by Sarah Noffke
Sophia wasn’t granted a single moment to check her wounds or feel sorry for herself because something she wasn’t expecting rose up from a pit in the center of the house. Just when Sophia thought things couldn’t get any worse…
Chapter Forty-Five
Sitting in the middle of the Burning House was a giant pit. Its bottom was unseen, but the flames covering it licked up to its edge, promising to scorch any who dared to pass. Before doing so, it appeared trespassers had to face the pit’s owner—a disgusting and menacing demon.
The beast rose up out of the pit as though riding on the flames. His red arms were extended, and his chin lifted like he was a god rising to full power. Behind the creature was a platform in the middle of the pit, and standing on it was a low pedestal. That had to be the center of the Burning House and the place where Ainsley needed to take the memory elixir. But first, they were going to have to defeat this monster.
Sophia had seen demons, but nothing like this. She’d heard stories from Liv about fighting them. They were awful, sinful creatures that feasted on the goodness of others. Demons were supposedly magicians who had been turned by a bite from another demonic being. They lost their soul and were then sent on a mission to steal happiness from the world.
Based on the appearance of the demon before them, they also lost any of their former attractiveness. This demon was reminiscent of a minotaur with two bull-like horns protruding from either side of its bald head. Through its nose it wore a large ring. Although it had the body of a man, it seemed as strong as a bull.
Sophia felt Ainsley trembling on her shoulder. She was glad the elf was still in field mouse form. The last thing she needed was to have the housekeeper in her way. She knew Ainsley was strong and brave—that’s why they were there, to recover memories she’d lost trying to save Hiker from death. However, she wasn’t trained, and fighting this demon was going to take exceptional combat skills.
Wrapped around the demon’s chest were thick chains like it had just pulled itself from the depths of hell where it had been chained. Once it was free from the restraints, it held them in one hand, an evil glint in its eyes as it stared at Sophia.
She’d forgotten about the constant heat burning her face, the potential fires edging in her direction, or the embers raining down on her. All her focus was on the demon before her, and the threats it seemed to be silently promising her as it hovered in the air, riding the flames below.
What had Mama Jamba said just before they left Hiker’s office, Sophia wondered. It hadn’t made sense then, but this had to be what she was referring to.
“Fight fire with fire,” Mother Nature had said.
Sophia had assumed she’d meant the Burning House, but since she’d entered, she’d been avoiding the fire the best she could. There was no use fighting it when it was all around her.
But this demon, who she was going to call Border Control because he was obviously blocking the path to the center of the Burning House, needed to be fought. It appeared the only way to do that was with fire.
Chapter Forty-Six
Sophia held out her hand and created a ball of fire. It was ironic she was standing in a burning building and decided what she needed right then was a bit more fire. Thankfully, the fireballs she created didn’t harm her as they rotated above her palm. It was a perk of magic.
She was grateful she’d followed her instincts and not used her magic up until then, thinking she needed to reserve it in case of an emergency. Although entering a burning building could be classified as a general emergency.
Border Control whipped the chain, shooting sparks at Sophia along with a gust of hot wind.
She ducked, shielding her face and keeping Ainsley on her shoulder unharmed.
When she straightened, careful to not lower her arm completely, Border Control was laughing. It sounded more like angry thunder. With the whites of the demon’s teeth contrasting against his red face and the mischievous delight in his eyes, Sophia guessed the sound was meant to be a laugh.
Before she could throw the fireball at the demon, he unleashed another attack. This time the thick chain reached all the way and nearly touched Sophia. It banged into the crumbling ground under her feet, sending debris to fall and be swallowed to by the pits of hell.
Border Control was playing with her. That was the modus operandi of a demon. They liked to play with their food, and her soul and her goodness were considered its food.
“Is it hot enough for you?” Sophia asked, narrowing her eyes at the demon.
He opened his mouth, and the roar that came out shook the house, making rafters fall from overhead and flames jump off the wall, spreading more fire all over the place. The sound was so deafening Sophia had no choice but to drop the fireball and clap her hands to her ears. The ear-splitting sound was even louder than when the thunderbird had made her think she’d been struck by lightning.
It shook her head and made her think her teeth would fall out. It felt like it would saw her head in two.
Sophia didn’t know how a sound could make her feel so close to death. But as it shook the ground under her feet, she truly believed the demon’s scream would end her. It felt like it went on and on with no end possible.
Even when she saw from the edge of her blurry vision that the demon closed his mouth, the scream still echoed in her being like a nightmare she’d carry with her always.
She shook her head, trying to dispel the noise that was vibrating her organs from the inside. Her attention was suddenly stolen by how much closer Border Control was to her. It was still floating on the flames in the pit, but it had moved closer, nearly to where she stood.
All it would have to do was reach out with its long arms and wrap its giant hands around her neck. Then it could sling her into the pits of hell and that would be that.
Sophia stumbled back, not even caring if she stepped into the fire. She had to put distance between her and Border Control. That was the only way to stay alive and also plan her attack.
