But Viper. Talon’s most elite operatives. Officially, the Vipers were called in as a last resort, a final gamble when everything else had failed. And, of course, they were occasionally dispatched to hunt down rogues and deserters and return them to the organization. That was the official story, anyway. That was why going rogue was as fu-tile as it was dangerous; you stood no chance against a Viper, once it was on your trail. They never gave up once they took a mission.
Was that my calling now? Hunting down my own kind, forcing them back to an organization that was slowly stifling me? It didn’t seem right. Though I had no idea what else the Vipers actually did.
Surely they didn’t just hunt down runaways. But when I’d asked Scary Talon Lady about it, she’d just laughed and said that wasn’t my concern just yet. That everything would reveal itself at the right time.
I needed to talk to someone. Garret had been a knee jerk reaction because I was upset and not thinking clearly, but he couldn’t help me with Talon problems. I needed another dragon, someone who understood what I was going through. And I knew of only one person who fit that description.
I pulled out my phone as I ditched the bike in the yard and climbed the steps to the house. My heart thumped loudly as I pulled up his number, my thumb hovering over the call button.
Still staring at the screen, I opened the front door, and crashed right into Dante, leaving the house.
“Oof. Ow. Again,” he complained, taking a step back and rubbing his chin, where he’d banged it against the top of my skull. “Geez, it’s like walking into a bowling ball. But I always knew you were hard-headed.”
“Funny.” He was acting normal again, like nothing was wrong. but I was tired of pretending, and stepped aside to let him pass. “I guess it’s better to have a head like a bowling ball than no balls at all.”
“Geez, below the belt, sis.” His forehead creased as he peered down at me. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Besides, what do you care?” He wasn’t moving, so I tried sidling around him into the house. “Don’t you have things Talon wants you to do? Sucking up, brown nosing, that sort of thing?”
“Okaaay, someone is in a mood.” I slipped past him, but instead of leaving he followed me into the living room. His tone turned suspicious. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?.”
“Would you listen?” I challenged, staring at him over the kitchen counter. “Or would you just sell me out to Talon if I said something wrong?”
A hurt, angry expression crossed his face. “All right, that’s it,” he growled. Striding into the kitchen, he leaned over the counter and lowered his voice, speaking in a harsh whisper. “When have I ever not listened to you, Ember?” he demanded. “You keep telling me I’m not on your side, but this whole time, I’ve done nothing but look out for you, lied to our guardians for you, looked the other way when you broke the rules. I lied for you when you went out flying, I covered for us at the party, and I didn’t mention I saw you talking to that rogue.
I haven’t even said anything about you and Garret.”
I jerked, startled. “How—?”
“Lexi told me.” Dante’s voice was grim. “And it sucked, having to hear it from her and not you. You used to tell me everything.”
He sounded genuinely hurt, and my anger wavered. Maybe I was being unfair. As far as I could tell, Dante hadn’t informed Talon that Riley was back. He had covered for me at the party, and he’d never breathed a word about my illegal midnight flight with Cobalt.
Maybe he was just scared. Maybe he was looking out for me the only way he knew how.
“You accuse me of keeping secrets,” Dante went on angrily, “but you’re the one who’s hiding things. I don’t care what you do with the humans, Ember. We’re supposed to fit in and learn their ways, make them think that we’re one of them. As long as we remember that we’re not. And someday, all humans will know it.”
I jerked up. “Is that what your trainer told you?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
I turned on him, narrowing my eyes. “Where did they put you?”
I demanded. I was tired of beating around the bush, tired of secrets, from both sides. I needed answers, and I hoped I could still count on my twin to come through for me. Dante blinked, confused, and I pressed the advantage. “Faction, Dante. What are you? Where did Talon decide to put you?”
He paused, and for a second I thought he wouldn’t answer, stating that he couldn’t talk about it. But, after a moment, he leaned against the counter with a sigh.
“Chameleon.”
I slumped. “Yeah, I thought so. It suits you.” I could see Dante in a business suit, smiling and talking to people of power, completely in his element. “You’re sure to fit right in.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dante said, frowning. “It’s an important calling.” His green eyes flashed as he stared at me. “Why, where did they put you? Monitor? Gila? Somewhere that hot temper won’t burn everyone around you?”
“Viper.”
The blood drained from his face. His eyes widened, and he took a step back, his red hair a sudden shocking contrast to his white face.
“Viper?” he almost whispered, making my heart skip a beat. “They put you with the Vipers?”
I nodded, a chill going down my spine. Of all the possible reactions, I hadn’t expected that. “My trainer told me this morning,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.” Or at least, the times I wasn’t with Garret. I snorted and crossed my arms, trying to hide my growing fear. “Of course, they never asked me what I wanted, if I even wanted to become a Viper. Why should they decide what’s best for me? If this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life, shouldn’t I get some sort of say in it?”
Dante was still staring at me with a faint look of horror on his face, and my resolve grew. “There has to be a mistake,” I insisted.
“They must’ve analyzed me wrong, screwed up the system or something. I don’t want to become a Viper. I don’t want to hunt down our own kind and drag them back to Talon. Because that’s what they do, right? If I were to run—” Dante’s horrified look intensified “—they would send a Viper to bring me back.”
