Smoked - Mari Mancusi Page 0,72

been run over by a truck. “Five more minutes, Mac,” she begged.

Please! Mother! You have to get up now. You have to come with me—before it’s too late.

What? Scarlet jerked to a sitting position, confusion swirling through her as she suddenly recognized the voice through her sleep-induced haze. “Zavier?” she whispered, puzzled. “Is that you?”

The rapping came again, and she leapt to her feet, flying to the tiny bathroom window as the events of the last twelve hours came rushing back to her. Oh God. Has something happened? Her eyes fell to Zavier outside her window, pacing back and forth, blowing billows of smoke through his flared nostrils. What was he doing out there? How had he gotten out of the hangar? And what—she swallowed heavily—what was that black oily stuff coating his legs?

“What are you doing out there?” she demanded, wishing the window was the kind that opened. Even if she smashed it, it was too small to crawl through. “Why aren’t you in the hangar? Where’s Zoe?”

Zavier gave her a tortured look. Mother, something’s happened. We must leave this place. Now.

Oh God. Scarlet’s heart was now in her throat. “Zavier, you’re not making any sense. Where’s Zoe? Is she still in the hangar? We can’t just take off on her and…” She trailed off, seeing the flash of pain cross Zavier’s face. “Oh no,” she whispered hoarsely. “No.”

Reaching out with her mind, she searched for her dragon through their shared link. Her precious baby girl. Where was she? Why wasn’t she with Zavier? Zoe was always with Zavier.

Zoe? she called. Are you okay? Talk to me, girl. Tell me you’re okay!

But there was no answer. Only silence. A horrible, deafening silence.

Come on, Mother, Zavier urged, a small, worried whine escaping his mouth. Please! You must come now! We must fly from here before he finds me.

Scarlet abandoned the window, running to the door, her fingers grasping for the handle. Of course it was still locked. She took a few steps back, then slammed her body against it, hitting it hard and practically seeing stars from the impact. But the door did not budge.

Because the boy she had loved, the boy she had trusted, had locked her in.

Panic seizing her, she looked around the room, desperate for something to use. Her eyes fell upon the ceramic toilet bowl and the lid to its tank. She grabbed it, then backed up, preparing to use it as a makeshift battering ram. Sucking in a breath, she charged, slamming it into the door. It took three tries before the door cracked and gave way.

She dropped the lid to the ground, then pushed her way through the hole in the door. She took off down the hall, her heart slamming against her ribs and her breath coming in short gasps.

As she took a sharp right into the main waiting room, she dug in her heels, stopping short as she took in the sight. The air was thick with smoke, and everyone was running around, desperate and wide-eyed, filling buckets of water and running them out the front doors, trying to put out the fire. Scarlet watched, horrified. What was going on here?

Somehow she forced her feet to move, one after the other, pushing through the doors and running toward the hangar where Zoe and Zavier had been taken. Where she had taken them. Where Caleb had forced her to leave them—unprotected and alone.

Oh, Zoe. Please, Zoe.

She pushed her way into the hangar. The smoke was even thicker here, and several of the abandoned airplanes had caught fire. A few of the Potentials were running in and out with their pitiful buckets of water, attempting to douse the flames, but she ignored them, scanning the area, trying to squint through the smoke.

And then she saw it. The large, pink lump at the far end of the room, swimming in a pool of black.

Oh no.

No, no, NO!

“Scarlet!” She felt a presence behind her, but the voice sounded muffled and far away. She could vaguely feel hands grabbing at her arms, but she shook them off impatiently, her eyes locked on the horrible sight in front of her.

“Zoe!” she screamed, rushing toward her dragon. “No, oh God, please no! Zoe!”

The dragon was lying on her side, soaked in blood, the single scale on her arm—the one with the lifesaving blood—pierced and drained. Zoe’s eyes were open, and for a moment, Scarlet held out hope for a miracle. But as she got closer, she saw they were