Justice Unhatched (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 5)

by Sarah Noffke

  “I aim to please,” he said, giving her an incredibly handsome look. “Cupid.” He didn’t sound pleased. “I’m glad you were able to fix his bow. He has been creating all sorts of problems for me and everyone else. I can help you with your friend. What else?”

  “Well, I have another friend.” Sophia drained her glass and felt a hiccup coming. “I’ve heard you might be able to help her. There was an accident, and she lost her memories and can’t leave the Gullington, or she will grow weak and die.”

  “And you want her to be able to leave?” he asked.

  “I want her to have the choice to live her life the way she desires,” Sophia stated.

  “But her memories,” Saint Valentine began. “Sometimes we’re better off without them. Are you certain their absence isn’t what is keeping her alive?”

  Sophia thought for a moment. “Honestly, I don’t know. If I didn’t have my memories, it would be awful. I wouldn’t understand why I behaved the way I did or have something to point to in order to know why I was the way I was.”

  Saint Valentine gave her a thoughtful expression. “That’s a very good point. We’re a product of our memories. They shape us. I dare say, at our darkest times, they keep us going. Having memories, the good ones and bad ones, give us hope and tell us how to survive the future.”

  “You’ll help her?” Sophia asked.

  He gave her a reluctant look. “I can’t guarantee anything, unfortunately. I’ll look at your friend. Your other friend, well, I can fix him if that’s what you really want.”

  Sophia nodded. “Yes, it is.”

  Saint Valentine stood and offered his arm. “Then I say we should take off. Although I would love to have you all to myself, you’re not mine to have and must be shared with others.”

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five

  It felt strange to walk through the Barrier with Saint Valentine, but Quiet had allowed him to enter as he had promised.

  “Oh, what a lovely place,” Saint Valentine said as they walked up to the Castle. In the distance, Sophia spied her dragon perched at the top of the Cave, regarding her with an affectionate glare.

  “Your dragon was worried for you,” Saint Valentine observed, pointing at Lunis.

  Sophia nodded. “Yes, he is like an overly protective Jewish mother.”

  Saint Valentine laughed, somehow making his face even more attractive.

  It was surreal to march up to the Castle with an old saint who was smartly dressed in a silver suit. What was even more odd was Sophia wearing an elegant gown, holding it up with one hand, the long train dragging behind her.

  At the door to the Castle, Saint Valentine paused, taking in the stained-glass window of an angel on it. “Oh, yes, the Dragon Elite, forever protected by the angels.” He turned to face her, a glint of flirtation in his eyes. “A girl after my own heart, it seems you are .”

  She blushed, pushing one of her loose curls behind her ear.

  He reached out and combed a finger over her cheek. “Hyacinth didn’t have to do much work on you, I would think.”

  Sophia was overcome with nervous emotions. Her throat closed up from the affections of this strange man. She didn’t know what to say, but it didn’t matter because a moment later, the door to the Castle whipped open. Wilder stood on the threshold, an undeniably angry expression on his face. “Well, this is awkward,” he spat, looking between Saint Valentine and Sophia.

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six

  “Wilder,” Sophia said in a rush, jumping back from the man beside her. “This is Saint Valentine. I brought him here to fix…help you.”

  The dragonrider looked Saint Valentine over and then drew his gaze to her, taking in her appearance in the red dress. He softened immediately. “You look stunning.”

  She found herself blushing again, but this one brought butterflies to her stomach. “Thank you.”

  “You didn’t have to do this,” Wilder said, his fond expression fading as he glanced back at Saint Valentine.

  “Hiker told me to,” Sophia explained. “He wants you to have your head clear again.”

  Wilder chewed on his lip, reservation heavy in his gaze. Finally, he opened the door all the way, welcoming Saint Valentine to the Castle.

  “Where is Ainsley?” Sophia asked Wilder.

  He nodded to the top of the stairs. “In Hiker’s office, dusting the bookcase and going on about how the Castle is making her life hell.”

  “That seems about right.” Sophia picked up her dress and climbed the stairs, the two men following her.

  When she entered Hiker’s office, his eyes widened at the sight of her. He shook his head as though trying to clear his vision. “What happened to you?”

  “She brushed her hair,” Mama Jamba remarked from her usual place on the sofa, a book tucked into her lap.

  “I would say she did a bit more than that.” Ainsley whistled. “Are you wearing lipstick, S. Beaufont?”

  Sophia flushed. “I am, but not really. It’s the dress. It does my makeup and hair.”

  “I used to have someone who did my hair and makeup,” Ainsley replied, referring to Quiet. She was standing on one of the bookshelves, dusting from a precarious position. “But now he is dead to me.”

  Mama Jamba gave Sophia an appreciative look. “Hyacinth does good work, and if you’re wearing one of her dresses, then I expect …”

  On cue, Saint Valentine entered Hiker Wallace’s office, followed closely by Wilder.

  The leader of Dragon Elite shot into a standing position, nearly jumping over his desk. “What the hell?”

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Seven

  “Oh, this is going to be good,” Mama Jamba cooed, scooting back on the sofa and sticking her book to the side as she got ready to watch the show about to ensue.

  Sophia realized that for Hiker, who had never seen an outsider enter the Gullington except when Quiet was sick and the Barrier came down, the presence of a stranger was very alarming.

  “Everything is okay,” Sophia told him in a rush, trying to reassure Hiker. “Quiet is fine. The Barrier is still up. I asked Quiet for permission to bring him here.” She pointed to Saint Valentine, who was smiling warmly even as the Viking regarded him with skepticism.

