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.
For a moment, we teetered on the edge, both dragons close to the surface, waiting for the other to make a move. But then Rileys gaze darkened and he stepped away, breaking eye contact.
You should get some sleep, he said, as my dragon growled with frustration and disappointment. Its been a long day, and well want an early start tomorrow. Ill come wake you when were ready to go.
Riley!
A sharp rap made us jump. Riley drew back, looking almost relieved, and strode quickly to the door. Pulling it open, he glared out at Wes. Did you find him?
Not quite, mate. Wes spared me a quick glance and narrowed his eyes, before turning to Riley again. But youll want to see this. Griffin contacted us. I just got a message from the slimy bastard.
Where is he?
No clue. Wes shrugged. But he wants to meet us soon, face-to-face. Said he wants to make a deal. That he has information hes willing to trade...for protection.
Riley scowled. Protection? What makes him think that I would... He trailed off, shaking his head. Dammit, he breathed. Talon. Talon is after him, too. He wouldnt have contacted us if he wasnt freaking out.
Yeah. Wes nodded, a grim smile crossing his narrow face. Thats what Id guess. And under normal circumstances I would say to hell with the two-faced cockroachhe can reap what hes sowed. Let a Viper chase him around for a change of pace. But...
But we need whatever information he might have, Riley growled. And we cant let Talon learn what he knows. He raked a hand through his hair and glared at Wes. What does Griffin want us to do?
Says hell contact us with a meeting place if we agree to his terms, Wes replied, making a sour face. Terms being that we wont kick his ass when we find him, and that we provide him with a safe place to hide for as long as he needs it.
Riley growled again, clenching a fist. Fine, he said through gritted teeth. I cant risk losing any more safe houses, and I cant let Talon get their claws on Griffin. He knows too much about us. He gave Wes a brisk nod. Contact Griffin. Let him know we agree to his terms. Tell him to try not to get himself killed by a Viper before we can reach him.
Wes nodded and ducked out of the room, and Riley looked back at me. The moment was gone; Cobalt had disappeared, and it was just Riley again.
Sorry, Firebrand, he said, taking a step toward the door. I should probably be there when Griffin contacts us again. Will you be all right?
I nodded. Ill be here, I said simply, and he went, striding into the hall after Wes and closing the door behind him.
For a moment, I stared after him, a heavy weight settling over me. I knew, logically, that Riley was distracted. Finding Griffin and keeping his underground safe was foremost on his mind, as it should be. Rationally, I accepted that.
But at the same time, I wondered if Rileys feelings toward me had changed. There had been no hints or clues of what he wanted from me, if he even wanted me anymore. Now that I thought about it, whenever we were aloneeither in the car or in the hotel roomhe was careful to keep his distance. To not get too close. Tonight was a good example. There had been something between uswed both felt it...but he had backed off. Had he forgotten his promise of a few short weeks ago? Or had I been a fleeting distraction that hed gotten over?
I hopped up, threw the lock and returned to the bed. The dragon still writhed and squirmed inside, making it hard to relax. Sleep would probably be impossible tonight, as it had been most nights since we left Vegas. I was exhausted, but my brain just wouldnt shut off. When I did sleep, the dreams were waiting. Being chased through tight quarters by humans with guns, skinned dragon hides hanging on the walls and Lilith appearing every so often to taunt me. Or urging me to turn and slaughter everything in sight. Id wake up covered in sweat, my blood roaring in my ears, while the echoes of screams and gunfire faded into the darkness.
But those dreams werent the worst. The worst dreams were the ones when, cornered and trapped, Id spin around to finally face my pursuers...and it was Dante who appeared from the shadows, green eyes hard as he came into the light. Or sometimes it wasnt Dante, but a human with short blond hair and metallic-gray eyes, staring me down over the muzzle of a gun. Once or twice, it was a girl, delicate and pale, her dark curls tumbling down her shoulders as she stepped forward. Sometimes we spoke, though I could never recall the conversations. Sometimes they ended with an apology, sometimes with a gunshot that jerked me awake and sent my heart racing. But more than a few times, I would find myself in dragon form, wondering what had happened, and there would be a charred, blackened body sprawled on the cement. I wouldnt recognize it at first, didnt know what I was looking at, until its eyes openedblack or green or metallic-grayand it would whisper a single word.
