Tears splashed down her cheeks as she waited for the switch to be thrown. The moment seemed to stretch into eternity.
I’m so sorry, Emmy. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you.
Suddenly sirens blared through the chamber, warning lights flashing at every corner. Trinity looked up, heart in her throat, as the spectators erupted in panic. A moment later a voice came over the loudspeaker, cutting through the sounds of confusion.
“The mall has been breached!” the man’s panicked voice cried. “We’re being invaded.”
Connor! Trinity’s heart surged with hope.
The room broke into chaos, the ceremony all but forgotten as the Dracken, the Potentials, and armed guards alike scurried in every direction. Only Darius, along with Mara, still stood on the stage. The Dracken’s face twisted in fury. “Do it!” he cried to Mara. “Throw the switch! Now!”
Looking frightened, Mara made a move to do as he asked. But before she could reach the panel, Caleb dove in—seemingly out of nowhere—tackling her and throwing her to the ground. He had shed his other clothes and was now dressed like a soldier. Reaching out, he grabbed a piece of heavy equipment and brought it down on Mara’s head, knocking her out cold. Then he shot Trinity an excited look.
My hero, she sent. Now get Emmy!
Darius screamed in rage, launching himself at the instrument panel. But Caleb was too quick, reaching Emmy’s cage and releasing her into the wild. The dragon let loose a stream of fire, melting the panel before the Dracken leader could activate it, leaving nothing useable behind.
Darius glared at the dragon, hatred clear in his eyes, but hesitated, unsure what to do. Obviously he couldn’t hurt Emmy. But he couldn’t just let her go off and flambé his friends either. The dragon leveled her eyes on him, opening her mouth, ready to end this game once and for all.
But before Emmy could fire, the doors around them burst open, armed men swarming the chamber. The cavalry had arrived.
Emmy, hide! Trin sent. Whatever you do, don’t let them see you!
The dragon huffed, shooting a look of annoyance at Trin for letting her prey escape, but obediently flew up toward the rafters and out of sight before anyone realized she was there.
In the meantime, Caleb had scrambled to his feet. He looked at the men, then pointed at Darius. “Seize this terrorist,” he cried.
Darius’s face drained of color as the men flew into action. He turned and started to run but soon found himself surrounded. Trinity grinned. Sorry, Darius. She watched as they approached the Dracken leader, guns drawn, half hoping he’d do something stupid and force them to shoot him where he stood. Instead, he allowed himself to be handcuffed and led away. Wuss. But at least he was out of the picture for now. Hopefully, when they discovered what he’d been planning, they’d lock him up tight and throw away the key.
Trinity turned back to the remaining soldiers, her triumphant smile fading as two men in black suits pushed through the crowd, making their way to center stage where she stood. Two unfortunately very familiar-looking men in black suits.
Oh, crap.
“Miss Foxx, you are under arrest,” the first one declared, pulling a set of handcuffs from his pocket, “for obstruction of justice; assault against two officers of the law; not to mention…”
Suddenly Trinity caught a flash of movement from the balcony above. Her eyes widened as she realized it was none other than Connor himself, trying to get her attention. He gave her a knowing smile, then reached into his bag, casually flipping a silver disc over the railing.
Trinity’s heart leapt. The Bouncer! She caught Caleb’s smirk out of the corner of her eye.
Hope you’re not still afraid of heights, princess.
The silver disc skittered, Connor’s aim perfect, coming in for a landing not two feet in front of her. She grinned, giving the agents a small wave, then hopped onto the disc, flying high into the air, as graceful as a bird—or maybe a dragon—as the agents and operatives watched in dumb disbelief down below. When she’d reached full altitude, she threw herself forward, stretching her arms out to grab the railing looming in front of her. Connor was able to yank her over the balcony before anyone could even think of firing shots in her direction.
She scrambled to her feet. “You, my friend,” she declared, “have impeccable timing.”
