by Sarah Noffke
“Cool,” Sophia said dryly. “I guess I’m ready then, friend…”
Chapter Eighty-Seven
“I’m going to help you to succeed,” Lee stated with a victorious smile.
“By getting rid of the guy who is obviously wrong?” Sophia guessed.
“By giving him a violent blow that angers him right before the chase begins,” Lee answered. Then she flicked her finger. The door on the other side of where the Peeping Tom was hanging out swung open and hit the guy in the head, which made him grab his head and drop to his knees before rising with a glare as he tried to regain his wits.
“Thanks,” Sophia said, not meaning it, then gave Lee one last look before she soared out the door after her newest enemy.
“No problem,” Lee called after her.
Sophia sailed out the door. She’d changed her mind and thought that she’d be able to get away from the jerk who was after her for no good reason. Then she could avoid any conflicts. That would be better.
However, his need to come after her was apparently too great because he immediately tore after her and ran down the alley as soon as she streaked out of the Crying Cat Bakery and to a clear spot to create a portal.
Sophia immediately met a throng of people who stopped her progress. She tried to weave around them, but they looked like they were on the bad guy’s side the way they formed a net to block her. She halted and found an outlet to the side, but unfortunately so did Ugly Face McGoo.
He cut down behind her and ran like he had a real vendetta against Sophia. After her feet nearly slipped out from under her the second time, she had to question what fueled these people going after the Rogue Riders. Whatever it was spurred them on in a new way.
Sophia didn’t want to know what the demon dragonriders had done to them. Maybe she’d taken for granted the world she’d been protecting for all this time. Perhaps she’d taken for granted the world her sister had secured where magic was seen by mortals and allowed to those who wanted it.
The Rogue Riders wanted a new system where they took what they wanted and did as they pleased. The angry faces and vengeful races she was meeting were the results. Sophia thought she knew what was happening in the world, but she was wrong if people like this were out there trying to get back at “the man.”
The Rogue Riders were hurting people in a brand new way. They weren’t scaring the races like Nevin Goosemen. They weren’t rallying the magicians like Trin. They weren’t orchestrating a new technology like Thad Reinhart. They were pushing everyone down so far that they couldn’t fit down the drain and were spilling back up and clogging up the system.
It hurt Sophia in a way she hadn’t expected as she barreled past wall after wall, with all the alleyways getting narrower and narrower.
She knew that the end was coming for her as she turned corner after corner and heard her pursuant right on her heels. Her options were running out. Worse, her injuries were slowing her down…
Her injuries from Coal, the demon dragon, made it harder for her to run. She was fast, but not like before, and wouldn’t be until she was fully recovered, which wasn’t quite yet—not that Hiker needed to know about that since she hadn’t told him.
Abruptly, Sophia met a dead-end that felt like an insult when she read the sign at the top of the brick wall that said, “No Passing Go.”
Sophia sighed and turned to find the angry, pursuing magician at her heels. He slowed with a satisfied expression when he realized he had her at a disadvantage.
“Oh, look, the thief has to face her punishment now.” He shook his head.
Her run, the pain of the stitches in her back opening up, all her errands, plus the mental weight of all the things she would’ve done right then if she had the headspace had depleted Sophia. Normally, Sophia would have disabled the guy. Put him in restraints. Made him pay. Instead, she felt weakened by her circumstances. By her disadvantages. By everything.
She froze.
“You stole everything from me.” The guy’s angry look made her heart hurt.
“I didn’t—”
“You shut your mouth,” he interrupted. “It was your kind. You know it. You all ride your dragons and think you own this world. Think you own us. And if we fight, then we have to answer to your dragons.”
“No, they’re supposed to be extensions of us—”
“Weapons,” the guy interjected and held up a menacing hand.
