by Sarah Noffke
“It’s not like I had a choice either way,” Clark said bitterly. “You’ve silenced us all. You’re calling all the shots.”
The father of time smiled slightly. “Which is the only reason that we have the slightest chance of getting Liv back.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
“That’s a dragon.” Paris nearly stuttered. She knew that they were at the Rogue Riders’ Mansion, the base for that group of dragonriders, but she hadn’t ever seen a dragon in person. Hell, she hadn’t ridden in a car until a few minutes ago. It was so strange that Paris never questioned her sheltered life, but she was grateful for the way her life was opening up suddenly.
A majestic blue dragon soared through the sky, a young woman atop it. She was low on the dragon, her long blonde hair flying in the air as she held the reins, swooping one way and another as if navigating invisible obstacles.
Looking up at the dragonrider in the sky were several men. One glanced at Paris and Alicia when they paused beside them, regarding the blue dragon and rider.
“Hey, there, are you all new riders too?” One guy sauntered over. He gave Paris a flirtatious look. Unnerved by all the strangeness, she didn’t have a chance to react before he draped his arm around her shoulder. “You can room with me, baby. My name is Larry, but you can call me whatever you want.”
“You have two seconds to get off me, or I’m going to toss you through a window,” she threatened, nodding in the direction of the mansion.
He chuckled as if she was kidding. “Oh, I like hard to get. Looks like I’ll just have to try harder.”
“I’d watch yourself,” Alicia warned.
“You want in on this action?” The guy looked up at Alicia with his arm still draped around Paris’ shoulder. “I have room for two in my bed.”
“You have until the count of three,” Paris warned, narrowing her eyes at the jerk.
“To kiss you?” The guy puckered his lips. “If you insist.”
“One, two, three,” Paris said in a rush and grabbed the hand on the other side of her shoulder, pulled it up, and ducked under it. Then she swept her boots under the guy’s legs, knocking them out from under him, turning him over until he landed on his back.
The guys watching all erupted in laughter. However, the woman on the blue dragon had landed during the altercation and rushed over, her face flushed with anger. “Who are you and why are you assaulting my riders?”
Paris looked up at the woman who was both beautiful and fierce, not that the two were mutually exclusive. She knew without a doubt this was Sophia—she had the trademark Beaufont eyes.
“I warned him to get his hands off me,” Paris explained, holding her chin high. “When he didn’t listen, I defended myself.”
Sophia scowled at Paris while studying her—confusion heavy in her eyes as though torn between defending her own or trying to decide if Paris was right. Finally, she turned her gaze to Alicia. “Who is this person you’ve brought that has bested one of my dragonriders straight away?”
Alicia smirked proudly and held out a presenting hand to Paris. “This little spitfire who showed this creep a lesson after properly warning him is none other than your niece, Guinevere Paris Beaufont.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sophia’s mouth fell open. Her face went slack, and her eyes widened. Paris was getting very used to causing this reaction in people lately.
Shaking her head, Sophia directed her attention to Larry, still lying in the grass. “Get up, would you? If you can’t keep your hands to yourself, you’re going to get the tar beat out of you.” She turned to the group of guys who were gawking at them. “You lot go and practice the flying techniques.” She clapped and broke their focus, making them all charge off.
Larry was slow to get up, having found something in the grass. His eyes widened at the small object, and before Paris could make out what it was, he deposited it into his pocket and took off after the others.
When they were all gone, Sophia turned to face Paris, a look of awe and confusion heavy in her eyes. “Guinevere, I can’t believe this…”
“She goes by Paris,” Alicia interjected.
Sophia nodded. “That makes sense. Paris Westbridge. I have so many questions.”
The blue dragon glided over, dropping his enormous head down and regarding Paris with his wise eyes. He was simply breathtaking, even with the horns lining his head and the sharp teeth that Paris was certain could tear her in two with the slightest effort.
“Me too,” the dragon said, surprising Paris that he could speak. “Like, why does she smell like chocolate chip cookies?” He tilted his head and gave Paris a curious look. “Do you have cookies in your pocket?”
