Legion

Fang and Fire

  RILEY

  I groaned and opened my eyes. Then immediately wished I hadn’t.

  “Shit,” I growled, pressing a hand to my forehead. My skull throbbed, probably from the whack I’d taken, courtesy of a rifle butt to the side of the head. The motion also revealed another fun discovery: thick metal cuffs were locked around my wrists, heavy-duty manacles made for gorillas and Frankenstein’s monster. Blearily, I lowered my arms, waiting for the cobwebs in my brain to clear out. How I got here was kind of fuzzy. I remembered being surrounded by an army of robot-like dragons, feeling utterly helpless as Ember bargained with her slimy brother for all our lives. I remembered the look on her face as she watched us leave, unable to stop her, or save her, knowing there was no way in hell that Talon would just let me go.

  Turns out I was right. The soldier and I hadn’t gone a hundred yards when a squad of a dozen armed clones appeared from nowhere, surrounding us. While half of them pointed assault rifles at our faces, one pair had dragged me forward and shoved me against a brick wall. I was already injured, furious at the betrayal, and didn’t exactly appreciate being manhandled by two soulless humans, so I might’ve snarled and elbowed one in the face as hard as I could. Which might not have been the brightest of ideas, as the other had instantly responded by clocking me in the temple with the butt of his gun. That was the last thing I remembered.

  “You awake?” came a familiar voice in the corner.

  “Yeah,” I muttered, raising my head to peer at my surroundings. Unsurprisingly, I was sitting on the floor of a small, dark cell. The walls were made of steel, there were no windows and the heavy, barred door at the front looked like it could stop a charging buffalo. A pair of cots were set into one wall, bunk-bed-style, but both were empty. St. George sat against the opposite wall watching me, manacled hands resting on his knees.

  “How long was I out?” I rasped.

  “Hard to tell. At least a few hours, and most of that was the drive. We haven’t been in here very long.” His gaze narrowed. “They stuck you with a needle while you were unconscious,” he told me, making my stomach churn. “I’m guessing it’s something that prevents you from Shifting.”

  “Dractylpromazine.” I exhaled and leaned my head against the wall. “Yeah, I’ll be stuck in human form for several hours at least. And they’ll probably keep dosing me with that crap to keep it that way. Or at least until they have no interest in keeping us alive anymore.” On impulse, I gingerly pulled up my shirt—hard to accomplish in shackles—to reveal strips of gauze and bandages wrapped around my ribs. “Oh, well, look at that. The bastards want me alive and healthy for a little while longer at least. Can’t have me dying on the interrogation table, I guess.” I lowered the fabric, grimacing. “Where’s Ember?”

  “I haven’t seen her,” the soldier said darkly. “We weren’t in the same vehicle. And they blindfolded me when they brought us in, so I’m not even sure where ‘here’ is.”

  “Well...” I craned my head to look up at the ceiling. “I’d say we’re underground, though I have no idea where. Could be in a city, could be out in the wilderness, but deep enough that no one outside of Talon knows we’re here. The organization likes to do their dirty business where no one can see it.”

  St. George glanced at the barred door and the guards flanking either side. “Why haven’t they killed us yet?” he muttered, his eyes dark. “If they can’t get what they want from us, why are they keeping us alive? We know too much. We’ve seen that dragon army.” He turned, frowning in my direction. “They don’t need us. Talon has been hunting you for years, and I’m still a soldier of St. George in their eyes. Dante would’ve killed us if Ember hadn’t stepped in. What are they waiting for?”

  “That’s easy,” I said. “It’s not about us, St. George. We’re leverage. To get Ember to do what they want. You saw what happened with that twin of hers.” His eyes widened, then hardened in fury. I gave a tired nod. “Our lives aren’t important. For some reason, it’s always been about her. As long as we’re alive, she’s not going to do anything that will put us in danger. If she doesn’t cooperate with them, they’ll threaten to kill us, or torture us, or something equally awful and blackmail-ish. That’s how Talon works. And of course Ember, being Ember, will do whatever they say, to save our lives.”