She heard running feet. The mob had found her. First the angriest, then the rest. They’d tie her up and take retribution for what the Rogue Riders had done. The sad part was, there was no way out for her. Lunis was busy since she’d sent him off to look at paint samples, hoping that he’d get excited about a new apartment in the city, knowing she was trying to surprise him with a place at the Gullington. Any other help was too far away.
Sophia was depleted. She was weak. More than that, she was tired of stupid people like the Rogue Riders, and they were going to win. They would take her down indirectly. There was nothing she could do about it, and that’s what would kill her. Defeat itself would be her undoing, and that was the worst part of all.
“You used your dragons to intimidate us,” the guy continued, “We couldn’t fight back when you took everything from us. Because of that, I have nothing.”
“It wasn’t me!” Sophia yelled with her hands high in the air in surrender.
“Like you, I’ll shoot first and ask questions later—”
A clear and loud pop rang through the air, and the guy facing Sophia fell and landed on his face. On the other side of him, like an angel cast in a beacon of light was Lee from the Crying Cat Bakery. She held a gun of sorts, except that it looked much different than any firearm that Sophia had ever seen. It was larger and bulkier, like something that a Ghostbuster would sport.
The assassin baker lifted the weapon slightly as she spied the guy on the ground and smiled.
Her eyes connected with Sophia’s. “Don’t worry. It’s a tranquilizer gun. I know you don’t like to kill.”
Chapter Eighty-Eight
Lee kicked the body as the sounds of approaching running footsteps came closer. “You’d better get out of here.”
Sophia’s heart was still racing. She was ready to be taken out by the magician, defeated by a fellow magician, and totally demoralized by her kind—the dragonriders. But then Lee had saved her.
“You…” she said in awe of the baker assassin.
“I don’t like most,” Lee began. “But come after my friends, and I’ll come after you.” She shouldered the weapon that Sophia had never seen before. “I know you’re good, Soph. I’ve known it from the beginning. Why do you think I work with you when I’d rather shoot most?”
“Not sure how to respond to that.”
“The world has it wrong about you, apparently, but only you can set it straight.” She turned and looked over her shoulder. “Only you can tell them like it is, and something tells me the time isn’t right.”
Sophia nodded. “If I talk now, I’ll sound like I’m one of them, trying to spout my agenda.”
Lee nodded and turned while shifting the large gun to hold it ready as if she were about to blast whoever came around the corner and send them into a nice nap like Jerk MacFace lying on the pavement. “Yeah, you can’t. Instead, you have to do what you do and play the long game. Take down the bad guys and hold up their heads to prove they weren’t you in the end.”
Sophia grimaced. “Yeah, no thanks.”
“Or however you choose to do it. But do it, Sophia Beaufont, because one thing is clear to me—”
Sophia heard the sound of running feet approaching faster. She opened a portal and paused. “What’s that?”
“The world will crumble if you fail.” Lee held the gun ready as a mob of angry magicians, gnomes, and giants rounded the corner. “So go and do what you do best and save that world you love so well. Don’t worry. I won’t hurt them.”
“Thanks, Lee.” Sophia stepped through the portal, gr
ateful she had such good friends, even if they were deranged.
Chapter Eighty-Nine
The air in the House of Fourteen wasn’t much different than what Sophia had felt on Roya Lane. She didn’t feel welcome there as she stepped into the Chamber of the Tree and felt the judgmental stares from the Council. She was used to defending her position in the Dragon Elite, but usually because she was in a higher position of authority that the House had resisted. Now, they were mad at her for different reasons.
“Do you want to explain yourself?” Lorenzo Rosario challenged as Sophia entered the Chamber and strode to the front.
She wanted to ask if there’d be refreshments since she was a little thirsty after her run through Roya Lane but decided that would only invite more rude stares. Instead, Sophia lifted her chin and glared at the high bench of Council members.
