But he was also the reason Id come, the reason I was looking for answers. How much did he and the council really know about Talon? Did they truly not know about the rogues, the dragons who wanted nothing to do with the organization and the war? I couldnt believe they were that ignorant, that they had been ignorant for so long. St. George knew something, and if the Order was keeping secrets, I needed to find them. I had killed dozensdragons and humans alikebecause the Order told me I was protecting the world. I owed it to those lives, to all the innocents I mightve killed, to discover the truth.
At the hotel, I checked in, tossed my single bag on the bed and, even though Id been traveling for more than ten hours straight, pulled out my burner phone and called the number I had memorized before I left the States.
As the phone rang, I checked my watch. It was 6:32 a.m. London time; early, but he knew I would be calling once Id landed. Still, I counted seven rings before there was a click, and a gruff voice sounded on the other end.
Yeah?
Im here, I said quietly.
He grunted. No trouble with the Order?
None.
Good. Id lie low if I were you. Though you really shouldnt be here at all. There was a snort, and I imagined him shaking his head. Stubborn bastard. I still think youre insane, Sebastian, coming here while the Order has a price on your head.
I gave a faint smile. This is the last place theyll think to look for me.
Doesnt mean you should push your luck, mate.
I need your help, Andrew, I went on. I wouldnt have come if it wasnt important. But if you cant see me, if you think its too dangerous, you can walk away.
Oh, piss off, Andrew growled. Like Im going to turn in the guy who saved my life. He sighed. But we do need to be cautious. The Order literally has eyes everywhere. If they see us together, were both dead.
When is a good time to meet?
Today, was the reply. This afternoon, twelve o clock. Ill text you the address now.
Roger that.
I hung up, double-checked my door to make sure it was locked and finally stretched out on my bed and stared at the ceiling. My eyes felt heavy, but I needed to stay awake, both for the impending meeting and because the jet lag would kill my internal clock. I wished I had a pistol or even a knife, but smuggling either onto a commercial airline wasnt possible. Id have to get by without a weapon, for now, anyway. There was a bolt and a chain on the door; if anyone was going to break into my room to kill me, at least Id have a little warning.
All right, St. George. Im here. What havent you been telling us? And is it going to destroy the last bit of faith I have in the Orders ideals? Will I discover that you are just as soulless and corrupt as Talon?
I almost didnt want to know the answer.
EMBER
On three, Riley mouthed, gazing at me from the other side of the door frame. I nodded, feeling my muscles tense as we stared at the peeling white door with the gold 14 near the top, hearing sounds of a television through the wood. My dragon growled and stirred, sensing violence, and I narrowed my eyes. Riley took a deep breath and raised the pistol hed kept hidden under his leather jacket. One...two...three!
He drove his boot into the wood, kicking it right beside the brass knob, and the door flew open with a crash. I lunged inside, Riley right behind me, sweeping the pistol around the hotel room. It was small and dirty, an unmade bed in the corner, the television blaring away...but the room itself was empty.
Dammit! Riley lowered the gun, glaring around the abandoned space. Gone again. We probably just missed the slimy bastard. Scowling, he yanked his phone out of his pocket, pressed a button and put it to his ear. Wes, hes already gone. Pause. I dont know how he knewits Griffin! When was he not a paranoid cockroach? He sighed. Right. Heading back now. Call me if theres an emergency.
I exhaled slowly, letting the dragon and her hope for retribution settle back reluctantly. Now what? I asked Riley, who snorted.
Back to square one, unfortunately. Wes will track him down again, see where the bastard has gone to hide next. But it could take time, and were running out of it. Dammit. He punched the wall, causing a hollow boom to echo through the hallway. So close. Well, come on, Firebrand. Before the cops show up, lets see if he left anything behind. Any hints as to where hes gone now.
We quickly searched the room, but despite it being a dump, Griffin hadnt left anything that could be traced back to him, not even a crumpled receipt.
He probably paid with cash, Riley growled, after emptying the trash bins, looking under the bed and rummaging through the bathroom yielded nothing. And covered his tracks really well. Damn him. Looks like he cleared out in a hurryhe knows were onto him. He scrubbed a hand down his face. I dont know whats more irritatingthat hes being a giant pain in the ass, or that hes so good at it because Im the one who taught him.