  St. George clenched his fists. “We have to get out of here,” he said in a low voice. “You’ve escaped Talon before, right?”

  “Yeah, but I wasn’t exactly in the middle of an armed Talon facility,” I answered. “They know who we are, and they’re not taking any chances. Maybe if I could somehow get to a computer and contact Wes...but I wouldn’t expect him to storm this place to rescue us. And I sure as hell wouldn’t want any of the hatchlings to try it. Best I could do is warn him about Talon’s new clone minions and tell him to keep the underground as safe as he can.” I sighed, shaking my head. “There’s also another reason for Talon to keep us alive. One that’s probably not going to be pleasant for either of us.”

  “They want information,” St. George muttered.

  I nodded. “Yeah. And you can guess how they’re going to try to extract it. From both of us.”

  “I’ve been trained to withstand torture,” the soldier said in a calm voice. He glanced at me again, his expression grim. “I won’t betray your network.”

  “Appreciate it, St. George,” I said, more grateful than I’d realized. “But I don’t think we’re going to have much of a choice, in the end. Not if we’re stuck here for a while. Talon always gets what they want, eventually.”

  The creak of the door interrupted us. St. George stood quickly, but I stayed where I was, watching as the heavy iron barrier groaned and swung back, revealing four emotionless, identical humans with large guns. I smirked at them from against the wall.

  “Hey, guys. I’d get up, but, uh...my head kinda hurts. You understand, right?”

  The clones didn’t answer. As one, they stepped aside, parting like elevator doors, and a smaller figure walked through the gap to stand in the frame. St. George tensed, and I stiffened as two bright, crystal-blue eyes met mine across the room.

  “Hello, Cobalt,” Mist said, smiling. “Ready for round two?”

  EMBER

  I paced the floor of my room, unable to sit still. It was a fairly standard bedroom, with a twin bed in the corner, a desk and a bookshelf, a separate bathroom, even a television on the wall. Nicely furnished, for a prison cell. There were no windows, of course, and I knew the heavy metal door would be locked, even without turning the handle. And the large, two-way mirror on the wall wasn’t fooling anyone. At least the cuffs were gone, and it had been a few hours, so the Dractylpromazine might’ve worn off.

  The door beeped, making me jerk my head toward it, and a few seconds later a human clone opened it and stepped aside as Dante came into the room. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to fly across the floor and grab my twin by his two-timing neck. His clone bodyguards made that impossible, however, even if I was able to turn into a dragon. Besides, I had bigger questions I wanted answers to.

  “Where are Garret and Riley?” I demanded as soon as Dante stepped through the frame. His brow furrowed before smoothing out again.

  “Alive,” was the cool, infuriating answer. “And they’ll remain that way...as long as you cooperate.”

  “You’re a real piece of work, Dante,” I snarled. “Do you even hear yourself? What kind of soulless bastard makes threats like that?”

  Dante stared at me, expressionless, before turning to his guards. “Leave us,” he ordered quietly. “Lock the door and stand guard, but don’t return until I call for you. Go.”

  Without hesitation, the clones turned and left the room. The door clicked shut, and my brother turned back to me. “All right, Ember,” Dante said, walking forward with his arms slightly raised. “Here I am. No guards, no
one to stop you. Do your worst—”

  I punched him in the jaw as hard as I could, landing a solid right hook across his chin. He staggered back and nearly fell, one hand going to his face. For a few seconds, he stood braced against the wall, cradling his jaw in stunned silence. Finally, he straightened and pulled his hand down to gaze at the blood on his fingertips before turning to me.

  “Feel better?”

  “No,” I whispered as my eyes started to burn. “Damn you, Dante! How could you turn on me like this? You were my best friend—we used to do everything together. And now look at you.” I stepped back, shaking my head. “You’re one of them.”

  “I turned on you?” Dante sounded genuinely shocked. “You’re the one who left. Ran off with that traitor and went rogue. You walked out, not me. I’ve done nothing but try to bring you back to Talon.”

