by Sarah Noffke
“I wouldn’t underestimate these dragonriders,” Hiker warned with a cold expression in his eyes. “They may be new and they’re probably young based on your encounters with them, but I think we’ve learned that this doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous or highly skilled.” The leader of the Dragon Elite’s gaze fell on Sophia and gave her a pointed look.
Chapter Eighteen
The cool wind swept across the Expanse and Sophia’s face as she typed out a quick message to Liv: The Dragon Elite need the House of Fourteen’s help with something.
The reply was almost immediate: I didn’t realize that you wanted to waste your time wading through bureaucracy pig slop.
Sophia laughed and responded, I hoped that you’d do the wading for me. I have to teach some new dragonriders a lesson.
Oh, I want to play!
Sophia frowned. Sorry, it’s sort of a dragonrider mission. Best if we don’t involve any outsiders.
Fine, Liv texted with a sad face emoji. What do you need me to do?
Sophia quickly explained. Some new dragonriders think they own the world…
Some? Liv joked. That’s all of you.
Ha-ha, Sophia replied, then typed out another message. The Dragon Elite protect the world. There’s a new group of evil ones named the Rogue Riders.
Oh good. New riders with inflated egos, fire breathing dragons, and an evil streak, Liv replied.
It’s definitely a bad combination, Sophia stated.
So what have these evil riders done that you need my help? I’ll do whatever it takes to assist.
They displaced a large population of elves in Hawaii, Sophia explained. I need the House of Fourteen to find them refuge.
Liv’s reply was fast: Anything but that.
Pretty please, Sophia begged. They don’t have anywhere to go, and the Elfin Council is overwhelmed.
But if they’re the island elves, then you know what that means…
Liv’s text trailed away, but Sophia knew all too well what her sister was implying.
Yes. They’ll all be hippies.
I literally will do anything else you need, Liv stated. Your taxes. Talk to your dragon about his hygiene. Explain to your boss that no one can understand a word he says. Just don’t make me rehome hippies. It will destroy my usual sunny disposition.
Plllllleeeeeaaaaassseee, Sophia texted.
Oh, well when you put it that way, Liv replied.
I know it’s not an ideal job, Sophia continued.
I gave a shapeshifting sloth a pedicure yesterday, Liv messaged. Nothing in this job is ideal. However, I’d rather do that again than deal with hippies.
But they don’t have anywhere to go, Sophia argued while teetering back and forth on the Expanse, realizing she was running out of time to get her sister to do this. She and Wilder would need to leave soon.
That’s because they’re dirty hippies, Liv countered. Maybe this is for the best and they’ll die out.
Liv…
Okay! All right! I’ll do it, Liv messaged.
Thank you. Sophia smiled wide.
But… Liv replied and followed it up with, if they tell me that they can’t accept certain accommodations because the feng shui is off or it doesn’t have the right vibe, then a bunch of elves might mysteriously go missing.
I’ll owe you one for this. Sophia watched as Wilder approached from the Cave. Simi and Lunis flanked him on either side. The blue dragon limped, but not as much as she’d feared.
You definitely will, Liv texted. I need you to trim Plato’s claws. Tell Rory that I forgot to file the tax return he did for me…for the last couple of years. And inform Clark that I accidentally forgot to tell him that the milk in the fridge he’s been using is from centaurs.
Sophia laughed as she typed. Anything else?
Tell my sister that I love her and would do anything for her, Liv replied.
Same to you, Sophia messaged.
Liv sent one more message before Sophia put away her phone with a smile on her face: Familia Est Sempiternum.
Chapter Nineteen
Dragons were meant to fly. One who couldn’t wasn’t considered a true dragon, Sophia knew from reading the Complete History of Dragonriders. They were like second-class citizens in dragon society—marked with a curse upon them.
For that reason, Sophia knew it weighed heavily on Lunis that he had to attempt the next flight beside Simi. Having to fly and land in front of the demon dragon had been one thing, but Lunis was already in a position of power there due to his older age and size.
However, there was a hierarchy with the dragons at the Gullington and Lunis had struggled to find his place with the elders. Although he was superior in size and faster due to the early age when he and Sophia had magnetized to each other, his youth constantly counted against him with the others. If he struggled on this mission’s flight, then it would no doubt harm his ego.
Aware of this, Sophia nodded for Wilder and Simi to take off first across the Expanse. She made an excuse that she needed to adjust Lunis’ harness and would catch up with them.
“Maybe you’ll catch up,” Wilder teased and winked at her. “It depends on how long you dawdle.”
“You can have a day’s head start, and we’ll still catch up,” Lunis quipped.
“I seriously doubt that,” Wilder fired back, then patted the side of the white dragon’s neck. “The wind is always in our favor, but today it’s especially so.”
Wilder was right. The gale-force winds that were starting to pick up would make Simi faster since it was her element. They could also make takeoff more difficult for Lunis.
“The winds can only help you so much when you’re riding on an old clunker,” Lunis joked and nodded at the white dragon.
“We won’t talk about the level of disrespect in referring to me as a rundown car,” Simi said smugly.