My twin still wasn’t answering. I slumped to the counter, feeling cool marble against my heated skin, and closed my eyes. “I can’t do it,” I growled. “This is all wrong.” Opening my eyes, I gave Dante a pleading look, willing him to understand, to be my brother again.
Was that my calling now? Hunting down my own kind, forcing them back to an organization that was slowly stifling me? It didn’t seem right. Though I had no idea what else the Vipers actually did.
Surely they didn’t just hunt down runaways. But when I’d asked Scary Talon Lady about it, she’d just laughed and said that wasn’t my concern just yet. That everything would reveal itself at the right time.
I needed to talk to someone. Garret had been a knee jerk reaction because I was upset and not thinking clearly, but he couldn’t help me with Talon problems. I needed another dragon, someone who understood what I was going through. And I knew of only one person who fit that description.
I pulled out my phone as I ditched the bike in the yard and climbed the steps to the house. My heart thumped loudly as I pulled up his number, my thumb hovering over the call button.
Still staring at the screen, I opened the front door, and crashed right into Dante, leaving the house.
“Oof. Ow. Again,” he complained, taking a step back and rubbing his chin, where he’d banged it against the top of my skull. “Geez, it’s like walking into a bowling ball. But I always knew you were hard-headed.”
“Funny.” He was acting normal again, like nothing was wrong. but I was tired of pretending, and stepped aside to let him pass. “I guess it’s better to have a head like a bowling ball than no balls at all.”
“Geez, below the belt, sis.” His forehead creased as he peered down at me. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Besides, what do you care?” He wasn’t moving, so I tried sidling around him into the house. “Don’t you have things Talon wants you to do? Sucking up, brown nosing, that sort of thing?”
“Okaaay, someone is in a mood.” I slipped past him, but instead of leaving he followed me into the living room. His tone turned suspicious. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?.”
“Would you listen?” I challenged, staring at him over the kitchen counter. “Or would you just sell me out to Talon if I said something wrong?”
A hurt, angry expression crossed his face. “All right, that’s it,” he growled. Striding into the kitchen, he leaned over the counter and lowered his voice, speaking in a harsh whisper. “When have I ever not listened to you, Ember?” he demanded. “You keep telling me I’m not on your side, but this whole time, I’ve done nothing but look out for you, lied to our guardians for you, looked the other way when you broke the rules. I lied for you when you went out flying, I covered for us at the party, and I didn’t mention I saw you talking to that rogue.
I haven’t even said anything about you and Garret.”
I jerked, startled. “How—?”
“Lexi told me.” Dante’s voice was grim. “And it sucked, having to hear it from her and not you. You used to tell me everything.”
He sounded genuinely hurt, and my anger wavered. Maybe I was being unfair. As far as I could tell, Dante hadn’t informed Talon that Riley was back. He had covered for me at the party, and he’d never breathed a word about my illegal midnight flight with Cobalt.
Maybe he was just scared. Maybe he was looking out for me the only way he knew how.
“You accuse me of keeping secrets,” Dante went on angrily, “but you’re the one who’s hiding things. I don’t care what you do with the humans, Ember. We’re supposed to fit in and learn their ways, make them think that we’re one of them. As long as we remember that we’re not. And someday, all humans will know it.”
I jerked up. “Is that what your trainer told you?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
I turned on him, narrowing my eyes. “Where did they put you?”
I demanded. I was tired of beating around the bush, tired of secrets, from both sides. I needed answers, and I hoped I could still count on my twin to come through for me. Dante blinked, confused, and I pressed the advantage. “Faction, Dante. What are you? Where did Talon decide to put you?”
He paused, and for a second I thought he wouldn’t answer, stating that he couldn’t talk about it. But, after a moment, he leaned against the counter with a sigh.
“Chameleon.”
I slumped. “Yeah, I thought so. It suits you.” I could see Dante in a business suit, smiling and talking to people of power, completely in his element. “You’re sure to fit right in.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dante said, frowning. “It’s an important calling.” His green eyes flashed as he stared at me. “Why, where did they put you? Monitor? Gila? Somewhere that hot temper won’t burn everyone around you?”
“Viper.”
The blood drained from his face. His eyes widened, and he took a step back, his red hair a sudden shocking contrast to his white face.
“Viper?” he almost whispered, making my heart skip a beat. “They put you with the Vipers?”
I nodded, a chill going down my spine. Of all the possible reactions, I hadn’t expected that. “My trainer told me this morning,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.” Or at least, the times I wasn’t with Garret. I snorted and crossed my arms, trying to hide my growing fear. “Of course, they never asked me what I wanted, if I even wanted to become a Viper. Why should they decide what’s best for me? If this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life, shouldn’t I get some sort of say in it?”
Dante was still staring at me with a faint look of horror on his face, and my resolve grew. “There has to be a mistake,” I insisted.
“They must’ve analyzed me wrong, screwed up the system or something. I don’t want to become a Viper. I don’t want to hunt down our own kind and drag them back to Talon. Because that’s what they do, right? If I were to run—” Dante’s horrified look intensified “—they would send a Viper to bring me back.”
My twin still wasn’t answering. I slumped to the counter, feeling cool marble against my heated skin, and closed my eyes. “I can’t do it,” I growled. “This is all wrong.” Opening my eyes, I gave Dante a pleading look, willing him to understand, to be my brother again.
