Page 67 of Talon

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dante said, frowning. “It’s an important calling.” His green eyes flashed as he stared at me. “Why, where did they put you? Monitor? Gila? Somewhere that hot temper won’t burn everyone around you?”

“Viper.”

The blood drained from his face. His eyes widened, and he took a step back, his red hair a sudden shocking contrast to his white face.

“Viper?” he almost whispered, making my heart skip a beat. “They put you with the Vipers?”

I nodded, a chill going down my spine. Of all the possible reactions, I hadn’t expected that. “My trainer told me this morning,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.” Or at least, the times I wasn’t with Garret. I snorted and crossed my arms, trying to hide my growing fear. “Of course, they never asked me whatIwanted, if I even wanted to become a Viper. Why should they decide what’s best for me? If this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life, shouldn’t I get some sort of say in it?”

Dante was still staring at me with a faint look of horror on his face, and my resolve grew. “There has to be a mistake,” I insisted. “They must’ve analyzed me wrong, screwed up the system or something. I don’t want to become a Viper. I don’t want to hunt down our own kind and drag them back to Talon. Because that’s what they do, right? If I were to run—” Dante’s horrified look intensified “—they would send a Viper to bring me back.”

My twin still wasn’t answering. I slumped to the counter, feeling cool marble against my heated skin, and closed my eyes. “I can’t do it,” I said. “This is all wrong.” Opening my eyes, I gave Dante a pleading look, willing him to understand, to be my brother again. “Dante, what am I going to do?”

“Ember. Listen to me.” Dante came around the counter and took my upper arms. His emerald eyes were intense, fingers digging into my skin. “You are going to become a Viper,” he said in a low, firm voice, “because that’s what Talon has decided. You can’t fight them. If you try...” He trailed off, looking angry as I stared at him, appalled. “Don’t fight them,” he finished. “Just accept the fact that you’re going to be a Viper, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Once you accept that, everything will get a lot easier, I promise.”

I tore myself free and backed away from him, shaking my head. He didn’t follow; just continued to watch me with sad, worried eyes.

“This is for the best,” he insisted. “Talon knows what they’re doing. You just have to trust them. Stop fighting so hard, sis. This is for the future, to ensure the survival of our race. If you can take out Talon’s enemies, that’s more than enough reason to become a Viper. You should be proud.”

I couldn’t answer. I didn’t have anything left to say to him. I just turned, walked out of the kitchen and into my room. The door shut behind me with a soft click, a small, insignificant noise to signal the end of a bond that should’ve been unbreakable. I didn’t know my brother anymore. Talon had taken him away from me.

Sitting on my bed, I pulled out my phone again. This time, I didn’t hesitate. Dante knew something about the Vipers; I could see it on his face, in the brief flash of horror and fear when I first said the word. But he was a stranger now, someone I didn’t know. And if he wouldn’t give me answers, then I would go to the one person left who could.

Hey, you free now?I texted, trying to ignore the excited flutters in my stomach, my dragon squirming in joy.

Like the last time, only a few seconds passed before the answer popped onto the screen.

Anything for you, Firebrand. Meet me same place in fifteen.

I watched the screen go dark, and stared at it for a while. I was about to go meet a rogue dragon for the second time that week. I was angry at Dante, disgusted with my trainer and felt a teensy bit guilty about Garret. All of whom might try to call me, and all of whom I didn’t want interrupting while I was talking to the rogue.

I made my decision. Clicking off my phone, I placed it on my dresser, turned and walked out of the house, leaving it behind.

Riley

I lowered the phone, slipping it into my jeans pocket. Well, that couldn’t have worked out better. I’d been planning to contact Ember this evening, after setting up the last of the alarms and motion sensors around the house with Wes. This circumvented things nicely.

Wes came into the kitchen, looking tired. His eyes were dull, and his hair was shaggier and more unkempt than usual. “Well, everything is set up,” he muttered, opening the fridge for a soda. “Alarms are in place, motion sensors are ready to go and the system is officially online. If a mouse comes up that driveway, we’ll know about it.”

“Where are the other two?” I asked.

“I left them watchingThe Avengerson the telly downstairs. After they ate nearly everything in the house.” Wes opened the can, guzzled half in one gulp and belched loudly. “Bloody bottomless pits, hatchlings. You’re going to the store soon, right, mate? I mean, if we’re going to be hunkered down here for a bit while you go sniffing after that girl.” He drained the can, crushed it and tossed it in the garbage. “I still think this is bloody stupid, Riley. We need to get the hell out of here, not stand around waiting for some spoiled Talon brat to make up her mind.”

I grabbed my leather jacket from the back of the couch, shrugging into it as I left the room. Wes frowned.

“Where are you going?” he called after me.

“To meet with a spoiled Talon brat.” I tossed my bike keys in the air, caught them and smirked at the human over my shoulder. “Wish me luck. If everything goes as planned, we might leave sooner than you think.”

“Absolutely fabulous,” he shot back. “I’m so glad I stayed up all night setting those alarms.”

Rolling my eyes, I shut the door on Wes’s eternal pessimism and walked to the garage for my bike. This time, there would be no distractions or interruptions. This time, I would take her away from Talon for good.

* * *

She was leaning against the railing when I strode onto the boardwalk, her hair blowing in the breeze as she faced the water. Even in human form, I could almost see the dragon just below the surface, head raised to the wind, wings half-open to launch herself into the air. I swallowed and forced down my excitement. Every time I saw her, it seemed, this feeling was stronger. The heat in my veins, the yearning to feel her against me, to pull her close and never let go.

Walking up beside her, I rested my elbows against the railing and leaned out over the ocean. “We’ve gotta stop meeting like this, Firebrand.”

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