“I believe you just did,” Lunis stated dryly.
Sophia pretended to double-check the straps on Lunis’ harness. She glanced over her shoulder at Wilder. “We’ll be right behind you. I need another second to ensure we’re set.”
From atop his dragon, Wilder nodded. “Sure thing. Catch you on the other side.”
Wilder set off on his dragon in a brilliant series of graceful movements, then sprinted through the Barrier and set off into the air with practiced elegance.
Sophia turned back to Lunis and gave him a look of pure confidence. “You’ve got this.”
“What I have are a bunch of insults I plan on volleying at Simi,” he remarked as she climbed onto his back.
Sophia shook her head. “I don’t see what good it does. She doesn’t play back.”
He shrugged. “I hope to wear her down, but yeah, it’s more fun when they fight back. I’ll teach her.”
Sophia gripped the reins, glad that they could be so lighthearted when they both knew that Lunis struggled emotionally and mentally with his injury. Although Sophia knew that Lunis was trying to avoid the question, she leaned down and caught his gaze. “You ready for this?”
He drew in a measured breath and nodded. “All I have to do is get into the air.”
“And land,” Sophia added.
“I’ll get to that part when we get there.”
Sophia laughed. “Well put. Really deep.”
“Don’t worry, Soph.” Lunis set off in an uneven trot. The momentum wasn’t what they were used to, but he overcompensated by flapping his wings in a faster, different rhythm that made him move faster. Lunis sprang into the air right before they hit the Barrier and would be visible to Simi and Wilder. He didn’t catch much air at first, but his wings worked extra hard.
To Sophia’s relief, he stayed flying, although he skimmed the ground before he rose higher and took off faster as they soared through the Barrier—in time for the others to see him flying high.
Chapter Twenty
Once Sophia and Lunis were in the air flying beside Wilder and Simi, it was as though nothing was ever wrong with the blue dra
gon. Landing was the tricky part. Sophia knew it and also realized that Lunis was unwilling to admit it freely. The last time had injured more than his leg—or reinjured it, as it were.
However, she also knew that he didn’t want to dwell on it and suspected that he was trying to figure out clever ways to get around the whole landing part until his leg fully healed.
Sophia pointed to the island in the distance that she’d studied. “That’s the Elfin native lands.”
“Where those blasted demon dragonriders are squatting,” Wilder fired back.
“You said squatting,” Lunis teased.
“What’s wrong with that word?” Wilder asked.
“Commandeered is better,” Lunis argued.
“They aren’t pirates,” Wilder countered.
“Aren’t they?” Lunis questioned. “They’ve taken over that which isn’t theirs, and they smell like rum and fish.”
“How do you know that?” Wilder leaned low on his dragon and studied the island they were approaching. It wasn’t large but as big as the Gullington and capable of housing hundreds of elfin families or a few dozen demon dragons and their riders, as it was presently.
“Okay, so what’s the plan, Ms. Strategist?” Wilder asked her.
Sophia had trouble making out much detail from that distance due to the tree coverage on the tropical island, even with her enhanced vision. “I think we have to get closer, but stay as covert as possible, as Hiker asked.”
“There’s going to be a problem with that,” Lunis stated with disappointment.
On cue, both dragons slowed and nearly hovered in place.
“What is it?” Wilder searched the area.
“Well, if your dragon weren’t so senile, then she’d know that there’s a barrier up ahead,” Lunis explained. “Very similar to the one we have at the Gullington.”
Sophia kept the smirk off her face, but she was secretly grateful that Lunis had a victory by spotting the barrier before the much older dragon.
“I was busy searching for enemies,” Simi argued.
“You were busy trying to keep your arthritis from acting up, old fogey,” Lunis quipped.
Sophia turned her attention to Wilder. “A barrier. That’s going to complicate matters.”
Wilder nodded. “It also begs the question, where did these newbie dragonriders get the idea for such things that are so similar to what protects the Gullington?”
Chapter Twenty-One
“The demon dragonettes,” Simi said bitterly as she continued to hover in the air, staying aloft beside Lunis and Sophia.
“Of course.” Sophia put it all together. “They hatched at the Gullington and would know about the Barrier and all the other properties that protect our land.”
“And therefore transfer the knowledge to their riders,” Wilder added. “Of course, the pirates would steal our ideas to protect their new land.”
“So we can’t get in,” Sophia stated bitterly.
“We can’t get in yet,” Wilder countered. “We have to figure out how.”
“How do you propose we do that?” Sophia hoped he had a good idea since she was currently out of them.
He smiled at her and winked. “You throw one of your famous disguising glamours on us, and we wait.”
“Are you proposing a good old stakeout?”
To her shock, he dug into his cloak and pulled out a white paper bag. “I brought the donuts. I hope you brought the stories.”
Sophia laughed. “I brought all the stories. I hope you have a chocolate cake donut in there.”
He nodded. “Knowing you, I brought half a dozen.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Stakeouts are a lot more fun in the movies,” Lunis complained after a few hours of hovering outside the barrier to the elfin island.
Nothing had happened during that time—literally nothing.
