The Elder Wyrm chuckled. “Dante has no sway over the organization. Not yet. Soon, perhaps.” She spared him a brief glance over her shoulder, a chilling glint of satisfaction in her eyes. Dante gazed straight ahead, statue-like, as the Elder Wyrm turned back to me. “Which is why you are so important to Talon, Ember,” she continued. “You and your brother both. You see, twenty years ago, I made a decision. This organization, this empire, has been my whole life. I have watched it grow, flourish, even in the face of St. George and everything they do to rip it apart. For hundreds of years, I have guided Talon, and I have watched our numbers grow from a mere dozen dragons to the global power we are now. And yet, it is not enough. I have seen nations rise and fall, lived through countless wars, watched the birth of many new and wonderful things. I have built this empire from nothing, and I intend for it to endure until the end of time. But I know I cannot live forever.”

The Elder Wyrm turned from me to stare out the window again. Her expression, reflected in the glass, was solemn. “Twenty years ago,” she continued, her voice becoming distant, “I decided I needed an heir. I built Talon from nothing—I refused to leave it in the hands of a stranger. Even the best-intentioned dragons would not concede to my wishes. They would try to make Talon their own. They would change everything and destroy my vision in the process. I did not want to leave my company to someone not of my blood.”

My heart had started pounding again as I realized where this was going. You’ll understand soon, Dante had whispered to me, right before we came here. You’ll see why we’re special.

I clenched my fists. No, I thought, disbelieving. It can’t be true. The Elder Wyrm turned from the window, her eyes piercing as they stared at me.

“So you see, Ember,” she said. “You are more important to Talon than you know. You and your brother were destined from the beginning. You are my blood, the true heirs of the organization, and I need you to continue my work after I am gone. Dante has already accepted his role.” She gestured to my brother, though her gaze stayed on me. “It is time to stop playing these foolish games and take your place in Talon, where you belong.”

I swallowed hard, still staggered from the revelation. I was the daughter of the Elder Wyrm, the most powerful dragon in the world. The heir to Talon, and everything it offered.