He flashed her a grin. “I aim to please. Now come on. My brother tells me you have a mother in need of rescuing.”
“I do indeed,” she agreed. “Let’s go.
They ran through the mall, fast as they could, heading toward the west wing courtyard and the entrance Emmy had made in the wall. Trin hoped no one had discovered the secret passageway behind the tapestry in the last couple of days—the last thing she needed was for it to be blocked up again. After all, it was the only way she knew to get to Mom—and later to freedom.
As they burst into the courtyard, they stopped short, realizing it wasn’t as empty as they’d assumed. In fact, the place was packed full—with dozens of Potentials, some wounded, some huddled in corners, their eyes wide with fright. They must have been trained to regroup here, Trin realized, if any security was breached.
Heart pounding, she scanned the room, taking in all the faces. Had they always looked so young? So innocent? So scared? Her heart lurched. If only there was a way to take them all with her, to free them from this psychotic prison. At the very least, she determined, she could finally tell them the truth.
But Connor had other ideas. “Come on,” he urged, grabbing her arm. “We need to go!”
She shook him off. “Wait,” she said. Then she turned to the Potentials, who were watching her with wary eyes. She drew in a breath. Here went nothing. “Listen to me,” she said, clearing her throat. “The Dracken are not who they say they are. They’re not out to save the world. They’re using dragons to burn it all down and they need your help to do it.” Her gaze darted from one unbelieving face to another. “There’s a door behind this curtain. It leads to a set of stairs and a passageway to a parking garage. You can escape through that. You can all be free.”
“Liar!”
Trinity startled as a girl shot up from the back of the group. Rashida, she realized in dismay. “No,” she forced herself to continue. “The Dracken are the liars, not me. They’ve been lying to you since day one. They—”
“Come on, Trin,” Connor urged, looking more and more worried. “Let’s go.”
But Trin found she couldn’t move.
“Who do you think you are?” Rashida demanded, pushing her way through the frightened crowd. “We welcomed you into our family. We tried to be your friend. And in return you killed our brothers.” Her eyes flashed fire. “And then you invited our enemies into the one place that was supposed to be safe.”
She waved a hand to the other side of the room where a small, bloodied figure lay prostate on the ground. Trinity gasped as she realized it was Malia. Sweet, gamer girl Malia.
“They shot her,” Rashida informed her coldly. “She was trying to run, scared for her life, and your soldiers shot her in the back.”
Oh God.
“Before you came, we were safe. We were cared for. We were protected. Now our world has been torn apart. Our sisters and brothers are dead. You’re the one who deserves to be shot,” she declared. “And a lot worse than that too.”
The room erupted in murmurs of assent, the crowd rising to their feet, their fear now masked with burning hate. Connor grabbed Trinity by the arm.
We have to get out of here, he told her. Now!
Trinity forced a nod, still staring at Malia’s limp frame, tears streaming down her cheeks. This was not how it was supposed to go! She swallowed back the lump in her throat and met Rashida’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m so, so sorry.”
“Get her!” Rashida commanded the Potentials. “Destroy her!”
The crowd surged, unarmed but frightening in their sheer numbers and rage. Trinity and Connor tried to dash for the hidden door, but the mob
blocked their path. Two girls grabbed Trin by her hair, yanking her backward, catching her off balance. As she tumbled to the ground, the mob surrounded her, kicking her and punching her as hard as they could.
Her head swam. Her vision blurred. She fought back best she could, slamming her foot down on one Potential’s ankle while elbowing another in the ribs. At one point, she managed to roll herself over and leap back to her feet, lashing out at any one who came near. But it was only a temporary escape and soon her arms were grabbed and yanked behind her, locking her into submission. A warmth dripped down her face and a copper taste filled her mouth.
Across the room, Connor wasn’t doing much better. They’d pinned him to the ground, a foot securely placed on his throat, preventing any movement. He screamed in rage and fought ferociously, but there were just too many of them to have an effect.
