by Martha Carr
“So you’re not gonna help us.”
“No.” She glanced at Murphy. “Is he always this thickheaded?”
The brown-haired mage shrugged.
“Whatever. The point is, I still won’t risk being expelled from Fowler Academy by being stupid and flailing around trying to do this on my own.”
“Yeah.” He sneered at her. “That’s what I thought.”
She lowered her chin and returned his look with a steady stare. “And I won’t risk leaving Raven in whatever danger she’s in and not do anything about it.”
Murphy shook her head. “Bella, you heard Headmaster Flynn. We can’t do both—”
“Oh yes, we can.” Bella glanced around the empty courtyard and nodded. “We merely have to be very good at covering our tracks. So are you in or not?”
The two friends looked at each other, and the frown Henry gave her held more pain than she’d seen in him.
“I’m in,” Murphy said with a firm nod.
“Murph.”
“This is for Raven, Henry. That’s it. So get rid of whatever you have against Bella and suck it up already.”
Bella and Henry stared at the brown-haired mage who’d been nothing but quiet, shy, and easygoing since they met at orientation. He gave her a tight smile and nodded. “I like this side of you, Murphy.”
“Yeah, well, it’s the only side I have right now.” She turned toward Bella. “You said you have an idea.”
“I do. And it’ll make things much easier for us to help find Raven without anyone knowing what we’re doing.”
“Great.” Murphy stuck her hands on her hips. “So let’s hear it.”
“Not here.” She turned in a tight circle and scanned the empty courtyard and the various buildings around them. “Come on.”
She led them across the paving and through the stone archway into the field. Leander still paced beside the stables while he stretched his wings and snorted but he no longer made all the noise. Professor Worley sat in the grass in front of the agitated dragon, his legs crossed and his back to the three young mages who sneaked past the wall during class.
The next time Leander turned to pace toward Worley, he caught sight of the students and paused to raise his head.
Bella crouched beside the wall and stared at him. He can see me. I hope he can trust me to do this.
She nodded once, and on the other side of the field, Leander snorted before he turned again to pace in the other direction.
Relieved, she turned toward her companions and whispered, “Come on. Hurry.”
They slunk around the back corner of the wall and thankfully, no one at Fowler Academy saw anything.
Chapter Twenty-Three
William Moss swung his leg over Teo’s saddle to dismount and patted the green dragon’s long neck. “Good work this morning, Teo. I know it was a lot.”
“It was necessary.” The dragon turned his head to look at him and his silver eyes narrowed in concern. “Are you all right?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. But I will be. As soon as we—” He turned at the sound of pounding hooves coming toward them from the main road into town.
The rider was in his teens, his face flushed and eyes wide as he pulled his horse up at the front gates of Moss Dragon Ranch. The animal shied away from the gates, as nervous to be around dragons as the young boy. “I have a message for Mr. Moss!”
“Which one?” William shouted back.
“Uh…” The boy whipped a folded sheet of parchment paper from his pocket and scanned the address. “Ernie.”
“Yeah, hold on.” He looked at Teo and shrugged. “I gotta go get Dad.”
“I believe he’s already heard the call.” The dragon lowered his head and focused his gaze on the narrow road that cut across the ranch toward the Moss family’s home.
Ernie Moss jogged down the path, lifted his cap, and waved at the rider. “Ernie Moss. Give me a moment.”
“Dad.” William caught Teo’s harness as the dragon slipped his head through it in a practiced move so he could be led from the front instead of at the saddle. Dragon and trainer met Ernie Moss where the footpath joined the main road inside the gates.
“Keep Teo ready to ride, Will.” Ernie pointed at him and situated the newsboy cap on his head. “I have a feeling we’ll take off again.”
“We just got back. I don’t know what else we can do.”
“Well, it looks like someone has something for us, doesn’t it? I’ll take care of it. Just…wait until I know more.” Ernie walked swiftly down the wide dirt road until he reached the gates.
He watched his dad and pressed his lips together. Telling me to wait today is like telling me not to breathe.
The man exchanged a few words with the messenger on horseback before the boy turned his horse and left off at a gallop in the direction from which they’d come. The owner of Moss Ranch took longer than William liked to read the letter in his hand, looked at his son, and walked up the road. “It’s a message from Fowler Academy.”
“Shit, I didn’t even think about that.” He clapped a hand onto his head and stared at the clear blue sky.
His dad cast him a sharp glance and shook the message. “From Headmaster Flynn himself.”
“They have to know by now, right?”
“Of course they know. Raven Alby’s gone missing, and her dragon’s at that school without her.”
William ran his hand through his long blond hair and sighed. “So why did he send you a message?”
“It’s for both of us, more or less.” Ernie handed him the letter and waited for him to read the short, succinct message.
“He wants us to go there?”
“Apparently, the fact that we’re dragon trainers holds some importance.” The senior Moss shrugged, took the letter, and slipped it into his pocket. “It’s turned a long morning into an even longer day, huh? We’d better go.”
