I stayed quiet, not knowing if this was praise or a reprimand. Mr. Smith gave a small laugh that could have meant anything, but he didn’t comment. I took a furtive breath and settled back in the plush leather seat, trying to calm my nerves. Normally by this time, my trainer would be going over Talon rules and protocol, grilling me on etiquette, making sure I knew what I was doing. But he couldn’t now, or he wouldn’t, not in front of Mr. Roth. There were no other passengers on Talon’s elite private jet; it was just the three of us. My trainer, one of Talon’s senior VPs and me. A sixteen-year-old hatchling who was keeping company with some of the most powerful dragons in the organization. A hatchling who, just yesterday, had been standing outside the door of an office in Los Angeles, waiting to be acknowledged.

* * *

“I believe we found them, sir,” I’d announced, when Mr. Roth finally waved me into the room. I stepped through the frame, closing the door behind me. “We think they’re in Vegas.”

The VP arched one slim, elegant eyebrow at me over his desk. “Vegas, you say,” he repeated. “That’s…unexpected. One of our biggest operations is in Vegas. That Cobalt would flee there is unusual.” His gaze sharpened, brows drawing together. “How did you come to this conclusion, Mr. Hill?”

I handed him the folder Mist had given me; her report and the satellite pictures of the Order chapterhouse sat inside. “We’ve been monitoring St. George ever since Ember and the rogue broke into their western chapterhouse, sir,” I said, as Mr. Roth flipped it open. “We believe St. George is looking for them as well, and recently, we’ve seen a lot of Order activity in and around Las Vegas. They appear to be converging on the city. We think Ember and the rogue are hiding somewhere close, maybe near the Strip.”

“I see.” Mr. Roth closed the folder and laced his hands under his chin. “Reign’s territory. Of course, they would have to make this complicated.”

My heart beat faster. Ember was in Las Vegas, I could feel it. Just a few hours’ drive away, in the middle of a huge, dangerous city with St. George closing in on all sides. “Sir,” I began, “if Ember is in Vegas, I believe I should be the one to bring her back. If we can find her, I would like to go. She’ll listen to me. I just need to talk to her.”

And if I can bring her back, Talon will know how valuable I am to the organization.