Shattered (10 page)

“Emmy? Where are you, you overgrown barbecue grill?”

Caleb ran down the field, scanning the night sky, déjà vu hitting him hard and fast. This was perfect. Just perfect. He’d managed to lose the dragon again. And this time it wasn’t even his fault. Emmy had been safe and sound, locked up in the barn when Connor and Trinity had left to go to the game, and Caleb had more than learned his lesson about taking her out for a walk. So when Grandpa had asked if it was okay for him to go out hunting, Caleb figured, why not? Emmy was on official lockdown, with no chance of getting out. Unless, of course someone intentionally broke into the barn to let her out. But who could have predicted something like that? They’d been there three months and no one had ever come within a mile of the farm since day one.

You
might
not
have
predicted
it, but you could have stopped it,
a voice inside his head nagged.
If
you
hadn’t gone to the Nether again.

He scowled, pushing the voice away. What else was he supposed to have done to pass the time, all alone in a dark house while everyone else was off having fun?

He thought back to Trinity’s shining eyes—her excited face when Connor had presented her with the tickets. Okay, sure, he’d gotten Caleb a ticket too. And Grandpa had even offered to stay home and watch Emmy so the three of them could have a night out together. But Caleb found he couldn’t stomach the idea of spending hours sitting on the bleachers next to Trinity—so close he could smell her baby powder scent…and yet, at the same time, so many miles away.

He imagined sitting there, feeling like a third wheel as she and his brother laughed and teased one another and made inside jokes he didn’t understand. It was a torture he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy, and in the end, he’d decided it was better to stay home.

To palm that gem.

To escape into the Nether one more time.

“Damn you, stupid dragon,” he swore. He knew he was going to get blamed for this. Once more, he’d look like the bad guy and his brother would somehow prove the hero. His only chance was to find Emmy and drag her back to the barn before anyone got home and realized she was gone.

“Caleb!”

He froze, his eyes falling on the van, fast on approach, Connor’s head sticking out the open window. His shoulders slumped. So much for getting her back unnoticed. And as his brother got closer, Caleb caught the frantic look on his face. He already knew, he realized. Even better.

“It wasn’t my fault!” he blurted out as Connor pulled up a few feet away. “Some girl broke into the barn and—”

But his brother only waved him off. “We’ve got bigger problems,” he interrupted. “Emmy just decided to perform her own halftime show in the middle of Vista stadium. In front of half the town, nonetheless.”

“What?” Caleb stared at him, fear sliding down his back. “Where’s Trin?” He tried to look into the van, praying to see her inside. But the passenger seat was empty. It was then that he noticed the flashing lights in the distance. Police, fire, ambulance. This was not good.

“I don’t know,” Connor admitted, and Caleb could hear a thread of hysteria wind through his brother’s normally placid tone. “She jumped on Emmy’s back and took off flying.” He cringed. “She could be…anywhere.”

The concern in his voice was palpable and Caleb could clearly hear what his brother was leaving unsaid. Emmy wasn’t old enough, wasn’t large enough, to safely take on a rider. If Trinity couldn’t hold on while the dragon was air bound…

“It’s worse than that,” Connor interjected, evidently reading his thoughts. “They opened fire. I think…maybe…” He trailed off, his face now ashen under the van’s headlights.

Caleb’s heart wrenched violently. “No!” he cried, grabbing Connor by the shoulders and shaking him hard. “She’s fine. We’d know it if she wasn’t.
I’d
know.”

The words shot from his mouth like a cannonball, as if somehow he could make them true by sheer force of will. But he would know, wouldn’t he? They’d spent so much time together. They’d shared so much over the last few months. He’d kissed her. He’d loved her. He’d know if something had happened to her.

Wouldn’t he?

This
is
your
fault,
the voice inside of him nagged once again.
If
you’d stood guard like you were supposed to—if you hadn’t run away to the Nether, Emmy would be safe and sound. Trinity would be safe and sound, having fun, enjoying being normal for the first time in months. But no. You were too weak. Too selfish. And now you probably killed the both of them.

