by Julie Kagawa
Mist didn’t say anything, but the shadows on her face and the hard set of her jaw said she knew he was right.
“Do you know who sent this?” Lieutenant Martin asked, glancing at Wes. “Were you able to trace it?”
“Yeah.” The hacker sounded weary as he turned the laptop around, tapping something on his keyboard. “It was pretty bloody easy actually. Whoever sent the video didn’t do a damn thing to cover their trail, which makes it even more likely that this is some giant trap, lovingly prepared to destroy us all. But...here.” He turned the laptop around to face us. A satellite image showed a swath of mountains and wilderness, with a pulsing red dot in the very center.
“The email was sent from a computer pretty much smack dab in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains,” Wes said.
Beside me, Ember straightened, as if that had triggered a memory. Riley noticed, as well, and nodded.
“Yeah, Firebrand. The lab. I remember.”
“Remember what?” I asked.
“There’s a rumor in Talon,” the rogue explained, his expression darkening with anger. “Of a laboratory where Talon sent the nonfemale dragons whom the organization had deemed ‘unworthy.’ Either they were sickly or crippled or weak in some other way. No one knew what happened to them, but if you were sent to that lab, you were never seen again.” His brow furrowed, a shadow of pain crossing his face. “As one of my rogues once put it, the laboratory was a place they sent dragons ‘to be sliced and diced and turned into something new.’”
“Something new?” Tristan shook his head. “Something new is a dragon that can also Shift into a motorcycle. Not an army of mindless dragon clones. Sorry, mindless Adult dragon clones.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Shit, we barely held off a swarm of hatchlings...can you imagine a few hundred thousand Adults raining fire down on everything?”
“Like I said—dragon apocalypse.” Crossing his arms, Riley stared at the rest of us. “So the question becomes, how are we going to storm another massive, heavily guarded Talon compound—one that is expecting us, by the way—and what are we going to need to have half a chance in hell of pulling this off?”
“A fucking miracle?” Tristan muttered.
Riley arched a brow at him. “Not terribly helpful, St. George, but I’ll take it under consideration.”
“We need more people,” I said.
All eyes turned to me. “We don’t have enough bodies,” I went on. “Not for something like this. We barely had enough people for the assault on the facility. I’d expect this to be much larger and well guarded. Even if they weren’t expecting us, we need a far bigger force to have any hope of success.”
“I’m afraid Sebastian is right,” Lieutenant Ward added, surprising us. His voice was grim as he gazed around the room. “This is their army, the dragons they’ve grown and bred to launch an attack, to declare war on their enemies and the entire human race. There will be more security in that spot than any other Talon facility in the world. We don’t have the numbers for this.” His voice grew even darker. “I don’t think anyone has the numbers for this.”
“Then we get more.”
Ember stepped forward, raising her head as she faced the table of men and dragons. “We get more,” she repeated firmly. “We put out the call to oppose Talon, once and for all. Lieutenant Martin, Lieutenant Ward, there have to be other survivors from the Order, other soldiers that are scattered or in hiding. Call them here. Make them understand what must be done, that allying with us is the only way to stop Talon. Jade...” She looked at the Asian woman, silently watching from the corner. “Rally the Eastern dragons and all their followers. I know there are more of them out there—they called a council a few weeks back. Convince them to fight with us. I know the Eastern dragons are reclusive and would rather not get involved, but the time for hiding is past. If we lose this battle, Talon will come for them, too.”
Jade offered a slight, solemn bow to the other dragon. “I will try, Ember,” she stated, raising her head. “I do not know how many of my people I can persuade—as you say, they have spent thousands of years in isolation, remaining neutral to the troubles of the outside world. But, in this, you are correct. We cannot hide any longer. This must become our fight, as well.”
Ember nodded. “Mist,” she went on, and the silver-haired girl raised an eyebrow at her.
“You’re going to ask me if I can convince Basilisks who are still in Talon to join us,” she said dryly. “To go rogue and fight the organization.”
“Not just the Basilisks,” Ember replied. “Any dragon or human who is unhappy with Talon, who hates what they’ve done but has been afraid to oppose the Elder Wyrm. I’m not saying we should alert the Vipers to our presence, but I trust your judgment, Mist. You must know of a few who would be willing to go rogue, to fight Talon with us.”
Mist offered a grim, mysterious smile. “I think I might know a few.”
“Good. You handle that, then.” Ember paused, then took a deep breath and turned to the front of the table. Her voice, once firm and confident, went a little bit softer. “Riley...”
He held up a hand. “I know, Firebrand,” he said before she could say anything. “You don’t have to convince me this time. We’re going to have to fight. All of us, everyone who can hold a gun or breathe fire. So don’t worry.” He shook his head, a rueful smile crossing his face. “It’s either make our final stand here, or burn with the rest of the world when Talon wakes those things up.”
He took a deep breath, then let it out and grinned savagely around the room. “All right,” he said in an overly grand voice. “There’s not much time left, and we have work to do. The dragon apocalypse is coming.”
