Page 67 of Legion

“So your plan is to charge at them head-on.”

“My plan is that we stop running,” Ember said firmly. “And start fighting back.”

“With what?” I snarled at her, and gestured to the group watching in the living room. “A handful of untrained hatchlings? Alone? How long do you think they’re going to last against an army?”

“Not alone,” Ember agreed. “None of us can stand against Talon alone. That’s why we need to ally with the Order, and anyone else that we can find. Ex-Talon servants, other rogues, Eastern dragons, everyone.” She glanced at Jade and Mist, on opposite ends of the table. “If we put out the call to oppose Talon, more will join us. There have to be those within the organization who don’t agree with the Elder Wyrm, who would be willing to fight if they knew there were others doing the same. But we have to start this war ourselves—we have to start actively resisting, instead of running away. If we join with the Order of St. George, we have a chance.”

I could sense a stunned, nervous silence coming from the living room. Most of the hatchlings were still half-asleep, but Ember’s words were waking them up quick. It would probably be only a few seconds longer before some of them started to chime in.

“Join with the Order,” Jade mused, and her normally placid expression twisted into an expression of anger and loathing. “Ally with the humans who destroyed my temple and slaughtered my friends. The thought is...sickening.

“But,” she added, “I do see your point. Talon is not going to stop. They were the ones who gave the Order the location of my temple. They are the ones responsible for the destruction of my home and the murder of my friends. St. George might have done the killing, but Talon was the hand wielding the weapon. All because I refused to conform to their ways. They will do the same to every dragon they find, until we are all dead or enslaved to the organization.” She drummed her fingers on her arm, her expression pensive. “Change must come,” she mused. “That much is certain. Perhaps allying with the Orderisthe way to bring it about.”

“Join the Order?” On the other side of the table, Mist shook her head. “Well, if that’s your plan, I can tell you one thing—Talon certainly wouldn’t expect it.”

I slammed my fist on the table, making Wes and several of the hatchlings jump. “Just like that, huh?” I said as they all looked at me. “Join the Order and go fight Talon’s army with them? March merrily off to war with my underground and all my hatchlings—that’s what you’re suggesting?”

“Not all of them,” Ember said. “Only the ones who agree to come.” She turned from me then, taking a step forward to face the group of hatchlings. “I’m not going to force anyone to fight,” she told the room. “But you should have the choice. You should know what we’re up against, and what we can try to do to fight. We can’t keep running and hiding. We have to take a stand.”

“Stop it, Ember.” I stepped forward, as well, furious. “Why don’t you tell them the truth?” I looked past her into the living room, at the sea of tense faces, and narrowed my eyes. “If you fight Talon and St. George, you’re going to die,” I said, and saw several of them stiffen. “This is awar. It’s not like television or the movies. There’s nothing romantic or honorable about it. It’s bullets and blood and chaos and death, and neither side has any qualms about gunning you down or tearing you apart. You’ve all seen St. George. You know what they’re like. And Talon is even worse. If we go charging into a war zone, we’re going to be killed.”

“We’re going to be killed, anyway, Riley.” Ember’s voice, though remorseful, was unyielding. “Sooner or later, whether you like it or not, the war is going to catch up. Talon isn’t going to stop. Whatever they’re planning, it’s happening now.” She faced the group of hatchlings once more, raising her voice. “We can either go out and face it head-on, or we can wait for it to come and kill us. Once Talon destroys St. George, none of us will ever be safe again. We can’t run from this any longer. It’s time to start fighting back.”

“No,” I said firmly, and stepped away from her. “I’m sorry, Firebrand. But I can’t. I’ve spent the past decade trying to protect this underground, to take the risks so they wouldn’t have to. I’ve already lost too many, to both Talon and St. George. I can’t in good conscience send them out to fight, knowing that they’re probably going to die.” She gazed at me, the look on her face devastatingly blank. “I’m sorry,” I said again. “But there are some lines I won’t cross. This is one of them. Hate me if you want, Ember, but we’re not going to fight a battle we can’t win. We’re not going anywhere. St. George will have to get by without us.”

