by Sarah Noffke
“The person who knows where King Rudolfus Sweetwater will be is the one responsible for having him abducted,” Mae Ling began.
Sophia tensed, listening intently. “Yes?”
“This person didn’t do it, but they know who did,” Mae Ling continued. “They know why he was abducted, which will tell you where to find him.”
Sophia could hardly take the suspense much longer. “Who is it, Mae Ling?”
“It’s a Councilor for the House of Fourteen,” the fairy godmother said, a rare bit of anger flaring in her voice.
“What?” Sophia exclaimed. This was not what she was expecting. Clark, her brother, was a Councilor for the House of Fourteen. Hester DeVries, the renowned healer, was a Councilor. Liv’s sister-in-law, Raina Ludwig was a Councilor. She knew all of them, had been raised with them and thought they could be trusted. Then she remembered the others, the ones who always filled her with unease.
Her mouth popped open.
“Who is it?” Sophia asked, expecting Mae Ling to say Bianca Mantovani.
Like reading her thoughts, Mae Ling shook her head. “It is the Councilor for the House of Fourteen who goes by Lorenzo Rosario. He’s the reason that King Rudolfus Sweetwater is missing.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I’ve never liked that man,” Liv said when Sophia told her the news about Lorenzo Rosario.
The sisters were strolling the gardens in the House of Fourteen, constantly checking over their shoulders to ensure they weren’t being overheard by someone. The House of Fourteen wasn’t a safe place with traitors in their midst. That had been the case for decades, ever since their parents were murdered for trying to reveal the real history about mortals’ inability to see magic.
However, Liv had thought that things were better now the Sinclairs had been gotten rid of. To their disappointment, it appeared there were still those who couldn’t be trusted in the House of Fourteen, people who were dangerous and had ulterior agendas.
Sophia hadn’t thought communicating what she’d learned from Mae Ling over the phone was a good idea. If Lorenzo was double-crossing the House, there could be magical taps on the phones. A council meeting was to start soon, meaning that Liv had to be at the House.
“Why would Lorenzo want Rudolf abducted?” Sophia asked, staring at the large fountain in the middle of the gardens. A demonic mermaid apparently lived in the water. Liv had warned her never to go near it, but after seeing the magical animals at Happily Ever After, Sophia was curious about the creature. She quelled the curiosity, though and worked to focus on the conversation at hand.
“It’s hard to say,” Liv mumbled, off in thought. “He and Bianca haven’t liked mortals in the House of Fourteen for a while. They were supporters of the Sinclairs, but I don’t know how Rudolf would be connected to their long term goals of returning things to the way they were.”
Sophia shook her head. “It’s so ridiculous that after everything, there are still those who don’t want to share this world with mortals.”
“They are seen as lesser by many snotty magicians, giving the rest of us a bad name,” Liv admitted.
“But it shouldn’t be about magic,” Sophia argued. “Mortals hold the objectivity to our world precisely because they don’t have magic that can either cook a man’s dinner or cook the man.”
Liv smiled. “I get it. You get it. Those who are corrupted by magic, don’t. Anyway, yes, finding out the agenda behind abducting Rudolf is key.”
“Doing it without drawing attention to ourselves is important too.”
Liv laughed suddenly. “Maybe Lorenzo has a few extra hundred brain cells he wanted to get rid of.”
Sophia didn’t laugh. “Aww, the poor guy might be abused right now. Hurt and lonely.”
“He might also think he’s in an Escape room, and it’s all a funny joke,” Liv teased.
Sophia felt something move around in her pocket. Stiffening, she reached in, wondering what she’d find. To her relief, she found a small sonic. Pulling it out of her pocket, she held it up in her palm. He must have snuck into her cloak when she wasn’t paying attention. The sonics’ ability to pop between locations made them excellent at hiding away and sneaking into places.
“Oh, my gosh,” Liv said, gushing. “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Sophia nodded. “It’s a sonic.”
“Looks like a hedgehog,” Liv imparted.
“Well, I think they are similar, but this one is magical.”
She laid the creature down on a topiary, hoping it would be okay there until she could return it to Happily Ever After College.
“Hedgehogs,” Liv began, shaking her head. “Why don’t you just share the hedge?”
The little creature sniffed and winked at her.
“No,” Liv said from the corner of her mouth as if answering for the creature.
Sophia laughed. “These are good luck if you want to keep this guy.”
Liv shook her head. “Plato would eat it for lunch.”
Sophia nodded. “Yeah, Lunis probably would too.”
“Then we’d have bad luck,” Liv added.
“I don’t need that with a global dragon crisis and Rudolf missing.”
“So how are we going to handle this Lorenzo situation?” Liv asked. “I’m thinking either we spear him with my sword or yours.”
“I don’t think that will work.”
“Okay, then. How about both?” Liv suggested.
“No, I think we have to play this carefully,” Sophia said. “If we call Lorenzo out on this, then we will get farther away from the truth. He’ll start to cover things up, and we’ll lose our lead. Not only that, but getting a House member out of their position is difficult—”
“Tell me about it,” Liv groaned. “I had to kill the Sinclairs to get them out.”