Part III
Inferno
Riley
Ten days.
That was the countdown. We couldn’t wait much longer. Ten days to plan, to prepare, to wait for reinforcements to show up. That first afternoon passed in a flurry of confusion, questions and fear. When the video was shown to everyone, the soldiers of the Order had reacted with indignation and outrage, the rogues with horror and fear, but in the end, a steely resolve had settled over both groups, tinged with quiet resignation. Everyone knew what would happen if Talon’s mindless clone army was awakened. We’d all seen it firsthand, on a much smaller scale. We knew that if we didn’t destroy that army now, we wouldn’t have a chance when they woke up.
The soldiers of St. George arrived first. A few days after the meeting, Martin and St. George took the jeep away from the farm and returned that evening with a pair of grim-faced soldiers in the backseat. The following day, they did the same and brought back another three. Over the next few days, a handful of soldiers trickled in, all with the same story. They were the only survivors of their various chapterhouses, or they had been away on a mission when the Night of Fang and Fire hit and had returned to find that nothing remained of their home but cinders, ash and the bones of their comrades.
Naturally, everyone was extremely cautious of the newcomers. Dragons and soldiers alike eyed each other with suspicion, loathing and fear, uncertain whether or not the other would attack. I, St. George and both lieutenants strove to make it very clear that no one was allowed to harm or threaten anyone on the property, no matter who or what they were. The rules were nonnegotiable. If anyone had a problem working with each other, they were welcome to leave and take their chances with Talon, alone. If there were incidents of violence, if anyone—dragon or human—hurt or threatened anyone on the property, they would be driven to the nearest town and left there. No trial, no questions asked. We were all under the same banner, and those who could not get along were liabilities. It was harsh, but the situation was too grave to have to worry about infighting. Fortunately, the near-destruction of the entire Order of St. George had shown the soldiers exactly what Talon could do, and how dire things really were. They were much more willing to ally with dragons, now that
there was no other way they stood a chance against the organization. Funny how things like that worked.
One evening, a little more than a week into our preparations, Wes and I were huddled over his laptop, trying to pinpoint exactly where the laboratory was, when there was a tap on the doorframe. Jade stepped into the room.
“I must go,” she announced without preamble.
I straightened. “What the hell? Now?” I stared at her, feeling the inevitable tick of the clock counting down the seconds. “Dammit, Jade, why do you always skip out on us when something big is going down? If you haven’t noticed, we’re about to start a war with Talon.”
“That is why I must leave,” the Eastern dragon said, unconcerned with my anger. “And I am not, as you Americans would put it, skipping out. But I know my people. They will not hear me if I plead with them from the other side of an ocean. I must go to them directly and speak with them face-to-face. It is the only way to make them understand.”
“And how long is this going to take? Weeks? Months?”
“I do not know,” Jade said. “Hopefully, it will not be that long.” I gave a sigh of frustration, and her eyes narrowed. “I have watched over your underground, Cobalt,” she reminded me. “I have fought with you in battle, time and time again. And I have always returned when I said I would. Can you not give me the benefit of the doubt in this? Do you think that I do not understand what is at stake, what will happen to us all if Talon wins?”
“I know.” I held up a hand. “I’m sorry. You’re right—you’ve always come back. It’s just...” I shrugged helplessly. “This is the big one, I think. If we don’t succeed here, the world is going to burn when that army wakes up. And you’re our heavy hitter, Jade. Against Talon, we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“Which is why I am going,” the Eastern dragon returned. “The dragons of the East cannot remain neutral in this war any longer. I hope to bring back a few of my kin, at the very least. Even if I must drag them here by their overly elegant whiskers.” Her eyes glittered, and the statement would’ve been funny if Jade herself wasn’t so terrifying. “But you are wrong in saying that I am your ‘heaviest hitter,’ Cobalt,” she went on. “Physical strength is not the most important aspect in this war. If you want the true warriors, look to those whose hearts burn with passion, loyalty, justice and courage, for they will be the ones who will lead us to victory. You won’t have to look far.”
I gave a resigned nod. “Do the others know you’re leaving?”
“I’ve told the soldier. He has already wished me luck.” She stepped back and hovered in the doorway. “I’ll return as soon as I can,” she said. “Don’t wait for me here—I will find you again. Oh, and if you would, please tell Mist to lead the morning meditations in my absence. I don’t want the hatchlings to neglect their inner reflections, especially now.”
“Right.” I dredged up a smirk. “I’ll do that. Well, good luck to you. Hopefully, we’ll see you soon, with a giant army of Eastern dragons behind you.”
“I will try.” Jade nodded as she stepped away. “We will see who can be more stubborn but, as you Americans would put it, do not hold your breath. Until we meet again, Cobalt. Wesley.” She nodded to the human at the desk. “Keep him out of trouble.”
Wes snorted. “Right. Don’t ask the impossible or anything.”
Jade smiled. Then, as she had done several times before, she turned and walked away, vanishing from our lives for a little while. I hoped we would see her again. If she could convince the Eastern dragons to fight, if they would stand with us against Talon, I’d lead those morning meditations myself.
