Rules of Justice (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 8)

by Sarah Noffke

  “Well, we know what its weakness is, but how are we going to use it to get rid of him?” Sophia asked.

  We have to employ another strategy, Lunis explained, whipping around as Ugly sped around them again, his teeth making biting sounds as he passed.

  “Which is?” Sophia asked.

  Light will kill him, Lunis muttered, scooting Sophia in so he was closer to her as the beast got more daring, biting at them as he moved by in a blur. However, we have to draw him out and slow him down.

  “How do we do that?” Sophia asked, her heart drumming with fear. She’d always been scared of dogs, not having been around the animals growing up and hearing they were always wild at heart, even the tamed ones.

  Invite a dog’s greatest enemy to the fight, Lunis said victoriously.

  Chapter Ten

  “A cat?” Sophia questioned at once.

  Well, yeah, Lunis stated. Can you summon one?

  The only cat Sophia knew was Plato, and he wasn’t really a normal cat. He was a lynx, but also so much more. If she were Liv, then she could summon Plato, and he’d magically appear. However, she wasn’t her sister and didn’t know how to find the lynx on a whim. Summoning another cat was beyond her.

  “I don’t think I can,” she mumbled, tensing as Ugly dared to get even closer than before with the last pass.

  Lunis’ tail thumped on the ground, making it shake, but that didn’t seem to deter the rabid dog much. He howled with evil delight as he retreated back into the woods.

  “I can’t summon a cat,” Sophia began. “But, I might be able to improvise.” She gave her dragon a sideways look, a meaningful expression in her eyes. He caught it and peeled back suddenly.

  No, he protested at once. Actually, let me put it this way. Hell no.

  “It could work though,” she argued, realizing he’d read her mind and knew her idea.

  Neck tattoos can work, but that doesn’t mean anyone should get them, he argued.

  Sophia shook her head. “Here I was, thinking of getting one for my next birthday.”

  Ugly sped back, and Sophia shone her palm at him as he was leaping, his teeth bared and claws going for her throat. He darted away at once. It was close, and he was getting bolder. It was only a matter of time before he got clear in to attack her.

  “We’re running out of time,” she argued, giving Lunis a begging look.

  He shook his head. I can hold him off. Waving his tail continuously, he created a defensive measure that would keep the Chupacabra back for a little while. Why don’t you try an illusion of a cat?

  Sophia grimaced. “I don’t think that will work. He needs something tangible. Something he can smell. That’s a powerful sense for a dog.”

  Steam issued from the dragon’s nostrils when he sighed. There has to be another way.

  “There isn’t, Lun.”

  Lowering his chin, he gave her a resigned expression. You’re sure you can do it?

  “I think so,” she answered. “I’ve never tried, but I’m excellent with disguises.”

  This isn’t like putting a hat on someone, he argued.

  Sophia yelped with pain when the Chupacabra’s teeth grazed the back of her arms as he leapt past her. She clapped her hand to the laceration, which hurt much more than she would have expected. The creature’s bite had to be full of poison.

  Lunis’ eyes widened with concern. Are you okay?

  She nodded. “Yeah, but he’s had a taste of blood…”

  Sophia didn’t have to finish the sentence for them both to know what that meant. Its howl was full of hunger. Then Ugly was moving around them even faster, with an excitement that was palpable.

  Lunis seemed resigned as he nodded. Fine. Let’s do it. Make me into a cat.

  Chapter Eleven

  The magic it would cost to disguise a dragon into a house cat would be considerable, and would almost deplete Sophia. If it worked, then it would be worth it. All she needed was just enough magic to create the beam of light once more, and she could end the evil dog, and bring peace to Sherwood Forest once again.

  “Okay, are you ready?” Sophia asked, focusing her attention on Lunis even though she knew this made her vulnerable to an attack by Ugly. Lunis had her back, though. Literally. He was wrapped all around her, protecting her as she readied the disguising spell.

  Yeah, but if this doesn’t reverse, then I’m going to eat you, he threatened.

