by Sarah Noffke
“But the question is, did you have fun?” Wilder asked, a crooked smile on his face.
A week ago, Sophia would have scowled at the question. Now, she found herself nodding. “I wouldn’t have called any of it fun, but rewarding, absolutely.”
Evan’s eyes were directed at the grass under their feet as he shook his head. “She didn’t fight the dingoes. Dude, that’s not fair.”
Wilder slapped him on the back with a laugh. “It’s a good lesson for us.”
“Yes,” Mahkah said, meditating on an idea. “Sometimes, we fight. Sometimes we ignore evil. It’s knowing when to act and when not to.”
The guys halted in front of the Castle, their cool demeanors suddenly fading and serious expressions taking over their faces. Sensing a new tension, Sophia looked at them.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Someone evil has surfaced since you two left,” Wilder explained. “Thad Reinhart.”
“Oh,” Sophia said with relief. “We know about him.”
“Yeah, but he’s accelerated his agenda,” Mahkah explained. “Hiker will want to see you.”
“As soon as you wash that nappy hair,” Evan added.
Sophia nodded. “Okay. I’ll go straight to his office once I’m clean.”
All the excitement from returning faded as worry took over. The expressions on the guys’ faces told her that whatever had happened while they were gone wasn’t just mildly bad. She got the impression it was catastrophic.
“And remember to wash behind…well, your everything,” Evan called as she hurried up the stairs and into the Castle. “Wash twice.”
Chapter One Hundred Two
It took more like five washings to feel clean. The brush nearly broke when Sophia tried to pull it through her locks. She considered keeping the dreadlocks, which Evan had had before he got electrocuted and all his hair was fried off. The thought that Evan had once sported the same hairdo was enough to make her work through the tangles, returning her hair to its usual sleek appearance.
When Sophia exited the bathroom, she was pleasantly surprised to find Ainsley tending the fire in her room. She’d also set down tea and scones for Sophia as if she’d read her mind about what she was craving.
“The Castle told me while you were showering you needed scones,” Ainsley explained, rising from the fireplace and brushing off her hands on her apron. “Need seemed a bit of an exaggeration, but that’s typical of the Castle.”
Sophia realized how happy she was to see the housekeeper when she threw her arms around her and hugged her.
Ainsley tensed, her arms stick straight by her side. “S. Beaufont?”
“Yes?” Sophia asked, hugging Ainsley tightly.
“What are you doing?”
Sophia pulled away. “I was hugging you.”
“Yes, but we’re not hugging types around here,” she said, taking a sudden step backward. “And you and I aren’t really on those terms.”
Sophia waved her off and took a seat away from the fire, having had enough warmth for ages. She picked up a scone, looking forward to her first refreshments since returning.
“Did you have a good time on holiday?” Ainsley asked, pouring her a cup of tea.
Sophia shook her head. “I was on a walkabout in the Australian Outback.”
“Same thing,” Ainsley said, standing back and looking Sophia over. “You lost weight. And you’re sunburned. What are all those scratches on your arms from?”
Sophia glanced at the various marks on her skin. “Revolting spiders. If I never see one again, it will be too soon.”
“Do you want me to clear out the family who lives under your bed then?” Ainsley asked.
She’d made that joke before, but Sophia was starting to wonder if it was a joke. Taking a bite of the scone, she relished its sweetness, perfectly crumbly and dense, as it melted in her mouth.
“I’d sure like to take a holiday like you all get regularly,” Ainsley said, plopping down on the seat next to Sophia and putting her boots up on the coffee table. “I haven’t left the Castle to do anything but go to town for supplies in ages.”
Sophia nearly choked on her bite. She was one of the few who knew Ainsley couldn’t leave the Castle for long or she’d fall victim to the curse Thad Reinhart had put on her, the one meant to kill Hiker. It had stolen her memory, changed her life, and given her the scar on the side of her head.
