Magitech Rises (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 3)

by Sarah Noffke

  Papa Creola paused, ensuring Sophia was still following him.

  “You have my attention,” she said, her eyes big.

  “When the Great War broke out and mortals were made to not see magic, I had to make a really fast judgment,” Papa Creola explained. “I froze the House just before mortals weren’t able to see magic. It was a quick decision, but it was the only course I saw to save everyone if your sister Liv didn’t fix things. That was what the timeline told me, but it is never completely accurate. I needed to have a backup. A way to save things if no one else did. If that happened, if things went to hell, then I could reset the timeline from the save point.”

  Again, Papa Creola paused. He gave her a studious expression like he was trying to determine if this was computing for Sophia. It hardly was. This was more than confounding.

  “So you created a reboot in a way?” she asked. “A way to restart everything from a certain save point if things didn’t get better?”

  “Yes, as I said, I saved things just before the war broke out and mortals couldn’t see magic,” Papa Creola said. “And since then, I’ve kept that save point just in case we ever needed it. It so happens, this timeline still exists inside the House…and also the Castle.”

  “It does?” Sophia asked, shocked. “Are you telling me the closet I need to find is on the other timeline?”

  Papa Creola simply nodded.

  “You could send me to this save point in the House of Fourteen, and I can find the right closet on the other timeline?” she asked.

  “No, no, no,” Papa Creola said with a dry laugh.

  Sophia gave him a peeved expression. “Hah. Hah. Hah. Obviously, you can’t.”

  “You know I can’t send you anywhere,” Papa Creola stated.

  “I know you won’t,” she countered. “But I get how this works. You need me to do something. Is that right?”

  “I protected the save point using a token of sorts,” Papa Creola explained. “A monster guards it and—”

  “Of course, it does,” she said, laughing.

  “This monster,” he continued, “has done its job for entirely too long and has grown a bit restless. I fear it will abandon its mission to guard the token unless it’s slaughtered.”

  “You need someone to kill this monster,” Sophia guessed.

  “Yes,” he answered. “And they would need an ancient creature to help them.”

  “If only I had a dragon…”

  He smirked at her. “If only.”

  “Where do I find this monster, and what is it?” she asked.

  He crossed his arms across his chest. “I really wish I could give you information, but unfortunately, that’s not something I can do.”

  She lowered her chin, scowling at the most powerful man on the Earth. “I know you can, but that’s not how this works. I have to figure it out on my own.”

  He smiled at her fondly. “You are much quicker than your sister at learning this stuff.”

  “Fine,” Sophia said. “I find this monster and kill it. Then I have to take the token it’s guarding. That will help me to get to the other timeline, right?”

  “Yes,” Papa Creola confirmed. “But then you’ll have become the keeper of the token until I have to replace you. It must be supervised at all times since the other timeline can’t be erased and needs to be preserved in case anything happens to this one.”

  Sophia nodded slowly and wondered if what she was agreeing to was as momentous as it felt. “Okay. I’ll guard it until you decide otherwise.”

  “I’m not certain when that will be,” he answered, an ominous tone to his voice. “It depends on you. When you grow restless with your job or slack in your responsibility as a supervisor, you’ll be replaced.”

  Sophia’s eyes enlarged, realizing what the word “replaced” meant.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Yeah, Papa Creola totally told me about your mission with Subner,” Sophia said to Wilder as they strode through Roya Lane, the smell of peppermint strong in the air and bells rattling from seemingly everywhere.

  “Did he?” Wilder questioned, a pursed expression on his normally cheerful face.

  “Well, he said nothing about it, but I think he meant to,” she amended. “You go ahead and fill me in, and then I’ll tell you about what I’m working on.”

  Wilder shook his head. “Not only can I not tell you what I have to do for Subner, but I’m certain if you’re doing something that involves Papa Creola, you can’t tell me.”

  She sighed, looking longingly at a cart with fresh pretzels. “You’re kind of the worst, Wild.”

