by Sarah Noffke
Hiker kicked the side of Evan’s chair as he passed him. “Don’t get used to it. And don’t dawdle. Core Four in my office straight away.”
Chapter Five
“What are you not telling me?” Hiker asked when Sophia entered his office a minute later.
The guys had stayed back only for a moment to give the new dragonriders some instructions on what they should do for training, making it so that Sophia was the first one to Hiker’s office—well, after him and Mama Jamba.
She glanced tentatively at Mother Nature, who’d already curled up on the Chesterfield, but the old woman didn’t offer her any support. She simply wore a pursed expression that seemed to say, you’re on your own, dear.
“I don’t know what you mean, sir,” Sophia replied, finding her voice. She knew exactly what he meant, but she would play dumb for as long as she could get away with it, which was apparently no time at all.
He clenched his jaw. “Alex. You know something about him.”
“Well, we told you,” she began. “He’s a werewolf. As I mentioned, it shouldn’t be a problem. The rumors about werewolves have been misconstrued. Most are very good people and can be trusted.”
Mama Jamba nodded. “I can validate that.”
“What else though?” Hiker asked through clenched teeth.
Sophia sighed. She couldn’t bald-faced lie to him, but she also couldn’t tell him the entire truth. “Look, I do know two things about Alex, but I can’t tell you either of them.”
He growled and leveled his gaze at her. “Why not?”
“Because it’s not my place to tell his secrets,” Sophia replied with confidence. “I’ll tell you something that most don’t know about werewolves and does pertain to him. However, for their sake, you can’t share this information. It has long been suspected that if the information got out, an entire population of werewolves would be slaughtered.”
“I can validate that to be true as well,” Mama Jamba sang from her perch on the sofa.
“What is it then?” Hiker demanded.
Sophia sighed. “Lupei, the place where Alex is from, is where werewolves originated.”
Hiker nodded. “I think I’ve heard that before. It would make sense that he’d be one, probably having been bitten at some point.”
Sophia shook her head. “No, that’s the thing, the people in Lupei don’t become werewolves by being bitten. Anyone who is born in the town automatically is one. It’s in their genetics.”
Hiker blinked at her in disbelief. “What? So everyone in Lupei is a werewolf? Even the children?”
“That’s right,” Mama Jamba affirmed.
“Why wouldn’t they clear out the town then?” Hiker pondered.
Sophia had asked Liv the same question. “Because it’s a great point of pride for them. Those who remain come from a long line of werewolves. Families want their children to be what they are. Some move off, but most remain, keeping the secret. Like I said, most werewolves are peaceful and kind people who know how to manage the curse fine.”
Hiker nodded, his gaze falling on the desk. “That does make sense.”
“There’s something else,” Sophia began, listening for the guys who would be arriving soon. “Those in Lupei are special, not only in that they are all werewolves by virtue of being from there. They also turn every single night—”
“Not only on the full moon?” Hiker interrupted, now really shaken.
Sophia nodded, pressing her hands down to try and calm him. “Yes, but Alex won’t because it only happens for them when they’re in Lupei. Also, as he said, it’s mostly dormant in him, and he can control it, which I believe. My sister Liv worked with Alex’s father, who is the pack's head, and he’s a very gentle man who never harms anyone when he turns. They can control it. Some choose not to because they think they have that excuse or maybe it feels good to let loose, but Alex wouldn’t be here if he weren’t a good person who wanted to do good.”
Hiker considered this. “Okay, that does make sense. Where’s the part you’re worried about? That can’t be it.”
This was a very perceptive man, Sophia realized. “The big secret, the one that would have the entire Lupei pack wiped out, is that it’s their bite that spreads werewolfism. They’re the only ones who can turn a person.”
