by Sarah Noffke
“It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside,” Evan sang from Your Song by Elton John.
“I like that song,” Tiffannee suddenly stopped trying to yank her hand from Evan’s.
“I’m not one of those who can easily hide,” Evan continued.
Sophia was surprised that he had a pleasant singing voice and put his spin on the song. Since getting his phone, Evan had been one of the dragonriders who had taken to the modern culture the easiest, probably because he was the youngest of the guys. Sophia had set him up with a Spotify account, and he’d scoured the charts for new music.
“How about this one?” Evan danced a little, moving his shoulders back and forth. “I-I-I love you like a love song, baby. And I keep hitting re-re-repeat.”
To Sophia’s total astonishment, Tiffannee joined in and sang along with Evan while swinging her hips back and forth.
The mortal’s singing voice wasn’t bad either. “No one compares. You stand alone, to every record I own. Music to my heart; that’s what you are. A song that goes on and on.”
Still holding Tiffannee’s hand, Evan twirled her around and dipped her before directing her farther into the field. Sophia worried that they weren’t allowing themselves to be directed, but when she glanced at Blathers, he gave her a reassuring expression.
“They’re doing fine,” he stated in a low voice.
She nodded and returned her attention to the pair who were now on the far side of the hill, still taking turns singing love songs to each other and dancing. They had moved onto a Wings song called Silly Love Songs.
Tiffannee shook her shoulders and danced close to Evan. He smiled and got down.
“What’s happening?” Sophia wondered aloud. She started to think the two had been drugged.
“They’re doing what they need to,” Blathers stated. “The hill and the potency of the Glenlivet Thistle are encouraging them. You have good friends.”
Sophia smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I really do.”
When she glanced back, she was surprised to find the pair kneeling as their free hands reached for a single thistle. In unison, like two people doing a rehearsed dance, they wrapped their fingers around the prickly stem and tugged it free of the earth.
It came up cleanly. Sophia held her breath and hoped that they hadn’t picked the wrong one. She didn’t know when or how they’d get confirmation.
But then a wind swept across the hill, and all the other purple thistles disappeared like the swans had, but without the smoke. Evan and Tiffannee stood there holding the only thistle in view with wide grins on their faces.
Chapter Forty-Three
The seemingly happy couple strode back over to Sophia and Blather carrying the Glenlivet Thistle, which appeared very sturdy in both their grasps. It glowed with a shimmering gold that confirmed for Sophia that it was the right one.
When Evan and Tiffannee handed it to Sophia, she hesitated, not wanting to make it disappear because she touched it. Her gaze connected with Blathers and he gave her a reassuring nod.
“It’s fine to take it now,” he stated. “Now that it’s been picked, it will be free for whomever to touch.”
Sophia drew in a breath and took the thistle, careful to avoid the prickly areas. It glowed brightly for a second, then dimmed to appear like a normal thistle. She jerked her head up and looked at the gillie, but he simply smiled.
“It’s fine,” he reassured her. “Not all things can glow brightly all the time. The powerful energy of the thistle is still in the flower. I promise you that.”
Sophia nodded and put the flower in the pocket of her cloak for safekeeping.
“This is where I leave you.” Blathers looked toward the stone pillar where he’d come from. “It was a pleasure assisting you. If you should ever need a gillie for your travels of the Highlands, you know where to find me.”
“Count me out if it involves getting chased by Angus again,” Evan replied.
“Well, it most likely will,” Blathers said. “If your need is great enough, then you might find it worth the effort.”
He offered the three a pleasant smile and nothing else before he turned on his heels and marched down the hill, back the way he’d come.
“I sort of took a shine to that guy,” Evan admitted. “He’s understated and slightly mysterious.”
“He came out of a boulder,” Sophia argued. “He isn’t just slightly mysterious.”
Evan shrugged. “I live in a Castle and ride a dragon. My threshold for these things is different from yours.”
