by Sarah Noffke
“It’s been moved,” he complained, pushing her from his grasp and stalking over to the instrument on the bench.
“I’m sure you’re wrong,” she argued. “It was probably the wind.”
His glare was anything but warm when he looked at her, a red heat in his eyes. It glowed as she’d seen demons’ do. How funny the two weren’t that far apart. The God of Love and evil demons, like love and hate. They were divided by such a thin line.
Sophia tensed and stepped back, nearly tripping in her heels, unaccustomed to walking in them. “Maybe we should return to the party. You could tell me more there…” Silently she thought, where there are witnesses.
Never before had she had such a distinct idea that she was in the presence of a psychopathic crazy person. It was crucial she didn’t push things with him.
Cupid grabbed his bow, menace in his every movement. “Sophia, what is going on?”
She feigned a smile. “I don’t know what you mean. I simply wanted your help.”
“My bow,” he said, looking between the weapon in his hands and her, the red in his eyes glowing brighter.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” she protested. She tried not to look to the side for Wilder but sensed he was there close and ready to defend her.
“You know quite well,” Cupid said, stalking forward and throwing his chest up close to her, pressing his nose in against hers.
Sophia didn’t back down. She kept up the pretenses of innocence and batted her eyelashes at him. “What is wrong, dear Cupid?”
“What is wrong is that I’ll tear your heart out with my teeth and I was just starting to like you—”
A loud explosion echoed on the other side of the gazebo, followed by a bright array of light. Sophia ducked and Cupid, unsurprisingly, dove for cover.
Sophia was just about to pull the sword she didn’t have from her hip, forgetting she’d lost it when dressing for the party. A hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her to the lawn, where her high heels sunk into the grass immediately, pinning her in place.
“Come on!” Wilder urged, pulling her through the grounds.
Sophia took his lead and ran fast after pulling off her shoes and leaving them behind to sprint barefoot.
She looked back and spied Cupid rising from his hiding place to find them fleeing.
A yell that rocked the ground roared from his mouth.
Then he pulled back his bow and fired an arrow that magically appeared in his hand.
She saw the arrow fly.
Saw it whiz past her.
Saw it strike the man holding her arm, pulling her to safety. It tore through the shoulder of his jacket and continued on.
They continued to run, not stopping from the attack or looking back at the crazed God behind them.
An instant later, they were at the edge of the property, their dragons waiting for them and a portal open. Wilder must have created it as they ran. He pulled her with a great force, although Sophia felt safer now with Lunis standing there ready to guard her.
Wilder pulled her through the portal and they tumbled through, falling onto the grounds next to the Gullington. With his arms around her, Wilder rolled several times, clearing the space next to the portal and making room for the dragons. Sophia didn’t notice the dragons come through after them. She saw nothing but the guy hovering on top of her. They had stopped rolling and Wilder was covering her with his body, his legs on either side her. He kissed her like she’d never felt before. He looked deep into her eyes with unmistakable love.
“I love you, Sophia,” he said, shaking his head. “I love you more than anything. I’m absolutely obsessed with you.”
Sophia could hardly believe what was happening and what he was saying. It made her feel their life could have romance and dinner parties. The cough that sounded behind Wilder cut into the surreal moment. It was the most frightening thing she’d heard in all her adventures.
She and Wilder tensed, and they both looked up to find Hiker Wallace standing at Wilder’s back. His arms were crossed, and murder was written on his face.
Chapter Forty-One
“Sir, we can explain,” Sophia exclaimed, wiggling to get out from under Wilder. He appeared in shock and had stiffened up at the appearance of their leader.
She was finally able to roll him off her and spring to her feet.
Hiker’s eyes were dark slits as he regarded them. In the distance, the portal was closing, and the dragons stood watching the exchange.
Pissing off the most powerful magician in the world with the one thing he said he wouldn’t stand for, seemed to evoke dread in the ancient dragons, which did little for Sophia’s own confidence.
