by Sarah Noffke
Wilder nodded, seeming to understand. “Because that creates balance.”
“I think so,” Sophia related. “I guess each institution, like the Dragon Elite, has a way of maintaining that within their ranks.”
Wilder followed Sophia to the end of the corridor, where the Door of Reflection led to the Chamber of the Tree. “So, you grew up here?”
She pointed to a door opposite the chamber. “Yeah, through there. That’s the residential wing. There’s a garden and a library and homes for all of the Royals.”
“Sounds like a unique place to grow up,” Wilder observed.
Sophia smiled. “My childhood was anything but typical.”
He lifted his hand and rested it on her shoulder, lowering his chin and staring into her eyes. “Then that must be why I like you so much. You’re anything but typical, even for a dragonrider.”
Sophia found herself blushing, butterflies flitting around her stomach. She found herself leaning into the man in front of her, hungry to close the distance.
A cough startled them both, making Sophia and Wilder jump apart. Standing beside the Door of Reflection was her older brother, Clark.
“Hi,” she squeaked, her face suddenly hot with embarrassment.
“Sophia, what brings you here…with…”
“Wilder,” the dragonrider supplied.
Clark nodded politely but had a stern expression on his face. “With Wilder. Yes, I remember you from the wedding.”
“Hey Clark,” she said, striding forward and hugging her brother before explaining to him why they were there.
His face grew even more grave as she explained their situation. “There’s no way that you can go into the Chamber of the Tree and demand the God Magician’s spell. It will do you no good during a time when there’s already so much doubt surrounding the Dragon Elite.”
“But we need it,” Sophia begged. “If the council wants to fix this situation then we’re going to need to protect the dragonettes.”
“I agree, but you can’t ask for that spell,” Clark stated with conviction. “You are right that you have the authority to do so, but if something goes wrong, the heat is going to fall on you. Honestly, even if you demanded it, I think they’d have a reasonable cause to deny you, and then it will turn into a dispute. That spell is just too powerful, and it created centuries of problems for us.”
“You?” Wilder cut in. “It’s because of that spell the Dragon Elite was useless for all of my time with them, up until now.”
Clark sighed. “I realize that, but it’s complicated. I fear that you’d get so much push back that it would take away from all the progress Sophia has forged with those on the council who don’t like the Dragon Elite’s authority. But worse, Sophia, when they find out the dragonettes are out there…well, it’s going to create chaos. The council will panic. It will be incredibly hard to keep them out of your business, and believe me, the last thing you need is the House of Fourteen trying to take over this situation.”
“Haven’t they already heard the rumors about the dragonettes over the White House and whatnot?” Wilder asked.
“Yes,” Clark answered. “But we thought they were out for training, not all of the evil dragons have left the Gullington.”
“So, what are we supposed to do?” Sophia questioned. “Getting the dragonettes is proving much harder than we thought, and it’s only a matter of time before mortals get scared, and the dragonettes respond with force. We are trying to avoid a full out war here.”
“I get it, and I think your strategy using the spell focused on the dragonettes specifically is a good one,” Clark began. “But, you simply can’t go in there and ask the council.” He grabbed Sophia by the arm, leading her back down the golden hallway they’d come through. When they were by the exit, he leaned forward, Wilder at their side. “That spell is in the Forgotten Archives.”
Sophia groaned. “The book that tells the real history mortals forgot when the God Magician made it so they couldn’t see magic?”
He nodded solemnly.
“Then you’ve read that book in its entirety,” Sophia said, hope springing to her face. “You can tell us what it is.”
His face didn’t lighten. “I have read it. However, I don’t recall the specifics because it was quite complex and will have to be adapted for your purposes.”
“Where’s this book?” Wilder asked.
“It’s kept in the Chamber of the Tree.” She looked at her brother, her expression begging. “Will you steal it for me? Or how about we create a diversion, and I’ll sneak in and get it?”
Clark gave her a punishing expression. “No, that’s not the way we’re going to deal with this. You’re a Beaufont, and we don’t steal…unless it’s to save the world or something.”
She stuck her hands on her hips, the expression on her face said, “What do you think I’m doing?”
“Soph,” he said softly. “Although the Forgotten Archives is unique and rare when Liv unearthed it, she broke the spell that had kept it hidden. That meant a copy of the book could be made and it could go into the—”
“The Great Library!” Sophia exclaimed and then covered her mouth with her hand, apologetic.
“Yes,” Clark hissed, leaning in closer. “There should be a copy of it there. I’ll warn you though, it’s not a brief summary, and finding the information will take time. Thankfully, Plato is in the library and should be able to help you.”
“Nice,” Wilder rejoiced. “We’re back on track.”
“However,” Clark said, drawing out the word and holding up a finger to pause the momentary celebration. “Even though there’s a copy of the Forgotten Archives in the Great Library, not just anyone can access it. That was part of the deal the council made knowing many of the House of Fourteen’s secrets are inside that volume.”
“Let me guess,” Wilder said dryly. “Only Royals, huh?”
