“Ah, yes. He told us you were coming. Right this way, please.”
She led us to a corner booth, gesturing to the seats with a bright, “Enjoy your meal,” before walking away. I continued to stand, feeling Ember go rigid beside me. For the man in the booth, gazing calmly up at us with his hands folded on the table, was not Tristan.
“Hello, Sebastian,” Lieutenant Gabriel Martin said, and indicated the seat across from him. “Please, sit down.”
I didn’t. I tensed and quickly glanced around the room for anyone who could be a soldier of St. George. Lieutenant Martin sighed.
“Relax, Sebastian. I’m alone. There’s no one here but me, and no one in the Order knows where I’ve gone. Now, please...” He gestured to the booth again, giving me a tight smile. “Sit down. You and your dragon are in no danger, at least not today.”
Warily, we did as he asked, sliding into the seat across from him. “Where’s Tristan?” I asked, and his face darkened.
“Back at the barracks. He won’t be joining us.” Martin paused as a waitress arrived to take our drink order. After she left, he took a sip of his water and continued in a grim voice. “Sebastian, you should know that after the incident with the Patriarch, St. Anthony was taken into custody. He admitted to meeting with you outside of St. George and to conspiring against the Patriarch, both treasonous offenses as I’m sure you know. There were some in the Order who called for his execution for the part he played in aiding you that night.”
My stomach dropped. I knew Tristan had taken a huge risk in helping us, that St. George could see him as a coconspirator of the whole event. I’d hoped his actions would be overlooked in the general chaos; the last thing I’d wanted was for my former partner to be punished, too.
“Fortunately,” Martin went on, “or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Order is in a bit of upheaval at the moment. With all the disorder and confusion, no one has gotten around to organizing a trial. Or, at least, they have bigger issues to worry about. And I have no intention of reminding them anytime soon.
“But,” he went on as I relaxed a bit, “when the duel ended and you vanished with those dragons, I suspected we hadn’t heard the last from you, Sebastian. And I knew if you were to contact the Order again, it would be through St. Anthony. I’ve taken it upon myself to keep him under constant surveillance, so that when you resurfaced, I would know.”
“Then it was you who answered me yesterday,” I said. “You set up this meeting, not Tristan.”
“That I did.”
“Why?”
Martin didn’t answer right away. He stared down at the table with his fingers steepled in front of him, his eyes dark.
“You’re an agent of change, Sebastian,” he said at last. “For good or ill, events happen around you that no one can predict. It’s been that way since you first came to the Academy. Before that, even. Since the day Lucas found you in the Talon compound and took you in as a soldier for the Order. I’ve watched you through the years, and I’ve seen it happen time and time again. Whenever something important happens, something that could shake the very foundations of everything we know, you are always in the middle of it. Now the Patriarch is dead, the Order is in turmoil and Talon grows ever stronger because of it.” He glanced at Ember, sitting silently beside me, and his jaw tightened. “I should kill you, Sebastian,” he went on, making me cringe inside. “For turning your back on the Order and everything it stands for. You betrayed your brothers, and you betrayed me. But worst of all...” His eyes narrowed. “You betrayed Lucas, the man who saved you, who brought you to us and taught you everything you know. He would be ashamed if he could see you now.”
I kept the pain from my face, but if he’d stabbed me with a knife, I doubted it would have hurt as much as those words did right then. I thought of my mentor, remembering his words, the way he’d always pushed me to do better, to try harder. To be the best. The perfect soldier. Lucas Benedict would accept nothing less. After he’d been killed in battle, I’d thrown myself into training with a single-minded determination to become that perfect soldier. If it was Benedict sitting across from me now, and not Gabriel Martin, would my mission be the same? Would I still be the same?
