Talon (Talon 1)

I met Tristan’s eyes, and he turned away. Even after everything between us tonight, I couldn’t blame him. He knew, as I did, what that fate would be. I would be taken back to our chapterhouse, where my case would be presented to a jury of commanding officers, leaving them to mete out punishment. If I was found guilty of treason, I would be marched to a long brick wall behind the training compound, offered a blindfold, and then the line of soldiers standing fifteen feet away would shoot me. A fitting end to one who sympathized with dragons.

So be it. I had always known death would come for me, sooner rather than later. And even if my death was execution before a firing squad and not in the jaws of a dragon as I’d always thought, at least, this time, I knew what I believed. I would die saving someone instead of ending a life.

As I was led away, I glanced once more at the top of the cliff, where Ember and the other dragons had vanished into the darkness. they would be long gone by now, free of St. George, and that too gave me some small comfort. I hoped she would think of me sometimes, though we were enemies and she would never realize: the reason for everything, every choice, every understanding, every decision I’d made tonight, was because of her.

Because St. George fell in love with a dragon.

A faint smile tugged at my lips. Tearing my gaze from the sky, I followed my former teammates through the cliffs and into the shadows, leaving the beach where I first met a fiery, green-eyed dragon girl behind.

Ember

I lay on my stomach behind a sand dune, watching the line of soldiers move toward the big brown truck parked behind a boulder. my heart slammed against my ribs, echoing loudly in my ears, making me wish I could silence it. I was human again, still wearing my sleek black outfit, and I knew from this distance the human soldiers would have a near impossible time spotting me among the rocks and sandy hills, but the sight of them still filled me with dread. They were my enemies, I understood that now. Before tonight, the war had been a distant thing, something intangible and unreal, never solid.

I’d been naive before; I would not be that foolish again. St. George would show us no mercy, no quarter. They would kill us just for existing. From here on, they could expect the same from me.

Except for one.

I saw him almost instantly, walking between two armed soldiers, head slightly bowed, following them down the path. Seeing him made my heart ache with longing, and sadness, and guilt. Because I’d wanted to be human for him, if only for a little while. Because those few moments we’d shared had been perfect, even though they were a lie. And because I remembered the look on his face when he saved us from Lilith, the knowledge that he’d just betrayed everything he knew. Just as I had with Talon. As his final words to me, right before I’d flown off with Cobalt and the others, finally made sense.

Forget about me, I’m already dead. Just go.

They would kill him. St. George would kill him for helping us.

And he’d known. He’d known the consequences, and he’d still chosen to help. He’d chosen to save his sworn enemy, face death at the hands of his own people…for what?

I can’t follow their beliefs, and I can’t condone what we’ve done. I knew what I was doing when I came here tonight.

“I still can’t believe you talked me into this,” growled a voice at my side.

I looked away from Garret long enough to grin at the human beside me. Sprawled on his stomach, Riley wore a pair of black jeans and a gray shirt that had been stuffed in one of the backpacks, and looked distinctly unhappy about being so close to St. George. he did not return my smile.

“I thought you were a Basilisk,” I whispered to him. “Isn’t this the type of thing you used to do all the time?”

“For Talon, yes,” Riley shot back. “Not for fun. And definitely not to rescue some St. George bastard who shot at me earlier tonight.

That doesn’t seem good for your health.”

“He helped us, Riley,” I reminded him. “He knew the consequences, and he still helped us. St. George will kill him because of it.”

“I don’t care about that.” Riley’s voice was heartlessly blunt. “Let them kill each other, the more the better, I say. The only reason I agreed to this insane plan was because I know I can’t talk you out of it.” His hand rose, lightly brushing my cheek. “So, here I am. With a death wish, apparently.”

The roar of an engine jerked me out of my thoughts. I looked up just in time to see Garret enter the truck with the soldiers, and the doors slam shut behind him. The headlights flicked on, the truck bounced several times as it pulled forward onto the road, and sped off into the darkness.

“They’re moving.” Leaping upright, I swiftly changed, shedding my human form once more, letting my dragon self uncurl into the sand.

Wings fluttering, I looked at Riley, who got to his feet a bit slower, looking reluctant. “Riley, come on! We can’t let them get away.” He sighed, and I bared my fangs, impatient. “Stay or come, but make your choice. I’m getting him out, with or without you.”

With a roll of his eyes, Riley disappeared, Cobalt rising up to take his place. His gold gaze narrowed in exasperation. “Fine, Firebrand.

You win. Let the suicide mission commence.”

Spreading my wings, I let the warm desert air tease the membranes and breathed deep, filling my lungs with heat and fire. Gazing down the road, I let a savage grin stretch my muzzle, and I hissed a challenge into the wind. St. George had hunted dragons their entire life.

Let’s see how well they fared when the dragons decided to fight back.

I’m coming, Garret. Just hold on.

With a blast of wind, I launched myself skyward.

EPILOGUE

Dante

“Do you know why we have brought you here, Mr. Hill?”

I nodded stiffly. Across the desk, the blond man I’d met once before watched me with a cool, blank expression, his hands folded in front of him.

“Yes, sir,” I said calmly, politely, as I’d been taught. “I assume it has something to do with my sister.”

His lips thinned. “Your sister, Ember Hill, has betrayed us,” he stated, making my heart sink. I’d known, of course. The moment Talon came for me that night, I’d known, and it still made me sick to my stomach. “She refused to return home with Lilith, and left town with a dangerous rogue, a former Talon operative named Cobalt. Where they are now is anyone’s guess.” He paused, gauging my reaction across the polished surface. I held my breath and waited, until he smiled.