“I’m fairly certain there’s no explanation that won’t make me kill the both of you,” Hiker stated through clenched teeth.
It was just as Sophia had feared. The leader of the Dragon Elite would prefer for them to be dead than together. She understood, having been counseled on the subject by Liv. Her sister had encountered something similar when she started dating Stefan, a fellow warrior for the House of Fourteen.
These magical organizations didn’t tolerate relationships within their ranks because it was thought to corrupt individuals and distract from their responsibilities. Lineage was also important, especially for a governing body like the House of Fourteen that relied on royal families to fulfill roles.
But for Hiker, Sophia sensed this was more personal after learning a tiny bit of information about him and Ainsley from Cupid. She’d gathered as much after learning Ainsley’s history that there had been something between her and Hiker.
Why else would she risk her life to save his when his brother tried to kill him? It was more than just a close friendship or partnership between the elves and the Dragon Elite. Hiker and Ainsley could once have been in love.
Things had obviously broken apart, and Hiker was the only one left with the memories since Ainsley couldn’t remember anything after the incident. Now he had a vehement reaction to the idea of a relationship among those in the Gullington.
Sophia also knew he was struggling to build the Dragon Elite back, and a relationship among riders would complicate everything.
“Sophia, I told you this wouldn’t be tolerated—”
“He was shot by Cupid’s bow,” she interrupted, speaking fast. Pointing over her shoulder, Sophia indicated Wilder, who was lying flat on the ground after having been tossed off her in her attempts to get up. He was staring at the starry sky, a mesmerized expression in his eyes.
“He what?” Hiker asked in disbelief.
“The God of Love,” Sophia began to explain.
“I know damn well who Cupid is,” Hiker said furiously, his eyes darting between Wilder and Sophia.
“Subner ordered us to go after Cupid because there was something wrong with his bow,” Sophia explained.
“He has it, and that’s the biggest problem,” Hiker grumbled. “Did you destroy the weapon?”
She shook her head. “No, Subner just wanted Wilder to recalibrate it.”
Hiker growled. “He should have ordered you to kill the treacherous man.”
Sophia actually agreed with this after meeting Cupid. The bow wasn’t entirely the problem. It was the man who wielded it. She suspected he’d probably corrupted the bow over time with his flawed thinking on love.
“Wilder fixed the bow,” Sophia continued. The man was still lying on the grass and starting to mutter under his breath. The hit from the arrow must have had immediate and strange effects on him.
“But he was hit by an arrow,” Hiker guessed.
She nodded, bracing herself for whatever his wrath brought.
To Sophia’s surprise, Hiker sighed, resigning slightly. “Of all the reasons you could have given me for what I just witnessed, that’s by far the only one I’ll understand and not punish you both for.”
Sophia’s chest rose and fell, overwhelmed with relief. “Thank you, sir.”
She couldn’
t believe she was thanking him for not doing something awful to them. However, he’d warned her.
“We need to get him to the Castle,” Hiker insisted, striding over to Wilder. “I don’t know if there’s any way to combat Cupid’s arrow.”
Swiftly, the leader of the Dragon Elite bent over and yanked Wilder up to his feet, who appeared drunk. His head lolled to the side before he jerked it up.
“Well, hello sir, aren’t you looking lovely tonight,” Wilder said, his words slurring.
Hiker rolled his eyes. “Oh, you are going to be a mess now, aren’t you?”
He pulled his gaze to Sophia and winked. “For that one, I am.”
Hiker shook his head, encouraging Wilder to walk with him, although most of his weight was supported by the Viking. “Hit by Cupid’s arrow. You two really know how to get yourselves into trouble.”
Chapter Forty-Two
“Cupid…Hm…Where have I heard that name before?” Ainsley asked, tapping her chin and thinking.
Hiker halted pacing in his office and narrowed his eyes at the housekeeper. “God of Love. Or rather of infatuation, and now he’s struck Wilder, and he’s in love with Sophia.”
