“I was,” I agreed. “Though I must not rate too high on

Talon’s threat meter, if they’re sending hatchlings to do a Viper’s job. So, what’s your real name? If we’re going to go through the dance tonight, you can give me that much, at least.”

The girl regarded me for a moment, then shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t matter now,” she mused. “My real name is Mist.”

“Mist, huh? You’re awfully young to be doing this with no backup.” I curled my lips into a sneer. “Is this your exam, hatchling, or are all the real agents off murdering defenseless kids in their sleep?”

She offered another faint smile. “Trying to anger me into letting information slip is not going to work, either, Cobalt. Besides, you know the answer to that as well as I do.”

I did know, which made the organization’s interest in me all the more insidious. Talon couldn’t send one of their real agents after me because I knew them all. If someone like Lilith or another Viper showed up in town, I’d be gone the instant I got word of it—unless I was trying to convince a stubborn, red-haired hatchling to leave with me, that is. It didn’t even have to be a Viper; any dragon from my old life, be they Viper, Basilisk, Chameleon or Gila, I was instantly wary of. Talon knew I’d never trust one of their agents. They had to send a hatchling, someone I’d never seen before and would want to help, to lower my guard.

I should’ve seen this coming. I knew Talon was getting irritated with my high jinks; losing even one or two hatchlings a year was a big thing when your numbers were small. I’d thought I could handle whatever big nasty Viper they sent to take me out. But Talon was also devious as hell, a master of manipulation, of finding your weaknesses and using them against you. They’d baited me with the one thing I couldn’t ignore: a couple hatchlings in trouble, and I’d fallen for it like a moron. I’d been overconfident and was paying for it now.

Fortunately, I had a couple tricks up my sleeve, as well.

“Pretty clever,” I admitted, looking at Ava, or Mist now, I supposed. “The soldiers of St. George were a nice touch. That ambush felt completely real.” Mist didn’t answer, and I sighed. “We can play these games all night,” I said, subtly reaching my fingers into one of my jacket sleeves, feeling around the cuff. “But I’m tired and sore and kind of cranky, so can we get on with it? What do you want from me? Or, rather, what does Talon want from me?” Mist raised her brows, and I rolled my eyes. “Don’t act so surprised. If the organization just wanted me dead, I wouldn’t be here now. They wouldn’t go through all this trouble to set me up. What does Talon want?”

Mist pushed off the table, serious now, her eyes hard and cold. “The location of your safe houses,” she said, making my stomach lurch. “All of them. Where they are, how many dragons live there and the number of humans you have working for you. Give us the information, and we promise that most of the hatchlings will survive.”

I barked a laugh. “Really?” I sneered. “That’s all Talon wants? Me to betray every dragon and human I spent years protecting from the organization? That’s not completely insane at all.”

“Think of what you’re doing to them, Cobalt.” Her voice changed, becoming low and soothing. “Think of what their existence means for us all. All Talon wants is for their hatchlings to return to the organization, where they belong. Where we can protect them. You can’t really believe they’re better off with you. Constantly in hiding, always on the run? Living in fear that the Order will come for them in the middle of the night? What kind of life is that?”

“A free one,” I returned, curling my lip in disgust. “One that isn’t dictated by the organization’s demands, or what Talon wants them to be. One where they can actually breathe without Talon looming over their heads, ready to pounce if they set one claw out of line. Where they can actually have thoughts of their own, and choose their own future, instead of being forced into the role that would benefit the organization.” I gave her a grim smile. “I’m sure you didn’t have a choice tonight. If Talon gives the order to betray, capture and interrogate your own kind, you don’t get to question why.”

Mist cocked her head, looking truly baffled. As if she couldn’t imagine how this was a bad thing. I sighed. “Not all of us want our lives run by Talon,” I finished, knowing I was wasting my time. Mist was too deep in the organization, fully indoctrinated to Talon’s way of thinking. She wouldn’t understand. “Some of us would rather be free. To at least be afforded that choice.”

“Free?” Mist gave me an incredulous look. “At what cost? Our extinction? Is this so-called freedom so important that you would risk the existence of our entire race? How many have you lost to St. George? How many hatchlings have died because you took them from the organization and threw them into the world with no experience, no knowledge of what they were doing? Without Talon and its resources, they’re exposed not only to the Order, but to all of humanity. Even you realize that we cannot let the humans know about us. Your rebellion is endangering us all. Something had to be done.”

“Why now?” I asked. “I’ve been doing this for years, and Talon didn’t seem to care much, other than a couple halfhearted Viper assassination attempts. Why are they so interested in me now?”

“I’m afraid you don’t get to know that.”

“Well, we’re at an impasse, then,” I said, leaning back in my seat as best I could. “Because I’m not giving up my nests to Talon, no matter what you say. Especially since I know you’re going to kill me right after. Doesn’t give me a lot of incentive to cooperate.”

Mist shook her head.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” she said, turning to the table behind her. “I was hoping you would see reason, and realize this is for the survival of us all.” Leaning forward, she dragged a rolling cart out from under the table. It had been draped with a towel, and a shiver went through me as she pulled it into the light.

Mist walked around the cart and faced me over the toweled surface. “This is your last chance,” she said, fingering the corner of the cloth. “No one is coming for you. No one will hear you. I will get what I want, make no mistake about it. How long it will take depends on you.” She reached beneath the towel, drew forth another syringe and set it next to the Dractyl on the table, where it glimmered wickedly. My blood chilled at the sight of it. “This can be quick and painless,” Mist went on, “or we can drag it out, all night if we must. It’s up to you. What is your answer, Cobalt?”