Adapt Or Be Crushed (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 9)

by Sarah Noffke

  Amy considered this and shrugged. “There are always different ways, that’s for sure.”

  Like this had been a constant topic of conversation, the two simply exchanged looks that said, “We will talk more about this later.”

  “You need to see me about something,” Mae Ling stated, no question in her voice.

  “Yes.” Sophia split to the right as Mae Ling veered on the path and left Amy to amble toward the college on her own.

  Sophia waved to the professor as she continued with her fairy godmother. “I need help with the exploding sheep at the Gullington.”

  “I would say more than just you needs help with that,” Mae Ling stated, like this preexisting problem wasn’t news to her—which it most certainly wasn’t.

  “No, Quiet doesn’t seem to understand what to do about the problem, which is rare,” Sophia offered. “Like, why would they suddenly start exploding? And how? And poor little sheep, not that their fate of getting eaten by a dragon is that much better. The whole thing is quite the conundrum.”

  “I like that word.” Mae Ling smiled. “Conundrum sounds like what it is. Most words aren’t like that.”

  Sophia mused on the notion for a moment and grinned too. “Yeah, I think you’re right. It is a good word. Anyway, there are many strange things happening at the Gullington. A place that’s supposed to be unaffected by the outside world seems to be affected by everything lately.”

  “It’s important to remember that nothing is removed from the world at large,” Mae Ling imparted. “We are all a part of everything. We are all connected. Move away and distance yourself, and you’ll still find your life is affected by the current affairs of the world. There’s no avoiding it.”

  Sophia nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. It’s just that the Gullington has the Barrier, and no one is supposed to be able to enter it unless they serve the Dragon Elite or are one of us. And now we’ve got strangers strolling around the Castle and sheep were exploding. It’s all a big mystery.”

  “I can’t help you with the visitors in the Castle, but I trust you’ll find out who can and discover the reasons behind it,” Mae Ling offered sympathetically.

  “Yeah, I’m sure it’s because the Great Library has been moved,” Sophia stated. “Hopefully when the paint dries or whatever, then all that strangeness will stop.”

  Mae Ling giggled quietly. “I’m certain that it will simply be replaced by new strangeness.”

  Sophia laughed too. “You know how my life goes.”

  “As far as your sheep problem goes, I have some ideas of ways to fix them, but it will take more research on my part,” Mae Ling explained. “This is a very complex problem, and also sensitive. The wrong solution could make things worse.”

  Sophia grimaced. “Our food supply for the dragons is exploding. Let’s not get any worse.”

  “Yes. You might not be aware, but the problem is widespread all over Scotland, so it appears that it’s not confined to the Gullington.”

  “That does make things more complex. I’m grateful for any insights you can provide.”

  Mae Ling smiled. “You always are. In the meantime, you need to focus on having armor made for you and the other Dragon Elite.”

  Sophia paused and tilted her chin to the side. “Armor? We have that.”

  “You do, but you need something better. Stronger.” Mae Ling continued to stroll. Sophia hurried to catch up with her.

  “Stronger,” Sophia stated. “Like, better than the steel top that I wear in most battles?”

  “Yes, and much lighter and flexible,” Mae Ling answered. “Oh, and something for the dragons too.”

  Sophia glared at the secretive woman. “I don’t suppose you’re going to offer up the reason that we need this new armor?”

  Mae Ling’s brown eyes dazzled when she smiled. “Find someone who can make you this armor. The reason will become clear later. No need to worry about a battle before it’s here. Spend your energy preparing.”

  Sophia let out a breath and nodded obediently. “It’s easier than it used to be to shove the worries of upcoming dangers out of my mind and focus on the present moment.”

  Mae Ling gave her an appreciative expression. “That will serve you well all your life. Try and always be in the present moment. No need to time travel into the future or the past. One is set and the other is constantly in motion, so the best place for a sane mind is in the here and now.”

  Sophia found herself laughing. “I’m not sure I have much of a sane mind anymore or ever did, but I’ll still follow your advice.”

