But I found myself hating him, wanting to hurt him, to drive him away from the red-haired girl who was supposed to be mine.
Breathless, I slumped to the wall, numb with the realization. This anger, these illogical feelings of rage and possessiveness...I was jealous. I was jealous of a girl I was supposed to be stalking, seducing, for the sole purpose of revealing her true nature. This had become more than an objective, more than a mission.
I was falling for her.
No. Furious at myself now, I leaned my head back, closing my eyes. This couldn’t happen. I was a soldier. I could not let this become personal. Emotions could not ever be a part of the mission. They complicated things, screwed up priorities. If Ember was a human, I’d vanish from her life without a trace, leaving whatever feelings she might have for me broken and shattered in the dust. But if she was our target...
I opened my eyes, just in time to see the stranger slip his hand into her pocket. My trained eye caught the brief flash of paper, tiny as it was, and the urge to leap up and smash his head through the window was almost overwhelming.
Pushing myself from the wall, I fled outside.
Ember
“Garret!”
Shoving my way through crowds of people, I followed him through the living room, across the foyer and out the front door.
“Garret, wait!”
The party had spilled outside. Groups of people clustered together on the steps and the long sandy driveway, milling around and talking. Several boys hung around a pickup with an open cooler on the tailgate, drinking from cans and bottles. My dragon growled a warning as I passed them, but I was too focused on reaching the retreating figure ahead and didn’t give them a second thought. Garret was leaving, and I had the sudden, panicked sense that if he got away this time, I’d never see him again.
“Hey! Dammit, Garret, hold up.”
He finally turned, and for a moment, his expression was tormented, like seeing me was more than he could bear. Only a moment, however, before a wall slammed down across his features, his eyes going empty and cold.
I faced that chilling look, stifling the growl that rose up within. The dragon, baring her fangs in self-preservation. “Where are you going?” I demanded.
“It doesn’t matter.” Garret’s voice was flat, a far cry from the sweet, vulnerable human I had danced with just minutes ago. That icy tone cut into me, making me cringe and bristle all at once. “We’re done, Ember. Go back inside and forget about me. You won’t see me again.”
“Why?” I glared at him, torn between anger and desperation. “Just because I danced with Riley? He’s a friend, Garret. That’s all.” The dragon hissed at such an obvious lie, but I ignored her. “Are you really that jealous?”
“Yes,” he answered, startling me. “And...that’s the problem. I shouldn’t care. This shouldn’t affect me at all...but it does. You affect me.” His metallic, gunmetal eyes narrowed slightly in my direction, accusing. Though I still caught a break in his mask, a tiny flicker of uncertainty, even as he turned away. “This is wrong,” he muttered, his voice almost too soft to hear. “I can’t do this. To either of us.”
If I hadn’t seen that brief flash of emotion, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to do what I did next. But I took a deep breath, and stepped up to him, reaching out to take his hand. He flinched but didn’t yank it back, his eyes flicking to my face.
“It scares me, too,” I admitted softly. “When I’m with you, I can’t think of anything else, and sometimes I think it’s making me crazy. I don’t know whether to keep going or run away as fast as I can.”
He didn’t respond, but I caught something in his expression that hinted that he was feeling the same. “So, yeah, I’m a little freaked out,” I went on, determined not to let him go now. “I have no idea what’s going to happen here. But being afraid is a piss-poor excuse not to do something, don’t you think?” I thought of Scary Talon Lady, of the organization, of my rapidly disappearing summer, and my resolve grew. “So, if you’re going to stand there and tell me we’re done, because heaven forbid you actually feel something, then I’m afraid I’m going to have to call bullshit.”
He blinked, his blank mask cracking a little more, and I stepped closer, meeting his eyes. “Garret, if you really want to go, I’m not stopping you. But I thought you were braver than that. I thought someone who could surf giant waves and shoot zombies and kick the crap out of three brainless ogres wouldn’t be afraid that someone else...really liked that about him. And that he wouldn’t need to feel jealous or afraid, because she’s right here. She’s standing right in front of you.”
