by Sarah Noffke
“Maybe she fell asleep,” Ainsley offered.
Hiker’s growl echoed through the door. He was madder than hell and probably needed an opportunity to calm down. Sophia reasoned she’d followed the Castle this far, and it had illuminated this new door.
Without hesitating, she strode over to the mysterious door, the large book pressed to her chest.
When her fingers wrapped around the handle, she held her breath and wondered if this one would be locked for her.
She rotated the knob, and to her relief, it turned. Pulling the door back an inch, Sophia hesitated and looked over her shoulder at where she’d come from again.
“Sophia, get out here!” Hiker boomed.
“About that,” she said, her voice much lower. “There’s another doorway that’s just appeared and—”
“Don’t you do it!” Hiker yelled.
“The thing is…” Sophia’s voice trailed away since she was unsure of what to say.
“I told you you’d scare her,” Ainsley offered.
“You did not!” Hiker snarled.
“Oh. Well, if you keep yelling like that, you’ll scare S. Beaufont.”
He beat on the door, making it rattle. “Don’t go through that door! Come here this instant.”
Sophia didn’t want to lose her position with the Dragon Elite, but she wanted answers. And the Castle had provided her with a solution. She couldn’t ignore it.
Letting out a weighty breath, Sophia shook her head. “I have to, Hiker. Please understand.”
“No!” he yelled as she darted through the door, entering a completely different world.
Chapter Sixty-Six
The Great Library was as breathtaking as Sophia remembered it. Although she had been in the incredible library in the House of Fourteen, she knew this wasn’t it. There was something about the Great Library in Zanzibar that made it different from any other place she’d visited. It had a unique feel, unmatched by any other.
Sophia turned back to the door she’d just come through and found it had shut behind her. She guessed that somehow the Castle had opened a portal to the Great Library. If this stayed, it would make it much easier to get to the library, meaning the dragonriders wouldn’t have to find the Fierce to lead the way and also take them through a dangerous obstacle course.
The tall ceilings of the Great Library rose so high it was hard to follow them all the way. The bright light streaming in through the many windows made Sophia squint. The smell of pages cloaked in dust was the most welcoming scent.
Sophia couldn’t think of a more perfect place to crack open The Complete History of Dragonriders and read all the secrets of Hiker Wallace. She pressed the large volume to her chest, relishing in how well everything had worked out so far.
Coming around a set of shelves, Sophia found the perfect reading corner, complete with large, furry pillows and a cozy bench.
Finally able to let go of the stress of the last several hours, Sophia laid the book on the bench and decided to get comfortable before a long study session.
She was folding herself into place when the large, ancient book flew from its spot and landed in the bony fingers of the librarian of the Great Library.
Sophia’s mouth popped open as she jumped to her feet. “Trinity!”
The skeleton clanked his teeth together, his eye sockets seeming to smile. “Hello, Sophia Beaufont! I see you delivered on your end of the deal and brought me the only copy in existence of The Complete History of Dragonriders.”
“I did, but I was hoping to read it first,” Sophia replied, remembering she’d promised to bring the book straight to Trinity if she should find it, based on a deal they’d made. She had sort of forgotten that part.
“You can totally have the chance to read it,” Trinity said, holding the large book to his chest as he swayed with excitement, his bones making clattering noises. “But first me. Remember our deal.”
“Can’t you simply make a copy of it and give it to me?” Sophia asked.
He shook his skull. “I wish I could, but this is the only book I’ve ever encountered that can’t be copied. That’s why I want a chance to read it cover to cover, and then it will go back to its rightful owners, the Dragon Elite.”
“But—”
“Oh, the rich history,” Trinity interrupted, running his bony fingers over the cover affectionately. “I pride myself on knowing everything, and I do, except about the dragonriders. Thanks to you, I’m about to fill that gap.”
“I see, but maybe we can read it at the same time?” Sophia suggested.
He considered that and then shook his head. “I’m afraid I’ve waited too long for this to share the experience, but I do promise to give the book straight to you when I’m done with it.”
“Which will be?” Sophia asked. “You speed-read, right?”
He shook his head. “I’m not certain how long it will be, but I will want to relish every single word. I know that much.”
She grimaced. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I mean, most of the words are just ‘the,’ ‘and,’ and unimportant pronouns.”
“Oh, but those are my favorites,” he argued.
“And you’ve probably read most of what’s in there when you perused The InComplete History of Dragonriders,” she continued, trying to convince him to give her back the book.
“Regardless, I want to start at the beginning and read all the way to the end so I get the complete experience.”
Sophia slumped in defeat. “Is that so?”
“Yes, and I’d like to have complete quiet, so unfortunately for you, the Great Library is closed.” Trinity pointed in the direction of the door she’d come through. “Isn’t it nice you opened up a nifty portal between the Castle and here? I can’t go through it, but it will make it easier for the dragonriders. I wonder how that portal even came to be. I guess the only way to find out is to read this book.”
Sophia kept trying to find a way to get Trinity to share the book as he ushered her toward the door, his demeanor growing more demanding by the moment.
