Inferno

by Julie Kagawa

  This time, the dragon’s booming roar was strangled. He turned on Scarlett, raking with his claws, trying to jerk free. His blows opened terrible wounds all over her body, but as I watched, unable to stand or even move, Scarlett closed her eyes and clung to him with stubborn determination. The soldiers surrounded the pair, continuing to fire on the director, whose struggles finally began to slow. I saw Garret sprint forward, dodge beneath Vance’s long tail and aim his weapon at the dragon’s side. Right behind the foreleg where the heart would lie. At such short range, the bullets finally pierced through the dragon’s scales and slammed deep into his body.

  Vance convulsed, tail and wings thrashing, and Garret dove out of the way. With Scarlett still clinging to his neck, the huge dragon staggered, swayed and finally collapsed, hitting the ground with a crash that sent tremors through the earth. His sides heaved, his tail beating a weak rhythm in the dirt until, slowly, both stopped moving. With a last groan, the massive Adult dragon shuddered and went limp, the light fading from his yellow eyes, as he finally relinquished control and slipped away into death.

  Riley

  The bastard was finally dead. I watched as the director of Talon’s infamous facilities—the dragon in charge of this island, who knew exactly what two dozen female dragons went through, day after day, and remained coldly indifferent to their suffering—shuddered once and gave up the fight. Relief, triumph and a sadistic glee blossomed in my stomach as the Adult finally went still. I had never in my entire life been so happy to see another dragon die.

  But that didn’t erase my failure, or the price of our victory. While the soldiers of St. George cheered and pumped their fists in the air, I limped across the broken ground to where the two Adult dragons lay entwined together. Vance stared sightlessly upward, jaws parted and his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Even in death, he looked surprised, as if he couldn’t believe he had lost. Scarlett lay motionless beside him, eyes closed, her jaws still locked around his neck. She was still alive, though her breaths were labored and shallow, and the gaping wounds all over her body told me she wasn’t going to leave the island tonight. Or ever.

  I swallowed the helpless anger and gently prodded her with a forepaw, careful not to touch any torn flesh or broken scales. “Scarlett,” I said quietly, and her eyes opened, gazing blearily up at me. “You can let go now,” I said, my voice coming out slightly choked. “We won. Vance is dead.”

  A look of triumph passed through her eyes, and she released her death grip on her foe, smiling as she gazed up at the stars. “Worth it,” she said in a smug, quiet voice, reminding me of yet another crimson dragon who would’ve likely done the exact same thing if she had the chance. “You’ll take care of them, right?” she added before I could say anything else. I swallowed hard and nodded.

  “Yeah,” I husked out. “I’ll take them as far from this place as I can. They’ll never have to live under Talon again, I promise.”

  She relaxed. “Good,” she said, though her voice was barely audible. “I’m glad I came back. They deserve a chance...to be free.”

  She didn’t move again.

  Numb, I stepped back and looked around. The soldiers were still celebrating their victory, clustered around the pair of bodies in the center of the yard. For a moment, I felt a stab of anger. St. George didn’t understand the sacrifice that had just happened, what the cost of this victory really was. All they saw was two dead dragons, and for them, that was reason enough to celebrate.

  All except for one, who knelt at the side of a small red dragon a few yards away.

  Ember. Guiltily, I trotted up, ignoring the soldiers who smiled and grinned and slapped each other on the back for killing a dragon. Ember was struggling to her feet as I approached, her jaws clenched in pain and her pupils razor-thin slits against the green of her eyes. Her right wing still hung at an awkward angle, making my stomach curl at the sight of it.

  “Riley,” she panted as St. George put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Her gaze traveled past me to the bodies in the center of the yard. A pained look crossed her face, and she glanced back at me, hopeful. “Scarlett?”

  I shook my head. Ember sighed, slumping into St. George, who took her weight without pause. “Dammit,” she muttered, closing her eyes. “I didn’t want... I was hoping there wouldn’t be any casualties, but I guess that was too much to ask.”

  “What about the rest of them?” St. George asked, turning to me without letting go of the red dragon. “Did the other breeders make it out?”

