by Sarah Noffke
Sophia nodded, craning her neck to find Cecily. She was picking up trash from the dinner service, although stumbling a bit from side to side.
“Look, it is the dragons!” someone yelling pointing toward the windows.
Sophia whipped around, nearing ramming her nose into the window. Lunis and the dragonettes were back, swerving around the plane, much closer than before. They must have sensed that something was wrong. Maybe Lunis knew that Sophia was on the plane. He had to of. He would feel their connection in such close proximity.
The plane jerked to the other side, rattling badly.
“The dragons are attacking us!” someone yelled.
“No, they aren’t,” Liv replied. “They know something is wrong with the plane and are trying to help. Isn’t that right, Soph?”
She nodded, wishing she could confirm it, but at this point, it was her best guess. Dragons were intuitive and did have the ability to sense danger. That’s how before, back in the day, before there was global news that told of disputes, the Dragon Elite found conflict and resolved it.
Cecily ran to the front and grabbed a phone, her eyes shifting back and forth as she spoke to the pilot. When she hung up the receiver, her face was much graver, and she didn’t look ready to return to her duties.
Liv stood up and slid past the redhead. She was surprisingly steady on her feet even as the plane tilted from side to side, the bumps making Sophia grateful she hadn’t eaten the in-service food.
As Liv spoke to Cecily, Sophia enhanced her hearing so she could make out what they were saying.
“I need you to return to your seat.” Cecily pointed to the back.
Liv rolled her eyes. “You have two magicians on board. I think we can help if you give us a chance and tell us what’s going on.”
Cecily considered this for a moment before leaning forward. “There’s something wrong with the engines. They are failing, and it looks as though we might have to make an emergency landing.”
Liv nodded. “Something is wrong with the plane. That seems about right.” She turned and made her way back to her seat.
“What are you going to do?” Cecily called behind her.
“I’m going to consider our options over a glass of wine,” she stated casually. “Bring a bottle of red and two glasses. Actually, make it two bottles. This is how I do my best problem-solving.”
“Should you really be drinking if you need to use your magic?” Cecily asked.
“Yeah, even drunk, I’m more powerful than most.” She pointed back at Sophia. “And she can best me in her sleep.”
This appeared to make Cecily feel marginally better.
“Flight attendants return to your seats,” Captain Monaco said over the loudspeaker.
Cecily immediately hustled for the back of the plane and returned with two bottles of red wine and glasses. “Do some problem solving and fast. We don’t have long.”
She disappeared to the back again and strapped herself into a seat that unfolded from the wall, her face pale and her eyes heavy with fear.
Chapter Eighty-Five
“Are you seriously pouring a glass of wine right now?” the redhead asked Liv as she passed a glass to Sophia.
She nodded. “It’s how I do my best thinking.” Liv took a sip and then leaned forward. “There’s something—”
“I heard,” Sophia interrupted, not wanting the other passengers to get wind of what the flight attendant said.
Liv nudged the redhead. “See. She’s even better than me. Can hear things for miles around.”
“Hear what?” the woman asked, frantic. “What’s going on?”
“Not sure,” Liv said, taking another drink.
The plane tilted downward severely, descending fast. Several things rolled through the aisle. Some were to be expected, like small purses stashed under seats or trash from the dinner service. And then there were the chipmunks that bounded toward the front of the plane.
Sophia spun around. “Did you see that?”
Liv finished her first glass of wine. “Yeah, someone lost their purse. That’s going to make for a bad trip to Dublin.”
“No, not that,” Sophia argued.
“Oh, the chipmunks.” Liv poured another glass and held it up as though wanting to cheer. “Yeah, I’ve already worked it out.”
Sophia gawked at her sister with surprise. “You have? Do tell.” She took a sip of her wine, hoping it made her think faster too.
“Well, the chipmunks have been on the plane since the beginning,” Liv began. “But they didn’t do their handy work until we were high up in the sky since that would have prevented us from taking off. As chipmunks are known for, they’ve probably torn the wires in the engines to bits and created full-on destruction.”
“What does that mean for us?” the redhead asked, her voice vibrating with fear.
“That means that unless my sister gets off her tailbone and gets to her dragon, this plane is going down,” Liv said casually, draining yet another glass.
“What?” the woman asked, horrified. “We’re relying on dragons to save us?”
“It’s all the dragon’s fault!” a guy across from them yelled, having been eavesdropping.
“When they save your butt, I’m going to require an apology from you.” Liv scowled at the guy.
“Liv,” Sophia said, getting her sister’s attention. “You really think I can get out there to Lunis?”
Liv shrugged. “Probably, since we’re low enough and you have the chi of the dragon protecting you from the high altitude.”
“So, you’re serious?” Sophia stated dryly. At first, she’d thought Liv was joking or hoped she was.
“Absolutely,” Liv replied.
“And what will you be doing?” Sophia asked. “Besides getting tipsy?”
