“I said the vessels are unsuited for memory transfer. Of course I would not risk myself if the procedure had not been perfected.” The Elder Wyrm shook her head at me, smiling. “You are not the first daughter of mine, Ember Hill. Nor the second, nor the third. You are simply the oldest. There were others, many others, before you. The first experiments were quite dismal—many were lost to madness, deformities or other failures. But we kept trying, knowing that with every clone we put down, we learned something new. We learned that the brain must have the chance to fully develop, to experience memory, emotion, personality and all the things that cannot be artificially emulated. So you see, daughter...” The Elder Wyrm smiled her coldest, most terrifying smile yet. “The secret of immortality is within my grasp, and it will be mine alone.”

“And...what happened to all the other clones?” I whispered. My sisters, the siblings I had never known. The Elder Wyrm’s terrifying expression didn’t change.

“They were destroyed.”

Straightening, she took a step back. “Unfortunately, before my memories can be implanted, we will have to remove yours,” she said. “Two personalities in one mind will certainly cause complications. I will no doubt have my hands full trying to adjust to my new body without having to fight your presence for control. Better that no trace of your personality remains when I settle in.”

Horror threatened to choke me. “You can’t do that,” I whispered.

“Of course we can,” the Elder Wyrm said. “Humans have been doing similar things for years, even without old magic. Brainwashing, hypnotism, forced amnesia...the mind is a curious thing.” She stepped back, watching as I forced myself to breathe, to not panic, though I felt that, if I opened my mouth, I would start screaming and not be able to stop. “Sacrifice has always been necessary for the survival of our race, Ember,” the Elder Wyrm said. “I know it means little now, but this will ensure that Talon never falls, and dragons are one step closer to ruling the world, as it should be.”

“Why now?” I asked desperately. “If this was what you were planning all along, why the charade? What was all that about having me take my place in Talon with Dante?”