Smoked (21 page)

I'm sorry, Scarlet. There's nothing else I can do.

Zavier screamed, black blood exploding from his body, splashing onto Trinity and Emmy like a tidal wave. Trin wiped the blood from her eyes, watching, praying it had done the trick. Zavier was writhing now, still screaming, a look of pain and anguish on his face. Then, at last, he fell silent, collapsing for the final time.

Trinity leaned over and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the pavement. Then she staggered over to Emmy. The dragon was breathing hard and still bleeding in several spots. “Are you okay?” Trinity asked her, her voice choked with tears. She reached out to the dragon, holding her in her arms. They were both soaked in black blood, but at the moment, neither one of them cared.

I'm okay
, Emmy assured her.
Most
of
the
blood
is
his.

Oh, Emmy.
Trinity buried her face in the dragon's scales.
I'm so sorry.

She looked up, realizing they were surrounded. All the townspeople were coming out from hiding, rushing over to see the aftereffects of the battle. Some hung back, as if they still weren't sure they could trust Emmy, even though she clearly had just saved their lives. Others were jubilant, cheering loudly and literally dancing in the streets. Still others were busy uploading photos and videos to their various social media accounts, as you did, Trin supposed, in times like these.

“You saved us!” cried the girl with the FreeEmmy.com badge. “I knew you would!”

Trinity gave her a rueful smile; she knew she should be just as happy as the rest of them. But instead, a heaviness seemed to weigh on her shoulders. Caleb and Scarlet were going to be so upset.

And Emmy—well, now both her children were dead. Before she'd ever gotten a chance to get to know them. A choking sound escaped her throat.

She turned to the townspeople. “Burn the body,” she instructed. “And bury the ashes deep in the ground.” She didn't need the government swooping in and helping themselves to any more dragon DNA.

As the townspeople moved to obey, she turned back to Emmy. The dragon was pawing the ground nervously, looking at Zavier's corpse with puzzled eyes.

I'm so sorry, Emmy
, Trin whispered again.
You
know
I
didn't want it to come to this.

It
didn't
, Emmy said suddenly, looking up at her.

Huh?
Trinity cocked her head in question.
What
do
you
mean?

“That's not Zavier.”

Trinity whirled around, heart in her throat at the sound of the sudden voice. There behind her stood none other than Connor himself. The Hunter looked drained and tired and filthy. But the sight of him caused her heart to flutter despite herself.

He must have arrived just in time, seen the fight, and stepped in to help with his Hunter song when they needed him most. Saved their lives, just as he'd promised to do.

“What do you mean it's not Zavier?” she demanded. She stared down at the dragon's corpse, confusion creasing her brow. Now that she had time to better look at him, she realized Connor was right. This dragon was not only bigger than Zavier, but it had a strange coloring under its wings that Emmy's son didn't have.

She looked up. “But…who else could it be?”

“I don't know,” Connor said grimly. “But I have a feeling things are about to get a whole lot worse.”

This was bad. This was so very bad.

Three hours later, Connor was pacing the desert floor, his eyes returning, over and over again, to the scorched ruins that had once served as a government lab. It was hard to believe, looking at it now, that he and Trinity had been there only months before, preparing to break in and steal back her dragon. At the time, it had seemed an impenetrable fortress. Now it was nothing more than a burnt-out husk.

Once they'd realized the dead dragon wasn't Zavier, it hadn't taken much to put two and two together. After that, they'd acted decisively, putting aside their personal feelings and jumping on Emmy's back to fly to the lab, hoping they wouldn't find what they both knew in their hearts had to be true. Connor had never wanted to be wrong more.

But of course, he wasn't.

He swore under his breath. He should have predicted this, he told himself. How many times, after all, had he read the original story of Trinity and her Dracken friends breaking into the lab to free Emmy only to find sixteen more baby dragons waiting for them inside. Sixteen hybrids that had been genetically altered into monsters. Sixteen hybrids that would rise up against their rescuers and decimate the world.

But they hadn't seen any baby dragons when they'd staged Emmy's rescue. And so he'd tried to convince himself that it hadn't happened that way this time—that because it was ten years earlier, the government wouldn't have had the technology to clone. That because it was only six months versus years, they wouldn't have had the time.

But they did have one thing they didn't have the first time around, he reminded himself. They had Mara, the Dracken's Chief Birthing Maiden, working with them. Perhaps she had futuristic technology at her disposal to help them create these fiends.

And now they'd been set on the world once again.

“Guess with his sister gone, he needed some backup,” Trinity remarked, not bothering to keep the bitterness from her voice. Connor sighed, stepping closer to her, laying a hand on her shoulder, not sure she would accept his gesture of comfort. His heart ached as he watched her trying to be brave, trying to keep it together.

“Go ahead and say it,” she spit out, not turning around. “You told me so. You told me so, and I refused to listen.”

