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.”

I groaned inwardly. Boredom and following orders were two things that Ember did not excel at. And below us was an entire casino full of flashing lights, games, shiny objects and other things that could tempt a curious dragon.

“Keep an eye on them,” I said. “Make sure Ember stays put, but watch the soldier, too. He might’ve broken from the Order, but he’s still St. George, and that will never change. If he moves or leaves the room, I want to know about it.”

Wes smiled grimly. “Want me to stick a bug in his lamp when he’s asleep?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I doubt he’s in contact with the Order. They’re hunting him now, same as us. But if he goes off alone, or gets within twenty feet of Ember, let me know. If everything is too quiet, let me know. Hell, if the St. George bastard sneezes or takes a piss, let me know. I have no idea why he’s still hanging around, but if he stays with us much longer, I want to know what I’m dealing with, and why.”

“Fabulous,” Wes muttered. “Thirteen years of being the best hacker in this circus, and now I’m a bloody babysitter.” He sniffed and took a quick swig from his bottle before ducking his head and lowering his voice even further. “Where are the guns, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“In my room, of course. You think I’m going to let St. George anywhere near them?” The black duffel was sitting inconspicuously beside my bed, two 9 mms and a Glock wrapped neatly in my clothes. The do-not-disturb sign already hung from my doorknob, and I intended to keep it there. The last thing I needed was a curious maid tripping over a bag full of guns, but it would be worse if I was caught wandering the casino floor with an unlicensed firearm. Even in a place like this, security was trained to look for and spot anyone concealing a deadly weapon, not to mention the thousands of cameras watching your every move from the ceiling. Which meant I wasn’t going to be armed while I was here. But at least the soldier wouldn’t be carrying, either.

“I’m off,” I said, stepping away from Wes. “Call me if the room explodes.”

“You know, that’d be funny if I wasn’t terrified it could actually happen.”

Smirking, I entered the elevator and descended into the madness.

As usual, the casino floor was a chaotic sea of milling people, garish lights and clanging bells. Slot machines stood in endless rows throughout the room, blue-haired old ladies and men in suits alike feeding coins or cards into the machines with glassy-eyed determination. Crowds of men and women clustered around roulette tables, cheering wildly or groaning in turns. Dealers flipped cards at blackjack tables, smoothly picking away at players’ stacks of chips until there was nothing left. Humans and their wealth, I thought with equal amounts of pity and disdain as I maneuvered through the crowds. You fight and kill and work so hard to get it, only to throw it away like it’s nothing. I’ll never understand.