by Sarah Noffke
“It’s not a vacation, Evan,” Sophia scolded, handing him a greasy bag of hamburgers and fries.
He peeked inside and frowned. “Seriously, burgers again? Can’t you make anything else?”
“Well, you have a phone,” she countered. “Why don’t you order your own food?”
Evan swung his head around, checking that Hiker wasn’t nearby. “Would you shush it? You know who still doesn’t know. And…” He lowered his voice even more. “I don’t know how the Goober Eats app works entirely. You had to help me before.”
Wilder laughed, sticking a handful of fries into his mouth. “It’s Uber Eats, you freaking goober. Even I know that, and I don’t have a phone.”
“Sounds like your girlfriend doesn’t really love you then,” Evan insulted.
“Because real love means you give someone technology?” Wilder countered.
“Yeah, so you can track them, contact them incessantly, and in general keep tabs,” Evan explained. “That’s love.”
“How are you still single?” Wilder asked.
Evan took a seat, shaking his head. “I. Do. Not. Know.” He pointed at the jalapeno poppers Sophia had gotten for the table. “Are those spicy?”
“For wimps such as yourself they are,” Wilder said at once.
Evan nodded, chewing on the inside of his lip as he pulled out his phone. A moment later, Sophia’s phone buzzed in her pocket. “Oh, look at that, Wild,” he sang. “Look who can call your girlfriend, but you can’t.”
Sophia pulled her phone out of her pocket and silenced it before sliding it onto the table between her and Wilder. “And look who will be in a world of trouble from Hiker if he finds out you have a phone.”
Evan scoffed, taking a jalapeno popper. “I’m not afraid of that little man.” He sniffed the fried food before tossing it over his shoulder.
The cyborg dog leaped into the air and swallowed it whole, panting with satisfaction afterward.
“Do you think that NO10JO will get rusty when we’re at the beach in Cyprus?” Evan asked as Mama Jamba, Hiker, Mahkah, and Quiet all filed into the dining hall.
“That dog isn’t going on your mission,” Hiker said like he’d been a part of the conversation all along.
“Yes, sir,” Evan said, his casual style receding at once. “Whatever you think is best.”
“And this isn’t a beach vacation,” Hiker continued, taking his usual seat. “You four are to go to this temple that Sophia has found and recover the artifacts and locations to perform the protective spells.” He glanced at Mahkah and held his hand out to the dragonrider. “Thanks to this one, we’ve been able to secure a demon dragonette for the spell.”
Sophia smiled with satisfaction. Finally, a task she didn’t have to take on and complete. She didn’t mind having so much on her plate, but sometimes it felt like she had more responsibility than the others, and that was strange since she was the newest and youngest of the Dragon Elite.
Her age worked to her advantage in that way. Hiker often saw her as more qualified for tasks because she related better to the modern world. And her connections with House of Fourteen and Papa Creola also gave her more responsibilities.
“It’s true,” Mahkah stated matter-of-factly. “But I won’t be able to hold him long. All of the demon dragonettes are getting restless. Most have fled the Gullington. As soon as they can fly, they leave.”
Mama Jamba settled in front of her pancakes with an adoring smile at the little piles of fluffiness. “You raise children that fly away from the nest the first chance they get. That’s just the way it goes.”
“And then there are others,” Wilder said, giving Evan a pointed look. “Who stick around forever, never wanting to escape the shade of the family tree.”
“What?” Evan argued. “I leave here. I just prefer to return at night, but only because I like my bed.”
Quiet mumbled something Sophia couldn’t make out but sounded like, “Not if you knew what was in there.”
Not having heard anything remotely close to this, Evan nodded. “I agree, little man. You make a fine housekeeper these days. I haven’t even noticed that Ainsley has been absent and not cleaning my room.”
“She has, dear,” Mama Jamba stated, neatly cutting into her pancakes. “She just comes around and does her chores when y’all are away or sleeping.”
“She does?” Hiker asked. “But I’m always here.”
“Yes,” Mama Jamba said, drawing the word out. “About that…”
“My job is to oversee the affairs of the Dragon Elite,” he argued at once, obviously defensive on the subject. “The best place to do that is from here at the Gullington.”
“I’m not arguing that son,” Mama Jamba began in her southern accent, making the words sound harsher than they were. “It’s just that a walk around the Expanse wouldn’t kill you. I dare say that it might help. You are looking quite pale these days. Some sun would do you good.”
“We live in Scotland,” he stated like this was a sufficient reason for not going out.
“It’s sunny right now,” Mama Jamba countered.
“I’m eating.” Hiker grabbed one of the many greasy bags of food Sophia had set on the table.
“I’ll make it sunny for you tomorrow, then.” Mama Jamba winked across the table at Sophia. “Just another perk of the job.”
“I think,” Evan stated. “That if you don’t want to go out, sir, then you shouldn’t have to.”
Sophia knew it wasn’t that Hiker didn’t want to leave the Castle. He just didn’t want to miss Ainsley when she finally came out of hiding. He was always in his office or in the dining hall. She never even saw him escape to his room. Mama Jamba wasn’t wrong to encourage him out of the Castle.