Sophia believed there had to be a way to change things, but right then wasn’t the time to investigate. She wanted to take her time sipping tea and chewing on scones, but instead, she gulped down her tea and hardly chewed. Something was going on with Thad and his evil plans, and Sophia knew she needed to report to Hiker right away.
“The Castle missed you,” Ainsley said, grabbing a scone and spreading clotted cream and jam on it.
“It did?” Sophia asked, perking up. “How do you know?”
“Because it told me,” Ainsley answered. “It made portraits of you and Looney.”
Sophia giggled. “That’s a good nickname for him. I’m sure he’ll hate it.”
“Good,” Ainsley chirped. “I’ll be sure to use it and never call him anything else.”
“The Castle and you,” Sophia began, carefully. “You seem to understand it better these days, is that right?”
Ainsley tilted her head back and forth undecidedly. “I understand it when it wants me to. Sometimes the messages are clear, and other times they are just hints. It really depends on its mood. It was quite sour while you were gone. I had to do most of the chores twice since it seemed it wanted to be dirty in your absence.”
Sophia laughed and took a bite of a cream cheese and cucumber sandwich. Somehow it was the best thing she’d ever put in her mouth. “It must have wanted to be just like me when I was in the Outback.”
“The boys missed you too, although they wouldn’t admit it,” Ainsley offered. “Meals were incredibly boring. They kept looking around like they were expecting you to pop in late, wearing something colorful and humming one of your pop songs.”
“That’s nice to hear,” Sophia said, smiling at the idea.
“You’ve changed a lot around the Castle since you showed up,” Ainsley said. “Quiet says the biggest change is yet to come. Once you complete your training, he says.”
“What?” Sophia lowered the sandwich and blinked at the housekeeper. “What does he mean?”
She shrugged. “Who knows, but he’s never been wrong.”
“And you understand him too,” Sophia stated. “How is that?”
“I don’t know why you people can’t understand him,” Ainsley said. “He’s as plain as day to me.”
There was weird magic surrounding the groundskeeper. Sophia had understood him a time or two, the first occasion being when he helped her. Then he’d promised her, if she stuck around, he’d tell her his real name. She was still hoping he made good on the promise because it was of great curiosity to her.
“Ains?” Sophia asked after a brief moment of silence. It had never been a big deal for her, but now she was much more comfortable when it got quiet. “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you like to go?”
The housekeeper chewed, thinking. “I’m not sure. Honestly, I don’t even know why I don’t just leave here and go on a walkabout. It’s just that every time I consider traveling, I quickly lose interest.”
Sophia nodded, knowing the Castle was behind the brainwashing, trying to keep Ainsley safe and alive, although the inevitable result was, she was sheltered.
“I guess I’d like to see a beach,” Ainsley said after a moment of consideration. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen the ocean and a cabana boy serving me drinks while I wiggle my toes in the sand seems just about like the best thing ever. Then I can say something really awful like, ‘Life’s a beach and then you dive.’”
Smiling, Sophia stretched to a standing position. “Well, I hope you get your beach vacation. Maybe Quiet will even join you.”
> “Oh, S. Beaufont,” Ainsley scolded, sitting forward. “I don’t leave the Gullington often because…well, I don’t know why. There isn’t any real need, I guess. But Quiet? He can’t for hardly more than a few minutes.”
“He can’t?” Sophia asked. “Why not?”
Ainsley’s expression changed. “You don’t know? Of course, you don’t know. Anyway, I’ve said too much.”
“No, Ains,” Sophia argued as the housekeeper busied herself picking up the tray and hurrying for the door. “Why can’t Quiet leave the Gullington for long? I won’t tell anyone.”
“Pretend I didn’t say anything,” Ainsley said, the door automatically opening for her since her hands were full of the tray. “Now, you better be off. Hiker will be disappointed you survived, and I’m looking forward to hearing his grumbling on the matter. So off you go.”
Sophia simply nodded and watched as the housekeeper sped out of the room. There were always more mysteries to the Gullington, waiting to be unraveled.
