by Julie Kagawa
The VP arched one slim, elegant eyebrow at me over his desk. “Vegas, you say,” he repeated. “That’s…unexpected. One of our biggest operations is in Vegas. That Cobalt would flee there is unusual.” His gaze sharpened, brows drawing together. “How did you come to this conclusion, Mr. Hill?”
I handed him the folder Mist had given me; her report and the satellite pictures of the Order chapterhouse sat inside. “We’ve been monitoring St. George ever since Ember and the rogue broke into their western chapterhouse, sir,” I said, as Mr. Roth flipped it open. “We believe St. George is looking for them as well, and recently, we’ve seen a lot of Order activity in and around Las Vegas. They appear to be converging on the city. We think Ember and the rogue are hiding somewhere close, maybe near the Strip.”
“I see.” Mr. Roth closed the folder and laced his hands under his chin. “Reign’s territory. Of course, they would have to make this complicated.”
My heart beat faster. Ember was in Las Vegas, I could feel it. Just a few hours’ drive away, in the middle of a huge, dangerous city with St. George closing in on all sides. “Sir,” I began, “if Ember is in Vegas, I believe I should be the one to bring her back. If we can find her, I would like to go. She’ll listen to me. I just need to talk to her.”
And if I can bring her back, Talon will know how valuable I am to the organization.
“Of course, Mr. Hill.” Roth glanced up at me and smiled. “Of course you are going to retrieve your sister, that was never a question. However, there are protocols that we must observe, if we want the best chance of finding Ms. Hill and Cobalt. Before we do anything in Las Vegas, there is someone we must speak to first. I’ll arrange the meeting.”
* * *
Mr. Roth hadn’t wasted any time. I’d been driven back to my apartment with orders to pack for a few days’ trip, and this morning I’d been taken to a small airport, where Mr. Smith, Mr. Roth and a private jet awaited me. Everything had happened so quickly, I hadn’t had time to reflect or feel nervous, until now.
Crossing my legs, I leaned back, affecting a pose of professional nonchalance. This anxiety wasn’t like me, but everything, it seemed, hinged on bringing Ember back. Everyone is watching you, Dante, I reminded myself. Talon is watching you, even closer than they did in Crescent Beach. This is your chance to prove yourself. To start building a future in the organization, to do great things for Talon. You have to impress them. You have to do better than anyone expects.
“Sir,” I ventured, making Mr. Roth glance up and raise an eyebrow at me. “Our contact in Las Vegas—his name is Reign?”
“That is correct,” Mr. Roth replied.
“Is there anything I should know about him?” I went on, careful to keep my tone deferent. “Anything special I should be aware of before the meeting?”
“Ah yes, our good friend Reign.” Roth smiled, though his tone was brittle. “Only know that he is one of the oldest dragons in the organization,” he said, making my stomach drop to my toes. “He was around when the Elder Wyrm rose to power, so that should give you an idea of who you’re dealing with. He is also very, shall we say…old-fashioned? He prefers things a certain way, and the Elder Wyrm allows him his small idiosyncrasies. He is crucial to the organization, as most of Talon’s assets in Las Vegas come through his casinos, but Reign himself can be…challenging to deal with.” Mr. Roth gave me a scrutinizing look and leaned back in the seat. “My advice to you, Mr. Hill? Be polite. Reign is loyal to the organization and will not risk the Elder Wyrm’s wrath, but he is not fond of having other dragons in what he considers his territory. It is always good to be cautious when dealing with self-proclaimed kings.”
The jet landed at another private airport on the edge of town, and a limo stood waiting to drive us into the city. Once inside I leaned back against the cold leather seat and crossed my legs, deliberately not looking out the tinted windows. I was resolved to appear as cool as possible, and not like a gawking, starstruck tourist who had never seen the glamour of Las Vegas.
I nearly broke that resolve when the limo pulled up in front of the biggest hotel I’d ever seen in my life. It soared above us, blazing with millions of lights, so bright you could barely see the sky overhead. Inside, it was even more difficult not to gape at the enormous foyer tiled in gold and black, ringed with silver-threaded onyx columns, a marble fountain in the center of the opulence. A retinue of well-dressed humans greeted us in the glittering foyer, with instructions that “Mr. R.” was waiting for us, and to please follow them.