  “And that’s why I keep giving it to you freely,” Mae Ling stated. “Although you’re never obligated to do so. I’m simply a guide.”

  “I’m not sure why anyone wouldn’t follow their fairy godmother’s advice,” Sophia imparted.

  “Well, it happens all the time for various reasons,” Mae Ling explained. “Sometimes people need to figure things out on their own. Or they don’t want things to go right. Or they would rather break the world than fix it. You are rare, Sophia, in that you seek the best for yourself, your own and your world.”

  This made Sophia shake her head. “I have a hard time believing that most don’t want solutions or a better world.”

  “And that’s exactly why you’re in the position that you are,” Mae Ling said with confidence. “You believe in a world that doesn’t yet exist, but I’m certain if people like you keep coming into power then it could. I hope it does one day. It would make our jobs as fairy godmothers easier.”

  Sophia and Mae Ling walked in silence for a long moment. The dragonrider found the experience very calming. It was exactly what she needed as she tried to wrap her mind around the new problems at the Gullington. The robot spy bugs buzzed by them every so often. After a while, Sophia sighed, realizing it was time she left.

  “You’ll let me know when you have information on the sheep?” she asked Mae Ling.

  “Of course,” the small woman answered. “And you know where to go for this armor?”

  Sophia smiled. “Yes, I know exactly who to ask. Let’s hope he can fit it into his busy schedule.”

  Mae Ling flashed her a knowing look. “One day, you’re going to realize how important you are and that anyone will drop anything to help you.”

  “I hope I don’t,” Sophia said honestly. “That doesn’t seem very humble.”

  The fairy godmother nodded. “Never change, Sophia Beaufont. You were created perfect and somehow keep getting better.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Roya Lane was bustling with life when Sophia stepped through the portal. She made a beeline for Silk Armor, but the universe obviously had other plans for her than seeing Jeremy Bearimy right away.

  As Sophia strode down the busy street, she watched as a familiar figure stuck out their leg as if trying to trip her. She halted right in front of the baker assassin propped up against the brick wall and rolled her eyes.

  “Lee, is that seriously your attempt to try and trip me?” Sophia glared at the woman.

  “It wasn’t a real attempt or you’d be on your back.” Lee pulled her leg in and stood straight, towering over Sophia. “I was messing with you. Believe me, if I wanted to, I would have swept your legs out from under you.”

  “I invite you to try on our next meeting,” Sophia challenged.

  “Okay, but I’m not dragging your butt to Magical Urgent Care,” Lee stated. “I’m not allowed in that place after what happened in there the last time. Well, and the time before that. And before that.”

  “Did it involve bringing your wife in there with multiple injuries that looked strangely like you were trying to murder her?”

  Lee nodded. “Can I help it if that woman is a complete klutz? I swear, sometimes I think she throws herself down the stairs just to make others suspicious.”

  “Weren’t you putting an extra coat of wax on the stairs the last time I was at the Crying Cat Bakery?” Sophia asked.

  “I like them sh
iny,” Lee stated. “And that’s what the railing is for. If Cat simply held onto it instead of clutching a glass of wine and a cigarette, then she’d catch herself.”

  “Although this conversation is intriguing, I need to be on my way.” Sophia eyed the other side of the lane where the seamster’ shop was located.

  “Yeah, I don’t have anything else going on today either,” Lee said, like she hadn’t heard her at all. “Want to go get drunk?”

  “No, and I’m working,” Sophia answered.

  “That’s what I told Cat when she assigned me chores,” Lee stated. “So should we rob someone? Maybe a gnome? Or we could go and get matching foxes. I want something to follow me around. You could name yours This and I’ll name mine That. Or something equally as cute.”

  “I don’t think a fox will follow you around,” Sophia argued.

  “That’s why we’ll keep a dead rat in our pockets,” Lee offered.

  Sophia grimaced. “That’s gross.”

