Ember

My heart was pounding in my ears as I stopped a few feet from the kneeling soldier. I could feel Faith's eyes on my back, the hawk-like stares of the men behind him, but my gaze was only for Garret. He was still watching me, though his eyes were distant now, almost glassy. Like he was staring right through me, at something I couldn't detect. A clump caught in my throat, and my stomach twisted so hard I felt sick.

With trembling hands, I raised the gun, aiming at his forehead. Garret closed his eyes, bracing himself. I fired and stood laughing with a smoking gun in my hand, as his body toppled to the ground. A shrill scream sounded somewhere nearby and my body shook violently.

Riley's golden eyes glowed in the dark few inches away from mine and the shrill scream died away as I realised it was me screaming. Riley noticed, that I was awake and let go of my arm. "Bad dream?" He asked and I nodded. The sheets were soaked through with my sweat, that was wetting my hair plastering them to my forehead. Something like pity crossed his face as he stood up and said. "Take a shower and I'll change the bed."

I stood up on shaking legs, Garret's limp dead body still showed on the inside of my eyelids each time I blinked, dread and sorrow filled my heart as if it hasn't caught up to the unreality of the dream yet. I mumbled thanks to Riley who was already pulling the pillowcase off my pillow, and trudged to the bathroom. I laid down in the bathtub, opened for hot water and waited, watching the dark window. I was exhausted, but I didn't dare to close my eyes.

"Ember! Ember wake up! What's going on with you?!" A decisive tug pulled the sheets out of my numb fingers and I opened my eyes, only to face brown gaze of Rose. I felt mix of relief and unease, I trusted Rose, but she was still an adult dragonel and her presence, though not as commanding as those of male adults, was a lot for my sore brain.

She saw me watching and checked herself.

"Ember, are you okay?" She asked softly, her brown face lighting up with this genuine kindness, that have made her so valuable for Talon. She was firm like a rock, but smooth as velvet. Where gaining trust and inciting cooperation was the more advantageous strategy, Talon sent their giant pink dragon in skin of a pretty black woman to smooth ruffled feathers and win some hearts. Suddenly I felt foolish for trusting her that much. She was probably extending her influence on me. But I was so tired, I needed someone to take care of me, even if they were manipulating me.

"Where is Riley?" I asked instead of answering. I tried to have him around every waking hour, in case Garret contacted me unexpectedly again to threaten my sanity.

"Going nuts in the living room." Was Rose's reply. "You've been lying in your bed for a week now. What us going on with you? Should I call for Dr Miles?"

"No!" I exclaimed some of my strength returning to me. "No doctors, please Rose. I'm fine, I have just been so tired recently, and nothing has been going on really, so I decided to rest a bit..." I trailed off because Rose perched on the edge of my bed, taking my hand in hers and looking at me with compassion.

"Ember, Riley have told me you're tossing and turning in your sleep so much, that he cannot lay in bed with you, even though it was your request. Adam Roth has been rallying his crew, resuming training of the remaining vessels and regaining his turf from the Archivist, who has discharged Stealth, Chief Viper and done nothing to constitute a replacement. The Order of St George have accepted the new agreement and it needs to be officially signed. You are only seventeen and this is much to demand of you. But if you want to stay in charge of this organization, you must at least give us clear instructions about how to run this organisation for you." She petted my hand and I hated how comforting it felt. I was so exhausted. Constant exercise of willpower over Riley was draining me, and one short talk with Garret away from my Sallith'tahn sent me into major crisis.

But now... the Archivist let a Viper go and Adam Roth was running his own show. Sudden spike of anger made me sit up in my bed.

Riley wasn't worth it. I'll deal with Garret once and for all and then I won't need Riley's stupid stubborn proximity to keep it together.

"Thank you Rose." I said slowly. "Please make the ambitious Mr Roth meet me tomorrow at noon. Send the Archivist here at his leisure. And areange a meeting with leaders of the Order of St George ASAP. Now excuse me, but I need to take a bath."

I was lounging in my huge black chair watching the city baking under the noon sun. Miles of buildings, roads, strings of cars, streams of people milling about tiny like grain of sand running down a huge and complicated hourglass. This was right, this was my place, high above on top of it all, looking down and ruling.

And I was willing to do whatever it took to keep things this way. Riley was too strong and too angry to be easily controlled much longer, whatever ancient magic was binding us.

Garret, my heart made a wild leap and my thought scattered. Yes, he was dangerous, maybe the most dangerous of all things. Yet I was reluctant to... eliminate him. Something told me it was risky. It was not worth it, if could it be avoided.

I heard the doors open and unfamiliar steps stopped few paces away from my enormous desk. The hair of my hatchling body stood on ends, instincts warning against turning my back to him. But I knew better than that. I waited full thirty heartbeats before I slowly turned my chair around to face Adam Roth.

"Welcome Mr Roth, thank you for seeing me on such short notice." I said with a smile and watched him squirm.

"Of course Miss Hill." He said quickly and I interrupted him.

"Call me Ember, please sit down. I've heard that you've been training remaining vessels. And I have questions. How many do we have left? And what are you training them for?"

