by Sarah Noffke
“Hiker?” Sophia had to ask.
Ainsley clutched her chest. “But he was the same as he is now. It’s always been about the Dragon Elite. The war was brewing. Thad Reinhart was never going to rest until he destroyed his brother. The world of magicians with the House of Fourteen was crumbling, and we all knew it. Nothing I could do would stop it. In a way, I think Hiker wanted me to get far from it. But he didn’t know the truth. He didn’t know why I would give it all up. Why I would stay with him forever.”
When Ainsley looked up, her eyes were filled with tears, and they pierced Sophia’s heart.
“What is it?” Sophia asked because she had to. She had to know the truth even if it was none of her business.
A gasp fell out of Ainsley’s mouth, followed by more tears. “I was pregnant with our child.”
She fainted.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Sophia had so many questions, and there was no time for them. She dove forward, catching Ainsley before she hit the floor. The housekeeper lay in her arms, unconscious, although Sophia could feel her pulse beating in her skin against her arms.
Lying there with her eyes closed, Ainsley appeared innocent and sweet. She didn’t seem like someone who was over five hundred years old, who knew how to dance, play musical instruments, speak multiple languages, and preside over the affairs of many different magical races. Yet, Sophia knew deep in her core from the beginning there was an incredible competence in the elf.
Grateful the Burning House wasn’t still on fire, Sophia carried the housekeeper through the place, wishing she was still in field mouse form. It was much easier to carry her then. However, Sophia was strong due to the chi of the dragon. More importantly, she was motivated and knew that if Ainsley had passed out, she was close to the end. That wasn’t an option.
Moving like she had when crossing the beam over the pit of fire, Sophia’s feet were fast, nearly tripping over each other. She was out of the house in record time. The sunlight cascading down the hill mocked her with its cheerfulness as she stumbled out of the house carrying the passed-out shapeshifter.
“Hold on, Ains,” Sophia urged, trying to run up the hill but nearly tumbling forward. She had to slow to keep Ainsley in her arms.
Sophia needed to get a bit away from the Burning House before she could make a portal. That was the rule. Portals were usually never allowed in close proximity to a magical structure such as this.
Sophia realized with frustration she had to climb the hill before she could open the portal. It was a very steep hill, too.
If her magical reserves weren’t low, she would have used magic to help her, but she needed her magic to open a portal. And she needed it to help Ainsley if things got worse. She really hoped they didn’t, though, because healing magic wasn’t her specialty.
Deciding speed was more important than stamina, Sophia ran, pressing forward as she carried the grown woman up the hill. Her hands shook. Her mind trembled with everything she’d just heard and experienced.
Ainsley had been so much before being reduced to a housekeeper for the Dragon Elite. But Hiker had done that to save her and to keep her at the Gullington. She had saved his life because she loved him and didn’t want the man she loved who wouldn’t let her give it all up to die. But she was willing to do so because she was pregnant with his child.
Then Sophia remembered Quiet’s words before they left for the Burning House. It all made sense.
Sophia pushed onward, urging herself to remember Quiet’s exact words. Forcing herself to focus on them and not the pain in her legs.
What had he said?
As she neared the top of the hill, it came to her. Quiet had said, “Tell her I did what I had to, to keep her alive. There was no way to save him.”
Chapter Fifty
When Sophia reached the top of the hill, she had to lay Ainsley down to create the portal. She turned to find little fires igniting all over the Burning House. They spread until they were covering the building, and where she was certain they would continue to burn for the rest of eternity. It was the strangest of structures, just like the one she was returning to.
Sophia created the portal to the Gullington and then scooped up Ainsley, who felt like a million pounds. Marching on autopilot, she stepped through the portal and stumbled until she crossed the Barrier into the Gullington. Once there, unable to hold her arms up any longer, she tumbled to the ground, not letting Ainsley fall hard. Sophia rolled over next to her friend, grateful to see her chest still rising and falling.
She was back inside the Barrier. In the Gullington, she’d recover. It was up to Sophia to find the cure so that one day Ainsley could leave.
Chapter Fifty-One
The sunlight was bright when Sophia opened her eyes. It was the sunlight that had woken her, she knew at once.
She expected to find herself lying on the Expanse next to Ainsley. Then she felt the cozy pillow next to her face and soft sheets covering her and knew she was in the Castle.
She peeled open an eye to find a blurry figure thundering back and forth in front of her bed. Hiker Wallace was not being quiet as he trudged with his hands behind his back, obviously waiting for her to wake up. Or, as she suspected, trying to wake her up by stomping and opening her window shades wide.
Sophia, wanting to deal with this, pushed up, blinking awake. “How is she?” she asked, finding her voice catching with emotion.
He paused, realizing she was awake. He stared at her like she was a species he’d never set eyes on. Sophia realized she appeared different than he’d ever seen her in her pajamas, with her hair draped in her face.
He swallowed and pulled his gaze away. “She’s resting. It will take her quite some time to recover from her stint away from here.”
