by Sarah Noffke
The stairs that led to the second floor were far at their back or on the other side of the tornado. There was only one way of getting up there fast as far as Sophia could tell.
“Me?” he asked, using magic to protect them from the debris aimed at their faces.
“Yeah, because you have the bow,” she replied and pulled the grappling hook that Wilder had given her for Christmas from her belt.
She pressed it into his outstretched hand with a reassuring look. “I’ll be fine here, keeping my distance from this thing. Find the source and make it stop.”
He nodded with confidence. “Be careful.” Then Wilder aimed the grappling hook up toward the railing and shot the hook. It wrapped around one of the banisters and instantly yanked him in that direction. Gracefully, he swung his legs over the side of the railing and immediately pulled his bow from his back. He narrowed his eyes on the first floor below.
It was progress, but Sophia still had to avoid the spinning pile of pages hurdling in her direction. She worked to keep any tension off her face, knowing Clause was watching her from somewhere.
“It’s such a pretty tornado!” she yelled to be heard over the roaring. “I love how you used the pages!”
The cyclone weakened a bit and drew backward. She guessed the hobgoblin was fuming from her words, and it was making his magic weaken.
Wilder nodded from up high with an encouraging expression as he continued to scan the aisles below for any sign of Clause.
“I really love a good storm!” Sophia exclaimed. “It’s probably the best way to really destroy this place, which we really need so we can remodel. Thanks so much, Philly.”
The tornado shrunk, many of the pages falling out.
Sophia caught a victorious expression on Wilder’s face as he pulled back the bow and fired an arrow. A moment later the tornado vanished, all of the pages from books dropping to the floor in a huge pile that created a barrier across the aisle. Still, Sophia was able to spy the hobgoblin as he streaked between the center row, clutching his butt where an arrow protruded.
“Good work,” she mouthed to Wilder.
He smiled and refocused on the floor below, his brow scrunching up with confusion.
He’d obviously lost sight of Clause, who was injured, but definitely not down for the count. Not yet, at least.
“Ouch!” a high-pitched voice wailed from up ahead.
Sophia took off running, hoping to make up the space before the hobgoblin went on the run again after probably pulling the arrow from his bum.
She caught sight of him in a row that was devoid of books. Sophia pulled the rope from her back and threw her gaze up to Wilder. “Catch this,” she demanded, throwing the end that had the figure-eight knot tied into it up to him.
He caught it and went straight to work. While they were crafting the next part of Sophia’s impromptu plan, Clause was already moving on stage two of his, which included knocking over the large shelf next to him.
Sophia was impressed at his strength. She watched as he seemed to barely put any effort into the movement, and a second later, the domino effect began as the first shelf fell on to the next, making each one in turn fall.
Wilder’s face contorted with stress as his gaze flew to the far side of the library. “The brownies!” he exclaimed, pointing.
Sophia glanced at Clause, who regarded her with a satisfied expression, his arms folded over his chest as he tapped his foot. The look on his face said, “Your move.”
The screams of brownies assaulted Sophia’s ears. Wilder had already taken off after them. For a moment, Sophia considered using her magic to tie the hobgoblin up, but that would take time, and it didn’t sound like they had that luxury based on the pleas for help at the front of the library.
Sophia narrowed her eyes at Clause before setting off at a sprint, trying to catch up with the falling shelves making a cacophony of noise as they tumbled one on top of the other. Dust and books sprang up from the floor as the shelves fell.
Sophia watched as Wilder leaped off the second floor just in front of the falling shelves. He rolled out of the jump and grabbed up a few brownies who were cowering before the impending destruction.
Sophia pulled ahead of the chaos and spotted Ticker and a few other brownies at the far end of the shelves, regarding them with wide eyes. She used her magic to speed up, moving at a blur and sliding around the first shelf. It was hard to fathom the elves would just stand there petrified instead of running, but she also knew they weren’t used to danger. They were probably frozen with fear.
Just as Wilder had done, Sophia dove forward and wrapped her arms around the brownies. She rolled to the right, tumbling one side over the next and keeping the brownies protected as she cleared the shelf.
The shelf collapsed to the floor a few seconds later, only inches from where they were. Sophia sprang to her feet, still clutching the brownies, as a cloud of dust flew up into the air, and the floor quaked from the violent assault.
The brownies didn’t make a single sound in her arms and only trembled. Around the Great Library were many different noises as the shelves that had fallen settled, and books slid to the floor to find a resting place after being displaced.
Sophia let out a breath and deposited the brownies on the floor next to the entrance to the Great Library. “I need you all to get out of here,” she ordered, hoping Ticker listened to her this time.
They nodded obediently, many of them racing out the open door, followed by the ones Wilder had rescued.
Ticker glanced over his shoulder at her, fear still heavy in his eyes. “Yhank tou,” he called as the exited the Great Library.
Sophia was relieved to have gotten the brownies to safety, but as Wilder and she faced the destroyed library once more, she knew the real danger was only beginning.
Chapter Sixty-Two
“When I asked you to help me with my little infestation,” Plato began, still licking his paw, “I was hoping you’d do it before it destroyed everything in here.”
