I groaned. No good would come from going down that path. I had to stay focused. Concentrate on what I’d come to do. Ember was starting to come around. My little spitfire wouldn’t be content to sit back and let Talon order her around. She would start questioning the organization, if she hadn’t already, and when she couldn’t get answers from them, she’d come to me. And I’d show her what Talon was really like.
“Riley.” Wes poked his head through the frame. “The Austin nest, mate. What do we do about it?”
I sighed, sitting up on the mattress. “Keep monitoring the safe house, but don’t try to contact them anymore,” I told him. “If whatever caused the nest to go dark is still out there, we don’t want to alert it to our presence. After I convince Ember to join us, I’ll head to Austin myself and see what’s going on. Until then, we sit tight.”
“And if Talon or St. George shows up on our bloody doorstep?”
“Well, then I’m going out the back window. I don’t know what you’ll end up doing.”
“It’s so nice to know you care.”
I kicked the door shut. Knowing Wes, he would be up the rest of the night, staring at his laptop screen and drinking obscene amounts of Red Bull. I was tired, cranky, and sickened at the news of my safehouses. Annoying human roommates be damned, I needed to go to sleep.
And very soon, I was going to show a certain red-haired hatchling the true face of Talon, and convince her that she belonged with us.
With me.
Ember
It was after two a.m. when I returned home. Garret dropped me off at the corner without a word, and I crept silently down the road, across the yard, and up to the front door of the house. All the windows were dark, which was a relief. Still, my heart was pounding as I unlocked the door and eased inside, being careful not to make a sound.
I half expected a light to flip on, revealing a pair of angry guardians or worse, Scary Talon Lady herself, waiting for me. When nothing happened and the room remained dark, I relaxed. Maybe Dante had come through for me after all. Scurrying up the stairs, I tiptoed to my room, slipped inside, and closed the door with a sigh of relief.
“Where have you been?”
I bit my tongue to keep from screeching. “Dammit, Dante!” I whispered, flipping on the light. He leaned against the opposite wall with his arms crossed, looking coldly unamused. “Stop doing that!
It’s not funny anymore.”
“Do you see me laughing?” My twin narrowed his eyes to green slits, and my stomach twisted. “Where were you?” he demanded again.
“Why’d you take off like that? I had to lie my ass off to convince the guardians that you were sleeping at Lexi’s and had forgotten to tell them. What were you doing?”
“Nothing,” I growled, feeling sullen and defensive. “It’s none of your business, Dante. Why do you care, anyway?”
“I care that you’re going to get yourself sent back to Talon!” Dante snapped. “I care that you keep breaking the rules and don’t think about the consequences. I care that there was a rogue dragon at that party, and you two seemed very friendly with each other.” His glare hardened, accusing and almost hurt. “You knew he was still hanging around, didn’t you? You knew, and you didn’t tell me.”
“Why? So you could rat him out to Talon again?”
Dante blinked, taken aback, and I sneered. “Yeah, I know it was you. Don’t expect me to be forthcoming when you’ve been keeping secrets, Dante. You didn’t have to do that. Riley isn’t hurting anyone.”
“Riley? You know his name?”
I winced. Dante stared at me, aghast, then shook his head. “Dammit, Ember, you don’t get it, do you? Rogues are dangerous. They’ve rejected everything Talon stands for and they’ll try to get you to do the same. If you keep talking to this rogue, Talon might see you as a co-conspirator, and then the Vipers will come after you both. is that what you want?”
I shivered at the mention of the Vipers. Dante noticed my hesitation and pushed himself off the wall, coming to stand in front of me.
“I know you’re curious,” he said in a low voice, “but you’re playing with fire, sis. If you keep this up, Talon might label you a traitor.
The Vipers will take you away for good, and I can’t lose you like that.
Promise me you won’t talk to him again. Please.”
I met his gaze. “If I do, will you promise me you won’t inform Talon?”
He stiffened and drew back. “It’s our responsibility to inform the organization about any and all possible threats,” he said. “Rogues put the survival of our race in jeopardy. The rules are clear. I have to tell them.”
“Fine.” I set my jaw. “You do that. But you might be turning your own sister in as well, so I hope you’re okay with that. If the Vipers come for me, it’ll be your fault.”
He raked both hands through his hair, a very human gesture of frustration. “Ember, please,” he groaned. “Don’t be like this. I’m just trying to keep you safe.”
“I don’t need you to keep me safe,” I retorted. “I just need you to be on my side for once.” He started to protest, but I opened the door, an indication for him to leave. “Choose, Dante. Me or Talon? the organization, or your own blood?”
He stared at me blankly, as if he didn’t recognize me anymore.
Then he walked across the room and out the door without looking back. I swallowed the lump in my throat and flipped off the light, letting the door swing shut behind him.
Garret
I was field stripping my Glock when Tristan came home.
“Well that’s never a good sign,” he said, placing two full grocery bags on the kitchen counter. I didn’t answer. Closing my eyes, I re-assembled the pistol again, feeling the comforting metal slide between my fingers. Slide, barrel, spring, receiver. I slid the magazine into place with a satisfying snap and opened my eyes to find Tristan watching me.
He raised a dark eyebrow. “Something bothering you, partner?”
“No.” Placing the assembled pistol on the coffee table, I leaned back and prepared to take it apart again, trying to focus this strange, restless energy and calm my mind. Ever since I’d kissed Ember on the beach two days ago, she was all I could think about. I couldn’t concentrate on work, training had no appeal, and even tasks that had become second nature had grown tedious. I was stumbling through this mission in a fog, and I needed to refocus my mind. It didn’t help that tonight loomed over me like a thundercloud, making me nervous and edgy, unable to calm down.