Some were good: Hester DeVries, Raina Ludwig, and Sophia’s brother, Clark Beaufont. Then there was Lorenzo Rosario, Bianca Mantovani, and Marty Martinez, who undoubtedly cast their votes for selfish reasons. Finally, because nothing could be easy, Haro Takahashi was the swing vote. He was a toss-up, and Sophia still didn’t know how he went. Sometimes it seemed like he voted for the Council's good and sometimes it seemed like he was influenced.
Right then, it appeared that almost everyone on the Council had it out for Sophia, her brother included.
“I don’t have anything to explain,” Sophia began. “As of recently, I’ve been defending the mortal world by clearing it of devilish creatures unleashed by Nevin Goosemen. Then straight afterward, I’ve been tied up with helping the elves get their homelands back, which I’m still working on.”
Sophia heard Liv stir behind her and could have sworn that the movement echoed of the advice, “Hold down the snark, would you?”
Coming from Liv, that spoke volumes.
However, Sophia reasoned that she spoke the truth.
“Dragon Elite Beaufont,” Hester DeVries began, always a kind and reasonable voice, “we’ve been inundated with cases of dragonriders who have robbed magicians, stolen property, vandalized, threatened personal harm for noncompliance, and burned down homes. We sent our Warriors out to protect these magicians, and they took harm in the process.” The councilor pointed at a Warrior who Sophia recognized as Trudy DeVries, Hester’s sister, a kind woman who was also a seer although few knew that about her.
On the tall Warrior’s face was a long burn mark that was badly blistered. Although Hester was a healer and probably had helped, Sophia knew that a dragon’s fire was harder for most to heal, even those with magic, which made matters worse for the healer.
Sophia gulped. This hurt. It wasn’t merely business. It hadn’t been from the beginning, but now it had become more personal.
“It wasn’t the Dragon Elite,” Sophia began in a low voice.
“That’s your rebuttal?” Bianca began in a shrill voice. “We have to suffer under the rule that you so unjustly put us under, and your reply to this savage behavior is to deny it?”
Sophia ground her teeth together and tried to collect herself. “It’s true, though. What’s been done is wrong, and I’m doing everything I can to stop it, but it wasn’t a product of the Dragon Elite. What’s happened was done by demon dragonriders.”
“Ms. Beaufont,” Lorenzo Rosario began in a condescending tone. “You campaigned against that politician Nevin Goosemen and stated that the demon dragons weren’t a problem. Now you’re telling the Council that they’re the reason we’re all suffering and have to watch our backs?”
“Nevin Goosemen was wrong,” Sophia argued. “He wanted all dragons gone. Demon dragons aren’t the problem. It’s simply that under the current rule, they’ve gotten a little out of hand. It all happened so fast. We’re doing everything we can to remedy it, but you have to understand that the Dragon Elite have been out of practice for quite some time and—”
“Out of practice,” Haro Takahashi interrupted. “That’s your excuse? You’re going to fall back on the fact that your society got to sit on their hands for a few centuries for why they can’t handle their very own?”
Sophia could hardly breathe through the anger. “It’s not an excuse. It’s that we need time to figure the situation out. Other than Lunis and me, there haven’t been new dragons in centuries. It’s taking time to relearn the conduct that demon dragons take. There’s a lot to consider.”
“I say we go to war.” Marty Martinez, the newest appointed Councilor, sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. “That will show these new dragonriders who’s in charge and not to mess with us.”
“You aren’t in charge,” Sophia argued through clenched teeth. “The Dragon Elite are, and we’re going to do things our way.”
“If you’re in charge, why are these Rogue Riders pillaging our magicians and taking advantage of mortals?” Bianca asked.
“Because we have to figure out their weaknesses and go after them.” Sophia suddenly found her confidence. “We can’t force our rule. That never works. We need to find the advantage and capitalize on it, or they’ll win because they don’t fight fair. Go up against a giant, and you’ll get stomped, but sneak up on them, and you can take them out using their Achilles heel.”
The entire council went silent. Clark’s eyes shone brightly for the first time since Sophia stepped forward, showing his confidence.
