I frowned at the confusing shapes on screen, trying to determine what was going on. Bright shapes darted across the sky, flurries of frantic movement that could belong to only one thing. “Are those...dragons?” I asked incredulously, leaning forward. That was impossible. How could there be that many dragons who weren’t our own? But, watching the figures dart around the screen, I knew they could be nothing else. More dragons. How? Who would...?

No. It couldn’t be. She was supposed to be safely at Talon headquarters with the Elder Wyrm. She was supposed to be out of this fight, away from the slaughter. And yet, I knew it was her. She was the only dragon in the world who, after somehow escaping Talon, would turn right around and aid the Order of St. George on the night they were supposed to be destroyed.

“Ember,” I whispered. The bright streaks of color darted across the screen, mingling with the darker, more subdued vessels, and I clenched my fists. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What should we do, sir?” asked a human.

I stared at the scene in growing rage. Ember was down there...but I couldn’t falter now. I couldn’t turn from this path. The Elder Wyrm demanded victory; she expected me to succeed. Even if my own sister was killed, I could not forfeit the most important mission of my life. Talon’s future, and my own, hung in the balance. Sacrifice, as always, was necessary.

Though someone would pay for this when it was over. Someone would be punished for my twin’s death. I would see to it myself.

“Unleash Omega,” I said. “We end this now.”

Chapter 50: EMBER

EMBER

Oh, man, this is nuts.

I shook my head, watching what had to be the craziest battle in the world unfold in front of me. Hatchlings, clones and soldiers of St. George soared or darted through the flames and smoke, shooting or breathing fire onto their opponents. Brightly colored hatchlings flung themselves at the darker metallic clones, using group tactics to gang up on their soulless counterparts. A vivid green hatchling and a smaller black hatchling tag-teamed a clone, each darting in and slashing at it when its attention was on the other. A vessel pounced on another hatchling and seemed ready to tear it apart, when a silvery white dragon dropped silently onto its back and sank her claws into its throat.

“Ember.” Somehow, Garret’s voice reached me over the screams of dragons and the howl of assault rifles. I turned to the soldier, finding him. “You made it,” he said, as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

“Yeah.” I nodded, managing a smile. “I made it. With reinforcements. Sorry we couldn’t get here sooner, Garret. We came as fast as we could.”