The crunch of approaching footsteps caught my attention. I released Ember and turned just as a trio of teens came around the corner of the barn. They were all hatchling dragons, but at least one of them, the boy out front, was bigger and older than me. He had spiky black hair and dark eyes, and I realized that these were the dragons that had been talking to Remy earlier in the living room. Their postures were stiff, their faces hard, making me tense. I’d seen those looks before, indignant and challenging—they were looking for trouble, and I could guess who their target was.

“Can we help you?” Ember asked in a cool voice.

They ignored her, turning to glare at me with dark, hate-filled eyes. “Hey, human,” the oldest dragon spat, confirming my suspicion. “Heard an interesting story about you today. Someone said that you’re really a soldier of St. George. Is that true?”

“Who told you that?” Ember demanded.

“The scrawny kid. What was his name again?” The teen shrugged. “He came with the black dragon.”

Ember let out an exasperated sigh. “Dammit, Remy,” she muttered. “You and your big mouth. Stop spreading rumors already.”

“So, is he right?” one of the other teens demanded, glaring at me. “Were you really a dragonkiller?”

“Yes,” I said simply, and their expressions darkened. One of them curled a lip with a low growl, clenching his fists. The lead dragon didn’t move, but his pupils turned slitted and reptilian. “I’m not with the Order anymore,” I went on, knowing these three wouldn’t care. They would see only what I had been—a former dragonslayer of St. George, their greatest enemy. Nothing I said would convince them otherwise, but I still had to try. “I left that life, and St. George, behind. I’m not here to fight you.”

As expected, they didn’t back off, and the lead dragon took a menacing step forward, his pupils still razor-sharp. I saw the tension in his arms and shoulders and knew he was gearing up for a fight. “Murdering bastard,” he growled.

“Hey,” Ember snapped, and stepped forward, bristling, as well. “Didn’t you hear what he said? He’s not part of the Order anymore. He’s on our side, so you three can just back the hell off.”

“Fuck that.” The leader hadn’t taken his gaze from me the whole time. He took another step, and this time the others followed, crowding forward. “I had a friend once, St. George,” the lead dragon said icily. “Another hatchling Cobalt freed from Talon. We were living in a safe house up north, minding our own business, not bothering no one. Until the night St. George kicked down the door.”