Smoked - Mari Mancusi Page 0,77
his hand. Just two more turns and he’d be at the exit where his Dracken partner was waiting with the getaway bike. Picking up the pace, he propelled himself forward around corner number one, his feet skidding across the floor. So far so good. He just prayed there was no one manning the doors as he headed for corner number two.
But before he could turn, a lone figure stepped out from behind the corner, his gun raised and ready. Caleb stopped short, digging in his heels as his heart thudded in his chest. He looked up, taking in the crisp Academy uniform. The multiple shiny pins that adorned it.
The face above those pins that mirrored his own.
“Caleb?”
God. It had to be him, didn’t it? Of all the people who could have caught him, it had to be his hero brother. Seriously, he thought, when did the world become so unfair?
“What are you doing here?” Connor demanded. “Are you stealing from the Council now? Is that what your little Dracken cult has you doing?”
Caleb felt his face flush involuntarily at his brother’s jabs. It was crazy—a moment ago, he’d been so proud of this mission. Proud of who he’d become. But one look at his twin’s disappointed face, and suddenly he was no longer a member in good standing in the largest dragon sympathizer group in the world—just a no-good Shanty Town rat, as he’d always been. Still thieving, still running from the law, still nothing and nobody and pathetic as hell.
He scowled, straightening his shoulders and firming his resolve. “Get out of my way, Connor,” he growled. “Or shoot me if that’s what you’re planning to do. But make it count. I have zero interest in spending the next thirty to fifty in the mines.”
His brother’s face flickered with something he couldn’t decipher. A moment later, he spoke. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” he said, his once-steady voice now taking on a pleading tone. “I can talk to the Council. They owe me a favor. I could get you a reprieve. Maybe even a job. You have information about the Dracken. Maybe we could make some kind of…deal.”
“A deal to rat out the only friends I’ve ever had?” Caleb barked out a laugh. “Not bloody likely, oh brother of mine. Don’t you get it? I don’t want your help. I never have and I never will.”
Connor closed his eyes, as if resigning himself to his fate. “Fine,” he said. “But please don’t make me kill you. I couldn’t do that—not to Mom. Just, please, put down your bag and walk away. I’ll pretend I never saw you.”
Caleb hedged, shuffling from foot to foot. It was a tempting offer—certainly more than he deserved. And for a split second, he tried to imagine a life where he and brother actually got along. But then his mind flashed to his dragon. The dragon his brother had killed in cold blood for no reason at all.
No. Caleb would never accept his brother’s help. Not when other dragons were now counting on him. He couldn’t save his dragon. But the dust in his satchel would save countless more.
Sorry, Connor. No deal.
Slowly, he made a move, as if reaching for his bag. Then, with lightning speed, he turned his gun on his brother, blasting him where he stood. Connor screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, electrical shocks sparking off his skin. For a moment, Caleb just watched, his mouth set in a thin line.
“From now on, stay away from me,” he told him. “Because next time? My gun won’t be set to stun.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Present Day
Caleb put a hand over his eyes, attempting to squint into the blazing sun, swearing under his breath as Emmy flew him and Trinity through the skies. They’d been traveling all night, trying to puzzle out the sightings reports Luke was calling in over the walkie-talkies and match them with the signals Trinity was getting from Scarlet through her gift.
Problem was, while at first it seemed as if both dragon and rider were traveling the same path, as the sun began to rise, the reports started to conflict with one another—Scarlet still in the location they’d been heading and the dragon flying in the opposite direction. A fact that set Caleb’s nerves on edge. Had Zavier dumped Scarlet? Had she fallen off his back? Was she hurt? Was she…?
“We’re closer to Scarlet,” he told Trinity. “Let’s find her first.”
“No,” Trinity said. “We can’t waste time. We