The demon held out its other hand that had been empty, and another chain materialized.
Damn it, Sophia thought. She hadn’t even gotten off one fireball on Border Control, and it was already about to throw two attacks at her at once.
She felt the flames behind her and became acutely aware there was little room for this battle. The fire encroached closer around them as if setting the stage for the fight by quarantining her to a small boxing ring.
Border Control threw its hand down, making the first chain hit the ground, and causing Sophia to stumble from the force. It sent the other into the air like a whip and it snapped next to her head. More games…
Sophia held out her hand to create another fireball, but before she could, the demon was whipping the chains again. This time it wasn’t tricks. Instead, it sent both chains in her direction simultaneously, giving her few options to avoid being hit.
Grabbing Ainsley on her shoulder, she dove toward the ground and rolled just as the chain rippled. Sophia dove underneath it, Ainsley quivering in her closed hand. She popped up to her feet just before rolling into a wall of fire on the other side of the pit. That’s when she saw it.
A tiny beam ran the length of the pit. One end was on the ground beside her, and the other was on the platform in the middle. It was the only way across.
Hearing the demon pulling his chains back in, planning another attack, Sophia made a split-second decision. She released the field mouse and dared to whisper to her.
“Go,” Sophia urged Ainsley. “Run across to the other side. You’ll be safe there, I think. I’ll be over with the antidote as soon as I take care of this hothead.”
Ainsley looked up at Sophia from the ground, the fires reflecting in her mouse eyes. She nodded once and then scurried over to the beam. The shapeshifter only hesitated briefly before crawling onto the beam and making quick work of the voyage across the fiery pit.
Sophia wished she could have given her the memory elixir to take with her, but the field mou
se obviously couldn’t carry it. In human form, it would have been a lot harder for Ainsley to cross over on the beam. Her friend was safe and she didn’t have to worry about her, and that’s what mattered most right then.
The cackle of the demon behind her reminded Sophia there were also other things that mattered too—like bringing Border Control down for good.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Sophia was pretty certain that when a demon laughed, a fairy died somewhere on the planet. It was quite the opposite of when angels smiled.
She knew she was going to enjoy destroying this monster a lot more than she would have thought.
Border Control threw its arm up and began circling one of the chains over his head like a lasso. Sophia was certain she could see where this was going, and she had zero plans of being lassoed by a demon. Before he could unleash his attack, she shot her hand into the air, and as it rose, she created a fireball. With the very same movement, she threw it like a pitcher trying to strike out a batter on their first attempt.
The fireball soared through the air. The surprise that covered Border Control’s face instantly satisfied Sophia. Its black eyes widened, and his mouth formed a hard line as it redirected the chain, hitting the fireball and breaking it into pieces that shot back at Sophia.
She ducked down low, covering her head as the pieces soared over her. Sophia nodded as she rose to her feet, tired of playing by the demon’s rules.
“Two can play at this game, Ugly Face,” she said. Insulting one’s enemies was a good way to anger them and make them irrational during a battle.
Her words had apparently struck its curiosity, and like a confused bull, it tilted its head to the side, trying to figure out what she meant. This gave Sophia the chance to pull her hands out from behind her back, where she was holding two huge fireballs.
Before Border Control could react, she launched them at the demon in quick succession. As she suspected, it yanked up the chains, knocking the first fireball to the ground. It was too slow to deflect the second, and the fireball knocked straight into his massive chest and sent the demon back several feet. It trampled into the fire, screaming as though the fire it had been riding on didn’t burn, but the ones in the house did.
That was it, Sophia thought. The pit was its safe place, and the Burning House was somehow its shortcoming. All she had to do was attack it with fire in a way it couldn’t escape.
Border Control huffed, steam issuing from its nose as it shook off the fire that had burned its arms and legs. It stomped on the ground, narrowing its eyes at her.
The beast’s eyes were so intently focused on Sophia that it didn’t notice her muttering an incantation or directing her hand discreetly toward the ceiling. She knew this was a risky move. It had the potential to kill the demon, but also her. However, it was the only option she thought was available since the fireballs could only have so much impact. Using that strategy would take time, and they didn’t have that. Ainsley needed to get back, but not before they did what they came here to do.
With a flick of her wrist, Sophia finished the spell. Overhead there was a crack. Embers rained down. The demon jerked his head up, fear making it tense. Before Sophia could catch the fate of Border Control, she spun on her heels and sped in the direction of the beam that served as a bridge to the center of the pit where Ainsley stood still in field mouse form.
Sophia just caught the sound of the rafters breaking overhead and fire raining down in huge chunks as her feet found the narrow beam. The demon screamed as the fire fell from overhead. There was no escaping the bath of fire assaulting him.
Sophia would have liked to see him being defeated by his own element, but her attention had to remain firmly focused on what she was doing. What was funny to her, although she wasn’t laughing at all, was that if she had to cross the pits of hell, normally she would have taken every step with careful precision. She would have thought through every movement and would have held her breath and felt the fire all around her.
