Rainbow Magic (Dragon Rider #1) {EDITING}

Chapter Fifteen: A Suspicious Test Site

Sora grinned, staring at the shattered remnants of the golden barrier, watching as shards fell to the grass, before flickering out of existence like flames on the wind. It had taken a punch and a kick, but eventually the barrier had come crumbling down. Not that Sora had expected anything less. She leapt from foot to foot, oddly energised, feeling a strange buzzing humming through her before it slowly fizzled into nothing just like the barrier in front of her.

"Move it, idiots," Silver ordered, striding through the gaping hole in the gigantic barrier. "This barrier is made to repair itself, so get inside before it closes back up."

"OK, OK," Raelynn said, practically skipping through the entrance Sora had made them. "Don't get your knickers in a twist."

"Shut up and move," Silver barked, planting one muddy foot against her back, sending her sprawling on the grass. "You're blocking the way for the rest of the peasants."

"Who're you calling a peasant?" Beatrice grumbled, pulling Callum inside with her, the twins following close behind. Sora brought up the rear, hurrying inside as the glowing film of the barrier regrew, knitting itself back together, only now they were on the other side of golden dome.

"Relax, Bea," Callum said, his expression barely changing as the taller girl hugged him within an inch of his life. "It's just Silver being Silver."

"Hey!" Silver snarled, waving a finger in his direction.

Beatrice growled.

"So cool..." Raelynn murmured.

"Um—Well..." Callum stuttered. "I didn't, um, excuse me, mean... any offence."

Grey eyes narrowed. "Oh really, peasant?"

Beatrice's hand curled into a fist.

"I think what our lovely teammate is trying to say," Eir began, stepping in-between them all before a fight could break out. "Is that Silver was just—"

"She was just expressing her love for all of us," Raelynn said, slinging an arm around the silverette's shoulders. "Isn't that right?"

"Of course not, idiots!" she snarled. "You're all just dead-weights. I'm only tagging along with you because we have to complete this as a team."

"Aww, no need to be shy," Raelynn said, pulling Silver even closer, wrapping her in a hug despite the frantic squirming. "We're on the same team, which means we'll be BFFs whether you like it or not."

"Like hell!" Silver choked out, wrenching herself free. "Just because we're on the same team does not mean we need to cosy up to one another."

"Is everyone in?" Sora asked, turning away from the pair, silently counting their number. Beatrice and Callum were there, as well as the twins, and of course both Silver and Rae were there. Sora didn't need to look at them. She could hear them, and she was fairly sure that applied for everyone in a mile radius.

"Seems like it," Beatrice muttered, still glaring at the silverette, her arms wrapped tightly around one of Callum's own. "Don't mind her, Callie," she crooned, a soft smile pulling at her lips. "She's just jealous she'll never have a boyfriend like you."

"Why do you think it'll be a boyfriend?" Eir chimed in, her voice hushed. Not that it would've mattered. Silver was far too busy arguing with Raelynn to overhear what Sora could. "Twin, what's your bet?"

Eisa folded her arms, biting her lip. "Somehow I doubt our lovable blonde will be able to comprehend the idea of romance anytime soon..."

"Wanna put your money where your mouth is, Twin?" Eir grinned, teeth bared in an almost feral smirk.

Eisa's answering smile was just as terrifying. "You're on."

Beatrice stared between the pair for a few moments before deciding. "You two have a gambling problem, don't you?"

Eir chuckled, scratching the back of her neck. "It's not that much of an issue... it's not like we do it every single day..."

"Um, actually, I think you kinda do..." Callum mumbled, pressing the tips of his fingers together as he stared nervously at the two. His gaze flickered to the ground, teeth sinking into his lower lip, Beatrice's grip tightening as if in comfort whilst she glared at the twins – no doubt challenging them to say one mean word to the both of them.

Eisa laughed sheepishly. "You might be right..."

"No." Eir stepped forwards, reaching for Callum slowly, hands finding their way to his downcast face. "Don't look down," she said, pinching his cheeks as she lifted his head so he was staring at her. "You're our teammate, so you're not supposed to be scared of us."

"He's not scared," Beatrice snapped, glaring at Eir. "He's just shy."

"He's absolutely adorable," Eir said, patting his cheek, seemingly uncaring as Beatrice hissed at her. "He just needs to be a bit more confident."

"I like him just the way he is!"

"But you won't always be there to—"

Sora cleared her throat, interrupting both sets of raised voices. "Right, my wonderful teammates," she began, almost sighing in relief when they all turned their attention towards her. "Seeing as we're inside the barrier, don't you think we should start searching for this testing place, or whatever it is?"

"I'll go with Callie." Beatrice dragged him off, wandering over towards one side of the field.

Raelynn pouted. "No fair..." she grumbled, staring at the pale white light emanating from a spot in the grass a little distance away. "Why do they get to go over to where that light is?"

"Imbecile," Silver muttered, striding in the opposite direction to where the couple had gone. "We split up and cover more ground that way. It's basic procedure when searching, honestly." She shook her head.

"Wait up!"

"Don't follow me!"

"But I want to get to know—"

"Stay at least five metres from me at all times—ack!"

Sora's head snapped around, worried something was wrong, but it was just Raelynn attacking Silver in a bear hug. "Well... I guess that just leaves us three..." she said, glancing at the twins.

"There's nothing interesting over here," Silver called, striding back towards them quickly, an eager Raelynn closely on her tail. "It's just grass and more grass."

"Well, I guess that's that," Sora mumbled, turning to glance over at the other pair who'd gone out, only there was one problem with that.

They were nowhere in sight.

Gone.

Vanished.

And instead of a single light spot in the grass, there were three.

"Um... can any of you see Beatrice and Callum?" Sora asked, a hint of panic entering her voice as she stood there. She was the team leader, and yet she'd already misplaced two of her teammates. What sort of leader did that?

"Nope... Twin?"

"I can't see them." Eisa shook her head.

Eir edged forwards into the grass, her twin close behind. "They went over towards those lights... wait, wasn't there only the one?"

"You don't suppose they found the test thingy, do you?" Eisa asked, taking another step forward.

Sora blinked, only able to watch as the grass flared up in light underneath them. Ground crumbled almost instantly under their feet, and the earth swallowed them whole.