Dante appeared on the mezzanine, a pair of creepy twin humans flanking him, and gazed down at us imperiously. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” he said as Ember tensed at the sight of him. “I’ve sealed this floor,” he added, making me tense. “None of you are getting out. Ember, I’ll give you one last chance to surrender without violence. Return to Talon, and I swear you won’t be punished. We can be together again, as it should be. But if you stay with that rogue, I can’t protect you from what’s to come. Please.” He gripped the railing, his gaze only for the red dragon. “Come back to Talon with me,” he said, his voice quietly desperate. “You don’t know what’s coming, and if you’re on the other side when it hits...” He shook his head. “You’ll be swallowed whole with everyone else.”

“What’s coming, Dante?” Ember called as something cold settled in my gut, making me shiver. “What is Talon planning?”

“I can’t tell you that,” was the answer. “Not here. Once you return to the organization, though, you’ll understand everything.”

“And what about Riley and Garret?”

Even from here, I saw the gleam of hatred as the other hatchling looked at me. “Cobalt is the most wanted criminal in the organization,” he said, venom dripping from his words. “And the other is a soldier of St. George. I cannot imagine how you think Talon would spare either of them.

“But,” he added before either Ember or I could speak. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and looked at Ember once more. “If you promise to come back with me tonight,” he said in a grave voice, “they can go. They can walk out of this building at least. I can’t promise anything beyond that.”

“Don’t strain yourself, Chameleon,” I sneered, unable to simply stand there and take his insults. “What would Talon say, if they discovered you let the infamous Cobalt slip right through your slimy fingers?”

“They wouldn’t be happy,” Dante replied, not to me but to Ember. “But bringing you home is more important. Nothing matters more than that.” A pause, and then he added, in an even softer voice, “I miss you, sis. I want things to be like they were before. You don’t know...you have no idea how important you are. Not just to me, but to all of Talon. It’s not my place to explain it, but you and I are special, and not just because we’re siblings. Come back with me, and you can see for yourself.”

“Dante,” Ember said in a strangled voice. She had crouched down, tail and wings pressed tight to her body, and was trembling. “I don’t—”