“I live there with you,” Sophia returned. “And also ride a dragon.”
“A baby dragon and you live in the servant’s wing,” Evan teased.
Sophia rolled her eyes and turned to stride down the hill. “Tiffannee, thank you for all your help. I’ll ensure you get home safely and that you’re compensated for your time and efforts. We can annul the marriage right away.”
“Yes, I’d appreciate that,” Tiffannee replied, her tone careful. “But compensation isn’t really necessary. Being able to help with such important matters was an honor.”
Sophia smiled, grateful that in the end, the mortal had been reasonable to work with. She couldn’t blame Dr. Freud for her attitude on the various missions. These weren’t the sorts of events that most were used to—none, really. In the greater scheme of things, Tiffannee had done all right.
When they made it to the Barrier and a place where Sophia could create a portal for Tiffannee back to Baton Rouge, she turned to find a look of regret and hesitation on the mortal’s face.
“Is everything okay?” Sophia asked.
Tiffannee nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine. It will be weird to return to my regular life. I’m not sure anyone would believe me if I told them everything that happened while I was gone.”
“They definitely won’t believe that you got to marry a dashing young dragonrider,” Evan boasted.
“You’re one hundred years old,” Sophia corrected.
“You’re one hundred years old?” Tiffannee repeated in disbelief.
“I know,” Sophia returned. “You’d expect him to be a little more mature. Maybe in another couple of hundred years.”
“You didn’t realize that your husband was so much older, did you?” Evan slid his hand along the side of his head. “Well, you can go back to dating young and inexperienced mortals now, darling.”
“I do think that we should get the marriage annulled,” Tiffannee began. “But I was thinking, that whole thing on the hill. It was nice and…” Her eyes drifted up to Evan’s before sliding with nervousness to Sophia.
Sensing she was invading a personal moment, Sophia turned and hurried off. “Oh, I have to open the portal. I’ll be over here.”
Tiffannee sighed. “Anyway, I know we’re very different, but you don’t seem as… Well, my initial judgment of you might have been wrong, Evan.”
Sophia went to work opening the portal and pretended she couldn’t hear. Dr. Freud wouldn’t know that dragonriders had superior hearing and they weren’t that far away anyway.
“I knew this would happen.” Evan let out a breath. “As much as I tried, you still ended up falling in love with me. Regrettably, I have to let you go. We aren’t cut out for each other.”
“That’s what I thought too,” Tiffannee argued. “But there was a connection on the hill. I thought that maybe we could at least—”
“Shhhhush,” Evan said. From the corner of her vision, Sophia spied him press a single finger to the mortal’s lips. “It would never work. I’m a dragonrider. You’re a shrink. I like brunettes. Also, I already have feelings for someone else.”
“You do?” Sophia and Tiffannee said in unison.
Evan shot Sophia an annoyed expression. “Yes, eavesdropper. No, it’s not you. So it looks like I get to break two hearts tonight.”
Sophia shook her head. “Somehow, I’ll find a way to pick my fractured heart up off the ground and move on.”
“Someone else…
” Tiffannee murmured as though she was trying to digest this new piece of information. “Yes, of course. Well Evan, I wish you the best.”
Evan grinned. “You too, although I know your life will seem bleak from this point forward. Maybe you can find a good therapist to get you through things.”
Sophia tapped her foot and motioned to the portal. “Although I hate to rush two parting lovers, I really must insist. Keeping the portal open too much longer is draining, and I must get the thistle to the potion maker.”
“Right.” Tiffannee backed away, her gaze longingly on Evan. She turned at the last moment, and as though trying to push herself before she changed her mind, she hurried through the portal and disappeared.
Sophia closed it at once and shook her head at Evan. “What in the hell was that all about?”
He grinned and winked at her. “I’m irresistible. You don’t see it because I don’t put my spell on you.”
“I think even if you did, I’d be immune.” Sophia laughed.
