Scorched

with fondness in her eyes as she slowly shook her head. “I was waiting to give you your Christmas,” she told her gently. “To keep the promise I made. Now I have. And I’m free to go. Now I can finally say good-bye.” She leaned forward to press a kiss on Trinity’s forehead. “I love you, baby girl. Merry Christmas.”

Trinity closed her eyes, trying to memorize the moment as best she could. A single, perfect moment to relive over and over again for the rest of her life.

“I love you too, Mom,” she whispered. “Merry Christmas at last.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Trinity burst from the Nether, the gem’s dust seeping through her hands. She looked up to find Connor and Caleb watching her with strained faces. She turned to look at her mother. Her eyes had closed. Her face relaxed. Her mouth turned up at the corners in a serene-looking smile. Free at last, just as she’d wanted.

Two years ago, her mother had promised her a real Christmas in a real home. A family Christmas, just as Trin had always begged for. And so she’d held on, all this time, waiting patiently in the Nether for her daughter to finally come home. So she could keep her promise at last.

“Good-bye, Mom,” Trinity whispered, reaching out to trace a cold cheek with her fingers. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. The woman had clung to life two years longer than the universe had intended her to; now it was time to let her go. Trin smiled down at her mother, then pulled the emerald ring from her finger and slipped it into her hand.

I’m a lot like Mom, she said to herself. And the thought made her smile.

“Come on,” Connor urged, interrupting. “We have to get out of here. Now!”

Trin nodded, forcing her mind back to the present. But as she rose to her feet, something fell from her lap. She looked down, shocked to find the music box her mother had given her while in the Nether now lying at her feet. How did she bring it back with her? That should have been impossible…

“Come on, Trin!” Caleb urged. “Let’s go!”

She grabbed the box and ran, deciding to puzzle it out later, following the two boys out of the room and down the dark hallway. Emmy met them at the split, her eyes anxious and her expression grim.

They’re coming! she cried. Hurry!

“Wait!” Trinity protested. “What about the other dragons?”

Caleb shook his head. “There’s nothing left,” he told her. “The other Dracken must have come by and taken the healthy ones with them, then burned the rest so the government couldn’t extract their DNA. There’s just ashes down there. Nothing left to save.”

Trinity could feel Emmy’s horror rising within her and tried to send comforting thoughts to her dragon to ease her distress. The last thing she needed was for Emmy to lose control now. But deep inside, she couldn’t help but worry. Darius had been captured, but the other Dracken were still at large. And they had dragons at their disposal—maybe not the healthiest of dragons, but dragons all the same.

This is not over, she realized, a cold chill creeping into her bones. Not by a long shot.

But for now, there was nothing they could do. And so they raced through the parking garage, toward the elevator, getting on board and shooting up to the world above. When the doors slid open, they tumbled out the back of the mall. The sun was so bright Trinity was forced to squint. It had been so long she’d almost forgotten what it looked like.

“Come on,” Connor urged, grabbing her hand. “This way!”

She followed him to a black van parked nearby. He yanked open the door, then ushered her inside. She crawled in, her eyes widening as she realized who was driving their getaway vehicle.

“Grandpa!” she cried, throwing her arms around him and squeezing him tight—the real-life hug a thousand times better than the Fields of Fantasy one had been. She breathed in deep, rejoicing in the faint scent of tobacco clinging to his shirt. She’d have to scold him about smoking later. Right now she was just too happy to see him.

“Welcome home, kiddo!” he said with a grin.

Trinity laughed. “There’s no place like it,” she declared. And this time, she meant it.

Grandpa chuckled, then turned the key in the ignition. The van roared to life and they pulled out of the parking lot and into the night. Soon they were speeding down the highway, the mall and all its horrors fading into the distance. Emmy settled comfortably on Trin’s shoulder, resting her head against the backseat, purring happily. As if to tell her, my home is wherever you are.

Trinity watched the mall disappear out the back window until she could see it no more. Then she turned to the boys.

“So now what?” she asked. “Got any ideas of what we should do next?”

The boys looked at one another and smiled, as if sharing a secret joke.

“Now we raise a dragon,” Connor replied.

“And,” Caleb added, “make sure she doesn’t destroy the world.”

Acknowledgments

To my editor Leah Hultenschmidt, who shouted, “I want this book!” after only a one-sentence pitch, then helped me shape it into what it is today. Brainstorming sessions have never been so much fun! And to the entire Sourcebooks team—your enthusiasm and support is invaluable to me and I’m thrilled to be part of the family.

To my agent Kristin Nelson, for reading many, many early versions of this book until we found one that worked. And for understanding why this story was so important to me and needed to be told.

To my husband Jacob, for all the tireless conversations and charts on time-travel paradoxes. Not to mention all the delicious dinners on deadline and all-encompassing support. Seriously—best husband ever.

To Diana Peterfreund—author, friend, and beta reader—who insisted a dragon book can never have too many dragons. And to blogger Donna @ Bites—the toughest beta reader you will ever love and my sister in Lost Boys fandom. And to my Werearmadillo writing group—for all their encouragement and support when things got tough. Not to mention my Austin SCBWI and RWA friends who make Texas a great place to live.

And, lastly, to author Robin McKinley, who introduced me to the awesomeness of dragons when I was young with her amazing book, The Hero and the Crown. As writers, we don’t always know who we have touched with our words. So I tell you now, I would not be who I am today without your stories.

About the Author

Mari Mancusi always wanted a dragon as a pet. Unfortunately, the fire insurance premiums proved a bit too large and her house a bit too small—so she chose to write about them instead. Today she works as an award- winning young adult author and freelance television producer, for which she has won two Emmys. When not writing about fanciful creatures of myth and legend, Mari enjoys goth clubbing, cosplay, watching cheesy (and scary) horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure—playing video games. A graduate of Boston University, she lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon, and their dog Mesquite.