once she was done giving her blood to Connor.
The blood transfusion only took a moment, and before he knew it, Zoe was bursting back through the door, her eyes shining with excitement. I did it! she announced proudly. Then she turned, peering through the window. She paused for a moment, then bounced up and down in glee. He’s waking up! she cried. He’s okay! She turned to Zavier. I did it! I healed him!
Good work, Sis, Zavier said, softening. Zoe’d been so upset earlier; it warmed his heart to see her happy again, no matter what the reason. Now let’s get out of here before they find out we broke through our chains.
Zoe nodded. And then tomorrow, we can tell Scarlet-mom what we did! And she’ll tell everyone else. They’ll call us heroes. Good dragons who save people, she added with much bravado. And then they’ll have to let us stay.
They walked out the back door and into the open air. The night was cool but not cold, and a full moon shone down on them, illuminating the landscape and casting dark shadows on the field. Zavier found himself looking out into the distance, wondering what the world was like beyond this place.
Are you sure you want to stay? he surprised himself by asking.
Zoe gave him a sharp look. What do you mean?
I mean… He raised his paw, sweeping it across the landscape. There’s nothing forcing us to stay. We could leave tonight, just the two of us. Never look back.
Zoe’s face twisted in horror. Leave? she repeated. Leave Scarlet-mom? Caleb-dad? Where would we go? What would we do? How would we eat?
We’re dragons, Zavier reminded her. We can go, do, and eat anything we want to. We’re kind of top of the food chain, if you didn’t notice.
But Zoe only shook her head. Then they really would believe we are bad dragons, she told him. We’ve already messed everything up. Now’s our chance to show them that they’re wrong about us, that we’re good dragons and we deserve to be part of the team.
Zavier let out a frustrated breath. Why do you even care what some humans think?
Zoe dropped her gaze, shuffling her feet against the sand. She looked so dejected Zavier felt bad for his harsh tone. I’m sorry, he amended. I know you want them to like you. It’s not that I don’t. It’s just, I’m just worried that you’re hoping for something that can never happen. We have no idea whether they’ll ever accept us after today. And what if they decide to do something worse?
Worse…?
You know. Like hurt us. Or…worse, he amended lamely. A moment ago, she’d been so happy, and he was the bad guy dragging her back to earth.
But Zoe only shook her head. Scarlet-mom would never let that happen, she told her brother. She promised to protect us, and she never breaks her promises.
Zavier sighed. As with everything else, he knew it was impossible to make her see what he saw. And while he could easily go off by himself, leave her to the human world she loved, at the end of the day, he knew it wasn’t really an option. They were a pair. They’d been together since they were eggs. The world held nothing of value to him besides his sister.
Okay, he said, putting a wing around her. Let’s go back to the hangar.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“This is not good. This is so not good.”
Scarlet paced the small bathroom she and Caleb had retreated to after their talk with Trinity, her steps quickly eating up the distance between walls. Caleb watched from the doorway, wanting desperately to reach out to her, to pull her into his arms. But he wasn’t sure she’d appreciate the gesture.
“It’s going to be okay,” he tried to tell her for what felt like the thousandth time. The lie rolled more easily off his tongue now but still knotted in his stomach. “You heard Trinity. She’s not going to let anything happen to them.”
Scarlet whirled around, her face radiating her distress. “And you just believe her? What, because she’s the great and powerful Trinity Foxx? You’re just going to sit back and let her decide the fate of your poor dragon instead of standing up and fighting for him?”
Caleb raked a frustrated hand through his hair. “Look, I know you don’t believe this, but Trinity is on our side, okay? I mean, sure, she’s a little pissed off at us right now. But that doesn’t mean she won’t