“She’s fine. She’s fine. She has to be!” he repeated, his voice sounding strangled and choked. He could feel his brother staring at him with pitying eyes, but he refused to acknowledge him. Refused to acknowledge any possibility other than the idea that Trinity was absolutely one hundred percent fine.

“Um, hey? Excuse me?”

The sudden female voice made the two brothers whirl around. Caleb’s eyes widened as they fell upon none other than the very same girl from the farmhouse. The one who had broken into the barn and freed Emmy and started this whole mess in the first place.

“You!” Caleb cried, hot anger spilling over him like lava from a volcano. “Do you know what you’ve done?” He stalked toward her, grabbing her and shoving her hard against the van. She cried out in a mixture of surprise and pain. But Caleb ignored her, pinning her to the vehicle, his nails digging into her soft shoulders. It was all he could do not to strangle her on the spot. To hurt her like she’d hurt Emmy.

Like she might have hurt Trin.

“Stop it! Caleb, let her go!”

Caleb felt himself being jerked away, shoved roughly aside. He hit the ground with a loud oomph and pain shot up his arm. He looked up to see his brother approaching the girl, giving her a careful once-over and asking if she was okay. Furious, he scrambled back to his feet.

“It was her!” he cried, pointing a shaking hand in the girl’s direction. “She was the one. She broke into the barn and let Emmy out.”

Connor gave him a steely look then turned back to the girl, speaking in a measured tone that made Caleb want to kick his twin’s self-righteous ass. Didn’t he get that she was the enemy? The one who had sparked this inferno?

“Is this true?” Connor asked. “Did you set Emmy free?”

The girl nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. She glanced fearfully at Caleb then back at Connor, swallowing hard. “I thought I was helping her,” she choked out. “She looked so sad, all alone in a dark barn. I only wanted to help her.”

“Congratulations,” Caleb growled, glaring at her. “You did a bang-up job at that.”

Connor shot him a look. “You’re not helping, Caleb.”

The girl hung her head. “I didn’t know,” she protested. “Believe me, I had no idea.”

“Look,” Connor said, clearing his throat. “I think it would be best for you to just go home, okay? Just forget any of this happened.”

The girl surprised Caleb by shaking her head vehemently. “No,” she said. “You don’t understand. There’s this group of men—my mom’s boyfriend and some of his bar buddies. They’re drunk and armed and looking for the dragon. I’ve got to find her—before it’s too late.”

Caleb stared at the girl, feeling his knees buckle out from under him. And here he thought things couldn’t have gotten any worse. Now, even if Trin had somehow managed to survive her dragon ride, she and Emmy could still be mowed down by a bunch of drunken rednecks.

“That’s just great,” he spit out, forcing his anger to swallow his fear. “But thanks to your little prank, we have no idea where she is.”

The girl bit her lower lip, a gesture that oddly reminded Caleb of Trin. “That’s not actually true,” she said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Connor demanded, finding his voice. Suddenly he was the one standing too close, towering over her small, trembling frame. She looked up at him with frightened eyes.

“A few days ago,” she managed to squeak out. “I was…hurt. The dragon found me. She healed my arm. And ever since that, I…” She trailed off with a helpless shrug. “Man, I sound completely crazysauce, don’t I?”

But Caleb found himself shaking his head, the events of the last few days finally pulling together in his mind. So that’s where the dragon had disappeared to. Why she’d returned with a broken scale.

Damn
you, Emmy
.
After
all
Trinity’s done for you…

He approached the girl, forcing a tight smile to his lips. “Actually, that makes perfect sense,” he said. “Now how about you take us to the dragon?”

Hang
on, Trinity. We’re on our way.

Connor watched as his brother put the van in park and yanked out the keys while the girl, Scarlet, was already scrambling out the back door. They’d need to walk from here on out, she’d told them. The dragon was hiding deep in the woods, inaccessible from any roads.