Liv poured herself another glass. “Well, I’m going to go find these chipmunks and lock them up in the bathroom or the drink cart or something. If they are here, it is entirely possible that Baba Yaga is as well, so I’m going to search around for that old hag. I’ll use my magic to try and slow this thing down from crashing, but it’s going to be up to you and Richard and his pals to save us. So, no pressure or anything.”
Sophia gulped and retrieved the burned-up broomstick, handing it to her sister. “Okay, keep an eye out for pages from the spell book.”
Liv laughed. “Yeah, when I’m not corralling evil chipmunks and searching for Baba Buttface.”
Chapter Eighty-Six
Sophia couldn’t even believe what she was considering doing, and yet, Liv’s plan made sense. As two magicians, they were powerful, but stopping a 747 plane from crashing was a bit ambitious even for them. What they needed was muscle. They needed dragons. And thankfully, they had them—she just had to get to them.
“I need to exit the plane,” Sophia said to Cecily, the flight attendant.
Her eyes widened with horror. “You can’t!”
“I have to,” Sophia argued. “And I need the exit door over the wing.”
“But we’re at ten thousand feet. You’ll get pulled off,” she declared.
Sophia shook her head. “I’ve got magic, remember.”
The flight attendant reviewed her options. When smoke started to fill the cabin and the oxygen masks dropped down from overhead bins, it seemed to put the fire under her butt to throw caution to the wind.
“Okay, follow me,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and rushing down the aisle.
Sophia thought her nerves were as bad as they’d been all day. She felt something stick to the bottom of her shoe and took a moment to check. It was another page from the grimoire. It was getting humorous at this point.
Pocketing the page, she hurried to catch up with Cecily, who was pressing her shoulder into a locked door.
Cecily looked over her shoulder. “When you’re ready, you need to push down on this lever and then really push the door open.”
Sophia nodded, thinking the turbulence was going to make her sick. It w
as ironic she flew on the back of a dragon, spiraling through the air and doing all sorts of stunts. Yet being on a plane felt like the most unnatural experience in the world. But it was on its way down and about to crash land.
The flight attendant didn’t stick around to see if Sophia had any questions or made it out of the plane safely. She hurried for the back, strapping herself in once more. They didn’t have long, and by the grief-stricken looks on the passenger’s faces, they knew it.
“Don’t worry,” Sophia encouraged. “The dragons are going to save us. Just wait and see.”
Without another word, Sophia opened the door of the plane. She felt a rush of icy wind blast her in the face. The closest passengers screamed, covering their heads.
A man rose out of his seat, nodding at her. “I’ll lock it once you’re out.”
“Thanks,” Sophia said, grateful for the brave man’s help.
Knowing they couldn’t withstand the temperatures and winds like her, Sophia jumped out of the plane and landed firmly on the wing before the door was slammed shut.
Chapter Eighty-Seven
“Where are you little buggers hiding?” Liv asked, making her way to the back of the plane.
She didn’t worry about Sophia. If anyone was capable of jumping onto the wing of an airplane barreling toward the ground to catch a ride on the back of a dragon, it was Sophia Beaufont.
“Of course, I probably should have told her to tie her hair back,” Liv remarked to herself, staggering from the turbulence and not the four glasses of red wine she’d had. The woman beside her gave her judge-y eyes.
“She won’t be looking at me like that when I save her damn butt,” Liv laughed.
“Talking to yourself again,” a voice said behind her.
She rolled her eyes and turned to find Plato perched on the counter at the back where the flight attendants prepared the drinks and food. “Hey, what brings you here?”
“I was bored with fixing the library,” he answered. “I decided to lock it up and take a break.”
Liv nodded. “So, you opted to join me on a plane that’s about to crash, huh?”
He glanced around as the various objects in the area rattled dangerously. “It’s about to crash? So, it is. That will make for a great story.”
“Well, let’s hope that it doesn’t crash, and Sophia saves our butts.”
“Mostly your butt,” he agreed. “I’ll be gone before this thing nears the ground.”
“Always there for me when I need you,” she sang.
“Well, you could portal to safety as well,” he imparted.
Liv shook her head. “No, because then all these mortals will be in danger, and that’s all sort of our fault.”
“Sort of?” he questioned.
“Well, it’s one-hundred percent,” she amended. “Baba Yaga’s chipmunks, in an effort to take us down, literally, ate through the wiring of this plane. I’m guessing the engines are close to failing, but I’m no aviation expert.”
He looked off, his eyes studying something. “No, you’re right. They are failing. There are all sorts of leaks and fires. It’s a mess.”
“How you know that is of interest, but we will discuss it later,” Liv said, pressing her head to a compartment. “Care to tell me where the stupid chipmunks are? Or their leader?”
He lowered his chin. “Do you really think Baba Yaga would be on a plane she’s trying to crash?”
Liv twisted her mouth to the side. “Good point. Although she could probably portal to safety just the same.”
He nodded at the ground. “I think she’s waiting for you. Probably with a body bag.”
“Such a sweet old lady,” Liv joked. “So, these chipmunks?”
“I think they’ve done all the damage they planned,” Plato related. “If I was them, I’d want to ensure my efforts weren’t thwarted.” He glanced in the direction of the cockpit.
