Sophia nodded. She didn’t dare ask the old woman what she should expect. Mama Jamba wouldn’t tell her, so she’d only be wasting her breath. It sounded like she needed to conserve her energy for what was coming next.
Chapter Five
As Mama Jamba had foretold, all of the men were gathered in Hiker’s office when Sophia entered. Evan was on the floor, wrestling around with NO10JO. It reminded her of the evil dragons she’d just witnessed in the Nest. Wilder and Mahkah were sitting on the sofa, taking notes as Hiker paced. He paused when Sophia and Mama Jamba entered.
“Oh good, you’re here,” the Viking said, staring at the two women. “I was giving out missions. Didn’t you have something you wanted to discuss with me, Sophia?”
She glanced at the television in the corner. It was off.
Although Hiker didn’t allow the men to have technology, he had caved and gotten the television as a way to stay up to date on world news.
“Yes, sir, but…” Sophia looked back at Mama Jamba, wondering if what she’d been gotten for was about to happen.
“You have a few minutes, dear.” Mama Jamba scooted the guys over and took her usual seat.
“A few minutes before what?” Hiker asked, glaring at the old woman.
“You’ll see,” she said cryptically.
He sighed. “Well, go on then, Sophia.”
She remained standing even after Wilder got up, offering her his place. “I’m good. And I wanted to talk to you, sir, about an idea that King Rudolf had.”
With a loud exhale, Hiker shook his head. “I don’t have time to entertain hare-brained ideas from that fae.”
“That’s what I thought,” Sophia began. “However, this one has merit. He’s proposing we use the dragon eggshells from those that have hatched to make a magic potion that could have healing properties for magicians and other magical races.”
Hiker paused his pacing with a look of surprise. “That actually isn’t a bad idea.”
“They are just sitting there unused,” Wilder said as he took the spot next to Sophia even though she hadn’t taken her seat.
“I’m certain the shells will have many magical properties, healing being at least one of them,” Mahkah stated.
“Then, I’ll approve of the project.” Hiker looked at Sophia. “You’ll have to champion it, though, which will require securing the right potions expert and then determining how we will disperse it to those in need.”
“King Rudolf will, of course, want a cut of the action,” Sophia explained.
The light expression on the leader of the Dragon’s Elite face dropped. “Of course, he will. That’s fine. Maybe he can help with the latter part, freeing you up.”
Sophia nodded. “I’d be happy to take on the project, sir.”
“Suck up,” Evan said through a fake cough.
“What’s that?” she asked with a heated expression.
“Oh, nothing.” He batted his eyes at the cyborg dog. “Some of us work one case at a time. And some of us work all the projects at once so they can get extra gold stars and look exhausted all the time.”
Sophia ran her hands through her tangled hair. “I don’t look exhausted, do I?”
Wilder shook his head at the same time Evan nodded.
“You look amazing,” Wilder told her.
“You could brush your hair,” Evan added.
Sophia shook her head. “I don’t take on all the projects.”
“Actually you do, dear,” Mama Jamba disagreed, curling her feet up under her.
“It wouldn’t kill some of you to show the same ambition.” Hiker glared down at Evan, who was still playing with NO10JO.
“It might, sir,” he replied at once. “I didn’t work for like a century. I’ve got to slowly ease myself into this whole thing.”
“It’s time.” Mama Jamba pointed at the television.
“Time for what?” Hiker asked, looking between her and the television.
“Well, turn that thing on and you’ll find out for yourself,” she answered. “It’s much more fun that way.”
“Fun for you,” he grumbled. He stalked over to the television and scowled over his shoulder at Mama Jamba. “Why do I get the feeling that I’m not going to like whatever is about to happen next?”
She grinned at him. “And here I thought you couldn’t see the future, son.”
Chapter Six
Sophia had never really watched mortal news programming before. Her brother Clark told her it was a waste of energy and time. He had said, and she’d always suspected it was sensationalized, biased, and a device used to exacerbate fears rather than to quell them. She was about to learn just how right her instincts had been.
When the television in Hiker’s office lit up, everyone fell silent. Standing in a crowd of reporters was a man dressed in an expensive suit, with salt and pepper hair. He had an air of confidence about him…no, Sophia paused. She studied the man’s nonverbal cues as he waited for the crowd to settle down around him. It was entitlement the man exuded, which was very different from confidence.
There was something else peculiar about the man. The bottom of the screen labeled him as Nevin Gooseman, Congressman for the U.S. Senate. It was hard to tell from looking at him on the screen, but Sophia was almost certain he was a magician. In his presence, she’d know for sure. She could sense the magical vibrations that a magician gave off. Each race “vibrates” at a different frequency, and her sister, Reese, had taught her long ago how to pick up on this.
Not being in the physical presence of this politician, Sophia could still tell he was most likely a magician by the way he moved and his mannerisms. It was similar to the way someone can tell if a person was French by the expressions they exhibited.
Behind the man in the distance were dragon worshippers, holding signs displaying their love for the magical creatures. They were always campaigning in major cities lately, and Sophia had even heard they’d flocked to Scotland, hoping to see signs of the Dragon Elite somewhere.
A reporter’s voice came on over the scene, broadcasting louder than the sounds of the crowd around Nevin Gooseman on the street. “We’ve been told the Congressman has an important announcement regarding the Dragon Elite. A surge of dragon worshippers have flocked to this location—many of them excited to hear information on the governing entity they’ve come to love and admire.”
Hiker’s eyes cut to Mama Jamba, but she wasn’t giving anything away with her impassive eyes.
“I think they’ve found out your little secret,” Wilder said to Evan, winking at him.
“That I’m a handsome, intelligent, and available bachelor?” he asked seriously, petting NO10JO.
“That you’re afraid of the dark and not fit to be worshipped by those who think you’re brave,” Wilder fired back.
“I told you, Quiet won’t allow me to turn the lights off in my bedroom at night,” Evan complained. “I’ve given up turning them off since it probably just entertains him watching me get up over and over again. That guy needs a hobby. Is it creepy to anyone else that he’s always peeping on us?”