“I cannot strike at the Elder Wyrm directly,” the Archivist went on. “Such action would be treasonous to Talon, and I would never do anything to jeopardize the safety of the organization. However...” He eyed us intently, lowering his voice. “If a single small box, one among millions, vanished from the shelves, well...” He smiled without humor. “No one but I would ever know it was missing.”
Riley drew in a slow breath. “You’ll let us go,” he confirmed, sounding like he could hardly believe it. “With the evidence that the Patriarch is working with Talon. You won’t try to stop us.”
“St. George is a black stain upon our organization,” the Archivist responded. “A diseased limb that must be cut off, not strengthened. If we are to rule this world, if dragons are to subjugate the humans as we were always meant to do, we cannot have the Order attached to us in any way.”
I shifted uncomfortably, but the Archivist didn’t seem to notice my unease. “Regardless, there are others within Talon who believe as I do,” the ancient dragon went on. “Who are not happy with this alliance and believe it is a disgrace to collaborate with the Order, but we dare not speak against the organization or the Elder Wyrm. So be it.” His voice took on an almost vindictive tone. “The Elder Wyrm is not the only one who makes deals under the table. If I must turn a blind eye to our transactions with St. George, I can turn a blind eye to other things, as well.
“Now,” he continued, again clasping his hands before him. “I believe this conversation is over, and I have a lot of work to do...and several bodies to clean up. My assistants are not going to be pleased.” He pointed to a small, plain box stuck between two larger but equally indistinguishable boxes on the bottom shelf. “The information you seek is there. There should be more than enough evidence for you to horrify and outrage the Order of St. George. Oh, and one more thing, Ember Hill.”
I’d started to reach for the box, but stopped and glanced back at him when I heard my name. He gave me a chilling, mirthless smile. “Try not to die,” he said, to my extreme confusion and shock. “If you manage to survive, it will be vastly amusing to see you take on the Elder Wyrm. If that ever happens, know that the entire dragon world will be watching you.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
But he only chuckled and walked away, not looking back. Turning a corner, the ancient Wyrm and the third oldest dragon in existence...disappeared.
GARRET
“Bloody hell,” Wes breathed, sifting through various documents. “Talon sure doesn’t do things half-assed, do they?”
We had left the library a couple hours ago, fleeing the Vault and the ancient Wyrm dragon without incident. No one tried to stop us as we walked out, though I did see the desk clerk glaring at us, and me in particular, as we left the building. Now back in our hotel room, we were all crowded around the bed, watching as Riley began pulling the contents from the cardboard box and setting them on the mattress one by one.
Bank statements. Store receipts. Printed transcripts of conversations. Pictures of the Patriarch with the man I’d seen in the park, in different locations throughout London. All incriminating. All revealing, beyond any doubt, that the Patriarch was meeting with people outside the Order and getting paid for it.
I clenched my jaw, staring at a picture of him in a crowded restaurant, taking an envelope from the Talon agent across the table. Though I was no longer a soldier of the Order, the anger and feeling of betrayal still stung. He was the Patriarch, the supposedly incorruptible leader of St. George. And yet, here I was, staring at pages upon pages of evidence against him, proof that he was just a man, after all. It wasn’t even the fact that he’d taken money from Talon that bothered me. I’d already known the Patriarch was involved. I just wished I knew why.
“Garret? You okay?”
I glanced at Ember, who was sitting on the bed with a stack of pictures in hand. Wes and Riley had moved to the desk and were pouring over another sheaf of documents, muttering to each other and shaking their heads. I was the only one not looking at the evidence, the proof that not only had my Order betrayed me but the man I used to respect above all was just as bad as Talon.
With a sigh, I stepped around the bedpost and sat next to Ember, resting my elbows on my knees. Her arm brushed against mine, and my heartbeat quickened. “I’ve been better,” I admitted softly.
“At least we’re still all here.”
“That is true.” I glanced at her and felt an ache bloom in my chest. Her eyes were somber, the shadow of something dark lurking behind them. She was no longer the bright, carefree girl I had met in Crescent Beach; death had changed her, hardened her, as I knew it had to. I could sense the lingering guilt and sorrow for what she had done, and I would guess she suffered from nightmares sometimes, if dragons were able to dream. I had seen that expression before, in soldiers who had been through their first battle and were starting to realize what war was really about.