I was thinking the same, and the sick feeling in my gut grew stronger. With the Order so fractured and disorganized, it was the perfect time for an attack. Unintentional or not, we might have given Talon the exact opening they needed. Martin’s jaw tightened, his gaze sharp as it flicked between us.

“I assume this is about Talon, then.” It wasn’t a question.

I nodded. “Sir,” I said, looking up at him. “You have to contact the Order. We came here with a warning—Talon is going to attack St. George. We don’t know when, but it’s going to be very soon.”

Martin straightened. “An attack?” he said. “On St. George soil? Where is it taking place?” he asked, leaning forward. “Which chapterhouse?”

“All of them,” Ember said, making his brows rise. “Every chapterhouse, every Order sanctuary around the world, is going to be hit on the same night. At the same time.”

“That’s impossible,” Martin said flatly. “Talon doesn’t have the numbers for that kind of operation. Especially since we’ve taken out more dragons in the past three years than we ever have before.”

“Most of those dragons weren’t part of Talon,” I said, feeling the anger rise up from the girl beside me. “They were rogues, deserters who left the organization and went into hiding. Or dragons who never belonged to Talon at all. All you’ve been doing is taking out Talon’s enemies, the dragons they’ve wanted out of the way.”

“Regardless.” Martin leaned back, seemingly unconcerned. “It doesn’t matter if these ‘rogues’ were part of the organization or not. Talon still does not have the manpower for a full-scale assault on the Order.”

“They do now,” Ember broke in. “They have an army of dragons. And if you don’t take this seriously, they’re going to hit St. George when no one is prepared for it, and they’re going to wipe you out.”

He gave her a long, scrutinizing look. “And how would this be a bad thing for you, dragon?” he asked in a quiet voice. “Sebastian I can understand. He has been twisted and corrupted by the enemy, but in his heart, the loyalty to the cause and his former brothers in St. George cannot be erased so quickly. But you...” His voice turned cold. “You are a dragon, and we are at war. If the Order falls, your kind will be free to do what you wish. Talon will win. Why would you try to prevent the complete destruction of your enemies?”