Above me, the trunk soared into the air until it joined the canopy far overhead. вЂњWellвЂ¦вЂќ I sighed, leaning back against a thick, gnarled tree. I took a few sips, then handed the container to Garret, who accepted it with a nod of thanks. After stripping off my rucksack, I rummaged in the pocket and pulled out a canteen, feeling the heat and humidity pulsing from my skin. Riley, rather than standing back, joined him, and together they started slicing through the tangle in short order. The trail ahead had been blocked by a tangle of vines and branches, so with a quick вЂњOne moment, please,вЂќ he went to work hacking through the undergrowth. The guide, tall and rawboned and carrying a machete much like RileyвЂ™s, suddenly paused. Not a great one, but it would level the playing field a bit. We needed all the allies we could get, and if this lead turned out to be real, then it just might give us a chance. Whether we liked it or not, the war with Talon had come, and the organization was poised to unleash destruction upon everything we cared about. I knew Garret felt the same about the Order. In the end, Riley had agreed, but I could tell he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible and return to the network heвЂ™d left behind. Riley had been extremely reluctant to leave his underground, consenting only when Wes and Jade both told him to go, that they would take care of the hatchlings and the rogues. RileyвЂ™s underground-his network of rogues and the hatchlings whoвЂ™d escaped Talon-was in danger, too, as the organization was systematically eliminating every dragon who didnвЂ™t conform to Talon. Garret wasnвЂ™t the only one to leave people behind. Though the rogue was putting up a good front, he was worried, too. Ahead of us, Riley followed our guide down a narrow, winding trail that could barely be called a path, cutting through vines and undergrowth with machete in hand. And where were we? Tromping through the deepest, darkest parts of the Amazon jungle, fighting bugs and vines and heat exhaustion, searching for something that should not exist. Talon stood unopposed to do whatever horrible thing they were planning. The Order, what was left of it, was in shambles. George, striking a devastating blow against their greatest enemies, nearly destroying them completely. They had already used that army to wipe out the Order of St. Across a continent, a war was brewing.Д«ack in the States, Talon was on the move, and though we didnвЂ™t know their plans, we did know they had a massive clone army, a huge force of dragons bred for war, programmed to follow orders without fail. But I knew his thoughts were back home, with the Order and the people weвЂ™d left behind.

Not for us and our situation, though as always he remained hypervigilant and alert to our surroundings. Lately, I didnвЂ™t even have to look at him to know where he was his presence, both in my thoughts and in the world around me, became more prominent with every passing day. I could sense him-the steady rise and fall of his breath, the heartbeat thumping quietly beneath his jacket.

I couldnвЂ™t see him without turning, but I knew he was there. Behind me, Garret moved like a shadow, making virtually no sound as he glided through the undergrowth. Insects droned in my ears, in the trees, everywhere around us-a constant, high-pitched buzz that faded into background noise unless you concentrated on it. My clothes-the olive drab shirt, cargo pants, even the socks in my combat boots -were damp with sweat, and tying my hair back did not prevent it from hanging in my eyes and sticking to my forehead. It felt as if I was walking, and breathing, through a wet, heavy blanket. Normally, heat didnвЂ™t bother me, but the humidity level beneath the canopy had been cranked up to like two hundred percent. Tramping through the jungle for hours on end was not my idea of a good time.

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