“I tried to be fast,” Sophia said. “There were many dangers and—”
“Mama said you had several burns on your body and that your magic was depleted. Quiet has since healed you,” Hiker stated.
Sophia nodded, looking down at her hands. She realized that without Ainsley here, it would have to be Mama Jamba who checked over people. She was glad for that and suspected the Castle had put her in the pajamas after healing her wounds. “I feel…tired.”
Hiker nodded. “Like I said before, the Burning House is dangerous.”
“We fought a demon and we—”
“Did she get her memory back?” Hiker asked, interrupting her.
Of course, that’s what he needed to know. Sophia should have realized that. He wouldn’t know anything with Ainsley passed out and Sophia, too. He must have been wondering all this time about what had happened.
Sophia pulled her covers up to her chest and nodded. “Yeah, and she told me. I’m guessing that after visiting the reset point that you know…”
He sucked in a breath. “I had no idea. I never would have allowed her on the battlefield if so.”
“She did it because she loved you so much,” Sophia argued. “She said she was willing to give up her life. Her position—”
“I know that!” he exclaimed, cutting her off. “I saw that in the reset point. I thought she was being foolish.”
“She was being practical,” Sophia scolded. “How else was she supposed to raise a family?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “We aren’t allowed to have families as the Dragon Elite.”
“That’s a rule you came up with,” Sophia argued.
Hiker opened his mouth like he was going to argue and then nodded. “Maybe I did. I don’t remember. It’s been so many years. So many centuries of just sitting around this place and forgetting what we’re supposed to be doing. And now, I can’t even fathom living my life the way I used to.” He threw his hands into his hair, distraught. “I’ve forgotten who I was and who I am and what I’m supposed to do.”
“It sounds like the perfect time to start over,” Sophia offered, her voice sensitive.
He glanced up like this was a novel idea. Then his eyes shifted to look out the windo
w to the Expanse. “Maybe you’re right.”
“You know,” Sophia began. “It’s never too late to start over. One of my favorite stories says something like that.”
He groaned. “Is this when you quote me something from a nursery rhyme?”
Sophia closed her eyes, the words from the Curious Case of Benjamin Button coming to her at once, “It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over.”
When Sophia was done, Hiker looked like he was just getting started, heat rising in his eyes. “So not from a nursery story, then?”
She actually laughed. “You can start over. You can try again. I know she was pregnant with your son.”
“Son?” he asked, suddenly perplexed.
She gave him a sensitive expression. “Quiet told me. He said for me to tell Ainsley he did what he had to, to keep her alive. But there was no way to save him.”
Hiker’s face became something new, full of more grief than she’d ever witnessed there. “Son,” he said the word.
“Yes, sir,” she answered. “I’m sorry.”
“I am, too,” Hiker replied. “Like I said, she shouldn’t have been there that day, but there was never any arguing with Ainsley, even back then. She had tried to tell me about the child, I realize now. But I wouldn’t listen. I’m certain she would have rather died than have a dragonrider’s child. Back then, it would have been awful if Thad won and I died. The world would have been much worse. And if Thad won, then Ainsley with my child would have been sent into incarceration. I’m certain she knew that.”
“So now it seems she wasn’t being so foolish,” Sophia offered.
Hiker shook his head. “No, not foolish at all. I’m sorry we lost that child. I’m sorry she lost so much. But she saved me, and in doing so, she secured the future of the world in a way.” A sudden laugh from Hiker took Sophia by surprise. “Most will never realize that a shapeshifting elf is the reason the world was able to return to normal, albeit several centuries later.”
Sophia sighed and looked at the leader of the Dragon Elite with sympathy. “Try and remember that, sir. Remember it for you and for Ainsley. Remember that it may take several years or centuries, but we can overcome great odds. We can return to normal if we really want…but maybe it will be a new normal.”
“Yeah, maybe.” He studied her with discerning eyes. Then he turned and made his way for the door. Once there, he spun back around and gave her an appreciative expression. “Thank you for what you did today. Thank you for your discretion. But more than that, thank you for being a part of the Dragon Elite. I may be bad at showing it, but I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re one of us.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
The next morning when Sophia awoke, she had more energy than she would have expected thanks to the Castle. She sprang out of bed, excited for the adventures to come, and then nearly tumbled to her knees. Apparently, she still needed to take it easy for a little while. She hoped a good breakfast would help.
When she made her way into the dining hall, she realized the flaw in her plan. There was no one to serve breakfast. That was evident by the lack of activity in the dining hall. It felt so empty without Ainsley.
Sitting waiting for her was Evan, his dirty boots resting on the table while he reclined. Beside him was a box of donuts.
Sophia eyed them, a curious and skeptical expression on her face. “What’s this?” She indicated the box on the table.
“Hiker told me to take care of breakfast because he thinks I know what I’m doing since I spent half a second in the kitchen,” he explained. “I’m going to tell him I stole your phone and ordered these.” He pointed at the box of donuts.