His gaze grew dark, smoldering. “Ember...”
“Well, look who it is.”
We turned, and my dragon instincts—the ones I should’ve listened to earlier—rose up with a snarl, bristling and ready for a fight. The boys clustered around the pickup had come forward, and Colin’s familiar, leering face was out in front. Behind him, I saw his two pals, Drew and Travis, but also another trio of drunk-looking frat boys, all coming toward us with evil smirks. Six of them. All itching for trouble. The dragon growled, and I bit my lip to keep her in check.
“It’s the little slut and her boyfriend,” Colin went on, sneering at me and Garret. “Fancy running into you again. I still owe you one, bitch. But I’ll get to you after we take care of this tool here.” He leered at Garret, who faced the group calmly, his expression now blank. Colin’s grin grew more taunting. “Where’s your friend now, punk?” he asked sweetly. “Not here to rescue you this time? Hope he doesn’t mind if we beat your ass into the ground.”
“Coward,” I snarled at him. “Afraid to take him on alone? Have to have your buddies back you up for everything?”
He shot me an evil look. “You got a big mouth, little bitch. I hope there’s enough to go around.”
“Touch my sister, and I’ll kill you all,” said a voice behind them.
Colin jerked as Dante stepped out from a different cluster of people, his eyes hard as he came to stand beside me. “Oh, hey, there’s two of them,” Colin sneered. “I thought I was seeing double.”
Smirking, he swaggered forward. Dante stood his ground, as did Garret, moving me behind him even as my dragon snarled in protest, wanting to fight. “Why don’t you step away now, pretty boy?” the big human told my brother, whose jaw tightened dangerously. “Or you can stay and get your head stomped in, I don’t really care. Two on six doesn’t look too good for you, does it?”
“God, do they ever stop talking?” came yet another voice from behind Colin. He whirled to face Riley, who gave him a lazy grin. “Can’t anyone ever start a fight without all the posturing and cheesy Bond-villain threats? It’s not that hard. Here, let me demonstrate.” And he smashed a fist into Colin’s nose.
Colin flew back with a yell, both hands going to his face, as the rest of the group lunged forward. I leaped away, clenching my fists, as an all-out brawl erupted in the front yard. Riley, Garret and Dante disappeared in a chaotic whirlwind of fists, feet, elbows and knees. Shouts, grunts of pain and the sounds of fists on flesh rang out, overshadowed by the cheers and screams of the crowd.
My dragon roared, frustrated that she couldn’t get in there and rip the humans to pieces, but I wasn’t going to stand back and watch this time. When a bulky frat boy swung at Dante, I stepped up behind the human and kicked him in the calf, sweeping his leg out. He staggered, and Dante slugged him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.
“Ow,” he muttered, shaking his hand as if stung. “Damn, it’s like hitting a cement block.”
I shot a quick glance at Riley and Garret, who, though surrounded by thugs and flying fists, seemed to be holding their own. Riley was grinning demonically as he faced his opponents, taking the blows that landed and swinging back viciously, slamming them into hoods and car windows. Beside him, Garret spun
and blocked with his near-inhuman grace, slipping inside an opponent’s guard and striking quickly before they knew what happened.
The human Dante had knocked over lurched to his feet and lunged at him again. Dante sidestepped, and the drunk human crashed headfirst into a car door. I grinned, but while we were both distracted, Colin appeared out of nowhere, shoving me aside. I stumbled, caught myself and whirled around to see him lash out with a fist and strike Dante in the temple. My brother crumpled to the ground, and my vision went red.
As Colin raised his foot to kick Dante, I jumped between them with a snarl, baring my teeth. The color drained from the human’s face, and he stumbled back, mouth dropping open. I felt the beginnings of the change ripple through me, the dragon rising to the surface, and tensed to pounce.
Something grabbed my wrist, yanking me back, just as Garret slammed into Colin, tackling him. I spun to face Riley, a breath away from Shifting and pouncing on him, too.
