by Julie Kagawa
“And if we do not?” Another dragon spoke, a beardless man with his hair pulled into a long tail that reached the small of his back. He was the youngest dragon at the table, and probably older than me by several centuries. “If we refuse this ‘gift’?”
“You’ve seen what Talon can do.” My voice didn’t falter; I could not falter, even in this. “You know that our power rivals even yours. The Elder Wyrm does not want this to be a fight. She believes we can come to an agreement that will benefit both sides. But if you refuse, you declare yourselves enemies of Talon, and we will respond accordingly.”
“And you will have ‘no choice’ but to destroy us,” the old male dragon said, and smiled humorlessly. “So, it is the most ancient of ultimatums—join us or die. That is what you are really saying, is that not correct, hatchling?”
“Yes,” I said, no longer willing to sugarcoat it when the intent was obvious. “It is.”
No one seemed surprised by this. Most of them simply nodded, as if that’s what they’d figured all along. “We will need time to think on your offer,” the male dragon said, and gestured to a door off to the side. “If you would give us a few minutes to speak among ourselves, we will call for you when we have an answer.”
I bowed and stepped away. “Of course.”
“Before you go, Dante Hill,” another dragon said, the younger male with the ponytail down his back. “I believe this is for you.”
Surprised, I watched as he gestured to a monk, who approached me and held out a rolled piece of parchment. “One of our own was here a short time ago,” the dragon explained as I took the scroll. The paper was dry and cracked, yet surprisingly strong. “She urged us to join with the rogue dragons of the West, against your organization. I cannot help but think that she was correct all along.”
“Shen.” The older male dragon frowned at him. “We discussed this. For days. It was put to a vote, and the council made its decision.”
“Regardless,” the younger man went on, a brief flash of annoyance going through his eyes, “after she left, she contacted us a few days later, with a message to pass on to you. Specifically you.” My confusion must’ve showed on my face, for he gave a small shrug. “Do not ask how she knew you were coming—merely a hunch, she told us. But she wanted to make certain that, should you ever arrive, you received that letter.” The dragon shook his head in what could almost be awe. “Her intuitions are rarely incorrect. Were I you, Dante Hill, I would pay careful attention to what she has to tell you.”
* * *
The room the monk led me to was stark and empty, a cold wind blowing in from an open window. I dared a peek outside and saw the staggeringly long drop down the side of the mountain. There weren’t any chairs or even a stool to sit on, so I stood at the window with the mountain air cold against my back and unrolled the scroll. It was written in a fine, elegant script, and my name, in the blackest of inks, graced the top of the page.
Dante Hill,
If you are reading this letter, it means a gamble of mine has paid off, and that Talon has sent someone to speak to the Eastern council one last time. I suspected that it would be you. I regret that I cannot be there in person, but I must return to those who need me most.
You don’t know me; we have never met in person, but we share a common connection: your sister, Ember. I met Ember when I traveled to the United States to investigate the Order of St. George. She is a remarkable young woman. Intelligent, determined, resourceful—traits I’m sure she shares with you. My heart aches for the burden that she carries, that you both carry; war is painful enough without having to fight your own family.
I felt a strange lump rise to my throat. I never meant for Ember and I to be on the opposite sides of a war. Even now, with everything that had happened, I couldn’t think of her as the enemy. But I was the heir to Talon, and I had responsibilities I could not ignore, even for family. This person, whomever she was, seemed to understand that.
Swallowing hard, I continued reading.
You may choose to ignore my words; we are on opposite sides, after all, and I am the enemy of Talon, according to the Elder Wyrm. But, for your sister’s sake, I ask that you consider what I’m about to tell you very carefully. The Elder Wyrm has plans for Ember, plans that she does not share with you, Dante. There is no easier way to say this, so I will come out with it directly: Ember Hill was created to be the Elder Wyrm’s vessel. She intends to use your sister to extend her own life, to achieve immortality.