  He nodded. “I know. I’d love to know what your mission is, but I know I can’t, and you won’t tell me, will you?”

  She shook her head. “There’s no way I can divulge that information.”

  “Then you understand my position,” he confided.

  “Yeah, unfortunately, I do.” She gave him a long sideway expression. “It’s not something dangerous or anything, right? I mean, it’s not like I’d worry about you, but if I did, this wouldn’t make me worry more?”

  “No,” he said dismissively. “You know how Subner and Papa Creola work. They send us on missions that are perfectly safe and never full of dark, mysterious monsters.”

  “Yep, totally,” she said, worry starting to creep into her being as she wondered what Subner was sending Wilder to do.

  Chapter Twenty

  Hiker was pacing his office, which had shrunk even more, when Sophia and Wilder entered. Sophia stopped at the threshold and backed up slightly, wondering where she would stand if she entered.

  Evan was laid out on the couch, his hands behind his head. “Oh, look who has decided to join us while the boss and I have been holding down the fort.”

  “Shut it, Evan,” Hiker ordered, halting in the narrow pathway he’d made between his desk and the tiny, only remaining window in his closet-sized office.

  Sophia leaned against the doorway and gave Wilder a hesitant expression. He returned it as he leaned on the other side of the doorway, trying his best to look comfortable.

  “Thanks for holding down the fort, Evan,” Sophia said. “It looks like it’s been a tough job.”

  “Totally draining,” he said yawning.

  “Good, now you two are back—”

  “Actually, sir,” Wilder interrupted, making Hiker straighten. “I have a mission I need to leave on right away. It’s for Subner, and you understand I couldn’t refuse, right?”

  Hiker swallowed as he tried to assimilate this information. After a moment, he nodded. “Of course. Subner. Your other boss…”

  “Yes, sir,” Wilder said, his eyes low. “You understand I wouldn’t abandon missions you’d assign me to, but…”

  “You have other obligations,” Hiker stated. “I get it. What is it that will take you away?”

  Wilder’s eyes skirted to the side. “The thing is, sir—”

  “You can’t tell me,” Hiker guessed.

  Wilder nodded.

  “Fine,” Hiker acquiesced. “I get it and realize this won’t always be the case. For now, it is fine. I’m sure Sophia can handle the mission I had for you.”

  “The thing is, sir,” she said, her tone uncertain.

  The leader of the Dragon Elite growled. “Don’t tell me…”

  She backed up a step. “Okay, I won’t.”

  “You’ve got a mission?” he asked, anger rising in his voice.

  Evan rose to a sitting position, looking between the two with interest.

  “Yeah, so I have to go and do a thing for Papa Creola,” she explained meekly. “I wouldn’t do it, but…”

  “He’s Father Time,” Hiker grumbled. “You have to. I get it, but I wish it wasn’t taking two of my riders away when we are trying to build our reputation as adjudicators.”

  “But, sir, you have me,” Evan offered.

  Hiker sighed and nodded. Then he shrugged. “Oh, yeah. I have you.”

  “I’m going to
need you to be a bit more enthusiastic about the dragonrider who is remaining loyal to you in the middle of all this rider-pillaging,” Evan said, his tone jovial and bringing a much-needed lightness to the otherwise tense conversation.

  “When will you two return?” Hiker asked.

  Sophia looked to Wilder, who seemed to share her feeling of uncertainty. They both shrugged.

  “Sorry, sir,” Wilder explained. “It’s hard to know. We will report back when we can and make your missions a priority as soon as we are able to.”

  Hiker began pacing once more. “Yeah, I guess, I understand.”

  “I think you should fire them, sir,” Evan offered.

  “I’m not going to fire them,” Hiker said tersely. “Yet. Maybe later.”

  “Well, at least give them a good talking to,” he suggested. “Yell at them. Call them names. I have a few for Sophia.”

