by Sarah Noffke
Liv shrugged. “We keep our eyes open, and it seems they will find us.”
“Then where is the challenge?” Sophia wanted to know as the plane began to accelerate. She’d been so excited about finding the page from the grimoire she hadn’t even realized they were on the runway and about to take off.
Liv gave her a rare look of worry. “I’m afraid the real challenge will probably come in fighting that old woman when she tries to get her book back. So, rest up, my dear. We’re going to need it.”
She patted Sophia on the shoulder as the plane sped down the runway, the engines and strange mechanical rumblings vibrating the plane all around them.
“Oh, and figure out what we can do with that burned up broomstick,” Liv instructed as the plane lifted into the air, and Sophia’s stomach somersaulted. She thought she’d be sick.
Chapter Eighty
Flying in a plane was the most unnatural experience Sophia had ever experienced up until that point in her relatively short life. She leaned back in her seat as the plane climbed in altitude, the city of Los Angeles falling away behind them.
The entire cabin was quiet as if everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see if they survived liftoff. Sophia reasoned that was probably just her imagination.
Even with the fear of flying wrapping tightly around her chest, Sophia was still excited to have found two of the pages from the grimoire. She didn’t know how they’d gotten into the seatback pockets, but Athens had said the pages couldn’t be seen, and the book assembled until Baba Yaga was awake. It appeared the old evil witch had stirred and would be waiting for them at their final destination.
When the plane leveled out, Sophia dared to look over her shoulder at Liv. “So, how do we find more pages?” she asked again.
Liv smiled, seeming to have enjoyed take off. The dam historian had stuck a weird U-shaped pillow around her neck and was snoring loudly. “I think the pages find us. We’re a major part of this prophecy. The odds are in our favor as long as we keep working toward the goal.”
“So, we don’t have to search all of the seat back pockets in here then?” Sophia already felt a bit of relief. She really didn’t want to have to impose herself on everyone in the plane since they were already angry with them.
“That’s one way to make friends,” Liv joked. “Or enemies rather. But no, I don’t think so. The pages were in mine and yours and not the others. And the seats were the last two reserved for us. Just go about your business, and they’ll probably turn up. Or they won’t, and Baba Yaga will take over the planet with some treacherous spell when she gets her book back.”
Sophia shook her head at her sister. “I’m voting for the more optimistic outcome.”
“You do that,” Liv said, looking up at the screen overhead. “I’m going to watch some movies from last year and order a bottle of wine.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Sophia asked, giving her sister an annoyed expression.
“It’s an international flight, Soph and I haven’t had a proper break in…well since before becoming a Warrior for the House of Fourteen. I’m going to take this forced break to unwind and get tipsy. Besides, I’m stuck next to this damn woman, so what else am I supposed to do for entertainment? If I keep talking to you, you’ll get a neck ache, and that will surely bite us in the butt when we’ve got to be agile in the fight against Baba Yaga.”
Sophia couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, okay. Enjoy your time off. I’ll try and relax in the meantime, too.”
“Just don’t eat the fish on the in-flight menu,” Liv advised. “Not only should they not serve fish on flights, but it’s not good because it’s fish.”
“Lunis loves fish,” Sophia related, her heart suddenly desperately missing her dragon.
“So does Plato and he has disgusting taste,” Liv said.
Sophia laughed. “But he chose you.”
“Touché.”
Sophia turned back, sensing Olaf’s eyes on her. “Is Lunis your boyfriend?”
She shook her head. “No, his name is Wilder. My dragon’s name is Lunis.”
He frowned at her. “Sometimes, I like to pretend that my dog is a dragon. I guess it’s more fun that way.”
“I actually have a dragon,” she argued.
He nodded, patting her sympathetically on the knee. “You’re one of those Dragon Worshippers. I get it. You all want one of your own.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s it. I’m obsessed with them and want them to cleanse my soul.”
He shrugged. “I don’t think they can do that. They might be able to help this planet, though, if we gave them half the chance.”
“You’re not an Anti-Dragonite?” she asked, grateful she didn’t have to put this guy in a headlock. That probably wouldn’t go over very well on a plane…or anywhere else.
Olaf shook his head. “No, but I get entertainment watching the two sides fight. I tend to be in the middle. Prove to me you can help, is what I say to the Dragon Elite. And prove to me they can’t, is what I say to the politicians. All the rest of it is conjecture.”
Sophia smiled at the guy, finding she liked him. He was about facts, rather than being told what to believe. So many got swept up in the media, not even giving the Dragon Elite the chance to prove themselves.
With a longing in her heart, Sophia looked out the window she watched as the clouds streaked by. She hoped that wherever Lunis was, he was happy and safe, and if she was honest, she hoped he was missing her as much as she missed him.
Chapter Eighty-One
Sophia didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep until she felt drool slip down her chin. To further increase her horror, she had her head lying on Olaf’s shoulder.
Wiping her mouth, she gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I must have dozed off.”
“I’m not complaining,” he said with a smile. “It’s been a long time since I had a pretty lady on me.”
Sophia blushed and turned to find Liv thoroughly amused by the exchange. “Hey, can I trade with you? My lady is boring with a capital B.”