Liv’s eyes widened with understanding. “Those pesky little jerks. They are taking out the pilots.”
Chapter Eighty-Eight
Even using magic and having the protection of the chi of the dragon didn’t make walking out on the wing of the 747 plane a piece of cake. Sophia’s hair whipped at her face, lashing her skin. She desperately wished she’d thought to pull it back as it obstructed her vision.
She took each step with deliberation. Stamping her feet down on the wing, she’d weighted them using a spell so that she didn’t blow away. The wind blasted at her, making her progress slow. Keeping her balance with the plane at full-tilt was one of the most taxing experiences of her life. The plane’s engines were definitely smoking, and there were multiple signs that it was struggling as it barreled toward the ground. They were somewhere over the Midwest, Sophia guessed as she briefly studied the square fields below them.
The flat earth appeared so idyllic that was hard to believe it was going to be the death of them if she couldn’t find Lunis. She spotted the other dragonettes, whipping around the plane, interested in the aircraft that was quickly losing altitude.
But where’s Lunis, Sophia wondered, spinning around to get a better look and nearly losing her balance. She needed to get farther out on the wing, but with each step, she was having a harder time staying upright. She badly wanted to drop her weight and crawl, but she didn’t think Lunis would be able to see her as well, so she stayed standing, inching her way to the end of the wing.
When Sophia was as far out as she could go, she spun around to face the plane. It was the biggest rush she’d ever experienced to be standing out there looking at the tilted plane, all the passengers on that side regarding her with wide eyes.
If they hadn’t believed she was a magician before then, they for sure had to now. Or they just thought she was insane. She actually couldn’t argue with that.
Lunis, where are you, Sophia thought, as the three dragonettes were trading places above, below and to the side of the zooming plane that sputtered its complaints for all to hear.
Maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed the dragonettes had grown since the last time she’d seen them. They weren’t as big as Lunis, but they were quite large. Still, they weren’t skilled or strong enough to save the aircraft. For that, she’d need her dragon, and even at his current size, he wouldn’t be big enough entirely.
All the faces on the plane pressed more firmly into the windows, their eyes widening. Sophia knew they were surprised to see her standing there on the wing of a plane about to crash, so she didn’t understand what caused their sudden reaction. Then she felt the rush of wind behind her as the sound of flapping hit her ears.
Chapter Eighty-Nine
Liv found the cockpit locked. One of the flight attendants shook her head adamantly at her.
“You can’t go in there,” she argued.
“The plane is about to crash, and I believe the pilots are in danger,” Liv retorted, realizing she seemed like a terrorist, but hoping she could persuade the woman she wasn’t. Warriors for the House of Fourteen were the opposite of terrorists, but unfortunately, she didn’t have any identification to prove who she was.
The flight attendant picked up the phone and waited. When nothing happened, she furrowed her brow. “They aren’t answering.”
Liv nodded. “In danger, like I said.”
“From what?” the flight attendant questioned.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Liv said dryly, tapping the lock on the door and bypassing it immediately. She yanked the door back and found the pilot and copilot both gagged and their hands bound. They gave her looks of alarm as she studied the cockpit.
Sitting on the controls and pressing various buttons were three of the most mischievous chipmunks she’d ever set eyes on.
“The party is over, roadkill,” Liv stated, shutting the door behind her.
Chapter Ninety
Sophia was surprised to find her dragon behind her, having almost given up hope. But she was utterly shocked to find him at his super-size, making him at le
ast the size of the plane she was standing on. Usually, he could only shift into this larger size at a full moon, but a furtive glance around showed only clear blue skies.
Opening her mind to him, she found their telepathic link once more, making her heart rebound with relief.
How are you huge? she asked her dragon as he stayed in front of her with minimal effort.
I ate a large dinner, he joked.
She shook her head, not really having time for the joke, but grateful for the humor. There’s no full moon, she argued.
It’s five o’clock somewhere, he stated.
She frowned, wishing he’d be serious this once.
I found that when I think my rider is about to die, I can force myself into the larger size despite there not being a full moon present, he explained. It’s costing me great effort, but if we get you off this plane that’s about to crash, then it will be worth it.
I don’t just need to get off this plane, Sophia explained. I need your help saving it.
He nodded. I figured you wouldn’t be happy with me simply saving your butt.
She laughed. No, I need you to save the butts of all the few hundred passengers aboard, as well as Liv.
He gave her a mock-serious expression. Liv is in there? Well, never mind. Sorry, Soph, you’re on your own.
She scowled at her dragon. Seriously, we’re running out of time.
I agree, he said. Good thing I came back when one of the dragonettes noticed the plane struggling.
That’s a great thing, she agreed. What awesome dragonettes.
He shrugged. Yeah, they’re all right. A little less stuffy than the old fogies back at the Gullington.
Okay, well, can I get a lift? Sophia asked, winking at her dragon.
He lowered himself a bit and extended his neck out to her. She nearly stumbled on her next step but was able to grab onto his horns and securely transfer over to Lunis.