by Sarah Noffke
Sophia’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe it might be that simple.
“Of course,” Wilder exclaimed from the pit, having overheard. “Like their soul stones for the barrier. They can’t use magic, or not much of it, so they rely on mortal methods.”
Sophia glanced over her shoulder at Wilder and gave him a speculative glare. “I hope you’ll explain that and more later.”
“You know I will, madam,” he sang with a smile.
Sophia returned her attention to the little girl. “Will you tell me where the button is?”
A grin spread on the girl’s face. “I’ll do even better. I’ll climb up there and press it for you. That way, you can get out of here with your friend before they come back.”
The tension in Sophia’s chest eased. “Thank you.” She glanced at Simi beside her. “Will you go with her since it’s through the trees? Just to ensure that she’s safe. I realize you can’t get close to the tower due to the wards they put on it to keep the dragons from freeing each other.”
“Yes, of course.” Simi strode forward and lowered her head to look at the girl. “I’ll accompany you and protect you if we meet any danger.”
The girl beamed, totally in awe of the white dragon. “Thank you. That would be awesome.”
The native turned and hurried back into the forest with the white dragon beside her.
Sophia suddenly felt relief flood her. They were going to free Wilder and get away. Everything was coming together.
“Oh, it’s you again,” a gravelly voice said at her back. “This time, you’re not getting away alive.”
Chapter Sixty-Four
Evan focused all his attention on the electrified waterspout and used it to block the demon dragonrider as he flew toward him. It served as a barrier to stop the flying dragon as it veered around to get to Evan.
The watery twister’s width mixed with the electricity radiating off it spurred on by the mist all around the column made it incredibly risky to try and pass it, even from a distance. The redhead must have sensed this because he hesitated several times and retreated when the waterspout jumped to the side or forward and threatened him.
The demon dragonrider lifted his hand but hesitated, probably realizing that Evan would simply use the waterspout to absorb another lightning attack. The inexperienced dragonrider was out of options, and they both knew it. Evan had to hold him off or take him out. He hoped that the dragonrider retreated to the other island because what they also both might know was that Evan couldn’t maintain his creation for long. Soon his magic would run out, and he’d be in trouble.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Sophia tensed, recognizing the voice at her back. She turned to find Lunis striking a defensive stance as he faced off with the black dragon who stood beside Tanner, the demon dragonrider she’d met in the desert.
Wilder sighed. “Kick Shorty in the head for me, would you? I promise it won’t make him any dumber. That would be impossible.”
Sophia tightened her hand around her sword, which was still in her hands. Tanner held a flask in one hand and a weapon she recognized in his other. It was Wilder’s sword.
Sophia took a step forward and hoped that Tanner didn’t notice the little native child climbing the tower behind her in the trees. She was instantly grateful that she’d sent Simi with the girl. If anything happened to her when she was helping them, it would break Sophia’s heart.
“What did you do with the others?” Tanner looked around for his fellow demon dragonriders.
“She killed them,” Wilder said before Sophia had a chance to reply. “Now it’s your turn, Little Bit. Hope you have a shoebox coffin picked out.”
“Yeah, right,” Tanner said with a fake laugh that betrayed his insecurity as he looked around.
Sophia took another step forward and to the side, hoping to keep Tanner’s attention on her and not what was happening behind her.
Lunis and the black dragon, Coal, were still doing their face-off dance as they sidestepped around each other with their heads low and threatening expressions on their faces. The other dragon was much smaller than Lunis and one that Sophia knew he distinctly didn’t like since his time with him on the Gullington after he hatched.
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” she warned the demon dragonrider.
Tanner laughed and shook his head. “What do you mean? I don’t have to end you? Yeah, I’m afraid it does. Then I’ll take out this guy who can’t keep his mouth shut.”
Sophia could only guess that Wilder had made this guy livid with many witty insults. She shook her head. “We both know that if you challenge me, you won’t survive. I get that you’re new to our world, but you can change your mind. You can choose to be better.”
Tanner narrowed his eyes. “And what, be like you? Yeah, right. That would bore me to death.”
“Then I say give it a real honest try,” Wilder teased. “I’d like to see if such things can cause your death. Really, I’d like to see your death.”
Sophia knew what Wilder was doing. He was stalling, hoping that the native girl got to the button and released him before the fight started. She didn’t need him fighting for her though, although she could guess how bad he wanted to return the bruises.
“I’ll get to you in a minute,” Tanner informed Wilder bitterly. “First, I’m going to teach this little girl a lesson. This is the last time you’ll stand before me so casually. Next time, if there is one, you’ll grovel for mercy at my feet.”
Sophia shook her head and pulled Inexorabilis up.
“Oh dear, Tanner. You are asking for it.” Wilder whistled. “You’ll look even uglier after she’s done with you.”
Chapter Sixty-Six
Sophia knew better than to make the first move. In battles such as these, it was always better to let the other, lesser opponent strike first because then their flaws in assaults could be observed and used against them.
However, before Tanner could attack her, Coal made the first move.
Sophia guessed that much like Wilder, Lunis insulted the black dragon and encouraged the assault. She held her breath as the first moves transpired between the two dragons.