  “Yeah,” I said. “Mist was able to lead them away and get them over the wall. They should be heading to the beach now. Give me a second—I’ll change back and tell her to wait for us.”

  A shout came from the center of the yard. I turned to see the other officer, Lieutenant Ward, stride forward to yell at the soldiers, ordering them to stop standing around congratulating themselves and to secure the rest of the buildings. With hasty “yes, sirs,” the soldiers complied, heading toward the apartments and medical building behind us. Glancing around, Ward spotted us, and a stony expression settled over his features. Setting his jaw, he came toward us.

  I tensed, subtly moving in front of Ember as the officer marched up, his back stiff and his stride rigid. He wasn’t looking at me or St. George, his gaze fixed on the red dragon between us.

  For a moment, he appeared to teeter on the verge of saying something; his jaw clenched and unclenched, as if he were unwilling or unable to voice what he was thinking. Ember gazed calmly at the lieutenant, seemingly aware of what was going on, though it was confusing the hell out of me. Finally, the human gave up. With a scowl, he wrenched his gaze from Ember and looked at St. George, ignoring me and the fact that I had been glaring at him ever since he’d begun stomping toward us.

  “Sebastian,” he said briskly. “Contact Lieutenant Martin and let him know that we have secured the facilities. Inform him that all hostiles have been eliminated, and that we will be joining him as soon as we clean up here.” His gaze flickered to me, then at the empty buildings behind us, his lip curling slightly. “I take it the target lizards were evacuated safely?”

  “Yes, sir,” St. George answered, ignoring the demeaning term for us. “What should we do with the workers who survived?”

  “Don’t kill them,” I growled, remembering Dr. Miles and the way Scarlett had spoken of him. Yes, they worked for Talon and they were part of this whole hateful facility, but I still didn’t like the thought of St. George gunning down unarmed, unresisting doctors and scientists. “They’re unarmed, and some of them are just doing their jobs. They don’t deserve to be slaughtered in cold blood.”

  Ward’s eyes glittered. It was clear he didn’t appreciate being given orders by a “lizard,” and his voice was cold as he answered. “They’re Talon minions who knowingly serve the organization. Our Code is clear—all who sell their souls to evil must be executed.”

  “You’ve already broken your Code a dozen times tonight, Lieutenant,” Ember said, surprising us all. “Break it one more time. We’ve won. The mission is over. There’s no reason for more needless death.”

  Ward stared at her, anger radiating from him. I tensed, and on Ember’s other side, I saw St. George do the same. But, shockingly, Ward nodded once and stepped back, his posture stiff.

  “As you say, dragon. This once.” He turned on a heel, preparing to stride away but paused, adding over his shoulder, “Do not expect it to happen again.”

  I turned on Ember as Ward marched off, calling orders to his soldiers. “Okay, what the hell was that about?”

  She just smiled. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter. It’s over now.” The relief in her voice was palpable as she leaned into the soldier, who gazed down at her with worried eyes. “You did it, Riley,” she murmured. “The facility, the breeders...you finally found them. And now we’re going to take them away from this awful place and make sure Talon never gets their
claws into them again.”

  “Yeah.” I took a quiet breath as the realization finally hit. “Not just me, though,” I told Ember, and gazed over my shoulder to where the soldiers of St. George were sweeping across the yard. I could never have done this alone. It had taken all of us, dragons and soldiers, to pull off something this huge. “The Order of St. George teaming up with dragons to rescue dragons,” I muttered, and it still sounded ludicrous. “The world is either a very funny place, or it’s about to end.”

  Ember gave a painful chuckle. “Probably both,” she gritted out. “But this was a huge blow to Talon, you can be sure of it.” Raising her head, she observed the buildings and the soldiers moving between them, her gaze solemn and bright. “Now, the question is, how is Talon going to react, and what are they going to do next?”

  Dante

  “Welcome back, sir.”

  I nodded absently to the guard as I strode through the doors of Talon headquarters, both relieved and apprehensive to be home. I’d destroyed the letter from Ember’s mysterious friend long before I left China, but the words written on that page had haunted me the entire journey back to the States.