The scroll shook in my hands. For a moment, I considered crumpling the paper and hurling it out the open window, but I forced myself to continue reading the last few lines on the page.
If you wish to know more, I’m certain you can uncover the truth when you return to Talon; much like your twin, you are intelligent and resourceful, and the only way for you to truly realize what the Elder Wyrm plans for Ember is to discover it for yourself.
A friend of your sister,
—Jade
I folded the scroll and tucked it into my suit pocket, feeling numb.
My first reaction was that this was a trap, a scheme of Cobalt and the rogues, to target me and make me question the organization. Of course it had to be a trick. I was the heir of Talon and the second in command, poised to take over the company in a few years. The Elder Wyrm wouldn’t keep something like this from me.
And yet... I knew that was a lie. I wasn’t so naive as to think that the Elder Wyrm, the oldest, most powerful dragon in the world, would share all her secrets with me. And if this was true, what then? I couldn’t defy Talon, and I certainly couldn’t challenge the Elder Wyrm, not if I wanted to keep my position. Or even my life. I’d come too far, worked too hard, to give up everything now.
The door to the room opened with a creak and the monk stepped inside. “The council is ready for you,” he announced. “Please follow me.”
My mind spun as I walked the long hallway into the inner chamber again. Six ancient dragons waited for me with their answer for the Elder Wyrm, but I could barely focus. Besides, I knew what they were going say even before I set foot in the chamber.
“Dante Hill.” The oldest-looking dragon rose from his seat, observing me over the table. “Blood of the Elder Wyrm. You can return to Talon with this message—the Eastern council has come to a decision, and the answer is no. We will not be joining Talon, now or anytime in the future. If this results in our destruction, then so be it. Your organization will have to survive without us.”
“Very well.” I bowed to them all and stepped away, suddenly eager to leave. “I will return to the Elder Wyrm with your answer. I am sorry that we could not come to an accord, that we could not change the world together.”
The old dragon’s eyes glittered. “The world the Elder Wyrm envisions is not a world for us,” he said, and his last words followed me out of the chamber, haunting my steps. “I wonder if you yourself realize what type of world you are helping to bring about.”
Ember
I stood on deck of a large container ship, the wind snapping at my hair as the vessel plowed through the waves, and watched the moon rise over the edge of the world. The sky was clear, the moon an enormous yellow eye hovering over the water, seeming to watch us as we sailed straight into the Bermuda Triangle.
It had been nearly two days since we’d shoved off from the Florida coastline and headed due east into the North Atlantic Ocean. I didn’t know what resources Lieutenant Martin had called upon, but they appeared to have come through, for this empty, midsize container ship had been waiting for us off the coast. It was inconspicuous, able to traverse vast ocean distances at a fairly good speed—Garret told me the average cargo vessel could average fourteen to seventeen kilometers per hour—and, best of all, it was perfect for holding a large number of pregnant Shifted dragons.
“I thought I might find you here.”
I turned as Garret came up the
steps, his boots making almost no sound on the metal rungs. He was dressed head to toe in black combat gear, and had pulled a dark ski cap over his pale hair, leaving only his face uncovered. He looked, as always, like a soldier, but one with a slightly different mission than normal. Infiltration, rather than assault. For the first part, anyway.
“We’re about twenty minutes from the island,” Garret said, joining me at the rail. I felt his hand brush my arm as he gazed down at me. “Are you ready for this?”
I nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” We’d be stopping about a kilometer from the island, whereupon we would take two pairs of Zodiacs—low-slung, fast-moving rubber rafts—the rest of the way. I gazed over the water, trying to spot our destination in the darkness and moonlight, but we were still too far out. And even though I hated to ask, I felt I had to know. “What about the rest of St. George?”
“This is a mission,” Garret replied. “It’s what we’ve trained for. The target is different, but the trappings are the same. The soldiers have been conditioned to follow orders, even if it conflicts with what they believe. Even if their mission is to save a group of dragons and not slaughter them.”