Hell make a mistake, I said. Just like last time. Wes will catch it when he does. He cant run forever.
You dont know Griffin, Riley muttered. But, yeah, I guess youre right. He shook his head. Anyway, theres nothing here and nothing we can do now. Lets head back.
I followed him out the door, back down the hall to the parking lot. A dented black Mustang with tinted windows sat in a corner space, and Riley wrenched open the door, slid inside and slammed it so hard, the car shook.
I sat down and closed my door with a little less force, then watched Riley gun the engine to life before squealing out of the hotel lot. Light from the streetlamps slid over his angry face, his jaw set, gaze glued to the windshield. Leaning back in the faux leather seat, I sighed and looked out the window. Another small Midwestern town, ordinary and indistinctive, sat beyond the glass. Wed been through so many lately, I didnt even remember its name.
I understood Rileys frustration. The human we were chasing, Griffin Walker, had been one of Rileys contacts before we discovered hed been feeding information to both Talon and St. George on the sly. Griffin was the traitor, the mole in the rogues network. In Las Vegas, he had sold us out to Talon, and wed nearly been killed because of it. But worse, because of him, all of Rileys safe houses, all the hatchlings hed gotten out of Talon, could be in danger. We had to find him and discover what he knew and how much he had leaked to the organization. But catching one human on the run was proving more difficult than we could have imagined. This was the second time in nearly a month that wed gotten close, only to have our elusive quarry disappear yet again.
It was beyond infuriating, but at the same time, it kept my mind off...other things. Issues I didnt want to deal with right now. I was so busy helping Riley track down Griffin, I didnt have time or the energy to dwell on anything else. And Riley was determined to save his underground, to keep his network safe and his hatchlings away from Talon; he was consumed with finding the traitor that had sold us out to Talon and St. George. In the days following Las Vegas, wed barely spoken to each other about anything non-Griffin or Talon related, which was both a relief and a disappointment. If we slowed down at all I would start to remember...certain people, and I wasnt ready to face that, yet.
Back at our own hotel, we went straight to Wess room and locked the bolt behind us. The human sat hunched over his laptop on the corner desk, the same position we had left him in hours earlier. He gave us a weary look as we came in and shook his head.
Nothing, he said before Riley could ask. No phone calls, no new credit card transactions, bloody nothing. Trails gone cold, mate. Griffin is officially off the radar.
Dammit, Riley growled, stalking forward. Slimy, slippery bastard. Keep looking, he ordered, and Wes turned back to the computer with a sigh. We were that close, Wes. We cant let him sneak away now.
Rubbing my eyes, I turned away, knowing Riley and Wes would be working for a couple hours at least. Wes practically lived in front of a screen, and Rileys anger would keep him going, but this constant breakneck pace was starting to get to me. All right, you two have fun, I said, moving toward the door. Im going to crash until you need me.
Riley looked back, gold eyes solemn as they met mine. For a moment, my dragon stirred, her gaze almost challenging as we stared at each other. Daring Rileyno, daring Cobaltto come out and face her. He wouldnt, and we both knew it; Riley certainly would not risk exposure by Shifting into his true form when there was no need. But my dragon instincts still hoped he would. Riley hesitated, as if he was about to say something, but then Wes muttered at him and he turned away.
Get some rest while you can, Firebrand, he murmured, bending down again. Well probably be leaving in a few hours.
Without answering, I retreated to my room across the hall, went to the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes. Including the black Viper suit, which I dropped unceremoniously on the floor. It slithered to the tile in a spill of rippling black fabric, and I wrinkled my nose at it before stepping into the shower.
The near-scalding water hit my skin, and I sighed, closing my eyes as the steam rose around me. Wed come so close tonight. So close to being done with this crazy search, to discovering what information Griffin was leaking to Talon and putting a cap on it for good. I had no doubt wed find him, sooner or later. No one could hide from Wes for long, and if you dared screw around with Rileys hatchlings and safe houses, well, good luck to you. I wouldnt call Riley obsessive, but he was certainly unyielding and determined, and his underground was everything to him. Plus, he could be a teensy bit on the vengeful side.