“What she’s saying makes sense,” Raina Ludwig finally said in a low voice.
Clark nodded. “These Rogue Riders aren’t right in the head. They’re dangerous. They’re untested and full of adrenaline, having newly come into their power. They’ll get knocked down, but doing so takes stealth and strategy, something that Rider Beaufont has.”
Sophia wanted to smile, both from the praise and the title that Clark rarely used on her, usually calling her Soph. Although her brother rarely spoke up for her at these Council meetings, doing so right then was what meant the most.
“Then we all agree that the Dragon Elite need to remedy this problem and fast?” Bianca pushed.
“I think,” Hester began in a thoughtful voice, “we need to show support to the Dragon Elite, who I contend has a difficult task to undertake. I remember only recently when we were under fire because we had dissension from the inside and looked like a horribly dysfunctional group. Maybe we as a Council have been too harsh to judge the dragonriders, not recalling when we were in their shoes.”
Sophia wanted to smile at the healer who was being so kind but instead, she remained stoic and strong.
“I think you’re right,” Haro stated, his voice even. “We remind our community of magicians and other magical races to remain vigilant. Put out a warning to them, stating that it isn’t the Dragon Elite they should fear. And state that a solution is on the way.”
Raina leaned forward. “That’s where the Dragon Elite comes in. We can only try and change the thoughts of the magical community for so long. If you don’t fix this problem with the Rogue Riders quickly, then soon, they will all fear you. They’ll lose hope in dragonriders, whether deemed good or bad.”
Sophia nodded with determination and tried to remain confident although the pressure was crippling. “Don’t worry. The Dragon Elite will make things safe once more. It’s our only goal at this point.”
Chapter Ninety
“Okay, the winner gets to play Clark, which means the winner gets to win twice,” Liv held up an air hockey puck and brandished it in the air.
Clark sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’m great at this game. Besides, didn’t you hear what the Council said about our most important priority?”
“I heard,” Liv sang and threw the puck down as cool air blasted up through the tiny holes of the playing table in the adult arcade of Dave and Busters. “You have to take breaks, or you’ll break if you know what I mean.”
“Soph promised the Council that making things safe from the Rogue Riders was the Dragon Elite’s only goal,” Clark argued while sipping his water. “Now it’s not an ho
ur later, and we’re playing foosball at an arcade for overage kids.”
Sophia sent the puck back at Liv with ease and blocked her goal as she laughed.
Liv fired it right back and shook her head. “Should I correct your brother, or will you?”
Sophia hit the puck without hardly looking and glanced over her shoulder at Clark. “It’s called air hockey.”
“He’s obviously so good at it since he knows the name and all,” Liv gushed and sipped her rum and diet coke as she hit the puck.
“It’s only a stupid game,” Clark argued. “I think that if Sophia said she’s going to make this top priority, then she should. What if one of the Councilors saw us in here?”
Liv stopped the puck with her handle. Tensed. Suddenly looked around. “Oh. My. Gods. I think I see Lorenzo Rosario over there playing skee ball! No, wait, is that Bianca winning a ton of tickets at the slot machines! No, no, no, it’s Marty coming over from the pinball machines. We’re toast, guys!”
Sophia couldn’t help but laugh as Liv volleyed the puck back at her.
“Fine,” Clark acquiesced. “So that’s unlikely, but still, Sophia is supposed to be working.”
Liv clapped her handle down on the puck once more to pause the game. “As someone who works nonstop while endangering her life for the magical and nonmagical community, I’m going to inform you, sweet and naive Clark, that it can’t be done twenty-four-seven. The girl needs a break. I watched her in the Chamber of the Tree, and she looked like she was about to twist Lorenzo’s head off, which I’m not sure I would have stopped.” Liv glanced up at her sister. “What happened right before you came to the House of Fourteen?”
Sophia drew in a breath. “Well, you called me and told me about the situation with the Council.”
“And?” Liv sent the puck at her.