“And Lieutenant Ward?” He, unfortunately, was coming with us, as well. In fact, it was a fairly sizable force we were talking to the island: three dragons and two dozen soldiers of St. George, not to mention the lieutenants of the Order. Wes was staying behind with the ship, but would be in radio contact the whole time, providing support in navigating the island. We all knew what we were doing.
But a lot could go wrong, and I was trying not to think about it. I hoped Garret was right about the soldiers of the Order. We had enough to worry about without Peter Matthews, or Lieutenant Ward for that matter, going crazy in the presence of so many dragons and opening fire.
Garret eased closer, his warmth melting away the chill of the wind. “Ward is still a soldier,” he reminded me in a soft voice. “He’ll follow the mission, and he’ll be able to keep the others in line. But if he can’t...” His eyes glittered under the moonlight, filled with dark promise. “We’ll do what we have to do.”
I shivered, remembering his face when I’d told him about my encounter with Peter Matthews. For the first time since I’d known him, I’d been afraid Garret would lose it, that he would stalk out of the room, hunt down the other soldier and calmly break all his limbs. Thankfully, he’d controlled himself, and we’d both avoided the soldiers of the Eastern Chapterhouse until now, but I knew he was worried about Ward and his men.
I leaned into him for a moment, hearing his heartbeat echo mine. His arms slid around my waist, drawing me closer, and I sighed. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Hey.”
Footsteps echoed on the stairs, and Riley appeared, walking across the deck to join us. Garret didn’t release me, but Riley barely gave us a second glance as he leaned his elbows against the railing and stared over the waves. The wind tossed his loose hair and jacket, and his eyes glowed a subtle yellow in the darkness. As I often did, I could see Cobalt there, long neck raised to the sky, wings fluttering behind him in the wind.
“Gotta hand it to you, St. George,” Riley murmured, his gaze still on the distant horizon. “I didn’t think your Order would actually come through, but here we are. On a ship in the middle of the freaking Bermuda Triangle.” He shook his head, but it wasn’t in anger or disgust; he seemed truly amazed. “After all this time, the facilities are within reach. I can finally get those kids out of there, and then burn that whole place to the ground.”
“We haven’t rescued anyone yet,” Garret said quietly. His arms were still around my waist, and he seemed content to leave them there. And strangely, I sensed no jealousy from Cobalt; it was like he didn’t even notice.
“Yeah, I know.” Riley gave the soldier a sideways look, then returned his attention to the sea. “Point is... I know when I’m outmatched,” he muttered. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this on my own. Not way out here. I wouldn’t even be able to get close.” He snorted and shook his head again, this time in wry disgust. “It’s hilarious to think that the only way I have a chance of rescuing these dragons is with the fucking Order of St. George backing me up. If you’d told me that a year ago, I would’ve laughed in your face or thought you’d sailed right into crazy town. But now...” He paused, as if he couldn’t believe he was saying this. “We might actually pull this crazy thing off. If the Order remembers which side they’re supposed to shoot, anyway.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. And that was the problem; we couldn’t fully trust half our team in a mission where trust was vital. For Riley’s sake, and for the sake of the breeders he’d fought so hard to find, I hoped this mission would not end in tragedy.
A rumble went through the ship, the shudder of engines as the vessel slowed. Not stopping, but cutting through the waves at about half our former speed.
Garret raised his head, a flash of steely determination crossing his face as he gazed over the ocean. “There it is,” he whispered, making my stomach do a couple backflips before settling. I followed his gaze and saw a distant silhouette against the blue-black of the sky.
“Yup.” Riley pushed himself off the railing, that defiant smirk mirroring the gleam in his eyes. “It’s showtime.”