“Sorry,” she groaned. “We got distracted browsing the thriller section.”
“Yeah,” Wilder said with a laugh. “I was seriously in need of something to get my blood pumping.”
Plato nodded toward the back of the Great Library. “Go catch a hobgoblin. That will give you the high octane rush you’re craving.”
Sophia glanced at the man beside her. “Are you ready to go and kick some butt?”
“Well, I already shot him in the rear end once,” Wilder stated. “But yes, let’s do it.”
“This time aim for the head,” she told him, not planning on killing the monster. He was a pain in the ass, but she didn’t want the hobgoblin’s blood on her hands.
Sophia was about to explain her plan that involved the rope to Wilder, but before she could, Destroyer Von Clause formed his next attack.
Both dragonriders froze, Wilder protectively taking a stance in front of Sophia. He kept doing that. She sort of liked it and also not at all. She didn’t really want to be protected, but she liked that he wanted to.
The books littering the floor rose up into the air until they formed a face. It was one she recognized and didn’t really want to see again, especially not on such a large scale.
The hobgoblin had used fifty or so books to create a pretty good rendition of his ugly face. It hovered in the air above the floor, some twenty yards from them. The book hobgoblin’s mouth opened and the creature screamed, making the noise from before that echoed all around and inside of Sophia’s head. Her teeth trembled inside her mouth.
Wilder lifted his bow and took aim, then shot an arrow. One of the books fell, creating a gap in the creature’s face. He instantly reloaded and continued firing, knocking down book after book. “Go and find this troublemaker,” he said in a hush over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the targets or slowing down. “I’ll keep him busy here by telling him jokes about his gnarly face.”
Sophia nodded once before leaping over the fallen shelv
es and clambering to the other side where the glass windows ran the length of the Great Library. To her relief, as soon as she made it to the other side, she caught sight of the mischievous hobgoblin.
Now she just needed to distract the little devil while she set the stage.
“This place looks so nice since you paid us a visit,” Sophia said to the hobgoblin. Wiggling her finger by her side, she made the rope Wilder had tied to the balcony snake its way up into the air like a cobra rising out of a basket. It stretched up to the ceiling.
Clause fisted his hands at his sides and gritted his uneven teeth.
“What do you say after we finish with the first story, we do the second?” Sophia asked, continuing to direct the rope until it reached one of the main support beams by the arched ceiling. It wrapped around and around, getting tighter, like a gyroscope being readied for launch.
The hobgoblin opened his mouth and protested again with one of those loud screams that shook the windows. When he stopped, Sophia could hear Wilder still battling the book sculpture.
“Okay fine.” Sophia held up her hands like she was surrendering. “We can go up to the second story first if you want some fresh territory. I want you to do that cool domino thing with the shelves. Total destruction is what I want.”
Sophia finished putting the end of the rope she’d looped and knotted right behind the hobgoblin. He was so angry that he hadn’t made her flustered with his rioting, he didn’t notice the trap set at his back.
When he turned to flee, off to do something horrendous, Sophia jerked her finger in the opposite direction and closed the loop around the hobgoblin’s leg. She then used her magic to swing the rope back the way it had come over the beam.
Clause screamed and reached to free his leg from the rope. As he did so, he swung into the air and around the beam. He swung around and around, unraveling the tight job Sophia had done when he wasn’t paying attention.
Just as she had hoped, the hobgoblin released his leg when the rope was in full swing, making the little monster fly like a bullet across the Great Library. He moved at such a speed the bank of glass windows didn’t break his fall. Instead, he ricocheted straight through a pane of windows and into the blue oceans around Zanzibar.
Chapter Sixty-Three
“You know you’re going to have to pay for that broken window,” Plato said dryly, indicating the broken panel where Pain-in-the-Ass Von Clause had made his exit.
The lynx had magically appeared beside her as soon as the hobgoblin had disappeared. She gave him an annoyed expression. “Send the bill to my secretary.”
“I intend to.” The cat looked around at the Great Library, which had seen better days. “What do you think the odds are that I’ll be able to get the brownies to help me clean up this mess?”
Wilder laughed. “I think you better find a backup plan. I’m thinking they aren’t going near any libraries for a long, long time.”
Plato shrugged. “This is all their fault, but it’s fine. Hopefully, Phillip von Clausewitz will leave them alone for a while. Usually, once a hobgoblin is put in his place, he goes into hiding for a century or so, only to turn his obnoxious face up again when we least expect it.”
“I can’t wait,” Sophia said.
“Well, it’s fine,” Plato stated. “I’ll clean up this mess after you two make your exit.”
“But first,” Sophia insisted, an expectant tone in her voice.
“Yeah, the book you’re seeking, The Forgotten Archives, is under that shelf right there.” Plato indicated one of the broken shelves that lay on the largest stacks of books.
“Of course it is,” Sophia groaned, preparing to work with Wilder to shuffle through the mess. It would take some time, especially since they couldn’t rely on magic. They were both depleted by that point.
“Just kidding,” the lynx said with a laugh.
Sophia gave him an awful look. “Not funny.”
