“Normally, I do. But my plans don’t usually involve sneaking into highly guarded St. George compounds to rescue the enemy.” I didn’t look at the soldier as I said this, and St. George didn’t give any indication that he cared. “This whole situation is a bit abnormal for me, Firebrand. Frankly, I didn’t expect to have you around this long.”
Anger flashed across her face and she raised her chin. “Well, if I knew you were just going to get rid of me, I would’ve saved you the trouble.”
“Don’t be thick. That’s not what I meant.” I shook my head, giving her an exasperated look. She glared back, and I sighed. “What did you think I was going to do after taking you away from Crescent Beach?” I demanded. “Toss you out on the streets and say, ‘Good luck, have a nice life’? Give me some credit. I’m a little more organized than that.”
She frowned. “Then…what was going to happen to me?”
I started to answer, then paused. I didn’t like talking about my network so openly, especially with the human still in the room with us. Not that I was afraid he could go running back to the Order, but I trusted him about as far as I could throw him. Hunted or not, he had dragon blood on his hands, and that would never change.
As if reading my thoughts, the soldier raised his head and met my glare. “You can tell her,” he said in a low voice. “It’s not like I can take your secrets back to the Order.”
I smirked. “If I thought you could, you’d already be a pile of bones in the desert, St. George,” I stated. “That’s not what concerns me.”
“Riley!” Ember scowled. “You don’t have to be a jerk. He’s not with the Order anymore.”
“Firebrand. You don’t get it.” I turned on her, narrowing my eyes. “It’s not about me. This isn’t just my life I’m risking, it’s all the dragons I’ve freed from Talon. They look to me to keep them safe, keep them off Talon’s radar and away from the Vipers. Not only do I have to worry about the organization, I have to worry about St. George, too, because the bastards don’t know there’s a difference between rogue dragons and Talon, and they wouldn’t care if they did.”
I shot another piercing glare at the soldier, who didn’t reply. Though by the look on his face, he knew I was right.
“So, yes, Firebrand, I’m a little paranoid that there’s an ex-soldier of St. George in the same room as us,” I finished. “I believe the last time there was a soldier of St. George in the room with us, we were being shot at.” I put a fist to my chest, glaring at her. “This is my network, my underground. I’ve spent too many years getting dragons out of Talon to put their lives in danger now.”
Ember stared at me, surprise and amazement reflected in her eyes. “How many dragons are we talking about?” she asked. “How many rogues do you have?”
I sighed again, feeling my shoulders slump in defeat. Too late to hold back now. “Over twenty this year,” I admitted, and her mouth fell open. “And that’s just counting dragons, not the humans working for me. The hatchlings I steal from the organization are all green and starry-eyed, so they have to have a human agent looking after them until they’re ready to set out on their own.”
“I had no idea.”
I smirked. “When I said I’d take care of you, Firebrand, I wasn’t joking. I already have a place set up and waiting. A quiet little town near the mountains. You’ll be living with your ‘grandfather’ on a couple private acres of forest that butts up against a national park. No beaches, sadly, but it’s green and peaceful and isolated enough that Talon or the Order will never find you. You’ll be safe there, I promise.”
“And what will you do?”
“What I’ve always been doing. Fighting Talon. Getting hatchlings away from the organization. Helping them disappear.” I shrugged, feeling suddenly tired. “Maybe if I do this long enough, there’ll be enough free dragons someday to take a stand against Talon,” I muttered. “That’s my pipe dream, anyway.” Impossible, unattainable, but I had to hope for something.
“I’ll help you.”
Ember’s response was immediate. No hesitation or fear, just eager determination. I straightened quickly, alarm and exhilaration rising up at the same time. Part of me had known this would happen; after Crescent Beach, how could my brash, stubborn hatchling want to do anything else? But at the same time, I knew I couldn’t subject her to this life. It was dangerous, terrifying, bloody and occasionally it was just soul crushing. I’d seen so many die, had been responsible for countless deaths myself. There had been nights when I wasn’t sure I’d survive till dawn, when I’d wondered if the next hour would be my last. I’d seen the worst of Talon, St. George and the whole damn world, and it had turned me into a hard, cynical bastard. I couldn’t do that to her.
And of course, there was that other reason. The one pounding through my veins, even now. The one snarling at me to say yes, to take her with me so we could be alone, no humans or dragons or soldiers of St. George to interfere. The reason I was an exhausted, cranky mess, because I couldn’t sleep while she lay there, still as death. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t eat or plan or do anything. If St. George had kicked in the door, I would’ve burned the whole place to the ground before I left her behind.
I couldn’t keep going like this. It was dangerous; for me, for Ember, for everyone in my underground. She was a distraction, a fiery, tempting, intriguing distraction, and I had too many people counting on me to keep them safe. I had to get away from her, for both our sakes.
Though, convincing her of that was going to be a challenge.
“I’m not going to your safe house, Riley.” Ember’s voice was final, as if she knew what I was thinking. Her eyes flashed, and she crossed her arms, staring me down. “Don’t think you can get rid of me now. I’m not going to hide away and do nothing while you’re running around dodging Vipers and dragonslayers and who knows what else. I’m not blind anymore. I’ve seen what Talon does, how they’re willing to kill anyone who doesn’t conform to their standards. I’m going to help you and all the dragons who want to be free. I want to get as many of us away from Talon as we can.”
“Firebrand,” I began, and she set her jaw, ready for a fight. “I know you’re angry with Talon,” I went on, “and you want to strike back at them somehow, but think about what you’re doing. This is a dangerous life. We’re constantly on the run, from the organization, and St. George, and the Vipers. Hell, you just woke up because you were shot three days ago. That’s the kind of situation you’ll be facing again if you come with me.”