“Exactly,” Sophia said. “So instead, we find a way to get information out of Lorenzo secretly. We play the game. We don’t let anyone know that we’re onto him. We play this as stealthily as possible.”
Liv nodded. “I like that approach. It’s careful and smart and gives us a chance to kill Lorenzo without him seeing it coming.”
“We won’t be killing the flea eating jerk yet,” Sophia stated. “First, we need all the information out of him.”
“Yes, and dead men can’t talk,” Liv related.
“So we scare him into admitting all he knows,” Sophia continued. “Then we figure it out from there. We have to play this strategically.”
“I like this plan,” Liv said. “It’s a bit conservative. Do I get to at least give Lorenzo a black eye at some point?”
Sophia nodded. “One hundred percent. When the time is right.”
“Okay,” Liv agreed. “This is smart because Lorenzo and Bianca and Haro have ruled the voting and allowed another shady family into the House of Fourteen, throwing everything off balance. If I tried to storm in now, exposing Lorenzo, things wouldn’t go in my favor.”
Sophia groaned. “So, the Sinclairs have finally been replaced then?”
Liv nodded. “Unfortunately, by a family who has deep pockets and lots of questionable agendas.”
“Why is everything always political?” Sophia asked.
“Because those with power like to take advantage,” Liv answered.
Sophia hung her head, feeling a sudden pang of hopelessness.
Liv wrapped her arm around her shoulder and hugged her in close. “Don’t worry. There’s another part of that. Those who want the best for the world know how to steal the power.” She cinched her in tightly. “That’s us. We are the ones who are going to save the world. We may not crave power, but we know how to get it because it saves the world. Don’t worry. The Beaufonts will always persevere.”
Sophia smiled. “You’re right. Familia est Sempiternum.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
After concocting an idea for how to get the information out of Lorenzo, Sophia decided to return to the Gullington to prepare. She
needed to rest up and touch base with Hiker. This would also give Liv an opportunity to get some things in motion. Getting Lorenzo out of the House of Fourteen was key but doing that was tricky since Councilors rarely left the place—preferring the security of the magical building.
So to find out why Rudolf was abducted, you’re going to abduct someone? Lunis questioned as the pair sat on the crags overlooking the Pond. Sophia was dangling her feet over the side while Lunis did pretty much the same thing, sitting almost like a human.
“Yeah, tit for tat sort of thing,” she answered.
I’m good at kidnappings, Lunis bragged.
She gave him a skeptical expression. “How do you know that?”
It just seems like something that I’d be naturally good at.
Sophia shook her head. “Sorry, I have to leave you behind for this one. Lorenzo can’t know it’s us, and dragon wings beating are pretty noticeable.”
I don’t have to fly, he argued. I could tiptoe and just be the muscle.
She laughed. “You are definitely the muscle. I think I have to do this one with Liv.”
He sighed dramatically. Oh, Liv, the bane of my existence.
“She’s not either,” Sophia said, turning to face Lunis. “You guys get along famously.”
He looked down his nose at her. She hasn’t once called me by my real name. Every time I see her, she makes a pun. The last time she said something like, ‘I didn’t realize you took up smoking, Kyle,’ when smoke billowed from my nostrils.
Sophia giggled. “I contend that you two are pretty much the same. You are the king of bad puns.”
That’s false, he argued. I’m the laird of good puns.
“You’d rather be a laird than a king?” Sophia questioned.
Yes, I’m noble like that, he said smugly.
“And so modest too.”
I guess I’ll stay here and change dragon diapers while you go off and live the glamourous life, he said grumpily.
“Yeah, so glamourous,” she replied. “I’ve got to risk my life to abduct a two-faced jerk who is behind something to do with Rudolf.”
Maybe there’s a war building between magicians and fae again that we don’t know about, Lunis reasoned.
“When was there one before?”
Ages ago, he answered. It doesn’t get talked about much in the history books because it was pretty embarrassing for both sides. Magicians prepared for this huge war, sticking all their resources into it, pretty much going bankrupt as a race. The fae got distracted by something shiny or whatever and forgot to show up. They apparently all went on a booze cruise on some huge ship. When they got back, the magicians were bored and broke, and both sides forgot what they were fighting about.
“I’m glad that gets glossed over in the history books,” Sophia related.
That’s the thing about wars though, Lunis began, slipping into his sage-like tone. What starts them is usually forgotten about during the actual battle. By the end, the various sides forget what started the whole thing. It becomes about winning rather than being right.
Sophia nodded. “That makes sense. There’s too much ego in war.”
Which is why the Dragon Elite have such an important mission, he concluded. It’s our job to erase those issues and get disputing parties to compromise, avoiding violence and other acts of war.
Sophia pursed her lips, suddenly feeling heavy. It was like that lately. Back and forth between lightness and then once reminded of their current problems, back to feeling weighed down. “That’s exactly why we have to take back our roles and get the world to respect us as adjudicators.”
I sense that’s going to get a lot harder before it gets easier, Lunis said.
“Why is that?” Sophia asked, not liking his rare pessimistic attitude.
Because something has Hiker in a foul mood and I’m guessing it’s global news related to the demon dragons.