  An embarrassed look crossed the woman’s face. “Oh, it is? You can’t smell anything weird on me, right?”

  Sophia closed off her heightened senses, just in case. “Sorry, no time to get matching pets today. Maybe on another occasion.”

  “I’m holding you to that,” Lee stated. “Oh, and I made arrangements for King Rudolf Sweetwater’s triplets’ birthday. It’s going to be special, even for the children who have everything.”

  “Thanks,” Sophia responded. “That was really nice of you.”

  Lee’s eyes bulged as she whipped back and forth. “Are you insane? Keep your voice down. What if someone heard you say that?”

  Sophia laughed. “Then your reputation would be ruined, wouldn’t it?”

  “I swear if it gets out that I’ve done nice things, I’ll have to do some bad stuff to undo people’s perception.”

  “Like murder people?” Sophia asked dryly.

  Lee shook her head. “No, something really bad, like litter.”

  Sophia lowered her chin and gave the assassin a confused look. “That’s worse than murder?”

  “Of course it is,” Lee replied. “Most won’t miss the blokes I take out. It’s more of a community service than anything. But messing with Mother Nature, now that’s awful.”

  “Well, I won’t let it out that you’ve done anything nice. Therefore, you can refrain from littering,” Sophia offered.

  “Deal,” Lee said proudly. She pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to Sophia. “There’s the details on the arrangements I made for the Captains. Pass it along to the king, but don’t let it slip that I set it up.”

  Sophia glanced at the card, her eyes widening. “Is this experience what I think it is?”

  Lee nodded. “Yep. A once in lifetime opportunity. They only open for exclusive people and even the king of the fae didn’t qualify, but I pulled a few strings.”

  “Wow, that’s so ni—I mean, you’re a horrible person and do the most detestable things, Lee,” Sophia said the last part loudly.

  Her friend puffed out her chest and lifted her chin as a group of elves glanced in their direction. “Why, thank you. It comes naturally.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  To say that being outside the Gullington after so many centuries was nerve-wracking was a serious understatement for Ainsley Carter. The elf knew that it was finally safe for her to be outside the Barrier. She could rely on S. Beaufont to have delivered her a cure that worked. However, her chest carried a permanent ache like her heart had trouble beating. Her hands shook when she lifted tea cups to her mouth, and sleep hadn’t been a thing since she left the Castle.

  Ainsley reasoned that without the Castle there to put her to sleep or heal all her ailments, her body had to do a lot on its own that it wasn’t used to. However, she knew that wasn’t altogether true. There were many emotions lying across her heart and weighing down her mind that she knew caused the aches and pains. She just didn’t know exactly what to do about it.

  “Madam, would you like anything else?” the servant asked from the door while holding the tray of fine china.

  Ainsley glanced up from the book she’d been trying to read with no luck. “What’s that?”

  “Would you like anything else?” The woman curtsied.

  Ainsley shook her head. “No, I’m quite all right.”

  “You didn’t eat much,” the servant known as Mary stated, and nodded at the tray of untouched food. What she meant to say was that Ainsley hadn’t eaten a single bite of her dinner.

  “I wasn’t hungry,” Ainsley replied. She was never hungry since leaving the Gullington. Never sleepy. Never anything except in a perpetual state of confusion.

  “Well, I’ll have sandwiches ready if you get hungry later, Madam.”

  “Thank you.” Ainsley blushed. It was weird after all this time to be waited on by someone when it had been her serving the Dragon Elite for so many centuries. She had a new respect for the staff who took care of her at the Elfin Council in Ireland.

  Mary left without another word, although a look of concern was evident on her lined face.

  Falling back into her former role as a delegate for the Elfin Council had gone much smoother than Ainsley would have imagined. Since elves lived so long, being gone for several centuries hadn’t been that big of a deal. Many of those that Ainsley had known at the Council were still in command. The old politics was the new one, and she found herself at the heart of many negotiations, once more trying to get the crusty old elves to think with new thinking.