Why?
Those were the dreams where Id wake gasping, my eyes blurry and hot. Those were the images that kept me from going back to sleep, where Id turn on the television and all the lights and try to forget everything until morning.
Riley didnt know about the nightmares. He was too busy with the hunt and keeping his network safe. Sometimes, I thought Wes suspected something, the way he looked at me when I joined them in the mornings, his taciturn face almost worried. But I couldnt break down. It was just the three of us, now: me, Riley and Wes. Riley needed an equal partner, someone he could count on, not some kid he had to worry about. I had to focus on what was important. I couldnt let any more of us die.
My stomach throbbed, a constant, low-grade ache from the stress of not Shifting. I could still feel Rileys touch, the heat in his gaze when our eyes met. My dragon side wanted him; it was obvious now that I couldnt ignore those instincts. But, at the same time, I still thought of him constantly. Where was he? What was he doing right now? The more I tried to forget, the more he returned to haunt me, making me realize that Id made a mistake.
I missed the soldier.
Frowning, I straightened on the pillows. You cant think like that, Ember, I scolded myself. Hes gone, and its better that way. Hes human. Youre a dragon. It would have never worked. Let him go.
My throat felt tight, and I breathed deep, banishing the last of the memories, at least for now. Griffin would contact us soon, and Riley would probably want to move out as soon as he did. Not much time for sleep, but I wasnt going to get a lot, anyway.
Grabbing the remote, I turned up the volume of the television and leaned back against the headboard. Who needed sleep when you could watch car chases and random explosions all night? Settling into the pillow nest, I let my eyes unfocus and my mind go blank, as revving engines and Hollywood drama replaced reality for a little while.
Riley, Wes said, sounding impatient. Did you hear what I just told you, mate?
Huh? I turned back from the door to face my partners annoyed glare. Sorry, Wes. What?
He huffed. I said that if Griffin is in trouble with Talon, were going to have to be bloody careful ourselves. For all we know, this could be another brilliant trap were walking into. I wouldnt put it past the bastard to set us up again.
I nodded. Yeah, I know. I scratched my chin, frowning. But we dont have much choice. Who knows what kind of information he has now.
Bloody hell, Wes growled. For a computer illiterate, the blighter certainly can get his hands on a lot of intel.
I shrugged. Hes been at this a long time, Wes, almost as long as us. He was a slimy little toad even before we met. Back then, Griffin had worked as a liaison for Talon, infiltrating companies they wanted to acquire, learning everything he couldtheir policies, financials and dirty laundryeven turning a few of their own employees against them. All to set up Talons hostile takeover.
But Griffins talent for acquiring information eventually got him into trouble. As his web of contacts grew and the secrets he uncovered got bigger and bigger, Talon had decided that he knew a little too much. Through his contacts, Griffin had learned of his impending retirement, and that was when hed reached out to me. The deal was simple: if I helped him get out of Talon and taught him to stay off their radar, he would give me what he knew about the organization. The trade had sounded fair, and the info hed offered had seemed too good to pass up, so Id accepted.
Too bad you didnt know what a two-faced bastard he was before you let him into our operations, Wes muttered. I never liked him, Riley, have I mentioned that? I thought he was shady from the start.
You have mentioned that one or sixty times, yes. I glanced back at the door, wondering what Ember was doing now. After Griffin contacts us, I told Wes, turn off the damn laptop and get some sleep. Youre running on Red Bull and Mountain Dew fumes right now, and we could all use a couple hours rest.
Wes leaned away from the laptop with a slight frown. Thats not like you, Riley. I was expecting to be halfway out the door as soon as we heard from him.
I would be, but Ember needs the break. Shes tired, and this constant running around isnt helping. I thought Id give her at least a few hours sleep before we start again.
Shes not sleeping, mate, Wes said quietly, still staring at me. I frowned at him.
What are you talking about?
