Scorched

bond.

“A video game? Please. Do you think we’re stupid? You were contacting someone. I want to know who.”

I know—but how? There’s too many of them. We’d need a flecking army to even stand a chance.

She frowned. Well, I’m sorry. I don’t have a spare army in my—

Trinity stopped short. Wait a second. Maybe she did.

What about your friends who broke into the museum? The government guys. They’re probably still out looking for the egg. If they found out it was here, they could raid the place. And in all the confusion we could escape.

Caleb seemed to consider this for a moment. It’s not a bad idea, he relented. But how can we let them know? Darius has the place on lockdown now, thanks to your little escape attempt. And there’s no phone or Internet.

“Um, is everything okay, sir?” asked the guard behind Caleb, looking at the two of them suspiciously. Trinity cringed, realizing they’d gone too long staring at one another without talking out loud. In desperation, she managed to scramble to her knees before Caleb, holding out her hands, as if in prayer.

“Please,” she begged. “Just let me go. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll be good. I won’t try to escape again. Just don’t de-bond me from my dragon. I can’t live without her.”

What about Connor? Can you reach him through the Nether? He could pretend to be you and put in a call.

Caleb sneered. “Can’t live?” he spit out. “Funny, that’s kind of the whole idea.”

No, Trin. We can’t trust my brother. We both know what he was sent here to do. And now that Emmy’s hatched…

Trinity fell back, burying her face in her hands. “Please. I’m begging you! I don’t want to die.”

We don’t have a choice. He’s the only one left. And he promised not to hurt me or Emmy. We have to believe him.

I don’t know, Trin. If something happened to you—

Something will happen if you don’t get us out of here. Connor’s our only hope.

Caleb turned to the guards. “Throw the traitor back into her cell,” he commanded. “I can’t stand to look at her pointy little face anymore.”

All right. I’ll try to contact him. But, Trin—if he even looks at you sideways, I promise you now, I’m going to shoot first and ask questions later.

The guards sprang into action, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her back to her cell. She fought and clawed at them like an alley cat, her eyes locking onto Caleb. “Screw you, you bastard!” she screamed. “Go back to the Nether with your little sluts. That’s all you’re good for! I never want to see you again!”

A ghost of a smile flickered on Caleb’s face before he quickly masked it again. He turned away, heading out of the Hot Topic, leaving the guards to deal with Trinity on their own. But just as they were about to throw her back into her cell, she caught his whisper echoing through her mind.

Oh and for the record? I never took anyone else to the Nether. He paused, then added, No one but you.

Chapter Forty-One

Come on, Connor. We’re running out of time.

Trinity winced as the guards yanked her roughly down the corridor, on their way to the de-bonding ceremony. It had been three days since Caleb had promised to contact his brother through the Nether to see if he could help rally the troops. But whether Connor had answered his brother’s request or was able to get the government on board, she had no idea. Caleb had never returned to her cell to let her know what had happened —probably too worried that Darius might notice too many visits to his prisoner.

The Dracken had gathered in the main ceremonial chamber and the de-bonding ceremony was about to begin. In just moments, she realized, she and Emmy would be torn from one another and she would be put out of her misery. She tried to console herself with the fact that at least the dragon herself would live on, but the thought wasn’t very comforting. While Emmy wouldn’t be physically harmed, she was doomed to a life of captivity as a backyard breeder of biological weapons of mass destruction. Stuck in a cage, never seeing the sun, never allowed to spread her wings and fly. It was a fate worse than death for a dragon.

And then there was her mother. Her poor, sweet, innocent mother who’d been locked in a dark cage of her own for the last two years, her mind lost and her body atrophying. Would she even have the strength to bond with Emmy and help her lay her eggs? And what would happen to her if she didn’t?

The ceremonial chamber was adorned much like the birthing room, a former anchor store now bathed in silver runes, a high balcony circling the perimeter. The senior members of the Dracken had gathered at the bottom level, while the Potentials had camped out above. In the center of the room stood a tall pole, which uncomfortably resembled a funeral pyre. Trinity guessed that was for her.

As the guards dragged her over to the pole, tying her hands and feet with thick rope and gagging her mouth, her eyes lifted to those watching from above. The faces she found—once happy and welcoming—were now solemn and disapproving, the judgment rich in their eyes. If only she could tell them the truth. On impulse, she tried to send to them but was quickly shot down. They’d all blockaded their minds against her. She imagined Darius instructing them to do so, so they wouldn’t find themselves lured in by her lies.

Her eyes fell to Caleb, who stood among his Dracken brothers, helping them at their tasks. He caught her look and glared back at her with cold eyes until she dropped her gaze. She knew it was only an act, but his expression and his garb managed to chill her all the same.

An angry squawk resounded through the chamber and she looked over to see Emmy being wheeled through the room, encased in a golden cage. The dragon was putting up quite the fight, hissing and spitting fire at her handlers. But the cage had some kind of force field around it and the dragon’s efforts proved ineffectual. Emmy had grown since the last time Trin had seen her, now about the size of a small cocker spaniel. Soon she’d be big enough to ride. Trinity felt tears spring to her eyes as she remembered her own amazing dragon ride through the Nether. Would she ever be able to feel so free again?

Come on, Connor. Are you out there, somewhere?

A hush fell over the room as Darius entered, stepping to the center of the stage. The Dracken had dressed in special ceremonial robes for the occasion—fitting attire for a crazy cult leader, Trin noted bitterly. As he turned to her, his eyes gleamed eagerly and his mouth twisted. She shivered under his gaze.

“Say good-bye to your precious dragon,” he hissed, so low that no one else could hear. Then he turned to the crowd.

“Brothers and sisters of the Dracken,” he pronounced in a grand voice, “I thank you for meeting me here today. A time of sadness for all those of us who believe in our fight. For, it seems, one of our own—nay, not just one but the founder herself—has chosen to betray us. Conspiring with dragon hunters to send the world’s only hope spiraling into extinction.”

The crowd let out a collective condemnation and Trinity could feel their anger and judgment rain down on her below. She wanted to shout to them—to tell them of Darius’s true intentions—but, of course, she was gagged and their mind blocks seemed impenetrable.

“Trinity Foxx, standing before you, was born with the gift and chosen by our own Emberlyn to be her Fire Kissed,” Darius continued in his grand voice. “And yet she has chosen to turn her back on her gift—to turn her back on her own dragon. And so, as guardians of the dragon race, we are left with no choice. We must begin the de- bonding procedure.”

The crowd erupted in murmurs, looking both excited and disturbed as they gazed down upon her. Darius, having concluded his grand speech, motioned to Mara. Evidently the birthing maiden could sever bonds as well as create them.