“Now, you’ll get your book back,” he began when she was pretty much pressed against the portal door. “Keep in mind, the sooner you leave, the sooner you will get it back.”
Regretfully, Sophia nodded and went back through the portal.
She was going to have to face Hiker’s wrath, which would be all the more based on the bad news she had to share with him.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
As Sophia had expected, Hiker was waiting for her when she exited the small room. He halted his pacing and ran his eyes over her, confusion springing to his face when he realized she didn’t have the book.
“Where is it?” he demanded.
Ainsley had apparently gone back to cleaning or found someone else to harass since the chair was back in its place and she was gone.
Sophia pointed over her shoulder and muttered something inaudible, feeling like the groundskeeper, Quiet.
“What was that?” Hiker asked, striding over to her.
She slumped, defeat enveloping her. “I don’t have it.”
“Wasn’t it in there?” he asked, appearing both confused and relieved.
She nodded. “Yes, but I went through the other door, which led—”
“To the Great Library,” he guessed.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
His gaze rose to the ceiling. “Remember, I closed the portals.”
“Oh, right.” She cringed. “Yeah, so I went through and found Trinity. He and I might have made a deal that if I found the book, he got to read it first.”
Hiker actually smiled, relief in his blue eyes. “You didn’t even get to crack it open, did you?”
She shook her head and stuck her hands in her pockets.
“And when he returns it, I’ll ensure it comes straight to me,” Hiker said with confidence.
“That’s your right as the leader of the Dragon Elite,” she replied in a tight voice.
“Oh,
you remember I’m still the leader around here, then?”
“Am I fired?” Sophia asked, ready to face the consequences for her action.
Hiker studied her, the smile fading from his face. “No, I guess not since you didn’t actually read the book, but I won’t stand for any more of your rebellious behavior. I might have a long way to go to recover my role as leader, but I am still that.”
“I realize that, sir,” Sophia stated. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you?” Hiker asked.
“Yes. It’s just, the Castle and Papa Creola keep leading me in different directions,” Sophia admitted.
“I get that.” Hiker sounded sympathetic. “I know they have agendas that aren’t congruent with mine. You might consider you are a pawn in all this.”
“Do you think so? Or is it maybe whatever you’re hiding, it’s time to uncover?” Sophia dared to ask. She had little to lose at this point. It would take Hiker a century to get over her behavior.
“I get you think knowing all the history is important, but it isn’t,” Hiker argued. “Not for you or Ainsley or any of the other riders. I made that decision a long time ago, and you’d do well to respect it.”
“I can, sir,” Sophia said. “I will quit asking you about it or searching for answers. I won’t even read The Complete History even if Trinity gives me the book directly. I’ll turn it over to you.”
Hiker nodded proudly. “Good. That’s how it should be. Now, I want you out on the Expanse. You’ll train for the rest of the day, and tomorrow you’ll report to my office for an adjudicator mission. Is that clear?”
Sophia nodded. “Yes, sir. Very much so.”
“Very well, off with you, then,” he said, waving her toward the stairs.
She hustled off before pausing and turning back to the leader of the Dragon Elite. “One last thing, sir?”
He lowered his chin and scowled at her. “What?”
“I get that you have your reasons for keeping secrets,” she began, her confidence building as she spoke. “I just wonder if you’re hiding things to protect the Dragon Elite and the world at large, or…”
“Or what?” he growled.
She shrugged. “Or are you hiding them to protect yourself?”
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Hiker didn’t answer Sophia’s question. When he stormed off in the other direction, she knew she’d been formally dismissed from his presence.
Head down, she dragged herself out to the Expanse for training, feeling demoralized.
She was surprised to find the grounds buzzing with activity. Lunis, Bell, and Simi were training by the Cave. Evan was riding Coral through the cloudy sky, and Wilder was practicing his combat skills. Mama Jamba sat on a bale of hay, her nose in a book called Death Becomes Her.
“So, what happened?” Wilder asked as she approached. “Did you get the Castle to cooperate?”
She pulled her mouth to the side, watching as Mama Jamba glanced up briefly from her book, obviously eavesdropping. “Yeah, sort of, and then I got outplayed.”
“It’s better this way, sweetheart,” Mama Jamba called from the other side of the combat area.
Sophia nodded, finding it hard to see any silver lining just yet. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.”
Wilder laughed. “She is Mother Nature. I don’t think she’s ever been wrong.”
“There was the time I made dodo birds,” Mama Jamba said, raising her book again and reading. She dropped it suddenly, a thought occurring to her. “Oh, and Florida.”
Sophia wanted to laugh, but her heart just wasn’t in it. “What are you working on right now?” she asked the other dragonrider.
Wilder’s eyes slipped to the side. “I wish I could tell you, but Subner swore me to secrecy.”
