by Sarah Noffke
“It’s not particularly pretty,” Ainsley observed as she entered the room wearing a shimmering blue gown that was snug on the top and flowing on the bottom. “Why can’t you look away?”
“Because then I’ll disappear,” Evan stated through clenched teeth. “That’s how that short fart made me lost for all that time.”
“I thought you were drunk,” Trin retorted as she returned with a tray of tea, joining the conversation like Ainsley, as though she’d been there the entire time.
“I told you,” Evan seethed. “It was that man who played his tricks on me.” He pointed in Quiet’s general direction, but the gnome had already taken a seat in the opposite corner next to where Sophia had settled.
“Do we all have to stay looking at it?” Sophia questioned.
“I think only one of us,” Mahkah commented in his usual tone full of wisdom.
NO10JO barked at Evan’s side, looking up at the angel the same as his master.
“I think your best mate has you covered so you can enjoy your cookies.” Trin pointed at the cyborg dog.
Evan sighed and looked down at the animal covered in metal and bolts, like his girlfriend, Trin. “Thanks, pal. You’re the best canine ever. I’ll relieve you after the festivities when I chuck Quiet in the snow.”
Beside Sophia, the gnome mumbled something that sounded like, “I’d like to see you try.”
A humming alerted everyone to Wilder’s presence before he materialized from the staircase. He wore a broad smile at the sight of the decorations.
Evan, freed from having to stare at the angel on the tree, doubled over laughing. “Are you and Pink Princess wearing matching tartans?”
Wilder glanced down at his red and black sweater, which matched Sophia’s dress although they hadn’t planned it. She didn’t even know he had that sweater.
“Why, yes, I guess we are,” he stated proudly. “Don’t we look dashing?”
She smiled at him. “I agree.”
“If by dashing you mean like a bunch of gross dummies, then okay,” Evan quipped.
Wilder nodded when he passed Evan on his way to Sophia. “Then a gross dummy I will be.” He took a seat on the other side of her and grinned at Quiet. “Thanks for the jumper. I found it in my closet but didn’t know you had this planned.” He indicated Sophia and himself.
Quiet nodded and muttered something inaudible.
“You look very nice.” Sophia took Wilder’s hand.
“You all look very nice,” Mama Jamba said while marking days in her planner. “Especially you, Ainsley.”
The elf blushed and smoothed her blue gown self-consciously. “Thank you. I also found this in my closet and hadn’t seen it before. I thought I had Quiet to thank for it.” She nodded appreciatively in his direction. Ainsley did look especially lovely with her hair braided back in rows and a sapphire necklace around her neck, contrasting nicely with her hair.
Hiker’s boots thundering across the floor told everyone of his arrival. However, this time, Evan didn’t laugh when he entered the room, as he had with Wilder. Everyone was speechless.
The leader of the Dragon Elite wore a traditional kilt, but he hadn’t stopped there. He also had the sporran and matching socks and shoes. If he had a set of bagpipes, he’d look just like a piper.
Finally, it was Ainsley who spoke while blinking at him with surprise. “Hiker, you…you…you look so handsome.”
He nodded and pressed his hand to the side of his hair, which he’d slicked back. His beard was trimmed and combed.
“I didn’t know you liked Christmas so much, sir,” Wilder observed.
Hiker glanced at him. “I don’t. I didn’t even…well, I sort of knew, but that’s not why I dressed up.”
“It’s not?” Sophia questioned. “Is it because we rescued Trudy DeVries and we’re that much closer to controlling the Rogue Riders?”
“That’s worth celebrating,” he agreed. “But no, and I didn’t realize you lot would be down here.”
“It’s Christmas, sir,” Evan argued. “Do you want us to go and train? Or can we have a single hour off?”
Hiker rolled his eyes. “You can have an hour, but I want you all out on the Expanse straight after tea.”
Wilder glanced out the window where white covered the green of the Gullington. Snow fluttered down harder now. “Great. I’ll build a snowman and Evan can try and spar it. My money is on the snowman.”
