Smoked by Mari Mancusi Page A

eyes were pleading, making his heart ache. He hated to upset her like this. But what choice did he have? Someone here had to speak the uncomfortable truth. And it seemed that he was the only one who could recognize it.
    â€œI’m sorry, Trin,” he tried. “I know you guys are all excited about this plan. And maybe…maybe it’ll be fine…”
    She sighed. “It’s obvious you don’t think that.”
    He groaned. “Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe things have changed enough. But every day, I feel like I’m living in this crazy déjà vu. Every time I turn around, I see these warning signs that things might not be as different as they first appear.” He shrugged. “We’ve changed the ripples of time, sure. But have we really stopped the tsunami on approach?” He bit his lower lip. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I still believe that as long as dragons are on the earth, there’s always going to be a threat.”
    â€œWhich is why you’re here to stop it,” Trinity reminded him. “Don’t you see, Connor? That’s the real difference this time around. Back then, when the dragon hybrids rose up, we didn’t have any way to stop them.” She gave him a shy smile. “This time we have you to blast those monsters into smithereens.” She mimed locking and loading a pistol, a teasing look in her eyes. “What was that catchphrase again? Hasta la vista, evil dragon spawn ! ”
    Anger exploded inside of him. “You think this is funny? That this is all some kind of big joke?” He rose to his feet, looking down at her with furious eyes. “Well, let me tell you, it’s not a joke to me. My world was destroyed. My father was killed. And if you think I’m going to just sit around and watch it happen all over again, well, you’ve all got another thing coming.” He turned on his heel.
    â€œConnor!” she cried, scrambling to her feet. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—” She made a move to stop him, but he shrugged her off.
    â€œJust leave me alone. Go check on your little web star or something. It’s obvious she’s all you care about anyway.”
    â€œThat’s not true.” Trin voice was pleading now. “I care about you . I love you.”
    Connor stiffened, his heart squeezing. He’d been waiting so long to hear those words come from her mouth.
    But now, as they spilled from her lips, he couldn’t allow himself to believe them.
    â€¢ • •
    From her hiding spot behind the hangar, Scarlet watched as Connor stormed off into the night, leaving Trinity to pick up the remnants of their picnic, her stomach knotted in disappointment and fear. She hadn’t been able to hear everything spoken between the two of them, but she was pretty sure she got the idea.
    As long as dragons are on the earth, there’s always going to be a threat.
    It had taken her all day to climb down from that mountain and walk the baby dragons back to the airfield. When she’d finally arrived, she’d stashed them in a maintenance shed at the far end of the runway, then headed back to camp to score them some dinner. The whole time, she’d been debating in her head whether or not to come clean to Trinity, to break her promise to Emmy for the dragons’ sake. But now, after overhearing their argument…
    Blast those monsters into smithereens…
    The fury clawed up her throat, threatening to choke her. All this time, she’d tried to give Trinity the benefit of the doubt. They might not have always seen eye to eye, but at least they were on the same team. Or so Scarlet had thought. But now, she realized with sickening dread, Trinity was no better than the rest of them, assuming, without any evidence whatsoever, that any dragons besides her precious Emmy were monsters.
    When really it was Emmy herself who was the biggest monster.
    With