Mari Mancusi - Scorched

Her hackles rose at the idea. The implication that it was somehow her fault—her weakness—that allowed her to be caught.

“Okay, fine,” she snarled. “If you can read my mind, what am I thinking right now ?”

Caleb chuckled. “That you want to kill me. Though, to be fair, I don’t need to read your mind for that. It’s written all over your face.”

She groaned, forcing her focus back on the road. She wanted to tell him he was being ridiculous. That the only gift he had mastered was that of being a total dick. Yet, reluctantly, she had to admit he had known exactly what she’d been thinking. And he had found her—in the middle of nowhere. Both last night and just now.

And then there was Connor, his own twin. She thought about how he’d grabbed her back at the barn. She’d heard his thoughts, echoing through her head, though he’d never moved his lips. And when he’d finished, she’d wanted to do exactly what he’d told her to. Had that been this pushing thing Caleb was talking about?

She attempted to empty herself of thoughts, concentrating only on the road ahead, while Caleb continued to stare at her with piercing eyes from the passenger seat. His face was identical to his twin’s, she realized, yet at the same time so different. How could she have not noticed it before? Whereas Connor’s eyes were clear blue, the color of the sky on a cloudless day, Caleb’s had flecks of gold and green, swirling about in a storm of color.

Connor . Where was he now? What was he doing? Did he have her grandpa with him? Was he trying to find her, wanting to make sure she was okay? Her heart panged as she remembered what must have been his shadow at her bedroom window, his desperate voice calling out her name just as Caleb stole her away. Did he know she’d been tricked? That his brother had assumed his identity? Or would he believe she’d left of her own free will, the evil dragon convincing her to join up with his worst enemy?

No, she decided. Connor would know. He’d know that she’d never take off on him willingly, leaving him and her grandpa behind. Not after what they’d been through—after what they’d shared. Her lips twitched involuntarily, still branded by his kiss. She barely knew the guy and yet there was something about him. Something…protective. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t rest until he was sure she was safe.

“I have to say, you think pretty highly of a guy who wants to murder you,” Caleb pointed out absently, turning to look out the passenger side window. His voice was calm, emotionless, but his eyes had darkened to angry thunderclouds.

“Excuse me?”

“Connor,” he said slowly, as if speaking to a dimwitted child. “Your big knight in shining dragon scale. He would have killed you if I’d left you there.”

“Oh, right,” she retorted tartly. Seriously, why did she keep feeling the need to encourage his lies? “He wanted to kill me. Well, then why didn’t he? He had plenty of chances and, at the moment, I still seem to be pretty much alive, don’t you think?”

“That’s only because your bond is not yet complete,” Caleb replied evenly. “No offense, princess, but you’re not worth killing until your death can bring down a dragon.”

What? Her lips parted in surprise.

“Oh dear,” he cried, catching her expression. His mouth twisted. “Could it be that my brother forgot to mention that pesky little detail when he was rescuing you?”

“What are you talking about?” Trinity demanded, getting annoyed. “Whatever it is, just come out and say it.”

“Sure.” He shrugged dismissively. “When you first touched Emmy back at the museum, a bond began to build between you.”

She gritted her teeth. “I know that. Get to the part where Connor’s trying to kill me.”

“Patience, princess.” Caleb’s fingers danced lazily over the egg, still swaddled in his lap. “The great mysteries of the universe take time to untangle.”

“I’ll be happy to untangle you if you don’t start explaining.”

Caleb snorted. “It’s simple, really. Once Emmy breaks free of her shell, the bond between you will be complete. Meaning you’ll share a common life force. We call it Fire Kissed where I come from and it’s a rare thing indeed.” He looked down at the egg. “You should consider yourself lucky—it’s a great honor to be chosen by a queen.”

Trinity found herself glancing over at the egg, a shiver tripping down her spine. Emmy’s words came whispering back at her.

We are destined…

“In any case, it’s really tough to kill a queen dragon once she’s hatched,” Caleb continued in an easy tone, “especially with your current primitive technology. It would be much easier, let’s say, for a Hunter to go after its partner instead—a weak little human with a fragile mortal coil. Not so difficult to kill.” He gave her a winning smile. “Does that answer your question?”

Trinity found she couldn’t reply, the implications of his words making her blood run cold. As much as she wanted to accuse him of lying, the story made a weird kind of sense. After all, why else would Connor have been so bound and determined to keep her around, even when she’d tried to push him away? Could she really have been his insurance policy all along—in case he failed in his mission to destroy the egg?

“Look, I don’t mean to sound harsh,” Caleb added, his tone softening. She could feel his pity but refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset. “But why do you think my brother wanted you tagging along on his mission to save the world? So he could qualify for the two-for-one special at the local truck-stop cafe?”

She scowled, wishing he’d stop talking. She didn’t want to hear anymore—not now that the doubts had already seeded themselves in her mind. Could Connor really be capable of such deception? Luring her in, making her feel protected and safe—all the while ready to cut her down if things didn’t go to plan? The idea hurt more than she wanted to admit.

We have to do whatever it takes, he had said , even if it means sacrificing ourselves.

Had he been planning to sacrifice her as well?

Her troubled thoughts were interrupted as blue lights flashed in her rearview mirror. “Crap,” she swore under her breath, making a move to pull over. “A cop.” It was strange—just a few minutes ago, she’d been practically begging for a rescue. Now she wasn’t so sure.

“No!” Caleb cried, grabbing the steering wheel and yanking her back on the road. “We can’t stop!”

“But we have to,” she argued. “There’s no way we can outrun a cop in this hunk of junk.” She’d been flooring it just to reach fifty-five. She started to pull over again.

“Fine,” Caleb replied, reaching for his gun.

“Wait!” She jerked the truck back onto the road. “What are you going to do?”

“Whatever I have to to keep you and Emmy safe.”

“But you can’t just kill him!” she protested. “He’s innocent.”

“Trinity, no offense, but aren’t you on the run from the law? What do you think Mr. Innocent will do when he discovers we’re not exactly the poster children for innocence ourselves?”

Trinity’s face fell, knowing he was right. There was no way the cop was going to just let them go once he checked the license and registration. There was sure to be an APB on them from the diner incident, and maybe a stolen car report to boot. And she didn’t even want to think about the penalties that might be involved in basically assaulting two Homeland Security agents…

But she couldn’t just let Caleb kill him.

Think! she berated herself as she slowed down and guided the truck to the shoulder of the road. The policeman pulled in behind her, stopping about twenty feet back. There has to be another way.