Determine the Future (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 10)

by Sarah Noffke

  Sophia strode past Boris before he could change his mind, thinking that she’d never had such a strange mission in all her time with the Dragon Elite.

  Chapter One Hundred Eighteen

  The hike up to Virgo Cave wasn’t as tough as Sophia expected, or maybe the vodka erased the pain by numbing her muscles. Still, it didn’t take long to reach the cave mouth, which was dark upon her first step inside.

  Sophia lifted her palm and immediately created a light orb to illuminate her path. She’d never been in a mining cave but expected that it would be full of rich crystals or other minerals all ready to be gathered. What she found was more like a barren field after a total harvest.

  It appeared that the Rogue Riders’ leader had taken every single one of the soul stones and left behind nothing for Sophia.

  She nearly fell to her knees because she was exhausted from the drinking game and the hike and defeated from this recent development.

  I came all this way, and there are no soul stones left, she said to Lunis. How are we going to get past the barrier?

  By not giving up, he encouraged.

  But there are no soul stones left, Sophia complained, starting to feel emotional from all the recent challenges. The liquor made it worse. She held up her light orb and flashed it over the stone walls, searching for a single sparkle leftover from a soul stone. There was nothing.

  Soph, Lunis began in a thoughtful voice. Remember when you ate an entire carton of chocolate revel ice cream?

  I don’t see the relevance in bringing up my bad habits right now, she muttered, totally irked on every level.

  It’s relevant.

  Yeah, I guess I recall the experience a time or two, she replied.

  And even when you’ve cleared the huge tub of ice cream in one sitting—

  Okay, I’m back to not getting the thought behind this example, she interrupted.

  My point, Lunis continued, is that even when you’ve cleaned out all the ice cream, no matter how much you tried, how much you’ve licked the side of the carton or—

  Are you trying to help here?

  I am, he replied. The point is that there’s always, despite your efforts, a little something left in the seams of the carton. You can’t get it all, as much as you might try.

  Sophia looked up, strangely encouraged by the example. “The seams!”

  Exactly, Lunis said proudly. You’re very welcome.

  She rolled her eyes. I don’t think you had to take so many punches at my ego in the process. Any other example would have worked. Or you could have straight out told me your idea.

  I liked this approach better.

  Sophia knelt and hurried over to the closest cave wall on her hands and knees, then dug through the dirt, sifting through it for anything that was sparkly purple. The soil was black, and so far all she’d unearthed were bits of brown or gray rock.

  Once at the wall, she continued to dig around and look for any remnants that stood out at her.

  Her spirits had lifted at Lunis’ notion about the trace soul stones left behind but quickly plummeted when she didn’t find anything. Sophia didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t find the soul stones she needed. When she was at the Great Library, she’d considered breaking the one soul stone she had into pieces and giving it to the other Dragon Elite members, but Paul had explained that would make them all ineffective.

  Sophia knew that one member of the Dragon Elite couldn’t enter the Rogue Riders’ headquarters alone. It had to be all of them. That was the only way that challenging them and hopefully having a winning chance would work.

  Her mind combed through all the potentials as her fingers grazed something soft and also hard at the same time—like glass. Sophia paused, then dug into the dirt and pulled up something that stuck out like a sore thumb in the mostly dull and gray cave. It was a simple oval stone that shone purple in the small space.

  Two soul stones. Sophia rejoiced and dug harder, suddenly spurred on by her newest find.

  The dirt jammed under her fingernails as she moved faster and pulled up rocks from beside the wall. Then she spotted something remarkable. As she dug deeper, Sophia realized there was a section of the wall that hadn’t been mined—the part that was underground. And there was a lot more than they needed to get her and the other three dragonriders onto the island.

  As Sophia broke off the amethyst soul stones from the cave wall, she realized that she had enough for a few others to join them to face the Rogue Riders. She knew exactly who they should be—ensuring that it would be a swift and successful fight for the Dragon Elite.

  Chapter One Hundred Nineteen

  The sun seemed to be trying to encourage them as it shone down on the Expanse, offering a beautiful October sky. It was strange to see Liv and her husband Stefan at the Gullington, but they’d agreed to join for the upcoming mission which allowed them entry to the Dragon Elite’s grounds, per Quiet’s permission.

  Sophia would have called on Liv and Stefan to pick the thistle but since they were both warriors for the House of Fourteen, their schedules didn’t really allow them the opportunity to galivant off and pick weeds in the Scottish Highlands. However, both Liv and Stefan had cleared their schedule for this mission. They both knew that if the Rogue Riders weren’t put in their place, it would make it harder for the entire magical world. They’d already created so many problems with their nefarious ways.

  And of course, Liv wanted to help her sister. Stefan too.

  Both could write this off as House of Fourteen business because it helped restore the elfin homeland, which fell under their jurisdiction. It was still strange to have Liv beside Sophia as she lined up and waited for Hiker to address them. However, she was working for the Dragon Elite and therefore allowed inside their border. Stefan too. His jet black hair was slicked back, the collar of his cloak pulled up to guard against the Scottish winds, although they probably wouldn’t bother him.

