And then, a scaly blue body flew at her from the side and slammed into her ribs, knocking her off balance. Lilith stumbled and nearly fell, as Cobalt spun, hissing and snarling, to stand between her and Garret. Lilith roared and turned to face him, but flinched back as a storm of bullets sped through the air, some sparking off her horns and chest plates, but some hitting home.

Ignoring the pain in my side and neck, I charged my former trainer, leaped at her back, and sank my claws into her flank. She shrieked again and kicked me in the stomach with a hind leg, sending me tumbling through the sand. Winded once more, I still bounced to my feet, ready to continue the fight—

But it seemed the Viper had had enough. Now faced with St.

George, as well as two stubborn dragons, she crouched and leaped skyward, her wings blasting us with sand as she rose into the air. I watched her go, meeting her gaze as she soared overhead, seeing the acid green eyes narrow hatefully.

“This isn’t over, hatchling,” she warned in Draconic. “You cannot escape Talon. I will return for you all, soon.”

With a few strong downbeats, the Viper rose up the cliff wall, shoved off the rock face, and glided away over the ocean. Within moments, Talon’s best Viper assassin became a distant blur against the night sky and disappeared.

I exhaled and sank to the cool sand, feeling like I’d been run over by a herd of elephants in cleats. My ribs throbbed, my side burned, and my throat ached from where Lilith had tried to rip it out. I was bruised, battered, and bloody, and wanted nothing more than to go home, take a long shower, and curl up in my bed.

Only…I couldn’t do that. Ever again. Dante was home. the brother who’d abandoned me, who’d turned his back on his twin in favor of Talon. He was part of the organization now. And I, especially after tonight, was most definitely a rogue.

Sick and disheartened, I slumped even further, wishing I could bury myself in the cool sand until I figured everything out, but a sudden, angry growl made me jerk up. Cobalt was on his feet, body tense and lips curled back from his fangs. His eyes glowed, and he took a threatening step forward.

Glaring at the soldier a few yards away.

Garret

By far, that had been the stupidest thing I’d ever done.

I should be dead. By all logical statistics, I shouldn’t have survived that fight. Challenging even a single hatchling, alone, was a good way to get yourself killed. You might get lucky, but even the small-est of Talon’s offspring were quick and dangerous, armed with fire and claws and teeth. You could kill them, but they could tear you apart just as easily.

Taking on a full-grown adult dragon without an entire squad backing you up was suicide, plain and simple. There was no way around it.

Adults were far too powerful for a single human to challenge alone.

Even with a pair of dragons on my side, I’d gotten very, very lucky.

If it hadn’t been for Ember and the other juvenile joining the fight when they did, I wouldn’t be breathing.

Although, I reflected, as the adrenaline began to wear off and the full realization of what I’d done hit me full force, I probably won’t be breathing much longer.

I’d betrayed the Order. Disobeyed commands, struck down my partner, and charged the enemy without backup, which had allowed it to escape. Reckless and undisciplined, but not the worst thing I’d done. If that was my only crime, I could be court marshaled and thrown into St. George’s prison for a few months, even years. but my betrayal went far deeper than that.

I’d helped the enemy. I’d knowingly engaged in battle with the sole purpose of aiding the fiery red dragon who’d spared my life. I’d fought with them against their enemy. It didn’t matter that their foe was another, more powerful dragon, and I had no idea why she was trying to kill her own. My interference had probably saved their lives.

Was it worth it?

I glanced at Ember, lying in the sand a few yards away, sides heaving. Ember, not “the dragon.” She had a name, a personality, a normal life. Or, she’d had a normal life, before tonight. Before we kicked down the door and tried to kill her for existing.

A heavy weight settled over me. If there had been time, I would have told her I was sorry, that we’d been wrong. Though any apology was grossly insufficient for the things I had done, the numbers slaughtered, and the blood on my hands. Ember would hate me, she deserved to hate me, but I couldn’t return to the Order and blindly kill her people like I used to. She had opened my eyes, and I couldn’t…I wouldn’t, return to what I had been.

A growl cut through the silence, raising the hair on my neck.

I jerked up to see the blue dragon glaring at me with teeth bared, looking decidedly hostile. I tensed, fighting the instinct to raise my weapon. Of course, he saw only his greatest enemy, a soldier of St.

George. I might have helped drive off the Adult, but when Talon and the Order stood face to face, the only outcome was death.

I forced myself to lower the gun, keeping it at my side, as I raised my other hand. “I’m not here to fight,” I told the dragon, who snorted in obvious contempt.

“Bullshit,” he spat at me, the word sounding strange coming from a dragon’s mouth. I’d rarely heard them speak in their true forms;

hearing one snarl an expletive was a weird sensation. “I suppose you didn’t mean to kill us earlier tonight, either.” He stalked toward me, eyes narrowed, lips pulled back in hate. “Way I see it, you came here expecting one dragon, not three. And now that you have no squad to back you up, you’re trying to beg your way out. Well, it doesn’t work that way, St. George,” the dragon hissed. “Don’t expect us to play nice when you tried to kill us all.”

I raised my weapon, backing up as the dragon pressed forward menacingly. “I don’t want to shoot you. Stand down.”

“I’ve already been shot twice tonight,” the dragon answered, the murderous gleam in his eyes growing bright as he backed me toward the cliff. “I don’t think once more will matter.”

He tensed to spring at me. I tightened my grip on the trigger—

And Ember lunged between us.

Ember

Cobalt stopped short as I leaped in front of him, blocking the path to Garret. Growling, I lowered my head and spread my wings, sinking into a crouch. The dragon’s gold eyes blinked in surprise, then narrowed angrily.

“Ember, what are you doing?” he snarled in Draconic. “He’s St.

George, Firebrand. Move, before he shoots you in the back.”