I didnt remember Shifting. Didnt remember making that decision. But suddenly, I was in dragon form, my wings brushing the sides of the wall, and Riley was pressed against the bed, eyes wide as he stared at me. The hotel room abruptly felt tiny and cramped; my tail uncoiled, thumping the desk, and my talons dug into the cheap carpet as I leaned forward, crowding Riley and making him sit down on the mattress. Lowering my head, I gave a low, throaty growl that was both an invitation and a challenge, and Riley squeezed his eyes shut.
Ember. His voice was a rasp, and I saw a tremor go through him as he tried to keep the dragon down. His jaw was clenched, making it difficult to get out the words. This...is not the time, or the place. Change back.
I lashed my tail and snorted a curl of smoke in his face. I didnt want to Shift back; I wanted Cobalt to come out. I knew he wanted to. I could feel it in the humans ragged breathing, the way his hands clenched in the blankets. The past few weeks had been a mire of chaos and nightmare and emotion, but for once, my thoughts were clear. Why? I demanded, hoping the defiance would be enough to force Cobalt into the open. It wasnt, and I bared my fangs at him.
I was tired of the confusion. Tired of the fear and the nightmares, the guilt eating me from within. I didnt want to think, or feel. Being a dragon was so much simpler. I knew exactly what I wanted; I just had to get the human below me to go away. You once told me you werent holding back anymore, I reminded him, half opening my wings to drape him in my shadow. Whats stopping you? Or was that just a lie?
I know...what I said. And no, it wasnt a lie. But... Opening his eyes, Riley gave me a look that was both hungry and pleading at the same time. Not here, Firebrand, he choked out. Get ahold of yourself. Were in the middle of a city. We cant be seen like this. He took a deep breath, as if strengthening his resolve. Ember, I... You know I want to. But, this is not the time. You have to Shift back. I curled a lip, and another shiver went through him as his voice became strangled. Now.
Anger flared. Baring my teeth, I snarled in his face, whirled and willed myself back into human form. The black Viper suit became visible, covering me from neck to ankles as I shrank down, but the remains of my jeans and shirt lay shredded at the foot of the bed. For a second, I was sorry I was wearing the suit; if I hadnt been, being naked wouldve been a good excuse not to Shift back.
I rubbed my eyes, not looking at Riley, as hurt and anger still simmered in my chest. I didnt know if it was the dragons frustration or my own tangle of feelings, but I suddenly felt very alone.
I heard him shift off the mattress and take a hesitant step toward me, his voice low. Ember...
I stiffened. Sorry about that, I said in a flat voice, and headed toward the bathroom. Where I could close the door on rogue dragons and not have to face him for a few minutes. Where he wouldnt see me fall apart. Im tired, I muttered, swiping a hand across my eyes. It wont happen again.
Wait. Riley hurried forward, coming around to face me. Hold on a second, will you? I stopped as he barred the way to the bathroom, the look on his face frustrated, as well. Look, I know things have been crazy. I know with all the running around, weve barely had a chance to breathe. But I havent forgotten about...us, all right?
Hope flickered inside, though the dragon snarled, unappeased. Youve been busy, I said, shrugging. I get it.
Thats not it, Firebrand. Dammit, how do I say this? He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. Its not that I dont see you, its just... Im not good at...human stuff, Ember. Ive been on my own a long time, dealing with dragons and hatchlings and Vipersand Wes isnt what youd call warm and cuddly. I dont mean to ignore you, but whenever were close all I can think of is Shifting into my real form, and we cant do that in a car, or a hotel room, or anywhere people could see us. And all those human thingshugging, touching, kissing, whatever...it doesnt come natural to me. Im not the soldier, Firebrand. Im a dragon. He gave a short, frustrated laugh and made a hopeless gesture. Its just not in my makeup.
Yeah, I muttered, looking down. I know. It didnt make me feel much better, knowing we would have to be completely alone and isolated for Cobalt to appear. Being around humans had spoiled me, I supposed. Dragons werent supposed to love. I couldnt expect Riley to act like Garret.
