Are you sure we’re in the right place? Lunis asked in her head.
Not at all. It happens to be my first time using a magical map of hidden locations.
She pulled the book from her cloak and flipped it open to the map of the tiny islands in the South Pacific. There was no other landmark to give her reference.
I think whatever you did, worked, Lunis said, excitement in his tone.
Sophia jerked her head up and saw little islands covered in lush trees materialize, springing up one by one in front of them.
Oh. I guess I have to use the map or I can’t find them.
That makes sense, Lunis imparted. You can’t simply know about the hidden places. The maps are the key to finding them.
Sophia studied the map and located the islands around the Reflective Sea, looking for discernable traits. There was one that was shaped like a cat’s paw and another like a crescent moon. The sea was right in between them, and one of those places seemed like the best spot to land.
She glanced up and searched the islands littering the South Pacific in front of them. There were so many that it was hard to believe no one knew they existed. Suddenly, she wondered what other strange things could be hidden in these places besides the source for the Door of Reflection. Then that begged the question of why the lands in the book, Hidden Places, were concealed in the first place. Maybe they had dark magic that if in the wrong hands would be dangerous. Or maybe there were secrets buried there. Sophia suspected that each hidden land had a different reason for being secret. She looked forward to exploring them more—when time allowed.
There, Sophia exclaimed to Lunis. She pointed to a small island that sat next to a bright blue sea that sparkled so much it nearly blinded her. The crescent-shaped island was directly across from the paw-shaped one. However, that one was covered in thick trees with little beach. The crescent one was mostly sand, and would hopefully offer them the best opportunity to investigate the Reflective Sea all around it.
Sophia didn’t know what they were supposed to do at the sea, but it worried her. The Door of Reflection was the entrance to the Chamber of the Tree. Although it didn’t work on her as a dragonrider, when Councilors and Warriors passed through it, the door served up their worst fears in an effort to cleanse them of it. If the door was sourced from the Reflective Sea, Sophia worried about what she’d encounter.
She knew without a doubt that it would have to be major to clear the mark from her soul. Although she was more than a little intimidated by the unknown challenge that lay before her, she would do anything to lift the curse. Sophia swallowed as Lunis dove in for a landing, realizing she would probably have to do what she feared most…
Chapter Sixteen
Lunis’ claws slid deep into the white sand of the crescent-shaped island when they landed. The smell of salt and the ocean breeze rippling the pristine waters of the Reflective Sea made Sophia long for a vacation.
According to the map, the island was called Buddha’s Temple and had a long stretch of beach, which was why Sophia chose it for the landing. There was also a tropical forest that filled the center of the island. And lapping up on it was the Reflective Sea, which was what Sophia figured she’d come for.
However, as she slid off Lunis and made her way closer to the waters, she felt like something was pulling her back. Sophia picked up her boots one by one, wondering if she was sinking into quicksand.
The white sand of the beach wasn’t easy to trudge through but it wasn’t pulling her down like she thought. Sophia glanced over her shoulder, seriously feeling like something was tethered around her waist, tugging her back from the Reflective Sea.
Lunis was scowling at her with an undeniably angry expression on his face.
She wasn’t sure why, but Sophia’s words came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. “What’s your problem?”
It was such an uncharacteristic way for her to talk to Lunis, or anyone. And the tone of her voice didn’t sound like her.
“You, for starters.” Lunis’ scowl deepened. “You kicked up sand on me when you dismounted. And I don’t know what you’re waiting for, standing there staring at the Reflective Sea. We don’t have all day. I’m ready to get back to the Gullington.”
And now it was war. Sophia’s head filled with heat. “Kicked up sand? Really! It’s a freaking beach, Lunis. We’re going to get sandy. But I guess that’s too much for you to understand.” She didn’t know why she suddenly felt so hostile or how to make it stop. As she spoke, more angry thoughts came to her. Ones that she’d felt like she’d always had.
“And really, you don’t have all day?” she continued. “What, do you need to go back and watch Santa Clarita Diet and veg on cheese puffs?”
His eyes narrowed with anger. “I have lots of important things to do at the Gullington. Most recently, I kept you from having hallucinations.”
“You took a long nap,” she spat. “Real freaking hard.”
“I take care of the dragonettes while you gallivant, hang out with Liv, and eat nachos,” he bellowed, his voice rising.
She stuck her hands on her hips. “I go on missions to save the world.”
“Oh, I go on missions to save the world,” he said in a high-pitched voice, impersonating Sophia.
Before, she was mad. Now she was livid. “To answer your question, I can’t get next to the Reflective Sea or otherwise I would have already because being here with you is further marking my soul.”
The dragon’s face shifted suddenly. “Here…this place. It’s causing us to be like this.”
“Like what?” Sophia insisted, still fuming.
“Soph, this isn’t us. Well, it is and this is how we’re acting, and right now I despise you, but that’s not us. It must be some weird magic of the island or the sea or this whole area.”
That made sense. Sophia couldn’t understand why she didn’t see that from the beginning, but the argument exploded so fast and all she could see was red. Lunis was right. For some odd reason, she couldn’t stand looking at him right then. She disliked him more than anyone on the planet…and dislike wasn’t the word rebounding in her head, but that word, well, it made her soul ache more.
How could she hate her dragon? She had never loved someone that much before him. And now, for seemingly no reason at all, they were close to being at each other’s throats.
“You’re right,” she said slowly as she processed it.
“Of course I am,” he barked.
She cut her eyes at him with a look on her face that said, “That’s not helping.”
He nodded at once. “Yeah, I’m sorry. As much as it pains me to say it.”
“So what are we supposed to do? And why are we so angry with each other?” Sophia asked.
“I think you need to stay away from the Reflective Sea,” he offered.
A rude laugh popped out of her mouth. “We’re on an island. How exactly do you expect me to do that?”
Lunis lowered his head and regarded her with a murderous expression. “I realize that it won’t be easy, which is why this is supposed to be a challenge.”
They were doing it again. Sophia wanted to yell, to battle the magical beast before her. But if they did, they would destroy each other. And that would be the worst possible way to die, by the teeth of her dragon. His heart punctured by her sword. She instinctively knew that if they started to fight it would be impossible to end, so powerful was the urge drumming through her body.