In fact, there was only one thing that could possibly stop them now, she realized.
Emmy! To me!
It was the last thing she wanted to do. They were innocent kids—lied to, deceived, given false hope, with no comprehension of who their leaders really were. But what choice did she have? They would kill her if she didn’t do something soon, leaving the entire world in jeopardy.
Sacrifice one to save the world. It wasn’t at all how she’d imagined it’d go.
“Get out of my way,” she dimly heard a voice at the back of the crowd. She looked up, through blurry eyes, to see Rashida striding toward her. “She’s mine.”
The crowd parted, much as they had that first day at the mall, allowing Rashida through. But this time it wasn’t a friendly hug or a welcome home that the Potential hoped to deliver. Rather a kiss of death. Trin watched as the Indian girl grew closer, her face and hands smeared with blood. Malia’s blood, she realized, her stomach swimming with nausea. And soon hers as well.
Hurry, Emmy.
Rashida stepped up to her, staring at her with eyes filled with venom. “Just tell me one thing,” she hissed, her voice cracking around the edges. “Why?”
“Because,” Trinity croaked, “the world still deserves a chance.”
Rashida slammed her fist into her face, busting Trin’s nose with the impact. Blood splashed onto the Potential’s already bloodied white shirt but she paid it no mind. “That’s for Malia,” she spit out. “And this is for…”
The Potential trailed off, freezing as a shadow crossed over her, hovering just above her head. Slowly, she looked up, finding herself face to face with a small, green, very angry-looking dragon.
“Oh hell,” she muttered.
Trinity squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see, not wanting to witness what she knew had to come. She knew it was necessary. But she also knew it was awful and terrible and cruel. And if she opened her eyes now, she’d never be able to close them again without seeing fire and death beneath her lids.
And so, she waited, like a coward, eyes shutting out a reality she couldn’t bear to face. The sounds of shouting and scrambling erupted all around her, her hands falling free as her captors fled.
Yet strangely, she heard no fire. Felt no heat. Smelled no smoke.
Open your eyes, Trinity.
And so, heart in her throat, she did. Only to find, to her utter astonishment, the room completely empty, save for Connor and Emmy looking at her impatiently.
“What happened?” she whispered, her voice hoarse and confused.
Connor shrugged. “Guess they had a change of heart.”
“But…Rashida!” Her eyes darted around the room, searching for some kind of blackened lump where her former friend had once stood.
“It seems Emmy had a change of heart as well,” Connor informed her in a solemn voice. He looked up at the dragon with something akin to respect. “She withheld her fire. Just scared them a little instead. Seemed to do the trick.”
Trinity couldn’t believe it. Her mind flashed back to the last time. When just a simple knock to her head had thrown the dragon into an uncontrollable rage. This time she’d clearly been at death’s door with a real threat standing in front of her. And yet the dragon had held back her fire. She stared up at Emmy, her eyes filled with questions.
“You didn’t hurt her?” she whispered.
You didn’t want me to, Emmy said with a shrug of her tiny shoulders. So I found another way.
Trinity didn’t know what to say. “Thank you,” was all she could manage. The words seemed so inadequate, but she hoped her dragon understood just the same.
“Come on,” Connor urged. “We’ve wasted too much time already.”
Trinity shook herself, flashing her dragon a grateful look, then ran after him, through the hidden door, down the hall, to the staircase leading to the parking garage. Finally they reached her mother’s chamber and she pushed through the door.
“Mom!” she cried, dropping to her knees in front of her. “We’re here to rescue you! Come on! Get up!” She tugged at her mother’s hand.
But her mother just stared into space, unmoving.
“She’s stuck in the Nether,” Trinity explained to Connor. “She’s been there almost two years, according to Darius.”
Connor frowned. “Then it’s going to be nearly impossible to get her out,” he told her. “Once you’ve spent enough time there, your mind starts losing touch with reality. You probably won’t be able to wake her.”
