by Sarah Noffke
Sophia suddenly felt so relieved she wanted to cry. “Evan has gone above and beyond today.”
Wilder rolled his eyes. “It’ll be a very long night of boastful speeches, I’m afraid.”
Sophia slid up next to him and enjoyed his warmth. She’d missed it so much. “He deserves it, and we can endure it for one night.”
“You two return to the Gullington,” Mahkah directed with confidence. “I’ll take care of things from here.”
Sophia nodded, waved to the little girl, then to her fellow dragonrider as Wilder created a portal to outside the Gullington. “Thank you, Mahkah.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re both okay.”
Chapter Seventy-One
It had never felt so good to be home. Sophia laid on the couch in Hiker’s office. She’d slept most of the day, and although it was still hard to move due to her injuries, she already felt measurably better.
Mama Jamba sat beside her on the leather couch, curled up as usual. The old woman flipped through a travel magazine and licked her fingers as she turned the pages.
Stationed behind his desk with his eyes on Ainsley’s back was Hiker. The elf looked out the window and studied the Pond in the distance as the sun rose higher in the clear skies.
Perched around the office were the other three dragonriders. Much like Sophia, Wilder’s injuries were still evident, marking his face, but he was also much better. The Gullington’s magic was quickly healing him.
“Are you rested up?” Ainsley turned to Wilder and looked him over. She’d already inquired into Sophia’s wellness when she delivered her breakfast that morning. It was nice to have the elf back in the Castle and tending to things because she wanted to, rather than because she thought it was her job…when it wasn’t.
He nodded. “Yeah, I slept for what felt like ages. Had the strangest dreams.”
“Yes, the dreams are always the weirdest when recovering in the Castle,” Hiker commented.
“Totally,” Wilder agreed. “I had this dream that I invented a new color, but when I woke up, I realized it was a pigment of my imagination.”
Everyone in Hiker’s office groaned on cue.
“Wow, dude.” Evan shook his head. “I think they abducted your sense of humor and we didn’t rescue it.”
“It’s a wonder my humor is still intact after having to endure the antics of those men.” Wilder shook his head. “The Rogue Riders have no respect for each other or themselves.”
“They’re demon dragonriders,” Hiker stated as if that explained everything. “Tell me that your abduction yielded helpful information.”
“Yeah, hopefully there’s some benefit to you losing your sense of humor,” Evan jibed.
“Remind me to tell you a King Arthur joke later,” Wilder said to his friend before nodding at the Dragon Elite’s leader. “Yes, I’ve learned how the Rogue Riders get through the barrier they’re using to keep us and everyone else off the elfin island.”
“An evil barrier,” Evan guessed. “One that senses how evil someone is and only allows them through.”
“Close!” Wilder cheered. “They have these stones they called soul stones. Apparently, their evil leader gave them these and only those who have one can pass through the barrier.”
Hiker combed his hand over his chin. “I haven’t heard of a barrier like this. Have you, Mama?”
She glanced up from her magazine. “Oh, I’m not sure. Barriers aren’t my thing. I prefer to tear down walls rather than put them up.”
“Well, we need to learn more about this type of barrier,” Hiker advised. “The only way we’re getting the Rogue Riders off the elfin lands is if we can first get in there. I’ll do some research and figure out where we need to look. There has to be a way to get one of these soul stones.”
“Yeah, there will be some at the bottom of the ocean on those demon dragonriders I took out.” Evan sounded matter-of-fact.
“The Rogue Riders will be more on alert and watching for us now,” Hiker warned. “They’ll expect us to return, but we’re not going to do it until we’re ready to force them out.”
“At least you were able to return the small island to those villagers,” Ainsley observed, then shook her head, her red hair braided elegantly down her back.
“Yes, and it’s protected now,” Mahkah advised. “The natives have been warned not to venture too far off the shore to stay protected inside the barrier. Quiet is working to reinforce the work I did since he’s better at it than me.”
“Maybe Quiet will know about the barrier that the Rogue Riders are using,” Sophia offered.
“And maybe one of you can understand a word he says,” Evan replied.
“He might,” Hiker stated. “But again, I need to research this matter. Something tells me our barriers and the ones the Rogue Riders are using are very different.” He glanced sideways at Wilder. “Did you learn anything else about the demon dragonriders?”
He nodded. “They have an unhealthy fear of their leader. None of them chew with their mouth shut. They bully and pillage to get every single thing they have. And they profit off the criminal world.”
Hiker pressed his lips together, appearing slightly deterred. “I’m not sure any of that is new information.”
“Well, then we’ll have to keep an eye on them and learn more,” Sophia stated.
“You aren’t doing anything until you’re fully healed,” Hiker ordered while pointing at her, then Wilder. “The same goes for both of you.”
“I can do some reconnaissance since I didn’t get myself hurt when I was saving the day,” Evan offered.
“Oh, were you there?” Ainsley appeared quite serious. “I thought you’d been playing video games in your room all week.”
Evan scoffed. “I saved the freaking day. Sophia was crying nonstop, and I was like, ‘Princess, I’ll create a massive diversion. All you have to do it let Wilder out of his cage.’”