  The Elder Wyrm intends to use Ember to extend her own life, to achieve immortality.

  It couldn’t be true. I’d thought—I’d always assumed—that the Elder Wyrm would leave Talon to one or both of us when she finally left the world. I’d been working toward that ever since I discovered my true heritage, preparing for the day I would take over. It would obviously be me; Ember had no head for business or politics and no desire to manage a giant conglomerate of dragons. She would still be part of Talon, however, and I would make sure she was safe and taken care of.

  But if the Elder Wyrm was trying to become immortal...

  I strode through the building, giving short, one-word answers to any who tried to engage me. In the relative privacy of the elevator, I pulled out my phone and tapped a familiar number, then held it to my ear. Someone picked up on the first ring.

  “Hello, Mr. Hill,” said the Elder Wyrm’s personal assistant. “Welcome back. How was your trip overseas?”

  “Fine, thank you,” I replied automatically. “Where is the CEO?”

  “The Elder Wyrm is in an emergency meeting right now and cannot be disturbed. I will inform her of your arrival as soon as she is finished.”

  Emergency meeting? I frowned. What was going on? It wasn’t like the Elder Wyrm to keep me in the dark. Though this might work out perfectly; she would be distracted for a bit. I really did not want to face her right now. “That’s fine,” I told the assistant. “No hurry. I just wanted to inform her that I was back.”

  There was one guard standing at the elevators on the ground floor and a pair watching the hall as I stepped onto my office floor. More security; something had definitely happened while I was away. After informing my personal assistant that I was not to be disturbed unless it was a summons from the Elder Wyrm herself, I slipped into my office and locked the door behind me.

  I sat at my desk and stared at the computer screen for a long moment, debating with myself. Did I really want to do this? Go poking around the Elder Wyrm’s private affairs? What if I confirmed something horrible, something I could not ignore? What would I do? Confront the Elder Wyrm? Demand answers from the leader of Talon, the oldest, most powerful dragon in the world? I almost laughed out loud at the thought.

  This is for Ember, Dante.

  Ember was created to be the Elder Wyrm’s vessel, the letter had claimed. It was a place to start. I certainly couldn’t ask the Elder Wyrm about it, but there were others who might know the truth. I could think of one human in particular who’d helped develop the vessel program and had been involved with the clones from the beginning.

  Snatching my desk phone I buzzed my personal assistant, who answered instantly. “Yes, Mr. Hill?”

  “Contact Dr. Olsen,” I told her. “Let him know I wish to speak to him immediately via our private channel. Tell him it cannot wait.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Immediately was a relative term when it came to the head scientist, I’d come to realize. Fifteen minutes passed in silence, while I sat alone with my thoughts and wondered exactly what I was doing. Finally, my computer warbled, announcing an incoming call. I hit a button, and Dr. Olsen’s lined, slightly agitated face filled the screen.

  “Mr. Hill,” the scientist greeted with a pathetic attempt at a smile. “Welcome back. I trust this interruption to my work is very important.” His gaze flickered toward the exit, as if he were impatient to be gone. “I was in the middle of a very delicate procedure with one of the vessels, and I really must return as soon as possible.”

  “Forgive me, Dr. Olsen,” I said, smiling broadly. “I won’t take much of your time. I just have a few questions regarding your work with the vessels, if I may.”

  He relaxed. Talking about the vessels, his created “children,” was something he never tired of. “Of course, Mr. Hill. What did you want to know?”

  “You were one of the first scientists to develop the vessel program, is that right?”

  He puffed up. “Yes, that is correct. My work in cloning and genetics was essential in creating the program. Why do you ask?”

  My heart pounded. I had to play this exactly right. “You are the only one I can trust in this matter, Dr. Olsen,” I replied. “Strict confidentiality is vital, so listen carefully. I need you to forward me all the data you have regarding the research, development and experimentation on the Elder Wyrm’s vessel.”

  His brows shot up. “I wasn’t aware that you knew about that, Mr. Hill,” he stated, making my heart plummet. It was true, then. The Elder Wyrm’s vessel was indeed a thing, and Dr. Olsen was a part of it. “I was under the impression that you and your sister’s origins were never to be revealed,” the scientist went on. “The organization made very certain we understood that.”