“I think, sir,” Wilder began quite seriously, “that Evan will have a better time putting his head up your—”
“Would the two of you stop it,” Hiker warned. “What I do with my time is none of any of your concerns. What I am concerned about is when you are leaving for the temple?”
“Straight after lunch,” Sophia said at once, earning speculative glares from the other dragonriders at the table. She gave them a tentative look. “Okay, fine. Is it okay with you all if we leave straight after lunch?”
“Works for me,” Wilder said.
“I think that’s smart,” Mahkah agreed.
“I have to nap,” Evan insisted. “Straight after that, though.”
“After lunch, it is,” Hiker ordered with authority.
Mama Jamba leaned across the table in Hiker’s direction. “It’s good to see Sophia take direction, don’t you think, son?” She asked this in a hush, like everyone at the table couldn’t hear her.
He cut his light-colored eyes at her. “We aren’t discussing that here or now…or later, for that matter.”
“Discussing what?” Sophia asked, realizing the conversation pertained to her.
“Nothing,” the Viking lied.
Quiet muttered something and Mama Jamba nodded in his direction. “I think you’re right and he’ll come around.”
“Come around to what?” Evan demanded, looking between the two.
“To nothing,” Hiker insisted.
“You go, sir,” Evan declared. “Sounds like Sophia is in trouble, and you’re thinking about firing her. I agree. She keeps serving us the same food over and over again. You tell a girl you like burgers, and all of a sudden, she thinks you’re married to them and want them every single day for the rest of your life.”
Sophia noticed as Wilder slipped her phone off the table and swiped through it. She didn’t worry about what he was doing and wasn’t the least bit surprised when a moment later Evan’s phone buzzed loudly in his pocket.
His eyes widened with sudden alarm.
No one moved for a moment, and all eyes just remained on him.
Hiker leaned forward, narrowing his gaze at Evan. “What is that?”
Quite seriously, Evan raised his eyebrows as if confused. “What do
you mean, sir?” he asked, over the loud ringing emanating from his pocket.
“That!” Hiker pointed at Evan’s pants.
“I’m not sure if he even knows, yet, sir,” Wilder joked.
Mama Jamba leaned over in Evan’s direction. “Your trousers are ringing, dear Evan. I think you might want to answer that call since it’s disturbing lunch.”
Sighing dramatically, Evan pulled the phone from his pocket and switched it off, sending a murderous glare in Wilder’s direction.
“Why do you have a cell phone?” Hiker asked.
Evan pointed straight at Sophia. “She gave it to me.”
Hanging her head, Sophia waited for the rant. However, Hiker didn’t direct it at her.
“I told you that you weren’t allowed to have a cell phone,” he began. “That kind of technology is distracting for your generation and—”
Mama Jamba giggled, interrupting the speech.
Sophia lifted her head to find the leader of the Dragon Elite switching his murderous gaze to Mother Nature.
“This isn’t funny,” he complained.
“Of course it is,” she chirped.
“My men disobeying me shouldn’t be amusing to you,” he continued but was interrupted by a sharp cough from Sophia.
He glanced at her. “Oh, you want me to change my pronoun, do you? But you disobey me at every turn. The dragon can’t come into the Castle, and guess who slept here for ages? I told you not to snoop into Adam’s business, and did you listen to me? Then I said you and Wilder couldn’t date, and you see how well that’s gone over.”
“So, I don’t count, then?” Sophia challenged.
“No,” Hiker said simply.
Evan nodded. “She’s a lost cause, sir.”
“And you.” Hiker rounded on the dragonrider. “I expect better of you—”
“No, you expect differently,” Mama Jamba cut in. “You’re used to the guys doing whatever you say, which they should in so many regards. You are their leader, after all. But you can’t dictate every part of their lives. Why would you want to? That’s exhausting.”
Hiker let out a long breath. He did look exhausted and madder than hell. “They report to me, and I—”
Mama Jamba rose from the table, having cleaned her plate. “I’ll tell you this, son. You can’t control your children or your riders or just about anyone on this planet. You can think you can, but honestly, you’re just setting yourself up for incredible disappointment. Advise them on their missions. Assign them adjudication jobs. Guide them when they are lost. Provide them with resources.” She glanced at Sophia for some odd reason, a twinkle in her blue eyes, before glaring back in Hiker’s direction. “But micromanaging anyone is a recipe for disaster because at the end of the day, the happiest people are those who get to be themselves, unencumbered by unnecessary rules. And happy people are the most successful.”
With that, Mother Nature whisked from the room, humming the song, What the World Needs Now.
Hiker grunted and gave Evan an impatient stare. “Fine, you can keep the phone, but I won’t have them at the table, and it shouldn’t interfere with your work.”
“That’s very reasonable of you, sir,” Evan agreed. “I won’t follow Sophia’s example and allow technology to be a distraction.”
“He also won’t follow Sophia’s lead and actually get real work done regularly, sir,” Wilder joked.
Hiker shook his head, obviously not amused. He was never amused, actually. He stood and glared at the dragonriders. “It’s time for you all to set off. I expect you to perform the protective spell tomorrow. Global tensions are rising, and it’s only a matter of time before the demon dragonettes pose too many threats to the Dragon Elite’s image.”