Chapter Forty-Four
Sophia took a brief shower to get the smell and grossness from Angus off her, then hurried to Roya Lane to deliver the magical thistle to Bep.
She hastened into the Rose Apothecary but then thought that maybe in her haste, she’d rushed into the wrong shop. Sophia doubled out again and checked the location and sign. It said Rose Apothecary overhead, but that didn’t make any sense.
Why would the potions shop be turned into a karaoke bar—in the middle of the afternoon?
She tentatively stuck her head back into the shop to find tables of various magical creatures throwing back drinks and cheering on the person on the stage who was singing a very good rendition of If I Had a Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies. It was a song that Liv always sang to Sophia and made her laugh at the silly references and things that her sister would buy for her like loads of macaroni and cheese or a monkey.
“You’re in the right place.” Bep came around from the side, carrying a tray of drinks that smoked and filled with strange green liquid in martini glasses. “It’s karaoke night.”
Sophia glanced at her wrist. Like Evan, she wasn’t wearing a watch. “It’s afternoon.”
“We start early because we always end up going late,” Bep explained. “Once the giants are good and lubricated, they take over the stage and don’t stop until morning. They love to sing duets if you can believe it.”
“I really can’t,” Sophia muttered as she took one of the drinks off the tray, then hesitated. “Is this safe to drink?”
“Of course.” Bep smiled.
Sophia, who’d forgotten to eat since showering took precedence, downed the drink in hopes of refilling her reserves. She wiped her hand across her mouth, not having expected it to be so strong. It was like whisky if it had been distilled in Midori melon liqueur barrels.
“Incidentally, you can also use this drink to clean toilets or the scum off your bathroom walls,” Bep imparted.
Suddenly feeling like she might need to lie down, Sophia set the glass back on the tray and drew in a deep breath. “How charming. I feel like you could have led with that piece of information.”
“Coke can also do the same thing, so it’s perfectly safe,” Bep explained. “Now what song are you going to sing?”
Sophia laughed while enjoying the current rendition of If I Had a Million Dollars. The gnome singing it was to the part about the fur coat.
“If I had a million dollars,” the short fella belted out. “Well, I’d buy you a fur coat.”
“But not a real fur coat, that’s cruel,” Sophia sang under her breath and shook her head. “I’m not here to join in the festivities, unfortunately. I need a snack and probably a nap. I’ve been riding a cow and babysitting newlyweds.”
Bep nodded as though these were normal activities. “I have complimentary steakburgers, and also fries for sale.”
Sophia frowned at the woman. “I’m not one to tell someone how to run their business, but it feels like you’re giving away the wrong thing.”
“No one wants a burger without fries,” Bep stated. “I sell the sides at a big markup and make more than enough to cover the loss leader.”
Sophia shook her head at the potions expert. “You might need to start teaching business classes at fairy godmother college. Oh, speaking of which, I have the magical thistle.” She reached into the pocket of her cloak and withdrew the weed that was also a flower.
“Oh, look at you.” Bep sounded impressed. “You were able to get the rare and hard-to-get Glenlivet Thistle. That bit about the cow makes more sense now that I remember the errand I sent you on. I guess you met Blathers. Lovely bloke, huh?”
Sophia lowered her chin. “All information that you could have supplied to make my job a little easier.”
“But less interesting,” Bep argued while inspecting the thistle.
“My job is plenty interesting even if all my so-called friends give me helpful information before my journeys,” Sophia retorted as the potions expert continued to study the weed. Sophia hummed the Barenaked Ladies song to herself and waited patiently. Then when the gnome on stage got to her favorite part, she joined in. “If I had a million dollars. If I had a million dollars…I would buy you a green dress. But not a real green dress, that’s cruel.”
Bep’s eyes rose to meet Sophia’s, and she lifted an eyebrow. “You should consider singing a song. You have a nice voice. Maybe a Stevie Nicks song or something by Wings.”
