by Sarah Noffke
“Hi, Morgan,” she said, a strange tenderness taking residence on her face. “I’m your godmother, and I promise to teach you everything your parents haven’t picked up through sheer experience. I’m going to keep you alive, little one.”
Rudolf watched this exchange with affection before turning his attention to the middle bassinet. He picked up a bundle that was longer than the other two. This child’s face was slender, although red.
“And now, may I present my second child, who Bermuda says came out the wrong way, but that’s better than not coming out at all. She’s a Taurus named Captain Silver.”
“How is it she’s a Taurus if they were all born on the same day of the same month?” Liv asked, bouncing her baby.
Rudolf shook his head as he handed the baby to Rory, who seemed quite natural holding the bundle. “It’s a decision they make. Our zodiacs don’t choose us, we choose them.”
“That’s inherently false,” Sophia said, watching as Rory thoughtfully gazed down at the baby and made her coo.
Rudolf pivoted and pulled the third baby from the last bed. “And here is my last-born baby, who Bermuda said didn’t want to come out. She’s stubborn, clever, and probably my favorite. Please meet Captain Kirk.” He laid the baby in Sophia’s arms, and for never having held a child before, she found the experience to be quite natural. The baby cuddled into her, its warmth a welcome sensation in a world where Sophia was used to so much cold.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to have favorites yet,” Liv offered, gazing down at her baby with affection.
Rudolf waved her off, dismissing her comment. “Of course, I am. That’s how I pit them against one another, so they work harder to achieve their father’s approval, which never comes.”
“Smart parenting,” Rory said. “That won’t fail.”
Rudolf was absolutely giddy, bouncing between the three holding his children, commenting on their different characteristics, or making assumptions about their political affiliations.
He came around to Sophia and peered over her shoulder, fondly regarding the baby in her arms, who was fast asleep.
“If there is a world war coming, Sophia, will you do everything possible to stop it?” Rudolf asked, his voice suddenly serious. “I brought these girls into the world. They are quite possibly the first half-fae and half-mortal children ever. I want a legacy for them that is deserving of their greatness. I want them to rule in a world that is appreciative of their uniqueness. And I want them to thrive on an Earth that is both beautiful and conducive to their growth. Will you help me to secure that future for the Captains?”
As looney as King Rudolf Sweetwater always was, he was also one of the best people Sophia had the fortune of meeting. He might get a lot of things wrong, but he got many more right, and the three brand new halflings in the nursery were part of that. King Rudolf was someone worth knowing and protecting, and his girls were reason enough to ensure war didn’t take over the Earth.
“Yes, Ru,” Sophia answered thoughtfully, handing Captain Kirk back to her father. “I’ll go fight the bad guys so one day these girls will know a peaceful Earth.”
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen
When Sophia returned to the Gullington, her heart was full of love and a need to protect future generations. And because her life had to be ironic, she was greeted by screaming upon entering the Castle.
“We’ve got to act now!” Hiker yelled from his office.
Sophia hurried up the stairs to the second story, rushing into his office to find a similar scene as before. Mama Jamba was laid out on the couch, still watching movies, and Hiker was pacing.
“I know that, Hiker,” Mama Jamba stated. “The situation has been horrible since the beginning. I’m glad you’re finally taking note of it.”
He looked at the magitech device Sophia had given him. “The compass still isn’t registering Thad’s location.”
“It will,” Mama Jamba said in her drawn-out accent. “When it’s time.”
“Mama!” he boomed, throwing his hand at a television screen in the corner. “The reports are saying countries are moving into position. Armies are gearing up. Within the day, shots are supposed to be fired, all because of this fake need for resources and power Thad has brainwashed them with. He’s pitted those with pitchforks against those with torches and told them they are each other’s enemy.”
Mama Jamba nodded calmly, pulling a warm afghan up to her chin and cuddling it. “Yes, that’s exactly what he’s done. He wants the world’s population to take each other out, and in the process, kill the Earth. And he might be successful.” She toggled her head back and forth. “But he also might not.”
The two hadn’t noticed Sophia lurking in the doorway. When she cleared her throat, they both turned their attention to her.
“You’re back,” Hiker said.
“Yes, sir,” she answered. “Is everything…”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not okay, but hopefully, it will be. Get ready to mobilize. The others are also preparing. I want you to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. As soon as this thing you’ve given me shows Thad’s location and facility, we’re off.”
Sophia nodded, adrenaline suddenly coursing through her veins. They were almost to it. The moment had almost come. And it was no greater for anyone than Hiker Wallace. Soon his moment of reckoning would be upon them. For Sophia, she wasn’t sure whether he’d redeem himself from all those centuries ago when he let Thad get away or if he’d repeat the past.
Chapter One Hundred Nineteen
Everyone was silent, on the verge of panic when they all seemed to get a phone call from within.
Mama Jamba hiccupped like she’d swallowed something the wrong way and pressed her hand to her mouth. Hiker’s eyes fell distant, the way Sophia imagined hers did when Lunis spoke in her head. Then her dragon did speak.
I think you better come here and see this, Lunis said, his tone tense.
What is it? Sophia asked.
