We were trapped. Riley was gone, we were outnumbered and outgunned, and the Viper had us right where she wanted. This was checkmate for us, but I had to save Garret, at least. I could endure going back if I knew the soldier was still alive out there. And then, when I had returned to Talon and discovered who was responsible for this, I would take my revenge. For Riley, Dante, Garret and all the rogues Talon had crushed. If I couldn’t be free, I would make them suffer for it.

But keeping Faith from putting a bullet through Garret’s skull was the important thing right now.

“Let him go,” I told Faith, who raised her eyebrows. “He’s not part of the Order anymore. You’ve been around us. You know he’s not one of them.” Her lip twisted nastily, and my voice hardened. “He saved your life from St. George, remember that? They would’ve killed us all if he hadn’t been there.”

“Ember,” Garret said quietly, a motionless presence at my back. “You don’t have to do this.”

I ignored that, continuing to stare at Faith. “Let him go,” I said once more. “I’m the one you want, right? Trust me, you don’t want to kill him.”

“And why is that, exactly?” Faith smiled, eyes gleaming. I wondered how I’d ever thought of her as some innocent kid. “I’ve seen the war,” she continued. “I know what St. George does to our kind. Who cares if the human doesn’t hunt dragons now? He was still part of the Order, which means he’s killed before. As a loyal member of Talon, I’m not only expected but required to take out their enemies whenever I get the opportunity. Why should I let him go?”

I swallowed hard. “Because,” I whispered. “If you let him go, I’ll come back to Talon willingly. I’ll become a Viper, or whatever they want from me. Let him live and I…I won’t try to leave again, I swear.”

“No,” Garret said, stepping forward. “Ember, don’t—”

Two men closed on him, weapons raised. Garret stopped, lifting his arms again, but his gaze sought mine. “Don’t bargain for me,” he said in a low voice. “Not with Talon. They don’t accept compromise. It’s either all or nothing…and my life isn’t worth your freedom.”

I met his gaze. “Yes, it is.”

“Ember—”

“Don’t argue with me, Garret,” I almost hissed, feeling my throat tighten. “There is no way I’m going to stand here and watch them shoot you. Just shut up and let me do this, okay?” My voice was starting to tremble; I swallowed hard and took a quick breath to steady it. “I already lost Riley,” I whispered. “If I have to go back, at least I’ll know you’re still alive.”

“Well, this is all very interesting.” Faith’s cool, amused voice made me bristle. I turned back to find her watching me, that chilling smile on her face. “You are correct,” she told me. “We do want you to return to Talon, that’s why they sent me, of course. But there is a small problem with your proposal. You see, you’ve already confirmed your disloyalty to the organization, and they are somewhat reluctant to take you at your word. If you want to come back, you’re going to have to prove that we can trust you again.”

I clenched my jaw. The thought of having to prove anything to Talon rankled. But if it would save Garret’s life… “How?” I asked through gritted teeth.

Faith nodded to the men behind me. As I spun, two agents stepped forward, one on either side of Garret, and forced him to his knees. The others formed a line behind the soldier, keeping their guns trained on the back of his head. I started toward them, but Faith grabbed my arm in a grip of steel.

“You want to prove your loyalty to Talon?” she asked, and pressed a cold black pistol into my hands, making me freeze in horror. Faith didn’t smile as she let me go, nodding toward the kneeling soldier.

“Kill him.”

My heart stood still. I stared at the weapon in my hands, torn between hurling it away and shoving the muzzle in the Viper’s face. Not that it would do any good; Faith could probably disarm a person fairly quickly, and neither choice would help Garret, kneeling in front of what I knew was an execution line. Any aggressive move on my part might trigger them to blow his head off. Gripping the handle of the gun, I looked up at Faith, shaking my head in disbelief.

“You’re crazy,” I told her. “Did you not hear me at all? I said I’d come back to Talon if you let him go, not murder him in cold blood. You can’t possibly expect me to do this.”

“I don’t think you understand the situation you’re in,” Faith replied, and made a vague gesture at Garret. “The soldier is dead,” she said flatly, making my heart drop. “Either way, no matter what you decide, we’re going to kill him. There is no argument that will convince me to spare an agent of St. George. I am not here to make bargains. I’m here to bring you back to Talon, and this is the final test to see if you can be trusted. If you refuse, then you will share the soldier’s fate.”

“Then you’ll have to kill us both,” I said, feeling my lungs heat, the dragon rising up for a final, desperate battle. I’m sorry, Garret. I wanted us to be free of Talon. But if they won’t let us go, I’ll fight as hard as I can.

“Really?” Faith gave me an evil, knowing smile. “So, you would sacrifice not only the human, but Dante, as well?”

Riley

“Phoenix.”

Mist cocked her head, regarding me intently, as if trying to determine whether or not I was lying. I growled a curse and hunched forward, panting, feeling the other dragon’s gaze on the top of my skull.

“Phoenix,” she repeated in a slow, clear voice. “That’s where your safe houses are located?”

“One of the locations,” I replied.

“There are others? Where?”

“All over the place. Austin, Phoenix, San Francisco. There was even one in Mexico for a little while.” I listened to myself ramble on, unable to stop. “I thought about moving some of them overseas, but that would require me to travel more. I can’t be on two continents at once.”

“No, you cannot.” I heard the triumph in her voice. “And how many hatchlings are you hiding, right now?”

“Twenty-three.”

She blinked, the only outward sign of surprise. “You have been busy, haven’t you?”