He nodded. “But that’s you, Sophia, so you’ll have no trouble reading the book.”
Sophia smiled wide, grateful to be making progress after thinking there were going to be a lot of obstacles put up by the council. “Thanks, Clark. You’re the best.”
He returned the smile. “Thank you. Please tell Liv that, since she likes to say I’m the worst because I request she uses coasters and stops leaving every cabinet door and drawer wide open.”
Sophia laughed, always loving to hear about the sibling’s roommate's adventures. “Okay. Thanks for your help.”
Clark grabbed Sophia’s hands and squeezed them once before backing away. “You didn’t hear anything from me.”
She winked at her brother. “Hear what?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Sophia and Wilder hadn’t made it a few steps out of the House of Fourteen before her phone buzzed with a message from Bep at the Rose Apothecary to tell her the memory elixir was ready.
Although Sophia had been excited to go on another adventure with Wilder, she knew Ainsley was her first priority, even with the dragonettes out there needing their protection. Hiker had made that clear, and his reasoning was sound. Sophia reasoned she just had to pop into the Rose Apothecary and grab the potion, then she could be off to the Great Library to find the spell. Everything was finally coming together, she thought, feeling hopeful.
She left Wilder in Santa Monica while she portaled to Roya Lane. He told her he was returning to the Gullington to continue searching for the dragonettes. She hoped he caught one of them and got them that much closer to completing the spell.
Sophia found the potions expert drinking a glass of wine and talking to herself when she entered the Rose Apothecary. The dragonrider stood in the doorway for a long moment, listening to the exchange.
“It’s going to be foggy again today,” Bep said, taking a sip of white wine.
“I’m okay with that because I think the fog is pretty,” she replied like she was the other person in the conversation. “It’s poetic and makes me feel like I’m in a Sherlock Holmes novel.�
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She took another drink and shook her head. “Oh, but it does a real number on my hair and feels like I’m wearing a wet blanket.”
Bep laughed. “Who would wear a wet blanket? That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard of.”
Feeling like she was intruding on a personal moment, Sophia cleared her throat to get Bep’s attention. “I have something for that cough if you’d like.” She pointed to the shelf on the far side of the shop. “Over there are some tinctures you can have. They will clear that congestion up right away.”
Sophia smiled politely. “Thank you, but I’m okay.”
“Very well,” Bep said, shrugging. “Would you like a glass of wine?” She held up the unlabeled bottle. “It’s my own batch. I make it in the back, right next to the foot fungus remedy.”
“Although that sounds tempting, I should really just grab the memory elixir and be on my way,” Sophia replied.
Apparently dismissing her answer, Bep snapped her finger and another glass materialized. She filled it and slid the wine in Sophia’s direction. “You’re going to need this after you hear what I have to tell you.”
“Oh, hell,” Sophia said, not needing any more encouragement to take a sip of the wine. It was cool and crisp, like a spring morning rather than a foggy day.
Bep waved her off. “Oh, no reason to be dramatic. It’s just that the healing potion will take a bit longer than I figured. Once I started working with the dragon eggshells you had delivered, I realized they were complicated to deal with, and it will take time.”
Sophia wanted to tell the potions expert she could be working right then instead of drinking wine, but she figured it was none of her business. “Okay, well, at least we have the memory elixir to start with. That’s something, at least.”
“It is,” Bep stated. She pulled a small vial from her robes and handed it to Sophia. “Now, you need to administer the entire dose at once.”
Sophia nodded. “I can do that.”
“And it has to be given to the patient in question in the Burning House,” Bep explained, pulling out a piece of paper
“Say what?”
“The Burning House’s location is on that slip of parchment,” Bep explained. “It is a mysterious structure that is always on fire, although no one knows why it never burns down completely. Nothing can be done to put it out, and it’s a mystery as to how it started burning in the first place.”
“And we are to go into this burning house?”
Bep nodded matter-of-factly.
“Is that safe?” Sophia asked.
“How am I to know?” Bep countered. “I only know there’s a magnetic draw to the place, and you’ll need that in order for your friend to recover all her memories. The elixir will clear her mind and the Burning House will bring them back. You can’t just have one. You need both together.”
“Okay, so enter a burning building, have her drink the entire potion, and hope we don’t catch on fire,” Sophia summed up, reading the slip of paper. “Anything else?”
Bep pointed to the still-full glass. “Drink your wine. That’s Danish courage right there and you’re going to need it.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
When Sophia entered the Castle, she nearly ran over Quiet. She backed up, giving him a sideways expression.
“You were waiting for me, weren’t you?” she guessed, taking in the expectant expression on his face and that he didn’t seem surprised at nearly having gotten toppled over.
The groundskeeper nodded.
“You know what I’m about to do, then?” she asked, feeling the vial of memory elixir in her pocket.
Another nod.
“Do you agree I should give Ainsley back her memories from before the incident?”
This time he paused, apprehension on his face. Finally, after deliberation, the gnome nodded.
“And is it safe to take her away?”
Quiet pointed to the grandfather clock in the entryway and held up a single finger.
