Garret, I thought, swallowing the tightness in my throat. Riley. I hope you’re all right. Where were they now? What was happening to them? Imagining the awful things Talon might do to the infamous rogue and the soldier of St. George made my stomach hurt. Hang in there, both of you; we’ll find a way out of here, somehow.

The needle slid into my skin, a brief stab of pain followed by a feeling of drowsiness. Briefly, I wondered where Dante was, and the Elder Wyrm. And which of them was responsible for what was happening now.

“Take her to lab station two,” I heard the human say as the world started to go dark. “And for God’s sake, be careful. We don’t want her damaged before she reaches the Elder Wyrm.”

That was the last thing I heard.

* * *

I flinched and opened my eyes.

I was lying on my back, gazing up at a sterile white ceiling. My head spun. There was a weird, bitter chemical taste in my mouth, and the light overhead was hazy. I blinked several times, clearing my vision, and my blood turned to ice.

The Elder Wyrm loomed above me, regarding me impassively, though her massive presence filled the entire chamber. I jerked and realized I couldn’t move; my wrists and ankles had been tied down with leather cuffs, and there were straps across my waist and chest, holding me immobile. Instinctively, I tried to Shift, to break free of the restraints, but my dragon wouldn’t respond at all. Panicked, I thrashed against the bindings, feeling the enormous power of the Elder Wyrm pressing down on me from all sides.

“It’s easier if you don’t resist,” the Elder Wyrm said. Panting, I glared up at her, and she gazed back. “Stop fighting. It is useless. You cannot Shift. There are a half-dozen vessels guarding this room, and only a select few know where you are. I would rather not have to sedate you, but I will not risk you injuring yourself. Calm down, before I have someone do it for you.”

“What do you want with me?” I growled.

The Elder Wyrm regarded me another moment. A chilling smile crossed her face, making me shrink down in terror.

“Everything.”

“I...won’t talk,” I said, though my heart was pounding and my breath was coming in short gasps. Riley had said Talon had no problem torturing people for information. If you had something they wanted, they wouldn’t stop until they acquired it, by whatever means necessary. Apparently, not even the daughter of the Elder Wyrm was exempt.