“But what if Nadine sends words while we’re gone? Someone needs to be here to—”
“Michael and Romeo will be here, son. They’ll keep things running, and if anyone sends word—from Nadine or otherwise—we’ll hear about it when we return. That’s what ranch hands are for.” Ernie clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder, nodded, and hurried toward the stables. “I’ll get the tack out. Go call Renaldo for me.”
“Renaldo’s off rotation for the next week.”
The older man paused, glanced over his shoulder, and nodded. “Right. I knew that. What about Calista?”
“Under different circumstances, she’d be thrilled.”
“Excellent. Pull her out.” He pointed at William with a distracted smile. “It’s a good thing I keep you around, huh?” Without waiting for a reply, Ernie continued to the stables.
William pressed his lips together and led Teo toward the fence lining the dragon paddock. The dragon lowered his head toward his rider and breathed softly. “He’s not doing very well, is he?”
“What gave it away?”
Teo clicked in the back of his throat, and William glanced at him.
“Sorry, Teo. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“You aren’t. I imagine it’s difficult to hide Ernie’s condition.”
“Yeah. It gets harder every day.” They stopped at the fence and he looped the harness over the top of the post. “And now with Raven missing and he wants to be involved… This isn’t the day I expected to have.”
“It’s not the day anyone expected to have, William.”
“You’re right about that.” Shaking his head, the dragon trainer walked down the fence toward the closest gate. “Wait here a minute, Teo. Dad wants Calista.”
“As you wish.”
He forced himself to breathe steadily as he reached the entrance and unhooked the coiled lead hanging over the post. Then, he unlatched the gate, slipped through it, and closed it again behind him. With the lead slung over his arm, he stuck two fingers in his mouth for a loud whistle that rang across the paddock. “Calista! Time to ride!”<
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The clans gathered in loose groups around the field looked up at his call. The paddock quieted for a moment before a blue-gray dragon rose from where she’d been lying in the grass and stretched her wings. As soon as she moved toward the fence, the other Moss dragons returned to their usual lounging about in the sunshine, playing with their clan members, or milling around in groups of two or three.
William slipped the lead off his arm and smiled at Calista’s approach. It’s another normal day for them. And why would they care? Raven spent all her time with Leander.
“I’m ready to fly,” she said, her voice low and oddly calming.
“Good. Thank you.”
The gray-blue dragon with bright blue eyes glanced from William to Teo and back again. “And Teo?”
“Teo’s with me, Calista. Ernie asked for you specifically.”
“Ah.” With the lead around her neck, the female dragon followed him toward the gate and waited patiently for him to open it again. “I’ll be gentle, then.”
William chuckled. “I think that’s exactly why he asked for you.”
I can keep the rest of Brighton from seeing how much he’s changed but I can’t hide anything from a dragon. Definitely not a whole ranch of them.
“Come on, Teo.” The dragon trainer removed the lead from the fencepost with his other hand and led both dragons steadily toward the stables. “We’re off for another meeting.”
“Where are we going this time?” Calista asked.
“Uh…Fowler Academy, actually.”
The blue-gray female snorted. “I did not think a school for mages accommodated dragons.”
“Actually, they’re already accommodating one full-time. You remember Leander.”
“Of course.”
“He’s been there for a few months. Hey, Teo, when we get there, maybe you could—”
“I will try, William.” The green dragon inclined his head. “It depends on whether he’s willing to listen.”
“Right. And who knows how that’ll turn out without Raven around. Hey, Dad. We’re ready for you.”
A loud grunt and the thump of heavy dragon tack rose from inside the stable. Ernie Moss emerged with his worn saddle slung over his shoulder, the harness dangling from his hand. “Thank you, Will. Calista.” The man grinned at her. “I’m glad to see you’re up for the challenge.”
“With you, Ernie? Always.” She lowered her head so William could slip the lead off and Ernie dismissed his son with a nod.
“All right, girl. Come down a little there so I can…ah. There we go.” Twice, the man missed sliding the wide harness over the female dragon’s head but he didn’t seem to notice. Finally, he managed to slide it on and slung the straps over her back. Calista turned her head slightly to look at William and Teo.
I can’t tell if he’s trying to fake it or really doesn’t notice anymore.
“Now, we get this saddle…” The man swung the saddle up but clearly couldn’t have reached if Calista hadn’t lowered herself to her belly for him. When she stood, he ducked beneath her to catch the saddle girths and buckle them together. “Well this is…huh. I need a little more—damnit.”
“Dad?”
Ernie sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and backed out from beneath the dragon, rubbing his fingers. “I can’t get a grip on the damn buckle. Who decided to make those things so small in the first place, huh? That’s what I wanna know.”
“Here.” He handed Teo’s harness to his dad and stepped toward Calista. “I got it.”
“That’s fine. I’ll keep Teo right here. Once the weather warms up, this arthritis’ll cut me a break again. Not too much longer now, I should think.”
“I know.” He buckled and cinched the girths beneath Calista’s belly and gritted his teeth. The arthritis isn’t the problem and everyone knows it. “All right. You’re good to go.” He patted Calista’s side and she lowered herself to the ground again for Ernie to mount. “Thanks, Calista.”
“Of course.”