We did, trailing the escorts across a crowded casino full of flashing lights, bells and, of course, people. The place was enormous. The gold tile we walked on reflected the millions of lights, and the whole casino had an air of fantasy and surrealism, where time didn’t exist and you could lose hours, or even days, without knowing it. Humans sat at tables with columns of colored chips, or fed bills into the rows of flashing machines that lined every aisle. Everything screamed wealth, riches, luxury, and for a moment, I felt a glimmer of envy through the fascination.
I wanted this.
The humans led us to the elevator bay, escorted us into a box and bowed as the doors slid shut. They did not, I noticed, press any buttons, and neither did Mr. Roth or Mr. Smith. But, after a moment, the elevator shuddered and started to move. Down.
It continued down for a long, long time. No one spoke, and I concentrated on remaining still and keeping the calm, serene expression on my face. When the elevator finally stopped and the doors opened, I saw a short cement corridor, a lone florescent light and a single door at the end of the hall.
I caught Mr. Smith’s eye as we stepped out of the elevator. His gaze was a warning, cold and ominous. This was it, I realized. The moment where all my training, everything I’d learned about Talon and its inner circle, came together. It was either sink or swim, impress or disappoint. Through that door, my future with Talon hung in the balance.
I met my trainer’s stare and gave a short nod. I was ready. Today was the day I started making a name for myself. Mr. Smith watched me a moment longer, then turned away, following Mr. Roth toward the end of the hall.
We stepped through the door into a massive, dimly lit cavern. A huge, yawning chamber that soared up into the darkness, hiding the ceiling from view. The floor was cement, but the walls, as far as I could see, were of natural rock and stone. The air in the cave was unnaturally warm, surprising for being so far underground, and smelled faintly of smoke, though I couldn’t see any fires. There were also no overhead lights, no florescent bulbs or lamps, or even candles. In fact, the only light came from a group of enormous flat screens near the back wall. Over two dozen televisions, bolted to a network of steel frames, formed an immense, flickering semicircle of noise and images. Each huge screen showed something different: sports, world events, news stations in several different languages. A few of them appeared to be casino security, cycling through different areas of the hotel. More than one screen showed nothing but the Dow, tracking the rise and fall of stocks. Horses sped down a track, police sirens wailed and an attractive Asian reporter babbled at me in Japanese.
It was a chaotic flood of imagery, a hundred different things happening all at once. So I didn’t immediately notice what lay beneath the circle of screens. Then Mr. Smith put a warning hand on my shoulder, stopping me from advancing any farther into the room, and I dropped my gaze from the televisions.
My mouth nearly fell open, and I bit my cheek to keep from gasping in shock. An enormous pile of gold lay sprawled on the floor beneath the screens, the light glimmering off the metallic surface. In the darkness and shadows, it was difficult to see how big it really was, but I guessed it was at least forty feet long and fifteen feet high, a virtual mountain of gold in the middle of the cavern. So this was why Reign was so touchy about other dragons being in his territory. He was sitting on a literal treasure hoard. Old-fashioned indeed.
> And then, the mountain moved.
The bottom dropped out of my stomach, and my mouth did fall open this time, as the entire hoard shifted, unfurled two colossal leathery wings and sat up. A head rose on a long, snaking neck, and a tail uncurled to double the length, as an eighty-foot golden dragon turned with a scraping of claws and scales and fixed us with a massive yellow eye.
My legs were frozen. I couldn’t move. I could only stare at the creature before me, torn between awe and utter panic. Besides my sister, I’d only ever seen one other of my kind in its real form, an adult who wasn’t even half the size of this dragon. He had to be a Wyrm, one of three dragons in the world who had passed the thousand-year mark, who had survived so long that they were the size of buildings. Everyone in Talon knew of the Elder Wyrm, the oldest and most powerful of us all, but the identities and locations of the other two were a jealously guarded secret. Reign was ancient, a lesser god gazing down at three tiny insects scurrying around his feet.
