Page 20 of Legion

A crash from the living room made us freeze. Both our hearts were pounding wildly, and the tiny space between us almost shimmered with heat as we listened to the muffled voices through the wall, ready to rush out if there was trouble. But after a moment, it appeared that nothing was wrong; someone had just dropped a mug on the hard wooden floor. Wes was applauding someone—probably Riley—who growled at him to shut up. Ember gave a small smile and drew back.

“I wish we could stay here,” she said, her voice a little breathless. “But I guess we should head out and see what the others are planning, huh? Before Riley comes banging on the door.” She winced. “Or...through it.”

I echoed her wince. I wanted to stay here, too, but angry dragons in log cabins seemed like a bad idea. “You ready for this?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yeah,” she sighed, sliding off the bed. “Back into Talon. Back into heavily-armed facilities crawling with security guards and people shooting at us if we’re caught. With no real idea of what we’reactuallylooking for. What’s one more crazy suicide mission, right?” She grinned at me and held out a hand to pull me to my feet. “We lead an exciting life, huh?”

“Yes, we do,” I agreed, lacing our fingers together as we headed for the door. Riley might see us and be angry, but I wasn’t going to hide what I felt any longer. “And I have a feeling it’s going to get more exciting from here on out.”

When we reentered the living room, a man stood just inside the front door. He was bald, wearing orange robes, and he was talking to Jade in low, furtive Mandarin, while Riley and Wes hovered close by and watched warily.

“What’s going on?” Ember asked as we swept inside.

“No clue,” Riley muttered. “This person showed up a few minutes ago, banging on the door with an ‘urgent message’ for Jade.” He shrugged. “I’m guessing a temple is in danger or a group of monks need her help with St. George.”

“No.” Jade turned to us, her eyes grave. “Worse, I’m afraid. I am needed elsewhere. I will depart tonight.”

“Again?” Riley frowned. “Can’t these monks do anything themselves?”

“It is not the monks,” Jade said. “I have been called home, to China. A summons has been issued, the first one in over two thousand years.” She looked away, her eyes distant and troubled. “Theshen-lungare gathering. I must go.”

“You’re not coming back this time, are you?” I said. It was a heavy blow. Jade was not only a powerful, dependable ally; I had come to see her as a friend, as well. The Eastern dragon paused as she glanced at me, her eyes troubled.

“I do not know,” she replied. “Perhaps. I know that our work here, against Talon, is of utmost importance. But this cannot be ignored. My people are a solitary race. A gathering is called only in the most dire circumstances, when the fate of our very existence hangs in the balance. I suspect that the upheaval within the Order and Talon’s move to destroy my kin are at the heart of it. If they have called a summoning, then I must be there.”

Riley shook his head. “Well, if you have to go, we can’t stop you,” he said. “Lousy timing, though. We could’ve really used your help inside Talon. But if this summoning thing is that important...”

“It is. And I am sorry I cannot go with you to Talon. But my duty to my people comes first.”

“Keep in touch,” I told her as Riley crossed his arms. “At least give us a call when you know what’s going on.”

“I will.” Jade took a step back, toward the door. “If I can, I will return as soon as I am able. That is a promise from ashen-lung.” She turned to the monk and said something in Mandarin; he bowed deeply and walked out the door. “Good fortune to you all,” the Eastern dragon said, and gave me a slight bow before turning to follow the human out the door. “Hopefully we will meet again.”

EMBER

I hated long stakeouts.

I wasn’t going to complain. Sitting on the top floor of a parking garage, peering at a building across the street through a pair of binoculars, was better than fleeing through twisty aisles while being shot at by human maniacs. And it was certainly better than sitting alone in a hotel room, waiting for something to happen or for someone to return. But after a few hours of nothing—seeing the same building, same street, same everything—I began to get restless. I wanted to get out anddosomething. Not something frivolous; I knew what was at stake. I knew I couldn’t be distracted from our mission. But I wasn’t good at sitting still for long periods of time without getting incredibly bored.

“What are we looking for again?” I asked Riley, who sat next to me in the driver’s seat with the windows halfway down, also peering through a pair of binoculars. Wes perched in the back with his laptop open, of course, and Garret had been sent to scout the other side of the building. I’d wanted to go with him, but Riley wouldn’t let me, saying that I was way too recognizable by Talon to casually stroll around the building, where any guard or security camera could pick me out of a crowd. Garret, while he wasn’t exactly unknown to Talon, was less familiar, and could blend into the throngs of humanity wandering the streets. He was also better at spotting undercover guards, cameras, concealed weapons and other threats. So he was down at street level, doing the soldier thing, while I sat up here with Riley and Wes and watched the office building, not really knowing what I was looking for.

Riley sighed and lowered the binoculars. “This is just surveillance, Firebrand,” he explained, giving me a sideways look. “We don’t want to go charging in half-assed, without knowing what we’re up against. I want to know when the security shifts change. I want to know where their guard posts and cameras are located. I want to know if anyone I recognize is working here now, because they’re sure to recognize me, as well. This is Talon.” He raised the binoculars again, peering down at the huge glass doors across the street. “I’m not leaving anything to chance if I can help it. Wes? Has St. George placed the camera? Do you have a visual of the other side yet?”

“Hold your bloody horses, I’m working on it.”

The side door opened, and Garret slid into the back, hoodie and dark glasses making him appear like a stranger for a moment. “There’s an entrance to an underground garage on the other side,” he announced, brushing back the hood and stripping off the shades. “But it’s guarded, not open to the public. I put the camera under a bench across the street from the garage entrance. So we should be able to see who’s going in and out.”

“All right, then,” Wes muttered, typing something on his laptop. “And...there we go. Huh, well not bad, St. George. I can see every bastard coming and going, down to the license plate numbers.Andit’s not in a planter box where all I see are leaves.”

“Onetime, I did that,” Riley growled.

“There was also that instance when a dog peed all over the camera because you stuck it on a hydrant.”

“Shut up and watch your computer.”

I gave Garret a smile and turned back to the window, raising the binoculars. Below, the streets and sidewalks bustled with people like every other city. Cars and humans cruised blissfully past the office building, unaware of its true nature. Unaware that, right above their heads, their movements were being watched by a pair of dragons and a modern-day knight.

A black sedan with tinted windows pulled in front of the building and stopped at the curb. The front passenger door opened, and a large man in a suit and shades stepped out, looking distinctly bodyguard-esque. I was about to prod Riley, to see if he recognized whatever Talon hotshot was about to leave the car, when the bodyguard reached out and opened the passenger door.

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