Riley

"Hello Cobalt, or should I say Riley?" Adam Roth said with fake cordiality. I was surprised to discover, that none of Talon's top executives got fired or even degraded after Ember took over the leadership of the organization. I even once asked her if hatchlings vessels still hid in some top-secret facility, but she snorted and did not deign to answer.

"Mr Roth." I acknowledged him and smiled nastily. He might think, that he has gotten away with it all, but I would do anything to shake bastard's smug confidence.

"Since we are all here." Ember said pointedly at Adam Roth, who came last. "We have important issues to discuss. Stealth, an adult dragon and a Viper has left the organisation." She looked at the Archivist, who sat stiffly and pretended not to be worried, that it was him, who discharged Stealth during one of Ember's frequent indispositions.

"There are other among Vipers, who want to leave and I have granted a general permission, but I do not wish for the organisation to be left defenceless... You have something to say Mr Roth?" She stopped as Roth almost rolled his eyes at the word "defenceless".

"Excuse me CEO, may I call you Ember?" He started, but seeing her eyes narrowing, he quickly continued.

"Talon is never defenceless. Vipers aren't even our defense, they are an elite and, in my opinion, outdated faction used to assignments, that nowadays easily can be outsourced. If I may suggest something?" Ember nodded.

"We could send them after what is left of the Order of St George. Order's survivors have emerged and now we can finish what was started by the former CEO. Without the Order of St George no-one will know about our existence and dangers to the organization will be scarce." He said smoothly as if it was changing the window to get rid of draught.

And Ember thought about it. I wasn't even surprised anymore.

"No." She said at last. "The Order of St George is no longer an urgent problem. If we wipe them out all at once, Jade and other Shen Lung will know we are up to something."

"Are we up to something?" I could not stop myself from that remark. Ember only sent me an annoyed look and continued.

"Besides. The commander of the Order of St George is... important for me. I cannot risk any harm happening to him because of me." She said and I thought I saw the Archivist reacting, but old bastard was too good concealing his emotions for me to gauge what it could have meant.

"Seriously Ember? You would just send Vipers to wipe out the last of the soldiers of St George? Now, when they are practically defenceless and you have just signed an agreement to help them?" I didn't care, what the others would think about it. This was not Ember's way. But her reaction was this new serene and inhuman smile.

"I've refused. But I am responsible for safety of many dragons and humans within Talon, and must weight all options also the... unpalatable ones." She mused in this creepily detached calculating way.

"Which reminds me, that we didn't sign the agreement. Commander Sebastian and his escort left to review the new agreement. They are coming tomorrow to get it signed." She frowned.

"And then we strike." Roth said. Bastard was acting as if they've been pals since forever. Completely at ease and confident.

Ember pinned him with hard stare for contradicting her but he continued.

"Commander Sebastian will come here and thus be out of harm's way, when we wipe out the rest of the Order."

I shot to my feet. "No way! Ember, Garret will never forgive you this! He will fucking bring the world down to avenge this treason on our side. Shen Lung is his friend, this is just stupid!" I would not listen to this, damn it.

Ember was silent for a while and then turned to Mr Roth and said. "Vipers oppose accepting assignments. They claim, that in light of our treaty with the Order, assassinations are violation of the terms and I think, they fear, that we will throw them under the bus, sending them out to kill only to send Order after them for that."

"Don't worry ma'am. We have different... means." Adam Roth said.

"You cannot mean to attack the Order of St George!" I said when Mr Roth and the Archivist left the CEO office.

Ember looked at me amused. "What makes you think so?"

"It's the point if no return Firebrand. You betray the soldier who's risked everything for you, who died for you. What happened with you?!" I thought of everything that could explain this sudden change in Ember's values and priorities, but the only thing, that I could think about was, that she have been pretending all this time. Played us, me, the soldiers of St George, everyone to get to this point. To get help to avoid fate as Elder Wyrm's vessel, defeat her mother and brother and become the CEO of Talon. And ruler of the rest of the world seemed to be the next step for her endless ambition.

"What haven't happened to me?" Was her answer, but for once she looked unsure, the look that contradicted haughty reply. I decided to take advantage of this rare vulnerability, even though I was still angry about the mating thing.

I stepped close to her and gripped her arms looking into her eyes.

"You can tell me Firebrand. I will help you, you don't have to be with this all alone. If soldier and you had a fight, these things happen. But you loved him once, so much you was ready to die for him. Wiping out all his men might feel nice now, but once you get over whatever this is, you'll never find peace." Ember looked at me with wide eyes and I pulled her into a hug. She clung to me and sighed loudly before she pulled away.

"You cannot help and I am not the same Ember who would have died for Garret or anybody. But I see that keeping you by my side against your will is... beneath me. You may leave Cobalt. I promise you that I am in no danger. I want you to be free." Her face shrank and I felt great effort this have cost her. This was my chance, something have softened my Sallith'tahn's heart. But this wasn't that easy.

"You force me to do things against my will but being close to you is not one of them. I want to be with you. I need to be with you." I said truthfully and she looked away.

"If you stay... you are going to hate me. I... I don't want that. You have left once, you can do this again. Just... Please stay until next meeting with the Order. I cannot face Garret without you."