“Really?” Sophia asked, tilting her head to the side. “How do you know that?”
Because he’s standing right behind us, glaring in our direction, Lunis told her.
Sophia turned to find her dragon was correct. Standing on the steps of the Castle was the large Viking, his arms crossed, and a frustrated expression on his face.
Chapter Thirty
“I don’t see how Nevin Gooseman and his gang of blind followers can blame this on us or the demon dragons,” Sophia reasoned watching as Hiker thundered across his office, pacing with his hands balled up in his hair.
In the background, a small television broadcast the news about earthquakes that were rocking the United States.
Hiker paused, glaring out the window. “They can spin it all sorts of ways.”
Sophia didn’t reply but instead turned her focus to the television as Nevin Gooseman started to speak.
“It’s about balance,” the politician began, standing in front of the White House. “These demon dragons have thrown that off completely. Before they began hatching, we never suffered from so many natural disasters. The earthquakes are just the start. Tsunamis will be next. The tropical storms building in the Atlantic will soon rock the east coast. Our nation is under attack, and it’s because of those beasts. The Dragon Elite want you to bow to their command, but I assure you that you will lose your liberties in the process. They say they have Mother Nature on their side, but if that was true, then we wouldn’t be facing such dangers on this planet. It appears they don’t have Mother Nature on their side as much as they are holding her hostage. Where is she, I ask you?”
The man looked straight at the camera, with heat in his eyes. “Hiker Wallace, the supposed leader of the Dragon Elite, if you truly have Mother Nature, then prove it. I challenge you to show us she’s on your side. If you don’t and these natural disasters continue, then we will have no choice but to conclude that you and your evil dragons don’t work for her, but rather against her. Maybe our efforts need to be in saving Mother Nature from the very people who have tricked us into believing they are working for her. If that was the case, then I don’t think we’d be facing so many global issues. We never had these kinds of issues when the Dragon Elite were in hiding—a story that also doesn’t add up. Tell us the truth, Mr. Wallace. Show us the truth.”
At the conclusion of this, the crowd in the distance cheered. The camera panned out to show the spectators, many of them holding signs that read: “Free Mother Nature.”
“Oh dear me,” Mama Jamba said from her perch on the Chesterfield. She was looking into a small mirror on the coffee table and putting pink foam curlers in her hair.
“This is serious.” Sophia understood why Hiker was so upset. Nevin Gooseman had planned this attack very carefully, and it had the potential to ruin the Dragon Elite for good. It was all about perception and right then, he was making everyone see things the way he painted them.
“It’s beyond serious,” Hiker affirmed. “We can’t ignore this any longer. Mama, I’m going to need your help.”
The old woman scrunched up her brow, rolling her bluish silver hair onto the curler. “You know I can’t do that, son.”
He sighed. “You can, but you won’t.”
She indicated her hair. “Do I look like I’m in a position to be seen by the public?”
“Take out the curlers,” he ordered. “I’ll call a press conference.”
She shook her head. “I don’t do press conferences, you know that. It’s not my responsibility to make the world believe in me. Actually, it would only make things worse if the world saw me. Papa Creola and I made that decision a long time ago.”
“Why?” he growled.
Mama Jamba stood, her height not changing dramatically. She was just a bit shorter than Sophia and rounder, of course. “Do I look like one of the most powerful entities in the world?”
“Well, no, but appearances are deceiving,” Hiker reasoned.
“I know that,” Mama Jamba replied. “You know that. However, the world judges everyone based on appearance. If I came out to
the public, it could have far-reaching effects. People might not believe I am Mother Nature. They might lose faith in this planet, thinking someone so unassuming created the Earth. Believe me, son, it is better for everyone if I stay hidden and inconspicuous.”
He clenched his hair again, his frustration palpable. “But you choose to look like that. You could be bigger than a mountain with vines for hair and totally god-like.”
Mama Jamba sighed, taking a seat again and curling her feet up under her. “That really is exhausting. It’s a waste of energy. I spent the first couple of centuries on this planet like that, and it really didn’t suit me. I like my current appearance.”
“It’s just for a small press release,” Hiker argued. “Then you can change back.”
“No, son!” Mama Jamba exclaimed. “I’ve made up my mind. You’ll just have to handle this yourself. I trust there’s an option that you haven’t considered.”
“I just don’t understand why you won’t help,” Hiker continued, undeterred. Sophia had never seen him like this. “The world needs you right now. They are scared and turning their backs on the very organization meant to help them.”
“The world needs you right now, son,” Mama Jamba imparted, her tone softer. “Gods shouldn’t have to show themselves to help their followers believe. Faith has never been about seeing. Only a false god would put themselves on display. I firmly believe I’d lose followers by showing myself. Besides, I have many enemies, and making an appearance could be deadly for me.”
Sophia thought that made sense. However, she knew how frustrating this was for Hiker. He believed Mama Jamba could fix this for them, but that wasn’t going to happen. As she often did, she was relying on her children to fix their own problems. Their problems had never been so large. Nevin Gooseman had called Hiker out and made allegations about Mama Jamba. Not showing her was potentially devastating for the Dragon Elite’s reputation.