Popping open his own door, he slid out of the van and onto the soft dirt below, his eyes never leaving their guide, who was now diving into the woods, her long, straight brown hair streaming out behind her as she ran. He shook his head. Stupid girl. What had she been thinking, breaking into a barn, setting a wild animal free? It was idiotic at best. At most, suicidal.

Then again, he thought, was it any different than what Trin herself had done the first time around, when Emmy was locked up in a government lab, being experimented on and cloned? She and her Dracken pals had also come to the same daft conclusion that setting a fire-breathing beast and her brood free was the right and proper thing to do.

It wasn’t really their fault, he knew. Dragons had an uncanny ability to make humans feel sorry for them, to present themselves as vulnerable and weak—appealing to peoples’ protective, nurturing instincts and convincing them they were doing the right thing by helping them. Not unlike how dogs had neatly wrapped humanity around their own fuzzy paws with their big brown eyes and wagging tails. Dogs—and dragons—made people feel needed, wanted, loved, and accepted. Feelings they didn’t always get enough of from their fellow man.

And so people willingly deluded themselves that these survival instincts, honed by years of evolution, were actually true emotions. True love. And they’d do whatever it took—even putting their own lives in jeopardy—to keep these creatures from harm.

But if the tables were turned, would a dragon do the same thing for a human? Would he sacrifice himself and his own happiness for the sake of mankind? That spirit of self-sacrifice was, after all, the one thing that separated man from beast. And no matter how smart or magical dragons appeared, they were still, at the end of the day, only animals.

He thought back to the stadium. Of Trinity diving into the mob, throwing herself on Emmy’s back, taking off into the skies. Of the locals, pulling out their guns and opening fire. Had she been hit? Had she been killed? As much as Connor wanted to believe his brother’s angry assertion that they would know, somehow, if she were gone, Connor was also a realist. And Caleb hadn’t seen her—barely holding on as Emmy desperately clawed her way to higher altitudes. It would be tough enough for someone to ride a dragon as small as Emmy to begin with, without having to dodge bullets to boot. All they’d have to do was graze her leg or arm to throw her off balance. Send her careening to her death, the dragon soon following her into oblivion.

And
then
it’d all be over,
his father’s voice pointed out.
Mission
accomplished, despite all your screw-ups.

He gritted his teeth, pushing the ugly thoughts from his mind. Sure, it would be nice to have this all be over. To have no more reason to hide, to live in fear. No more possibility of a dragon apocalypse looming on the horizon. But not at the cost of Trinity’s life.

Just
like
the
dragon,
his father taunted.
Luring
you
in.
Convincing
you
to
protect
her. Going against all you’ve been taught, all common sense.

“Shut up!” he muttered. But the thought had already seeded itself, poisoning his mind, refusing to leave as they crashed through the woods. Would his tenderness toward Trin, his protective instinct, ultimately bring about the end of the world? Was she an innocent girl who deserved to live—or a disease, worming inside of him, eating away his good intentions? Causing him to turn his back on everything he believed in? Endangering everyone he loved?

He should want her dead. It would be best if they were both dead.

And yet somehow, all he could hope for—all he could pray for—as they ran through the forest, was that she would be alive, unhurt, safe. That she would look up at him with those big dark eyes of hers then smile and tell him everything was okay.

He groaned. Seriously, the Academy should revoke his Dragon Hunter degree.

“Over here!” Scarlet cried out, interrupting his reverie. He followed her and his brother into a clearing surrounded by thick, gnarled cedar trees and littered with rocks and weeds. Scarlet was standing in the center, hands on her knees, obviously winded from her sprint through the woods.

“In there,” she told them, pointing to an overhang draped by foliage. “There’s a cave. Emmy’s hiding in there.”

Connor narrowed his eyes as his soldier’s instincts kicked in. He glanced at the girl, realizing suddenly how little they knew about her. What if this was some kind of trap? What if Homeland Security agents were even now waiting in the bushes, ready to ambush them when the girl gave the word? His hand automatically felt for the pistol he kept strapped under his shirt. Then he looked to his brother. Caleb shrugged, also looking a little uneasy.

