“I…had to think.”

“Well, get your damn head back in the game, partner. We’ve got orders. Where are you?”

I told him.

“Meet me at the corner of Palm and Main in ten minutes. I’ll explain everything then. St. Anthony, out.”

Seconds after I arrived at the rendezvous point, a white van screeched to a stop at the curb, and Tristan flung open the door.

“Come on,” he ordered, and I obeyed, sliding into the passenger seat.

Tristan hit the gas almost before I closed the door, and we sped out of the lot.

“What’s going on?” I asked, snapping the seat belt into place.

Tristan flashed me an exasperated glare and shook his head.

“New orders,” he said, gunning the engine and speeding through an aging yellow light. “Headquarters wasn’t pleased when they heard about the raid. There’s not much time before the targets leave town and drop off the grid again. But we know one of them is injured, and will probably have to hole up for a few hours, at least. They’re sending out all available soldiers to search every potential bug-out spot, cave, or abandoned building. Any place these dragons could hide.”

“Is that what we’re doing, then?” I asked, clenching my fist against my leg. Tristan shook his head.

“No. We have a special mission.” He nodded to the dashboard, where his laptop lay open between us. On the computer screen, a blinking red dot was moving through a grid of streets, toward the ocean. “That’s our target. Ember Hill.”

My stomach twisted violently. I forced myself to speak, to remain calm. “Why her?”

“We don’t have any idea where the other targets could be,” Tristan said, glancing at the computer screen, following the dot as it moved swiftly across the map. “Right now, she’s our best and only suspect.

When you were at the carnival with her that day, I went to her house and put a tracking device on her car, so we could follow her if she went anywhere suspicious. When I received orders tonight, I knew exactly how to find her.” He tapped the computer screen with a grim smile. “It sure looks like she’s on the run, doesn’t it? If we’re lucky, she’ll lead us right to the other targets.”

The walls of the vehicle were closing in, and the seatbelt felt suffocating tight. I stared at the red blip on the screen, willing it to stop, to turn around and head back home. It didn’t. It sped unerringly toward the ocean and the edge of town, driving me closer to a looming, inevitable choice.

Feeling the noose tighten around me with every block.

Riley

Where was she?

I stood on the beach facing the ocean, the cliff wall at my back, waiting for her. Remy and Nettle were hunkered down in the cave behind me, and I’d told them not to leave, not to show themselves, until I gave the word to move out. Wes had already taken the car to a safe location, and was waiting for my call to return and pick us up.

It was better that way, in case there was trouble. I was taking a huge risk myself, standing in the open like this, knowing St. George was still out there, searching for us. But I couldn’t risk not seeing Ember when she came. If she came. From our last phone call, she should’ve been here by now.

What if she doesn’t come?

She’ll be here, I told myself. I had to believe that. St. George was probably scouring Crescent Beach for dragons, that twin of hers would be reluctant to turn rogue, and Ember herself had grown to love this town and everything in it, but I had to believe that my fiery hatchling would keep her promise and return. Because I was one hundred percent positive I couldn’t leave without her.

This is stupid, Cobalt. What’s happened to you? You’re acting like those weak wil ed humans you always made fun of. You’re acting like a sap who’s fal en in love.

I snorted. Love. That was ridiculous. Dragons didn’t love. Living things, anyway. Gold, wealth, power, influence, those we loved.

Even dragons out of Talon were drawn to shiny things and treasure.

It wasn’t the same. I’d seen plenty of humans in “love.” It was messy and annoying and complicated. What I felt toward Ember…that was pure instinct, something as natural as flying or breathing fire. I didn’t know what this was quite yet, but I knew it was something far purer than the mortal’s definition of love. Muddled human emotions had nothing to do with it.

“Riley!”

My heart didn’t jump as much as it sagged in utter relief. All my senses came to life again, sending heat through my veins, as Ember sprinted over the sand in her black Viper suit and threw herself against me.

She was shaking, gasping for breath, her hands clenched in my shirt. Alarmed, my arms tightened around her. “Ember? You okay?”

No answer, just a noise that sounded half-growl, half-sob, and my alarm grew. “Hey, look at me,” I said, pulling back, though not enough to let her go. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

“St. George,” she whispered, and I couldn’t tell if she was griefstricken, terrified, or really, really pissed. “He’s one of them, Riley.

Garret is part of St. George.”

“Shit.” This day was getting better and better. “Did he hurt you?”

I asked, swearing that if I ever saw that human again, I would fry him to cinders. “Are you all right?”

“I’m…I’m fine.” She pulled away, raking hair from her eyes, and gazed around the beach. “Where’s Dante?”