Trinity frowned. “Well, I’m not leaving her here.” She tried to lift her mother from her chair, but the woman fought her, thrashing blindly until Trin was forced to give up. She bit her lower lip, her mind racing with solutions. “I’ll have to go in there after her,” she concluded. “Talk her into coming out.”
“We don’t have time for that,” Connor said, glancing at the door. “They’re going to figure out where we went and come after us. We need to get Emmy out of here before it’s too late.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not leaving without her.”
“Well, I’m not leaving without you.”
Their eyes met, pinning one another in a strange déjà vu. She remembered how beautiful she thought his eyes were on that first day, as if they would glow in the dark. They still glowed, she realized. But that wasn’t what she liked most about him now.
Just like last time, he gave in first, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. “Did anyone tell you you’re the most stubborn girl in the world?” he muttered, reaching into his pocket and tossing her a ruby.
She grinned. “Maybe once or twice.” Then she turned to Emmy. “Go find Caleb. Make sure he’s okay. Connor, you guard the door. Don’t let anyone through until I’m back.”
Chapter Forty-Two
The blackened landscape stretched out before Trinity, smothered under a blood-red sky. The smell of sulfur burned through the air and a mournful wailing assaulted her ears. Only one path stretched out before her, winding across the desolate landscape to meet tall, gray mountains on the other side. But it was narrow and steep and strangled by thorns, all but impassable to someone on foot.
“Mom?” Trinity cried out, surveying the scene with an encroaching fear. She had known it would be bad here, inside her mom’s self-imposed prison. But she had no idea it would be like this. So black. So dark. So dead. “Are you there?”
The hungry wind devoured her words as soon as she spoke them and returned no reply. But what had she expected? Her mother clearly didn’t want to be found. Straining, she freed her mind, sending it out into the Nether, seeking to pinpoint some hint of her mother’s spark, deeply rooted in this nightmare world. She knew, after two long years, it would be faint at best. At worst, gone entirely.
No, Trin told herself. She lives. She breathes. She has to be here somewhere. And I will find her. I have to find her.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt it: a strange, whirling vibration, fluttering far off in the distance. She squinted her eyes, scanning the horizon, catching the faintest glimmer of light—as dim as a star from another universe, flickering among the mountains’ dar
k shadows.
“Mom!” she cried, excitement welling up inside of her. “I’m coming! Stay right there! I’m on my way.”
But even as she spoke the words, doubt assaulted her. How would she reach the mountains in time? They had to be fifty miles away and she was on foot. There was no way she’d reach them—
Unless…
She bit her lower lip, considering her options. Caleb had always manifested whatever he needed from the Nether. Could she do something like that herself? But what would she create that would help her? A car? It’d never make the trip up the mountains. An airplane? She’d have no idea how to get it off the ground, never mind land.
Then it came to her. She was in the Nether. A world created by dragons. She drew in a quick, sharp breath and sent out her cry.
“Um, hello? Dragons of the Nether?” she called out, feeling a little silly. “Are you there? I could really use some help!”
At first, there was no reply. So she sent out her plea a second time. Then a third—but still she got no answer. Her heart sank. Could the dragons not hear her? Or were they just unwilling to help?
“Guess I’ll be hoofing it after all,” she muttered, readying herself for that all-important first step. “Hang on, Mom. This could take a while.”
Suddenly, the sky darkened, the air filling with thunder. Trinity looked up, jaw dropping as her eyes fell upon dragons—dozens of dragons—raining down in front of her. Big ones, small ones, red ones, green ones. Every size and every color of the rainbow, all descending before her and landing at her feet. She took a hesitant step backward, swallowing hard as she felt a hundred pairs of eyes look at her with expectancy.
“Um, I didn’t actually need all of you,” she stammered, looking from dragon to dragon. “Wow, there’s quite a few of you here, aren’t there?” she added, not sure what to say.