There was only one thing to do. Closing his eyes, he listened to the girl herself. Taking in her thoughts, directly from her own head.

I’m sorry, Emmy. I thought I was helping. I’m really, really sorry.

Okay. He let out a breath. At least she sounded sincere in her regret. And he felt no presence of anyone else in the vicinity. So, ignoring the now encroaching headache—the lovely parting gift he got from using his powers—Connor dropped to his knees, brushing away the overgrowth and peering into what did appear to be some kind of small cave. There was a flickering of light…Then…

ROAR!

Connor stumbled, losing his balance and falling onto his back like a turtle upended. Rocks and roots dug into his skin, but he ignored them, reaching under his shirt and whipping out his gun. Pointing it at the entrance, ready to—

“Don’t shoot!” cried a voice from inside. A very familiar voice.

His jaw dropped. “Trinity?” he stammered in barely more than a whisper. “Is that you?”

“Connor?”

She was alive. She was
ALIVE
.

Connor tossed the gun aside and dove through the brush, crawling on his hands and knees as fast as he could, desperate to reach her. Desperate to see her with his own eyes. To know the voice wasn’t some hopeful hallucination. That she was really there. That she was really okay.

And then there she was. Right there in front of him, her face illuminated by candlelight. Filthy and frightened and yet—oh God—so beautiful. Beautiful and very much alive.

He threw his arms around her, squeezing her so tightly he was half-afraid he’d break her bones. In an instant, all the poisonous thoughts of how she’d be better off dead evaporated, and all he could focus on was her.

The world could all go to hell, as long as he had her in his arms.

“Oh, Trin. Oh, Trinity.”

He could feel heavy eyes boring into his backside, and he reluctantly pulled away from their embrace. Emmy was sitting there, next to Trin, watching him suspiciously. He gave the dragon a rueful smile, his grudging thank you for keeping her safe and not letting her fall. Even if it had been only to ensure the beast’s own survival, rather than some showcase of true affection.

“Trinity!”

He turned to see Caleb and Scarlet crawling into the cave behind him. His brother looked as relieved as Connor felt and gave Trin an awkward hug of his own. Connor watched curiously as they avoided each other’s eyes, and he wondered, not for the first time, if something had gone down between them. Then he pushed the jealous thought from his mind. It didn’t matter now. All that mattered was she was safe.

He turned back to Scarlet to thank her for leading them here, surprised to realize she’d gone straight to Emmy. He watched as she gave the dragon a tentative pat on the snout. “I’m sorry,” he heard her whisper. “I think I gave you some bad advice.”

Connor watched as the dragon sniffed the girl for a moment then rewarded her with a large slurp to the face. Evidently all had been forgiven. Scarlet looked taken aback for a moment then she started laughing out loud, throwing her arms around the dragon as if they were best friends.

“Oh, Emmy! I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

Connor stole an uneasy glance over at Trin, who was watching the scene play out with a small, puzzled frown. Not surprising. He’d never seen Emmy show much affection or interest to anyone but her Fire Kissed before. Who was this girl anyway? And what kind of bond did she and the dragon share?

“So what happened?” he asked Trin, attempting to relieve the tension in the air. He gave her a once-over. She didn’t appear hurt; maybe the bullet had missed her after all.

Trin shrugged, reluctantly dragging her eyes away from the stranger talking to her dragon. “I don’t really know,” she admitted. “Last I remember I’d been shot. I was falling off Emmy’s back as she came in for a landing. She must have dragged me in here after I passed out. When I woke up, I was completely healed.”

“She probably healed you with her blood,” Scarlet broke in suddenly. “Her blood has magical healing properties, you know.”

Connor could see Trinity bristle. “Yeah, I know that,” she said in a tight voice. “She and I have been together for a while now, thanks.” She started to turn back to Connor.

But Scarlet wasn’t finished. “Yeah, she told me,” she said. “She also told me you went off on a date and left her stuck in the barn?” She gave Trinity a disgusted look. “No offense but that’s really not cool. Poor Emmy deserves better than that.” She turned to the dragon, scratching her snout. “Don’t you, Emmy?”

