by Sarah Noffke
“And to do that…” Wilder’s tone was full of cynicism. He must have known what was coming next.
“You’ll have to capture at least one of the dragonettes,” Bermuda supplied.
“That’s our problem to begin with,” Wilder stated. “They are sneaky little things and don’t want to be caught, as you mentioned.”
Bermuda shrugged. “That’s the only way I can see the spell working. There must be a way to catch one of them. I mean, they are young and inexperienced, and you have many mature dragons to work with.”
Sophia nodded. “Okay, so we catch one dragonette, but then we have to use an adapted spell. How do we find out what that is?”
“Fortunately for you, I know exactly where that spell is located,” Bermuda said, although her tone didn’t sound congruent with her message. She seemed very reluctant. “Unfortunately for you, getting ahold of that spell will be incredibly difficult, if not impossible.”
“I’m used to that,” Sophia joked. “Where is it?”
“It’s at the House of Fourteen,” Bermuda answered.
Sophia actually smiled. “Well, that doesn’t seem impossible. I mean, I know all the Warriors and Councilors. I dare say, I have an in there.”
Bermuda didn’t appear as optimistic. “You’ll have to get a unanimous vote from the council to have access to that spell, and I can’t see a reality where they are going to release it.”
“Why is that?” Wilder asked.
The giantess gave them a sympathetic expression, obviously sensing their plight. “It seems unlikely to me the House of Fourteen is going to release the spell created by the God Magician and the Sinclair family that nearly destroyed the magicians forever. It is because of that spell and what it did to mortals that the House of Fourteen has undergone so much turmoil and distrust from the rest of the world.”
She gave Sophia a stern expression, a small bit of hope in her eyes. “However, I trust if anyone can find a way to get that spell, it will be you.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Seeing all of the magical animals at the circus made Sophia sorely miss Lunis. He’d been gone looking for the dragonettes with no communication with her. She’d never missed someone so much that it hurt her body like an open wound.
Wilder must have read the emotion on Sophia’s face as they left the circus on the edge of San Luis Obispo on the central coast in California. “What is it?”
She worked on arranging a pleasant expression on her face, but it was useless, especially with him. “I miss Lunis.”
“Oh,” he said, nodding immediately and seeming to get it. “You still can’t communicate with him, can you?”
She shook her head. “No, Hiker has him devoting all his energies to finding the dragonettes.”
A sideways smile made his blue eyes shine. “I think I can help you with that since Hiker had us helping with tracking down the dragonettes before.”
“Oh, you still can communicate with Simi, can’t you?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said, his mouth popping. “And she can communicate with Lunis. Where are we headed next on this very untraditional date? Should we grab something to eat?”
Sophia had forgotten about eating with all the demands. That wouldn’t do well for her magic, though. “Yes. Let’s grab some tacos in Santa Monica. You can go with me to the House of Fourteen to persuade them to give us the spell. Maybe two dragonriders will be more convincing than one.”
“Can I get into the House of Fourteen?” Wilder asked.
“I think so because you’re a Dragon Elite, and technically we outrank them, although they loathe being reminded of it,” Sophia explained with a sly grin. “Well, some of the Councilors loathe it, the unreasonable ones.”
“So you’re going to remind them of that fact,” Wilder guessed.
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Lunis has agreed to meet us for lunch on the beach beforehand.”
Sophia threw her arms around Wilder, hugging him tightly. “Thank you!”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, his face in her hair and his smile pressed against her head. “Anything for you, Soph. This one was an easy one, but I’d do a lot more if you asked.”
Sophia peeled away and looked up at him with a shy smile. “Good because having to deal with the House of Fourteen Councilors can be a pain in the ass.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sophia inhaled two tacos before she realized Wilder was watching her with a curious stare.
“What? I’m hungry,” she stated. “I forgot to eat for like…well, a while.”
He smiled. “No. I just didn’t realize that was how one ate tacos.”
