Scorched

smacking the tennis ball square on. The ball burst into flames before falling harmlessly to the ground in a puff of black smoke. Trinity let out a loud whoop of triumph, pride gushing through her.

“Yeah, baby! That’s how it’s done!” She held out her hand as the dragon flew by, slapping her palm against an outstretched wing. Emmy squeaked in excitement, dropping to the ground and doing a little victory lap around the still-smoking tennis ball. Trinity couldn’t help but giggle.

“You’re pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?” she teased.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the guard making his move, crossing the courtyard, then disappearing through the door at the far end of the room. She glanced at her watch, her smile fading. Right on time. She turned to Emmy.

Okay, we’ve got five minutes. Let’s do this.

She ran to the edge of the courtyard to the west wall, where a colorful tapestry, depicting a dragon fighting a medieval knight, hung from floor to ceiling. To a casual onlooker, the wall would seem solid and seamless behind its flashy decor. But Trin had studied Aiko’s blueprints and knew there had once been a door, covered up by drywall when the Dracken remodeled. A door that led to a series of twisty passageways which employees had once used to transport trash or receive deliveries. From what Trin could determine from the blueprints, these back hallways culminated at a large underground garage, where a single elevator offered an unguarded exit—a chance to escape.

Trin pulled back the tapestry, scanning the blank wall, running her fingers over its smooth surface. She’d been timing the patrols all day and had calculated five minutes between shift changes. Which meant they didn’t have time to get this wrong.

It should be right about here, she told the dragon. Give it a try.

Emmy pulled back her little head, letting loose a long, steady stream of fire. The drywall cracked and hissed under the heat but soon melted away, revealing, to Trinity’s excitement, the outline of a door underneath. She beat out the flames with the emergency fire blanket they’d given her for training purposes, then turned to her dragon.

Good work! Now let’s get out of here.

As she grabbed chunks of charred drywall, ripping them away to unblock the door, she wondered what the Potentials would think when they realized she’d gone. She felt a little guilty, to be honest, just taking off without even saying good-bye. They’d been so nice to her, so welcoming. But she couldn’t trust them to stay quiet if they learned of her plans and she really couldn’t blame them either. Their entire lives had been constructed around the idea that Emmy would stay and grow and hatch baby dragons that they would be assigned to take care of. Without Emmy, there would be no dragon program. No reason for them to remain. She didn’t want to think about where they’d end up if the Dracken turned them out on the streets.

But she had no choice. She had to know for sure whether Darius was telling the truth. If her grandpa was really dead. And if he was, well, at least this way she’d get a chance to attend his funeral. To give him a proper good-bye. Maybe after all was said and done she’d consider coming back here to resume her training. But under her rules this time. She refused to be made a prisoner. Even if it was for her “own good.”

Trinity studied the door. It appeared as if its handle had been removed when it had been covered up, meaning it wouldn’t be easy to pull it open. She bit her lower lip, glancing at her watch. They only had about two minutes left.

Try to pry open the door, she told Emmy. Use your claws.

She still wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do with her dragon once they were out in the wild. It wasn’t as if Emmy could exactly blend in. And at the rate she was growing, she couldn’t be a house pet for long. But when Trin had floated the idea of the dragon remaining here, where it was safe, Emmy refused to even consider it.

I go where you go. We are destined…

Deep inside, Trinity was relieved to hear it. The little dragon was a part of her now. She needed Emmy as much as Emmy needed her.

Come on, she urged her dragon. We almost have it.

The sound of a door slamming behind her interrupted their progress. She whirled around, startled, to see a lone figure entering the far end of the courtyard. Horrified, she yanked the curtain down over the gaping hole, obscuring it from view. What is he doing? she thought furiously. This place was supposed to be off limits while she was training except for the regular patrols. Who would dare to interrupt the Fire Kissed at work?

Then she realized exactly who.

Caleb.

Her heart fluttered involuntarily in her chest. She hadn’t spoken to him since the night she’d learned of her grandpa’s death—the night he’d been so cruel. Now, as he approached, she couldn’t help but notice his gaunt face, his hollow, shadowed eyes. He looked terrible, she realized, as if he hadn’t slept in weeks. And was his arm wrapped in some kind of sling?

“What happened to you?” she asked, forcing her voice to stay casual as she gestured to his arm. “Some girl get a little too feisty in the Nether?” She said it as a joke but caught a tinge of bitterness thread through her voice all the same.

Caleb didn’t reply. Instead, he walked straight up to her, coming too close, invading her space. She found herself trembling, her heart pounding in confusion, as he took her hands in his and squeezed them tight. What was he doing? Desperately, she attempted to clear her mind, force it into blankness so he couldn’t discover what she was hiding just beyond the curtain.

“What you do want?” she demanded angrily. “I don’t have time to—”

She stopped short as her eyes met his own—eyes as clear blue as the sky on a cloudless day. Eyes she’d recognize anywhere.

Her face clouded with confusion. “You’re not Caleb,” she gasped. “You’re—”

Connor clamped his mouth over hers, silencing her with a hard, long kiss just as the guard stepped back into the room. She struggled to free herself, but his hands closed around her forearms. As his lips moved against hers, she felt a voice sweep through her consciousness.

Look under your bed. I left you something.

Then he released her, pushing her away. Out of the corner of her eye she caught the guard giving them an amused look before continuing his rounds. She stared at the Dragon Hunter, unable to speak, unable to move. What was he doing here? Had he come to rescue her?

Or finish her once and for all?

Chapter Thirty-Four

Trinity ran to her room, Emmy flying high above her. When she got there, she dismissed her maid and shut the door, locking it behind her. Dropping to her knees, she peered under the bed, pulse beating erratically as she wondered what Connor could have left for her there. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she pulled out a small laptop accompanied by a pair of headphones.

“What the…?” she trailed off, walking the computer over to her desk and setting it down. With shaking hands, she lifted the cover, bringing it to life. She gasped as her eyes fell upon the sole program sitting on the desktop.

Fields of Fantasy. With the expansion pack already installed.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, glancing up at Emmy. Of all the possible things she could have imagined, this was definitely not it. The dragon looked down at the game with mild curiosity, her eyes narrowing at the splash screen depicting a knight slaying a dragon. She gave a disapproving snort.

“Sorry, this game does have its share of dragoncide,” Trin admitted with a rueful grin. “But it’s pretty