Chapter One Hundred Fourteen
Cyprus was a beautiful Mediterranean island that Sophia would have longed to relax upon in other circumstances. She didn’t know when the world would be in a place where she could lounge on a beach beside Wilder, but she sorely hoped it was relatively soon. Everyone needed a break sometimes, and the Dragon Elite with the world riding on their shoulders deserved some respite.
The rocky shore and clear blue waters did little to quell Sophia’s longing for an island vacation, but she shook this off as she pointed toward the small stone building described in Baba Yaga’s grimoire.
“That has to be it,” she said to the three guys behind her.
Located just off the harbor were row upon row of rectangular buildings that mostly looked the same. But there was one that stood out both because of its size—being smaller than the rest—and its color. Whereas the other buildings were the color of the sand bordering the island, the temple was bright blue with yellow trim.
“How do you know that’s the temple?” Evan asked.
“Because it matches the description from the grimoire,” Sophia answered.
“And because that sign says so.” Wilder pointed to a directional sign that in Greek said, “Temple,” which was translated for the riders thanks to the chi of the dragon.
“Touché,” Evan stated.
“From what I read, only magicians can enter for specific purposes, such as ours,” Sophia explained, having to recall the extensive notes about the temple in the spell book. “It’s a unique temple that rearranges itself depending on who enters, sensing what they need.”
“So, it will know that we want to do a protective spell and need the artifacts and locations to complete it?” Mahkah asked.
Sophia nodded.
“It doesn’t look like we can all fit in there,” Evan said, raising an eyebrow at the building.
It was indeed quite small, no more than a ten by ten square feet.
“Maybe it’s bigger on the inside,” Sophia joked, realizing the other dragonriders wouldn’t get the reference, but using it for her own benefit.
“That’s ridiculous, Pink Princess.” Evan thundered past them. “Magic doesn’t work that way.”
Wilder gave her a mock look of offense. “Yeah, Soph. What do you know about magic?”
“That it can be used to save someone’s butt and also to fry them,” she teased.
Chapter One Hundred Fifteen
Once inside the magical temple, Sophia was utterly underwhelmed by the space. It was an empty stone room with no doors besides the entrance.
Engraved into the back wall were the words:
To overcome the challenges that follow, four must enter and face the dangers using the skills they rely on the least.
Choose wisely because if the wrong candidate enters, all is lost.
One of you fights.
One of you listens.
One of you talks.
One of you thinks.
“I don’t think any of those apply to me,” Evan said at once after reading the list.
“Actually, it’s funny that you say that about thinking because that’s something you never do,” Wilder pointed out.
Evan scoffed. “I listen. I fight. I talk, and I think. I’m guessing whoever created this magical temple got it wrong. Or maybe I’m not supposed to be here. Maybe Hiker was supposed to come in my place.”
“Hiker is the leader of the Dragon Elite,” Sophia argued. “The grimoire written by the crazy-ass witch was very clear. The spell to hide the demon dragonettes requires four riders to go into this temple and complete the tasks to get the artifacts and location of the spell.”
“But you even call her a crazy-ass witch yourself,” Evan reasoned. “How are we supposed to trust that what she says is real?”
“For as evil and nutty as that old hag was,” Sophia began, “she saw the future and the past, and was pretty impressive orchestrating the return of her grimoire.”
Mahkah pointed at the engraved words. “I’m the one who has to talk,” he said softly.
Sophia smiled at him. “Of course! Because that’s not something you usually do. You think, and you listen, and you fight, but you rarely rely on your ability to talk to deal with things.”
Wilder scratched his head. “Well, then I’m not sure where that leaves me.”
She patted his shoulder. “You know I love you but —”
“Yeah, it’s sort of annoying to see you two canoodling,” Evan interrupted. “Everyone knows how much you love each other.” He made kissing noises.
Sophia rolled her eyes. “Anyway, Wilder, you usually rely on your fighting skills in battle because of your connection to weapons. It gives you an upper hand. But what if you had to go into a dangerous situation and not fight? What if you could only use strategy?”
He combed his hands through his dark hair. “Can I use my dashing good looks?”
Evan laughed. “Oh mate, there isn’t enough room in this temple for all of us and your ego.”
Sophia waved him off. “That’s actually using strategy, but if some siren shows up, then you better not flirt with her.”
Wilder held up his hands. “Hey, I’m just using strategy to win, like the thing says I have to do.”
Sophia returned her focus to the engraved words, “Well, then I think that means I have to fight.”
“Which makes sense,” Mahkah began in a calm tone. “You are the opposite of Wilder and employ strategy rather than resorting to combat.”
“Why dirty my hands,” she reasoned.
“I believe that we complement each other in that way,” Wilder said proudly. “You do all the talking, and I do the strong-arming.”
“But I’ve got to be able to fight to get through this and not rely on my negotiation skills.” The idea suddenly made her very nervous. She could fight, but she rarely saw the point, which was one reason she was successful as a dragonrider.
“Again,” Evan said, drawing the word out. “I don’t think I’m in the right place. Maybe Quiet was supposed to come because he’s not very good at listening.”