Paris laughed, not at all expecting a majestic dragon to ask such questions. She shook her head. “No, I think it’s the smell of Happily Ever After College. It kind of covers my clothes.”
“It is the smell of the college,” Sophia related fondly.
“You’ve been there?” Paris asked.
“Yes. I have a special way of visiting. My fairy godmother, Mae Ling, is there.”
“Mae Ling,” Paris murmured, not having expected this.
“Not to interrupt,” Alicia said politely beside them. “But I don’t think you all should have me intruding on this moment. My job was to drop Paris off to meet you. I’ll leave her with you, Soph, if that’s okay?”
Sophia nodded. “Yes, is this why Clark messaged me?”
“That’s right,” Alicia replied. “I’m sure you both have much to discuss.” She turned her attention to Paris. “It’s been a pleasure seeing you again, and I hope to get to know you better soon. Take care, dear Paris. We’ve missed you very much.”
Paris’ heart felt ready to overflow. She smiled broadly at the woman. “Thank you, and me too. Thanks for my first car ride.”
Alicia simply smiled and blew a kiss, then strode toward the front of the house.
“You’ve never been in a car before?” Sophia asked at once, then shook her head. “Actually, that makes sense. I have so many more questions. Like, how did you find out? The identity charm…it’s broken. Oh, and Clark knows. Who else? John? Wow, this is all so much, yet it’s the best news I’ve had in a long time.”
Paris drew in a breath, not sure where to begin. “There’s so much to tell, yet I don’t know nearly enough.”
“I want to know everything,” Sophia urged, breaking into a smile that made her light up. It made everything around them seem brighter too.
The blue dragon coughed abruptly.
Sophia glanced over her shoulder at him. “Oh, how very subtle.”
“Well, I’m wondering when you’re going to introduce me,” the dragon stated smugly.
“I wasn’t,” Sophia teased. “I was going to send you to get us some drinks.”
“You were going to send me on a coffee run, huh?” the dragon asked.
Paris couldn’t help but laugh.
Sophia glanced at her and winked before returning her attention to the dragon. “Nope, I’ve just been reunited with my niece. Go open a bottle of champagne. That magnum I’ve been saving for a special occasion.”
“What are the two of you going to drink then?” the dragon asked seriously. “That’s just enough for me.”
Sophia shook her head, holding out her hand to the dragon. “Paris, this is my dragon, my partner in policing crime, my friend, and the biggest pain in my butt—Lunis.”
The huge dragon knelt one leg and bowed to Paris, making her suddenly feel very strange. “It’s a pleasure to be in your presence once more, Paris Beaufont.”
“Hi,” Paris squeaked, finding her voice suddenly hoarse.
Sophia snapped her fingers, breaking the tension of the moment. “Now, champagne, Lun. We’re going to stroll the grounds.”
Lunis rose and gave Paris a commiserating expression. “You see how I get treated? I’ve gifted my rider with the chi of the dragon, making her stronger than any magician, and this is how I get than
ked.” Still, the dragon turned and sauntered toward the house, swishing his tail back and forth.
“Get the good glasses,” Sophia sang in his direction. “And don’t break them this time.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Wow, you’ve had a crazy last two days,” Sophia observed when Paris explained the series of events that had led her there. “I bet you feel like you’re digesting an entire cow.”
“As someone who has digested an entire cow, it requires a lot of sleep,” Lunis chimed in. The dragon sat on the grass next to them, sipping from an oversized champagne flute.
Paris sipped her bubbly, laughed and stretched out her legs. They were seated next to a small pond with the vine-covered walls around the manor beside them. “I didn’t realize that dragons were so funny.”
“Oh, they aren’t,” Lunis replied. “Most are obnoxious sticks in the mud. I’m different.”
“He’s the new generation,” Sophia explained. “Although many of them are a bit easier-going than the old generation, Lunis defies all of them, really pushing the boundaries.”
“So those guys,” Paris indicated the mansion where the others were practicing their flying skills, dragons soaring through the air in the distance. “They’re the new generation?”