Hiker’s eyes jerked up to meet hers. He finally got it, and by the expression on his face, he really got it. “Oh, wow. So if others knew this, they’d—”
“They’d hunt and destroy that which they didn’t understand but definitely feared,” Sophia supplied. “Yes, that’s why you can’t share the information because if it got out, well, it would be hard to convince others that Lupei should be preserved. One bad werewolf gives all the rest a bad name. Imagine if we took out every dragonrider because of what Thad Reinhart or Nathaniel did?”
Hiker let out a long breath. “Yes, I understand now. Thanks for telling me. I won’t share this with anyone else, but I can’t say I’m entirely comfortable with a werewolf under this roof. It will take some getting used to.”
Sophia nodded, having the same feeling. They were somewhat unpredictable, but she was grateful that this had satisfied Hiker and he wasn’t pressing her anymore. Now she had to confront Alex and convince the werewolf to tell the rest of the secrets that weren’t hers to tell.
Chapter Six
“Man, those newbie dragonriders are the worst,” Evan remarked, striding into Hiker’s office.
“Yet, I like all of them much more than you,” Wilder teased while walking in behind him. Mahkah brought up the rear.
“How do I mount my dragon?” Evan said in a high-pitched voice, pretending to impersonate one of the newbies. “How do I make him go? How do I wipe—”
“I think,” Hiker interrupted before Evan could finish his sentence. “That their lack of knowledge about dragons and riding is understandable since they only recently magnetized.”
Mahkah nodded. “Most haven’t been with their dragons for very long at all, having headed to the Gullington right away. From what I’ve learned, Alex has been magnetized to his dragon the longest but was hesitant to come here.”
“Because of that whole being a werewolf thing, I’m guessing,” Evan stated.
Wilder shook his head. “No, I think his dragon, Frost, remembered you and didn’t want to see your face anytime soon. I know the feeling. How do you feel about getting a ski mask for your birthday? I’d be happy to give it to you.”
Before Evan could volley another insult back, Mahkah cut in. “It’s true that many of the angels were anxious to return to the Gullington after magnetizing to their riders.”
“Which is a hopeful sign.” Hiker looked up from his tablet. He’d been reviewing the reports that Trin had sent over while the guys exchanged jabs. “We needed that bit of good news since things indeed look grim worldwide. Some nations that are normally rather peaceful are feuding. Others that are often trigger-happy already have their weapons pointed. There are multiple conflicts and the reasons behind them seeming legitimate but oddly timed.”
“It’s true,” Mama Jamba related. “The Nocos were recently suspicious that the Borsin government was sabotaging their forestry project. Then they had several hundred thousand square miles of land burned.”
Hiker nodded, having returned his attention to the tablet in his hands. “Yes, and they found a detonator that links the cause of the fire to the Borsins.”
“The question is,” Sophia began, trying to work things out as she spoke. “Were the things that triggered all these conflicts common knowledge?”
Hiker thought for a moment. “I see what you mean.” He scrolled through the report. “My inclination is yes. There’s one incident of a water supply contaminated by a neighboring factory, or supposedly by them. There were concerns about this from the beginning when they built the factory in that location, which is on the opposite side of another country’s borders.”
“So someone or some organization could have planned all these inc
idents with the intent to create mass chaos and war?” Sophia suggested.
Hiker glanced up at her. “You’re insinuating the Rogue Riders? Versalee?”
“Who has the most to gain from conflict?” Sophia asked.
“I don’t know that she does,” Hiker replied. “The Rogue Riders care about themselves and criminals. Plotting and executing all of this would take time and energy, something that they probably would rather lavish on themselves for selfish gain.”
“But what if there was something huge to be gained by creating war?” Sophia countered. “I mean, it’s a lucrative business—war, that is.”
“If you’re an arms dealer,” Wilder added.
“Or obsessed with various other criminal activities,” Evan supplied.
Hiker shook his head. “Politics is usually the seed of most wars, and that’s not something that the Rogue Riders care that much for.”