Mist entered the room, her footsteps silent as always. I felt that weird twist in my stomach again, my senses perking to life when she was around. “Is Jade going somewhere?”
“Only back to bloody China,” Wes answered. “Again. Says she going to try to rally the Eastern dragons to fight, but bloody good luck with that. You know what those old wankers are going to say, right?” He raised a hand like he was holding a teacup, lifting his pinky finger into the air. “Let us now meditate upon the world going to hell.”
“Don’t be an ass, Wesley.” I sighed. “Jade knows what she’s doing.”
“Oh, well, pardon me. I was just a wee bit worried that we’re all going to fucking die in the next few days, that’s all. That some wanker is going to aim the whole bloody lot of us at Talon and get us all killed.” Wes was in rare form this evening, and my own anger stirred in response, fed by the fear and stress and exhaustion of the past few days. “Hey, remember the island? Remember the bloody Adult dragon they had guarding the place? Know what would’ve been nice to fight that thing? Another bloody Adult dragon.”
I reached down, grabbed him by the front of the shirt and yanked him out of the chair. “There was another Adult dragon on that island!” I snarled in his face. “Her name was Scarlett, and she died to make sure we got out safely. So don’t bitch at me like I have no clue as to what’s going on. Like I don’t know what this really is, that it’s a fucking suicide mission. I already know, better than anyone.” I released his shirt and pushed him back to the chair, glowering down at him. “My underground is probably going to die,” I said, voicing the words that had been haunting me ever since that video came to light. “Everything I’ve worked for, everyone I’ve protected, those kids I promised to save from Talon...they’re going to be marching straight into their jaws. Same with the dragonells. We rescued them from the island only to throw them right back at the organization. So yes, Wesley, I realize that having an Adult around would be nice. I realize that our numbers right now aren’t going to be enough to take on the organization. I know everyone is terrified but trying really hard not to show it. Because there’s no one else who can do this. It’s just us. We are the resistance, and if we can’t stop this, the world is screwed.”
Wes stared at me with hooded eyes. “You done, mate?” he finally asked. I resisted the urge to yank him to his feet again and throw him through the window.
“Yeah,” I growled shortly. “Something more you wanted to add?”
“After that little scene? Fuck, no.”
“Good.” Raking a hand over my scalp, I stepped away from him, feeling that if I didn’t get some air I might start putting holes through walls. Mist was watching me from just inside the door, her expression carefully neutral. For some reason, I was suddenly embarrassed that she had seen me lose control, and then I was annoyed about being embarrassed. “Keep researching the laboratory,” I told the sulking human. “I’ll...be back in a second.”
I swept out of the room before either of them could say anything.
The living room and kitchen were full of young dragons, sitting at the counter talking, playing cards, reading or gathered around the one television in the house. Phones, tablets and personal computers had been strictly forbidden for security reasons; the only computer allowed on the property was Wes’s laptop, and it was probably more secure than the Pentagon. This did make for some very bored hatchlings—how did kids ever function before smartphones?—so we had to come up with other ways to keep them entertained. Nettle, perched cross-legged on the sofa, looked up from a hand of UNO cards and waved as I stalked by. I paused a moment to watch her and four others, including a pair of hatchlings from the facility, toss cards into the pile in the center amid much laughing and good-natured taunting. The game ended with one of the dragonells shouting “UNO!” as she threw down her final card, and the rest of the table exploded into loud groans and laughter. Nettle looked back and grinned at me.
“Hey, Cobalt,” she called, and waved a hand at the table. “Wanna play? We have room for one more, and someone has to stop Sera’s four-game winning streak.”
“Maybe some other time,” I said, and the girl bobbed her head before returning to the game. I watched them a moment longer, glad to see the grin back on Nettle’s face as she began shuffling
the deck. After Remy’s death, she had become angry at the world, making snarky, acidic remarks to anyone who tried talking to her. After this resulted in a near-fight with one of the boys, Jade had stepped in and taken the furious, grieving hatchling into another room. Two hours later, Nettle had emerged wet-faced and puffy-eyed, but gradually began acting like herself again. And after that, morning meditations became a regular thing.
I gazed around the room, taking in every dragon there. Realizing that it would never be like this again.
I turned away and slipped outside.
Putting my hands in my jacket pocket, I began walking down the driveway, not really knowing where I was going. In the distance at the edge of the fields, I saw the barn silhouetted against the navy blue of the evening sky, orange light glimmering through the cracks in the wood. Autumn would be in there now, curled around her precious egg, two more lives that were depending on us. I wanted Autumn’s baby to be the first US dragon who would hatch and grow up away from Talon, who wouldn’t know the organization at all, who wouldn’t have to fear what they would do if he or she didn’t meet their expectations. I wanted my hatchlings to be free, to not know war and death and suffering. That’s why I’d taken the hits for them in the past, why I worked so hard to be a pain in Talon’s ass—so Talon would concentrate on me and leave my underground alone. But now...