by Sarah Noffke
“Marry me, dragonrider!” another worshipper yelled.
“Well, there you go,” Wilder said, peering down at Evan. “We’ve found someone who wants you and won’t mind that you pee the bed.”
He grimaced. “I told you, the Castle threw my glass of water at me! I didn’t pee my bed.”
“Enough,” Hiker scolded, his fist clenched by his side.
“In order to protect you,” Nevin Gooseman went on, “I decided to look into the Dragon Elite, especially after their leader recently announced they are predicted to be stronger than ever, with a new crop of dragon eggs and the potential to dramatically increase their numbers.”
Sophia and Wilder exchanged hesitant expressions. She didn’t know what bomb this politician was about to drop, but it was all but certain that if there was a metaphorical bomb shelter around, they should all take cover right then.
“A thousand dragon eggs sounds very impressive—”
“Incredible!” a hippie yelled, cutting into the politician’s speech.
He nodded. “I thought so too, but nothing is without its shortcomings. That’s when I did my research and learned that not all dragons are destined to become part of the Elite.”
Hiker, as if in anticipation of what was to come, covered his head with his hands.
“You see, according to a very reliable source,” Nevin Gooseman continued, “of those thousand dragon eggs the Elite has, half of them will hatch and be benevolent magical creatures, upholding justice for the mortal world.”
“Praise dragons!” someone yelled from the crowd.
Nevin Gooseman let out a long breath, shaking his head. “And the other fifty percent, I’m afraid, are destined, without question, to hatch and be evil.”
At the conclusion of his words, a great muttering overtook the crowd, both around the politician and behind him.
Hiker’s hands tightened around his head. Everyone in his office held their breath collectively, waiting for what would unfold next.
“I was as shocked at you to learn this news,” Nevin Gooseman stated when the mortals settled down. “It’s unfortunate I have to reveal that it’s true. For all the peace the Dragon Elite proposes to bring to us, their new crop of potential riders also brings a new force of evil. I ask you, my people, is it worth having adjudicators, meant to protect us if they also bring with them a new enemy? We’ve had to deal with much because of the magical world. No one has suffered more than mortals. I dare say, five hundred evil dragons, which could one day have riders, will present many troubles for us all. It is with a heavy heart that I ask you to reconsider allowing this Dragon Elite to preside over our affairs. They might call themselves the supreme ruling authority, but we always have the choice. You elected me as your official to make decisions on your behalf, and to protect your interests. Shouldn’t you have the same right with the Dragon Elite?”
There was a collective muttering around Nevin Gooseman.
Trying to hide a satisfied grin, the congressman held out his arms wide, as though welcoming everyone around him into his home. “My concern for you, the citizens of this great nation, isn’t just that you might turn your freedom over to a group who hasn’t earned it, but that this organization might bring the very evil you’ll need protection from. Not only should we question the authority of the Dragon Elite, but I beseech you to consider whether dragons are right for the modern world. Especially since we now know that soon many more will inhabit our planet—half of them with evil running through their veins.”
Chapter Seven
“I guess I can become a stunt demon now,” Evan said, blowing out a long breath.
“A what?” Mama Jamba asked, pursing her lips at him.
“Stunt demon,” he repeated. “You know, the guys who do all the cool tricks in the movies for the actors.”
“Stunt devil,” Sophia corrected.
Evan nodded. “Yeah, that. I’ll look into that. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just fall back on my good looks and charm.”
“I think you need to have a backup for that backup plan,” Wilder teased.
“Well, at least I have a backup plan for when this whole Dragon Elite thing falls through,” Evan argued. “All you have are bad jokes and those dainty hands.”
Wilder laughed. “Sounds like I have options as a comedian or a hand model.”
Sophia glanced at Wilder’s hands. They weren’t dainty at all. Callused definitely. Strong, for sure, and most importantly, capable.
“No one is getting another job,” Hiker declared with confidence, finally pulling his hands from his hair. He had an exasperated glare on his face when he looked at Mama Jamba. “How did this man find out about the dragon eggs hatching as either good or evil?”
She shrugged and slid her feet under Mahkah’s bottom to keep her toes warm.
The good-natured dragonrider either didn’t seem to notice or he simply didn’t care.
“How does anyone find out anything, son?” she questioned.
Hiker groaned. “Oh, good. More riddles. So you don’t know, or you’re not saying.”
“I think finding out how Nevin Gooseman knows about the divide between the crop of dragon eggs is a poor use of your time,” Mama Jamba explained.
He narrowed his eyes and looked out the bank of windows at the Expanse and Pond. “I think that if there’s a traitor in our midst, I need to know about it.”
“I didn’t say anything, sir,” Evan stated at once.
“Nor I,” Wilder chimed in.
“I don’t think it would have been any of us,” Sophia reasoned. “This Nevin Gooseman obviously has another source.”
Hiker swung around to face them. “And we need to find out what it is. But more importantly, we’ve got a lot of damage control to do.” He shook his head, chewing fiercely on his lip. “Just when we were making strides with the mortal governments. Now they are going to be distrustful of us, denying our authority in adjudication missions.”