“But,” Martin went on with a sigh, “you were also the one who discovered the truth. You brought this conspiracy to light, you and your dragons. And regardless of what St. George believes, you risked much to bring it to the Order’s attention. I will not forgive what you’ve done, but it would be foolish of me not to hear you out.” His voice turned cold and hard, and his eyes glinted as he spared the girl beside me a glare of loathing. “Even if I must sit down to dinner with a demon.”
Ember’s lips thinned, but she didn’t say anything. She knew nothing she said would change Martin’s disposition toward her. She was a dragon, and so, in his eyes, she was a monster. But he didn’t know her at all. He’d never seen her bravery, her kindness and determination. He’d never seen her risk her life for someone, be it human or dragon, because all life was precious to her. He didn’t know how much she hated the endless fighting and killing and longed for the day when the war would be over. Even with Ember sitting right across from him, all he saw was a dragon.
But he was still here, talking to us. Sitting across from his sworn enemy and having a conversation, instead of trying to slaughter it outright. It was a start, I thought. We wouldn’t be able to end the war overnight, but at least it was a step in the right direction.
“So.” Martin folded his hands before him again. “Talk, Sebastian. You risked contact with St. Anthony for a reason. I assume it was for something important.” His expression darkened. “Though, I will warn you both, I’m not sure what you think the Order can do, now that that the Patriarch is gone.”
“Why?” asked Ember, the first thing she’d said since meeting Martin. He gave her a hard look, but answered calmly.
“When Sebastian exposed the Patriarch’s involvement with Talon, it threw the Order into chaos. His death has fractured it even more. There is a divide within St. George, between those who accept that the Patriarch was working with the dragons, and those who believe he was set up. Chapterhouses have called their soldiers back and are operating independently from each other. Everyone is outraged, but no one knows what to do or who to trust.” Martin’s gaze narrowed. “It’s quite the mess you left us, Sebastian,” he said. “So I hope that, whatever news you’re about to tell me, you don’t expect the Order to respond in haste. Or at all.”
Ember released a slow breath. “Talon was expecting this,” she said, her voice full of quiet horror. “They were probably planning to expose the Patriarch themselves, and we just hurried things along.”
I was thinking the same, and the sick feeling in my gut grew stronger. With the Order so fractured and disorganized, it was the perfect time for an attack. Unintentional or not, we might have given Talon the exact opening they needed. Martin’s jaw tightened, his gaze sharp as it flicked between us.
“I assume this is about Talon, then.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded. “Sir,” I said, looking up at him. “You have to contact the Order. We came here with a warning—Talon is going to attack St. George. We don’t know when, but it’s going to be very soon.”
Martin straightened. “An attack?” he said. “On St. George soil? Where is it taking place?” he asked, leaning forward. “Which chapterhouse?”
“All of them,” Ember said, making his brows rise. “Every chapterhouse, every Order sanctuary around the world, is going to be hit on the same night. At the same time.”
“That’s impossible,” Martin said flatly. “Talon doesn’t have the numbers for that kind of operation. Especially since we’ve taken out more dragons in the past three years than we ever have before.”
“Most of those dragons weren’t part of Talon,” I said, feeling the anger rise up from the g
irl beside me. “They were rogues, deserters who left the organization and went into hiding. Or dragons who never belonged to Talon at all. All you’ve been doing is taking out Talon’s enemies, the dragons they’ve wanted out of the way.”
“Regardless.” Martin leaned back, seemingly unconcerned. “It doesn’t matter if these ‘rogues’ were part of the organization or not. Talon still does not have the manpower for a full-scale assault on the Order.”
“They do now,” Ember broke in. “They have an army of dragons. And if you don’t take this seriously, they’re going to hit St. George when no one is prepared for it, and they’re going to wipe you out.”
He gave her a long, scrutinizing look. “And how would this be a bad thing for you, dragon?” he asked in a quiet voice. “Sebastian I can understand. He has been twisted and corrupted by the enemy, but in his heart, the loyalty to the cause and his former brothers in St. George cannot be erased so quickly. But you...” His voice turned cold. “You are a dragon, and we are at war. If the Order falls, your kind will be free to do what you wish. Talon will win. Why would you try to prevent the complete destruction of your enemies?”