But... A soft brush against my cheek made me glance up. Cobalt was staring down at me, golden eyes solemn and intense as he lowered his head. That doesnt mean I cant learn, he whispered, making my insides swirl. Ive been around awhileIve picked up a few things over the years. I blinked at him, and one corner of his mouth twitched in a wry smirk. I can be more human, Ember, he murmured. I cant say Ill remember all the time, but if thats what you want... Ill try.
I licked dry lips. No, I said, making his brows arch. I dont want you to change for me. It wouldnt be you
No? Rileys eyes gleamed, and he grabbed my wrist. You dont think so?
Pulling me close, he slipped one arm around my waist, pressed the other to the back of my neck and kissed me.
I froze, stunned. My hands went to his chest, flattening over his shirt, not knowing whether to push him off or yank him closer. His lips were warm, firm and confident. I could smell his leather jacket, feel the heat thrumming through us both as he held me against him, his arms like steel bands pressing me close. Through the elation and shock, one thought filtered through my astonished brain.
Riley was...a really good kisser.
Pulling back, Riley gazed down at me, smiling at my stunned expression. There, he said quietly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. Is that enough to convince you that Im still thinking about us? That you are constantly on my mind, even when Im distracted?
I swallowed, trying to find my voice. For a dragon, Id say youve got this human thing down pretty well, I whispered, and he smirked.
I havent lived this long by not being observant. Releasing me, he stepped back, shoving his fingers through his hair and looking faintly embarrassed. Wes should be done in a few minutes, he said, glancing at the door. Will you be ready to leave by then?
Yeah. I nodded, feeling a lightness in my chest that drove away the fear and anger and frustration, at least for now. Ill be right out. I just wish I knew where we were going.
As if on cue, Rileys phone chimed. Pulling it out of his jacket, he stared at the screen a moment, then shook his head.
Well, it looks like youll get your wish, Firebrand. Wes found the coordinates. He scanned the message, brow furrowing slightly. Makes sense, I guess. Away from people, out in the middle of nowhere.
Where?
He sighed and stuck his phone in his pocket again. According to Wes, were going to West Virginia.
DANTE
How many vessels have you awakened so far, Dr. Olsen?
The thin, bearded man in a stained lab coat gave Mr. Roth a proud, weary smile as we left the elevator and followed the scientist down the twisting corridors that led deeper underground. Twenty-two, he announced.
And how many have survived?
Thirteen vessels have lived through the initial adjustment phase and are expected to continue without support.
He said it with satisfaction, but I felt my stomach twist painfully at the number. The project was progressing at an astonishing rate. More than half the replicas had survived, better than predicted, but that was still nine dragons that hadnt made it. Dragons who had died because they hadnt developed properly, or whose minds had been damaged from the programming process. Or, worst of all, had simply never developed that mysterious spark of life that couldnt be replicated by science. Their lungs and hearts functioned, everything seemed to be working fine, but they were empty shells; living pieces of meat that slowly starved to death when the feeding tubes were removed.
It made me sick to think about. In fact, though I would never admit it out loud, the whole thing was making me rather ill. Was this truly the only way we could survive? Making clones of ourselves? Dragons who were grown in a vat, whose memories and personality traits were artificially implanted to make them more compliant? It didnt sit well with me, but at the same time, I trusted that the organization knew what it was doing. This was a war, and we were vastly outnumbered. Every year, we lost more of our kind to St. George, and their numbers werent getting any smaller. Something had to be done to even out the score, or we would find ourselves close to extinction again.
And how is their training progressing? Mr. Roth inquired as we continued down the corridor, passing armed guards and other scientists, who bowed their heads or averted their gazes as we went by. Mr. Roth paid them no attention whatsoever. Have they shown any signs of being able to Shift?
Dr. Olsen paused at a heavy metal door, punched a code into the keypad beside it and pressed his thumb to the lit screen. It beeped, flashed green and the door unlocked with a soft hiss. The scientist looked back at us and smiled. Come see for yourself, he replied, and opened the door.
I stepped through the frame onto a metal balcony that overlooked a large room. The walls and floor were cement, and the ceiling rose above us in a steel dome. Several doors of heavy-duty steel were set into the walls every dozen or so feet, individual cells that made me shiver.
A dozen lean, metallic-gray bodies lay on the cold concrete floor, unmoving. They didnt stir or look up, or give any indication that theyd heard us, and my heart gave a violent lurch as, for just a moment, I thought they were dead. But then the scientist stepped to the edge of the railing and raised his arms, as if embracing them all.