“Stop it!” he ordered, his firm voice slicing through me. It pierced the rage and the heat, the wild snarling of the dragon, and brought everything into focus again. I shivered and drew back, appalled at what I’d almost done. Pulling me away, he maneuvered us to the edge of the driveway, letting me go with a hard look.
“Stay out of this, Firebrand,” he ordered, and I took a breath to snarl at him, to tell him I could handle myself just fine. But Dante’s gaze met mine across the yard as he pulled himself to his feet, rubbing his head. My brother’s gaze was angry and horrified, but not at Riley. At me. As if he, too, knew how close I’d been to exposing us all.
Sirens echoed through the night, and everyone’s attention jerked to the distant wailing. Almost instantly, the crowd scattered toward cars and vehicles, some even running off into the darkness. I tensed, more annoyed than anything. Stupid cops. Of course their timing was perfect.
Riley’s dark head lifted, gold eyes narrowing as the sirens drew steadily closer, then he looked back at me. “Whoops, looks like that’s my cue,” he said, backing away. “Firebrand, remember what I told you. If you need to talk, you know where to find me.”
With a wink, the rogue turned and vanished into the darkness as swiftly as he’d appeared. Somewhere in the sea of cars, a motorcycle roared to life and tore off into the night.
“Ember!” Dante’s voice rang out. Glaring at me, my twin stalked to the edge of the driveway, keys in hand. “Let’s go!” he ordered, pointing to the vehicle we’d arrived in. “Get in the car, right now! We’re going home.”
I bristled at his demanding tone. Who was he to order me around? He wasn’t my trainer. And I wasn’t looking forward to the conversation on the ride home, either. He’d seen me talking with Riley and would probably demand to know how I knew the rogue, something I wasn’t about to confess, especially now.
The sirens got louder. Most of the crowd had disappeared, or were in the process of driving off. Unable to stop myself, I looked at Garret, standing alone in the shadows several yards away, his metallic eyes on me. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t step forward, either to defend me or offer a ride, and hurt flared up to join the anger, confusion and disappointment.
“You know what?” I growled, backing away from Dante and Garret, back toward the house. Blue and red lights flashed in the distance, coming up the road, as I made my decision. “Screw you both. I don’t need any of this. I’ll find my own way home.”
“Ember!” Dante yelled, but I turned and ran, sprinting around the house, down toward the shore and into the darkness. Leaving them all behind.
* * *
Maybe a hundred yards down the beach, I slowed, kicking up sand as I stalked along the edge of the water, thinking. Small waves rumbled as they rolled onto shore, then hissed as they returned to the sea. Overhead, a full white moon blazed down, turning the beach into a fantasyland of silver and black. I could still hear the sirens from the squad cars, probably at the party right now, breaking it up. Hopefully, everyone had gotten out okay, though I didn’t know why I should be concerned. I did feel guilty for running out on Dante, who would call my phone every ten minutes, but who also knew me well enough to know I could get home by myself. I wasn’t worried about him. At least he cared. The other boys could fling themselves off a cliff.
I sighed. Riley, Dante, Garret. Three impossible boys who, for different reasons, were making my life very difficult. Dante for being a paranoid jerk sometimes. Who said I could trust him but then agreed with everything Talon said. Who was a perfect model student, didn’t bend the rules and expected me to do the same. Riley, a rogue dragon who encouraged me to do the exact opposite. Who flaunted Talon’s laws and tempted me with the secrets he possessed, and the freedom he represented. Who called to my dragon and was impossible to ignore.
And Garret. A human. Enough said right there.
I sighed again, tipping my head back. My skin was still flushed, whether from anger or adrenaline or both, and my dragon crackled and snapped in myriad different directions. I needed to calm down. I wished I had my board. It was impossible to stay tense while floating on the surface of the ocean, its cold, dark depths lulling you to sleep. The sea was fascinating. It always amazed me how calm and peaceful it was one moment, only to bear down on you a moment later with the power and savagery of a hurricane.