“Sir, this new group of demon dragonriders aren’t like Thad Reinhart and the ones you knew,” Sophia argued. “They’re modern and think in different ways. Look at Nathaniel in Las Vegas, running an underground criminal network.”
Setting his tablet down, Hiker sighed. “I get that, but I think it’s dangerous to assume that the Rogue Riders or Versalee are behind this. We’re trying to avoid a war, so if they aren’t behind this, we can’t accuse them. They might be good with Nathaniel gone. We haven’t heard or seen any activity from them.”
“That’s exactly what makes me suspicious,” Sophia mused and chewed on the inside of her cheek.
Evan elbowed Wilder in the side. “So your girlfriend, she’s a bit paranoid. Does she let you wear her tinfoil hat?”
“She would, but I wouldn’t dare put on a hat and mess up my hair.” Wilder slid his hand over his perfectly styled dark brown hair that went up in a wave—artfully chaotic.
“I should have suspected that your vanity would overrule all else,” Evan joked. “It will no doubt be your downfall.”
Wilder shook his head. “I always thought you would be my downfall.”
Hiker had only allowed the two guys to banter because he’d gone back to reading the report. “Okay, well, it looks like we have a lot of adjudication missions that will demand our swift and immediate attention. There aren’t enough of us. It’s important that we have the new dragonriders trained, which is something that I’ll take over in all of your absences.”
“I’m right here, sir,” Evan teased. “It’s hard when you don’t even see me.”
“That wasn’t even marginally funny.” Hiker rolled his eyes.
“So you’re implying that my other jokes have been a riot, then?” Evan questioned, a playful hint in his voice.
“If by riot, you mean they make him want to scream,” Wilder quipped.
“Focus,” Hiker urged, his voice suddenly rising. “I’m sending you all out on different cases. It’s crucial that you quell tensions and keep wars from exploding between countries. We need peaceful solutions.”
Sophia tilted her head back and forth. “I’m all for that, but I really think we need to devote some attention to finding out who is behind creating all these problems and starting wars and take them out. Otherwise, we can fix all of these countries' conflicts only to turn around and find new ones have popped up.”
“Good, if you think that demands attention, then you start investigating,” Hiker stated.
“I will, but I was going to recruit Lee to solve the water supply problem,” Sophia stated. “If we can fix the contamination, then there’s nothing to war over.”
Hiker nodded. “Yes, do that too. Investigate who’s behind this. Use your mysterious resources that you never want to share with me and get us more information.”
“I can take on multiple cases too, sir,” Evan stated proudly.
“I hope you can handle a single case,” Hiker replied. “Diplomacy isn’t your forte.”
“Is that because kicking butt is, sir?” Evan asked hopefully.
“It’s because you think you’re a stand-up comedian instead of an adjudicator,” Hiker answered.
“Why can’t I be both?” Evan countered. “Pink Princess is both a diva and pain in the ass, while also supposedly being a dragonrider.”
“I’ll assign you a case that requires the least amount of negotiating,” Hiker decided at once, glancing back down at the tablet in his hands.
Evan leaned over and whispered to Wilder. “No doubt the most dangerous case that involves the sharpest skills and prowess.”
“I agree, fetching all of us coffee is an important job,” Sophia volleyed. “It’s one that I’m certain you can handle, but remember coffee is hot and can burn you.”
Wilder laughed and winked at Sophia. “It does sound like a dangerous case. I’m no good without my caffeine, so talk about a crucial mission.”
Hiker seemed momentarily entertained by the three’s remarks. A sliver of a smile etched his beard as he returned his attention to the tablet. “I’ll assign you all your cases within the hour. Suit up and get the dragons ready. These are missions that require us to show our strength and symbols of strength. I want the world to know that it was the Dragon Elite that solved their problems, and I want us to look our best doing it.”
Wilder sighed. “What about Evan? Can you settle for him looking a little less like a Neanderthal? I think Sophia can put a disguising spell on him to shrink his head and that flat nose.”