  “Against my will.”

  “If I didn’t bring you home, they were going to kill you.”

  “Hello, doesn’t that bother you?” I cried, throwing up my arms. “If I didn’t do what they wanted, they would kill me. If dragons don’t conform to Talon, they get Vipers sent after them. How is that freedom? How is that for the good of our race?”

  “It’s for our survival,” Dante answered stonily. “We can’t have everything we want, not if we’re going to exist in this world. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a war out there. We’re being pushed toward extinction, Ember. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made. Dragons who break away from Talon are a danger to us all.”

  “How do you know?” I challenged. “You haven’t even met any rogues besides me. All you know is what Talon preaches at you.” He gave me an exasperated look, as if I were the unreasonable one, and it made me want to pull my hair out. “Dammit, open your eyes, Dante. Talon doesn’t have our best interests at heart. They’re not who they say they are.”

  “Ugh, we’re having the same argument we had in Crescent Beach,” Dante said, making a hopeless gesture. “And nothing has changed. Look, sis, just...come with me, all right?” His expression became hopeful, pleading. “There’s someone you have to meet. When you do, you’ll see why we belong with Talon. You’ll see why we’re special.” He took a step back, holding out a hand. “No more arguing. Just come with me. Please.”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  I thought that might irritate him, but he only shook his head. “No,” he murmured, almost sadly. “You don’t.” He took a short breath, as if he were nervous on my behalf. “The Elder Wyrm has called for you, Ember. It’s time you met the leader of Talon, face-to-face.”

  * * *

  The elevator came to a stop, and the doors slid open.

  Dante stepped out, followed by his bodyguards, and glanced back at me. “Come on, sis,” he urged as I hung back in the box. The elevator had opened onto a short hall with a pair of massive wooden doors at the end. “We’re expected. You don’t want to keep the Elder Wyrm waiting.”

  I took a furtive breath and stepped through the frame to join Dante in the hallway. Another pair of guards stood at the entrance, and they gave Dante short nods as they pulled back the doors. I followed my brother into a massive office, stark and cold for all its elegance, everything colored in black, white and gray. A chill hung in the air that had nothing to do with the air-conditioning, and I shivered.

  The desk was empty, but a figure stood at the windows, gazing out on the city below. When she turned, it was like watching a giant—a mountain—turn to stare at you, crushing you under the weight of its gaze. The breath left my lungs in a rush, and I suddenly couldn’t move, frozen like a mouse under the stare of the most powerful dragon in the world.

  “Ember Hill.” The Elder Wyrm smiled, and it was somehow even more terrifying than if she’d roared and spit fire at me. “We meet at last.

  “Nothing to say?” the Elder Wyrm asked after a moment of silence as I tried to convince myself not to cringe in terror. My hands were shaking, my eyes fixed to a spot on the carpet, unwilling to stare directly at the woman in front of me. The Elder Wyrm’s voice was quietly amused as I stood there, trembling. “Your brother says you are opinionated and quite verbose, especially when it comes to my organization. Well, speak, then, Ember Hill. Do not fear—there will be no repercussions for speaking your mind. I simply wish to know your thoughts.”

  I had to force myself to breathe. In and out, Ember, in and out. She’s not going to kill you, at least not yet. “I don’t...really know why I’m here,” I managed.

  The Elder Wyrm gave me a puzzled look, raising her brows. I swallowed the fear screaming at me to be silent, and continued. “I mean, I don’t know what you think you’re going to convince me of,” I went on. “You went through a lot of trouble to bring me back, so you must want something from me. But I’ve seen what Talon does, both to the humans and our own kind. And I know you’re hoping that I’ll just fall in line like everyone else, but... I’m not going to change.”

  “That is where you are mistaken, I’m afraid.”

  I stared at her, heart pounding. Her voice was calm, certain. As if she had complete confidence in what she was saying. The Elder Wyrm smiled again, those hard green eyes appraising me like a sculptor would a block of marble, seeing how he would have to break it down to achieve the final masterpiece.