Chapter One Hundred Three
The portrait of Sophia and Lunis was quite nice, she observed on her way to Hiker’s office. It was a sizable painting, about two by four feet. The pair were standing in front of the Pond, the sunlight shimmering over the water as Sophia stood next to her dragon, one of her arms resting on his back.
“I missed you too,” Sophia said aloud to the Castle.
The flames in the sconces lengthened in response.
“Are you going to tell me why Quiet can’t leave the Gullington?”
There was no visible response from the Castle.
“Okay. Are you going to lead me on a scavenger hunt so I can discover the secret on my own?” she asked.
Again, the Castle didn’t seem interested in providing any answers.
Sophia sighed as she headed for Hiker’s office.
It was strange to see Hiker’s study the way it was the first time she saw it. All of his books lined the shelves, and the Elite Globe was back in its place next to the bank of windows. The furniture looked great in the space and had plenty of room around it, unlike when the Castle had shrunk the area to a fraction of the size to punish Hiker for his secret-keeping.
The one thing different from before were newspapers from all over the world, written in different languages, lying all over the place. Even stranger were several television screens stationed around the office, all broadcasting news reports.
“I saw you were back,” Hiker said, indicating the Elite Globe when Sophia ducked her head into the room.
Mama Jamba had a bunch of wadded-up tissues littering the sofa around her. The woman’s nose was red, and her eyes were swollen from crying.
“Mama Jamba, are you okay?” Sophia asked, rushing over and taking the old woman’s hand at once. She worried whatever Thad Reinhart had done was too far gone to stop. Was the Earth in total peril? Was it too late? Was this the end?
Mama Jamba sniffed and squeezed Sophia’s hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just got finished watching The Notebook, and it still has me all emotional.”
“What?” Sophia asked, not expecting that answer. “You mean, Nicholas Sparks’ movie?”
Mama Jamba nodded and grabbed another tissue to dry her eyes.
“I told you these screens were for monitoring world events, not for watching that sappy stuff,” Hiker said with authority.
Mama Jamba pointed to one of the televisions broadcasting a female reporter holding a microphone, standing in front of a picketing crowd. The screen changed to show the beginning of the City of Angels movie. “I’m in the mood to watch sad and depressing movies. Sue me. My Earth is in danger, and this is how I’m going to deal with it.”
Sophia glanced at Hiker, a questioning expression on her face. He simply shrugged in reply.
“What’s going on?” Sophia asked, looking at the two.
“Well,” Mama Jamba began, wiping her nose. “There’s this doctor, and she tries to save lives. That’s Meg Ryan’s character. And Nicholas Cage is an angel. Not like the ones who created the dragonriders. Fictional angels.”
“Mama,” Hiker interrupted, “I believe Sophia meant, what’s going on in the world, not the synopsis for that drivel you’re watching.”
“Oh, well, then I won’t spoil it for you, but you all talk quietly,” Mama Jamba urged. “I’m going to watch this film and cry.”
Sophia rose from the couch and shot the strange woman a questioning expression. “Hiker, is everything okay?”
He shook his head. “We’ll get to that. Anyway, you returned from the Outback. Good on you. Not so hard, was it?”
Sophia eyed her fingernails, which were still not as clean as she would have liked. “I survived.”
“And the dingoes?” he asked. “Did they take a toe?”
“She didn’t fight the dingoes because she’s smarter than the lot of you,” Mama Jamba said, taking a bite out of a chocolate truffle. Sophia didn’t remember seeing those there a moment ago.
“She what?” Hiker questioned. “Of course, she did.”
“For two days she did, but then she figured it out,” Mama Jamba said, her focus on the television screen in front of her. Briefly, she pulled her gaze away and looked at Sophia. “You’re a smart one. That’s how I know you’ll finish training in record time. If you don’t, well, we’re all going to hell anyway at this rate.”
Sophia had many questions, but before she could voice them, Hiker interrupted her thoughts. He apparently had his own questions.