  Sophia cut her eyes at her sister and resisted the urge to smile. They were going to do this. All together. They were going after the Rogue Riders and would push them out of where they didn’t belong. Sophia hoped it didn’t involve the extent of what happened to Tanner, but whatever it took to keep the Earth safe.

  All the members of the Dragon Elite lined up with their hands behind their backs and chins held high, waiting for their esteemed leader. Beside them stood the Warriors for the House of Fourteen, less stoic but still giving respect to the pre-battle process. Beside the riders were their dragons, all standing at attention.

  Sophia caught a glimpse of Hiker striding down from the Castle, and she almost started. She hadn’t expected him to be in armor, but there he was, looking like he was going to join them. More surprising than that was Ainsley striding beside him, not wearing one of her usual gowns. Instead, she had on pants and an armored top and cap, her chin held high.

  They were all marching into battle on that day. Together. It was unreal. And awesome. And scary—all at the same time.

  Hiker paused when he was in front of Sophia and wordlessly held out a large hand to her. Knowing what he wanted, she deposited the small bag of soul stones into his hand. He nodded in appreciation, then dispensed a soul stone to each person standing there.

  “We’re about to cross a border into a land where we aren’t welcome,” Hiker began while marching along, handing a soul stone to Wilder, and Mahkah, and Evan. “But it’s a land that doesn’t belong to the Rogue Riders. They stole it— it has always, since the dawn of the elfin race, belonged to the elves. Therefore it’s imperative that we return it to them, by any means necessary.”

  Hiker paused in front of Liv before handing her a single soul stone. “We don’t aim to kill, but if that’s required of us, that’s what we’ll do.”

  Liv nodded and took the stone.

  “I will address the leader, stating that we are the authority and putting him into check.” Hiker gave Stefan a soul stone. “The Rogue Riders have gone too far. They are an infant society t
hat has too quickly outgrown their underpants, but today, we fix all that. Today, we show them who is in charge and where they stand on this planet. It is our Earth, and we protect it, not allowing such acts of disrespect.”

  Hiker turned to Ainsley at his back and handed her the remaining soul stone. “Hopefully today we create a peaceful solution to problems. But if nothing else, we will force the Rogue Riders out from where they don’t belong, teach them a lesson, and return the elves to their home. I think we all know that having our home stolen from us is the worst thing.”

  Everyone nodded, many of them looking across the green Expanse—autumn colors filled the trees though.

  “Be safe, my riders,” Hiker stated, then strode over to Bell with Ainsley beside him. “To those who have elected to join us.” He turned and looked at Liv and Stefan. “Thank you. This is our war, but its end will benefit all.”

  The two warriors nodded in return.

  Hiker quickly turned and mounted the red dragon. Ainsley joined him, riding right behind him. Sophia strode over to Lunis, beside Simi, prepared to climb onto her dragon.

  “I’ll meet you on the flip side, Soph.” Liv strode for the Barrier where she would create a portal to the island.

  Sophia nodded. “Thank you. You know what to do? Like we discussed?”

  Liv winked over her shoulder. “This isn’t my first rodeo. I remember the plan. Don’t worry. Stef and I got this!”

  Sophia smiled, grateful to have her sister’s help. Again she was about to mount Lunis when there was an interruption at her back. Someone called for her from the Castle. Sophia turned to see Trin racing in their direction. She was holding something up.

  Sophia paused, then went over to the cyborg. “What is it?”

  “I found another piece of the key,” Trin stated while looking over Sophia’s shoulder. Her eyes latched onto Evan before returning to Sophia.

  “That’s great!” Sophia exclaimed. “So one more then.”

  Trin nodded. “I’ll search while you’re gone. Be safe Sophia, and return in one piece.” In an uncharacteristic expression of affection, the housekeeper threw her arms around Sophia’s shoulders and held her tight. Sophia was so startled by the gesture that at first, she didn’t know what to do, but finally wrapped her arm around Trin, feeling the flesh of her back as well as the metal.

  “Thanks,” Sophia said in a whisper.

  Trin pulled away and gave her a meaningful look. “Take care of each other. Don’t let anything happen to any of you.” There was conviction in Trin’s eyes.

  Sophia took the metal piece of the key from her and smiled. “Don’t worry. We will. When we return, get out your party dress because we’re going to have a Halloween party, but I’m doing all the cooking so don’t worry about getting your hands dirty. It will be festive and fun.”

  The smile that graced Trin’s face transformed her and made her look purely human. “That would be great. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a real party.”

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty

  It had been too long since all the Dragon Elite flew together into a battle. It felt good and right and also spoke to the severity of the situation that Hiker Wallace had left the Gullington.

  It had never happened that Ainsley had accompanied them, but things were evolving. Sophia believed they were getting better, but with that came facing many challenges. In the end, we have to fight for a better world—it doesn’t come to us, she thought with determination.