But knowing the explosion she’d created to bring down the ceiling would create a ripple effect and bring down the Burning House, she didn’t have a chance to think about anything except getting as far from the damage as she could.
Her feet crossed quickly over the beam, one after another. With her arms by her side for balance, she teetered back and forth, nearly falling to one side and then the other, but always correcting the movement. From the middle of the beam, she dared to look down at the molten lava bubbling underneath her.
Sophia didn’t know what this place was or why, but she hoped they survived it. Falling into a pit of lava was not how she saw herself going.
As she neared the platform where the field mouse stood, chewing nervously on its nails, Sophia sped up at the sound of the domino effect of damage she’d created behind her. Her feet moved so fast she was certain she’d trip forward. At the last moment, only a few feet from the end, was when she did and tumbled forward. Rolling onto the platform, she fell on her back flat on the ground, her eyes staring at the burning ceiling above.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Sophia’s lungs ached, and she had multiple burns on her face, neck, and hands, but she was alive. She was lying face-up on the platform in the middle of the fire pit. She’d made it.
When she felt little nails dig into her side and gentle pressure on her chest, she didn’t startle. A few seconds later, two beady eyes stared down at her from above. The little field mouse was perched on her looking at her with an expectant stare.
Sophia had seen Border Control go down from the corner of her vision. She’d heard the domino of destruction seize just before she tumbled toward safety. Needing the break, she’d given herself a moment to rest even though she still felt like she was roasting.
“Yes, I get that this is no time for a nap,” she said, picking up the field mouse and putting it on the ground beside her.
As Sophia sat up, the most remarkable formation started around the Burning House. The fires that had been raging since the moment they entered the place slowly faded, and with them gone, the temperature came down.
As she had suspected, the rafters and roof above had covered the demon, killing him instantly, or at least incapacitating him. She was pretty certain one had to behead a demon to kill them, but all she needed was him to take a little break so they could do what they came for. Border Control might as well nap since she obviously wasn’t getting one.
She watched in awe as one by one each of the fires around them extinguished, replaced by unharmed walls, furnishings, and other parts of a seemingly normal home. Even the pit disappeared, covered by a plush rug like it had never existed.
A breeze swept through the house and carried the remains of the debris and Border Control away, making the smell of smoke disappear.
Sophia actually felt a little cold, the thin layer of sweat covering her along with the gentle breeze making her shiver.
“Well, that’s not something you see every day,” Ainsley said, sitting on the ground next to Sophia, back in her usual form.
They were no longer on a pedestal on a platform in the middle of a house. Instead, they were sitting in the center of a family room as if they were waiting to start a movie and share a bowl of popcorn.
The more Sophia looked around, the more the house appeared completely normal like it had never been on fire. She shook her head, trying to make sense of it. She had no idea what this place was or why, but she was in awe of the things magic did.
Pushing up to a standing position, she held out a hand to her friend, remembering they were on a tight schedule. The hour had to be close to up. When Sophia had to nearly drag Ainsley up to her feet, she knew that was true.
“Are you okay?” she asked, watching as the housekeeper drew in labored breaths.
Ainsley nodded, but then her words defied her movement. “No. I have to get back soon. I can’t survive much longer…not without the Gullington.”
Sophia withdrew the memory elixir from her cloak
pocket and was grateful to find it unscathed from the journey and battle through the fiery house. “Okay, well, first take this. Then we are running out of here and portaling back. I’ll have you home very soon.”
Ainsley drew in a breath and reached out for the vial. Her hand hesitated briefly before closing around the elixir. With a jerkiness to her movements, she grabbed it and yanked off the cap. As though she was afraid she wouldn’t go through with it unless rushed, Ainsley threw her head back and guzzled down the potion.
When she brought her chin down, her eyes were filled with tears, and her mouth pinched. She shook her head like the potion had tasted awful. Then all at once, she lowered her head and stared at the floor, her eyes shifting back and forth.
“Ains,” Sophia said, her voice careful. “Are you okay?”
“I’m remembering…” Her eyes continued to move side to side, unseeing.
“That’s good,” Sophia replied. “That’s what we wanted.”
“Oh, S. Beaufont.” Ainsley was suddenly giggling with delight, but not taking her gaze off the floor, where it was like a projector of her past life was showing her the pictures from her memory. “I was so many things. I knew how to ballroom dance.” She swayed suddenly, humming a tune, her hand on her dress as if about to curtsey.
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Sophia said, not wanting to interrupt her friend but knowing they only had a short bit of time before they had to return.
“I could play many musical instruments,” Ainsley continued. “Oh, and I had so many friends. Mostly elves. Then I became a diplomat for the council, and they regarded my expertise second to none on strategy. I came to the Gullington, permitted entry because I was to help them. Serve them in a way. I did for many years…” Her voice trailed away as she blinked. “And we fell in love. I loved him fiercely. More than I remembered ever loving anyone. I was mad for him.”