I suddenly realized why Talon allowed him his…idiosyncrasies, as Mr. Roth put it. Who would dare to tell him no?
“Well.” The deep voice reverberated through the cavern like thunder, making the walls tremble. “Here you are, then.” Reign pulled himself to his full impressive height, dwarfing everything in the cavern as he stretched, before sinking back and curling his tail around himself. His scales, like antique coins, glittered as he lowered his head to regard me with a blood-chilling smile. “Welcome to my casino,” he continued, giving me a clear, terrifying view of his fangs. “I trust the accommodations are acceptable?”
He was talking to me, I realized, not my trainer or Mr. Roth. Which struck me as very odd. Why would one of the most powerful dragons in Talon take the time to address me and not my superiors?
Be polite, Mr. Roth had said. Always a good plan when staring down an eighty-foot dragon who could swallow you in one bite. “Yes, sir,” I managed, grateful that my voice didn’t shake. “You’ve been more than accommodating. Thank you for seeing us on such short notice. Your hotel is very impressive.”
Reign sniffed, but he seemed pleased. “I see they’ve trained you well,” he rumbled, and raised his head to observe the other dragons, standing patiently to either side. “Though I wouldn’t have expected anything else. But I have little time for pleasantries. Let us talk business.”
His eyes glittered, and he folded his front claws before him like a cat, the curved talons lightly raking the floor. “So the other little hatchling has run away,” he said, sounding amused and impatient at the same time. “And now, you think she is somewhere in my city.” He snorted, sending a billow of smoke into the air. “I find that highly unlikely. Nothing happens here without my knowledge. No one comes or goes unless I know about it. I have eyes in almost every casino, every hotel on and off the Strip.” He angled a horn at the bank of screens surrounding him. “If this girl has entered my territory, what makes you think she can hide from me?”
“She’s not alone, Reign.” Mr. Roth’s voice was cool as he stepped forward, though I noted he didn’t stare directly at the other dragon but kept his gaze off to the side. “We believe she is with a former Basilisk operative who went rogue several years ago. He knows about you. He would know which hotels to avoid, and in which areas you might not have as large a presence.” Reign’s gold eyes narrowed dangerously, showing his obvious displeasure with the contradiction, though Mr. Roth did not relent. “He’ll know how to stay hidden and out of sight, even from you.”
Reign growled, not loudly, but I felt the vibrations through the cement. “A rogue Basilisk,” the dragon king mused, tapping his claws against the floor. “I’ve heard of this upstart, Cobalt.” His voice took on an annoyed edge. “I suppose he is also the reason St. George has suddenly appeared in my city?”
“Yes. We believe the Order is searching for them, as well.”
Reign’s nostrils flared. “So why should I risk exposure when the Order is swarming around out there, thanks to your wayward agent?” he asked. “Helping you with your rogue problem could expose my operations to St. George. I’ve avoided the Order for a very, very long time. I intend to keep it that way.”
My stomach turned. Ember was close, I could feel it. We were in the same city, the same territory. I just had to reach her before St. George did. Or before she left town with the rogue, and we were back at square one. Determination rose up, and I took a deep breath. I could not let anyone, even the ruler of Las Vegas, put my sister or my plans in danger.
“Sir,” I began, and Reign peered down at me in amused surprise. I felt Mr. Smith’s incredulous gaze on me as well and knew I was probably breaking protocol, a hatchling daring to contradict an ancient Wyrm. This was a gamble, but it was too late to back out now. I faced the ancient dragon, keeping my voice calm. “Forgive me, sir, but it’s in your best interests to help,” I said evenly. “You have a lot of resources at your disposal, and the sooner we find Ember, the sooner you can get St. George out of your city. Surely that is enough reason to assist us.”
Reign cocked his massive head, the hint of a smile crossing his muzzle. “Is that so, hatchling?” he mused in a soft, deadly voice, making a cold sweat break out on my neck. “You’re awfully confident about that.”
“She’s my sister,” I replied. “No one knows her like I do.” Those primeval eyes continued to watch me, unblinking, and I stifled my fear. “I just need to find her. If I knew where she was, I could reach her. I can bring her back to Talon.”
