“I’m counting on it,” Tristan muttered, still looking at me. I suddenly realized what he was getting at, and my insides went cold. He smiled grimly. “The only way for you to get close to the Patriarch,” Tristan went on, “is as a prisoner. You won’t get anywhere near him otherwise—he’s too well guarded. But, like your lizard said, they know who you are. We can use that to our advantage. You turned yourself in to me, and I’m presenting you to the Patriarch and the rest of the council for judgment. Once we get inside, I’ll release you, and you can show the evidence to everyone.”
“What?” Ember exclaimed, as Riley barked a mocking laugh. “Are you crazy?”
“Possibly,” Tristan said with a humorless smile. “But I can’t think of another way to do this. If you want that evidence to reach the Order, Garret, you’re going to have to trust me.”
“Trust you,” Riley sneered. “Trust you to take your most-wanted criminal and the proof of the Patriarch’s involvement with Talon into the heart of enemy territory as your hostage with no way for us to reach him if things go south? While we’re at it, why don’t we tie a pretty bow around his neck and send him in with a card, as well?”
“Look, dragon,” Tristan spat, curling a lip in Riley’s direction. “I don’t like you any more than you like me. I’d rather stand back and put a sniper round between your eyes than sit here talking with you.” He paled a bit, and ran a hand over his scalp. “Shit, if anyone knew what I was doing right now,” he breathed, shaking his head, “I’d be executed faster than you could say ‘treason.’”
I felt a stab of guilt for dragging Tristan into this. Just by coming here, talking to us, he was risking everything. Even if we reached the Patriarch and convinced St. George of the man’s betrayal, Tristan wouldn’t be off the hook. He’d still met with me, a traitor of the Order. He’d still conspired against St. George. His future, his very life, would be on the line.
Unless he turned me in.
“But if you want to expose the Patriarch,” Tristan went on, unaware of my thoughts, “and break St. George away from Talon, this is the only way. The Patriarch only comes to the States once a year at most. There won’t be another meeting like this for a long time. If you want to walk into St. George, accuse the Patriarch of conspiracy with Talon and have the barest hope of being heard without getting shot the instant you open your mouth, this is your best chance.”
“And then what?” Ember demanded. “Even if you do convince everyone that the Patriarch is working with Talon, what happens after that? They’re not just going to let Garret walk away.”
“I’ll take care of that,” Tristan said. “I’ll get him out again, I promise.”
“Not that I don’t trust you, St. George,” Riley said, the hint of a growl underlying his words, “but if we let you walk into that room with him and the evidence, I’m pretty damn sure we’ll never see either of them again.”
“I’ll do it,” I said softly.
All three stared at me. “Garret, no,” Ember said, putting a hand on my knee. “It’s too dangerous. We won’t be there to help you and...” She glanced warily at Tristan. “What’s to stop him from turning you over to the Order once you’re there?”
“Nothing,” I told her. “I’ll be putting myself in his custody. If he wants to turn me in, there’ll be nothing I can do to stop it.” I caught Tristan’s gaze as I said this; he glared back at me, though he didn’t look away. “But, he’s right,” I went on. “We have to do this now. We won’t get a better shot at exposing the Patriarch to the rest of St. George.”
“We don’t even know if the Patriarch is really coming here,” Riley said. “What if this is an elaborate setup and you’re walking oh so casually into a trap?” When I hesitated, he raised his hands. “Look, I know you two had a great time slaughtering dragons together once, but times have changed. You really trust this dragonkiller not to stab you in the back?”
“It has to start somewhere,” I said quietly. Someone had to take that first step, or we’d never accomplish anything. “Tristan has saved my life dozens of times before.” I looked him right in the eye as I said this. “If he wants it now, he’s welcome to it.”
My former partner rose, giving us all a hard look. “I’ll meet you in Salt Lake City in forty-eight hours,” he told me. “Remember, Garret, come alone if you want this to work. No guns, no wires, no transmitters, nothing. Your dragons stay as far away from this as possible, got it?”
“Understood.”
He spun on a heel and strode away without looking back.
“Dammit,” Riley sighed, giving the retreating Tristan a disgusted look. “I hate Salt Lake.”
EMBER