“Because some of us don’t want that,” Ember said firmly. “I swear, you Order types only hear what you want to hear. Will you please just listen to what I’m saying? I am telling you that I’m not a part of Talon. I don’t want any more killing. I have no desire or intention to enslave anyone or take over the world. But if you don’t warn the rest of the Order about this attack, Talon will kill you all. And that would be disastrous for everyone, my kind included.”
“So you say.” Martin still didn’t sound convinced. “That does not tell me how Talon has acquired an army large enough to take out the Order in one night.”
“Talon is cloning dragons,” I said flatly. “That’s how they’ve acquired their army—they’ve grown them from the blood and DNA of other dragons. Numbers don’t matter anymore, because they can just make more of them.”
For the first time, Martin seemed taken aback. His skin paled, and he stared at me with a mix of disbelief and horror. “Cloning dragons?” he repeated. “Are you very sure about this?”
I nodded. “We’ve seen them firsthand. They’re not like the others. These dragons have been bred for war and fighting and nothing else. They’re not meant to be human, or to blend in with the rest of the population. They’re throwaway soldiers that don’t care if they live or die.”
“How many?”
“We don’t know exactly,” Ember replied. “But we can assume it’s enough to take on St. George. Especially now that the Order is so disjointed.” She shivered a little, her voice turning grave. “You’ve never seen dragons like this—they’ve been programmed by the Talon scientists for obedience, and now they’re like machines. No fear, no self-preservation instinct. They won’t break or run away, even if most of them are slaughtered—they’ll just keep coming until whatever they’re sent to kill is completely destroyed.”
“So you have to warn the rest of the Order,” I repeated. “Warn them that Talon is getting ready to attack, and they need to prepare themselves for a full-scale invasion. This assault is supposed to be soon, in a day or two at most. The chapterhouses can’t stand alone—they’re going to need support from the rest of St. George if they want to survive.”
Martin’s face was pale now, and he nodded. “I’ll try, Sebastian,” he said. “I’ll make it my top priority to warn the rest of the Order.” His brow furrowed, and he shook his head. “But because of the infighting, and because the chapterhouses are operating individually now, it’s become difficult to send such a widespread message. Even if I can, I’m not certain they will listen. If the warning comes from me, it will be subject to immediate suspicion.”
“You?” asked Ember. “Why?”
“Because of my association with Sebastian and my role in the fate of the Patriarch,” Martin replied. “I spoke for Sebastian at the assembly. I urged the officers to listen to what he had to say. I chose to believe a traitor and dragon convert over my own Patriarch. And I was one of the seconds at the duel. I watched St. Anthony execute the leader of St. George and did nothing to stop it.” His eyes darkened, a flicker of emotion crossing his face, too fast to distinguish. “Because of this, there are those within the Order who believe I am just as guilty as Sebastian. As such, they will question my motives. They will want to know where I received my information, and if it becomes known that I met with Sebastian and one of his dragon comrades, they will certainly call for a trial, if not my execution.”
“But you’re warning them about an attack from Talon,” Ember said, aghast. “Why should it matter where the information came from? The Order should be pulling together to defend themselves, not fighting about who met with whom.”
I sighed. “Because St. George doesn’t trust anything that comes from Talon,” I said, and Martin nodded. “Because all dragons are the same to them, and anything that comes from Talon is tainted, corrupted or a trap. They’ll never believe that a dragon, or anyone who sympathizes with them, wants to help the Order of St. George.”
“Some might believe,” Martin said slowly. “If they’re warned about an impending attack from Talon, some in the Order might take the necessary steps to defend their chapterhouse. But as a whole, it will take a miracle to pull St. George together now. I only hope we can survive the coming assault.” That stark black gaze met mine, his expression grim. “Is that all you wished to tell me, Sebastian?”