A wave crawled up the shore, foaming over my toes. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I walked away from the water and set it and Riley’s note in the sand. When the next wave hissed over up the shore, I followed it back to the ocean, wading out into the depths.
I stopped when I was waist-deep, feeling the cold seep into my skin, calming the flames that still flickered inside. Hugging myself, I closed my eyes and let the salty breeze cool my face. I should probably go home. Dante had the car, which meant I’d have to take a cab, the bus, or walk back to the house. Flying was, as always, a tempting option. But I’d promised my brother I wouldn’t jeopardize our time here, and tempting fate seemed like a bad idea right now. I sighed again, resigned to a purely human trek back home.
“Ember.”
My heart leaped at the low, quiet voice, and I turned. Garret’s lean silhouette stood on the shore watching me, the ocean wind tugging at his shirt. Seeing him, I felt a rush of happiness and longing; he’d come after me. Quickly, I shut it down. Garret wasn’t interested. He’d made that clear tonight.
“What do you want, Garret?” I called, not moving from where I stood. A wave slapped against me, cool on my skin, smelling of salt and foam and the sea. I faced Garret across the dark water and crossed my arms. “Shouldn’t you be heading home? The cops have probably broken up the party by now.”
“I want to talk to you.” He took a step forward, stopping just shy of a wave as it hissed onto the sand. “I don’t want to leave things between us as they are.”
“So talk.”
Those mercury eyes blinked, reflecting the moonlight, as he gave a slight frown. “Maybe you could come onto the beach?” he suggested, nodding to the sand behind him. “That way we won’t have to shout at each other.”
“I’m fine right here, thanks.” I raised my chin, feeling stubborn and insolent. Garret sighed.
“All right,” he said...and strode into the ocean, wading through the water in jeans and a T-shirt. I dropped my arms, startled, as he stepped in front of me, the waves lapping at his stomach and chest, drenching the front of his shirt. I felt the heat from his body as he leaned in.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, his voice just a murmur between us, nearly lost in the rushing waves. “For tonight. For everything. I guess I...”
“Freaked out and turned into a possessive jackass?”
“Yes.” His mouth quirked. “So, I’m sorry for that. My head wasn’t on straight. But...” He took a deep breath. “I think I see things a little clearer now. I’d like to try again. If you’ll let me.”
The waves an
d surf surrounded us, and overhead, the moon glowed fiendishly bright, illuminating the beach and turning Garret’s hair silver. The distant lights and sirens faded away, until it seemed it was just the two of us, on a lonely shore hundreds of miles from anything. “I’d like that, too,” I whispered.
He relaxed, some of the tension leaving his back and shoulders. “So, we’re okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” He moved closer, sliding his hands up my arms, sending electric tingles through my whole body. “I wanted to make certain, before I did this.”
And he kissed me.
This time, I wasn’t afraid. This time, my eyes closed, and I leaned into him, kissing him back. His arms slid around me, and I wrapped mine around his waist, pulling us closer. I forgot about Talon. I forgot the fact that I was a dragon, and we weren’t supposed to have these crazy, intense emotions swirling through us. I didn’t care that my instructor said humans were the lesser species, and that we were higher up on the food chain. None of that mattered. For this one moment, with Garret’s cool lips on mine and his arms trapping me against him, I was neither human nor dragon.
Just me.
Part II
They’re not who you think.
Riley
That was not the first thing I wanted to hear after returning from a party that, for all intents and purposes, had sucked ass big-time. Granted, kicking around those human yuppies was fun, if not at all challenging, as was getting under the skin of that human kid. They didn’t matter, though. I hadn’t gone to that party to beat up humans, or to threaten obnoxious mortals who didn’t have a clue. I’d gone there for her.
“Riley.” Wes came into the kitchen as I tossed my bike keys and wallet on the counter. I gave him a weary look. The gangly human looked disheveled—shirt rumpled, brown hair in disarray, normal for him. His English accent grated hard on my nerves this evening. “Did you hear me? We’ve got a problem, mate.”