Scorched

Emmy? Can you hear me?

Still nothing. Then…

Trinity?

Her heart leapt. She was alive!

Yes, Emmy! I’m here. Are you okay?

So…weak. So…tired.

As Trin rolled her hand over the egg, stroking it gently, she felt an overwhelming exhaustion come over her. Emmy’s exhaustion, she realized, threatening to crush her with its intensity. But she forced herself to swallow it back, gritting her teeth with the effort.

Listen to me, Emmy. You can rest later. Right now, I need you to fight. You must break through your shell.

I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.

Then take my strength instead. Take whatever you need. The Potentials had been able to push comfort to Trin’s mind back in the food court. Surely she’d be able to do the same, giving her dragon the strength she required.

Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.

I’m sure. In fact, Trinity had never been so sure of anything in her life.

She emptied her mind, sweeping all the doubts and insecurities away, preparing to give everything she had inside to the dragon and then some if need be. At that moment, she told herself, she was no longer Trinity Foxx, broken orphan of West Texas. She was the Fire Kissed. The one Emmy had chosen out of all the others. And Trinity wasn’t about to let the dragon down.

Emmy hadn’t let her fall. Now it was Trin’s turn to return the favor.

Do it, Emmy! she cried. Break free! She pushed with all her might.

And then the pain came. Excruciating, all-encompassing agony, lashing at her insides and stealing her breath away. Her muscles clenched and her eyes lost focus, sharp screws drilling into her brain while a thousand spiders crawled up and down her skin. She was sure, at one point, she would pass out from it all.

But instead she fought it, refusing to give up on her dragon. Clinging to consciousness as hard as she clung to the egg. Bright lights popped in and out of the room and a strange wailing sound echoed in her ears. It took her a moment to recognize it as screaming. Another to realize it was coming from her own lips.

“Her vital signs are weakening!” she heard somewhere in the distance.

“She’s not going to make it,” another voice cried. Trinity didn’t know if they were talking about the dragon or her. Or maybe both.

She turned her attention back to the egg. Why wasn’t it working? She was giving all she had and it still wasn’t enough. Emmy still wasn’t breaking free. She reached out to the dragon, combing her mind, desperately trying to figure out what was wrong. Why she still was too weak to—

And suddenly she realized the problem. It wasn’t that Emmy was weak or powerless at all.

She was scared.

In fact, she was petrified. But of what?

Trin squeezed the egg between her hands, gritting her teeth and forcing away the pain. What’s wrong, Emmy? she begged the dragon, praying there was still time to make things right. What are you so afraid of? Whatever it is, you can tell me.

And so…the dragon did.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Emmy watched from inside her egg as her mother, Lyria, paced the low-ceiling cave, her muscular legs making short work of the distance between the walls. It was nice to finally be able to see her mother—really see her at last—through the haze of her growing-translucent shell. Before today, Emmy had only been able to hear her mother’s low growls and comforting snorts and had to imagine what she must look like on the outside. Now she realized she could have never envisioned how beautiful her mother really was, how noble and regal she could be. With emerald-green scales and massive, golden wings, she looked like an angel sent from the Nether. Emmy stole a glance down at her own pitiful flaps and wondered if she’d ever have anything so grand.

The temperature had dropped and snow swirled madly outside the shallow cave, which had been cut into the side of a steep cliff. Lyria had landed here the week before, the encroaching storm preventing her from reaching safer ground further south, where the other mothers had gone to lay their eggs. Now they were stuck here until the eggs hatched and the baby dragons could spread their wings and fly. A fact Emmy knew made her mother increasingly nervous.

She also knew her brother wasn’t far from hatching; he’d been pecking at his shell all night long. She’d tried to work on hers as well, but her shell seemed so thick, so unyielding to her soft snout, and she was getting a little worried. She’d tried calling out to her mother, to beg for some help, but the elder dragon seemed not to hear her. Emmy narrowed her eyes and tried again. She couldn’t give up—no matter what.

A loud cracking broke through the silence and Emmy turned just in time to see her brother poking his snout from his golden shell. Their mother approached, snorting in excitement, nudging the shell with her nose, widening the crack. A moment later, a tiny, red head poked out from the egg, followed by a gangly body, tripping out of his shell and onto the cave floor. A ruby dragon! The rarest of all. Emmy’s mother tossed her head in pride. The other mothers would be filled with envy at such a living treasure.

Emmy watched as her baby brother took a few awkward steps, then worked to spread his fledgling wings. They looked so fragile but at the same time so strong. A moment later, he tripped over the left wing, falling flat on his face. He scowled, shaking his tiny head, puffing smoke from his snout. But Emmy’s mother only laughed, giving him a long, wet slurp from her massive tongue.

What about me? Emmy pleaded as she tried once again to poke through her unyielding shell. The storm outside was getting worse. They had to leave soon or be trapped here forever, buried in a ton of ice. But try as she might, she couldn’t break free.

Help me, Mama! I need your help!

But her mother was too busy with her brother—the precious ruby—to hear her call. And Emmy was beginning to despair. She knew what happened to dragons who couldn’t break out of their shells. They returned to the Nether. Forever. Emmy liked the Nether. It was fun to play there. But it was also lonely. Her family was here.

Outside, the lightning danced across the sky, followed by a crack of thunder. The cave shook, stalactites crumbling from the ceiling. Emmy’s brother squawked in fear as a rocky spike came crashing down only inches from where he’d stood. Lyria quickly scooped him up with her paw, pulling him protectively against her massive chest. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then stepped toward the edge of the cave.

Emmy’s heart stuttered. What was she doing? She watched in terror as her mother inched closer to the edge, still holding her brother under her arm. Once she’d reached the precipice, she paused, then turned back to the unhatched egg, indecision warring on her face.

No! Emmy cried, realizing what her mother was contemplating. Don’t leave me, Mama! Please don’t leave me here alone!

But her mother didn’t answer. Instead, she turned away, unfurling her massive wings and gliding off the edge of the cliff, her precious ruby son cradled protectively in her arms. Emmy watched as they soared off into the distance until they had disappeared from view. A lone tear slipped down her snout. She knew in her heart they were not coming back.

And she would be alone forever.

* * *

“Emmy!”

Trinity opened her eyes, heart wrenching and tears coursing down her cheeks. She was back in the birthing chamber, back with the Dracken, still clutching the egg with both hands. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and