She laughed, remembering he hadn’t had much experience with Mexican food.
A bit uncertainly, he held up the soft taco stuffed with carne asada, pico de gallo, and fresco cheese. “So I’m supposed to chew, right? Or do I just swallow them whole like you did?”
“Ha-ha,” she said. She was about to volley her own joke at him, but something blue in the cloudless Santa Monica sky caught her eye and she bolted her feet. “Lunis!”
Even from a distance, with the Pacific Ocean stretching between them, Sophia could see the relief in her dragon’s eyes as he flew in her direction. His blue wings moved gracefully and he sped up, shooting forward suddenly.
Even though she could see his iridescent scales clearly and his claws and wise eyes, the mortals on the beach saw a large kite floating through the sky.
When Lunis landed on the beach, he kicked up a great deal of sand, making it rain down on Sophia. She shielded her face but was still instantly covered. Wilder was the unlucky one that now had sand in his tacos.
She shook her head, running up to her dragon and throwing her arms around his neck. “And to think I actually missed you. I can’t recall why now,” she said, the gritty sand crunching in her mouth when she talked.
Lunis nestled his long neck around her, his warmth filling Sophia up immediately. You missed me because I’m amazing.
“And buying me new tacos,” Wilder said, chucking the food into a nearby trashcan.
I would, but I’m sort of tapped out at the moment, Lunis stated with a laugh. The sand adds flavor.
Sophia pulled away and looked her dragon over. “You know, I’ve sort of had my fill of sand for the next century.”
I don’t, actually, Lunis reminded her.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said, remembering he’d been cut off from her thoughts and experiences. She quickly told him about the island and the other things she’d been doing. “And you?”
Well, flying around permanently glamoured has been very taxing, Lunis explained. I guess I see why Hiker wanted us to sever our telepathic link to conserve energy. Looking for these little jerks is exhausting.
“Any new leads?” Wilder asked, coming to stand beside Sophia.
Well, Blackey was spotted over the White House, and you can guess how that made the mortals feel, Lunis told them.
Sophia gasped. “Oh, dear.”
He nodded his large head. By the time I got there, the toadstool was gone. Since questioning mortals about which way he went isn’t really an option, I headed south only to find out he went north. It seems he’s always just slipping by me.
“I’m sorry,” Sophia related. “That’s got to be frustrating.”
It is, Lunis said, a smile curling up the corners of his mouth. But I’m starting to figure out how he thinks. It’s only a matter of time before I anticipate his next move, and then I’ll have him.
“And the other dragons?” Sophia asked. “Are they having much luck with tracking down the other dragonettes?”
The expression that wisped to Lunis’ face didn’t fill her with hope. It’s about the same as me. The dragonettes are always one step ahead of them, sweeping by crowded marketplaces or busy tourist areas. By the time we get wind of it, the runts are gone again.
“Well, I’m hoping that you can catch at
least one of them,” Sophia imparted and explained to Lunis what Bermuda had told them they needed to make the protective spell work.
The dragon hung his head. Great, so we have a strategy for protecting them, but only if we catch one. The irony of this isn’t lost on me.
“We only have to catch one in the short term.” Sophia tried to sound optimistic.
“And you don’t even have to be nice to them,” Wilder offered. “Because we only need them to make the protective spell cloak the rest. Then we can find them and try and be diplomatic and convince them to return to the Gullington.”
So you’re saying I can put Blackey in a headlock then? Lunis asked.
“The visual of you putting another dragon in a headlock is pretty entertaining,” Wilder mused.
“Truth be told,” Sophia said slowly, thinking. “Once the dragons are cloaked, we really don’t have to worry about them returning to the Gullington if they don’t want to.”
That’s good because I don’t think the little buggers will want to come home, Lunis insisted. They’ve gotten a taste of freedom, and I think they are doing what evil dragons do best.