I believed her. I almost hated her already. But I could not imagine leaving just like that. Whatever happened between us during mating made her the center of my universe. Yet the pregnant dragonells, the other ex-rouges even the remaining soldiers of St George needed me.

"Thank you." I said sincerely. "I will leave after the treaty gets signed." I said and left the office to test how much freedom I really had, now that me and my life mate were at peace with each other.

Next morning I woke up feeling strangely happy. As if Ember releasing me worked some magic on my mood. Ember slept peacefully for the first night in weeks, so I left her to it and went to grab late breakfast at a pub few blocks away.

I didn't want to give Talon anything on my hatchlings' and the rest of underground whereabouts, so I refrained from contacting them. But I decided to go to HQ and say my goodbyes to the Archivist and Rose. We might be enemies next time we met, my heart ached at what this implied about Ember, but denial usually only made things worse.

It took me ages to find a box of chocolates fancy enough to be worthy of Rose. And after delightful chat with her, when she also asked me to see the Archivist before I left, I went to his temporary office. He was alone and he asked me to come in and dit down, before he said without any introduction.

"In two hours Garret is going to meet with Ember to sign a treaty granting the Order compensation and help from Talon. The thing is, there will be no Order to receive these, because Talon is launching Fire and Fang Final attack as soon as Commander's presence in HQ is confirmed." He said and sent me an impassive look. "Where is Mist?" He asked surprising me even more. I thought he knew everything. I thought she told him everything.

"She is in Europe." I said. "Talon is going to crash the Order in two hours? How long have you known you old bastard?" I was crestfallen and confused. "Does Ember know?"

"I have just found out, it cost me great effort as Adam Roth has his own crew of loyal dragons and people, which he has almost completely purged of my spies." He said gravely. "And Ember was the one, who orchestrated this." My thoughts were racing. Something in the Archivist's posture made me think, that this is all the help I can expect from him. And did I need help? To do what? I hated the Order of St George! Except for Garret they were nothing to me. But then I hated Talon more. The way it seemed to take anything good and twist it until it was unrecognisable. The way it changed Ember...

I saw the soldier walking through the lobby and I waited just inside the gates. He looked at me and smiled this easy smile, that I swear he'd stolen from me. "Riley, good to see you."

"Good to see you too St George, coming alone?"

"Yes, the others were... busy. And it's all about singing a piece of paper." He said shaking my outstretched hand. We approached an elevator but I directed him towards the staircase instead.

I needed time.

"Sixtyseven floors Riley?" He asked doubtful but followed.

"Talon is attacking western chapterhouse as we speak." I decided to start with the most important news. His eyes widened at the news.

"Ember us behind this." I answered before he could ask. If we leave now we could get there before they are done. I can give you a lift, learn a trick or two." I said trying to let him on the plan I was concocting for last one and a half hour. "Sorry kid, but I've just found out myself." I added defensively.

I couldn't read Garret, his face became a stone mask as he said. "Let's take the elevator" and exited through the door on the next landing.

I could barely keep up with him as he stormed into the meeting room and went straight for Ember with words. "What the hell us wrong with you?! You order to ambush and kill same people, that you've just been defending from similar attack? At expense of lives of Riley's hatchlings? What for Ember?!" Anger and plea warred in his outburst. "This is not you Ember!" He said and reached for her hand. Which she did not pull away. As their hands met I felt a ripple of energy and Ember's eyes rolled back in her head as she fell to the floor. Soldier went down to his knees beside her snd picked her limp body up in his arms. "Ember?" He sounded scared now. Two Gilas appeared in the doorway ready to tackle him, but I was faster. I kneeled beside him and took Ember from him. Her eyes shot open.

"Garret" She focused on him. "I don't ever want to see you again. There's an attack going on at Western chapterhouse. And you may go , but I'd advise you to stay away until it's over." She paused, Garret's eyes were full of anger and pleading impossible combination, making even my heart ache. "Next time I see you I'll get you killed." She urged and the soldier stood up and slowly backed out if the room not once looking away from her before he was at the threshold. Then his face became a mask again as he turned on his heel and strode off with fast pace.

"Ember watched him enthralled and tears shone in her eyes, but as soon as he was out of sight she turned to me. "Go with him. Watch him for me." She urged and stood up. "Go." She pushed me and I went after the soldier.

"Hold the elevator!" I shouted and he did.

Inside I pressed reset and chose to ride up to the highest floor. "To the roof St George, otherwise there'll be nothing but cinders once we arrive." I said trying to sound more hopeful than I felt.

He looked at me with unreadable expression and nodded.

Once on the roof I shifted and shielded as Mist and Nettle taught me disappearing from minds of everyone who could lay an eye on me.

Snd I was not at all surprised that the soldier clearly could see me. I laid down the spikes of the frill running down my spine as he climbed onto my back and settled between my wings.

"Hold on tight, it's going to be wild." I told him before I leapt into the stinking hot afternoon air, heavy from car exhaust and other pollution perpetually hanging over any place where any humans lived closely side by side.

I circled once for the hell of it before I leapt again, this time through spacetime. I suckled at it, but it made me faster anyway.