Connor watched as Trinity’s face turned a disturbing shade of purple. “Who the hell is this?” she demanded, turning back to him. “And why is she here?”

“She’s the one who let Emmy out of the barn in the first place,” Caleb interjected. “The one who started this whole mess.”

“She also helped us find you,” Connor broke in. His brother had such a knack for making every situation worse. At Trinity’s questioning look, he went on to explain the impromptu blood transfusion that Emmy had evidently performed before. “And now the two of them seem to share some kind of link. She can hear Emmy talk and she can pinpoint her location too.”

“What?” Trinity stared at Emmy, the hurt and confusion on her face making Connor’s heart squeeze. Stupid dragon. “So that must be how…” She gave the dragon an accusing look. “You told me you didn’t know how you broke your scale.”

Emmy shuffled from foot to foot, looking appropriately guilty. Trinity watched her for a moment then sighed and shook her head, looking as if she was doing everything she could to hold back tears.

“Look,” Connor said, trying to regain control of the situation. “We can settle all of this later. Right now we have more pressing concerns. Our position has obviously been compromised. The military is likely on their way.”

“It’s time to say
hasta
la
vista
to Vista, baby,” Caleb piped in helpfully.

“What about Grandpa?” Trinity asked, peering through the cave’s mouth to the forest outside, as if hoping the older man would suddenly materialize. “Is he with you?”

“He was still out hunting when I left the house,” Caleb informed her in an apologetic voice. “I tried to call him on that cell you gave him, but shockingly, he didn’t answer.”

Connor sighed. Trin’s grandpa was a stubborn old duff. And his mistrust of technology was legendary. Not to mention extremely inconvenient in times like this.

“Right,” Trinity replied. She glanced at her watch. “Well, he’s got to be back by now. One of us needs to go retrieve him so we can get the hell out of Dodge.”

Connor opened his mouth to volunteer, but before he could speak, Scarlet piped in again. “You mean the old McCormick place?” she asked. When they all looked at her, puzzled, she added, “The farmhouse where you were stashing the dragon?”

“Yeah,” Caleb replied with a scowl. “You know, the place where you decided to start this whole mess to begin with?”

She flinched at the jab, and Connor saw her face pale. “What is it?” he demanded.

“It’s just…” She cringed and looked away.

“What?” Trinity cried now, her voice shrill and anxious.

Scarlet hung her head. “My mom’s boyfriend and his buddies. That’s where they were headed, last I heard. They’re drunk and angry and…” She trailed off with a sigh. “If your grandfather somehow got in their way…”

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” Caleb demanded, his eyes flashing with fury as he glared at her. As if he needed another excuse to be pissed at this poor girl.

“I…I didn’t know there were more of you,” Scarlet cried, backing away. “I was only thinking of her.” She glanced over at Emmy, who seemed to have stepped closer to her, taking on an almost protective stance.

“We have to go get him,” Trinity announced. “Now.”

She made a move toward the exit, but Emmy was too quick, stepping to the right and effectively blocking Trin’s path, her reptilian mouth set in a firm line, her nostrils flaring. As if to say,
Just
try
it.

“Come on, Emmy,” Connor tried, though he knew it would probably do no good. “Nothing’s going to happen to her, I promise. I’ll guard her with my life.”

But Emmy didn’t even spare him a glance, her eyes locked determinately on Trin. Connor muttered a curse. They were wasting time. “Don’t be stupid, Emmy,” he tried again. “If there’s trouble, we’ll need her gift to—”

“I’ll stay with you, Emmy.”

Connor watched in disbelief as Scarlet crawled up to the dragon again, reaching out and stroking her nose tentatively. For a moment, Emmy did nothing, then, slowly, she dropped her gaze from Trin and turned to Scarlet instead.

“I know you’re scared,” Scarlet whispered. “And you don’t want to be left alone in the woods. But let them go. I’ll stay with you until they come back, okay?”