  “It’s a disguising spell, not a neck tattoo,” she stated.

  He nodded. Thank goodness. I don’t have time for such bad life decisions.

  “Also, how are you going to eat me when you’re so little?” she questioned.

  Lunis flashed her a wicked grin. One bite at a time.

  Sophia wanted to laugh but knew she needed to concentrate. It was going to be the most complicated disguising spell she’d ever done. She thought Lunis was right, and it was the only way to draw the Chupacabra out. Right now, he was playing with them and taunting them, streaking by and nipping at Lunis and her. However, Ugly needed to meet his match, and everyone knew that dogs hated no one more than cats and vice versa.

  “Okay, are you ready?” Sophia asked, daring to squeeze her eyes shut.

  She felt Lunis nod in her head. Do it.

  Opening her eyes, she lifted her hand, trying to stay focused as he defended her with his tail as Ugly darted past them. His mouth chomped like a crocodile hunting flies in the swamp.

  Muttering the disguising spell, Sophia prepared to watch the transformation happen immediately. Lunis didn’t shift. He didn’t shrink. He didn’t even grow a set of whiskers.

  Her energy depleted, and Sophia was afraid she’d wasted all her magic. Then the features on her dragon slowly started to shift, and her chest tightened with hope. The change was so gradual that if she didn’t know what she was looking for, she would have missed it entirely.

  Sophia reached into her cloak for the emergency stash of chocolate she kept for such occasions, feeling more tired than she had been in recent history. It was difficult to pull the wrapper off, and it demanded all her focus.

  That’s why when she took a bite and her vision cleared, she was surprised by the sight before her. Her dragon was gone, replaced by one of the cutest things she’d ever set eyes upon.

  Chapter Twelve

  Get that look off your face said the tiny kitten sitting where the massive dragon had been before.

  Without Lunis surrounding her, Sophia realized she was vulnerable. She whipped around and noticed the clearing was quiet. A rustling shook the branches in the distance, but there was no sign of the dog.

  Figuring he was peeking through the leaves and trying to determine what happened to the large dragon that had been perched over her, Sophia chanced a look at the blue and green kitten.

  His long fur was blue like the color of his scales with little markings of green along his face, body, and tail. The bright Puss in Boot eyes he regarded her with nearly sent Sophia into cute overload, a condition many who watch cat videos on YouTube suffer from.

  “What look?” Sophia dared to ask, realizing she regarded the dragon slash cat with dreamy eyes.

  You’re looking at me like you want to put a big red bow on me and stick me in your handbag, Lunis muttered, looking down at his dainty paws with disgust. He was the cutest thing Sophia had ever laid eyes on with his huge eyes and tiny little tail. When he wagged it, the force looked like it would take him off his short legs.

  “If I had a bow and a handbag, you know what would be happening,” Sophia warned.

  He shook his head. This better work or that monster is going to gobble me up in one bite.

  Sophia tensed, remembering the severity of the moment. She gulped and gathered herself. “It will work,” she said, trying to sound confident. “Strategy over brute force, right? That’s the best approach.”

  Lunis gave her a doubtful expression. If squashing the mutt had been an option, I would have preferred that to this. He lifted a paw and held it in t
he air, eyeing it like it was nuclear waste.

  Sophia heard the bushes rustle behind them. She tensed, realizing she was blocking the view of the kitten. She couldn’t hold the disguising spell for long, so time was important. Balling up her fist to hide the light beam spell she was about to create, Sophia gave Lunis a tentative expression.

  For all his complaints and doubts, the adorable kitten-dragon nodded curtly. It was go time. Either this worked or they were going to have to rely on plan B, which as far as Sophia could tell, involved running like hell.

  Chapter Thirteen

  At Sophia’s back, Ugly sniffed the air, then let out a low growl that sounded like tires rolling over gravel. She knew having her back to the beast was a risky move, but they were turning the tables. She believed his curiosity over what he could smell on the other side of her outweighed his desire for blood—if only momentarily. That’s all they needed to take advantage.