Sophia laughed. “That’s almost exactly how it happened.”
“Thanks for teaching me how to make the waterspouts,” Evan said to Mama Jamba. “That’s now my newest party trick.”
“Speaking of parties,” Trin poked her head into Hiker’s office and interrupted the meeting that was almost over. “The party is on in the dining hall,”
“Party?” Hiker questioned.
“Probably to celebrate me and all my bravery and all-around awesomeness,” Evan boasted.
“Definitely that,” Trin answered. “As well as Wilder’s safe return, the others’ courage and success, and also that other thing.”
“Other thing?” Evan arched an eyebrow at her.
“Well, your divorce being final, of course,” Trin stated before she turned and trotted away.
“Your divorce, of course.” Sophia winked at her friend.
“Of course.” Evan blushed as he smiled.
Chapter Seventy-Two
The decorations in the dining hall were incredible. It appeared that Trin had really embraced her role as housekeeper. She also seemed to have an affinity for autumn, having placed pumpkins all over the large space. Orange, yellow, and red leaves were sprinkled all down the long table, and twinkling orange lights hung from the chandeliers.
“Wow. I feel like I’ve walked into a pumpkin patch,” Wilder said in astonishment as they spilled into the Castle’s decorated dining hall.
Evan playfully slapped Ainsley’s arm. “Look, this is what festive is. How many centuries and you didn’t decorate for a single holiday?”
“I always centered my efforts on an event that hasn’t come to pass,” Ainsley stated with her nose in the air.
“Oh? What was that?” Mischief twinkled in Evan’s eyes.
“Your funeral,” she chirped. “It was going to be the most lavish affair.”
He laughed. “Well, too bad for you, it’s not happening anytime soon.”
Trin hurried out from the kitchen, carrying a tray of several steaming dishes. As she set it down, Sop
hia could have sworn that her hair was neater than usual, the wires corralled back and to the side. Her black outfit also appeared new, and it seemed like she might be wearing makeup on the parts of her face that weren’t metal-covered.
“What’s that heavenly smell?” Wilder waved the steam toward his nose.
“Roasted duck nestled in a butternut squash risotto and served with roasted asparagus and curried sweet potatoes,” Trin answered proudly.
“I don’t mean to sound overly excited about the prospect of eating real food after my stint on the island,” Wilder began, “but I’ve never been happier to sit at this table right now.”
“I’m sitting here right now,” Ainsley said dryly from her place next to Hiker.
“Very good,” Evan said in a baby-like tone. “And I’m right here. It’s good when we’re lucid enough to know our current locations.”
The elf shook her head but smiled up at Trin. “You’re hitting your stride with things now.”
Trin curtsied slightly. “I’m trying. I thought that it was nice to celebrate every win. I know that the Rogue Riders are still out there and they still need to be taught a lesson, but there’s been a small success and for that, I thought you all deserved a treat.”
“Plus, it’s nice to celebrate the harvest season,” Mahkah added.
“And Wilder’s return.” Sophia smiled at him.
“And my divorce to that horrid woman you made me marry against my will.” Evan winked at Sophia.
“Always willing to take one for the team.” Sophia noticed how Trin lit up slightly before heading back for the kitchen.
“Save room for dessert,” the housekeeper advised when almost to the kitchen. “We’re having pumpkin tarts.”
Wilder shook his head and dug into the mashed curried sweet potatoes. He leaned forward in Evan’s direction. “Buy the ring now…”
For a rare occasion, Evan appeared a little uncomfortable.
Hiker cleared his throat, also seeming suddenly anxious. “Well, this is nice, and celebrating is a good idea.” He lifted his goblet of mead and held it high. “Let us toast to the small successes that will soon get us to the bigger ones.”
Everyone held up their goblets and clinked them amid a chorus of “cheers.” Soon they were all digging into the food, which was beyond delicious. All that could be heard for a while was the scraping of forks against plates and sipping of drinks.
“So what was the name of the guy who constructed King Arthur’s round table?” Wilder asked everyone out of the blue.
Sophia pressed her hands to her eyes, sensing where this was going.
Evan laughed. “What?”
“Sir Comference!” Wilder laughed.
Sophia pulled her hands away and giggled, then leaned her head on Wilder’s shoulder, so grateful to have him back—even if he’d returned with jokes that were as bad as Lunis’ and Lee’s.
Chapter Seventy-Three
After the autumn feast, Sophia ventured out on the Expanse and enjoyed the cool winds laced with a hint of the approaching colder weather. Soon she’d be trudging through snow to get to the Pond, but that would be all right because this was her home and she enjoyed all the seasons they got here.
If Hiker knew that Sophia had escaped the Castle and was striding around the grounds, he might be angry. Thankfully he was distracted these days, spending much of the free time he never took advantage of before in Ainsley’s company.
Sophia glanced over her shoulder as she made her way to the cliff overlooking the Pond, only concerned for a moment that Hiker might spy her from his office window. Sophia reasoned that the fresh air was good for her. Plus, she felt better after her injuries from Coal. She wouldn’t stay out long either—enough time to smell the fresh air, digest the feast, and check on her dragon.
