Page 21 of Talon

“I do have information,” Cobalt said. “This was more of a test to see how badly you wanted it. Congratulations, hatchling, you passed. Next time, I just might share some of it.”

“I don’t believe you,” I shot back. “If you’re really so well informed about Talon, tell me something I don’t know.”

“How about the code to the secret room in your guardian’s basement?”

I snorted. “You mean the tunnel out of the house?” I asked. “The one we use every day to meet our trainers? I already know about that. Nothing earth-shattering there.”

The rogue’s grin stayed smug. “I’m not talking about the tunnel, Firebrand,” he said quietly. “I’m talking about the command room. Every Talon base has a secret room where the guardians report in, receive orders from the organization and keep them updated about your progress. That’s their real job—to report any suspicious activity to Talon. If you set one toe out of line, it goes straight to the organization, and Talon swoops in faster than you can blink.” I stared at him, and he settled back on the rock, watching me lazily. “The room is behind a secret door in the basement, and the only way in is to punch in the special code on the panel beside it. If you ask nicely, I’ll give it to you.”

“Howdo you know all this?”

He chuckled. “I told you, Firebrand. I’ve been around.” I gave him a skeptical look, and he held my gaze. “I have my ways, don’t worry about that. But that doesn’t answer my question. Do you want the code or not? It changes every few weeks, so you’ll have to move fast if you want to use it.”

I debated with myself a moment longer, wondering if he was telling the truth or pulling my leg. But if therewasa secret room...I was curious. I wanted to know what Liam and Sarah were telling Talon behind closed doors. “Let’s hear it,” I growled at last.

Cobalt recited a string of numbers and made me repeat them a couple times to make certain I remembered. “And are you sure this will get me in?” I asked when we were finished.

He shrugged one scaly shoulder. “Go check it out yourself if you don’t believe me. Just make sure they don’t catch you snooping around. Talon doesn’t like that.” He bared his fangs in a brief, humorless smile before sobering. “I can tell you more, of course. This is only the beginning. But if you want me to share all Talon’s dirty little secrets, you’re going to have to meet me again.”

“When?” I asked, impatient. “Tomorrow?”

“Not tomorrow,” Cobalt said. “Or the next night, or any night this week. We don’t have to set a time or a place. Just promise that you’ll meet me again, one dragon to another. I’ll tell you everything about Talon then.”

I snorted. “Fine. But you’d better not up and vanish into thin air again.” He just grinned, and I narrowed my eyes. “How will I know where to meet you if you won’t tell me where you are?”

“Oh, don’t worry, Firebrand.” Stepping back, the rogue dragon opened his wings, casting a dark shadow over the rocks. His eyes gleamed yellow as he gazed down at me. “I’ll find you.”

And he launched himself into the air, his wings blasting me with wind and spray. I craned my neck up, watching his sleek form get smaller and smaller, as the blue dragon soared over the pounding waves and vanished into the night.

Garret

No luck.

Lowering the binoculars, I tossed them to the seat beside me, put the Jeep in Reverse and pulled away from the railing, heading back to the road. That was the third lonely cliff I’d staked out tonight, scanning the sky with the night vision lens, and the only movement I’d seen belonged to planes and a lone pelican swooping over the water. No hint of a flying reptile anywhere.

My phone rang as I pulled onto the main road; I snatched it from where it lay on the dash and held it up. Tristan’s voice buzzed in my ear. “Anything?”

“Negative. I tried three different spots, but there was no movement. If the sleeper is still out there, it won’t be flying around in the daytime.”

“All right.” Tristan sighed, sounding frustrated. “I didn’t see anything, either. Come on back.”

I hung up, feeling frustrated, as well. We’d been here nearly a month and still had no real leads. And the summer was flying by quickly. If it ended without a kill, the sleeper could be relocated and our target would be lost. I couldn’t allow that. I’d never failed a mission before, and I wasn’t about to now.

As I turned onto another street, movement in the headlight beams caught my attention. A body was jogging down the sidewalk on the right, pushing a bicycle. Bright red hair gleamed in the headlights, and my heart jumped.

Ember?

I shook my head, annoyed with myself. The girl had been on my mind most of the day. In fact, one of the main reasons I’d decided to leave the apartment tonight and hunt for dragons was to focus on something else. Something that wasn’t her. I didn’t like this instant excitement, the sudden hope in seeing a random civilian and thinking that it might be the red-haired girl I’d met yesterday afternoon.

But, just to be certain, I pulled alongside the girl and slowed, then blinked in surprise. ItwasEmber, striding down the sidewalk with a mountain bike, looking like she was in a hurry. The bike’s front tire was flat, and the girl did not look pleased.

Suspicion flared then, replacing everything else. Why was she out so late? Why was she alone? One possible answer rose to mind: she was the sleeper dragon, returning from a night of flying around. Yes, she had a brother but...perhaps that was Talon’s newest ruse. A ploy to throw us off. Or an anomaly, like Tristan said. And if that was the case, then Ember Hill suddenly demanded a lot more attention.

I eased over to the curb, slowing even more. A Corvette swung around me with an irritable beep, but I ignored it. “Ember,” I called. “Over here.”

She looked up, green eyes widening. “Garret? Oh, wow, small world!” She did not slow down, and I tapped the gas pedal to keep up. “What are you doing up so early?”

I could ask you the same.“Couldn’t sleep.” I did not specify why. “Went for a drive. What about you?”

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