“Smart,” Sophia said, sitting down and opening the box, grateful to find it full of sweet treats.
“So, where were you, and where is Ainsley?” Evan asked.
“Away, and she’s busy.” Sophia took a bite and swallowed.
“I’m not buying it,” Evan stated.
“And yet, that’s all I’m offering you,” she retorted.
He gave her a cautious glare before nodding. “Fair enough. You keep your secrets. Keep hers. Keep Hiker’s. Just be sure to keep mine.” He patted the phone in his pocket.
Sophia took another bite. “I’m a secret keeper.”
Quiet entered, his eyes widening when he got a whiff of the donuts.
“Oh, and let him have as many donuts as he wants,” Sophia added.
Evan groaned. “But, he’s the absolute worst.”
“He’s the best,” Sophia said, winking at the gnome. “Hey Quiet, Ev—I mean, I got you some donuts. Have one, would you? I’ve been keeping Evan from eating yours.”
Quiet bowed slightly to her and then muttered in Evan’s direction, holding up a tiny fist before taking a donut and waddling from the dining hall.
Evan leaned down and patted NO10JO on the head. “Thanks, Soph. I do believe you kept me from getting another day of sabotage in my room. If that gnome found out I got donuts he could eat, he’d probably put my things all over the Expanse again.”
Sophia laughed, enjoying the opportunity to relax. It wouldn’t last long. It wouldn’t last for more than a few hours, but that didn’t matter. As long as she was fighting for the ones she loved and the planet she called home, she didn’t really mind. She just needed a bit of rest every now and then, a good carb-filled meal on occasion, and the companionship of her favorite people.
Her life was simple, and after nearly coming close to death once again, she was grateful for another day of loving. Another day for fighting for the Dragon Elite.
Sophia took a bite of her donut, refilling her reserves, and setting her sights on finding the cure for Ainsley, the spell that would protect the dragonettes, and the way to bring down the politicians who would rather have power than peace.
She swallowed the sweet treat, already feeling better, although she was still weak. Soon she’d be ready for the next adventure, and she was certain it would bring so much more than the last. More scares. More tears. Definitely more laughter.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Most wouldn’t guess the unmarked door off Roya Lane led to a place where criminals in the magical world could be found drinking, socializing, and usually fighting as the night wore on.
Nevin Gooseman checked over his shoulder when he knocked. As he’d been informed, a window magically materialized in the center of the door, followed by a clicking sound. A moment later it swung back, and just the nose and shifty eyes of an elf could be seen.
He didn’t say a word, just regarded Nevin with an expectant expression.
“I’m here to see an Izard Whitmore about a thing,” Nevin said, cringing at what he’d been instructed to say next. Proper men didn’t talk like that, but desperate times called for desperate actions.
“There ain’t nobody here by that name,” the man replied in a rehearsed tone.
Nevin held up the bag of cash he’d been ordered to bring for entry. “That’s because I beheaded him. Here’s the proof.”
The man, whose smell trespassed through the metal door, didn’t say a word. Instead, he slid the window shut, which was followed by a series of locks rotating. A moment later, the door swung open, and more bad smells hit Nevin in the face. He looked over the elf who appeared to have spent a lot of time on Zhuang Avenue.
“Welcome to the Skanky Dwarf,” the elf said. Several of his teeth were blackened. He held out a hand, and Nevin was careful not to touch him when he gave over the bag of money—his cover fee for entry to the less-than-respectable establishment.
“Thanks.�
� Nevin tried to breathe through his mouth as he focused on the ruckus going on behind the bouncer.
“Have a good time.” The elf laughed as he looked into the bag, checking its contents.
Nevin nodded and slid by the skinny elf. The elf didn’t grant him much space to get by, and Nevin had to nearly touch him as he passed.
Once in the back room, he caught the attention of most of the patrons in the bar. They shot him skeptical glares and dirty looks, but no one approached him. They no doubt knew who he was, and he wasn’t so foolish as to come into the Skanky Dwarf unarmed. Unlike most of the low lives in the place, Nevin’s magic was well cared for and at full power. Still, he wasn’t going to create any issues. He had a simple mission and hoped to complete it as fast as possible.
Pulling his gaze off a pair of half-breed giants arm wrestling in the corner, Nevin made his way to the bar. True to the establishment’s name, a pair of scantily clad female dwarves were behind the bar. Unlike gnomes, dwarves were a bit friendlier, but they also had weaker magic and didn’t live very long, which was why they were so rare. Dwarves were also a bit taller, and these two women’s heads reached just over the bar as they smiled provocatively at Nevin.
“What can we get for you, sweetheart?” the first one asked, sliding a dirty mug onto the bar and leaning forward, her cleavage in full view as she pressed her arms together.
Nevin loosened his throat with a cough. “Actually, I’m not here to drink.”
She batted her eyes at him and wiggled her thick nose. “We have other things to interest you.”
He shook his head, shivering with disgust. “I’m looking for Steel Face.”
