Smoked - Mari Mancusi Page 0,11
die here? You gonna just let them win? Or should we live to fight another day and take down the bastards who did this to you?”
For a moment, Emmy stood perfectly still. Then, out of nowhere, she let out a loud roar. Charging out of her cage, she grabbed Trin in her mouth and tossed her onto her back as if she were a sack of potatoes. Trin landed hard and tears stung her eyes. But the pain was nothing compared to the joy rising within her.
She was going to do it! Emmy was going to break free.
Scarlet and Connor joined her a moment later, scaling Emmy’s wings until they were sitting behind her. There was barely room for all three of them, and Trin prayed Emmy—in her wounded state—would have the strength to get airborne with the added weight.
But before she could raise the question, the lab’s doors burst open. Guards rushed in, guns locked and loaded, barking orders and preparing to open fire. Chaos erupted as the primates and pigs squealed and screamed and rattled their cages in protest to the invasion, but the guards ignored them, their eyes on Emmy and her team of rescuers.
“Step away from the dragon!” one of them yelled.
“Stand down or we will open fire,” another suggested.
“Not on your life!” Trinity shouted back. Then she patted Emmy on the neck. “Your move, girl,” she whispered. “Show them what happens when you mess with a dragon.”
Emmy didn’t hesitate. Her mouth burst open, blasting a river of fire straight at the guards. In an instant, the entire platoon was on the ground, screaming and writhing as the flames consumed them. Trin fought back the nausea rising to her throat at the sudden smell of cooked meat permeating the air.
Emmy turned and gave Trinity a guilty look, probably assuming her Fire Kissed would not approve of the violence. But Trin only shook her head and patted her neck. “You did what you had to do,” she assured the dragon, echoing Connor’s earlier words. “You very well might have just saved the world.”
The dragon seemed to nod before pointing her snout to the sky. More fire shot from her mouth, torpedoing upward. The ceiling burst into flames, and Trinity and the others had to cover their heads with their hands to avoid the fiery debris raining down on top of them.
And then suddenly, they were flying, soaring, Emmy’s wings crackling in the air like thunder. As they shot through the burning ceiling, the fire singed Trin’s hair and skin, but she held on tight, and soon they were flying above the government lab.
Free.
“You did it!” Trinity cried to the dragon, pride and happiness rushing through her like the wind at her ears. “Emmy! You did it! You got free!”
Tears of happiness streamed down her cheeks. It had worked. This time, it had actually worked. She sucked in a shaky breath, not sure she’d been breathing the entire time they were making their escape. Then she turned to Connor and Scarlet with excited eyes.
“Let’s go meet up with everyone at the rendezvous point,” she declared. “They’re going to be so excited!” Her voice was filled with laughter and exhilaration. “Oh, Emmy, you’re going to love where we’re living now! We’ve got the best dragon lair ever all set up for you. And—”
To her surprise, Emmy seemed to pause at this, slowing her speed until she was simply hovering in midair, flapping her wings to keep elevation. At first, Trin assumed she was just waiting for the promised directions. But then, to her surprise, the dragon dipped her nose downward and started shooting back to earth. Trin’s brow furrowed.
“Emmy, what are you doing?” She turned back to look at Scarlet. “What is she doing?”
But Scarlet only shrugged helplessly. And a moment later, they found themselves coming in for a landing. Emmy hit the ground hard, stumbling a bit before regaining her balance. Then she turned and looked at them.
“Did you need to take a rest?” Trin asked, fear and confusion mixing in her veins. “I mean, that’s fine if you—”
She oomphed as the dragon reared up on her heels, unceremoniously knocking them from her back. As Trin hit the ground hard, she looked up, trying to figure out what Emmy was doing. The dragon gave her an apologetic look. Then, before Trin could speak, she pointed her nose back to the sky. A moment later, she was shooting up into the air, leaving the three of them behind.
“No!” Trin