by Sarah Noffke
“That’s correct,” Bermuda stated.
“So the basilisk, it doesn’t mind wearing the blindfold?” Sophia asked.
“If you turned everyone around you to stone, what kind of life would that be for you?” Bermuda countered.
Sophia thought for a moment. “It would be quite lonely.”
“Of course it would be,” Bermuda agreed at once. “No, Bae prefers to sacrifice his sight for a life of companionship.” She stroked the basilisk’s head.
“That makes sense,” Sophia said, her eyes darting around the tent. Beside where Lunis and Jonathon were talking, there was a large wolf that had a shimmering coat and horns on its head.
On the other side of it was a golem, Sophia recognized. She was going to ask if Bae’s blindfold had slipped and turned the creature that appeared like a fat man to stone but figured that was bad taste. There was also a smallish rhinoceros that had moss and flowers growing from its chin and back. Most of the creatures weren’t those Sophia was familiar with. While her curiosity was piqued, she decided that now wasn’t the time for a magical creatures lesson.
“You have another question for me,” Bermuda stated, rather than asked.
Sophia nodded, chewing on her lip as she pulled her attention off the strange magical creatures at Bermuda’s back. “Distortion. What do you know about it? Besides that it isn’t caused by dragons?”
The giantess thought for a moment. “I think it has a magitech origin.”
“Like it’s caused by a signal or something?” Sophia remembered that something similar had been broadcast to make it so mortals couldn’t see magic. Liv brought down the signal, and that was part of the cure.
“Possibly,” Bermuda replied.
“So it’s been manufactured,” Sophia said bitterly. “All to make the Dragon Elite look bad.”
“Someone really doesn’t want you ruling world affairs,” Bermuda observed.
“So, I need to find the source and take it out,” Sophia said, mostly to herself.
“Maybe, but that might take some time,” Bermuda explained. “To me, finding the cause of something is one approach, but it won’t fix those already affected. I would focus on using your efforts to find a cure. Then you can save your people and the elves and be seen as what you are—a hero.”
Sophia drew in a breath. “I want to do that, more than anything. It makes me sad to think of my race losing their powers and disappearing.”
Bermuda nodded solemnly. “It is a very sad disease.”
“I just don’t even know where to start with finding a cure,” Sophia said.
The giantess thrust her finger into the air. “But one must exist.”
“How do you know?” Sophia asked.
“Because if my hunch is correct, then it was created by the very person who has the most to gain by discrediting the Dragon Elite,” Bermuda said.
“Nevin Gooseman,” Sophia related. “I only wish I could prove that.”
“I hope you do,” Bermuda stated. “However, he is a magician, and so far, he is unaffected by distortion.”
“That means he has the antidote or a vaccine or some way to keep it from affecting him,” Sophia reasoned, suddenly feeling hopeful.
“That’s my thought,” Bermuda agreed. “Now, I don’t know any more than that, but I did meet a healer on my travels who could be of help. They don’t practice in Western medicine and work through unorthodox ways, so their cure would be different than whatever Nevin Gooseman is using.”
“Worth a shot,” Sophia remarked.
Bermuda agreed with a nod. “Getting to Rumi will be very difficult, though.”
Sophia narrowed her gaze. “Did you say Rumi? Like the ancient poet?”
“That’s the one.”
“But he’s dead.”
The giantess frowned. “Since when did someone being dead prevent them from acting in the living world?”
Sophia’s eyes widened with astonishment. She didn’t even know how to reply.
“Rumi is more alive than most thanks to the words he left behind,” Bermuda told her. “You see, the legacy we leave behind can make us immortal, and that is truer for no one more than that great poet.”
“Okay, although I get what you’re saying,” Sophia began slowly. “I’m not sure how the ghost of a man or his legacy can create a cure.”
Bermuda shrugged. “I don’t either, but if anyone can, it will be Rumi. Like I said, his approach is nontraditional. It is based on feelings and words, but as a magician who speaks spells, I think you know the power of words.”
Sophia nodded. “That’s true. How do I find Rumi?”
“You will need to travel to his tomb in Konya, Turkey,” Bermuda explained. “Since he was a philosopher of love, take two who you love dearly with you. That is the only way I know for someone to enter his tomb.”
Sophia scratched her head. “Two who I love? Will something happen to them?” she asked, thinking of the ones she’d take, it was obvious when she thought of the words of Rumi and the feelings his poems inspired.
“The ones we love are always at risk,” Bermuda stated. “That’s why we can never take them for granted because nothing is guaranteed.”
Suddenly, Sophia felt a huge foreboding hanging over her. She sensed she’d have to put her loved ones at risk in order to find the cure for distortion, and that wasn’t something she took lightly. Solutions involved risks and Sophia knew the ones she loved would want to be a part of the solution. That was one of the very reasons she adored them so completely.
Chapter Forty-One
Sophia was grateful for Bermuda Laurens’s help but couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling of having the requirement of bringing two people she loved along with her. It felt like she was going to have to put them at risk. However, there were no rewards without that.