“Yes,” I answered numbly. There were other things I wanted to know, about St. George, and Martin, and my former brothers. But this was not the time for questions, for Martin to explain. “That was all, sir.”
Martin nodded and rose. “Then if you’ll excuse me,” he said, tossing a bill to the table and stepping away. “I must return to the Order. There is a message that needs to be sent tonight. Sebastian...” He gave me a brief, unreadable look. “I don’t know why you betrayed us,” he said, “or why you choose to stay with the lizards, but it appears you are still an important player in this struggle, no matter which side you are on. You affect the events around you, whether you mean to or not.” His gaze sharpened. “I wonder if you know what it is you are truly fighting for.”
I held his gaze. “I know what I’m fighting for, sir,” I said quietly. “I know which side I’m on, and it’s not for Talon or St. George. It’s for change. We’ve been at war for so long we can’t see the truth that’s right in front of us.” I felt Ember’s eyes on me, as well, and deliberately reached over, placing a hand atop hers. “They don’t have to be our enemies. If the Order would give them a chance, and not see them as demons, maybe this fighting can finally come to an end.”
Martin didn’t say anything. He stood there, brow furrowed, as if fighting a silent battle within. Finally, he exhaled, and his shoulders slumped, his next words barely audible.
“Come back with me, Sebastian.”
I started, gazing at him in shock. “What?”
“I want you with us,” Martin continued. “Back at the base. You’re a damn fine soldier, even if you’re not fighting on our side. And you know these—” he paused; I suspected he was going to say things but changed his mind at the last minute “—dragons better than anyone else. I want you to explain what is happening to the rest of the troops, give them the full story, so they really know what’s coming.”
“They won’t believe me, sir. They’re likely to shoot me on sight if I came back.”
“No, they won’t,” Martin replied. “I’ll be there. They don’t have to believe—they just have to follow orders. But I want you to explain it, Sebastian. You know the dragons. Your presence will give us a better chance in combating them. And the men know you. As a traitor, yes, but there isn’t a trooper there who hasn’t heard of the Perfect Soldier. If you are with us, I feel we stand more of a chance against Talon.”
I sat motionless, a heavy weight seeming to settle over me. After Benedict died when I was just eleven, Martin had taken me under his wing. He hadn’t been the mentor Benedict had, but he had made sure I was excelling, doing my best at the Academy. I hadn’t seen him much while I was at school, but whenever our paths had crossed, he’d made certain to talk to me for a few minutes, inquiring about my classes and training, making sure I had everything I needed. He had been another solid, commanding presence in my life at St. George, another reason I pushed myself so hard to become the best. His disappointment in me, in what I had become, was a constant ache that gnawed at me from the inside. But knowing what was coming, that this might be the last time I would see him, was even worse.
I knew I should help my former brothers. I wanted to stand with them again—not to eliminate dragons, but to defend my old home from the army that would tear it apart. Martin, Tristan, all the soldiers I had grown up with...it made me sick, knowing they might die. Martin was right; I was still loyal, if not to St. George’s ideals, then to the people who had been my family once. They didn’t know what was coming. I didn’t want to abandon them to Talon and its soulless dragon army.
But I had another family now. Another group who had my loyalty and my friendship, and one girl in particular who had more than that. Much as I wanted to accept Martin’s offer, to return to St. George as a voice for dragonkind, there was no way I would leave Ember behind.
“I’m sorry, sir,” I murmured, and Martin’s jaw tightened. “But I can’t go back with you. The Order isn’t the only one Talon intends to wipe out. My place is here.”
Martin’s voice was cold. “With the dragons.”
“Yes.”
“I see.” Martin drew back, his posture stiff as he prepared to leave. “If that’s your decision, then goodbye, Sebastian.”
“Lieutenant,” Ember said before he could spin on a heel and stride away. “Wait. Just a moment, please.”