Apparently, the earplugs weren’t entirely effective because the woman scowled at Liv.
Dam lady removed one of her earplugs and said, “What would you like to talk about?”
“Oh!” Liv exclaimed. “They are serving food.” She leaned over the woman to talk to the flight attendant. “Can I get the vegan option?”
Cecily nodded and handed over a steaming container with tableware.
“Vegan?” Sophia asked.
“It’s the safest bet, and it gives me something to complain about,” Liv responded, peeling the foil off her food. She glanced at the redhead. “So, you’re going to Dublin to study dams. Tell me more. This might come in handy in my line of work.”
“Which is?” the woman asked, taking her own food container.
“It’s super boring,” Liv replied. “You. Let’s discuss you.”
Sophia took the warm container from the flight attendant. She had a tentative expression on her face when she unveiled the mystery meat swimming in brown sauce, hugged by purple potatoes and carrots. “Vegan was the way to go.”
Olaf nodded, looking at his own meal.
“Well, I’m also going to find a research assistant,” the redhead said to Liv.
“Oh, that sounds fun. Maybe I’ll apply,” Liv joked. Sophia knew she was joking, but the woman apparently didn’t.
“Really? What are your qualifications?” the redhead asked.
“Well,” Liv said, drawing out the word. “I make great doodles when other people are talking, and I’m fantastic at getting blood stains out of clothes.”
The woman furrowed her brow. “I’m not sure that’s what I had in mind for a successful candidate.”
Liv pushed her food away, having picked it over and decided none of it was adequate to ingest. “Also, I’ll require Mondays off, and I need to work remotely Tuesday through Thursday. Fridays, I have to come in late, but I’ll leave early to m
ake up for it.”
Sophia couldn’t help but laugh at the exchange and wasn’t the least bit surprised when the redhead put her earplugs back in. Liv’s mission in life was to be a pain in the ass and save the world. It was doubly entertaining the dam historian thought the Warrior for the House of Fourteen was some jokester loser when she was the reason the planet was still spinning on its axis. It was because of Liv that Sophia wanted to make a difference, all while cracking jokes and looking badass. Life goals, she thought as she pushed her food away too, finding it inedible.
That’s when she saw it and could hardly believe her eyes. Lying underneath her food, in place of a placemat, was another page from Baba Yaga’s grimoire.
Chapter Eighty-Two
Spinning around in her seat, Sophia held up the page. “Look what I found!”
Liv’s eyes widened. “Where did you find that?”
“It was under my food,” Sophia explained, pointing to Liv’s tray. “Check yours.”
Picking up the steaming container, Liv frowned. “Nothing.” Without asking permission, she scooted over the redhead’s food and also found nothing. “It’s weird. How are they getting in such random places for us to find?”
Sophia laughed, feeling giddy. “Magic. It appears the universe is conspiring for us.”
“I love when that happens,” Liv said, grabbing the page from Sophia’s hand. “Is there anything useful on this that will help us to defeat Baba Yaga with her own broomstick?”
Sophia hadn’t had a chance to check the page, but the first one she found was mostly dark magic. Somewhere in the spell book had to be information on how to adapt the protective spell so it could be used on the dragonettes. The dragonriders had to find the location for this temple, where the spell had to be performed. But first, they needed to assemble the grimoire.
“I don’t think so,” Sophia answered after reviewing the cramped writing. “Looks like a spell for how to melt flesh from a body.”
Liv shook her head. “This Baba Yaga is a real classy lady. Can’t wait to meet her.”
Sophia laughed, turning back around. Her brain started to race with possibilities of where the other pages could be. Paradoxically, she didn’t think she should go looking for them because in the last two instances, the pages had actually found her.
“That’s weird,” Olaf said, pointing out the window.
“What?” she asked, leaning in closer to the glass to see what he was talking about.
“Well, it’s weird to see birds flying this high,” he explained. “We must be twenty thousand feet up.”
Sophia narrowed her gaze and used her enhanced vision. She could see what he was talking about as four dark shapes streaked across the clear blue skies. The one in the lead was bigger than all the rest. They curved to the side and began heading in the plane’s direction.
When she made out the figures, she nearly screamed with excitement.
Making their way closer to the 747 was none other than Lunis and the three dragonettes!
Chapter Eighty-Three
“That’s my dragon!” Sophia exclaimed, nearly crying with excitement.
The blue dragon veered to the side, banking on the wind and showing the plane with passengers his shiny blue scales. The three dragonettes did the same, the sunlight reflecting off their iridescent scales.
“That one is mine,” a little girl said from two rows back.
“The green one is mine,” someone else exclaimed. Excitement was starting to overwhelm the airplane cabin as passengers on the far side got up to take a look.
“The big blue one is mine,” an old man said, his voice overflowing with glee.
Liv tapped Sophia on the shoulder. “Looks like you’ve got some competition.”
Sophia scowled, wanting to argue with the excited passengers that the blue dragon was actually hers, and she was a real dragonrider. However, that would only create conflict when the point of the world tour was to build goodwill. As Sophia glanced around the airplane cabin, she realized that’s exactly what it was doing. Lunis was making people excited for the Dragon Elite. He was filling them with hope and inspiration just by soaring through the skies with the dragonettes in tow.