Coal whipped around and swung his spiked tail in Lunis’ direction. However, the blue dragon was fast. He reacted immediately and ducked before the blow could connect with his large head. The attack had instantly put Coal at a disadvantage with his back turned toward Lunis. He was slower to turn, especially for his size, which was half that of Lunis. That might’ve been the reason Coal made the first move, thinking he’d get the advantage. Sadly for the smaller dragon, what happened next could have been fatal for him.
Lunis had swung his horn-lined head down to avoid Coal’s tail. Now he used the momentum to bring it back around and ram it into his side. The force lifted the black dragon off its feet and slammed it into a nearby tree.
“Coal!” Tanner yelled but was drowned out by a roar as the black dragon rolled over to his feet and ran at Lunis, apparently undeterred by the assault.
Sophia tensed, worried for her dragon and his injured leg. However, he lifted that very same front leg in a swift movement and swiped it through the air as Coal drove at him, his legs extended as though he planned to roll on top of him and wrestle him to the ground. The black dragon never got a chance because Lunis’ clawed foot connected with Coal’s face, dragged across it, and again batted him to the side with ease. The black dragon rolled over several times before slamming into a tree where he lay, alive but deterred from attempting another assault.
Tanner’s gaze shifted from his dragon to Sophia, who he regarded with pure vengeance. “Now you’re going to pay for that.”
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Tanner dropped the flask, grabbed the sword's hilt in both hands, and lunged at Sophia using a stabbing motion. She almost laughed at the attempt because he looked like a child playing with a plastic sword.
She easily deflected the assault and stealthily slid to the side. Tanner’s momen
tum took him past her and Sophia spun, lifted her elbow, and brought it down on his back, crushing him straight to the ground.
Tanner fell flat on his chest and the sword clattered from his grip as he ate dirt. Sophia lifted her foot and ground her boot into his back, holding him down as he attempted to rise. He wasn’t very strong, and his efforts were again laughable.
“I told you that you’d regret challenging her,” Wilder called from the pit.
“This isn’t over,” Tanner growled through a mouthful of dirt while trying to wriggle free of Sophia’s foot. “I won’t be beaten by a girl.”
“You should feel honored to be defeated by that girl,” Wilder remarked. “She’s tougher than most men I know.”
Sophia winked at Wilder in the pit, grabbed her sword’s hilt in a reverse grip, and slammed the tip into the dirt inches from where Tanner’s face lay pinned to the ground. He tensed. “I think we need to come to a new understanding before someone gets hurt.”
“Or pees on himself,” Lunis commented beside her, obviously enjoying the show.
“We don’t have to battle each other,” Sophia began. “The Rogue Riders can exist on this planet with us, but we won’t allow you to take lands that don’t belong to you. We won’t allow—”
“Sophia! Watch out!” Wilder yelled as a blinding force slammed into Sophia’s back and launched her over Tanner and to the ground, where Coal rolled over her and pinned her down.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Coal must have taken advantage of all eyes being on Sophia and Tanner and snuck back into the battle. That was one rule that no good dragon or rider would do. First, one didn’t attack a person when their back was to them. Second, dragons didn’t attack single riders when their dragon was there. It was common knowledge that dragons fought dragons and riders each other, or they fought as pairs when they were riding. But again, the Rogue Riders didn’t have the same moral code.
Sophia’s back seared with excruciating pain as Coal’s claws sank into her shoulder. She wasn’t wearing her special armor made by Jeremy Bearimy, and she instantly regretted it.
The dragon crushed her chest when they’d rolled over each other, and he presently rested all his weight on the paw bearing down on her as his hot breath hit the side of her head. Similar to Tanner, she was facedown with her cheek pressed into the dirt.
She was having trouble breathing and choked as the black dragon growled next to her face.
Unlike Coal, who would attack with his enemy’s back turned, Lunis wouldn’t stoop to that level even if they had. The Dragon Elite’s motto was to choose respect, even if the villains didn’t.
There was a guttural scream. A tearing noise. The sounds of wings swooshing through the air.
Sophia felt a rush of air and jerked her chin up to find the most peculiar sight. Lunis stood majestically in front of where she lay pinned, and Tanner hung upside down in his clutches with his head dangling inches from the ground. Her dragon had chosen the higher moral ground, but that didn’t mean he’d let Coal’s actions slide.
“Let her go, or I crush him!” Lunis ordered as his eyes flashed red. “And then I crush you, Coal.”
“How do I know that you’ll release him?” Coal’s voice was gravelly like Tanner’s and cold and deep as it resonated next to Sophia’s ear.
“Because I’m not soulless like you,” Lunis stated.
Suddenly there was a grinding noise near Sophia’s face, and she craned her head enough to see the netting rolling back. Wilder reacted instantly and clambered his way out of the pit.
“Let her go!” Tanner begged his dragon. “Let’s get out of here!”
On the heels of his words, Simi dropped from overhead and landed next to her rider with her wings spread.
“Come on!” Tanner yelled while swinging back and forth. “Hurry!”