Ainsley laughed. “Oh, that’s what you think? Wilder has been—”
“Yes, Ains,” Sophia interjected. “That’s how it happened. Wilder was struck by one of Cupid’s arrows when we were fleeing his estate. That’s what happened and why he is regrettably in love with me now.”
“That’s weird because I could have sworn that—”
“Oh, Mama Jamba is here!” Sophia exclaimed, interrupting the nutty housekeeper who was about to reveal their secret.
The small woman with immaculate hair smiled at the greeting as she strode into the office wearing a teal velour tracksuit and bunny slippers. “I just saw you outside of Wilder’s bedroom, dear. Did you get struck by one of Cupid’s arrows too?”
Sophia shook her head. “No, I’m just so happy to see you and get an update. Can Quiet fix Wilder?”
Mama Jamba gave her a knowing expression as she took her normal place on the leather sofa, curling her feet up underneath her. “Quiet’s powers don’t work like that. The Castle, fueled by Quiet’s magic, can cure an illness or repair an injury, but when it comes to love, he can’t change things.” Her eyes flitted to Ansley and then Hiker. “You know well, don’t you, son?”
Hiker grunted, looking out the bank of windows at the Pond lit by the moon. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Anyway, Quiet can repair the wound from the arrow, but as far as the magic, well, that’s beyond his powers,” Mama Jamba stated.
“That won’t do,” Hiker argued. “I’ve seen firsthand how Cupid’s arrows ruin perfectly reasonable men, making them slack from their responsibilities, pining after flighty women.”
“Hey,” Sophia complained.
“Oh, not you. I’m just recalling from experience,” Hiker said with a tired sigh.
“He is asking for you, dear,” Mama Jamba informed her.
“She will stay away from him until he’s been fixed,” Hiker ordered.
“Fixed?” Mama Jamba questioned with a laugh. “You really are cynical about love, aren’t you, son?”
“He isn’t in love,” Hiker argued. “Sophia being around him will only deepen the spell. We have to find a cure.”
Mama Jamba gave Sophia a pointed look. “I can only think of one person who will know how to ‘fix’ Wilder. The same one who told you how to find Cupid. But she is currently administering exams, so you’ll have to wait to get a session with her.”
“What are you talking about, Mama?” Hiker asked, his tone heated.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, waving him off dismissively.
“Nothing,” he growled. “This is my rider we are talking about.”
“And Sophia is in the prime position to help out,” Mama Jamba explained. “She knows that. I know that. And it appears Ainsley knows.”
Hiker shook his head. “Whatever you are talking about is making my head hurt. How much longer is Wilder going to be like this?”
Mama Jamba shook her head. “Hard to say. Some believe love is forever.”
“He is not in love!” Hiker bellowed.
“Of course, son,” Mama Jamba assured him. “But I think this will have to wait because Sophia needs to go to Roya Lane.”
“She what?” Hiker questioned. “She just got back from doing a mission that wasn’t adjudication.”
“Well, she will have to report to Subner in Wilder’s absence,” Mama Jamba explained. “And then, of course, if you want her to recover the dragon eggs then—”
“Absolutely! I want those dragon eggs recovered,” Hiker nearly yelled, his fist by his side.
“Dear,” Mama Jamba said, pointing to her pocket. “You have a message I think you’ll want to see.”
Sophia pulled her phone from her pocket and read the top text. To her surprise, it was from Mortimer. The message read:
Hello S. Beaufont, rider for the Dragon Elite. Be here in one hour. I have information on Trin Currante.
Sophia’s head jerked up. “It’s about Trin Currante. I might have a lead.”
Hiker threw his hands in the air, relief finally overtaking his sullen expression. “Thank the angels. At least we are making progress somewhere.”
Sophia rushed for the exit. “I’ll be back as soon as I’ve got the information.”
