Smoked (29 page)

A warm breeze caressed Trinity's face. She opened her eyes. A lush jungle spread out around her as far as she could see. It was warm. Wet. With large caves at every turn.

Trin's heart thumped in her chest as she looked around, wondering if this would really work. She bit her lower lip, garnering her courage.

Emmy?

For a moment, there was nothing. Then she heard it: the familiar sound of thundering wings above. She remembered once being scared of the sound. Now it was the sweetest music she'd ever heard. A moment later, the giant green dragon landed in front of her, looking at her scoldingly.

What
are
you
doing
here?
she asked Trinity.

Trinity gave her a sheepish smile. “I wanted to see you,” she admitted. “And, well, I guess I wanted to hear the end of your story, how it all turned out for you guys. You're not the only one who appreciates a happily ever after, you know.”

Emmy snorted grumpily, but Trin could see the smile tugging at her mouth. Then, to her delight, the giant dragon curled herself around her, allowing Trin to take a cozy seat between her belly and her legs. Once she was settled, Emmy leaned forward to give her a slurp on the top of her head.

Just
this
once
, she told Trin sternly.
After
all, you know more than anyone what can happen if you keep coming back to the Nether.

“I know,” Trin assured her. “And I won't.”

The dragon seemed to accept that. She stretched out her neck, rubbing it against a nearby tree trunk to scratch her scales. Looking at her now, it was hard to believe that only one day had passed since they'd said good-bye. One day for Trinity, anyway. But a lifetime for Emmy, who had lived and died a million years in the past and now made her home here in the Nether with the rest of her kind.

The
place
you
sent
us
was
beautiful
, the dragon told her.
And
we
were
able
to
make
a
home. We met other dragons, and they showed us how things worked. We were terrible dragons at first; we didn't know how to hunt for food or really fly. But they helped us. And soon we were capable of surviving on our own. But we stayed with them anyway. We hunted. We mated. Before I knew it, I had grandchildren, then great-grandchildren.
The dragon smiled.
It
was
a
wonderful
life, Trinity. A perfect life. My only regret is I couldn't share it with you.

Trinity hugged the dragon, feeling tears roll down her cheeks. “I feel the same way,” she told her. “Though it's only been one day without you for me, it's been one really long day. I don't know how I'm going to get through the rest of my life.”

The dragon gazed down on her kindly.
You'll manage
, she told her.
And
you
are
not
alone.

“No,” Trinity agreed. “I'm not, am I?” She rose to her feet. “None of us are.”

She opened her mouth, wanting to see if the dragon would conjure up a TV so they could spend some time binge-watching something on BBC, just like they used to. But then she caught Emmy glancing to the side when she thought Trinity wasn't looking. And when she followed her gaze, she saw something moving in the bushes.

“Emmy!” she cried. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

If dragons could have blushed, Emmy would have been purple. She turned away, a goofy grin on her reptilian face.

His
name
is
Ash
, the dragon admitted.
We've been…hanging around…for a while now.

“Oh, Emmy!” Trinity's heart felt as if it were going to burst. “Can I meet him?”

He's very shy
, Emmy hedged.
He
doesn't like humans much either, no offense.

“I don't really blame him,” Trinity replied, smiling sadly at her dragon. “And it doesn't matter—as long he likes you.”

A slow smile crept to Emmy's lips.
I'm pretty sure he does.

“Well, then,” Trinity replied, feeling choked up. “I should head out then.”

Emmy looked guilty.
No, I didn't mean to make you leave—

“It's okay, Ems,” Trinity said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her cheek. “You've got a life to live. And so do I.” She met the dragon's beautiful blue eyes with her own. “I'll never forget you, Emberlyn.”

Nor
I you, Fire Kissed. I have shared your story with all the dragons. You will live in our collective unconsciousness till the end of time. Trinity Foxx. The Fire Kissed. The girl who saved the world.

Trin smiled through her tears. “I like the sound of that.”

And with that, she forced herself to turn and walk away—the hardest steps she knew she'd ever have to take. Sure, she could come back. But at the same time, she knew she wouldn't. Because that was how it was supposed to be. Before she exited though, she did take one last peek. Just in time to see a giant ruby-red dragon step out from the jungle and approach Emmy. He was huge, glistening and sparkling under the sunlight. When he reached Emmy, he nudged her with his snout, and she nudged him back. Then they turned and headed back into the jungle together.

“Good-bye, Emmy,” Trinity whispered. “I'm glad you got your happily ever after at last.”

And with that, she exited. Back to her own life. Her own family. Because she had a happily ever after of her own to get to. And she couldn't wait to get started.

It's a bittersweet thing to bring a trilogy to an end. To close the door on a world that you created and lived in for so long. But I hope you readers enjoyed Team Dragon's adventures and I feel privileged that you chose to go on the journey with me. In many acknowledgments, readers are mentioned last—or not at all—but without you, there would be no reason to write. And so first and foremost, thank you for loving Emmy and Trin, Connor and Caleb, and the rest as much as I have. Thank you also to my editor, Aubrey Poole, and her dragon-sized enthusiasm for this project. It's nice to have an editor who truly “gets” my geek. Thank you also to the publicity and marketing team at Sourcebooks for sharing it with the world. And to the sales team for getting the books onto the shelves at bookstores. And to all the librarians and teachers who have shared them with their students.

Thank you also to Scholastic for including Scorched in your book fairs and clubs—I was a big Scholastic reader back when I was a kid, so seeing my book in the flyer feels like a childhood dream come true. Special thanks to Ed Masessa for making it happen. (May you live long and prosper.)

Thank you to Kristin Nelson, who championed and agented the series. To Leah and Derry, who worked on the earlier books and first ignited the flame. And to my writer friends who offered crazy support and encouragement when I needed it most. It's hard to name everyone without leaving someone out, but the biggest shout-outs to Diana Peterfreund, Cory Putman Oakes, Cynthia Leitich Smith, PJ Hoover, Madeline Smoot, Jo Whittemore, Simone Elkeles, Ally Carter, Heather Brewer, Tracy Deebs, Tera Lynn Childs, and, of course, ALL of #teamberlin.

And, of course, lastly I want to thank my husband, Jacob, who is always encouraging and more supportive than I deserve him to be. Without him, none of this would be possible.

Mari Mancusi always wanted a dragon as a pet. Unfortunately, the fire insurance premiums proved a bit too large and her house a bit too small—so she chose to write about them instead. Today she works as an award-winning young adult author and freelance television producer, for which she has won two Emmys. When not writing about fanciful creatures of myth and legend, Mari enjoys traveling, cosplay, watching cheesy (and scary) horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure—playing video games. A graduate of Boston University, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon, and their dog Mesquite.

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SCORCHED

Mari Mancusi

SHATTERED

Mari Mancusi

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