Smoked - Mari Mancusi Page 0,34

a fairy tale. And thanks to Emmy’s children, she had a much more realistic remedy.

She looked down at the vial. Even after a month, Zavier’s scale was still tiny, and it didn’t contain much blood. Hopefully it was enough to do the job. Otherwise, she’d have to wait until the dragon grew even bigger for her to try again. And she didn’t know how much time Caleb had left…if he had any left at all.

With trembling hands, she pried open his mouth, then put the vial to his lips. The blood dripped down, coating his tongue in a black oil-like substance. She waited for a moment, not exactly sure how this was all supposed to work, then pulled the vial away and closed his mouth, her pulse skittering madly as she waited for a reaction. Any reaction.

At first, there was nothing. Caleb’s eyes remained closed. His skin still white as snow. His arms limp at his side. Only his chest, slowly rising and falling in silent rhythm, gave her any indication he was even alive at all.

Still, she waited, trying to ignore the ache of doubt that began to creep into her bones. Was she too late? Was there just not enough blood? Was dragon’s blood unable to cure this kind of thing after all?

“Please, Bad Seed,” she begged. She laid a hand over his. “Come back to me.”

Caleb didn’t move.

She slumped into the folding chair next to him, scrubbing her face with her hands, her stomach wrenching with frustration. Come on, she begged him silently. Please wake up. You have to wake up.

And then, suddenly, his mouth twitched.

Scarlet leapt to her feet, pulse skyrocketing. Had that really just happened? Or had her desperate mind only imagined it?

But no. He was still moving. His eyes were fluttering. His nose was wiggling. And finally, a small, wet burp escaped his mouth—the most disgustingly beautiful sound Scarlet had ever heard in her life. She dropped back down to the chair, grabbing his hand in hers and squeezing it tight, her eyes glued to his face.

“Come on!” she whispered. “Come back to me! You can do it! I know you can!”

She watched, breathless, as his eyes lifted to half-mast, the pupils rolling around underneath, still unfocused and weak. But then they somehow managed to lock onto her face. His mouth quirked to a weak, cocky smile. The very same smile whose memory had kept her alive on those darkest days was now blasting fully on her in real life. It felt like the very sun.

“Buttercup,” he gurgled, his voice hoarse. “Where have you been all my life?”

Oh my God. She’d done it. She’d really done it!

She squealed, then bit her lip to quiet herself, not wanting to wake the others. They could find out soon enough that Caleb was back among the living. Right now, she wanted him all to herself. In fact, it was all she could do not to hug the life out of him and cover his face with kisses.

But he was weak. Disoriented. She didn’t want to overwhelm him. So she kept herself firmly glued to her chair, though she didn’t let go of his hand.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, peering down at him more critically now.

“Like I’ve been run over by a grumpy dragon,” he admitted, reaching up to rub his forehead with his free hand. “How long have I been out?”

“Just over nine months.”

His blue eyes clouded with horror. “Nine months?” He shook his head, and she could see his hard swallow. “Why, I’ve missed the whole party.”

“You do have a bit of catching up to do,” she admitted. “But it’s okay. Everything’s okay. We’re all back together. We’ve rescued Emmy from the government lab. She’s growing stronger every day. In fact, it’s pretty much happily ever after around here these days.” She smiled down at him. “Even more so now that we have you back.”

As she spoke the words, her mind flashed to the baby dragons, and she wondered if she should tell him about them. He of all people would understand, right? He would want to protect them too, despite what the others thought. A thrill spun down her spine. Finally, she’d have a partner in crime. She’d no longer have to bear the burden on her own. And maybe, with him on her side, they could convince the others that these dragons weren’t something to fear.

“Oh, Caleb,” she breathed. “I’ve really—”

“And Trinity?” he broke in before she could finish. “Is she here too?

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