“So, it’s not at the bottom of that stack of endless volumes?” Wilder asked.
“Nope,” Plato answered. “It’s sitting on the table at the front where I put it moments before you walked through the portal door.”
“Oh, is that so?” Sophia asked.
Plato nodded. “Yeah, I guess if you were paying attention, you could have just grabbed it and darted back through the portal.”
“Strange that we weren’t,” she said, looking at Wilder. “Why was it again that we weren’t studying that area with our usual keen eyes?”
He pretended to ponder this for a moment. “My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I remember something about books being launched at our heads.”
Sophia nodded. “That’s right, and that’s usually sort of distracting.”
Plato went back to bathing himself. “Is it? I read several books while this whole thing was going on. The sounds of battle always give me a calming ability to concentrate.”
“You’re a sick individual,” Sophia related.
“That’s true, just ask Liv,” he replied. “Anyway, the page that describes the protective spell you need to shield the dragonettes has been marked. And because I’m such a kind soul, I’ve given you a few notes on how to adapt the spell so it works for you, rather than on all mortals like it did before.”
Sophia wanted to rush forward and hug the lynx, but that would undoubtedly make him throw up. “Wow, Plato. Thank you! I guess saving your butt was worth the danger.”
“My butt.” He scoffed, casually strolling off to the back of the Great Library. “I do believe your efforts to help me set me back quite a bit, but whatever. I’ll send the bill to the Castle for the window.”
“You do that,” Sophia cheered, sighing with relief that the whole ordeal was over.
She smiled as Wilder offered an arm to her.
“Shall we, my lady?”
Sophia nodded, taking his arm. “Yes, my sire.”
He led her to the front of the Great Library, where they found the copy of The Forgotten Archives, opened to exactly the page they needed, and with notes written in the margin adapting the spell. It would require all of the dragonriders and looked to be quite complicated. It was no doubt dangerous. The only thing missing was the location for the temple they needed to access to do the spell, but to her surprise, Plato had even offered help on this. His note beside location said: “Ask someone who will owe you a favor after this whole thing.”
“Mortimer,” Sophia said to herself, getting a look of surprise from Wilder.
She shook this off and turned her attention to the back of the Great Library where Plato had been, wanting to thank him again. She shouldn’t have been surprised to find he had already disappeared.
Chapter Sixty-Four
After the “fun” at the Great Library, Sophia was hoping to find West Hollywood a bit boring on her visit to the electronic repair shop. To her disappointment, the raging protests against the angel and demon dragons were still going strong.
These things tended to fill up the streets of Sunset and Fairfax Avenue, where many of the most opinionated citizens took residence. West Hollywood was an area of diversity, change, and progressive ideas. As Sophia took in the sights around her after stepping through the portal, it appeared more like the site of a war about to break out.
Before, the Dragon Worshippers had been groups of peace, chanting their love of the magical creatures for all to hear. In contrast, those opposing the dragons—the Anti-Dragonites, had been louder.
Presently, the two groups appeared to have heated up, with both of them yelling at each other and the peaceful protest turning quickly into a riot. Thankfully, Sophia had prepared, having learned her lesson the last time. She’d disguised herself using a glamour, covering up her armor and sword and making her look like a hipster. With her wide billed hat and rolled up pants, she blended in with all the other cool kids in West Hollywood.
No one paid her the least bit of attention as they yelled their messages and held up signs. Sophia decided against spending any time reading
the various poster boards that broadcast the protestor’s views. She silently hoped the goodwill tour Lunis was leading was helping to quell this excitement. People needed to get back to normal and get back to their day jobs and not obsess over dragons. After all, the Dragon Elite’s job was to take burdens off mortals, settling their disputes and creating peaceful solutions. What was happening, stirred by Nevin Gooseman and his constituents, was the opposite of that.
Sophia was surprised to find the electronic repair shop jam-packed with people. She worried at first that something was wrong, but quickly saw most of those standing around were cyborgs.
There was a long line that snaked through the shop and led to the back. Eyeing a guy at the end of the line who had gears covering parts of his chest and mostly metal arms, she smiled. “Oh, are you here for…”
He nodded, seeming to understand her question without her saying it.
“Great,” she said, squeezing through the crowd and trying to get to the back.
If all these cyborgs were here, that meant Alicia had been able to move to the next phase of the reversal process. Excitement built in Sophia’s chest at the idea Trin might be in the back, a human once more.
Hurrying, Sophia slid by a bunch of cyborgs who at first protested her cutting in line, until they saw she was one-hundred percent human. Realizing she was still glamoured to look like a revolting hipster with her glasses that had no prescription and wearing her pink plaid shirt, she forced a smile and dropped the glamour.
“Hey, it’s me,” she said. Most of the cyborgs would recognize her, since she’d been their enemy and was now hopefully an ally.
The crowd around her relaxed.
“Trin is back there,” a guy said and pointed, the hydraulics in his arm making noises.
Sophia nodded. “Awesome. Thanks.”
Once in the back, Sophia’s hope for Trin plummeted. She was still a cyborg, with a mechanical eye and metal plates covering various parts of her body.