“Not to mention,” Evan said, petting NO10JO’s half metal belly, “we might have a bunch of mortals with pitchforks coming after us, trying to take us out because we house dragon eggs that will spawn evilness.”
“Wow.” Wilder’s tone was overflowing with sarcasm. “You have such a good knack for extinguishing frustrations. How ever do you do that?”
Evan rolled his eyes. “Hey, if you want to bury your head in the sand, then go ahead. I’m just pointing out to our esteemed leader the problems we’re facing.”
“I’m well aware of the problems this senator has caused us,” Hiker nearly yelled, stalking over to his desk. He looked at it as if the many pieces of paper might offer refuge from this new set of problems. After a moment of deliberation, he glanced up. “Mahkah, I need you to set off on a set of goodwill building campaigns. People like you, especially mortals, and you’re our best hope of garnering trust that will inevitably be lost from this.”
“People like me,” Evan complained.
Everyone in the room, with the exception of Hiker, laughed in response.
The leader of the Dragon Elite shook his head. “Evan, you and Wilder need to continue our work on adjudication missions. This Nevin Gooseman wants us to devote our attention to saving our reputation, but the best way we can do that is to prove our worth.”
“Yes, sir,” Wilder agreed at once, standing tall.
“I’ll be issuing a statement right away, but there isn’t much I can do to dispute these new claims,” Hiker said, frustration heavy in his voice.
“Because the truth is that inevitably you will have five hundred evil dragons on your hands at some point, son,” Mama Jamba told him matter-of-factly.
He nodded, continuing to chew on his lip. “That’s just the thing. I still don’t get how he knows. Trin Currante was aware of that information.”
“She wouldn’t have said anything,” Sophia urged, defending the cyborg. “Trin is on our side now.”
Hiker didn’t appear convinced. “Then, you’ll help to find
information on how this politician found out about us?”
Sophia nodded. “Of course.”
“And I’d also like you to make a visit to the House of Fourteen,” Hiker ordered. “We recently saved their butts with that Saverus Corporation business. I think it’s time they repaid the favor. We are inevitably in this together as magicians.”
Sophia didn’t know if that was such a good idea since she knew there were those on the House of Fourteen council who would like nothing more than to see the Dragon Elite lose their authority. Still, she thought she could diplomatically figure things out with a visit to the House of Fourteen. “Yes, sir. I’ll see what I can do.”
He swallowed, glancing at Mama Jamba. “And to your point, I realize that we will have evil dragons in our midst, just as we did centuries ago with the first crop of eggs. You’re in the best position to tell me why the angels had to make it so that for every good dragon, there was an evil one. If we were meant to protect, then why did you and the angels put our enemies amongst us?”
She smiled at him and winked briefly. “Things are so cut and dry, son. You are set on thinking of the dragons as good and evil, but it’s more complicated than that. The Dragon Elite was meant to bring balance to this world, and I ask you, how could you do that if there wasn’t balance among the dragons? Good doesn’t exist without evil, nor the reverse. I assure you, that if we had only created courageous, pure-hearted dragons, this planet would have perished long ago. The key to maintaining peace is learning how to exist amongst one another with all of our differences. Not in shutting out the ones we don’t approve of.”
“So you’re saying,” Evan began, drawing out the words as he put them together in his mind, “the lives of those, good or evil are important?”
“What I’m saying,” Mama Jamba replied, “is simple. All lives matter.”
Chapter Eight
Without a doubt, Sophia knew Hiker was right to be worried about the global unrest that would come from the news about the Dragon Elite. At the top of her list was finding out how the politician had learned about the divide in the dragon eggs. If there was a way to learn the Dragon Elite’s secrets, she needed to know about it.
As far as Sophia knew, she still had the only copy of the Complete History of Dragonriders, the only place where she knew this information regarding good and evil dragons could be found. Assuming there were no other sources wasn’t a smart approach.
Sophia decided to visit one of her favorite places in the House of Fourteen before meeting with council in the Chamber of the Tree. After stepping through the portal between the Castle and House, she headed up the stairs to the library located at the top of the magical building.
Most of Sophia’s childhood had been spent in the strange and mysterious library. It was where she learned how to work spells long before she should have been able to—and especially before she would have been allowed by the House of Fourteen. More importantly, it was where Sophia hid to escape the scrutinizing stares of the other residents.
The Great Library in Tanzania was by far the most impressive one Sophia had ever seen. The tiny hut perched atop a crumbling rock off the coast was a most unassuming structure. Few would have guessed that inside the building was the largest collection of books in the entire world. Not only that, but it was home to every book ever written—save for the Complete History of Dragonriders, which couldn’t be duplicated. That was apparently to protect the Dragon Elite’s secrets, but something had obviously gone awry.
In contrast, the library in the House of Fourteen was much smaller and didn’t have windows looking out at the white-capped waters of the Indian Ocean. Actually, there were no windows, and if there were, they’d look out at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica.