Sophia nodded. “Newbie dragonriders. Sorry for Larry. Demon riders take a bit more to break in.”
“Demon riders?” Paris asked.
“Yeah, riders come in two different varieties,” Sophia explained. “I’m an angel rider. Then there’s my counterpart. They’re both necessary for balance, but the demons are a little more rebellious. Good job putting Larry in his place. That guy…”
Paris smirked. “Well, I haven’t conformed to the fairy godmother ways yet, although they keep trying to tame me. Not Mae Ling though. She’s urged me to be myself. It makes sense that you know her because she’s under the silencing spell too.”
Sophia nodded. “Yeah, and the good news is that I can visit you at the college. I have access.”
“That’s impressive since usually, only those who work and attend can enter the grounds.”
“Which is why you’re safe there,” Sophia confirmed. “Well, you’re safe here too, but I think you at Happily Ever After College makes a lot of sense. You need your own path.”
“Like, I shouldn’t follow in my parents’ footsteps and become a Warrior for the House of Fourteen?” Paris asked boldly.
Sophia shook her head. “You do what is in your heart. It sounds like you’re already making waves at the college. I know from Mae Ling that Happily Ever After has needed change for a long time. Things are stagnant there.”
Paris found it easy to talk to Sophia, who didn’t seem old enough to be her aunt, although she was definitely older with the confidence and wisdom she exuded. She’d told the dragonrider all about her life at Happily Ever After College. “If Mae Ling is your fairy godmother, has she been trying to match you with a Prince Charming?”
Sophia glanced at her hand and the wedding ring on her finger. “She matched me long ago. You’ll meet Wilder at some point. Mae Ling is more like my life coach. She has always helped me with cases.”
Paris nodded. “Yeah, she seems to operate outside the normal guidelines of the other fairy godmothers. She’s not all about Cinderellas and Prince Charmings.”
“Hey.” Lunis finished his champagne with a hiccup. “Why did Cinderella get kicked off the baseball team?”
Sophia shook her head and glanced at Paris. “Don’t fall for his bait.”
Paris laughed. “Why?”
Sophia groaned. “I warned you.”
“She got kicked off the team because she always ran away from the ball.” Lunis rolled over on his stomach and laughed.
“I warned you,” Sophia muttered, then drained her glass. “So you’re going to keep attending Happily Ever After and what else?”
“Well,” Paris drew out the word. “I’m going to try to uncover my past and the web of secrets. I know you can’t say anything.”
“Which is why you haven’t asked,” Sophia offered.
“I can tell you anything you want to know,” Lunis stated smugly. “I wasn’t spelled.”
“You also don’t want to be banished to the pits of Hell,” Sophia teased.
He nodded. “Which is what would happen.”
Sophia must have read the confused expression on Paris’ face. “It’s very difficult to spell a dragon. It simply doesn’t stick.”
“Oh, but Lunis still can’t say anything?” Hope that he could laced Paris’ voice.
“He could, but honestly, we aren’t supposed to talk for a reason,” Sophia explained. “I know it’s tough to hear, but there’s a reason you don’t know everything yet. When the time is right, then you will. This is the beginning, and I hope things just get better from here.” She glanced at her dragon, an undeniable look of hope in her eyes.
“Things can always get better,” the blue dragon agreed. “I’ll help spruce up this boring convo. Why was Cinderella such a lousy football player?”
Sophia grabbed the magnum of champagne and refilled her glass and Paris’. “Lunis, you’re cut off.”
“She had a pumpkin for a coach,” Lunis stated with a victorious laugh.
Paris nearly spat out her champagne when she laughed.
“Okay, no more Cinderella jokes,” Sophia decreed.
“Fine,” Lunis said smugly. “I’m taking requests. Give me any topic at all, and I’ll supply you with a joke.”
Sophia pointed at him with her champagne flute. “He’s quite good at this. I mean, he could use his brainpower to solve the world’s problems, but instead, he memorizes every single joke on the Internet.”
“I invent those jokes,” Lunis corrected.