Hiker shook his head and chewed on his lip. Sophia spied a nervousness in the man. It was palpable. “Ainsley, can I see you in my office?”
“Oh, son.” Mama Jamba put her calendar aside and sat up. “Not there. Do it here.”
He glanced at the old woman. “But everyone is here.”
“And it’s because of everyone in this room that you learned to stop being a stupid idiot and have a heart,” Mama Jamba argued.
“I don’t think the new guys can take any credit.” Evan pointed at the three who were like statues, simply watching.
“I don’t think you can either,” Hiker retorted.
Ainsley lowered her chin and studied Hiker. “You want to tell me something? What is it?”
He cleared his throat. “I do.” Indecision rolled around on his face. “Truth be told, I knew it was Christmas and had something I wanted to give you.” Hiker withdrew the red pouch with orange tassels that Sophia had recovered for him. The one that had come from her ancestor, Oscar Beaufont. She tensed at the sight, her heart suddenly pounding, although she wasn’t sure exactly why.
Ainsley’s eyes darted to the pouch. “A present? For me?”
Hiker nodded while holding out the pouch. “You don’t have to take it, but I got it for you many centuries ago. I meant to give it to you, but then the Great War happened, and you lost your memory, and, well, you know the history.”
Ainsley forced a nervous smile. “I do remember the history.” Tentatively she reached out and took the pouch. “May I?”
Hiker glanced at Mama Jamba, who nodded encouragingly to him.
He handed Ainsley the pouch, and she nimbly opened the tassels and glanced down into the bag. Her mouth popped open. Her eyes widened. A gasp escaped her.
Before she could say a word, Hiker knelt on one knee and clasped her hands. “I know I haven’t always made the best decisions. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. But I’ve always known that I was meant to spend my life with you. That would be the best decision of my entire life. Ainsley Carter, will you please do me the honor of being my wife for eternity? There is nothing I want more.”
Tears slipped down the elf’s cheeks as she nodded, not looking capable of anything more. She pulled on Hiker’s hands to encourage him up off the floor, and the two embraced. The union was followed immediately by applause and cheers from around the room.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Ainsley said through tears, holding on tightly to the man before her. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
Hiker pulled away slightly, taking the pouch from Ainsley. His thick fingers had trouble getting into the bag, so he knocked the engagement ring out into his palm and held it up. The large sapphire and diamonds on the band sparkled in the room’s candlelight. It was breathtaking—Oscar Beaufont’s ring.
With a shaking hand, Hiker slipped it onto Ainsley’s finger and then kissed it with a twinkle in his eyes. Everyone in the room might have been watching, but for the pair, it was like they were the only two people in the world—the way they looked at each other.
When they kissed, the room erupted in cheers and applause again. Sophia felt so happy for her friends as she laid her head on Wilder’s shoulder, loving that the Castle was so full of love.
He kissed her forehead and held her close. “Congrats, sir.”
“Yes, congrats,” Evan echoed. “It only took you five hundred years to put a ring on it.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five
Sophia laid on the sofa in Lunis’ Pad, flipping through the pages of Oscar Beaufont’s diary. It was full of so many
strange visions. Some had already come to pass. Some were scratched out like they never would. There were a few that were in the distant future. Sophia felt nervous reading through the book, as though spying the future was somehow going to jinx her.
“You mean so much to me,” Lunis said fondly, lying next to her on the polar bear rug.
Sophia glanced up from her book. “You’re talking to the hedgehog, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Haven’t you learned anything from Bermuda Laurens?” Lunis questioned smugly.
“The Beaufonts all have horrible manners, and we can’t learn anything,” she guessed.
“He’s not simply a hedgehog,” he corrected. “He has a name.”
She flipped a page in Oscar’s diary. “I apologize, Sir Alexander Connery MacDonald.”
“The Second,” he added.