He gave her a rueful look. “It's okay,” he said. “I didn't want it to be true either. Believe me, Trinity, I wanted so badly to be wrong.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, her phone rang. Frowning, she glanced at the screen and saw Luke's name pop up on the caller ID.

“We've got problems,” Luke said before she could say hello. “The Internet has been blowing up. There have been so many dragon sightings in the last hour that they crashed my email server. It's all over the news too. I don't know how the hell Zavier's getting to so many places so quickly. We've been trying to pin them on the map, to come up with some kind of flight pattern to follow. But they don't make any sense. As far as I can see, there's no way he could be in so many places at once.”

“He's not,” Trinity said flatly. “He's got thirteen pissed off brothers and sisters to help him.”

“What?” Luke's voice was incredulous. “Since when?”

“Just keep charting the sightings, okay?” she told him. “And send them to my email. Try to get as detailed a description as you can for each dragon, so we know what we're dealing with here.”

“And if any of them sound like Zavier,” Connor added, “alert us immediately. He's probably acting as the leader, and if we take him out first, it may confuse the others long enough for us to track them down.”

“Roger that.”

Trinity said good-bye to Luke and stuffed the phone in her pocket, turning back to Connor. “This is not good,” she said, the understatement of the century. Behind her, Emmy gave a worried whine.

“No,” he agreed. “It's not.”

She moaned softly. “If only I had—”

Connor held up a hand. “There's no time for ‘if onlys' right now,” he reminded her. “We have an apocalypse to stop. And we're running out of time.” He gave her a stern look. “I know we've had our differences, Trinity. But…are you with me? Will you help me now?”

She nodded. “Of course. What do we do?”

“We need to get into the lab,” he told her. “I need to find out what I can about these other dragons—how many there are, what their genetic makeup is. If we can figure out what their DNA is spliced with, maybe we can determine a weakness.” He shrugged. “It's a long shot, I know. But it may be the only one we have.”

The dragons had done their worst, and the lab was pretty much in shambles, all the entrances, including the loading dock, now blocked by rubble. In the end, they'd been forced to turn to Emmy for flyover help.

At first, the dragon had balked at the idea of willingly entering her prison all over again but eventually obliged, allowing the two of them to climb onto her back. She took flight, and together they flew over the building, looking for some kind of hole they could drop down into. The dragons had to have exited somehow, Trin surmised, meaning there had to be something to use as an entrance.

At last they saw it, at the far corner of the building: a black gaping pit, like a monster's mouth, ready to swallow them whole. Trinity glanced nervously at Connor, then instructed Emmy to check it out. Connor pulled his weapon from its holster. They needed to be ready for anything.

As they dropped down into the building, Trin blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the sudden darkness. Connor, who, of course, had much better vision, gave an excited cry. “This is it,” he told her. “This is where we rescued Emmy.”

Trinity squinted, her eyes finally coming into focus. Sure enough, from the dim light above, she could just make out a tangle of cages and wreckage. The place looked like a scene from one of the
Fallout
video games, she thought. And she wondered uneasily if there would be anything left to search for.

Emmy let out a low whine, pawing the air nervously as her gaze darted around the room. Trinity didn't blame her; so much had happened here, and now they were back at the scene of the crime. She reached out, pressing a comforting hand against the dragon's back.

It's okay, girl. Nothing here can hurt you now.

Emmy seemed somewhat comforted by this, dropping down for a graceful landing. Once she was securely earthbound, Trin and Connor slid off her back, turning on their cell phone flashlights and looking around. The first thought Trin had was how quiet it was. All the primates and pigs and other animals that had shared a prison with Emmy were long gone.

“Do you see any—?” she started.

Her words were cut short as a jolt of terror rang through her.
Emmy's
terror, she realized with dread. She whirled around, heart in her throat, to make sure the dragon was okay. Emmy was white eyed and panting and staring into space.

“What's wrong?” Trinity asked, rushing back to her. “Are you—”

Suddenly her own skin prickled, her gift picking up the presence of another—and not far away either. She bit her lower lip, concentrating on the source. She could feel it, just beyond her line of sight. Whoever it was, they were strong in the gift, she realized. Which meant it wasn't just some janitor come to clean up the mess.

“Over here,” she whispered to Connor, gesturing for him to follow. To his credit, he didn't ask for an explanation, just stepped in behind her as she attempted to navigate the maze of broken cages. Meanwhile, Emmy stayed put; she was too big to get through the tangle of wires and seemed to have little desire to go exploring even if she could.

It didn't take long to get to the source: a large cage in the very center of the room. The only cage that hadn't been destroyed beyond repair.

The only cage that wasn't empty.

Trinity's mouth gaped as she stared at the cage's occupant. “It's you…” she breathed, horrified and fascinated all at the same time.

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…”