Apparently deciding that Lunis and the Dragon Elite had the upper hand, Coal’s weight lifted off Sophia as he backed up. She didn’t move but did take in a breath, feeling the many claw marks on her back that made every move excruciating.
Sensing her pain, Lunis tossed Tanner some fifteen feet away from them where he, like his dragon earlier, crashed into a tree.
With great effort, Sophia rolled over to witness as Coal swooped through the air and landed next to Tanner, who quickly crawled onto his back. The pair immediately took flight, and Tanner looked over his shoulder with pure fear in his eyes as they retreated to the Rogue Rider’s headquarters where he’d be safe…for a little while.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Sophia and the others couldn’t have rescued Wilder one second later, or Evan would have been in real trouble. His and Coral’s magic couldn’t hold the waterspout any longer. That’s why instant relief flooded him when Lunis informed Coral that Wilder was free and they’d be returning to the Gullington right away.
A victorious laugh fell from Evan’s mouth as he allowed the electrified waterspout to fall, unfortunately not coming close to the green dragon and redhead. With the obstacle down, they raced forward, obviously wanting a beating. It would have to wait though because Evan knew better than to fight with diabolical madmen when his magical reserves were almost zero.
Real dragonriders knew when to fight and when to retreat. There would be another day to teach this guy a lesson. This battle was over, but the war was far from it.
Evan swiftly opened a portal to their home with the last of his magical reserves which he’d stored knowing he’d need a way to get back. He and Coral flew through, then closed it immediately. He leaned low and petted Coral’s side with a renewed appreciation for the magical creature he’d love for all his life. Evan couldn’t imagine not respecting her. And after this battle, he was even more grateful for how she never let them down.
That was the way of the Dragon Elite. They cared for the world because at their very core, they cared for each other—for themselves.
Chapter Seventy
There was a chorus of “Are you okay” as Sophia hurried in Wilder’s direction and he rushed for her. He threw his arms around her and pressed her in tightly, then reflexively pulled away as if afraid he’d further hurt the many wounds on her back. Between their breaths and rush of words, Sophia had also heard the dragons asking the same questions of their riders, but the two magicians only had attention for each other at that moment.
Sophia pulled away slightly and cupped Wilder’s cheeks in her hands while inspecting the many bruises. “Are you really okay?”
He nodded with a tender expression on his face. “But you’re not. We have to get you back. Those wounds are deep.”
She shook her head but stepped back a little more. “I’m fine, and we’re not quite done here yet.”
“He’s right,” Lunis interjected, his voice stern. “Dragon attacks are bad news and can be much more serious than you suspect. Often they’re laced with poison depending on the dragon and how deep.”
“I know that.” Sophia turned to look at the blue dragon. “Thank you. You were brilliant.”
He lowered his head and regarded her with a slightly sentimental expression. “You know that I’d do anything for you. I shouldn’t have had my back to that coward of a dragon.”
“You thought he was incapacitated,” Sophia argued. “And we wouldn’t have guessed that Coal would take advantage like that.”
“Well, we won’t underestimate the Rogue Riders and their lack of moral fortitude again.” Wilder walked over to Simi and brushed a thoughtful hand over his dragon’s neck. “Thanks for staying close and calling these guys.”
Simi lowered her head and regarded him with pure love and respect. “You’re welcome.”
“Speaking of the jerks,” Lunis started, looking forward where the waterspouts had been but were gone, “Evan says he got rid of the others away and is headed back to the Gullington. He’s depleted his magic.”
“He was amazing,” Sophia noted.
Wilder sighed. “We’re going to hear about it…forever…over and over
again.”
Sophia chuckled and nodded. “If they’re gone, I wonder if there are any more Rogue Riders here.”
“There aren’t,” the small voice of the native child said at their back. She’d snuck up on them again.
Sophia spun, a little disappointed that she’d momentarily forgotten about the little girl who’d assisted them. There had been so much going on.
“Thank you so much for your help.” Sophia smiled at the child. She wanted to kneel and offer her hand but knew it wasn’t wise with her injuries.
“Yes, thank you so much.” Wilder grinned wide although it had to have hurt with the many cuts and bruises on his face. “You were amazing.”
The girl beamed. “I knew I could climb to the top of the tower.”
“So you say there aren’t any more of those demon dragonriders here on the island?” Sophia asked.
The girl shook her head, her long, stringy hair swaying with the movement. “No, there were only four. They were waiting until tonight when we were all supposed to be gone. Then I overheard that more of them would come to join them and they’d build a full camp.”
Sophia looked at Wilder urgently. “Can you help me create a barrier? Something that will keep the Rogue Riders out of here temporarily until we can make something stronger and properly defend this place?”
“I’m already on it,” a familiar voice said from the trees as Mahkah strode forward, looking fresh and very clean compared to Sophia and Wilder.
“Mahkah!” Sophia exclaimed. “How did you know? Where did you come from?”
“Evan arrived at the Gullington and informed me,” Mahkah explained. “He believed the island was empty of the Rogue Riders for the moment but that you two would have your magic depleted. So I got here as fast as I could with Tala, following Evan’s directions. There is a barrier in place, and I’ll stay to help the villagers return to their homes, providing a diplomat they can trust.”