Wess gaze darkened. You havent noticed? Bloody hell, Riley. Have you really looked at the girl lately? Shes more than tiredshes bloody exhausted. She sleepwalks through half our conversations. I go into the hall at three in the morning, and her light is still on and the television is blaring away. Wes shook his head at me. I doubt shes getting more than a couple hours of sleep a night, and a tired dragon is a ticking time bomb. Shes going to explode, unless you can get to the bottom of whats eating her.
Slightly dazed, I leaned against the bed frame, thinking back over the past couple weeks. Id noticed Ember had gotten quieter, but hadnt confronted her about it until tonight. Shed been withdrawn for several days, and that worried me, but Id assumed it was the frantic pace we were settingthe strain of the huntthat was getting to her. Recently, shed grown snappish and irritable, snarling at Wes whenever he made one of his Wes comments. I knew she was tired. I hadnt known she wasnt getting any sleep at all.
This was bad. Exhausted dragons were more than irritable and cranky, we could be downright dangerous as our control slipped and our baser instincts rose to the surface. Poking a tired dragon was an excellent way to get yourself burned.
What do you think is bothering her? I asked Wes. I talked to her tonight, but I didnt get a clear answer. Just that she doesnt want to slow us down, but I know that cant be the whole story.
Wes rolled his eyes. Oh, I dont know, mate. We havent been doing anything stressful lately, have we? Shaking his head, he leaned back and began ticking things off on his fingers. Lets see. In the past few weeks, she was shot, we were ambushed by St. George, you got kidnapped by Talon, your bloody hatchling had to fight Liliths murderous Viper student... Wes grimaced. Take your pick, mate. Shes not a soldier. She didnt have years of training like you. Bloody hell, Riley, a couple weeks ago she killed a human for the first time and watched another dragon get murdered in front of her. What do you think thats doing to her head right now?
Shit. I stabbed a hand through my hair. What was wrong with me? We had been running and fighting nonstop ever since we left Crescent Beach. Ember had seen nothing but constant battles, blood and death. I was desensitized to it, but she had killed for the very first time in her life. Of course it would be getting to her.
I was about to turn around and stalk back to her room when the laptop chimed. Wes looked down, tapped a few keys and scowled.
Its Griffin. Hes got a meeting place for us.
Rage flickered again, and I swallowed the growl crawling up my throat. For the sake of my underground, I would play nice with the backstabbing traitor and not rip his throat out through his teeth, but I wasnt going to be happy about it. Where?
Tomorrow evening. Louisiana? Wes squinted at the screen and groaned. Oh, bloody hell. Hes in New Orleans.
DANTE
I finished cleaning out my desk and closed the box, then left it on the corner for a worker to take down to the car. Not even a month in, and Im already packing up my office, I thought, walking to the window for a final view of the Los Angeles cityscape below. At least Im moving in the right direction: up. Or, I hope I am, anyway. Per normal, Mr. Roth hadnt given me any real details. Only that I was being moved to another project that would make better use of my talents. I could only imagine what Talon wanted me to do now. Especially after the fiasco with Mist and Faith, and the unsuccessful attempt to return Ember to the organization.
Ember, I thought, staring through the glass. The open sky beckoned enticingly beyond the pane, but it never called to me the way that it did her. Where are you? Why couldnt you just do what Talon asked? Now youve forced their hand. Youve chosen to stay with that rogue, which the organization cant ignore, and I might not be there to protect you this time.
Ah, Mr. Hill. Are you ready?
I turned. Mr. Roth had entered the room, trailed by a skinny, younger human who immediately walked to my desk, picked up the box and left without making eye contact with either of us. The senior dragon didnt spare the human a single glance but smiled brightly at me, though as always, the smile never quite reached his eyes.
Exciting, isnt it? Mr. Roth said, clasping his hands in front of him. New location, new assignment, another opportunity to advance. You must be pleased that the organization is taking such an interest in you, Mr. Hill. Not many are afforded such a privilege.
Yes, sir, I said, because I was pleased. I was happy that Talon had noticed me, that despite the mission to retrieve Ember not having the desired results, the part I had played had proved my worth to the organization. But something still nagged at me, despite my best attempts to quell it. I did have a question, sir, I ventured, and Mr. Roth arched one slender eyebrow. What of my sister? Shes still out there, with Cobalt. What does Talon intend to do about her?