Riley
I sat at the front of the Zodiac raft, the wind and salt spray in my face, watching the looming silhouette of the island get larger and larger. Mist sat beside me, her long hair stuffed under a ski cap, her body hidden under her Viper suit. Not for the first time, I glanced down to make sure the sleek black outfit was still under my clothes; no one had told me how the Viper suit, after a few minutes of sucking at your skin, seemed to mold to your body, until it felt like you were wearing nothing at all. When I first put it on, it was creepy as hell, and I’d wondered if I’d be able to stand the clinging sensation, which had amused Ember and Mist to no end. Now, I repeatedly forgot I was wearing it.
Six soldiers of St. George were crouched at our backs, heavily armed and dressed for battle. All of them were of the Western Chapterhouse, and Lieutenant Martin was here, as well. We, apparently, had gotten the good raft. Ember and St. George had to ride in the raft with Lieutenant Windbag and his thugs. I had no love for the Order, but I would admit that Martin, at least, could see the bigger picture.
Still, that both lieutenants of the Order were accompanying us on the mission was frustrating. This was my operation. I had planned it for years. The soldiers of St. George cared nothing for these dragons. In fact, under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a rescue mission at all; it would be a strike to slaughter each and every one of them.
But I couldn’t do this alone. And I understood why the lieutenants had to be here. None of these soldiers would take orders from a dragon, at least not willingly. We were barely allies. For a mission this large and volatile, where one wrong move could spell disaster for everyone, dragon and soldier alike, we couldn’t take any chances.
The island loomed closer, a massive black giant against the stars. I gazed up at the huge shadow, felt excitement, anticipation and fear rip through my stomach, and took a deep breath. This was it. The location of Talon’s breeding facilities. After all these years, decades of rumors, dead ends, frustration and disappointment, I had found it. The lives of countless captive dragons hung in the balance tonight. I sure as hell wasn’t going to fail them.
Martin’s voice cackled through my earpiece, low and commanding: “This it is. From here, we split up. See you on the other side, gentlemen.”
I glanced at the lead raft and caught Ember’s gaze. She sat next to St. George, the wind tossing the red curls that had escaped her cap. Her eyes were bright with determination as she gave me a nod and a faint smile, which I returned. See you soon, Firebrand.
The rafts veered apart. Three of them swerved sharply to the left, heading for the northwest side of the island. My raft tur
ned east and began following the cliffs, alone.
After several silent minutes, a small beach appeared between the foreboding cliff faces, a tiny strip of sand that was the only break in the seemingly endless wall of rock. We drove the raft onto the shore, hopping out to pull it onto the sand. After we’d dragged it out of reach of the waves, I straightened and looked around. About a hundred yards up the beach, dense jungle formed an ominous barrier between us and our targets. If anyone shipwrecked on this tiny beach, they’d have no clue that a huge, multi-million-dollar facility lay beyond that menacing tangle of vines and trees. Though I had no doubt the jungle was the least of our obstacles. The real security would be farther in.
“Wes,” I said quietly into my throat mic. The hacker was back with the ship, huddled over the map on his computer, tracking our movements. “We’ve landed.”
“Hang on,” Wes muttered in my ear. “Just trying to pick up your location. Okay, I’ve got you. Can you hear me, Lieutenant?”
“Loud and clear,” Martin replied.
“Looks like you’re about two and a half miles from the first fence line,” Wes continued. “Head northwest and you should reach it.”
“Roger that.” I nodded once and turned to Mist. “Okay, Mist. You’re up.”
She gave me a tight smile, took a few steps away from the soldiers and began to change. Her black Viper suit seemed to melt into her skin as the girl’s body stretched and shimmered, unfurling into the sleek, silver-white dragon that was her true self. I kept a careful eye on the soldiers as she changed, hoping none of them would forget themselves and start shooting. Their eyes were wide as they stared at her, and I realized none of them had likely ever seen an actual Shift before. A couple, I saw, gripped their weapons tightly, as if fighting their instinctive response to kill any dragon they saw.
