Mist waited for me at the end of the hall, staking out a dark corner near the bathroom. Her face was somber as I came up, and the look she gave me was a mix of annoyance and resignation. As if she would rather be anywhere else. For some reason, that bothered me and I frowned, crossing my arms as I glared down at her.

“So, what’s this about, Mist? Are you disappointed?” I nodded to one of the bedrooms down the hall and smirked. “You finally saw my underground, and you didn’t even have to torture me to get to it. Is it not what you were expecting?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Actually, it’s pretty much what I thought it would be,” she answered coolly. “A group of rebels and runaway hatchlings. Not particularly dangerous or inspiring. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.” She drew in a deep breath, a hint of uncertainty crossing her face, as if she wasn’t sure what to do now. “My employer contacted me,” she went on, frowning slightly. “It seems I am to stay with you and aid you however I can, until he deems otherwise.”

“Huh.” I gave her a scrutinizing look. “So, what you’re saying is, after our escape from Talon, your employer doesn’t want you anywhere near him, in case the organization sees you together and figures out he’s the mastermind behind it all.”

“More or less.” Mist sighed. “I certainly can’t go back to Talon. They would kill me on sight. And I can’t risk exposing my employer. There’s nowhere for me to go that will be safe.” She bit her lip, and for just a moment, she wasn’t a Basilisk, but a scared young woman whose future was uncertain. She looked lost, strangely vulnerable, and my heart went out to her. Then she made a face and glanced back at me. “So, it appears I’m a rogue now,” she said, annoyance and defiance coloring her voice. “Just like you wanted, Cobalt. You must be proud.”

“Not really,” I said. Apprehension stirred. Mist was a Basilisk, I reminded myself. Not only that, mysterious employer or not, she had worked for Talon. “I do have a few questions for you,” I went on, narrowing my eyes. “If you’re going to be hanging around, I need to know a few things. You’ve seen my underground—that means I can’t take any chances. If I suspect that you’re a danger to everyone, or that you’re going to sell us out to Talon, I will kill you, Mist. You understand that, right?”

She gazed at me steadily. “Yes.”

“All right.” I nodded. “Then here’s the most important question. Who’s this mysterious employer who ordered you to help us escape?”

Her expression shut down instantly. “I can’t tell you that.”

“Why not?”