  So true, Lunis said in her mind. He glided on the wind as they sailed over the Pacific Ocean, the elfin homeland not far in the distance. Beside Sophia and ahead of her were Hiker and Ainsley, riding on the red dragon, Bell. It was such a sight to see the large Viking, crouched low on his majestic dragon and Ainsley behind him holding tightly to his waist, her red hair flying in the wind behind her.

  It was hard to believe she was the same kooky housekeeper who welcomed Sophia to the Gullington on her first day. That was Ainsley Carter at her finest—full of surprises. Sophia knew that fighting wasn’t the elf’s forte, but she also knew not to underestimate her and looked forward to watching her in battle.

  Behind Sophia and bringing up the rear were Wilder, Evan, and Mahkah, all swiftly riding on their dragons with looks of pure confidence and strength on their faces. Even with Liv and Stefan joining them, Sophia knew that they were outnumbered. They suspected, based on the number of demon dragons that left the Gullington, that there were at least a dozen Rogue Riders. That was the full potential anyway.

  However, the Dragon Elite had something unmatched. Yes, many of them were older. Yes, they were more experienced and had decades of training. Yes, they followed the ancient riding protocols and worked intuitively with the dragons. However, the real strength of the Dragon Elite was that they worked together. The power of one was the advantage of another. The fall of one would own the attention of all. Hiker Wallace might do things in a very old-school way, but that also meant that he followed the old code, also made popular by The Three Musketeers: “All for one, and one for all. United we stand. Divided we fall.”

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One

  The moment of truth was upon them. Each of the Dragon Elite members had their soul stones on them. As they approached the barrier to the invaded elfin island, Sophia held her breath and hoped that this untested method worked. There had been no time to check it so that at this point, Sophia was simply relying on the expertise of those she trusted. Mae Ling had advised her on the soul stones. Paul had steered her in the right direction. She enlisted the help of those people because of their brilliance, and now she had to have faith that they were right.

  The Dragon Elite were not cloaked. They wanted the Rogue Riders to see them coming. They wanted this battle. There was little hope there would be discussions or negotiations. The Rogue Riders and their leader had proven they didn’t want to work with the Dragon Elite. That opportunity had come and gone.

  Even though they were storming onto the island, the Dragon Elite had a strategy—naturally. They knew that numbers weren’t their strong suit, so instead, they would rely on a multi-prong approach.

  Unfortunately, they were mostly flying onto the island blind, not knowing what to expect. Ainsley knew the lay of the land, but that didn’t help much since it was from before when it belonged to the elves.

  However, that did tell her where the main part of the island was, which would be where the Rogue Riders had set up camp due to resources and better weather conditions. Where they were presently flying to was the less developed part of the island, which would give them time to assess, regroup, and give the Rogue Riders a chance to freak out, knowing they were about to get the whoopin’ they so deserved.

  When Hiker and Sophia had discussed strategy, he had refused to consider a stealth mission. He’d insisted that they make it clear who the leaders were among the two groups of dragonriders.

  “The less powerful sneak in from the sidelines and attack when the enemy isn’t looking,” he had stated with confidence. “The leaders of this world stand on the edge of the enemy’s territory, making sure they see them and allowing them to load their weapons, knowing it won’t matter anyway. The underdog can have all the time in the world to prepare for the battle because in the end, the result will still be the same. We’re going to march into that battle with our heads high, knowing they see us coming, and then we’ll defeat them as courageous men—dragonriders who face down their enemy rather than stab them in the back.”

  Sophia had been inspired by the speech and agreed to the plan, although it wasn’t her normal style. That was what made her and Hiker Wallace a good team. They came from different eras. They approached things differently. They saw the world in different ways. And when they worked together, the results were inspiring.

  However, Hiker had agreed to one stealth mission, which Sophia simply thought was a smart use of their resources.

  Sophia tensed on Lunis and held her breath as they approached the barrie
r to the island.

  This is it, she said to her dragon telepathically.

  It’s going to work, Soph.

  She nodded, not daring to blink as they rode through the barrier. All at once, the full island came into view. The soul stones had worked. They were through. The next steps would hopefully unfold as smoothly.

  On the other side of the barrier, the elfin homeland stretched out before them and what they saw was not at all how the peaceful race of hippies left the place.

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two

  The Rogue Riders had done little to improve the island. It appeared they’d mostly destroyed the once tropical and lush island. Several places had been clear-cut, and smoke rose into the air in those areas. Structures had been torn down, and the materials lay in piles of debris.

  Sophia spied the many pits similar to where Wilder had been held captive. In them were angry dragons that clawed at the netting sealing them inside. She also noticed the many towers around the island where the release buttons for the pits would be. They also seemed to be used for watchtowers, three of them manned by dragonriders who spotted them and yelled to others on the ground.

  The Rogue Riders knew they were there. The battle was now imminent.

  On the backside of the island, most of the structures seemed to mostly be intact, although it looked like chaotic dragons had gnawed on the roofs or blasted them. What Sophia saw was the result of a society of immature dragonriders left unchecked. It was like when a parent leaves a kid alone in a house, and they throw everything on the floor and color on the walls. There’s no reason for the bad behavior. They simply must destroy when given their first taste of freedom.