It’s better if you see this on your own rather than hear it from me, Lunis insisted. But bring Hiker.
He’s getting a message from Bell right now, I think, Sophia replied.
Yes, that seems about right, Lunis stated.
Sophia’s and Hiker’s eyes met, and they shared a foreboding expression.
Okay, we are on our way, Sophia told the dragon. But first, is everything okay?
“Okay” is always relative, Soph, he explained. There’s status quo, and then there’s the precipitance to evolution, and then there’s the opposite of all that. I hope we’re somewhere in the middle, but only time will tell.
Sophia and Hiker crossed the Expanse in silence. They hadn’t said a word to each other when they left the Castle, both knowing their dragons had communicated similar messages.
As they neared the Cave, the tension mounted in Sophia’s chest. She had to take three steps to one of Hiker’s. She moved faster than him, so it worked out.
When they were at the bottom of the mountain that housed the Cave, they both halted.
“I’ve never been up to the Cave,” Sophia admitted.
Hiker shook his head. “Me either. But if the dragons are asking us to enter, this is big.”
“And Bell didn’t tell you what it was about?” Sophia questioned, knowing his dragon had spoken in his head at the same time Lunis had in her mind.
“No, she said I had to see it in person,” he stated.
Sophia nodded. “Same with Lunis.” She motioned to the rock wall. “We can climb or use my awesome grappling hook.”
To her surprise, Hiker rolled his eyes. “Awesome grappling hook, obviously.”
She nodded and pulled it off her belt.
The Cave had never had humans in it. Sophia had seen it in Lunis’ mind when she’d scried his visions. However, no person had ever stepped foot in the Cave, which had been the home of dragons since the beginning of the Gullington, the beginning of the Dragon Elite.
It felt like stepp
ing onto a brand-new uninhabited planet when Sophia entered the Cave. Hiker seemed to share her anxiety. The dragons, if they felt anything about the trespassing, didn’t show it.
Sophia knew with her first glance at Lunis that something was devastatingly wrong. It gave her little chance to notice the details of the Cave. It was nondescript, as she knew from scrying. There were cold, dark walls and little light. The ground was hard and unforgiving, as Lunis had often told her. In the corner were the shimmering dragon eggs she and Evan had recovered from one of Thad’s facilities, but unlike the last time she’d seen them, they weren’t shimmering.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty
Sophia rushed over and knelt beside the five dragons who surrounded the eggs nestled in the corner. Hiker didn’t follow.
She glanced at him, and her heart broke.
Sophia almost didn’t have to look at the eggs to know what had happened. It was plainly written all over Hiker Wallace’s face.
They had gone bad.
She pulled her gaze around to the five eggs and looked them over.
That’s when she noticed cracks running down their sides and saw they were shrinking in on themselves. They were withering away.
“What happened?” she asked Lunis, sidling up next to him.
He shook his head. We don’t know.
They could have always been bad, Coral answered, sitting next to Lunis.
It was strange to Sophia that the dragons all sitting around the eggs seemed more like housecats than large reptiles. Maybe it was just the significance of the moment.
“Lunis came from this batch,” Sophia argued.
We all came from the same batch, Bell stated. It’s just that we were separated.
One thousand eggs, Tala said stoically.
“And the very last five are dead,” Hiker stated, sounding more like a zombie than himself. He ambled forward robotically, his eyes on the eggs. “The last of the dragons. Our very last hope. It’s gone.”
Sophia felt emotion welling up in her, but she refused to let it out in front of ancient dragons and the oldest rider. Instead, she swallowed. “But still, sir, a few remain.”
He shook his head, pulling his gaze away as he turned for the entrance. “What does that matter anymore? There are only a handful of us left, and we are hardly enough. Our numbers were always our strong point.”
“That’s wrong,” Sophia declared, not sure where her words were coming from. “Our power has always been in our unity. Mortals are powerful because of their grasp on magic. Elves with water. Gnomes, their ability with fire. And giants own the Earth. But only one race has ever dared to pair their grasp of wind and magic with that of the dragon. We are magicians, and we were chosen to ride. There is no lost hope as long as one of us breathes in this world.”
Sophia took a step forward. “Sir, I’m breathing. Are you?”
She watched as Hiker’s back rose and fell, the stress of the moment getting to him. Finally, he turned, a sober look in his eyes. He nodded. “Yes, Sophia. I’m breathing too.”
She pointed behind her. “So are these dragons. They may be all that’s left, but they are enough for us to win at least one more battle. One more war. Will you lead us into it?”
Hiker pulled in a breath, seeming on the verge of answering, but something pulsed in his pocket. He tensed and retrieved the compass. His eyes widened before he brought his gaze up.
“I know where Thad is,” he said in a hushed voice.
“But are you ready?” she asked, feeling the dragons at her back, their strength fueling her in a way she’d never felt before.
He lowered the compass and nodded, his eyes darting to the dead eggs before landing on Sophia. “Unlike before, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One
Even after hiking around the Expanse for several hours, Sophia was having trouble processing what she’d just learned about the dragon eggs. Yes, there were only five before. That had given the riders a little hope the Dragon Elite would be what it once was, although no one voiced it aloud. Having five eggs was better than nothing.