Sophia’s eyebrows jumped up on her forehead. “Oh, no. I hadn’t heard of any pillaging and destruction.”
Lunis shook his head. That’s what one expects them to do, but actually, the evil part of these dragons makes them selfish. That’s really the major defining characteristic that makes them different from us. And since they want what they want, they prefer to live alone and not have to share with others. We, on the other hand, prefer to be around our own and the Dragon Elite, where we can be a part of something.
Sophia thought about this for a moment. “Maybe this is semantics, but it seems to me the evil dragons aren’t necessarily that. They are just the opposite of you. You prefer community, and they like solitude. You’re willing to risk your life for the betterment of society, and they are self-serving.”
“It’s yin and yang,” Wilder added.
Yes, I think that’s fair to say, Lunis said.
“We know the angels had a grand design behind setting up the dragons and riders the way they did,” Sophia began. “We’ve heard it’s about balance, but maybe there’s more to it than that. Maybe the evil dragons, although I’d like to find a better term for them, are meant to provide different solutions because they think differently. Being selfish might cause them to see things in unique ways or make different decisions.”
“How about the demon dragons?” Wilder offered. “And the good ones, ours, we can call the angel ones?”
“That’s good,” Sophia said. “That is how it’s explained in The Complete History of Dragonriders. I think it said, ‘When Michael the archangel’s blood infiltrated the Earth, soaking into the dragon eggs, according to the legend, other blood was spilled at the same time by the demon Nergal. Half the eggs absorbed the angel’s blood and the other half, the blood of the demon. Some were born “angels” like the ones who formed the Dragon Elite. The others were born “demons.’”
“Then there we have it,” Wilder sang. “And we just learned from Bermuda that demons can actually be helpful, like Goat. It’s all about knowing their use and how they can be most beneficial.”
Cool, Lunis chirped. Then I was right to call Blackey a little demon.
“It seems that you have a lot of nicknames for that dragonette,” Sophia observed.
Yes, but most I can’t say in mixed company, Lunis joked.
Sophia pressed her hand to her chest and attempted her best southern accent. “How very gentlemanly of you.”
He bowed slightly, doing his own accent. Well, I do try not to be cavalier in the presence of a lady.
“Oh, for the love of the angels,” Wilder said, shaking his head. “You guys are the weirdest.”
Lunis shot him a rude glare. And you and Simi are like a bunch of stuffy old ladies running the PTA at an elementary school. You cover your mouth when you giggle and only tell tasteful jokes like how you like your cucumber sandwiches cut while straightening your bonnets.
“What’s a PTA?” Wilder asked, hiding a grin.
I think you’re missing the point, Lunis stated.
“That we need tighter bonnets that don’t get blown around in the wind?” Wilder suggested.
Lunis shook his head and looked at Sophia. I can’t work with him. He just doesn’t get how jokes work.
Sophia winked at him. “I think he does and you two get on fine.”
If he didn’t make you so happy I’d singe off his head of pretty hair, Lunis whispered, although Wilder could plainly hear what he said.
“You said I have pretty hair.” He batted his eyelashes at the dragon.
I also said you had a weak jawline, Lunis spat.
Wilder’s mouth fell open as he feigned offense. “When did you say that?”
To anyone that will listen, Lunis answered. Simi and I’ve taken to calling you Weak Jaw.
“No, you haven’t,” Wilder retorted.
Lunis laughed wickedly. I call you that, but she hasn’t come around to the idea of name-calling yet, but just you wait.
“I feel like there are better uses for your energy,” Sophia said with a giggle.
Unfortunately, there are, and they require my attention right away, Lunis agreed, suddenly looking sad.
She returned the expression, reaching out and running the back of her hand over his face when he lowered his head to say goodbye. “Don’t worry, Lun, we will be together again soon. This can’t last forever.”
He pressed his face into her hand, nearly pushing her back. I’m glad that I had the chance to see you. With a coy look at Wilder, Lunis said, Thanks for having Simi communicate Sophia’s location.