  “I have a few names I’ve been wanting to call you,” Hiker said to Evan, making him shrink back down on the sofa.

  “Sir, I’m going up,” Wilder stated. “I’ve got to get up early for…”

  “The mission you can’t tell me about,” Hiker finished his sentence.

  Wilder nodded.

  “Yeah, I have to go too,” Sophia stated, backing away with Wilder and following his lead.

  “Fine,” Hiker said, sounding thoroughly defeated.

  The two turned and made for the stairs just as Evan raised his arms, casually pinning them back behind his head. “Okay, sir, let’s talk about our future plans for the Dragon Elite. I’m here to help.”

  “Angels above, why do you torture me,” Hiker groaned, despair heavy in his voice.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Sophia didn’t feel bad about abandoning Hiker for her side missions. Finding The Complete History of Dragonriders was important. And there was finding her father’s book for Liv for Christmas. That one was especially time-sensitive. She had more questions about both cases than answers, which meant she only had one option to find helpful information.

  When she stepped through the portal to Mae Ling’s shop, she was momentarily disoriented, wondering if she got the location wrong. The last time she’d visited her fairy godmother of sorts, the nail shop had been under construction. She had thought it was going to be remodeled, but it appeared to have been leveled. In its place was a huge shop that ran the length of the shopping center.

  The donut shop, optometry office, and kickboxing studio were all gone. In their place was a giant nail salon with a large sign that read: “Mae’s Beauty Emporium.”

  Through the glass, Sophia could see the salon was filled with people. She strode through the door to a cacophony of women chatting excitedly at nail stations. The line to the hostess desk was nearly out the door, but Sophia managed to edge into the front area to put her name on the list.

  She worried she wouldn’t be able to find or meet with Mae Ling. Sophia was counting on her to give her information on the desk and the monster guarding Papa Creola’s token. If she couldn’t talk with her fairy godmother, she really didn’t know how she’d find the answers she needed.

  When she came to the front of the line, Sophia smiled politely. “Hello,” she said to the receptionist sitting behind the desk. “I’d like to see Mae Ling.”

  “You and everyone else,” the lady behind the desk said, smacking her gum and appearing bored as she scrolled through Instagram on her phone.

  “Oh, well, can I get an appointment?”

  “Yeah, sure,” the receptionist said, not glancing up. “What’s your name?”

  “Sophia Beau—”

  “Oh!” the lady exclaimed, jerking her head up. “Sophia. You don’t need an appointment.”

  “I-I-I don’t?” Sophia stammered.

  “Of course, you don’t,” Mae Ling said from behind Sophia. She turned to see the short Asian woman. “And what did I tell you about stuttering?”

  “Not to?” Sophia guessed.

  Mae pushed her glasses up on her nose and turned. “Follow me, love. We’ll go to the back where it’s quieter.”

  Sophia followed the woman through the crowded salon until they came to a station in the corner removed from the other bustling areas.

  “You sit,” Mae ordered, pointing to the other side of the desk.

  Sophia did as she was told. She laid her hands on the surface of the table and prepared to get her nails done.

  “Oh, we’re not going through the formalities this time,” Mae said, taking a seat on the other side of Sophia and waving her hands away.

  Sophia sank back, feeling silly. “I’m sorry. It’s just in the past you’ve ordered me to have manicures and pedicures.”

  Mae nodded. “Because that was a part of the experience, but you’ve come with a tall order this time, and I have to do some research to supply the answers you need.”

  “Oh,” Sophia said with surprise. “You know why I’m here?”

  “I know why, but not enough to help you,” Mae explained, pushing her glasses up on her nose, the chain anchoring them around her neck making a gentle clinking sound. “Now, you’ll have to look into my eyes for me to figure out where your father’s book is.”