“Leave the jokes at the Castle,” Hiker beseeched, obviously over all the banter. “Look dignified when you go out there. Make me proud. And do it swiftly. There’s much to be done.”
Chapter Seven
The snow was thick on the Expanse, covering everything like a blanket and making the Gullington look like the most idyllic winter scene. Icicles clung to the eaves of the Castle and made it appear like a gingerbread house.
Dragon footprints in the snow marked the various paths that dragonettes and full-grown dragons had taken during the day.
“So after doing everything he told me to, he still wouldn’t give over the paraglider,” Lunis complained, forming what Sophia could only guess and fear was a large snowball.
She rolled her eyes at the blue dragon beside her before returning her attention to the blue sky with dragons soaring back and forth, completing different training exercises. “You’re a dragon. You don’t need a paraglider.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he argued defiantly.
“You have wings.” She pulled her thick winter cloak tighter around her neck.
“You have legs, but you still drive in cars,” he countered.
Sophia laughed. “Hardly, but I see your point. Still…”
“Well,” Lunis continued, drawing out the word. “The old man then made me do a bunch of other tasks before he’d hand over the paraglider buuuuut before that, he dropped this huge secret on me.”
“Do we have to talk about the fictional stuff that happens to you when you’re playing Zelda: Breath of the Wind?” Sophia hid her amusement. “We have real problems in the real world.”
Lunis scowled at her, continuing to form the snowball that was growing alarmingly large. “We talk about that guy you’re obsessed with alllll the time.”
“You mean Wilder?” Sophia laughed. “My real boyfriend?”
“Is he real?” Lunis replied. “I’ve never seen him before. Maybe he’s a figment of your imagination.”
“You’ve been around Wilder many times,” Sophia argued.
“Have I?”
Sophia nodded.
“Describe him to me,” Lunis ordered while patting the snowball and making it more compact.
“Dark brown hair, blue eyes, and totally buff.”
Lunis pretended to think for a moment. “Totally doesn’t ring any bells. I think he’s a figment of your imagination.”
Sophia giggled, watching as the newbie dragonriders attempted to mount their dragons. It wasn’t working out for any of them. The dragons, maybe in a Lunis-like attem
pt to mess with them, waited until they were stepping up on them and moved, making them stumble and have to chase the fleeing dragons.
“You’ve rubbed off on the new generation,” Sophia observed.
“How so?” Lunis was still patting his snowball. It was roughly the size of a car tire.
“They won’t let their riders on them and keep messing with them,” Sophia answered.
“I let you ride me.”
Sophia shot him an annoyed expression. “No, you didn’t. I had to demand it.”
He nodded. “Then I did. That’s what I was waiting for.”
Something random occurred to Sophia. “When I made the demand, you said there would be three times I asked such a thing of you. I’ve now done it two times. What’s the third, you think?”
“I can’t see the future,” he replied. “I only know from the prophecy related through the chi of the dragon that there will be three times. You will probably demand another chance at redemption when I school you on Just Dance.”
Sophia laughed. “I don’t think I’d squander it on that.”
“Oh, then you don’t know how bad my victory will be when I squash you,” Lunis joked.
In the distance, Sophia watched as the new rider Alex strode around Frost—a pearl-colored dragon.
Lunis eyed his rider. “Are you surprised?”
She shrugged, knowing what he was referring to. “Not really. It was only a matter of time.”
“Before a werewolf joined the Dragon Elite?” he suggested.
Sophia shook her head. “No, the other thing.”
Lunis nodded. “Tala says that you should report to the Nest. Mahkah is concerned about something.”
Sophia glanced toward the mountains where the Cave, Nest, and Pad were all located. “You got a message from him telepathically?”
“Like, five minutes ago. I don’t reply right away because I don’t want to seem too eager.”
Sophia shook her head. “You know that Mahkah needs to get to his missions. If he needed me, you should have said something right away.”