Mist pushed off the table, serious now, her eyes hard and cold. “The location of your safe houses,” she said, making my stomach lurch. “All of them. Where they are, how many dragons live there and the number of humans you have working for you. Give us the information, and we promise that most of the hatchlings will survive.”

I barked a laugh. “Really?” I sneered. “That’s all Talon wants? Me to betray every dragon and human I spent years protecting from the organization? That’s not completely insane at all.”

“Think of what you’re doing to them, Cobalt.” Her voice changed, becoming low and soothing. “Think of what their existence means for us all. All Talon wants is for their hatchlings to return to the organization, where they belong. Where we can protect them. You can’t really believe they’re better off with you. Constantly in hiding, always on the run? Living in fear that the Order will come for them in the middle of the night? What kind of life is that?”

“A free one,” I returned, curling my lip in disgust. “One that isn’t dictated by the organization’s demands, or what Talon wants them to be. One where they can actually breathe without Talon looming over their heads, ready to pounce if they set one claw out of line. Where they can actually have thoughts of their own, and choose their own future, instead of being forced into the role that would benefit the organization.” I gave her a grim smile. “I’m sure you didn’t have a choice tonight. If Talon gives the order to betray, capture and interrogate your own kind, you don’t get to question why.”

Mist cocked her head, looking truly baffled. As if she couldn’t imagine how this was a bad thing. I sighed. “Not all of us want our lives run by Talon,” I finished, knowing I was wasting my time. Mist was too deep in the organization, fully indoctrinated to Talon’s way of thinking. She wouldn’t understand. “Some of us would rather be free. To at least be afforded that choice.”

“Free?” Mist gave me an incredulous look. “At what cost? Our extinction? Is this so-called freedom so important that you would risk the existence of our entire race? How many have you lost to St. George? How many hatchlings have died because you took them from the organization and threw them into the world with no experience, no knowledge of what they were doing? Without Talon and its resources, they’re exposed not only to the Order, but to all of humanity. Even you realize that we cannot let the humans know about us. Your rebellion is endangering us all. Something had to be done.”