  He nodded grimly. “The girl who would save our world.”

  “And here I thought you were just in love with her.”

  Caleb sighed. “I’m not going to lie—at one time, I thought I was. Back home, she’s like a celebrity. I worshipped the ground she walked on before I ever even met her in real life.” He shrugged sheepishly. “It took me a while to recognize who she really was. Not some goddess—just a girl. I mean, don’t get me wrong. She’s pretty awesome. But she makes mistakes. She gets mad. She follows her heart instead of her head—”

  “It sounds like you still care about her.”

  “I do. And I always will,” he admitted. “But she and I were never meant to be. Not in the way you’re thinking anyway. We tried, sure, but we never made each other happy.” He paused, then added, “Not like I’ve been happy with you.”

  She looked up, her breath caught in her throat. “Have I…really made you happy?”

  He met her eyes with his own piercing blue ones. “Trust me, Buttercup,” he said with a crooked smile. “If this really is the end of the world? I wouldn’t want to spend it with anyone but you.”

  And then he kissed her. And she knew suddenly from the kiss that he meant every word he’d said. And that if she wanted him, he would be hers, totally hers, forever.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, his lips against her mouth, causing delicious shivers to run down her spine. “I’ve put you through so much. I don’t deserve another chance. But I promise you, Scarlet, I promise—”

  His words were cut off by a loud cry, followed by a shadow crossing over from above. They broke apart, and for a moment, as her eyes flew to the sky, Scarlet thought it was Zavier, come home at last.

  But it was Emmy crossing the horizon, coming in for a landing. With Trinity riding on her back. Scarlet and Caleb rose to their feet as they dropped down to the ground, Caleb putting a secure arm around Scarlet’s waist, leaving no doubt as to their relationship status.