Hello, my darlings! Dr. Olsen called into the room, his voice echoing in the vast space around us. No response from the dragons below, not even a tail or wing twitch, and the scientist smacked his forehead. Oh, thats right. I told them to stay. He clapped his hands. Up here, please! Everyone, look at me!
As one, the dragons raised their heads and looked up.
My skin crawled, and I clutched the cold railing, repressing a shiver as I stared at them. These were hatchlings, my age, or they would have been if theyd had a normal hatching. They were dragons who should have been like me, but they were all...wrong. There was no spark of personality, no individual that stood out from the rest, no defining features or characteristics. They were carbon copies, perfectly alike, staring up at us with eyes as blank and empty as a statue.
Were still in the testing phase, Dr. Olsen said, observing the dragons with a faint smile on his face. There have been a few hiccups here and thereyou have to tell them when to eat, and sleep, and...well, lets say they dont follow the call of nature on their own. But weve found them highly responsive to stimuli and able to retain nearly everything they have learned. So far, they are able to follow complex commands without fail, provided you show them what you want them to do first. Observe.
He pulled a silver dog whistle from inside his lab coat, then blew on it sharply, though the only sound I heard was a faint, high-pitched hissing noise. The clones, however, straightened and instantly began to Shift. Scales melted away; wings shrank down and vanished; tails, claws and horns disappeared. Now a dozen barefoot, identical humans stood in two neat rows at the edge of the room. They wore skintight black briefs, their heads were shaved, and I could just make out a line of numbers tattooed above their left ears. Thirteen pairs of blank, silvery eyes stared fixedly at the scientist, unblinking.
A chill crept up my back. Somehow, this was even worse.
Marvelous, breathed Mr. Roth, gazing down at the replicas with a broad smile on his face. They can Shift, after all. The organization will be very pleased, indeed.
I swallowed the dryness in my throat. Why do they all look the same, Dr. Olsen?
Part of their genetic code, the scientist replied. They look the same because they share the same genetic makeup. You cant clump them together in public, of course, but they are much easier to hide and transport in human form. Dr. Olsen beamed, as if showing off a winning science project. The knowledge of Shifting was also part of the encoding, he went on, turning to Mr. Roth. So these dozen hatchlings managed to learn and reliably perform the skill in a few days, rather than the standard two years.
Very impressive, Mr. Roth said, a dark gleam in his eyes as he stared down at them. And how long have they been able to hold a human shape, Doctor?
Weve been slowly testing to see how long they are able to remain Shifted, the scientist replied, gazing over the clones with an almost fatherly smile on his face. So far, they can reliably retain human form for eight hours.
Excellent. So they are very nearly ready. Mr. Roth nodded once, then turned to me. Soon, Mr. Hill, you will have the opportunity to prove yourself. You will have the chance to show Talon exactly what you, and these vessels, can do. I gave him a puzzled look, and he gestured back to the creatures below us. We will need the clones ready for battle as soon as possible, able to follow commands and kill without question. We need them to be a fighting force, and you will be in charge of overseeing this project, Mr. Hill. His smile widened as I blinked at him in shock. We realize you are not a Viper or a Basilisk and this is not what you were trained for, but nonetheless, Talon is entrusting you with this task. I hope you surpass all our expectations.
Sir... For a moment, I stumbled on what I wanted to say, torn between confusion and horror. Talon was putting me in charge of making the vessels battle ready? Why? I wasnt prepared for this. My calling was politics and business, meeting important people and swaying them to our way of thinking. Blending in to the human population. What did I know about preparing things for war?
You have questions, Mr. Roth said matter-of-factly, still smiling at me. Dont be afraid to ask, Mr. Hill. Talon wants you to be fully comfortable in the tasks we set for you.
I only have one question, sir, I said, knowing that statement wasnt entirely true. It didnt matter what I felt or what doubts I had. It didnt matter that just watching the vessels from a hundred yards away made my skin crawl, and that I certainly didnt want to get close to any of them. When Talon gave you a job, you did it, no questions asked. Talons interest lay in how well you completed your task and whether you succeeded or failed. Nothing else mattered.