“Or something from this century,” Sophia teased. “Maybe. The burgers smell good. How long on the cure for Happily Ever After College?”
“It is going to be a little while,” Bep answered. “I’ll call you when it’s ready. Now, why don’t you take a seat and grab some food? I’ll put your name down for a song, and you can choose something that suits you. No rap or country or too folkish.”
“Good thing you don’t have any preferences,” Sophia commented, then made her way to a table.
She was about to sit down and wave over a waiter when Lunis chimed in her head. Hey, we have a problem.
Oh? More bugs with the dragon dating app?
You have no idea, Lunis stated. But no, that’s not it.
Sophia grabbed a burger off a passing waiter’s tray and immediately took a bite as the gnome finished the song, jumping into the air and landing impressively in a split on the stage. What’s the problem then?
I heard from Simi.
That took a moment to register. Like her and Lunis, the other dragons could sometimes communicate telepathically if conditions were right and circumstances dictated it. What did Simi have to say? She took another bite but barely chewed it.
It’s Wilder, Lunis answered. He can’t contact you, but he’s in trouble. The Rogue Riders captured him.
Chapter Forty-Five
“You realize that you’re taking advantage of my kindness, right?” Evan drained his glass of whisky at the table in the Gullington’s dining hall.
“You’ve known Wilder longer than I have,” Sophia argued, her chin low and her irritation much higher due to her nervousness regarding Wilder’s safety. Apparently, he was fine, simply being held according to Simi’s communication, but that still made Sophia uncomfortable. She wanted to rescue him as soon as possible and get home safely.
“True.” Evan tilted his head back and forth as though weighing his options. “But I’m recovering from a breakup and you know how that weighs on a person.”
“Why would I know that?” Sophia’s hand flexed by her sword.
“Because you’ve obviously been dumped so many times,” Evan answered. “Although I was the one who ended it with Tiffannee, it still takes some time to get over.”
Trin trotted through the kitchen with a tray of tea and hurried over. Although she was always nimble on her feet, she dumped the entire contents onto Evan’s lap. The act was so neat that it looked planned.
“Hey!” Evan bolted to a standing position and wiped the hot tea off as best he could.
Trin’s eyes connected with Sophia’s. She must have spied the suspicion because the cyborg shook her head minutely, as though encouraging her not to say anything.
“Look, stop milking this fake marriage and break-up and help me,” Sophia said to Evan. “Hiker is busy working on Dragon Elite business. Mahkah is on a case, and I need backup.”
Evan glanced sideways at Trin, who was cleaning up the things she’d spilled. “Look who needs me. It’s Pretty Pink Princess.”
“Remind me to kill you after we rescue Wilder,” Sophia said dryly. “Are you going to help me or not? If you drag this out, then I’ll get real help from my sister. At this point, the king of the fae would be more helpful than you.”
Evan screeched as if he’d been wounded. “How dare you? I’m much more helpful. I helped you recently.”
“You picked a weed,” Sophia reminded him. “We have no idea what we’re walking into and have to rescue Wilder from brand-new, untested dragonriders who are diabolical and risk-takers.”
“So?” Evan questioned.
“So don’t get yourself killed,” Trin chimed in. She’d loaded up the tray full of the stuff she dropped. She headed back for the kitchen. “Or do get yourself killed. Well, not you Sophia. I’d miss you if something happened to you.”
“Thanks,” Sophia called after the housekeeper.
“What’s her problem?” Evan grimaced in the direction of the kitchen.
“For starters,” Sophia began, “her hearing is probably better than ours.” She lowered her voice. “Second, if you like her then stop being a stupid jerk. Although I realize how incredibly difficult that would be for you.”
Evan gulped, looked to the side, and flushed. “I-I-I…is it that obvious?”
“Both of you are,” Sophia stated. “So both of you need to stop being stupid. But first, we need to rescue Wilder.”
“Okay, cool.” Evan stretched. “Let me shower and nap first. I’ll be ready in a few hours.”