Her heart filled with delight when she looked out the window as the dragons drew closer. She knew it was unlikely he could make out her face pressed up against the glass, but she reached out to him with her mind hoping to find their telepathic link. Unfortunately, it was still blocked, all of his energy focused on his current task to protect the dragonettes. That had been Hiker’s orders, and both dragon and rider had respected it, although being apart and disconnected was physically painful for them.
“Hello, this is Captain Monaco speaking,” a voice echoed over the loudspeaker. “We’ve got a real treat for those of you on the right side of the plane. It appears there’s a group of dragons flying next to us.”
“A group of dragons is called a clan,” Sophia corrected, unable to stop herself.
Many of the passengers standing trying to get a better look from the left side of the plane gave her questioning glances.
She shrugged. “I know things.”
Liv stood up, indicating the redhead should let her out of her seat. “You all should know that this one is a dragonrider for the Elite. The blue dragon there is hers. His name is Lunis.”
Sophia couldn’t help but smile wide at her sister. It was the first time Liv had ever used the right name for Lunis. Of course, Liv’s jokester behavior had earned her zero credibility and everyone dismissed her statement, returning their attention to staring out the window at the dragons soaring alongside the plane.
“Well, I’m going to hit the bathrooms since everyone is busy gawking at magical reptiles.” Liv pursed her lips as she slid through the crowd.
“It’s like you’re used to seeing dragons,” the redhead said, grimacing with offense at Liv.
She shrugged. “I’m used to seeing dragons, ogres, and demons. What I don’t see a lot of is reasonable people with the ability to think for themselves.”
Sophia shook her head at her sister’s cynicism. She was right, though. That was how Nevin Gooseman had stirred up so much support from the Anti-Dragonites.
“Maybe they will follow us all the way to Ireland,” a woman said, nearly leaning over Olaf to get a better glimpse of the dragons.
Sophia shook her head. “I think their tour is mostly of the United States right now because that’s where the political divide is strongest. Besides, Ireland is used to seeing us since we live so close.”
The woman gave Sophia a questioning glare.
She smiled in reply.
“You really are one of those dragonriders then, aren’t you?” Olaf asked, looking impressed.
“Yes,” she replied. “I’m not insane like my sister and don’t tell tall tales.”
“So, she isn’t really a Warrior for the House of Fourteen?” Olaf wanted to know, having chatted with Liv extensively, apparently when Sophia was napping. “She doesn’t work for Father Time and defeat annoying magical creatures whose power has gone to their corrupt heads?”
Sophia giggled. “Oh, she totally is.”
As Sophia had foretold, the dragons dove when they were still over the United States, headed down to flaunt their awesomeness to Cleveland or New York or wherever they were over the country.
The passengers all groaned in unison, missing looking at the magical flying creatures.
“Look what I found,” Liv reported when she returned to her seat. She was holding a piece of old parchment with Baba Yaga’s now-familiar handwriting on it.
“Where did you find that?” Sophia asked.
“I went to dry my hands after washing them,” Liv explained, turning around to the passengers behind her, not having taken her seat yet. “Something all of you should do.” She pointed two fingers at her eyes and then at the people staring at her. “I know some of you don’t wash your hands. The brownies tell me everything. It’s like you’re all waiting
for a pandemic to break out before you take handwashing seriously. Don’t be that guy.”
Sophia snapped at her sister, trying to get her attention. “Focus, Liv. The page from the spell book.”
Her sister returned her attention to Sophia. “Oh, well, after washing my hands, I grabbed a paper towel to dry them, and the one that popped up was this.” She held up the page from the grimoire. “Pretty cool, huh?”
“Way cool,” Sophia said, smiling at her sister.
“Yep, four down and an unknown amount left to find.” Liv snapped her fingers at the redhead, indicating she should get up so Liv could take her seat. “Why don’t you head to the restroom or explore the plane a bit? Who knows what you’ll find?”
Sophia was about to ask Olaf to let her up when the plane suddenly lurched to the side, experiencing turbulence.
Chapter Eighty-Four
Just when Sophia had gotten used to flying on a plane, the experience filled her with gripping fear once again.
The plane bounced up and down, making Sophia think she’d fly out of her seat. Those in the aisle staggered as the plane tilted from side to side.
A chime indicated the “fasten seatbelt” sign had been turned back on.
“This is Captain Monaco,” a man’s voice echoed over the loudspeaker. “We are experiencing a bit of turbulence, and I’m going to ask that you all return to your seats.”
“It’s the dragons!” someone yelled from up ahead. It was the woman with platinum blonde hair and oversized lips. “They are attacking us!”
Sophia sighed and slipped down in her seat. It was always one step forward and two steps backward.
“It’s not the dragons, Big Lips,” Liv hollered before Sophia could reply.
The plane jerked to the right, making Sophia tense. Liv laid a comforting hand on her. “Don’t worry. Just watch the flight attendants. If they are calm, then it’s nothing to worry about.”