  Sweat dripped down Sophia’s brow, although it was cool in Sherwood Forest with a gentle breeze making the leaves dance overhead. She gave Lunis one last cautious look as she heard the beast take a step closer. Ugly wasn’t moving like before, sprinting past them. As she had intended, they had done something to make him pause. They had given him something he hadn’t expected and hopefully hadn’t planned for. The key to taking advantage in most dangerous situations was to introduce something unexpected. The surprise may not last for long, but it only took a moment to distract an opponent and take the upper hand.

  Lunis blinked at her, his eyelashes long, and his eyes sparkling with cuteness. Sophia pushed away the urge to cuddle him and stepped to the side, showing Ugly what was on the other side of her.

  The massive beast stiffened all over when Sophia spied him as she turned to face the creature. The muscles under Ugly’s patchy fur tensed. He froze, his chin low and his eyes on the kitten only a few yards away.

  Lunis was standing straight, his back arched slightly, and his fluffy tail doubled its size. The hair on his back was sticking straight up, and he looked like a cat about to pounce. Even with his small size, the kitten was a formidable force—as were most cats when standing off with their common enemy, the dog.

  Sophia held her breath, her eyes skipping between the Chupacabra and Lunis. They were having a staring contest, and it wasn’t going to last long. She started the light beam spell in her closed palms, finding it more difficult than before due to her magical reserves being low. She could do it, she told herself.

  Her fingers began to warm, but she kept them tightly shut, pressing them into her palms until the spell was complete. Any light would scare Ugly away. What she needed was something stronger than before. She couldn’t leave anything to chance. Sophia needed the brightest light she could conjure. Something as bright as the sun that would send the Chupacabra back to the hell it crawled out of.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The spell wasn’t complete when Ugly raced across the clearing, straight for Lunis the kitten.

  Sophia nearly bit her tongue, but she didn’t move otherwise. Neither did Lunis. He held his ground, rising up with his back high in the air.

  The Chupacabra halted when his nose was inches from Lunis. His head was low, and his black eyes merely slits, whereas the fluffy kitten had his head held high and eyes wide—no fear present on his face.

  If Lunis had run, then Ugly would have chased. That much was obvious. The old chase game had been going on for centuries between dogs and cats.

  As it was, the lurking beast didn’t seem to know what to do with the tiny kitten who refused to back down from the fight that was building in intensity. Ugly’s tail was stiff as a board, as were all of the muscles in its body. It appeared to hardly be breathing as it glared down at the kitten.

  Lunis, Sophia knew, was running out of options. He could hold the beast off for only another moment. Then the chase would begin, and that’s when things would get complicated and dangerous.

  Sophia needed to end the Chupacabra before that happened. Lunis wouldn’t survive a chase. Ugly was much too fast. The light in her palm wasn’t bright enough. She knew that purely based on instinct. For this to work, the beam of light would need to be so bright that neither she nor Lunis could see it. Only light that was too much for their eyes would have the effect they needed to finish off the mutt.

  Come on, Sophia urged in her mind. She wasn’t connected telepathically with Lunis—having to devote all her attention to the disguising and light beam spell. However, she knew he was about to take off. She could feel it, and the idea terrified her. All Ugly would have to do was leap forward and grab the kitten up by his teeth and wring him out. Then there would be no more kitten, and the spell would be over, along with their chances of defeating the Chupacabra.

  The rabid dog couldn’t kill Lunis in this form because he’d just revert back to his dragon body. However, the irony wasn’t lost on Sophia that they’d chosen a really vulnerable form to put Lunis into when facing the most dangerous dog she’d ever laid eyes on. She almost smiled to herself, enjoying the irony, but her attention was stolen as the tiny kitten picked up his back leg, telegraphing his next move.

  The chase they wanted to avoid was about to start, and they had no choice. Sophia had to just hope that Lunis got enough of a head start because the light beam spell wasn’t ready yet.

  She needed at least another minute. Taking in a sip of air, she hoped Lunis lasted that long as the kitten tore off to the right.