“What does she mean?” he asked, pointing at Mama Jamba. “You didn’t fight the dingoes?”
“They just wanted to fight,” Sophia explained and gave him the full story.
When she was done, he stroked his beard, a skeptical glint in his blue eyes. “That’s an interesting approach. It could have backfired completely.”
“It’s called faith, my dear. If more had it, I wouldn’t be perishing,” Mama Jamba chimed in, her attention still on the television as she finished another truffle. It was like she wasn’t listening, yet she responded in time.
Hiker rolled his eyes. “Would you stop being so melodramatic, Mama? You aren’t going anywhere, and neither is your Earth. I’ll see to that, especially now that Sophia is back.”
“Her training, Hiker,” Mama Jamba sang. Her Southern accent made the words sound soft, even though they were filled with demand.
“Thad has taken a serious advantage,” Hiker argued, leaning across his desk and staring at the woman who was staring at the television as Meg Ryan delivered a speech.
“Which is why she’s going to progress with her training,” Mama Jamba said, holding out her hand, an Old-Fashioned materializing in her fingers. She smiled at it, although the gesture was marked by a tender hurt in her eyes. The old woman took a sip and then wiped her mouth. “Oh, that hits the spot. No one makes an Old-Fashioned quite like you, Castle.”
“If we could focus for a moment, it would be wise,” Hiker said, irritation in his voice.
Mama Jamba waved him on. “Go on then. I’ll cut in when I see fit. But right now, it’s getting to the good part, so y’all keep it down.”
Hiker sighed and returned his attention to Sophia. “While you were gone, Thad accelerated his plans. I believe he’s been working on them for quite some time. Maybe he wasn’t planning on moving ahead like this quite yet—”
“He wasn’t,” Mama Jamba cut in, sipping her drink.
Hiker nodded, obviously annoyed at being interrupted. “Anyway, I’m guessing our presence has worried him, so he’s taking action. I didn’t realize how much control and power he has. His hands are in every part of the international government. He has corporations all over the world that contribute to widespread problems. He’s instigating discord all over the globe.” Hiker threw his hand at the many newspapers littering his desk. “I should have seen it coming. I should have known how powerful he was.”
“Why didn’t you?” Sophia asked, and instantly regretted it based on the scolding lo
ok he shot her.
“It’s a good question,” Mama Jamba said, coming to her defense. “You need to explain yourself, Hiker.”
He obviously wasn’t used to being ordered around by two women, one who questioned him and the other who made demands. After a moment, he said, “Thad and I used to be connected. I told you I worked to block him. Well, since I admitted he wasn’t gone from this Earth, I’ve tried to find him.” He pointed to the Elite Globe. “I tried to track him down, but he isn’t one of us anymore, and he doesn’t have a dragon, so my methods haven’t worked. And I believe he’s used magitech to block me now.”
“Okay, that makes sense,” Sophia said.
“Anyway, Thad is much more powerful and far-reaching than I envisioned,” Hiker continued. “He’s on the brink of instigating a war among strong countries who have devastating capabilities. They can’t see they’re going to destroy each other to settle their disputes, so I have to assume he’s using magic to brainwash them.”
“And money,” Mama Jamba added. “Money is magic on the mind. It will make perfectly good humans do imperfect things.”
Hiker nodded. “However he’s done it, the ball is in motion, and it will result in a war.”
“So that’s what you’re doing?” Sophia asked, pointing at the various televisions. “You’re monitoring what’s happening around the world based on Thad’s plans?”
Hiker nodded and growled at the same time. “I didn’t like bringing technology into the Castle, but you’d already done it, and I guess it was overdue. Anyway, I defaulted to the most practical solution. I need information, and I need it fast to deal with things.”
Sophia wanted to congratulate him on the big step into the twenty-first century, but it seemed ill-timed. She’d wait until he was more used to having technology around since he was presently scowling at the closest television screen. That also might have been because it was showing a report about how neighboring countries were hours from a seemingly unstoppable war.