Rainbow Magic (Dragon Rider #1) {EDITING}

Chapter Nine: The Pros and Cons of Stealing Restricted Reading Material

Sora hadn't set out that morning with the intention of purloining a few books from the library Oz had shown her yesterday. In fact, she hadn't even planned on getting out of bed.

At least until Oz had broken the door down, demanding to know why she wasn't at training. One look at her had told him why.

Sora was ill.

Horribly so.

One look at the gigantic bin of tissues and her red nose told him that in an instant, and then he'd left her alone. Not before getting the door fixed though.

She'd then decided to do what she always did whenever she was ill – curl up and read a nice book. There was only one problem.

She didn't have any books to read.

"Idiot," she muttered to herself, clambering out of bed, wrapping herself up in as many layers of clothing as she could find. How could she have forgotten to bring any reading material? Her shoulders slumped, her mind fuzzy as she tried to remember the way to the library Oz had dragged her to yesterday.

The scent of ink and fresh paper invaded her senses, her feet stumbling along paths she didn't recognise as she let her nose guide her. Her nose had never let her down, and it didn't then either. She stared at the small wooden door, reaching for the handle, blinking when a hand clamped around her wrist.

A familiar redhead stared at her.

Cynthia.

"Sorry, kiddo," she said. "You aren't allowed in there without a Senior Rider with you."

Sora stared at her, eyebrow arched.

"Afraid I don't count – your instructor is the only one allowed to give you access, and you've got Oz... so I doubt he'll let you loose on this library until you've grown up a bit." She shrugged. "Not much I can do about that."

"Try the main library, brat," Ethan said, coming to stand next to her. "Most of the books in here will be too confusing for your puny little brain to understand."

"Ethan! Be nice for once in your life!"

"Tch."

The pair wandered inside, bickering all the while, leaving Sora wondering where the hell the main library was. Sighing, she wandered back out, pulling the scarf she wore further around her neck. She wanted a book, dammit, and she was going to get one.

She wandered back the way she'd come, silently debating whether or not to ask someone for directions when she saw it.

The open window.

One which led to the library she'd just been denied access to.

Sora eyed the pavilion she was in, noting how quiet and empty everything seemed to be. Nobody would know if she just... snuck in, would they?

She stiffened, looking either way before diving head first through the window, silently rolling to her feet. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, eyes scanning the aisle of books she'd just landed in.

Empty.

A grin cracked across her lips, feet moving quickly, fingers nimbly plucking out the books she wanted to borrow. All in all, it was alarmingly easy, considering how jealously the Outer City was said to guard information.

"Too easy," she whispered, hugging her new reading material to her chest as she hurried back out the window, freezing as a shadow loomed over her.

"You're one of Oz's adorable little ducklings, aren't you?"