  “Wait, how is it you know that’s one of my questions?” Sophia knew it was probably ridiculous to question how this magical being knew so much. It never mattered how much of the strange and amazing magical world she saw, it always amazed her. Maybe that was the point. Magic was meant to keep everyone on their toes. She thought the moment this all became normal for her was when she needed to bow out and have a regular life. She hoped that never happened.

  “It’s a fairy godmother thing,” Mae said, leaning forward and looking deep into Sophia’s eyes. “I always know what questions you have, but I don’t always know how to help you with them. That’s the case now.”

  “Why are you looking into my eyes?” Sophia asked, feeling like she was having a strange eye examination.

  “Because you know the answer,” Mae stated matter-of-factly.

  “I do?” Sophia asked, blinking rapidly, her eyes watering from holding them wide.

  “Well, of course, you do,” Mae stated like it was common knowledge. “You were there when the desk was sold. You saw the whole thing happen.”

  “I was?” Sophia said and straightened. “You can see that in my eyes?”

  “Not if you don’t remain still, I can’t,” Mae admonished. She grabbed Sophia’s hand and pulled her forward. “Now stay still. I’ve almost got it.”

  Sophia didn’t so much as breathe while Mae looked intently into her eyes, studying something deep within her. “Oh, yes, that’s very curious. Going to be quite the ordeal for you.”

  “What?” Sophia questioned as Mae released her, sitting back in the seat. “What did you see? Where’s my dad’s desk? Is the book in it?”

  “First things first,” Mae said, waving her off. “You need the location for the monster guarding the save point token, but I don’t have it.”

  “Oh, really?” Sophia muttered, disappointment edging into her tone. “I guess there are other places I could look.”

  “Don’t worry, child,” Mae said, taking off her reading glasses and smiling at her. “I don’t have the location yet. That one is a bit tougher. I love a good challenge. The animal has been off most radars for a long time. And the save point token is of great value. I agree with Papa Creola. You’d be the best keeper of it. Defeating the monster, well, that will probably give you some scars.”

  “What is the monster?” Sophia asked.

  Mae shook her head. “All in time, child. I don’t have the answer to that question yet. But I will, and when I do, I’ll send it your way.” She removed a receipt pad from the apron around her waist and wrote something on it. “In the meantime, you can busy yourself by going to this address. That’s where you’ll find your father’s desk. The book is stuck in the top of the middle drawer, which is why it wasn’t removed with the other contents.”

  Sophia went
to grab the piece of paper, grateful for her luck. “Really? This sounds easy. I’m very excited, and Liv will love this.”

  Mae pulled back the piece of paper and gave Sophia a look of warning. “Please don’t mistake this straightforward information for the idea this mission will be easy. You may know where to find the desk and where to find the book, but getting to it will be a challenge. I think you’d rather face an evil unicorn again than enter this house.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Sophia thought there should have been more sounds emanating from the swampland around her. Even though night was falling, she thought a bird should be making noise or a cricket chirping or the water at her back trickling or gurgling or something.

  She turned, noticing the way the shadows from the tall trees created eerie shapes on the surface of the water. She refocused on the house in front of her. It rose two stories up from the marshland, making it look like an island in the middle of a strange lake.

  This was the house Mae had sent her to. The location of her father’s desk and his prized book. The house once stood on a successful plantation in the South. Now, the marshlands had overtaken it, making it a part of the landscape, rather than the monument it once was.

  Sophia had briefly researched the house. It had once belonged to an affluent family. They owned most of Louisiana but had lost their wealth after a series of strange business dealings. It was only five years ago they bought Sophia’s father’s desk. And yet, so much had changed for the family during that time. It was strange to her how fast things turned. Dry land had become soaked with water and an affluent family fell into despair, abandoning their house.

  I don’t think they abandoned it, Lunis said in her head, having seen what she’d seen and learned even though he was still at the Gullington.

  The history records weren’t clear, Sophia offered.

  I believe you were supposed to read between the lines, Lunis remarked. The father went crazy after losing all their money in assorted unorthodox investments.