“Lieutenant.” Martin’s voice, calm and resolute, drifted to us as we stepped through the frame. “I understand your concern, but there is no cause for—”
“Oh, you understand my concern, do you?” interrupted another voice, the same one that we’d heard in the corridor. It belonged to a tall, muscular man with cropped blond hair and a pale mustache beneath a very large nose. He wore the black-and-gray uniform of the Order, the familiar red cross on a white shield standing out on one shoulder. Though I noticed the sleeves were slightly singed and torn at the cuffs. “You understand my concern that one of our lieutenants has apparently turned into a dragonlover? That he has allowed demons into the Order’s sacred affairs? That, in our darkest hour, the hour we must stand fast against our enemies and not bend, our sanctum has been violated and our soldiers are in danger of corruption because their superior officer has betrayed them, and the Code, to the very creatures we swore to wipe out?”
“Man, he sure likes to hear himself talk, doesn’t he?” Riley muttered. “I feel like he needs a pulpit and a choir behind him screaming, ‘Hallelujah!’ every third sentence.”
Beside him, Tristan had a quiet but very intense coughing fit, turning away and putting a fist to his mouth. It did not go unnoticed, as the men finally looked up and spotted us.
“Sebastian.” Martin’s tone was as calm as ever, nodding to Garret and the other soldier. “St. Anthony. You’ve returned.” He nodded at the glowering man standing across the table. “I think you know Lieutenant Ward of the Eastern Chapterhouse?”
“Yes, sir,” Garret said as Tristan echoed him. “I believe we met last year.”
Lieutenant Ward stared at Garret, pale eyes glittering with contempt. “Garret Xavier Sebastian,” he announced in tone of mock grandeur. “The Perfect Soldier. The traitor who ran off with dragons.” His fat lip curled as he stared Garret down, ignoring me and everyone else in the room. “And now you’re back, and it appears that your taint is spreading. That this foul brand of lunacy is affecting even those who are supposed to lead.” Ward shot Martin a quick glare of contempt before turning on Garret again. “Were it up to me, Sebastian, I would execute you on the spot,” he said, making me stiffen. “That is what the Order demands of traitors and dragon converts. That is what you deserve. But it appears I have been voted down. That you have somehow convinced Martin and the rest of your chapterhouse to welcome evil into your ranks. So be it.” He made a vague gesture, as if washing his hands of all of us. “I have no choice but to go along with this travesty. But make no mistake.” One thick finger rose, pointed in Garret’s face. “Once the Order is back on its feet, once we have dealt with Talon and have slaughtered these demons that have been sent against us, you and all your sympathizers will be brought to justice. I will make certain of it.”
Garret’s voice was quiet, unruffled. I was amazed he could speak to this disgusting human without swearing in his face. “The Order of St. George has been scattered, sir,” he stated. “There is virtually no one left but us. Talon is on the move, and St. George, what’s left of it, cannot stop them alone. We’re going to need all the allies we can get.”
Ward snorted. “Where are your lizards, Sebastian?” he demanded. “Where are the devils that Martin claims are helping us? Are they afraid of a true son of the Order? Bring them to me. I would like to see these dragons who would have us believe they are working against Talon.”
“You’re looking at them,” I said, trying very hard to keep the growl out of my voice. “There’s no need for threats, Lieutenant. We’re standing right here.”
Ward’s gaze jerked to me. For a moment, his pale eyes widened as he took me in. “You?” he said in disbelief as I raised my chin and stared him down. “You’re a girl. A child.”
“Yes, because dragons hatch fully formed out of the egg,” Riley broke in, the smirk on his face not quite able to mask his anger. “Already grown and hungry for human souls. They certainly don’t start life as innocents. Where would the Order be if they knew half the dragons they’re slaughtering are kids who haven’t hurt anyone?”
“Innocents?” Ward’s face twisted so hard I thought he might be having a seizure. “That’s like saying fire is cold or a wolf is a vegetarian. There is no such thing as an innocent dragon. I don’t care if they’re five or five hundred, every soulless lizard will get the exact same treatment—a bullet to the back of its skull. If I can kill them while they’re young, that’s one less dragon to plague humanity when it’s an Adult.”
I felt Riley’s fury rise like an inferno, felt the subtle shift of energy that said Cobalt was very close to the surface, ready to burst out and char this insufferable human to ash. “You wanted to see us,” I said quickly, before things spiraled out of control and someone ended up shot or incinerated. “Here we are. Was it actually for a purpose, or did you just want to throw insults in our faces?”
Ward’s jaw tightened. “I would prefer bullets to insults, but that will have to wait for the moment.” His pale eyes narrowed, and he stepped around the table, looming over me. I felt Garret lean close, as well, his presence bolstering me as I stared up at the lieutenant. “Why are you here, dragon?” the officer demanded. “Martin says you are not part of Talon, but even if that were true, it does not explain why you have chosen to seek out your enemies. Why did you risk coming here? What do you hope to gain from the Order of St. George?”
I met his gaze. “Hasn’t Martin told you?”
“Some things.” The officer’s voice was unyielding. “But I want to hear it from the dragon’s mouth. I want to hear it from you.”
“Well, that’s too bad,” Riley broke in. “Because I don’t feel like telling you a damn thing, St. George. Maybe if you hadn’t called me a soulless demon we’d be more inclined to share. As is, I’m not about to reveal anything to someone who might shoot us all in the head, or the back.”
I hesitated. I could feel Riley’s gaze burning the side of my face, hard and angry. Don’t tell him anything, it was saying. Certainly I could understand his reluctance. Letting this man set foot on an island of breeder dragons seemed like a very bad idea, as was letting him know that we now had what could be a very powerful weapon in our possession. How much had Martin already revealed? If he hadn’t told Ward our plans, I didn’t want to be the one to fill him in.
I exhaled. If we refused to say anything, that would only foster more mistrust and enmity between dragons and St. George. I didn’t like this man; in fact, I was pretty sure I hated him. He was everything that was wrong with the Order, all their the bigotry, elitism and narrow-mindedness rolled into one awful human being. I didn’t want to answer any of his questions. But that wouldn’t help our cause. It wouldn’t help the numerous breeder dragons trapped on Talon’s horrible island. I knew that, around this human, I had to be very cautious, but I could still attempt to be civil.
I felt a slight brush against my arm—Garret, quietly letting me know he was still there. I drew strength from his touch. Garret would be able to do this, I thought. Even in the face of constant, blatant hatred from the very people he used to know, when they were screaming for his execution and calling him all sorts of terrible things, he could still be calm and polite. I would never have his patience, but I knew that there were issues larger than myself and my feelings. For now, anyway, I would be the bigger person and not tell this human what he could go do with himself.