Her brow furrowed. “But what of the prisoners?” she asked. “I have orders to question both Cobalt and the soldier, and the truth serum should be taking effect now.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Anderson.” I spared a quick glance at the rogue, keeping my voice professional, not letting the satisfaction leak into my tone. “I’ve assigned someone to take over. They should be here any moment now.”

A flicker of emotion went through her cold blue eyes. Was it worry? Irritation? Defiance? I wasn’t sure, for it was gone in the space of a blink. “Of course, sir,” Mist said, coolly polite as always. “If that is what you desire.”

“Dante,” the soldier of St. George called before we could step out. I gave him a look of amused surprise. I expected Cobalt to throw out a few parting insults, but the human, from the little I remembered of him in Crescent Beach, had always seemed reserved. Of course, he was still a soldier of St. George, a human who hated our kind and who, very likely, had been in Crescent Beach to kill us both. “Where is Ember?” the soldier asked. “Is she all right? What have you done to her?”

“I’m afraid you don’t get to know that, St. George,” I stated, though the genuine concern in his voice surprised me. “I am certainly not going to share my sister’s whereabouts with you. Ember is too important to Talon to risk. Rest assured, she is safe, and she is out of your reach. Neither of you will ever see her again.”

The door opened again, and another dragon stepped through, a young adult with slicked-back hair and beady black eyes. Mist saw him, and a fleeting look of disgust crossed her face before it was neutral once more.

“Mr. Luther will take over the interrogation,” I said, nodding to the other Basilisk. “I understand he has a knack for this type of procedure, so you needn’t worry about your orders, Miss Anderson. They have been taken care of.”

Luther glanced at the prisoners, then back at Mist, smiling. “Have the subjects been prepared?” he asked in a thin, high-pitched voice.

“Yes,” Mist replied with cool disdain. “They’ve been given the truth serum, though I must warn you. I’ve dealt with Cobalt before—he is highly resistant to questioning, even if he has been drugged. I think you’re going to find this task challenging.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Miss Anderson,” Luther said, rubbing his hands together. “I enjoy a challenge. And forgive me for saying so, but you are far too nice for this. If the drugs won’t do it, there are other ways of making them talk.”

Mist’s gaze hardened at the other dragon’s words, but she simply nodded. “Of course,” she replied, gesturing toward the prisoners with a distinct have at it motion. “They’re all yours.”