On the way to the House of Fourteen, Sophia’s heart broke over and over again at the sight of magicians and elves blurring in the distance. She and Lunis made the decision he’d return to the Gullington to avoid getting any more unnecessary attention.
Even though Lunis encouraged her not to worry what the jackfruits of the world thought, they both knew it was hard to entirely dismiss it. Especially having to watch people suffering and knowing they believed dragons were responsible for it.
Sophia entered the House of Fourteen, for the first time not feeling welcome there. It wasn’t that anyone in the entryway denied her entrance. There was no one there to do that. The Councilors and Warriors would be in the Chamber of the Tree. However, the House of Fourteen was very much like the Castle and changed itself depending on many different factors.
When Liv was fighting the war to enable mortals to see magic, the House changed often. It was common knowledge among the Royals the old structure changed depending on who was in it and what was happening in the magical world. When Sophia entered, the walls of the entryway were black, and the area dark like all the lights had burned out.
Smoke swirled along the floor, and Sophia had the feeling she was entering a Halloween haunted house. The floorboards groaned when she took a step, as though protesting her entrance.
Sophia reasoned the dark appearance of the place was a result of what magicians were going through globally. It also could very well be because the Dragon Elite were presently seen as enemies.
Clutching the rolled-up document Bermuda Laurens had given her, Sophia started for the Chamber of the Tree. When she entered through the Door of Reflection, she felt even more unwelcome than before. Even those who usually regarded her with kind expressions gave her skeptical glares.
Sophia tried to shrug it off as she made her way to the center of the room, all eyes on her. The space had fallen silent.
“You dare to enter our sanctuary,” Bianca Mantovani hissed.
Sophia’s eyes darted to Lorenzo Rosario beside her, and she had the urge to rejoice. Around one of his eyes was a purple and greenish bruise. It did little to cover the rude glare on his face. Beside Bianc
a was a face Sophia didn’t recognize—Marty Martinez, according to Liv. They were the new family who had bought their way into the House of Fourteen and secured a position on the council.
She glanced around the Chamber of the Tree, not seeing the Warrior paired with Marty. The new Councilor, Marty Martinez was an older man with gray and black hair and a full beard, his eyes untrusting, and a strange smirk on his face.
“Yes, I dare,” Sophia said with confidence, looking at Clark, who had an unreadable expression. “You will remember the House of Fourteen was once my home.”
“What if you brought distortion into our home?” Lorenzo demanded, tilting his face to the side, fully showing his black eye.
“What happened to you?” Sophia dared to ask, curious about what his answer would be.
“None of your business,” he fired back.
“Well, I am in the business of settling disputes, so I thought it might be my business,” she stated, smiling sweetly at him, making the scowl on his face deepen.
“I don’t think Sophia could spread distortion,” Hester DeVries said, although her usual warmth was absent.
“I think,” Haro Takahashi began carefully, “that we don’t really know enough about the disease to make any conclusions.”
“Dragons aren’t responsible for spreading it,” Sophia told them, her voice clear and strong.
“Of course, that’s what you’d say,” Bianca said with a sigh.
“It’s true,” Sophia insisted. “But you don’t have to believe me.” She held up the rolled document. “Bermuda Laurens, the expert on magical creatures, has provided her expertise on the matter.”
Haro flicked his wrist, and the paper flew from Sophia’s hand up to his own. He unrolled it and glanced over the page. “She says she doesn’t believe distortion to be connected to dragons.”
“So she isn’t sure,” Lorenzo said, sounding satisfied.
“She isn’t one to state facts unless she knows them to be one-hundred-percent true,” Sophia argued.
Haro handed the paper down the table, and each of the Councilors glanced at it.
“She states that it is incredibly unlikely,” Clark said after reading the page. “And as you said yourself, Haro, we don’t know much about distortion. We don’t even have any evidence linking dragons to it.”
“No, just a deranged man with an agenda.” It was actually Raina Ludwig who made this observation. Sophia was glad for it because she didn’t want to be the one to bring up Nevin Gooseman, not with Lorenzo there and possibly suspicious about who abducted him.
“The Dragon Elite do firmly believe that Nevin Gooseman and others in power in the mortal government are behind this,” Sophia declared.
Bianca sighed like she was bored. “It’s convenient to discredit those who oppose you, Ms. Beaufont.”
“That’s not what we’re doing,” Sophia argued. “He’s made false accusations. This is going too far.”
“Where is Hiker Wallace in all this?” Marty Martinez asked, his voice high pitched.
“He is leading the Dragon Elite,” Sophia answered.
“He was asked to show evidence of Mother Nature’s support,” Lorenzo observed. “Where is she? If she really is allied with the Dragon Elite, then why doesn’t he present her?”
“Because she isn’t a trophy we put on display.” Sophia’s chest was rattling with anger now. “She is the most powerful entity in the world and will not show herself just because a two-bit politician demands it. If you think she should, then you misunderstand how this world works. Those in power do not bow to the whims of the weak.”
A small smile flicked to Clark’s mouth. “Well put.”
Bianca shook her head. “Keep the nepotism to yourself. We are trying to have an objective meeting.”