  “You don’t know who you are, Ember Hill,” the Elder Wyrm stated. “You have no idea why you are so important to Talon. You must have wondered why we would go through all this trouble to bring you back, instead of simply letting Lilith deal with you. To ‘correct her mistake,’ as she wanted.”

  A shiver went through me at the mention of my old trainer. “I thought it was because of Dante,” I said, deliberately not looking at my brother, who still stood motionless behind the Elder Wyrm with his hands clasped in front of him.

  The Elder Wyrm chuckled. “Dante has no sway over the organization. Not yet. Soon, perhaps.” She spared him a brief glance over her shoulder, a chilling glint of satisfaction in her eyes. Dante gazed straight ahead, statue-like, as the Elder Wyrm turned back to me. “Which is why you are so important to Talon, Ember,” she continued. “You and your brother both. You see, twenty years ago, I made a decision. This organization, this empire, has been my whole life. I have watched it grow, flourish, even in the face of St. George and everything they do to rip it apart. For hundreds of years, I have guided Talon, and I have watched our numbers grow from a mere dozen dragons to the global power we are now. And yet, it is not enough. I have seen nations rise and fall, lived through countless wars, watched the birth of many new and wonderful things. I have built this empire from nothing, and I intend for it to endure until the end of time. But I know I cannot live forever.”

  The Elder Wyrm turned from me to stare out the window again. Her expression, reflected in the glass, was solemn. “Twenty years ago,” she continued, her voice becoming distant, “I decided I needed an heir. I built Talon from nothing—I refused to leave it in the hands of a stranger. Even the best-intentioned dragons would not concede to my wishes. They would try to make Talon their own. They would change everything and destroy my vision in the process. I did not want to leave my company to someone not of my blood.”

  My heart had started pounding again as I realized where this was going. You’ll understand soon, Dante had whispered to me, right before we came here. You’ll see why we’re special.

  I clenched my fists. No, I thought, disbelieving. It can’t be true. The Elder Wyrm turned from the window, her eyes piercing as they stared at me.

  “So you see, Ember,” she said. “You are more important to Talon than you know. You and your brother were destined from the beginning. You are my blood, the true heirs of the organization, and I need you to continue my work after I am gone. Dante has already accepted his role.” She gestured to my brother, though her gaze stayed on me. “It is time to stop playing these foolish games and take y
our place in Talon, where you belong.”

  I swallowed hard, still staggered from the revelation. I was the daughter of the Elder Wyrm, the most powerful dragon in the world. The heir to Talon, and everything it offered.

  “I told you, sis.” Dante’s voice was low, triumphant. “This is where we belong. Think of what we could do together.” He stepped forward, smiling in a way I’d never seen before, chilling and intense. “You always wanted a family,” he said. “But you’ve always had one right here. And now, we can be the most powerful family in the world.”

  For just a moment, I hesitated. The organization was right at my fingertips. Talon could be mine in the future; what could I do with that much power?

  My stomach turned, and I staggered away from him. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I don’t want this. I won’t be a part of Talon, whether it’s at the bottom or the top. All the power in the world isn’t worth what I would have to pay.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dante glared at me, anger and disbelief written across his face. “Ember, you don’t get it, do you? No one will challenge us at the top. We can finally be free. True freedom, without having to run from anything. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”

  “At what price?” I snapped back at him. “What will I have to do, to stay at the top? Massacre another town? Slaughter a group of hatchlings in cold blood?” I shook my head, feeling my stomach roil. “There was a time when you wouldn’t even think of doing that. And now you’ll commit whatever atrocity they want.”

  “Enough, both of you.” The Elder Wyrm’s expression was calm as she raised her hand, and two guards stepped forward to flank me. Dante fell silent, stepping back to glower at me, as the Elder Wyrm shook her head. “Well, I am disappointed that you feel that way,” she said as the guards took my arms. “But no matter. There are other avenues for negotiation that we haven’t explored. I’m sure we can find something we agree on.”