“That’s right, more secrets. Oh, how I love them,” Sophia said. “Well, maybe you’ll at least spar with me. Hiker sent me out to train, and I really shouldn’t have put it off this long.” Her expectant gaze drifted to Mama Jamba. “Unless you think…”
The woman with huge silver hair and pink lips smiled. She pointed to something behind Sophia. “Well, actually, Quiet can tell us right now if you should commence training.”
“Right, and why is he in charge of such things?” Sophia asked.
“Well, naturally because he’s in charge of the grounds,” Mama Jamba stated.
“Naturally, Sophia,” Wilder said, elbowing her in the side. “Don’t you know anything about how these things work?”
“Obviously, I don’t,” Sophia grumbled as the gnome approached from the Castle.
“Quiet, my love, do you think we’re ready for Sophia to continue her training?” Mama Jamba asked when he got near.
He replied, his message inaudible to most. Mama Jamba understood it.
“Well, there you go,” she said, pursing her lips and raising her book back up to her nose.
“There you go, Sophia,” Wilder said, continuing to laugh.
“Actually, can you interpret, Mama Jamba?” Sophia asked. “I didn’t catch all that. Well, none of it, really.”
“You didn’t?” she questioned, acting surprised. “Oh, well, he said you should definitely throw yourself into training after the first of the year. We are ready for it. First, you’re to go to Hiker’s office. He wants to see you pronto.”
“He said all that?” Sophia questioned, thinking the few seconds the gnome had talked couldn’t have been long enough for him to say all that.
“Yes, and he also told me it’s time to name the new sheep,” Mama Jamba said.
“You name the sheep?” Sophia questioned. “All of them?”
Wilder laughed. “How heartless are you. Of course, Mama Jamba names the sheep. They have feelings, you know.”
She gave him an angry scowl. “Would you shush it?”
“I name all my creatures, dear,” Mama Jamba stated, “but only after I’ve had a chance to get to know them. Some I know before they are born, like you, my children. But the sheep, well, I wait until they’ve chosen a religious affiliation so their name fits them.”
Sophia wanted to laugh; she thought Mama Jamba was pulling her leg. When the old woman’s expression didn’t change, she had to chalk it up to another absurdity of the Gullington. She leaned over and whispered to Wilder, “Did you know the sheep chose a religious affiliation?”
He gave her a mock expression of offense. “Of course! Simi will only eat the atheists.”
She narrowed her eyes, instinctively knowing he was lying. “You’re so full of it.”
He leaned over, giggling in her ear. “I didn’t even know the sheep were named. For some reason, all the secrets of this place seem to come out when you’re around.”
“Speaking of secrets,” Mama Jamba said, not taking her eyes off her book, able to hear them perfectly even though they were whispering, “Hiker’s office, Sophia.”
She blinked, looking at the gnome and the old woman. “I was just with him. What could he possibly want? Maybe to berate me some more?”
Quiet muttered, again something inaudible.
Mama Jamba nodded. “I agree completely.”
“Me too,” Wilder said, puffing out his chest and pretending he understood what they were talking about.
Sophia slapped him on the arm. “Oh, would you stop it?”
“Never,” he said with a wink.
Sophia’s gaze darted back to Quiet, and suddenly she remembered him from the reset point at the Castle. She recalled him looking directly at her and telling her to “Go home.” There was something very strange about the groundskeeper, and if anyone was keeping secrets, it was him. Right now, she had to go talk to the Viking and hope whatever he had to say to her didn’t involve the phrase, “Get out.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
“Come in,” Hiker said when Sophia neared the threshold to his office. She stopped in the doorway, noticing the office was even smaller than before. The sofa had disappeared as well as the desk since there was absolutely no roo
m for them. The tiny window that had been on the opposite wall was gone. The most surprising thing was, the Dragon Elite Globe was missing.
There were only the shelves and a few other items on the floor where Hiker stood. The space resembled the small room where Sophia had found the book.
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t come in. I don’t know where to stand,” she said, leaning in the doorway, not knowing where she’d fit if she did enter.
He nodded.
“So, the Castle…” Sophia looked at the small area.
“Yeah, it remodeled again,” he muttered.
“Because?” she questioned.
“I’ve been thinking…” Hiker began, his eyes intense. “Really thinking about things I don’t usually allow myself to contemplate.”
He seemed different from a little while ago when she left him, like he’d jumped into a time warp and gone through an evolution.
“That sounds serious,” she suggested, sort of wishing there was a place to stand in his office. She felt awkward hanging out in the doorway.
Hiker took a step like he was about to start pacing and then halted. There was no space for it. Resigned, he turned to face her. “I have something to tell you. I mean, I realize I don’t have to tell you anything. You are entitled to none of it, but I think the Castle wants me to. I think this is what it’s all been about.”
“I do love a good riddle, sir,” Sophia began, “but can you be more specific?”
“Sophia, the other riders have been here for hundreds of years,” Hiker started. “The Castle never led them on these missions to find my book. It didn’t show them Adam’s room. Every rider is unique in their own way, but you? Well, I think your mission is…more important in some ways.”
“Sir?” Sophia asked, confusion in her voice. “Please excuse me, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