“I think when you’re attending to matters, that’s highly unlikely,” Clark fired, uncharacteristically engaging in conflict with a Councilor. He normally tried to avoid such things.
Sophia liked this change and thought Clark was picking up Liv’s normal role in her absence.
“That’s quite enough, Councilors,” Haro said authoritatively. “Now, Sophia, how does the Dragon Elite plan to fix this global issue with distortion?”
“The way I figure it, the problem isn’t ours to fix,” Sophia answered with confidence. “This falls under your jurisdiction since it involves magical races.”
A flash of hatred spread across Lorenzo’s face. “How insulting. You bring sickness to us and—”
“We are not responsible for this.” Sophia cut Lorenzo off. “We, as the Dragon Elite, will not turn our backs on the House of Fourteen or the elves. That’s how it is supposed to be. We are supposed to support each other, not create divisions when others make slanderous rumors.”
“That is how it should be,” Hester said, looking down the bench at the others, giving Lorenzo in particular a pointed expression.
“Therefore, I’ve already determined where I can search for a cure,” Sophia explained. “I will be devoting my efforts to finding it so that we can help those affected. Then we will need to find out where distortion came from and eradicate the source.”
Raina nodded, offering a supportive smile. “That’s most generous of you to devote your time and energy to this. We are most grateful.”
“I’m happy to do it,” Sophia said proudly. “But once this is under control, I will hope the House of Fourteen will show the Dragon Elite the same loyalty and allegiance we’ve given you. Your reputation has come under scrutiny quite recently, and instead of shutting you out, when your own were being abducted by Saverus corporation, we assisted you.”
Clark nodded. “It’s true. I think this is a good reminder that we are stronger together. If we allow the politics of the mortal world to tear us apart, then our extinction will be imminent. The mortal world is much larger than our own, and it would take very little for them to tear us down if we don’t stand together.”
Chapter Forty-Two
“One hundred percent,” Wilder said to Sophia as they strode down the corridor of the Castle.
The old building had changed a lot since her last time there, but not like the House of Fourteen. There were more windows, and the hallways were larger, which was impressive since they had already been pretty wide.
“Are you sure?” Sophia asked, noticing there were arrows on the stone floor indicating the direction they should go, although she wasn’t sure why. “I’m not sure what we’re going to face at Rumi’s tomb, but I don’t think we’re going to be lavished with hearts and kisses.”
“Of course, I’m going to go.” Wilder paused at the next junction and raised an eyebrow at the strange new look of the hallway. “For one, it’s a crucial mission. We have to find a cure for this distortion. And secondly, you asked me, and I’ll do anything for you.”
Sophia smiled at him, that familiar feeling of butterflies making her feel weightless and heavy at the same time. It was strange and amazing to her that someone could fill her with so much emotion.
“Thank you,” she finally said after a moment, having trouble finding her voice.
“You’re always welcome,” Wilder replied, his dimples surfacing when he smiled down at her. He leaned in closer, a kiss no doubt about to follow, but they were interrupted by the hallway widening even more.
Sophia’s head jerked up. “What do you think is going on here?”
Wilder laughed. “I think it’s connected to Trin’s new role as a housekeeper and the approaching date of Ainsley leaving. The Castle seems to be making room for the changes to come.”
Sophia nodded. “That makes sense.” She pointed to the arrow on the stone floor. It was pointing in the opposite direction. “And these arrows?”
“Maybe the Castle wants us to go the other way now,” Wilder suggested. “We were just strolling and talking, but now we have a mission, and it wants us to embark on it, quite possibly.”
“Yeah, and who knows what will happen if we go the wrong way d
own a one-way road,” Sophia joked.
He flashed her a wide grin, a devilish light in his eyes. “You know, I like that you wouldn’t flip out if we went the wrong way down a one-way road.”
“That’s what you like about me?”
Wilder nodded. “Yes, people who freak out over small stuff or even major stuff are the worst.”
“Well, as they say, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff and it’s all small stuff.’”
“Is that a Rumi quote?” Wilder asked, putting his arm around her shoulder and steering her the other way.
Sophia shook her head. “No, he said much more profound stuff than that. Things like, ‘Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.’”
“I like that,” he replied, a playful expression on his face. “See, and that’s exactly why I’ll follow you on this mission, or anywhere you go.”
Blushing, Sophia lowered her chin. “You and your lines.”
“They aren’t lines,” he argued. “They are inspired words. You bring them out of me.”
“Well, although I love the things you say to me, you might want to get them out now because I believe that Lunis will barf if he hears you sweet-talking me.”
Wilder picked up her hand and pressed it to his lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t make your dragon sick on this mission. I will make him roll his eyes a few times.”
Sophia lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed the man before her. “He’s going to do that regardless.”
Chapter Forty-Three
The Mevlâna Museum in Konya, Turkey, was an impressive sight. The place where Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi was entombed was a large building with a series of domes, but the most interesting part was a turquoise mausoleum and small mosque in the back. It reminded Sophia of the Castle with its turrets and spires but done in a different architectural fashion.
Can you spot me for the admission fees? Lunis asked, standing on one side of Sophia. I’m all tapped out.