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He fluttered to her, pressing his back against her chest. She wrapped and tied the rope snugly around him.

“Approaching the site now,” the pilot said.

Paige’s heart thudded hard in her chest as she crossed to the door and sucked in a deep breath. “Prepare for deployment in five, four, three, two, one. Bomb’s away.”

Paige swung the latch on the door and shoved it open. Wind whipped through the plane, blowing harshly against her skin.

She stepped to the edge, staring out over the dark sky. Snow-capped peaks poked up at them.

“Confession time,” Paige shouted over the wind tunnel.

“What?” Dewey yelled.

“I’m not really sure either.”

“Wha–“ His question turned into a wail as Paige stepped out of the plane, dropping toward the earth like a stone.

“Pull the cord,” Dewey shouted. “Pull the cord!”

“Not yet,” Paige screamed back at him as they continued to tumble through the sky.

The wind smacked against their faces, blowing Paige’s cheeks back and ruffling her lips.

“Pull it,” Dewey yelled again, his teal lips smacking together.

Paige’s sweaty palm clutched the pull for the parachute. She twisted her neck, her eyes watering from the air rushing against them. They were a safe enough distance from the plane to deploy the chute.

“Hang on,” she screamed.

She yanked the cord, and the parachute shot out of the backpack, halting their descent. They snapped upright, dangling from the rigging.

Dewey breathed a sigh of relief as they meandered down toward the mountains below. “I was really concerned that wasn’t going to open.”

“What?” Paige exclaimed, her tone incredulous.

“It’s been on that plane for a long time. No former librarians have ever jumped out of a plane before to my knowledge. Plus, you have terrible luck.”

Paige’s features pinched as she considered it, tugging down on the handles to slow their descent as the ground rushed toward them.

“I do. Although, you can fly, so you would be okay.”

Paige kicked her feet out, landing on her backside and sliding a few feet. She unbuckled the harness as Dewey untied himself and flew into the air.

“Yeah, I’d be okay. But I’d have to watch you splatter across the ground. Do you know the kind of trauma that could inflict on a dragon?”

“Gee,” Paige grunted as Dewey tugged her to stand, “I’m so glad I didn’t die for your sake.”

“Me too,” Dewey deadpanned before he spun to search the area. “Which way?”

Paige tugged the RP from her pocket and toggled it on. A red dot indicating the cave they sought glowed at the top of the screen. The blue dot showing their location blinked in the middle of the screen.

She thrust her arm uphill toward a large mountain rising in front of them. “That way.”

They climbed the hill as Paige eyed the movement of the blue dot, growing ever closer to their destination.

“Boy, I hope we beat those stupid pixies.”

“You and me both,” Paige said, puffing from exertion as she climbed the steep grade. “The last thing I need is one of those darts launched at me while we’re in the Mouth of Hell.”