Scorched

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 deja 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’ dark 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.

There was a brief shuffling as the beasts parted down the middle, clearing a pathway for a large, green dragon with golden wings to step through. The dragon walked slowly, deliberately, stopping in front of Trinity and gazing at her with dark blue eyes. Trinity forced down her fear and met her gaze, surprised to realize the dragon looked strangely familiar, though she had no idea why.

“Um, hi,” she managed to spit out. “Thanks for coming. I’m Trinity Foxx. Do you happen to know my friend Emmy? Green dragon, about this high? Has a thing for bloody carcasses?”

The dragon dipped her massive head. I am Lyria. And we all know who you are, Fire Kissed.

Lyria. Trinity scrunched her face. Where had she heard that name before?

And then it hit her.

“You’re Emmy’s mother!” she gasped. No wonder the dragon looked so familiar. She’d seen her during Emmy’s vision. She frowned as she remembered the mother dragon unfurling her massive wings and flying away, abandoning her own child without even saying good-bye.

But then, she reminded herself, she had thought that about her own mother as well once upon a time. And things had not been as they seemed. She needed to give the dragon the benefit of the doubt.

Emberlyn was indeed born of my blood, the dragon before her admitted. But I cannot call myself her mother. I allowed fear to steal that right from me on a day long ago. A day I have regretted ever since. Her eyes leveled on Trinity. I hope you will not make the same mistake as I did.

Trinity shook her head fiercely, thinking back to her tiny dragon, resting on her shoulders, chirping in her ears. Her heart filled with love. With a protectiveness that shot straight to her core. “I won’t leave Emmy behind,” she promised the mother dragon. “No matter what happens. We’re a team. And we’ll take on the entire world if we have to.”

Then you are her true mother now.

Trinity felt a warm glow at the dragon’s words, knowing how difficult it must have been for her to say them. Behind her, the other dragons snorted and grunted their agreement.

“Thank you,” she said simply, not sure what else to say. “I’ll take good care of your daughter. I promise. And any other dragons I come across in the meantime.” She thought about the mutated dragons from the Dracken’s lab. Those poor souls. Somehow she needed to save them too.

We will be watching you, Fire Kissed, Lyria continued. The fate of the entire dragon race is in your hands.

Wow. Talk about putting on the pressure. Half of her wanted to protest—to say it was too much for one girl. But as her gaze roamed over their hopeful faces, their beseeching eyes, she realized she couldn’t disappoint them. They believed in her. It was time she started believing in herself as well.

She forced a smile to her lips. “You can count on me,” she declared. Then she squared her shoulders. “But first I have a favor to ask.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Just do it. Do it now and be done with it.

Connor stared down at Trinity’s limp body, unguarded and completely helpless as she traversed the Nether. He toed her lightly with his boot, but she didn’t move. Whatever was happening in there, she was obviously in deep—so deep she probably wouldn’t even wake up. It would be over in a second. Quick and painless. She’d never