“Something smells good,” Evan remarked, taking a big sniff as he sauntered into the dining hall of the Castle, NO10JO on his heels. The cyborg dog halted at the threshold to the room, cowering and whimpering, his gaze on the kitchen door.
“That’s me,” Wilder said with a laugh, leaning back in his seat.
Sophia gave him an amused expression. “I think Ainsley is making a roast.”
Evan’s eyes widened with delight. “Nice. She must be getting over things. That’s Hiker’s favorite.”
Wilder arched an eyebrow at Sophia. “That doesn’t sound like the Ainsley we all know and are slightly scared of.”
She agreed with a nod, wondering what the housekeeper was up to.
“Hey Pink Princess,” Evan began, as he slid into his normal seat at the table. “I need help with my new phone.”
“What you need is manners,” she retorted, pretending to be offended.
He batted his long eyelashes at her. “My apologies, my lass. Would you be ever so kind as to assist me with my mobile device?”
Sophia giggled at his ridiculousness as he withdrew the phone from his pocket. “What seems to be the issue?”
He put it on the table between them and slid it over in her direction. “How do I turn it on?”
“Oh, Angels above.” Wilder looked toward the ceiling. Sophia agreed with him.
With minimal effort, she pressed the button on the side of the phone. Although she’d joked about getting the other dragonrider a flip phone from ten generations ago, she’d opted for the newest smartphone. This thing could practically launch a spaceship, it was so powerful. Ironically, she predicted Evan wouldn’t even be able to crack the simplest features, but that had been the point in her thoughtful gift—it was more for her amusement than anything else.
Evan’s green eyes lit up when the screen came to life. “Cool. Now, what do I do?”
Sophia shook her head. “You don’t get caught with it by Hiker and if you do—”
“When he does,” Wilder cut in.
“Right,” Sophia chirped. “When you get caught by Hiker, you don’t tell him that I got you this.”
Evan plucked the phone off the table and began scrolling through the welcome messages on the new device. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m not going to get caught. And Hiker won’t believe for a second that you didn’t get me this phone. For one, I wouldn’t even know where to start buying this kind of stuff, and secondly, I didn’t even know how to turn it on. This whole thing will reek of you as soon as he finds out.”
“Then put it away, or I’ll give it to Lunis as a chew toy,” Sophia threatened.
Evan’s brow wrinkled as he stared at the screen. “What’s Wi-Fi, and how do I connect to it?”
Sophia shook her head. “Usually, you choose one from ‘settings,’ but since all electricity and stuff is powered by the Castle here, it just automatically connects.”
Evan lowered the device, an annoyed expression on his face. “Let me guess if I don’t have Wi-Fi, I can thank the little guy for that?”
“You know,” Sophia began, “it’s your fault for not being nice to Quiet from the beginning. You don’t start treating people well because they can do something for you. You’re supposed to do that regardless.”
The dragonrider scoffed at her. “That’s exactly why you’re nice to people. I was only nice to you, so you’d buy me a Mouth Phone.”
“iPhone,” Sophia corrected, rolling her eyes.
“Why are you nice to me?” Wilder asked, looking curious.
Evan glanced up, distracted. “Am I? I’ll work on that. Sorry, the decades locked up with you made me sort of complacent.”
“But that same thing didn’t work with Quiet,” Sophia observed as the groundskeeper waddled into the room.
“Well, it’s our thing,” Evan stated, noticing the gnome too. “Hey, buddy. How’s it going? Rough day on the Expanse? The flock giving you trouble again?”
Quiet narrowed his eyes at him, muttering as he took a seat one down from Evan.
“Cool, cool,” Evan said, talking over him. “So, I was hoping you’d connect my new mobile device to this Wi-Fi. Sophia said for her it is automatic, but I’m guessing you’re just not aware that I have a new phone that needs the magic of the internet.”
Ainsley buzzed through the kitchen door, carrying a covered tray that smelled incredibly good. “The Castle is aware of everything always,” she declared as if she’d been there the entire time.
Evan lowered his chin. “As I suspected. So, little guy, think you can put the past behind us and build some bridges, starting with giving me access to Wi-Fi?”
“You’re not supposed to have a mobile device.” Ainsley put her hands on her hips. “Hiker will be livid if he finds out.”
Evan pointed an accusatory finger at Sophia across the table. “She gave it to me.”
“I want one, S. Beaufont,” Ainsley demanded.
She shook her head. “Evan won a stupid bet. And if I go around getting you all phones, then he’s going to find out about it and kick me out of the Castle.”
The shapeshifter clutched her hands to her chest, looking off fondly. “It’s been so long since he’s fired me. Maybe today is my lucky day.”
“I don’t think so.” Wilder pointed to the covered dish in the middle of the table. “You’ve made his favorite.”
“Yes, I have,” Ainsley said with a wicked smile before trotting back to the kitchen.
Wilder turned to Sophia with a pleading expression. “What do I have to do to get a phone? Win a bet? Do favors? Persuade you with my charm?”
He flashed her his trademark sideways smile, his blue eyes lighting up. The butterflies fluttered around her stomach as they often did when he looked at her that way.
She forced her gaze away. “Like I said, if I go around getting you all devices, Hiker is going to have my head. He’s made it very clear he doesn’t want the older generation of riders to have electronics.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t control us,” Evan stated as footsteps echoed from the entryway. His eyes widened suddenly, and he fumbled erratically as he tried to put the phone away as Hiker and Mama Jamba entered the dining hall.
“All I’m saying is that a small appearance could really benefit our image,” Hiker told the short woman whose grayish-blue curls were perfectly formed around her head. Mama Jamba was wearing a black velour tracksuit with bunny slippers.
She winked at Sophia across the table before taking a seat between Evan and Quiet. “Son, the answer is still no. I don’t do the public eye, and I’m not changing my mind.”
Hiker opened his mouth, about to respond, and then his focus fell on Evan with a skeptical expression on his face. “What are you hiding?”
Sitting stick straight, his eyes shifting back and forth, Evan pointed at Sophia.
She tensed, making a note to kill him later.
“Her,” he demanded. “I’m hiding my undying lust and love for Sophia, but alas, she’s already taken, and so my dreams are dashed.”
Mama Jamba shook her head, her curls not taking the slightest note of the movement. “You’re doing a poor job of hiding this affection, hun.”