They shared a glance before William took Teo’s harness from his dad and nodded. “You good gettin’ up there?”
“Boy, I’ve trained and ridden dragons since before I knew your mama. Don’t ask if I need help climbin’ up like some kid wantin’ a ride on a birthday pony.” Ernie grunted and threw an arm up over the female dragon’s back as he tried more than once to get his foot into the stirrup. When he kicked himself up at last, he only managed to get halfway over.
Teo stepped toward him, but William tugged gently on the halter and held him back. He’s gotta be able to do this on his own at the very least. Only a little more time.
Finally, Ernie Moss heaved himself over the saddle, slid his other boot into the far stirrup, and cleared his throat. “Slow and steady, eh?”
“That’ll do it, yeah.” The young man met Teo’s gaze before he climbed into the saddle. When Teo stood, both dragons headed down the wide avenue of trampled dirt and sprouting grass between the stables and the paddock fence. “Go ahead, Dad. We’re right behind you.”
“You watch, Will. Your old man will show you how it’s done.” Ernie patted Calista’s neck and clicked his tongue. “Nice and easy, Calista.”
“You’re the one who trained me, Ernie. I know what to do.”
He chuckled as the blue-gray dragon began a steady run down the length of the fence. She spread her wings, ducked her head, and became airborne in a smooth, gentle arc a few moments before they reached the corner of the paddock.
Teo turned his head to look at William. “Renaldo isn’t really out of rotation.”
“No, but he takes off like a cannon. Let’s go.” The dragon trainer lifted the harness lightly, and Teo launched skyward to quickly gain up speed and come abreast of Ernie Moss on the gentle Calista. Together, they headed northeast toward Fowler Academy.
Professor Worley watched Leander pace across the field and took a deep breath. “How long can you keep that up?”
The dragon snorted and eyed the mage warily before he swung to walk away. “Until either she’s back here with me or I hear where she is and go get her myself.”
“When was the last time you ate, Leander?”
“I don’t need to eat.”
“Everyone needs to eat.”
“You expect me to—”
A shadow passed across the field, followed swiftly by a second. Both dragon and professor looked up as two dragons and their riders turned above them in effortless flight. Ten seconds later, Teo and Calista landed softly in the grass. Both William and Ernie Moss looked grim and tired already, even though it was before midday.
“Mr. Moss.” The professor pushed to his feet and dusted his loose-fitting clothes off. “Both of you, I suppose.”
“We received a letter from Headmaster Flynn asking us to come,” Ernie said as he dismounted swiftly and easily from Calista’s lowered back. He fumbled with her harness as she ducked beneath it to let him lead her from the front. “We took off as soon as the messenger left Moss Ranch.”
Worley rubbed his chin covered in the thick, wiry black beard and frowned. “Did his letter mention what’s happened?”
“It didn’t have to.” William dismounted from Teo’s saddle and adjusted the harness with practiced ease. “Leander already told us everything.”
“I’m sorry?” The professor glanced at the red dragon, who’d stopped pacing and now faced Teo and Calista, his head lowered so much it almost touched the ground. “I’ve been out here with him since dawn.”
“And I was outside with him at Moss Ranch before dawn.” The young trainer nodded at Leander, and the red dragon snorted, his head swaying from side to side.
“That would have been nice to know beforehand,” Worley told the dragon familiar.
Leander glanced quickly at him and narrowed his eyes. “You never asked.”
“I…” He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I didn’t consider having to ask every question imaginable to get all pieces of the story.”
“Well, you’re talking to a dragon.” William handed Teo’s harness to his father, who took them with brisk movements and a quick nod. Dad certainly pulled himself together for this little visit. “Do you mind if I have a few words with Leander myself?”
“It’s not really up to me.” Worley gestured toward the red dragon.
“I was being polite. Leander? Do you mind?”
Leander studied him for a moment, then snorted and turned away to stalk across the field.
I’ll take that as a yes.
“I’ll be right back.”
“The headmaster’s waiting for us, Will.”
“It’ll only take a second.” The young man raised a hand toward his dad and nodded. “I assume this chat with Flynn might take a while. Do you have room to stable a few extra dragons for a couple of hours?”
Worley grimaced and ran a hand over his curly mop of black hair. “We have room in the pen, but…” He chuckled dryly. “Raven’s the only one who can open it. We didn’t think we’d be worried about dragons trying to get into the enclosure when we set all that up.”
“What about leads?”
“Sure. We have rope.”
William nodded. “Dad, why don’t you show the professor how to unsaddle a dragon? I’m sure he’ll find it interesting.”
“Oh, sure. Come on, Mr…”
“Worley.”
“Worley.” Ernie waved him toward Calista. “It’s real simple, now. Much like a horse, only the horse is three times the size with wings and an even worse bite, eh?”
With the two older men occupied, he headed toward Leander, who’d stopped on the far side of the field beside the forest to watch him approach. As long as Dad has something to keep him busy, he’ll be all right.
He stopped a good ten feet from the red dragon and spread his arms in a placating gesture. “I only want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am not.” He snorted and began to pace along the tree line.
“Have you heard anything from her? Or felt anything?”
