I had to agree with him there. “So, what now?” I said. “What are we going to do? If Talon and the Order are after us, it’s only a matter of time before they wipe out my entire network, and any dragon that gets in their way. How can we stop both organizations?”

“By turning them against each other.” The soldier’s face grew hard. “This alliance cannot be allowed to continue. We’re going to have to break it.”

EMBER

Neither of the boys was coming after me.

Good. My bare feet crushed grass as I headed away from the building toward a cluster of trees at the edge of the lawn. I couldn’t face either of them right now. Too many thoughts and emotions were swirling around my head. I didn’t know what I felt, and Riley’s appearance had only made it worse. I didn’t want to snap something I would regret later.

Dammit, how had this gotten so complicated? How did I not know what—or who—I wanted? You’d think it’d be simple. Human or dragon? The steady, unshakable soldier or the brash, defiant rogue? It shouldn’t be this hard, but...when I imagined being with one, my other half shriveled into a ball of misery, longing for the other. I didn’t want to lose either of them.

Aargh, what is wrong with me? I am so screwed in the head.

The sound of water trickled across my senses, making me look up. I stood a few feet from the edge of a small pond, where a stone fish spewed a continuous stream of water from the center of a fountain. A half dozen real fish swam lazily below the surface, flashing orange, white and red in the sun. A small pagoda sat to one side, red tiled roof curved elegantly at the corners. I stopped at the edge of the water, watching the fish swarm beneath my feet, and sighed.

“Have you come to clear your thoughts, as well?”

I started. The Eastern dragon—Jade, I thought her name was?—sat in the center of the pagoda, facing the water. Her back was straight, and her ankles rested against her knees in the lotus position, hands cupped in her lap. She was dressed in a loose red robe with a golden sash across her shoulder, and her long black hair shimmered down her back like a spill of ink. She had been so very still, I hadn’t even noticed her until she said something. How had I missed a beautiful Asian woman in bright red sitting in the middle of the pagoda?

“Your mind is in turmoil,” the Eastern dragon intoned, as if reading my thoughts. “I can feel the chaos from here.” She regarded me with piercing black eyes. “You are very young, to be tormented so. It is not healthy.”

“Sorry,” I told her, taking a step back. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I’ll leave you alone.”

“No.” Jade held up a hand, stopping me. “You did not come here by chance,” she went on as I paused. “Whether you meant to or not, your mind is seeking solace. Or perhaps answers. There is no shame in admitting weakness, in acknowledging that you need help.”

Wow. That’s something Talon would never say. Maybe she’s right.

She gestured, very subtly, to the mat beside her. And, even though I didn’t know this woman, this dragon who was here for reasons of her own, I found myself edging forward and lowering myself to the mat. “Why would you help me?” I asked, settling beside her. “I mean, not to sound rude, but you don’t even know me.”

“Is that a reason not to offer assistance, especially to one of my own kind?” she asked, tilting her head. “Have you been so influenced by Talon that all help must come with a price?”

“I thought you didn’t like Western dragons. Riley said—”

“Riley,” Jade interrupted in that same serene voice, “has his own philosophies and prejudices to overcome. He was also, from what I understand, part of Talon far longer than you, and the organization’s influence still lingers, regardless of what he believes. But we are not talking about Riley, are we?” She gave me a pointed look. “Or, am I wrong?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” Resting my chin on my knee, I brooded over the water. “I guess you don’t see many other dragons out where you live, right?” I murmured. “I mean, not like we did in Talon.”

“No,” Jade agreed. “But I have traveled the world. I have seen much. And my perceptions have not been corrupted by the organization. I am old. Older than you. Older than Riley. If you have questions concerning our nature, know that I will neither judge nor condemn. I will simply answer, to the best of my ability. What passes between us is for our ears alone. Only the fish and the wind will ever know what two dragonells spoke about today.”