Lunis landed next to her as soon as she settled down beside the Pond and dangled her feet over the cliff. He had touched down with such ease that it instantly made her feel better.
“Your leg?” She let the question hang in the air.
“It’s all better,” Lunis stated. “For some reason, slapping a demon dragon around finished healing it.”
“Oh, seems like that was therapy.” Sophia laughed.
However, Lunis turned suddenly serious. “Yeah, but I’d rather be injured if it meant that you weren’t.”
She shook her head and indicated her back, which was covered in claw marks. “They’re only scratches.”
“Like you’re only a regular girl,” he fired back. “And a horrible liar, which is a good thing. Always be a horrible liar because only the wicked can lie without issue.”
Sophia grinned and nodded. “Deal.”
“Oh, but I know what will make you feel better.” Lunis sounded excited once more. “Laughter!”
“That is the best medicine,” Sophia agreed.
“I got a joke for you,” Lunis began, looking like a puppy dog about to fetch a bone.
“Make it good, or I won’t have Quiet make you a bachelor pad,” Sophia warned.
“Oh, maybe never mind then.” Lunis winked at her.
“Go on,” Sophia encouraged. “Even your bad jokes can be entertaining in a way.”
“Okay, so there’s a grumpy giant, an uncooperative magician, and a hard-of-hearing elf. They all work for a foreman at a construction site,” Lunis began.
Sophia nodded. “Yes, this seems like a reasonable setup.”
“Anyway,” Lunis continued. “The foreman tells the giant to move a huge pile of dirt because he’s so strong.”
“Good use of their muscles.” Sophia kicked her legs against the rock while enjoying the view.
“Then he tells the magician to supervise everything, to ensure that the work gets done.”
Sophia nodded. “Yeah, we’re good at supervising for sure.”
“Finally, the foreman tells the elf that he’s in charge of supplies,” Lunis stated. “Then the boss leaves after informing them that he’ll be back in an hour and expects the work to be done.”
“What could go wrong?” Sophia mused.
“When the foreman returns,” Lunis goes on, “none of the work has been done.”
“Shocking.”
“Yeah, so the foreman goes to the giant and asks why the large dirt pile wasn’t moved. He tells him that the elf never got him the supplies,” Lunis explains. “So then the foreman asks the magician what the deal is. He states that the elf disappeared, and he doesn’t know what happened to him.”
“This might be the longest joke ever,” Sophia said.
“Focus,” Lunis encouraged. “Anyway, the foreman walks around the construction site looking for the elf, wondering where he went. He calls for him, getting angrier the entire time. The foreman is about to give up when he passes by the huge pile of dirt that never got moved, and the hard-of-hearing elf jumps out, his hands wide and exclaims, ‘Surprise!’”
Sophia lowered her chin and regarded her dragon as though she was about to push him off the cliff. However, under her fake exterior of pretending she was annoyed by the joke, a smile broke through.
Lunis laughed and shook his head. “Pretty good, huh?”
“So bad that it might be good,” Sophia corrected, then joined in laughing with him.
A cold wind swept across the Pond and made the surface ripple. Sophia shivered slightly as the chill cut through her.
Lunis spied the small reaction, unfolded his wing, and wrapped it around her. His heat immediately surrounded her. “I’m glad you’re okay and getting better, Soph. If anything ever happened to you…”
“My life is tied to yours.” Sophia leaned her head on her dragon. “So if anything happened to me, then it would be the end of you.”
“The reason it’s that way for dragons and riders is that we elect to be one when we magnetize,” Lunis explained. “But for some, like the angels, that’s because we want to live a richer, fuller life of love. For others, like the demon dragonriders, it’s because they seek the benefit
s of the union.”
Sophia nodded. It made sense to her.
“But it’s important to note,” Lunis continued, “that even if those laws weren’t true for us, my life would still be maimed if anything happened to you. I love you more than life itself, Sophia. Not because you’re my rider, but because you are simply you. I might be biased, but I think I have the best rider out there. I especially think I have a better rider than Coral.”
Sophia giggled and wriggled closer to her dragon. “Thank you, Lun. I think we both scored big when we magnetized to each other. We were meant to be.”
He leaned his head down and wrapped his neck around her in an embrace. She smiled, feeling happier and more whole than she’d felt in a long time.
Sophia might be injured. The Rogue Riders might still be a problem. But the Dragon Elite had what they needed to secure the future, and for that Sophia was infinitely grateful. It wasn’t about always winning or always creating peace. It was about having an option to do so, and Sophia firmly believed that what happened next would make the world a better place. They simply had to fight a few battles to get there. Even if it took a few hundred battles, Sophia wouldn’t stop because some things were worth fighting for until the very end.
Chapter Seventy-Four
With his fingers knotted into the silk shirt of the sleazy criminal, Tanner slammed the man into the brick wall of the back alley off Skid Row. The guy was taller than him, but that was typical. He was also much heavier. However, due to the chi of the dragon, Tanner was stronger than he’d ever been and it was a high that was hard to get used to.
All his life, Tanner had been picked on because he was little, uncool, and the slowest at everything. Reading, sports, making friends.