They knew because Mae Ling had confirmed it, that these were the last five remaining eggs in the world. Knowing they would never hatch and there would never be another new dragon was devastating no matter how Sophia tried to spin it. Yes, there were still five dragons left in the world, and barring tragedy, they could live a thousand or more years. But after that, the age of the dragons would be gone. The Dragon Elite would be no more. The world adjudicators would be done.
Sophia tried to console herself with the fact Lunis came from that batch of eggs, and at least he hatched. Who knew why the dragon eggs went bad? The dragons had speculated it might have been the approaching war. It was triggering all sorts of things worldwide.
Bermuda thought the war was the reason King Rudolf Sweetwater’s children were born when they were. Apparently, global consciousness was affected by the events Thad had put into motion, and it had far-reaching effects.
Still consumed with these thoughts, Sophia trudged up the stairs to the Castle, hoping to get a proper night’s rest. Tomorrow the war was coming. The Dragon Elite would ride out together for the first time in centuries.
Sophia wasn’t overwhelmed by what would come next, but she was preoccupied with it. That was why she didn’t hear Mama Jamba call to her as she walked past Hiker’s office.
The suit of armor stationed in the corridor stepped out from the wall and pointed at Sophia’s back. Not as surprised as she should have been that empty armor was walking around by itself, she glanced over her shoulder, realizing the Castle was trying to communicate with her.
“Get your hiney in here, darling,” Mama Jamba called from the open office.
“Oh, right,” Sophia said, turning back to the suit of armor and nodding. “Thanks.”
Pivoting, she hurried back the way she’d come. She’d just thanked an empty suit of armor for giving her directions. “My life is so weird.”
“It will only get weirder,” Mama Jamba said, still stationed on Hiker’s couch. He was absent from his office, probably helping the dragons to dispose of the bad eggs.
Mother Nature appeared refreshed in comparison to her recent appearance. There were no wadded up tissues scattered around her, and she’d changed into a fresh pink velour tracksuit. Her silver hair was neatly arranged, and her feet were covered in sparkling Ugg boots that matched her outfit.
“I’m guessing you know about…” Sophia’s voice trailed away.
Mama Jamba nodded and patted the space beside her on the couch. “Of course, I do, my dear. You must be taking this hard.”
Sophia took the spot beside Mother Nature and nodded. “Did you always know they were going to spoil?”
Mama pulled in a breath and clasped her hands over her midsection. “The thing is, there isn’t really such thing as destiny, and yet there is.”
Sophia hung her head. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Mama Jamba nodded. “And yet, that’s the way life goes.”
“Why does life have to be so complicated?” Sophia asked.
“Because there are no absolutes,” Mama Jamba stated. “I made most of the rules. Papa made quite a few as well. And we made them, so they were never hard and fast. Each one can be broken if you know the secret, but…” She winked at Sophia, a twinkle in her bright blue eyes. “We don’t give up our secrets easily.”
“No, I wouldn’t think you would,” Sophia offered.
“So,” Mama Jamba continued, “the eggs were meant to hatch, but things changed. And now they’re spoiled. There is destiny, and it can always shift.”
“Then it’s not destiny,” Sophia argued.
Mama Jamba agreed. “I understand how confusing this is, this game of semantics if you will. You’re destined for certain things, and you will fulfill that destiny, most likely. But if you leave this room and an axe falls on you, then you won’t.”
“Well,
the Castle has tried to kill me before,” Sophia muttered.
Mama Jamba laughed. “It was simply trying to steer you in the direction it desired. My point is, events change what was destined. And now the eggs won’t hatch.”
“And that’s the end of dragons,” Sophia said.
“Not quite.” Mama Jamba patted her leg. “We still have you.”
“I finished the meditative portion of my training,” Sophia said. “Does that mean I’m done? Do I have my wings?”
Mama Jamba smiled. “Almost. I knew you’d wrap it up quickly, and I’m grateful you’re almost there. However, you have one last thing to do before you officially pass.”
“Travel to another planet?” Sophia asked. “Survive a walkabout in the Australian Outback? Not kill Hiker after he throws away my provisions and demands I hike ten miles? Oh, wait, I’ve already done all those things.”
The laugh that spilled from Mama Jamba’s mouth was absolutely enchanting. It was the sound of the wind rustling willow branches. “Actually, the last task you must complete to finish training isn’t something you can go out and do.”
“Seems about right,” Sophia said dryly.
“Instead, you’re waiting for an opportunity,” Mama Jamba continued. “To earn your wings, you must show a true act of comradery.”
“How do I do that?” Sophia asked.
The old woman shook her head. “That will be for you to determine. I will say that if you go out looking for a way, it won’t count. When we try to be nice, we’re using the wrong motivation. When it comes from the purest part of the heart and we express love because it calls to us, then that is magic.”
“A true act of comradery…” Sophia mused, her eyes looking without seeing.
“Yes, because that’s the biggest part of being with the Dragon Elite,” Mama Jamba explained. “They protect the world because they value life, and no lives are more important to my Elite than the other riders’.”
