*
Back in my room, I turned on my computer and went into my email account. The cursor blinked in the address bar, waiting, as I sat there, trying to decide what to do. Finally, I put my fingers on the keys and typed in the one address I was supposed to use only in an emergency. The one my teachers had given me, and only me, because they knew I would inform Talon if anything was amiss in the area. Because they knew I would take my mission seriously.
Even if it meant we might be pulled out.
I hesitated a moment more, typed Rogue in Crescent Beach into the subject line, then began composing a brief, to-the-point message. I didn’t know what this meant for us once Talon received the information. I knew what would happen to the rogue, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in town when the Vipers came for him. I did know this was my duty, not only to Talon but to my sister. I would protect her, and our future with the organization, from any and all threats.
Even if the greatest threat was from Ember herself.
EMBER
Dante froze, his eyes going wide as he stared at me. As soon as the door closed and the locks engaged, a shout came through the tinted windows as something slammed into his bodyguard outside. Dante jumped, his attention going to the window, where Garret had just hit the guard from behind. There were brief scuffles on both sides of the car as Riley emerged from the darkness and tackled the second guard, making the vehicle rock as the dragon slammed into it. It didn’t last long; we had the element of surprise on our side, and the guards had been caught with their figurative pants down. After a few more grunts, shouts and bodies being slammed into metal and glass, the fight was over, and silence descended once more.
Dante slowly turned back to me as Garret and Riley dragged the bodies into the darkness. His eyes glinted angrily as he faced me down over the gun barrel. “Ember,” he said, his voice calm. “How did you get in here?”
“Wasn’t hard.” I was relieved when my voice came out mostly steady. “We saw you arrive this morning and made note of the car’s license plate. When the car came back a few minutes ago, I knew you were coming down. This place only has one security guard.” I jerked my head toward the garage entrance, though I kept the gun trained on Dante. “Once we got past him, the rest was easy.”
“I see.” His voice was hostile. It made a knot form in my stomach, and at the same time, anger flooded my veins. He had no right to be angry, not with the crap he’d put us through. “So, what are you going to do with me, Ember?” he went on. “Kill me? Are you going to shoot your own brother, right here?”
“Maybe I will,” I shot back, and raised the pistol, making him tense. “You certainly had no qualms about giving the order to take me out.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Come on.” I sneered, angry that he would lie, that he would try to play it off. “Mist and Faith? The whole debacle in Vegas? That setup was all you, Dante—you told me that yourself. You admitted that you were the one to send them after me.”
“Yes, I did.” Dante’s eyes narrowed. “To bring you back to Talon. They never had orders to take you out. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
He’s lying. Faith told you she had orders to kill, and those orders came from Dante. But my resolve wavered. I didn’t want to believe my brother would actually try to kill me.
“Ember.” Abruptly, Dante closed his eyes, shaking his head. “This isn’t...how I wanted our reunion to go,” he almost-whispered. “I don’t want to fight you, sis. I never did.” Opening his eyes, he gave me a sad, almost pleading look. “I just want you to come home.”
“Talon isn’t my home,” I said softly. “Not anymore.”
The locks released, and the front passenger door clicked as someone opened it from the outside and slid into the seat. “The famous Dante Hill,” Riley stated, giving him a slightly dangerous smile as the door closed behind him. A pistol appeared in his other hand, casually resting against the seats as he draped an elbow over the chair backs. “You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble these past few weeks.”
Dante stared at him, and for a moment, his eyes glittered with pure, unbridled loathing. A chill went through me, but then Dante smiled, and all emotions vanished behind a civil mask as he nodded at the other dragon.
“Not quite as famous as you, Mr. Cobalt,” Dante replied in a voice of chilly politeness. And suddenly, he wasn’t Dante anymore but a Chameleon, the kind Riley had warned me about. The sick feeling in my gut spread to my whole body as I realized I didn’t recognize him now. That brief glimpse of my brother, the twin who’d looked out for me my whole life, had vanished, leaving only the Chameleon behind. The thing Talon had turned him into. Settling comfortably against the cushions, as if this was a perfectly normal meeting, he crossed his legs and smiled. “Where are my guards and my driver, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Taking a nap.”
“And will they wake up again?”
“I don’t think they’re the ones you need to worry about right now,” Riley said as a shadow emerged from beside the car. Garret leaned against the front door and crossed his arms, doing the whole on-watch thing. “But if you’re asking if I killed them...no, I didn’t. I’m not quite the monster Talon would have you believe.” His smirk widened. “Actually, I find that kind of ironic, considering the circumstances.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”
“I’m sure you don’t.”
Dante shook his head. “Well, this is getting us nowhere.” He turned away from Riley, as if dismissing him, and looked at me. “You obviously went through a lot to get to me, so I assume you want something. What can I do for you?”
I swallowed. “The town in Arkansas,” I began. “We know Talon was involved, and we know that story about the plane crash is a cover-up. We also know that the evidence collected at the site was sent here, to you.” No change in Dante’s expression; he regarded me with a practiced blank, pleasant expression that gave no hint to his thoughts or feelings. “Why did Talon attack that community?” I asked in a harder voice. “Why did they kill all those people? What are they planning now?”