At first, they thought they’d see a bird fly by or a dolphin in the ocean, but it appeared that the barrier the Rogue Riders had in place was powerful and kept anything but their own as far away as possible.
Sophia and Wilder had run out of stories after an hour…and donuts. Now they were both trying to stay awake as the rhythm of dragon wings beating sought to rock them to sleep, and the waning sunlight urged them toward respite.
“Stakeouts in the movies are fake,” Simi stated matter-of-factly.
“You’re fake,” Lunis countered childishly.
“I think the key is patience,” Sophia offered. She sensed the annoyance building in all of them as they had to hang out in the cold elements, sitting uncomfortably high above the sea.
“I think the key is donuts,” Lunis argued.
“We’re out,” Wilder declared and held up the empty bag.
“Dragons are supposed to eat a protein-rich diet,” Simi stated.
“Look, you’re not my mom,” Lunis shot back. “You can be all keto, but I’m plant-based. By that, I mean that I eat all the chocolate.”
“I was playing with the idea of going vegan,” Wilder said mildly, which made the other three pause.
Sophia slowly turned to face him. Lunis and Simi copied the movement. “Is the altitude affecting you, Wild?” she asked her boyfriend.
He laughed good-naturedly. “No. I’m used to it, thanks. I’ve been reading up on the effects, and I wanted to up my game.”
“And ruin dinners,” Lunis stated.
Sophia laughed too. “Vegans don’t ruin meals. What others eat is their business.”
Lunis scoffed. “Yeah right. Have you ever been at a dinner table with a vegan? You can’t chew and swallow a bite before they tell you what’s right, wrong, and how best to do it. The worst is when they’ve shoved their vegan agenda down your throat and have nothing else to talk about. What else is there to say when they’ve lectured and preached and you already know they’re the holy ones?”
Sophia shook her head and smiled. “Wild, if you want to be a vegan, I support it.”
He nodded. “I’m only doing it to annoy Lunis.”
The blue dragon seemed to appreciate this since a spark radiated in his eyes. “Good on you. I appreciate that approach. Don’t do things for you. Instead, do them to annoy those around you.”
“Is that what you’ve been doing?” Simi questioned.
“You’re different, Sim,” Lunis said casually. “I can annoy you without even trying because you have that stick shoved so far up your—”
“Oh, hey,” Sophia interrupted, finally catching sight of something. “I think we have some activity.” She pointed as a dragon and rider she recognized exited the barrier to the elfin island.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Riding through the barrier of the land the Rogue Riders had commandeered from the elves was none other than the demon dragonrider Tanner atop his steed Coal. They looked as smug as the first time Sophia had seen them and left him alive and unbruised. She currently regretted that decision.
“We should follow him,” Sophia suggested. She’d glamoured them to look like they were part of the darkening sky.
“Or beat him to a pulp until he tells us how to get through the barrier,” Wilder countered.
She pursed her lips at him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea because he might not have the solution or can’t provide it like us at the Gullington.”
He nodded. “True. Even if someone tried to get us to allow them to enter our Barrier, it’s still up to Quiet at the end of the day.”
“So we follow him and find out what the Rogue Riders are up to,” Sophia stated. “Then we take it from there.”
“By there,” Wilder began, “you mean, we beat him to a pulp.”
Sophia laughed. “Something like that. Let’s play it by ear.”
“Okay,” Wilder affirmed. “Let’s go.”
The pair on their dragons set off after the young demon dragonrider who headed for another island that was smaller and less inhabited but rich with resources. Something didn’t feel right to Sophia about th
ings, which was why she encouraged Lunis to fly faster, ensuring that Tanner and Coal didn’t get away.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sophia, Wilder, and their dragons followed Tanner to the neighboring island from a safe distance.
The landing would have scarred Lunis’ ego if it hadn’t been for the soft sand. He was able to land and trot off the limping, and thankfully the sand cushioned much of the brunt of the impact.
The riders and dragons took shelter in the trees around the main village when the young Tanner and Coal landed and entered the enclave.
The young dragonrider created quite the scene when he entered the modest community of mortals mixed with elves. They all appeared rather peaceful with their meek clothes and huts.
Rather boastfully, Tanner slid off his dragon and declared to the humble locals that he was there to give them the life they deserved.
“You all can thank me for giving you the future that you’ve all pined for,” Tanner informed the group of natives that had gathered around at the sight of the dragon and rider. They were more curious than fearful but grew concerned as he held up his hands and boomed, “Instead of wasting away in this hellhole of a pile of sand, I’m going to give you the opportunity to leave and find a new hovel to reside in.”
Sophia tensed next to Wilder in the trees, watching as children hovered and hid behind their mother’s hips, suddenly fearful of the dragonrider with an inflated ego.
“You see,” Tanner continued while holding out his arms in a grandiose fashion. “I’ve come to tell you that your island is no longer safe for you to live on and you have only three days to get off it.”
Cries of concern rang through the village. Children wailed. Mothers clutched their babies. Fathers ran forward.
However, the black dragon stopped all complaints by shooting out a neat bit of fire that nearly scorched many of the approaching men and the trees around them.
