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“How delightful,” I said after a beat, my mouth folding down at the edges.
“You have one hour,” he reminded. “Looking forward to it.” With that, the line went dead.
I looked around me, feeling almost numb with alarm. My brother was cornered, and my dragons were in a coma, and I had a time-limit.
“FUCK!” My voice echoed in the chamber, but still the dragons didn’t wake up.
I didn’t have any choice, and I didn’t have any ideas. Sure, if I could, I would have taken some dragon’s blood, put it in a kiddie pool, and fucking kicked around in it. See if Seraphus would eat me then! Alas, there wasn’t any around, and I couldn’t even wake the dragons.
I pocketed my cellphone.
I was definitely going to die. I think that was the whole plan. If I stayed, I lost my brother and would be chased for the rest of my life. If I went, I ruined the whole world.
I did the only thing I could do—well, I did two things.
I kicked each dragon very hard to get them to wake up. They continued sleeping.
Then I grabbed my diamond babies and shoved them into a purse that I’d slung over my shoulders. I was careful with them, but even touching them made my heartrate slow down to far more comfortable levels.
I put the bracelet on and twisted my hand around the ancient ring on my finger. All working together, it made me feel as if I was electric; completely powered-up.
I’d need that. What I was undertaking, even though it was something I’d tried to talk Murtagh and Caspian into, was extremely frightening.
Not just for me—for the world. But I wasn’t joking. I would burn the world for my brother.
This hangar had no cars, but it did have a truck in it, apparently to stock snacks onto leer jets, and the keys were inside conveniently.
I only ran over a few dozen cones as I left the hanger, because this was like driving a boat, and I’d barely driven anyway. In fact, trying to zero in on how to drive was distracting me somewhat while I journeyed to my doom.
I looked in my rearview mirror, my white eyes looking back at me. They frightened me at first, but I had to admit, now I thought they looked pretty badass. Too bad I couldn’t enjoy them.
I heard my cellphone ring. It was Caspian. I took a deep breath and answered.
“Where are you?” he demanded.
“Finally up from your nap?” I snapped.
“You’re gone!” I heard Murtagh demanding Caspian to tell them where I was, so I answered. “He’s going to kill my brother. I’m not waiting around. I’m going to Newsome.” I eyed the address on my phone. “And I’m not coming home without him.”
“My ass you’re going to get him!” he snapped. “Are you insane? Seraphus is going to eat you! He’s going to start the apocalypse!”
“He called me and made that very creepily clear, thanks,” I snapped.
“Are you driving? Stop the car, Zazie. Come back. Now!” Caspian demanded in his strong, bossy accent that I was positive had always worked. Until now.
I sighed, blowing strands of hair out of my face. “Look, I have a plan.”
“You don’t have a plan! You have a hypothesis!” he hissed. “Zazie—you cannot give your life for anyone. You cannot give yourself for your brother. Your brother’s time is at an end. You are too important. If he kills you, the world ends. It ENDS FOR EVERYONE,” Murtagh’s voice suddenly cut in, angry. They sounded like they were scrambling. “Wait. Just wait until we’re at full strength, and we can protect you.”
“I can’t. He’s waiting on me right now.”
There was silence on the line. “We’re coming for you. Don’t go to him, Zazie. Just stop the car. Pull over. Fuck!”
I heard the cellphone drop and a scuffle where it seemed like Caspian had tripped.
Apparently, they weren’t back to normal just yet. They had mentioned to me that it would take a while to get to full strength after they drained any blood from themselves.
“There’s nothing else to do. Miles’ plan isn’t gonna work—he’s not even where Miles thinks he is!”
