“We have to find a way off this floor,” I growled, glancing at the barricaded windows. Dammit, the slimy little bastard sure had screwed us over royally. If I knew Talon at all, every window and exit to the outside would be similarly blocked, but we had to try. “All the exits will be sealed off,” I said. “But if we can get to another floor, we might have a chance. They can’t have sealed the whole building.” I hope.

The door rattled again, and a trio of claws curled around the edge, raking gouges across the wood. A pale, slitted eye glared at me through the crack, making my blood run cold.

“Come on,” St. George said, and we fled the room, heading back the way we came in. We passed more rooms in the same state; steel curtains covered the windows, preventing not only an easy way out but blocking all views from the outside, as well. Bursting into another room, I muttered a curse, gazing around frantically. This one was a “cubicle hell” open floor, with desks and computers sectioned off into identical workstations that covered the room like a maze. On the opposite wall, a glowing exit sign beckoned enticingly, and I bounded in that direction.

We came to the fire escape at the end of the hall, but of course the metal door was firmly locked. St. George slammed his shoulder into it a couple times, to no avail.

“Stand back, St. George,” I growled after a few moments of watching the human slam into the barrier. “Let’s see how well it holds up to dragon claws.”

“Riley!” Ember gasped. I turned to see a dozen pale, shining eyes floating in the dark, moving toward us through the cubicle maze. St. George fired off several rounds, and though I heard bullets striking scales and horns alike, none of the clones made a sound as they advanced. If they could feel pain, they didn’t show it.

“The elevator shafts!” Ember hissed as we scrambled away from the exit, trying to lose the clones in the labyrinth. “Even if Dante cut the power, we can climb down the cables.”

“Good thinking, Firebrand,” I whispered, ducking around cubicles. “Let’s hope your brother hadn’t thought the same.” All around us, I heard the click of talons over tile, the flutter of wings and the hiss of tails as they brushed against walls and corners. The clone things had spread out and were combing the floor for us. And though I’d done this thing before with both Talon and the Order, it was a surreal feeling, being hunted by your own kind. I wondered how nasty these things were in a fight, because I had the sinking suspicion that we were going to find out sooner or later.

“Elevators!” Ember whispered, coming to a stop at the edge of the cubicle.