After shutting off the water, I toweled, dressed quickly and wandered into my empty room, flipping on the television out of habit. Noise was welcome. Silence was depressing and kind of lonely. Worse, in the total silence, my thoughts went places I didnt want them to go. Memories that were still too raw, too painful, to shine a light on. People whose absence was a great yawning emptiness in the pit of my stomach, or whose betrayal made it feel like a mirror had shattered within and the shards were cutting me up from inside.
Flopping onto the bed, I turned to some random action movie and cranked up the volume, trying to drown out my thoughts. Focus, I told myself, watching some guy in a sports car speed down narrow streets, knocking over trash cans and barely missing passersby. There were more important things to worry about than my own jumbled emotions. I wasnt a normal hatchling anymore, whose only concerns were having fun, fitting in and doing what the organization told me to do. I was a rogue, part of Rileys underground and probably Talons most-wanted dragon next to Cobalt himself. Vegas had shown me exactly what the organization was capable of. If I didnt take things seriously, more people, and more dragons, would die.
A soft tap on the door made me look up. Firebrand, came a familiar voice through the wood, and my dragon perked at the sound. You still up?
Pushing her down, I swung off the bed, crossed the room and opened the door. Riley stood on the other side, hands in his jacket pockets, dark hair hanging in his eyes. He looked tired, though his mouth curled into a faint smile when he saw me.
Hey, he greeted in a quiet voice. I...uh, wanted to talk to you before you crashed. Okay if I come in for a second?
I shrugged and moved aside, even as my insides began a crazy swirling dance, sending heat rushing through me. Did Wes find anything on Griffin? I asked, reminding myself to stay on topic.
Riley shook his head. No, nothing yet. But thats not why Im here. Keeping his hands in his pockets, he leaned against the wall, watching me with solemn gold eyes. I perched on the edge of the mattress, facing him. Im worried about you, Firebrand, Riley said. Ever since we left Vegas, you havent been yourself.
I forced a grin. What should I be? I asked, and he sighed.
I dont know. More...talkative? Stubborn? He shrugged, looking frustrated and at a loss. You havent really talked to me since we left Vegas. And everything I say, no matter what, you just...agree with. Its disconcerting.
You want me to argue with you?
At this point? Yes. Riley frowned, raking his hair back. Argue with me. Tell me Im wrong. Say something, anything! I dont know what youre thinking anymore, Ember. I know it hasnt been easy for you, with Dante in Talon and
Im just trying to pull my weight here, I interrupted, before he could go any further. He blinked, and I pushed back the anger and grief that rose up whenever I heard my brothers name. I dont want to slow you down. I know whats at stake. How important this is, for all of us. His brows furrowed, and I shrugged, looking over at the television. Im a rogue, now, I said. No more playing around. No more sneaking off, or being distracted by human things. Im going to have to learn to shoot and fight and...kill, or more of us are going to die. My mind flickered to the image of a small purple dragon, sprawled on the cement floor of a warehouse, gold eyes staring up at nothing, before I shoved the memory down.
So...yeah. I looked back at Riley. Im taking this seriously. Which means following your lead, and concentrating on the mission. Nothing else matters.
Ember... Riley sounded even more weary all of a sudden. Pushing himself off the wall, he stepped in front of me, his expression almost sad. That doesnt mean I want you to lose yourself completely, he said, as I gazed up at him. Dont let this life break you. Youre young. You have a very, very long existence ahead. No, I dont want you sneaking out or throwing crazy parties in the middle of the night, but it cant be war and fighting every second of every day. Youll burn out before you hit Juvenile. Or youll get so bitter and angry, you might do something really crazy. The corner of his mouth twitched into a wry grin, then he sobered once more. I didnt smile back, and he eased closerclose enough for me to smell his leather jacket, to feel the subtle heat that pulsed beneath his skin.
I dont want you to hate being here, Firebrand, he went on. I dont want you to regret going rogue. I know Ive been distracted, but I want you to know you can come to me for anything. Dont think you have to go through this alone. Trust me, I have been through everything you can imagine. He snorted. Just ask Wes. He can tell you horror stories.
My heart beat faster. Having him this near made my back itch and my skin feel tight from wanting to Shift so bad. Riley hesitated, as if just realizing how close we were, but he didnt move away. I looked up at him and saw Cobalts intense, golden gaze peering down at me.