“I have an hour?” Sophia tried to decipher his cryptic way of communicating.
“Yes,” he mouthed.
“Okay, so I have one hour to take her away and get her back.” Sophia’s gaze fell away. She suddenly felt heavy realizing the momentous occasion they were about to have. Ainsley, thanks to Quiet, had her memory from after the incident. She no longer forgot who she was or that she’d been injured protecting Hiker. However, she didn’t remember anything before Thad attacked her. She didn’t remember being a diplomat for the elves, or the life she once had. She didn’t remember loving Hiker, and once she did, Sophia was certain it would change everything.
This was the first step to curing her for good. After Ainsley had her memories, she’d still have to return to the Gullington, but it was uncertain for how long.
At her core, Sophia hoped that learning how she used to be would be good enough for Ainsley, but something told her that this would just be the beginning of a very long road of healing.
“Okay, I’ll have Ainsley back in time,” Sophia promised, although she knew this would be difficult. Nothing sounded easy about entering a mysteriously burning building that was always on fire.
Since the gnome was just standing there and not seeming to try and communicate with her, Sophia hurried by him, making for the stairs that led to Hiker’s office.
“Also,” Quiet said in a voice she could actually hear. That was such a rarity that Sophia froze. She turned and blinked at him.
“When she remembers,” Quiet began, his voice still just a whisper, “tell her I did what I had to, to keep her alive. There was no way to save him.”
Sophia continued to blink at the groundskeeper, more than confused. “Him? But Ainsley did save Hiker?” She pointed to the office at the top of the second-floor landing. “He survived, although his humor and patience didn’t,” she joked.
Without another word, Quiet pivoted and strode away, not offering her any insights into what he meant.
Chapter Forty
Mama Jamba was asleep on the couch when Sophia entered. She paused, her eyes shifting from Hiker to the sleeping woman.
Catching sight of her hesitation, he waved her off. “Don’t worry. Nothing could wake that woman. I actually tried when she was snoring, and she didn’t so much as budge.”
“Oh, okay,” Sophia said. She still kept her voice low, just in case. “I wanted to tell you that I have the memory elixir for Ainsley.”
She had expected Hiker to look relieved, but instead, he appeared more burdened. Finally coming to terms with it, he nodded. “Very well, give it to her. I’m ready.”
Sophia twitched her mouth to the side. “The thing is, I have to take her to the Burning House to administer the dose, according to the potions expert.”
“The Burning House,” Hiker said, suddenly alarmed.
“You’ve heard of it?”
“Of course I have,” he replied. “It’s legendary. No one knows why it burns.”
She nodded. “Or what started it or why it doesn’t burn to the ground. Yeah, I’ve heard it’s a mystery.”
“Not only that, but it’s dangerous,” Hiker told her, sounding worried, although he never seemed to be overly concerned when she went on missions. “There are many who have ventured in there and not returned.”
“Well, we will be careful,” she soothed. “The potions expert was very clear that Ainsley had to go into the Burning House for the memory elixir to work.”
He nodded, chewing on his lip. “Yeah, I’ve heard that it has many psychological properties and benefits, although most of them are unknown.”
“Yeah, the potions expert said the elixir would clear the way, and then the Burning House would magnetize the lost memories to Ainsley,” Sophia explained.
Hiker seemed lost. “I can’t really argue with that logic. Seems about right. But she can’t be gone for long.”
Sophia nodded. “Quiet said one hour.”
His brow wrinkled with more confusion. “Said? Qu
iet?”
“Yeah and then he said—”
Mama Jamba suddenly mumbled in her sleep, cutting Sophia off before she could tell the bit that Quiet had said about not being able to save him.
“Can you make it back in an hour?” Hiker asked, pacing.
“I’m going to have to,” Sophia answered.
“You’re going to have to be fast because if Ainsley is gone too long then—”
“Don’t worry, sir, I’ve taken Ainsley out of the Gullington before, remember?”
He lifted his gaze, not looking close to not worrying. “This is different. The Burning House. And then she’ll have her memories…and she’ll have to return here. How long until there is a cure?”
Sophia shrugged. “That’s uncertain, but it’s going to take longer than the potions expert thought.”
Hiker sighed heavily. “Of course.”
“If you think that getting her memory back before the cure isn’t a good idea, then we can wait,” Sophia offered. “I mean, I’ve learned more about the spell to protect the dragonettes, but it’s going to require me as a Royal to go and research it in the Great Library.”
Hiker considered this and then shook his head. “No, like I said before, Ainsley first. If all hell breaks loose, I want her helped first. Especially now that I know restoring her memory will involve something as dangerous as entering the Burning House. When you return, you can go do the research for the protective spell.”
“After I get a proper night’s rest and a good meal though, right?” she asked, daring to joke.
He didn’t laugh. “You can sleep and eat later.”
“Well, I wish I would have known that before all these missions started, or I would have banked some rest and packed a few sandwiches.”
“Sophia,” Hiker said, nearly stuttering. “When Ainsley gets her memories back…she’s going to be…”