“I’ll go.”

I turned in amazement as a girl rose from the back and faced us with grim determination. “I’ll go,” Nettle said again, stepping forward. “I’m not afraid.”

“Nettle,” I growled as fear and anger surged up, making my voice sharp, “you don’t know what you’re saying. If you try to fight this army, you’re going to die.”

“Maybe,” Nettle replied. “Or maybe Talon will come for us tonight while we’re all asleep, and I’ll die, anyway.” I started to argue with her, but she raised her voice. “I’m tired, Cobalt,” she said. “I’m tired of constantly hiding and being afraid. Always watching my back, being scared to go anywhere alone, waking up to evacuate in the middle of the night. It never ends. It’s always something, either Talon or St. George wanting to kick down our door and slaughter us all.” She slumped, rubbing her arm self-consciously. “She’s right. If we don’t start fighting back, we’ll be running away for the rest of our lives.”

Raising her chin, she met Ember’s gaze. “So, yeah. I’m done with this. If St. George needs us to save them from Talon, I guess we’ll just have to show them what we can do. Count me in.”

“Me, too,” echoed Remy, standing up. “I’m coming, too.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

I stood there, dazed, as one by one all my hatchlings slowly rose to their feet, announcing their consent. Only Kain and two of his friends remained seated until the very end, but when the final hatchling stood up, he muttered a curse and climbed to his feet, as well, crossing his arms.

I shook my head at them all. “You stubborn idiot hatchlings,” I almost-whispered. They set their jaws or crossed their arms, staring back at me, and I hardened my voice. “You realize what this means, don’t you? Take a good look around. Count how many of you are standing here right now, because some of you aren’t coming back. If you do this, there are going to be casualties. Some of you are going todie, that’s just how it is in war. How do you think that makes me feel, trying to keep the lot of you alive all this time, only to have you charging off into the middle of a war zone?” They didn’t answer, and I fought back the helpless anger threatening to smother me. At my side, Ember was quiet, watching us all. She had won. She had put out the call to fight, and the hatchlings, tired of running and living in fear, had responded. I hadn’t realized how much they wanted todosomething, anything, until now.

Deep down, even though I hated it, a part of me knew she was right. But still, this wasmyunderground; for the past decade, I’d fought to keep it safe. I’d watched these kids from the beginning, watched them live and struggle and grow up...but that was the problem, wasn’t it? Theyhadgrown up. They knew the stakes, knew what they were getting into, and I couldn’t protect them any longer.

I sighed and looked at the ceiling. “All right,” I muttered. “Go on, then. I can’t stop you. If this is your choice, I won’t stand in your way. It’s not like I can ground every single one of you and expect you to not go out the window the second my back is turned.” That coaxed a smile from a few of them, though the rest remained unnaturally solemn. Theydidunderstand what was happening, I realized. They understood all too well.

Nettle stepped forward, seeking my gaze. “You’ll come with us, right, Cobalt?”

“I...yeah.” Slumping, I raked a hand over my scalp. “I think this is a mistake, but I’ll be damned if I stay here while the rest of you go out to fight with St. George.” Shaking my head, I glared at them all. “I’m probably going to get myself shot full of holes trying to save you ingrates, but...I’ll be there. And I’ll fight the bastards for as long as I can, I promise.”

I finally looked at Ember, standing at my shoulder, and forced a smirk. “Well, you got your army, Firebrand,” I said, watching her brow furrow. “We’re all going merrily off to war, it seems. Helping St. George fight Talon.” I shook my head in equal amounts disgust and disbelief. “I just hope that, when this is all over and the smoke clears, you’ll be able to live with yourself.”

Because I don’t know if I can.

GARRET

“What do our defenses look like?”

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