Mr. Roth’s expression hadn’t changed. And neither had mine. “Ember tried to get me to come with her that night,” I admitted, seeing no indication of surprise from Mr. Roth. “She begged me to leave town with her and the rogue, but I knew I couldn’t do it. Not because of the consequences, but because I know my place.” I raised my chin slightly, not enough to challenge, just enough to state my cause. “Sir, my loyalty to Talon has never wavered. I don’t know why Talon is taking a less…direct approach to dealing with my sister, why the Elder Wyrm has chosen to spare her, but I do know that I am grateful. And I’ll do whatever it takes to bring Ember back so she can resume her place in Talon, where she belongs.”

Mr. Roth nodded.

“Excellent, Mr. Hill,” he said in a bright tone of voice. “That is exactly what we want to hear.” He picked up his desk phone and pressed a button on the machine. “Please send Ms. Anderson in,” he ordered into the speaker. I blinked, wondering who Ms. Anderson could be; I’d never met her before.

Abruptly, Mr. Roth stood, which prompted us to rise, too. “Your words are commendable, Mr. Hill,” the VP said, walking around to stand beside us. “Therefore, Talon is prepared to give you the best possible resources to locate and bring back your sister. In a moment, you’ll be shown to your new office, but for now, there is someone I want you to meet.”

I gave a pleasant nod, though my mind was spinning. New office? And the best resources possible to find her? I was pleased, of course. It seemed the organization had recognized my potential, but at the same time, I knew this was abnormal. Talon was huge; its reach spanned the globe, and it had countless other developments, mostly of the multimillion-dollar variety, to worry about. The disappearance of a single hatchling, rogue or not, was barely a blip on its radar. Why? Why are they going through all this trouble to find one hatchling? Ember, what have you done?

The office door clicked softly as it opened, and Mr. Roth raised a beckoning hand.

“Ah, Ms. Anderson. Please come in. Have you met Mr. Hill?”