The door beeped, making me jerk my head toward it, and a few seconds later a human clone opened it and stepped aside as Dante came into the room. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to fly across the floor and grab my twin by his two-timing neck. His clone bodyguards made that impossible, however, even if I was able to turn into a dragon. Besides, I had bigger questions I wanted answers to.

“Where are Garret and Riley?” I demanded as soon as Dante stepped through the frame. His brow furrowed before smoothing out again.

“Alive,” was the cool, infuriating answer. “And they’ll remain that way...as long as you cooperate.”

“You’re a real piece of work, Dante,” I snarled. “Do you even hear yourself? What kind of soulless bastard makes threats like that?”

Dante stared at me, expressionless, before turning to his guards. “Leave us,” he ordered quietly. “Lock the door and stand guard, but don’t return until I call for you. Go.”

Without hesitation, the clones turned and left the room. The door clicked shut, and my brother turned back to me. “All right, Ember,” Dante said, walking forward with his arms slightly raised. “Here I am. No guards, no one to stop you. Do your worst—”

I punched him in the jaw as hard as I could, landing a solid right hook across his chin. He staggered back and nearly fell, one hand going to his face. For a few seconds, he stood braced against the wall, cradling his jaw in stunned silence. Finally, he straightened and pulled his hand down to gaze at the blood on his fingertips before turning to me.

“Feel better?”

“No,” I whispered as my eyes started to burn. “Damn you, Dante! How could you turn on me like this? You were my best friend—we used to do everything together. And now look at you.” I stepped back, shaking my head. “You’re one of them.”

“I turned on you?” Dante sounded genuinely shocked. “You’re the one who left. Ran off with that traitor and went rogue. You walked out, not me. I’ve done nothing but try to bring you back to Talon.”

“Against my will.”

“If I didn’t bring you home, they were going to kill you.”

“Hello, doesn’t that bother you?” I cried, throwing up my arms. “If I didn’t do what they wanted, they would kill me. If dragons don’t conform to Talon, they get Vipers sent after them. How is that freedom? How is that for the good of our race?”

“It’s for our survival,” Dante answered stonily. “We can’t have everything we want, not if we’re going to exist in this world. If you haven’t noticed, there’s a war out there. We’re being pushed toward extinction, Ember. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made. Dragons who break away from Talon are a danger to us all.”