“Who was the first?” she wondered.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Sophia laughed. “Well, I’m glad you like your indestructible hedgehog.”
Lunis nodded while playing with Sir Alexander Connery MacDonald the Second. “Yes, it appears that everyone is coupling up at the Gullington. Hiker and Ainsley, Evan and Trin, you and what’s-his-face.”
“Wilder.” Sophia laughed. “Yeah, but what about Quiet and Mahkah? I hope they find love.”
Lunis eyed her speculatively, then shook his head. “You know, sometimes finding love isn’t what someone needs. For you, it makes sense, but you shouldn’t expect that what makes you happy will work for another. Sometimes being alone is a part of someone’s destiny to find happiness.” He shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe there’s a gnome out there for Quiet or someone for Mahkah.”
Sophia thought about this for a moment. “You’re right. Maybe they’re happy all on their own. Who am I to judge?”
“We all have our journeys,” Lunis continued, dipping into his sage-like tone. “Like you, for instance. Your journey won’t be the same as the other dragonriders. What fits you won’t fit them.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she questioned at once.
“It means that you’re cut out for something different,” he answered. “I’d dare say, something more.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because you’ve already taken a leadership role and mastered it and I suspect that’s only the beginning,” Lunis stated.
“Why?” She felt like her dragon knew something he wasn’t telling her.
“Because I know things.” He winked.
“Tell me,” she urged.
He picked up his hedgehog and looked at him fondly. “Read your book, Soph.”
She sighed and turned the page, thinking she was going to punch her dragon. Maybe she’d cancel his Christmas present, she thought, turning the page. At the sight of the words on the next page, Sophia tensed. Looked up at Lunis. Glanced back down with alarm. “Did you know I was about to find that?”
Lunis gave her a coy smile. “Maybe. Or I’m just that good.”
“How?” she asked, drawing out the word.
“I read the book when you were on a mission,” he admitted.
“So you knew all this time?” she asked. “Maybe this prophecy isn’t referring to me.”
“Maybe,” he sang. “But it seems uncanny if not.”
Sophia glanced down at Oscar Beaufont’s handwriting. The prediction was so strange, and she couldn’t fathom what it really meant. It was perplexing, and yet, it had to mean her. Or maybe in the distant future, other Beaufonts joined the Dragon Elite.
Sophia gulped, rereading the words. The prophecy read: “One day, a Beaufont will be a leader among the Dragon Elite as well as another powerful organization—bringing order and peace to the dragonriders once more, preserving their race for all of history.”
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six
“It’s my favorite Christmas present ever!” the blue dragon exclaimed, racing around the giant Oreo cake that Lee and Cat had made for him.
It had been delivered outside the Gullington as the sun was setting and the stars were starting to twinkle on Christmas night. Still, it was easy to see since the Castle and trees were dazzling with festive lights. There had to be a million of them, Sophia thought, amazed by how beautiful the Gullington looked with the snow and decorations.
The cake was the size of a house with at least twenty tiers. There was no mistaking that it was Oreo since the cookies lined every single layer. On the top was a giant chocolate-covered Oreo. It also smelled so sweet that it made Sophia’s mouth water.
“I’m glad you like it,” Sophia said proudly, watching as her dragon continued to race around the cake. “.You don’t have to share it with anyone, although maybe you’ll give me a slice.”
He halted and raised an eyebrow at her. “Maybe…”
Sophia laughed and pulled her thick coat tighter. Everyone was at the Castle, and she could see figures moving around in the dining hall. It was time for the big feast.
“Do you want to join me for dinner?” Sophia indicated the Castle. “We can open a window although Evan will complain bitterly about the cold air wafting through, so let’s do it.”
Lunis shook his head. “Are you kidding me? I’m going to lick every square inch of this.”
“On second thought, I don’t want a piece of your cake,” Sophia joked.
He nodded. “I wasn’t sharing anyway.” Giving her a fond look, he smiled. “Thank you, Soph. This is perfect. You know me so well.”