“I don’t suppose you are going to tell me where you are getting your information from,” Hiker protested, but didn’t sound as angry as she would have expected.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I wish I could, but this isn’t my contact, so I can’t risk it.”
He nodded. “Most powerful magician in the world and my riders still don’t fear me enough to tell me everything they know.”
“They fear you all right, son,” Mama Jamba said with a laugh. “So much so, you wouldn’t believe the things they keep from you.” Mother Earth gave Sophia a sneaky grin that made her tense. She and Ainsley were enjoying teasing her too much with this secret regarding Wilder.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Hiker questioned.
“Nothing, son,” Mama Jamba answered. “But at some point, you and Sophia really should work together. I think she is the only one who will help you to stop cutting yourself shaving and breaking plates when you eat.”
“Sophia?” he questioned.
“Well, there’s a reason your two dots are different on the Elite Globe.” Mama Jamba pointed to the large object next to the bank of windows.
“Because we are both twins,” he supplied.
She nodded. “As such, you two share the same struggles. Rely on each other and you’ll get stronger. Do it on your own, and you are sacrificing resources at your fingertips.”
Hiker nodded but rolled his eyes at the same time. “Obviously it makes sense the only person who can help me learn how to control the power I wield now is the newest, most inexperienced dragonrider.”
“I’ll try not to take offense to that,” Sophia joked.
“Do what you will,” Hiker stated. “But get out of here for now. I want information on Trin Currante. Then you can help me with this power issue. And I want you to figure out how to fix Wilder.”
“That’s all he is asking of you, S. Beaufont.” Ainsley laughed. “Work yourself tirelessly to solve all the problems of the Dragon Elite, and for centuries of servitude doing everything he asks, he will repay you handsomely with rude stares and constant criticism.”
Hiker cast an angry glare at the housekeeper. “Would you get out of here and make yourself useful?”
Ainsley curtsied, a sneaky grin on her narrow face. “Thank you, sir. Would-You’ll go make dinner.” She glanced at Sophia and winked. “See, his affections are so much better than hearty wages, employment benefits, or supportive management.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Sophia knew feeling overwhelmed by all that lay before her was normal. However, feelin
g lost also seemed appropriate too. How was she supposed to help Hiker to come to terms with his new powers after killing Thad Reinhart? Yes, they were both twins, but they had very different experiences as such. And now she was supposed to fix Wilder of something she didn’t think was entirely caused by Cupid. All of that would have to wait, though, because first she was going after Trin Currante and getting her dragon eggs back.
She still had a bit before she was expected at the Brownie headquarters for her meeting with Mortimer. That would work out great because she also needed to report to Subner.
Stepping through the portal onto Roya Lane, Sophia noticed how deserted the usually crowded street was. It was a late hour, but still, the magical road was a lot like the Las Vegas Strip in that it was never quiet.
Speaking of Las Vegas, the city run by the fae, Sophia recognized the only other person on Roya Lane. It was none other than King Rudolf Sweetwater. He didn’t notice her. He appeared completely in his own world as he danced through the street to music she couldn’t hear.
As her eyes adjusted to the dark of the lane, she noticed the fae was wearing headphones and jumping around like he was doing hopscotch drunk. Not far from him was a three-baby stroller where she suspected the Captains were sleeping.
Hoping to spook the king, Sophia walked straight up to him as he turned about, throwing his hands in the air and shaking his butt as he rocked his head. She tapped him on the shoulder.
Rudolf tensed. “Captain Morgan, is that you?”
Sophia rolled her eyes, disbelieving anyone could be so dumb, but that was the brilliance that was King Rudolf. He was so dumb it was incredibly perplexing how he’d survived this long on the planet, and yet, there was something indescribably intelligent about the strange fae.
“Nope,” Sophia said loud enough she thought he could probably hear her through his headphones and the music they were blaring.
He pulled them off as he turned around and gave Sophia a look of shock. “What are you doing here?”