  The chase had begun.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Apparently, Ugly hadn’t expected the tiny kitten to take off because he tensed as Lunis streaked across the forest ground, making progress in the opposite direction.

  The Chupacabra recovered quickly though and took off at once, an ear-splitting howl ripping from his mouth as he bounded after the kitten. Lunis’ little legs worked fast to carry him over the leafy ground. He had to bound high into the air to clear the thick roots that covered the dirt.

  Sophia was grateful to see he’d employed a speed spell to compensate for his smaller strides. If he hadn’t, then he never would have made it to the large gnarly tree before Ugly reached him. In a fluid movement, Lunis clawed his way up the trunk, not stopping until he was on one of the higher branches, looking down at the massive dog.

  Ugly had nearly gotten Lunis as they sped across the forest, his jaw snapping as he bounded after the tiny animal. Thankfully his attempts to eat on the run slowed him down slightly, giving Lunis the advantage he needed.

  Now the huge dog perched at the base of the large tree, his paws resting halfway up the moss-covered bark and his tail wagging angrily behind him.

  Lunis too, was waving his puffy tail, a hiss radiating from his mouth. It was a strange noise to hear coming from her dragon, but it elicited the right response from Ugly. He howled loudly, madder than hell and more importantly, completely distracted. They had the Chupacabra exactly where they wanted him. Now Sophia just needed to finish the light beam spell.

  Ten more seconds, she thought, daring to look down at her hand where the light was now spilling over her fingers.

  Ugly’s head jerked to the side as he barked, sounding more like a real dog than the demon he was. To Sophia’s surprise, he backed up a few paces, his eyes starting to glow with hostility.

  Sophia nearly yelled out when the Chupacabra bounded forward again and threw his massive paws and body into the tree trunk. To her astonishment, his weight and force were nearly enough to shake Lunis out of the tree. Sophia spied real fear on the kitten’s face as he clung to the branch for dear life with his sharp claws. Falling out of the tree would ruin everything and would put Lunis in serious danger.

  Ugly backed up again, encouraged by his near success with the last attempt. Like a bull about to charge, he scraped his paw against the dirt, pulling up small roots.

  The look Lunis flashed Sophia spoke volumes. He couldn’t withstand another assault. This one would be bigger. It would knock him out of the tree. Their chance was n
ow.

  Glaring down at her hand, Sophia let out a breath. She didn’t know if the light beam would be enough to end the Chupacabra, but they were officially out of options.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Hey!” Sophia yelled.

  At first, she didn’t think it would be enough to stop the Chupacabra from charging. The beast seemed to have forgotten about her, his attention owned by the kitten. However, just before he was about to launch himself forward, he glared over his shoulder—murder written in his soulless eyes.

  “Yeah, you, Ugly.” Sophia insulted him, buying another few moments as she hid her hand behind her back. The light spilling around her fingers would be noticed by the mutt.

  Whereas before, Ugly had been ruled by instinct and possibly logic, it all seemed to disappear when the kitten showed up. He turned to face her directly, wanting a feast one way or another.

  By the glint in his eyes, Ugly was done playing games and going straight for the kill. In a flash, he bounded forward, straight at Sophia, moving so fast he nearly blurred in the air.

  His speed was incredible, and by the time Sophia raised her hand into the air, he was only a few feet away. She kept her hand fisted and whipped her head to the side. The last thing she saw before she firmly pressed her eyelids closed was the Chupacabra’s snout inches from her hand as she opened her fingers, spraying out a hot white light.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The howl that cut through the moist air was all around Sophia. It made her head feel like it had been split in two. She literally felt like her ears would burst from the assault.

  The Chupacabra’s shriek was one of instant suffering and mind-numbing pain. Sophia couldn’t help but feel sorry for the beast as the force of the light spilling from her hand knocked her to the ground. She hit her head on a tree stump but didn’t dare to open her eyes. Instead, she shielded her head with her arm, and kept her other one out stick straight, pointed in the direction where Ugly had been.