“You’re welcome,” she replied. “No one knows us better than each other.”
“For all our lives,” the dragon agreed and came around beside her, unfolded his wing, and wrapped it around her, hugging her tightly.
She looked up at Lunis, regarding him with a deep fondness before looking out at the massive Oreo cake and the Castle and the Expanse, feeling so grateful for it all. Sophia didn’t know what the prophecy meant. She was already a leader in the Dragon Elite but didn’t know how she could lead another organization.
That couldn’t mean the House of Fourteen, she hoped. That was Liv’s place, and everything seemed to be working out for her sister. Only time would reveal what other places the world would need Sophia. And she’d be there. If the prophecy did refer to her, then she’d be honored to be a part of whatever it took to preserve the dragonriders for all of history. They were Mother Nature’s guards after all, ensuring that the world continued to rotate on its axis and maintain peace.
Sophia smiled, grateful to be a part of something so important. Thankful for whatever came next. If the world required her to take on more, then that’s exactly what she’d do—to ensure the planet was safe.
The Story Continues with Ultimate Resolve
Pre-order today and have it delivered to your Kindle Reader at Midnight on February 12, 2021
Sarah’s Author Notes
December 17, 2020
Thank you to everyone out there who has supported the books and LBMPN. We can’t do this alone. I really value all you readers, your input, your ideas, your encouragement and more! Thank you.
It’s hard to believe this is book 11 in the series. And each book is two in one, so it’s really book 22, if I’m honest.
What a year it’s been and I’m not entirely saying that for the reasons some might think. Yes, the world is a different place and everyone’s lives have changed, but I signed on to write this series with crazy deadlines and all before I knew I’d spend most of the year in lockdown. In hindsight, Past Sarah was super smart, committing to writing books when really there wasn’t much else I could be doing.
Ironically, when Mike and I had the meeting in Las Vegas where it was decided we would do 24 books in the series, the day before I was dressed as a ninja and wearing a mask. That was November 2019. I remember thinking, man, wearing a mask over my face is difficult…Oh, Past Sarah, if you only knew…
This year I have one more book to write, then the final part of book 12 will be done by mid-January. That makes for 18 books I’ve
written in 2020. In 2019, I wrote 15. In 2021, I plan to write 10. I heard all you readers just mutter, “Slacker.” And it’s true. Total slacker.
What do I plan to do with all this free time? Well, I got Lydia a Nintendo Switch for Christmas. Yes, that’s right, it’s totally for Lydia.
When I started writing books years ago, I gave up video games. Before that, I used to spend weekends playing computer time management games and whatnot. I heard a bunch of you readers just mutter, “Nerd.” It’s true. After a long work week of meetings and deadlines and soul crushing tasks, nothing was better than sitting on my couch and virtually fulfilling tasks as I ran my restaurant or farm or whatever it was.
My point here is that when I decided to make a go of this whole author thing, I gave up games, knowing that it would cut into my schedule. I knew I’d be working from home and it would be hard to put boundaries on things. So besides from a few occasions when I’ve schooled Lydia in Mario Kart, I haven’t played video games.
That’s all about to change.
Santa is going to get me Zelda for Christmas. And I’m going to play the hell out of that and Animal Crossing and all sorts of other things. So, that’s what I’m doing when I’m not writing 8 extra books this next year. It won’t be activities that enrich my life and hopefully yours by creating fiction that will never die, but it will make me happy and I sort of need the break.
I’d also like to see the Scotsman a bit more, so hopefully that gets to happen in 2021 and not just because I won’t have tons of crazy deadlines. Hopefully the world will open up. Just today, I had my third trip to Scotland postponed. The world is dumb, but he and I are resilient.
I have plans to take off upwards of a whole two weeks when I finish this series. It will be nuts, like that one time when I was a corporate professional and the university required me to take off Fridays due to a union agreement. I literally stared at my boss and said, “B-B-But what am I supposed to do…?”