Paris thought for a moment, trying to come up with something extremely random. “Okay, how about Barbie. Give me a Barbie joke.”
“Easy,” Lunis retorted at once. “Have you heard of the ‘Divorce Barbie’?”
“Nope,” Paris replied, the champagne starting to swim in her head.
“Oh, well, she comes with all of Ken’s stuff.” The blue dragon rolled over again, laughing.
Paris and Sophia joined him.
“That is an impressive party trick,” Paris agreed.
“Although he doesn’t get invited to many parties since he double-dips,” Sophia joked.
“All guacamole belongs to me by right,” Lunis said proudly.
Paris smiled, her cheeks hurting. “I can’t believe you’re my family.”
“I know, you don’t look anything like me,” Lunis agreed with a straight face, not missing a beat.
Paris continued to laugh. “It’s crazy that two days ago, I didn’t know I was half-magician, and now I’ve met Clark and Alicia and now you all and King Rudolf. It’s crazy.”
“It has to be a lot,” Sophia said thoughtfully, giving her a caring look.
The alcohol was making Paris tired without her consent. She couldn’t stifle a yawn.
“Oh, fairy godmother college is in a different time zone.” Sophia sat up suddenly. “It’s nighttime there. Do you have classes tomorrow?”
Paris nodded. “Yeah, but I had to come and find you all.”
“I understand.” Sophia pushed to her feet and offered her hand to Paris to help her up. “There will be plenty of opportunities to catch up. No need to rush it all yet. You’ll need time to process.”
Paris nodded, feeling the tiredness take over her being.
“You can’t portal to Happily Ever After College from here,” Sophia explained. “You have to be well outside the Rogue Riders’ Mansion. I’ll take you down the road.”
One of the dragonriders from earlier rushed over, his face red with stress. “Sorry to interrupt, but the dragonettes are at it again, about to tear each other in two, and nothing we do seems to calm them down.”
Sophia grunted with frustration. “They’re a particularly ornery bunch.”
“Let’
s get out the garden hose.” Lunis stood and stretched out his wings.
“I can find my way back on my own,” Paris said. “You go and attend to your business.”
Sophia looked uncertain for a moment but finally nodded. “Okay, well, I’ll see you again soon, Paris. This has been…well, it’s meant the world to me. The absolute world.”
“To me too.” Paris stepped forward and hugged her aunt, feeling as though the pieces of her heart were slowly mending.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The sun was starting to set in Beverly Hills when Paris reached the front gate at the bottom of the drive to the Rogue Riders’ Mansion. Sophia had said she’d need to walk half a mile down the main road to a portal area. Lunis had offered to give her a “lift,” but Paris had declined, stating that her first car ride that day was enough and she’d rather divide up the brand-new experiences.
Once on the sidewalk, Paris stood frozen, the surreal aspect of the moment hitting her. She was in Beverly Hills, California. She had a family and was part-magician. She’d ridden in a car and met a dragon that day—and her world was only starting to open up. Paris couldn’t imagine how much things would change, but she couldn’t wait to tell Uncle John all about it.
Feeling around in her pockets for her phone, Paris realized something immediately. Her heart suddenly sank. She hoped she was misremembering and checked her other pockets, but all she found was her phone. That meant the protective charm must have fallen out when she body-slammed Larry.
She remembered then that he’d found something of interest in the grass. That had to be the coin that served as a protective charm.
Gulping, Paris glanced both ways down the dimming busy street. Soon it would be dark, and she had half a mile to cross in either direction to get to safety. Turning back, Paris considered stepping across the threshold into the protective area of the Rogue Riders’ Mansion. She would be safe there and could possibly retrieve the coin.
She also considered that she’d look like a fool if she accused Larry and he didn’t have the protective charm. It would be her word against his. On top of that, if she couldn’t find it, she’d be depending on her aunt to get her back to the college safely. All in the first hour after meeting her. Paris didn’t want anyone to see her as weak and incapable. Also, Sophia and Lunis were busy taking care of the fighting dragonettes.