  This was something she’d admired about S. Beaufont. That dragonrider used innovative and strategic thinking to accomplish things that brute force could never accomplish. She was solutions-oriented, rather than constantly looking to secure power.

  Still, many found Ainsley’s absence to be disconcerting and thought that she had a bias toward the Dragon Elite. She couldn’t blame them even after explaining that she’d been held hostage at the Gullington to preserve her life rather than choosing to stay there all these years.

  Ainsley sighed as she grabbed the time-ball that Mama Jamba had made for her. She hadn’t dared to use the powerful magical object yet, almost afraid of what she’d see. Apparently, the device would allow her to make different choices in the past and see how they would have played out. It was obvious what she was supposed to do with it. She was supposed to figure out her relationship with Hiker, which was currently at the pinnacle of her regrets.

  Ainsley constantly wondered that if she had been given the choice, would she have stayed at the Castle with the leader of the Dragon Elite? Or would she have fled, tired of experiencing his cold ways and unrequited love?

  She didn’t blame Hiker Wallace, especially now that she had some perspective. He had always said that the Dragon Elite came first. That had never changed. Then Ainsley became pregnant and he didn’t know because she couldn’t tell him, knowing it would impact his choices. But more than anything, Ainsley wondered how it impacted her choices. Would she have sacrificed herself for Hiker if he weren’t the father of her unborn child?

  She closed her eyes and focused the way that Mama Jamba had instructed her to, and saw a new reality in her mind. In this one, so many centuries ago, Ainsley wasn’t pregnant. She was still the main delegate for the Elfin Council. And she was an ally to the Dragon Elite. But more than anything, she wasn’t with Hiker Wallace either secretly or outwardly. Ainsley was simply a shapeshifting elf that had accompanied the Dragon Elite to the battlefield where they’d meet Thad Reinhart’s army. The place that would become the first fight of the Great War—the one that changed everything for everyone worldwide.

  Ainsley held the time ball in her hands and kept her eyes pressed shut. She watched in her mind’s eyes as a new reality unfolded before her vision. It was what would have happened if things were different. If she didn’t love Hiker Wallace. If she hadn’t been pregnant. If her life weren’t tied to his.

  When Thad Reinhart shot up his hand and sent a curse meant
to kill his brother, the Ainsley from the past did something surprising. Like in the reality that came to pass, the elf jumped in front of the assault to protect the leader of the Dragon Elite. Although she wasn’t in love with him, she sacrificed her life for Hiker Wallace’s.

  Over and over again, Ainsley manipulated the details of the past in her mind and watched that same scene play out. No matter what she did, Ainsley always threw herself in front of the killing spell, making it so that she was tied to the Gullington for the next several centuries.

  No matter what, Ainsley was destined to sacrifice her life for Hiker’s. Which meant that she was always supposed to lose her memory and be confined to the Gullington. There was no changing the last several hundred years.

  Ainsley Carter was meant to serve the Castle all along. There was suddenly no blame, no regret. No wondering. The life that Ainsley had lived was meant to be. And what came next felt easier as she came to terms with the emotions lying across her heart.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The Silk Armory had seen better days. From Sophia’s perspective, any day had to be a better one for Jeremy Bearimy, the shop’s owner.

  The giant tarantula was understandably in a sour mood when Sophia walked into his seamster store to find the place totally ransacked. She tensed, worried for many different reasons, and also had the fleeting thought that the large spider might be angry enough to eat her by the look in his beady eyes.

  “Is everything okay?” Sophia looked around the store where silk fabrics were strewn across the floor, and completely covered it. Shelves were toppled over in all directions and supplies had spilled out, littering the place with sharp needles and measuring tapes and various other things. “Were you robbed? Are you hurt?”

  “Robbed?” Jeremy Bearimy turned to face her, hovering high above Sophia. “You mean burgled?”

  “I think I mean burglarized, but I feel like we’re having a conversation over semantics rather than the obvious concern.”