  I felt numb, but forced myself to keep talking, smiling. “In light of recent events,” I continued, “the organization has decided it needs to review all data on Ember Hill to find a way to deal with her and the growing rogue conflict. Perhaps there is something in her files that we have missed. As her brother, and the one who has lived with her the longest, I’ve been tasked with reviewing all possible angles, including the ones pertaining to her origins. So, if you would send me what I need, Dr. Olsen, I would appreciate it. Discretion is, of course, essential. The Elder Wyrm does not want this information getting out.”

  He stared at me for a long moment, his expression strained. My uneasiness surged, but I continued to speak calmly. “Did you hear me, Dr. Olsen? Is there a problem?”

  He shook himself. “No,” he said quickly. “No problem. Apologies. I forget, sometimes, how different our species are. But no, the organization comes first, even over family. I understand that.” He paused, a shadow crossing his face for the briefest of moments. “I understand that all too well,” he almost whispered.

  “You’ll have your information, Mr. Hill,” the scientist finished, drawing back. “I’ll send it over now. Is there anything else you require before I return to work?”

  “No,” I replied. “Thank you, Dr. Olsen.”

  The scientist nodded briskly, and the screen went dark.

  I sat there, dazed. Dr. Olsen had confirmed what the letter told me, that Ember was intended to be the Elder Wyrm’s vessel. That she had been created specifically for the leader of Talon. Which meant that, as her brother and twin, I, too, was a clone of the Elder Wyrm.

  My computer chimed, indicating new email.

  My hand shook as it touched the keyboard, and I took a steadying breath. Did I really want to see this? Would it shake the very foundations of what I thought I knew? And if it did, what was I prepared to do about it?

  I opened my email to find that the new file had come in. Project Nephilim, the attachment read, making my stoma
ch dance and curl in on itself like a nest of snakes. The arrow hovered over the file as I struggled with my decision. I could delete the email, destroy it and erase any knowledge about the project and what it could mean for Ember and myself. I could continue rising in Talon, always pushing upward, toward the summit. I was so close. Just one more step to the top, and then everything would be mine for the taking. I would finally be free.

  But then, I might never know the truth. And this wasn’t just about me; it was about Ember. Even now, when we had grown so different that we were almost strangers, she was still my sibling, my twin, and my family. I had always looked out for her, no matter what.

  I clicked the button.

  Garret

  The semi’s front wheels bounced as I turned onto the narrow gravel road, making me wince. Not for myself, but I hoped it wouldn’t jostle my very sensitive cargo in the back. Five female dragons—four pregnant and one who was still healing from a broken wing. Dragons recovered quickly and, according to Riley, any injury to their wings healed especially fast, as they were essential to a dragon’s survival. Ember had recovered enough for her to be able to Shift back, but it had been a strained few days from the North Atlantic Ocean back to the States. And the lack of heavy-duty painkillers was not helping.

  I worried for her. She put up a good front, but I knew she was in pain and was trying to hide it as best she could. I wished I could comfort her, stay by her side, but there were so many things that required my attention. Both Lieutenant Martin and Lieutenant Ward wanted my report about what happened at the facility, and Martin required me to act as a liaison between the Order and the rogues, as Ember could not and Riley was insanely busy taking care of more than two dozen frightened female dragons.

  Thankfully, the journey was almost done. I knew I wasn’t the only one who would be relieved to be on solid ground again.

  Ahead of me, the first semi came to a stop with a squeaking of brakes and a billow of dust. Beyond it, I could see the familiar blue roof of the farmhouse, two stories high, with numerous rooms and enough space, inside and out, to host a large group of renegade dragons. In normal times. With a few hundred acres of privately owned farmland surrounding it, this was the safest place for us to hide from Talon and the rest of the world. But there were already twelve hatchlings on the property, all of them rogues Riley had gotten out of Talon. Now we were arriving with twenty-six more. Things were going to be very cramped the next few days. And that didn’t even count the dozen or so soldiers of St. George who would be arriving, as well.