“The boy has a point, Reign,” Mr. Roth broke in. I wanted to glance at him but didn’t dare take my attention from the Wyrm glaring down at me. “Once we retrieve Ms. Hill and deal with the rogue, the Order will have no reason to stay in Vegas. They will leave, we will return to the organization, and your assistance will be much appreciated once it gets back to the Elder Wyrm.”
“I’m sure it will.” Reign hadn’t looked away from me the entire time. “But let me ask you this, little hatchling. Let us say your sister is truly lost, that she refuses to return to the organization. What then?”
I swallowed, realizing he was testing me, seeing how far I would go. “Everyone has something that they want, sir,” I replied. “Everyone has a price that they are willing to pay. Ember is with the rogue dragon, Cobalt, and even he has weaknesses. If we can find them, exploit them, we’ll have them both.”
Reign blew out a long, rumbling breath, filling the air with the smell of sulfur. “Spoken like a true dragon of Talon. Very well,” he growled, and shifted upright, making my pulse skip at how big he really was. “I have several agents who might be able to track them down. One in particular has been very helpful, keeping eyes on the parts of the city I cannot. I’ll have my people contact him. If the hatchling and the rogue are here, he’ll know where to look.” The tip of his tail thumped the ground, and he blinked slowly. “Will that be sufficient enough for you, Mr. Hill?”
Again, he wasn’t looking at Mr. Roth, but at me. I bowed my head, letting gratitude seep into my voice. “Yes, sir,” I said. “Thank you, sir. Talon will not forget this.”
“I’m sure they won’t.” He shook his massive head. “Though I might have to have a talk with the Elder Wyrm about too-clever hatchlings who overstep their bounds. I assume you have a plan for dealing with this girl and the rogue, once you find them?”
My mind was already spinning. Bring Ember back, and make sure the rogue could never take her away again. That was all that mattered. Talon was watching me; I would not fail them. “Yes,” I answered, setting my jaw. “I do.”
Riley
Come on, you bastard, I thought, glaring at my phone. You know we’re here. Text me back already.
The device in my hand remained obnoxiously silent. Sighing, I shoved it into my jacket pocket and tried not to pace, feeling time ticking away from me. At least the room was large, airy and luxurious, though a bit on the gaudy side. I
could’ve done without the shiny gold curtains and bright purple carpet. And the painting of the barely clad Greek woman lounging by a pool.
I snorted in derision. Caesar’s Palace, it ain’t. This wasn’t a casino the high rollers and professional gamblers would set foot in, or come within a hundred yards of, really. Which suited me fine. No one from Talon—no one important, at least—would be caught dead here. And I wouldn’t have to share the queen-size bed with anyone else; Ember was in the room next door and the other two—Wes and the soldier—had their own individual quarters across the hall. Money had never been an issue; during the years I’d worked for the organization, I’d racked up quite the nest egg. When I had gone rogue, those accounts had been frozen, but not even Talon’s security was a match for Wes after he joined my team. The money was now hidden in overseas accounts under false identities so that Talon couldn’t trace it back to us. Not to mention, having an elite hacker around was pretty helpful for those times I needed other things: bank codes, fake IDs, false reservations and the like. Most times, I didn’t even have to touch my own accounts.
Now, if only my other contact would be as helpful.
As if on cue, my phone finally buzzed. I yanked it out and stared at the message on-screen, short and to the point. I smiled grimly. Time to get to the bottom of things, or at least have some questions answered. Making sure I had my wallet and fake ID, I left the room and stepped into the green-and-gold corridor.
I met Wes in the hallway, bottle of Mountain Dew in hand as he headed back to his room. “Griffin finally get back to you?” he asked, lowering his voice as he paused beside me. I nodded.
“Heading down to meet him now. Where are the others?”
“In their rooms, last I saw them.” Wes pointed the green bottle down the corridor. “One sulking, the other doing bugger all. Hope the blasted hatchling doesn’t wander off. She looked quite put out when you told her not to leave the floor.”