His eyes glittered, and he folded his front claws before him like a cat, the curved talons lightly raking the floor. “So the other little hatchling has run away,” he said, sounding amused and impatient at the same time. “And now, you think she is somewhere in my city.” He snorted, sending a billow of smoke into the air. “I find that highly unlikely. Nothing happens here without my knowledge. No one comes or goes unless I know about it. I have eyes in almost every casino, every hotel on and off the Strip.” He angled a horn at the bank of screens surrounding him. “If this girl has entered my territory, what makes you think she can hide from me?”
“She’s not alone, Reign.” Mr. Roth’s voice was cool as he stepped forward, though I noted he didn’t stare directly at the other dragon but kept his gaze off to the side. “We believe she is with a former Basilisk operative who went rogue several years ago. He knows about you. He would know which hotels to avoid, and in which areas you might not have as large a presence.” Reign’s gold eyes narrowed dangerously, showing his obvious displeasure with the contradiction, though Mr. Roth did not relent. “He’ll know how to stay hidden and out of sight, even from you.”
Reign growled, not loudly, but I felt the vibrations through the cement. “A rogue Basilisk,” the dragon king mused, tapping his claws against the floor. “I’ve heard of this upstart, Cobalt.” His voice took on an annoyed edge. “I suppose he is also the reason St. George has suddenly appeared in my city?”
“Yes. We believe the Order is searching for them, as well.”
Reign’s nostrils flared. “So why should I risk exposure when the Order is swarming around out there, thanks to your wayward agent?” he asked. “Helping you with your rogue problem could expose my operations to St. George. I’ve avoided the Order for a very, very long time. I intend to keep it that way.”
My stomach turned. Ember was close, I could feel it. We were in the same city, the same territory. I just had to reach her before St. George did. Or before she left town with the rogue, and we were back at square one. Determination rose up, and I took a deep breath. I could not let anyone, even the ruler of Las Vegas, put my sister or my plans in danger.
“Sir,” I began, and Reign peered down at me in amused surprise. I felt Mr. Smith’s incredulous gaze on me as well and knew I was probably breaking protocol, a hatchling daring to contradict an ancient Wyrm. This was a gamble, but it was too late to back out now. I faced the ancient dragon, keeping my voice calm. “Forgive me, sir, but it’s in your best interests to help,” I said evenly. “You have a lot of resources at your disposal, and the sooner we find Ember, the sooner you can get St. George out of your city. Surely that is enough reason to assist us.”
Reign cocked his massive head, the hint of a smile crossing his muzzle. “Is that so, hatchling?” he mused in a soft, deadly voice, making a cold sweat break out on my neck. “You’re awfully confident about that.”
“She’s my sister,” I replied. “No one knows her like I do.” Those primeval eyes continued to watch me, unblinking, and I stifled my fear. “I just need to find her. If I knew where she was, I could reach her. I can bring her back to Talon.”
“The boy has a point, Reign,” Mr. Roth broke in. I wanted to glance at him but didn’t dare take my attention from the Wyrm glaring down at me. “Once we retrieve Ms. Hill and deal with the rogue, the Order will have no reason to stay in Vegas. They will leave, we will return to the organization, and your assistance will be much appreciated once it gets back to the Elder Wyrm.”
“I’m sure it will.” Reign hadn’t looked away from me the entire time. “But let me ask you this, little hatchling. Let us say your sister is truly lost, that she refuses to return to the organization. What then?”
I swallowed, realizing he was testing me, seeing how far I would go. “Everyone has something that they want, sir,” I replied. “Everyone has a price that they are willing to pay. Ember is with the rogue dragon, Cobalt, and even he has weaknesses. If we can find them, exploit them, we’ll have them both.”
Reign blew out a long, rumbling breath, filling the air with the smell of sulfur. “Spoken like a true dragon of Talon. Very well,” he growled, and shifted upright, making my pulse skip at how big he really was. “I have several agents who might be able to track them down. One in particular has been very helpful, keeping eyes on the parts of the city I cannot. I’ll have my people contact him. If the hatchling and the rogue are here, he’ll know where to look.” The tip of his tail thumped the ground, and he blinked slowly. “Will that be sufficient enough for you, Mr. Hill?”
Again, he wasn’t looking at Mr. Roth, but at me. I bowed my head, letting gratitude seep into my voice. “Yes, sir,” I said. “Thank you, sir. Talon will not forget this.”
“I’m sure they won’t.” He shook his massive head. “Though I might have to have a talk with the Elder Wyrm about too-clever hatchlings who overstep their bounds. I assume you have a plan for dealing with this girl and the rogue, once you find them?”
My mind was already spinning. Bring Ember back, and make sure the rogue could never take her away again. That was all that mattered. Talon was watching me; I would not fail them. “Yes,” I answered, setting my jaw. “I do.”
Riley
Come on, you bastard, I thought, glaring at my phone. You know we’re here. Text me back already.
The device in my hand remained obnoxiously silent. Sighing, I shoved it into my jacket pocket and tried not to pace, feeling time ticking away from me. At least the room was large, airy and luxurious, though a bit on the gaudy side. I could’ve done without the shiny gold curtains and bright purple carpet. And the painting of the barely clad Greek woman lounging by a pool.
I snorted in derision. Caesar’s Palace, it ain’t. This wasn’t a casino the high rollers and professional gamblers would set foot in, or come within a hundred yards of, really. Which suited me fine. No one from Talon—no one important, at least—would be caught dead here. And I wouldn’t have to share the queen-size bed with anyone else; Ember was in the room next door and the other two—Wes and the soldier—had their own individual quarters across the hall. Money had never been an issue; during the years I’d worked for the organization, I’d racked up quite the nest egg. When I had gone rogue, those accounts had been frozen, but not even Talon’s security was a match for Wes after he joined my team. The money was now hidden in overseas accounts under false identities so that Talon couldn’t trace it back to us. Not to mention, having an elite hacker around was pretty helpful for those times I needed other things: bank codes, fake IDs, false reservations and the like. Most times, I didn’t even have to touch my own accounts.