What made the library at the House of Fourteen unique was that much like the Castle, it seemed to be alive. There was no librarian like Trinity at the Great Library to help readers find the books they were looking for. Instead, the library responded to the person’s thoughts, directing them to what they were interested in. Also much like the Castle, it was full of tricks and could be quite confusing.
Sophia pushed open the thick door to the library. Even though she was prepared for what she would see, the place still filled her with awe. Columns as big as small cars rose all the way to the third-story ceiling overhead. Balconies were located in multiple places, each providing a view of the masterfully painted ceiling. A painting of the Milky Way Galaxy spiraled and sparkled, following the movements of the real galaxy.
The first floor of the library somehow felt quaint and cozy, with multiple seating areas and reading nooks. Sophia knew this was deceiving. Too many times, she’d fallen asleep in one of the areas, only to wake in a place she didn’t remember visiting. One didn’t just get lost in this library. If you weren’t careful, you became like a book, passed along from reader to reader, shuffling through their shelves until you were found far from where you started.
Sophia’s sister Reese had explained that when so many magical texts are kept in the same place, the books start to conspire against the readers, playing tricks on them.
When she reached the first row of books, Sophia stopped and took in a breath to welcome the scent of pages cloaked in dust and brimming with knowledge. She reached out and ran her fingers across the spines, enjoying the sensation as they tickled her skin.
The library changed based on what the reader was looking for. If you wanted to leave, it pointed you in the right direction. If you wanted to hide, it gave you a place. And if you wanted to find out about something in particular, it shoved you down that aisle.
The key was that the person searching had to be very focused on their thoughts. The moment they trailed away or got distracted, their path through the library would follow suit. Sophia had heard rumors of magicians in the library at the House of Fourteen that had been lost for decades.
Focusing intensely, Sophia trained her thoughts on finding a book that detailed anything about the Dragon Elite or dragon eggs in general. She reasoned that it could be a single passage in a large text. Nevin may not necessarily have access to the library in the House of Fourteen since he wasn’t a Royal, but he might know someone who did. Or he could have gotten access to the same book somewhere else.
When the path in front of her didn’t shift, as it did when directing her, she began to worry. Was it possible there were no books in that vast library that pertained to dragonriders or at least briefly mentioned them? Something wasn’t right.
Closing her eyes, Sophia really focused. She needed to find a book in this library that mentioned that for every good dragon that hatched, there was an evil one.
When she opened her eyes, she fully expected to have a specific volume resting on the floor in front of her. Or feel that familiar tug at her core when the library was directing. There was nothing.
“I don’t get it,” she muttered to herself out loud.
“Sure you do,” a familiar voice said behind her.
Sophia spun to find the mysterious black and white lynx resting upon a glass case that definitely hadn’t been there before. The case, at first glance, appeared to contain dinosaur bones.
“Hey, Plato.” Sophia should have realized she was overdue for a visit from Liv’s sidekick. He liked to turn up when she least expected it and then disappear just before actually being helpful. “And no, I don’t get it. I’m focusing on what I need to find, and so far, the only thing that’s shown up is you.”
The cat stretched, his white-tipped tail flicking in the air. “Well, I don’t know. I’m not the only thing that’s new from a moment ago.”
Sophia stepped forward, eyeing the case Plato was standing on. On closer inspection, she realized it wasn’t dinosaur bones but rather… “Are those dragon remains?”
“I’m no archeologist, but I believe so,” he said coyly as he licked his paw.
There was a small placard on the side of the case that, to Sophia’s disappointment, didn’t offer much information.
It read:
Dragon: Unknown
Circa: Unknown
Location: Unknown
“Wow,” she commented dryly. “I’m not sure if I found anything less helpful since you.”
He grinned like the Cheshire cat. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You would,” she jabbed.
“Your focused thoughts brought up this case of dinosaur bones,” Plato offered.
“Which are incredibly not helpful,” she stated. “That Nevin Gooseman didn’t learn the Dragon Elite’s secret regarding good and evil dragons from a severely under-labeled case.” Sophia knew she didn’t have to explain things for Plato. Much like Mother Nature, Papa Creola, and Mae Ling, he knew things—more things than anyone else and often before most.
“But think about what you know,” Plato offered, a hint in his voice.
“Well, the library has always directed me to what I’m looking for,” she began. “I was focusing on finding a book about how for every good dragon, there’s an evil one.”
“Which means?” he asked.
“Which means…” Sophia studied the case where Plato stood again and noticed there were actually two different sets of dragon bones. Only a dragonrider would recognize that. She could tell the skull in the case couldn’t belong to the bones of the body. They weren’t the right proportions. “Wait!” she exclaimed, much too loudly for the acceptable volume in most libraries. But this wasn’t most libraries, and no one was around anyway. If they had been, Plato would have disappeared. “These bones, I bet they are from two different dragons. And by two different ones, I bet one was good and the other evil.”
Plato nodded his chin down and a sly expression on his face, waiting for her to work out the rest.
She sighed, mulling over what she might be missing. “Well, in response to my thoughts, the library gave me this case. And although it’s sort of related, it doesn’t answer anything, which means…” She dared to look at the lynx for answers, but he wasn’t offering up anything.