Page 98 of Taken

“Recovering. Still weak, but getting stronger.” I give him the update, though my dragon bristles at having him in the room where she’s slept. “The Shard is secure in the vault, as requested.”

“And her handler?” Viktor’s gaze shifts to Hargen.

“Healing well. The ritual she performed accelerated his recovery significantly.”

Viktor absorbs this, his expression revealing nothing. “I need to speak with her. Alone.”

I step aside, though every instinct screams against it. Viktor glides past me into the room, his presence drawing immediate attention. Hargen looks up, tension stiffening his spine.

“Ms. Ross.” Viktor’s voice carries quiet authority. “I’m pleased to see you awake.”

Lila’s eyes flick to me, then back to Viktor. Her fingers tighten around Hargen’s before she releases him. “I assume you’re Viktor.”

“I am.” He moves closer, studying her with the intensity that has made even ancient dragons uneasy. “Founder of the Aurora Collective. The organization that facilitated your extraction.”

“And now wants something in return,” she finishes, her chin lifting slightly.

I hide a smile. Even weakened, Lila maintains her edge.

Viktor’s lips quirk. “Direct. I appreciate that.” He glances at Hargen. “Perhaps we could speak privately?”

Hargen hesitates, looking to Lila. She nods almost imperceptibly, and he rises, moving stiffly toward the door. As he passes me, our eyes meet. Something unspoken passes between us; not quite alliance, not quite rivalry. An acknowledgment, maybe. Of shared purpose. Of her importance to us both.

“I’ll check on you later,” he tells Lila before leaving.

Reluctantly, I start to follow him out, but Lila’s voice stops me.

“Talon. Stay.”

I turn, surprised. I would have thought Hargen would have been the one she wanted to stay. Zoe raises an eyebrow before departing, closing the door behind her.

Viktor takes the chair Hargen vacated, his focus entirely on Lila. “I understand you performed a blood ritual with the Shard to save your handler.”

“Yes.” Her voice remains steady despite her exhaustion.

“A risk, given your condition.”

“A choice,” she corrects.

“Indeed.” Viktor steeples his fingers. “You have an unusual connection to the Shard. Our researchers have been examining it since your arrival. They’ve had no luck activating it.”

“It responds to Rossewyn blood,” Lila explains. “Always has. My bloodline has been connected to the Heartstone for centuries.”

“Yet we’ve worked with witches before. None have demonstrated your level of control.” Viktor leans forward.

“Of course they haven’t. They’re not Rossewyn.” Lila’s chin lifts higher.

Viktor nods. I’m sure this is not news to him. The Rossewyn legend is no secret. But I imagine he was hoping there’d be another way that didn’t tie him to the woman in front of him.

“The Aurora Collective needs your abilities, Lila,” he says. “Your connection to the Shard could be instrumental in our cause.”

Lila’s eyes narrow. “And what cause is that, exactly?”

“Balance. A world where dragons can exist without hiding, without the constant threat of exposure or extinction.” Viktor’s voice intensifies. “The old orders are crumbling. Dragons revealed. A phoenix rising. Your daughter at the center of it all, bonded to a Craven. We need your strength, your abilities, to ensure the right side prevails.”

“The right side being yours,” Lila observes dryly.

“The side that doesn’t involve Syndicate control,” Viktor counters. “The side that won’t use your daughter as they used you.”

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