“I’ve never fit in anywhere, well, anywhere normal. My life has always been dictated by my dad, and where he thought we should go.

The only difference is…you do all the things I never allowed myself to do. Things I never thought I wanted.” I looked into her brilliant green eyes, and smiled ruefully. “I didn’t know what I was missing, until I met you.”

Ember’s gaze went searingly bright. Dropping her bear, she scooted forward and straddled my waist on the bench, a move that would’ve normally set off all my alarms, but I had given up on normal a while ago. I wrapped my arms around her small form, holding her tight, letting the heat of her body melt through the last of my armor, dissolving the logic of not getting close. The soldier was still warning me not to do this. The soldier was still reminding me that she was a potential target and nothing else. I ignored him. I was getting good at ignoring him, but today was different. This wasn’t me convincing myself I was still following the mission; I knew that was a lie. My emotions had finally gotten the better of me, and I was with Ember because I wanted to be here. Tonight, I didn’t care. I’d been a soldier every day for the past seventeen years. Just this once, I wanted to know what it was like…to live.

Ember peered down at me, her hands resting on my shoulders, soft fingers gently brushing my neck. Her stare was awed, as if she couldn’t quite believe this was real, that it was really happening. I knew, because I was feeling the same.

“Kiss me,” I whispered. Make me forget, for a night, that this isn’t real. Make me believe that this could be my life. That I’m not betraying everything I know to be here, to feel like this.

Ember bent down. Her lips touched mine, and my doubts vanished.

The soldier disappeared. Everything disappeared, except her. I felt nothing but her hands on my skin, her lips, her body pressed against me. I kissed her until I was consumed with her, searing this moment into my consciousness, driving away the soldier and St. George and everything about the war. I would get back to it tomorrow. Tonight, I wanted to be normal.

Tonight, Garret the soldier didn’t exist.

Riley

Two dragons were sitting in my living room when I walked through the door.

I frowned at Wes, who was hovering in the foyer waiting for me.

“What happened?” I snapped, looking past him to the pair of teens on my couch. Hatchlings, both of them, looking scared, dirty, and exhausted as they huddled together on the floral cushions. Naomi, or Nettle as she was called by nearly everyone, was a dark, thin girl with dreadlocks that stuck out in every direction. Remy, a sandy haired kid with piercing blue eyes, peered at me over the chair back, solemn and grave.

Wes shrugged helplessly.

“I can’t get them to talk, mate. They said they were waiting for you.”

Sighing, I stalked to the kitchen, opened a cupboard, and yanked out two bags of chips. Walking back to the living room, I tossed them at the hatchlings, who caught the bags and stared at me, unsure of what to do.

“Eat something first,” I ordered. Hatchlings were, by definition, almost always hungry, as their metabolism required large amounts of food to keep active and healthy. Shifting, too, took huge amounts of energy, which was why we were always ravenous soon after a change.

And a hungry dragon was a nervous, restless, irritable dragon, something I did not need right now. If I was going to get to the bottom of this, I needed them calm.

“It’s fine,” I assured them, as they still hesitated. “Go ahead and eat. Knock yourselves out, really. We’ll talk afterwards.”

Clearly starving, they tore open the bags and plowed through the contents, barely stopping to chew. I left them demolishing the chips and wandered onto the deck, leaning my elbows against the railing.

Damn. Something was definitely up. Nettle and Remy shouldn’t be here. I’d left them both at a safe house in Boulder, Colorado, high in the mountains. What had driven them to find me? Something serious. Something that had caused my other safe houses to disappear.

It was probably a good thing they’d showed up when they did. Maybe now I could figure out what the hell was going on.

I sighed, looking straight down from the balcony. Far below, the ocean crashed against the rocks, and the salt-laced air tugged at my hair and clothes. Frowning, I scrubbed a hand over my eyes, trying to dissolve the memories that flickered to life, again. Now was not the time to think about them, but it was no use. For some reason, every time I smelled the ocean, heard the crashing waves, and felt the wind on my face, I thought of her. Of Ember and that brief night of flying the waves. Of racing a fiery red hatchling who called to my dragon, igniting an inferno within. I didn’t understand it. Ember as a human was young, naive, stubborn, and impulsive. Ember in her true form was all of those things, but also fearless, defiant, and beautiful.

I shook my head, pushing myself back from the railing. This was crazy. I couldn’t be distracted now. Ember was beginning to come around, but things were moving too slowly for my liking. I should’ve told her everything about Talon this afternoon. Unfortunately, I would have to deal with this new problem before I did anything else.

“Riley.” Wes poked his head out the doorframe. “I think they’re ready for you, mate.”

Pushing Ember from my mind, I stalked back into the living room.

Nettle and Remy perched nervously on the sofa, two empty chip bags crumpled on the end tables. Wes had apparently gotten them drinks as well, as a pair of open sodas sat dripping on the polished wood.