Wilder nodded, a smile on his face. “I was happy to help, especially because I didn’t like seeing Soph sad.”
The dragon returned his gaze to his rider. Don’t be sad. I’ll go and find Blackey or one of the other demon dragonettes, and you go get that spell.
Sophia agreed with a nod. “Okay, and then we’ll be reunited so we can continue to save the world in other ways.”
For the rest of our lives, the blue dragon sang, springing into the air at once and soaring away, back over the ocean.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Lunis said that I make you happy,” Wilder said to Sophia as they trudged through the sand, up to the palm reading shop on the Santa Monica boardwalk. It was the façade for the House of Fourteen and the way that most entered. She still wasn’t certain that Wilder could enter the headquarters but suspected he could. In a vision of the past, when using the reset point, Sophia had seen Hiker Wallace in the Chamber of the Tree, so she reasoned that other Dragon Elite should be able to enter.
“Of course you make me happy,” she told him, blushing slightly. “Why would I be with you otherwise?”
He combed his fingers through his hair and jerked his head to the side. “For my head of great locks.”
She shook her head. “And your giant ego.”
“Modesty has never suited me,” he agreed.
When at the front of the rundown palm reading shop, Sophia paused to ensure no one was paying them much attention. The place was glamoured to make it appear like those entering were walking into the shop and not accessing it through secret means. It was best that way so that mortals didn’t stick their hand to the door, hoping it opened for them as it did for Royals and others who could enter the House of Fourteen.
“I expected for the House of Fourteen to be a bit grander than a palm reading shop,” Wilder said, studying the small two-story building sandwiched between a souvenir store and a restaurant and bar on the boardwalk.
“What makes you think that it is?” Sophia questioned, lifting her hand to press it to the door to be granted access.
“Well, because Father Time resides in a pawn shop on Roya Lane and we just found the expert on magical creatures at a circus.”
She shrugged. “Technically Papa Creola’s headquarters are
the Fantastical Armory, but I could see how it could be mistaken for a pawn shop. But no, this is just the ruse for the House of Fourteen. They’ve been known to have enemies, so much like the Dragon Elite, the House has to have its location hidden.”
“Then shall we?” Wilder asked, holding out his arm to her.
She nodded and pressed her hand to the palm reading door, making it swing open at once.
Once inside the mysterious and always changing entrance to the House of Fourteen, Sophia had to wait for Wilder, who was in awe of the long hallway that led to the chamber where the Councilors and Warriors met.
His eyes were wide as he ran them over the golden walls filled with the ancient language of the founders. “It’s like it’s…”
“Alive,” Sophia supplied. “Liv and Clark say that it very much is. Apparently, it’s like magic has a life of its own in a way.”
He touched his hands to the wall cautiously, as though not sure if it would burn him since he wasn’t a Royal. “Can you read it?”
She shook her head. “No, because I’m not a Warrior. Before I became a dragonrider, I couldn’t even see it, but that status changed things for me. Now watch what happens.” She touched her hand to a symbol and it danced under her fingers, swimming around the wall like a fish in an aquarium.
“That’s pretty amazing,” he gushed. “Why does it do that?”
“I’m not sure,” she answered. “I guess it responds to Royals regardless of our status.”
“But, you are in line to become a Warrior, right?” Wilder asked.
Sophia frowned. “If something happened to Liv, which I can’t even think about. But my plan is to be a Dragon Elite until the end of my time. One day Liv and Clark will have children who will replace them when the time is right.”
“Or your children would be eligible too, right?” Wilder asked, instantly making her uncomfortable.
“The rules on how Councilors and Warriors are chosen are a bit convoluted,” Sophia explained. “Usually it’s based on birth order which becomes Councilor versus Warriors. When there are no children, then spouses and cousins are considered, but that’s rare. It was designed so that usually siblings made up the two positions.”