  “And who are you?” Hiker bellowed.

  “Saint Valentine, of course.” Mama Jamba blushed at the handsome gentleman.

  He abandoned his place next to Sophia and went over to Mother Nature, taking her hand and kissing it the way he had with Sophia. To her surprise, the old woman tilted her head to the side and batted her eyes at him.

  “An honor to see you, Mother Nature,” Saint Valentine said.

  She waved him off, smiling. “Oh, the pleasure is all mine.”

  “What is he doing here?” Hiker asked, sounding angrier than usual.

  “You asked me to find a way to fix Wilder,” Sophia explained. “My source told me Saint Valentine was the only one who could undo Cupid’s arrow.”

  “Oh, very good,” Hiker approved. “Well, get to work.”

  Saint Valentine thankfully didn’t appear offended by the Viking’s lack of decorum. He turned his attention to Wilder and ran his eyes over him. “This is the friend you spoke of, Sophia?”

  She nodded.

  “And the other friend?” Saint Valentine asked, turning his attention away from Wilder and back to her.

  Sophia pointed at Ainsley. “She is right there.”

  His gaze studied Ainsley for a long minute while everyone remained tensely silent. Finally, Saint Valentine graced Sophia with an apologetic smile. “I have some good and bad news for you.”

  She tensed. “Yes?”

  “Well, the good news is I can’t fix your friend,” Saint Valentine said, indicating Wilder.

  “You can’t?” Hiker questioned. “Why not? He’s never thinking anymore. Always dreamy-eyed and distracted. There has to be something you can do to fix him. That damn Cupid…”

  “I can’t fix him,” Saint Valentine
began, his tone speculative, “because there isn’t anything wrong with him.”

  “Of course there is,” Hiker argued, pointing. “Didn’t you hear me? He is aloof and always has a ridiculous smile on his face.”

  Saint Valentine nodded. “Yes, that seems right. Those are the symptoms of love.”

  “Well, there you go,” Hiker stated. “Fix him. Undo what Cupid did to him.”

  Saint Valentine shook his head as he eyed Wilder. “I can’t fix him because Cupid didn’t do anything to him. He wasn’t struck by an arrow.”

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight

  “Say what?” Hiker boomed, his eyes widening.

  Sophia’s mouth dropped open.

  Mama Jamba wiggled, enjoying the show. Ainsley hopped down and took a position next to her on the sofa, wanting a front-row seat to the action.

  “This just got good,” the housekeeper whispered.

  “But I was there,” Sophia stated, nearly stuttering. “I saw you get hit.”

  Wilder gave her a shameful expression. “It nearly hit me. Ripped through my clothes, but it didn’t pierce the skin.”

  “Then why…” Sophia trailed away, confused.

  “Then that means…” Hiker also seemed unable to finish his sentence.

  “You wouldn’t accept my affections any other way,” Wilder explained to her, defeated. “Then Hiker caught me confessing my feelings, and it just got out of control.”

  “You lied about getting struck by the arrow to cover the way you really feel?” Hiker asked, disappointment heavy in his voice.

  “Yes, sir,” Wilder affirmed.

  “You know I’ll not tolerate this,” Hiker declared with conviction.

  “I know, sir, and for what it’s worth, Sophia rejected me. She wanted to mind your rules,” Wilder told him.

  Hiker cut his eyes at her. “About time she started doing what I say.”

  “I’m sorry for lying,” Wilder apologized, his gaze low before he brought his blue eyes up to meet Sophia’s. “I’ll respect your decision and leave you alone from now on. Just friends.”

  “Oh, this is hard to watch,” Ainsley said in a loud whisper to Mama Jamba.

  “Just wait,” she replied, patting the housekeeper’s knee. “It’s going to get worse.”

  Sophia hoped it didn’t. Her heart was breaking for Wilder. She knew why he had done what he did, but having it announced in front of everyone was humiliating, and now Hiker knew, and everything was a mess.

  “I’m sorry,” Wilder said to her and then bowed to Hiker. “You don’t have to worry about this happening again, sir. I’ll mind my boundaries.”

  The dragonrider seemed to have said everything right, leaving Hiker with little to criticize. “See that you do.”

  Wilder nodded, backing out of the office before taking off, his footsteps getting faster as he ran down the corridor, leaving Sophia to wonder if she had done the right thing by bringing Saint Valentine. She had ruined everything between her and Wilder, and she saw no way to fix it. It occurred to her that maybe he wasn’t the one who needed fixing. Maybe it had been her all along.

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine

  Saint Valentine turned his attention on Ainsley, his face grave. “And now for you, my dear.”

  Ainsley looked over her shoulder like he was talking to someone else. “Me? What about me?”

  “Your friend,” Saint Valentine indicated Sophia. “She has asked me to help you.”

  “Help me?” Ainsley questioned. “Why? Because I work for an ungrateful dictator and my best friend is no friend of mine?”

  He drew his gaze to Sophia. “She doesn’t know.”

  She shook her head. “Even if she does, she forgets. The Castle has a way of erasing it so as to not hurt her.”

  “It sounds like you do have a friend, after all,” Saint Valentine said, referring to Quiet.

  “Sophia, what is this all about?” Hiker questioned.

  “I want to help Ainsley,” she explained. “I want her to have her life back.”

  “Help me?” Ainsley’s voice was shrill. “With what?”

  Hiker dropped his chin. “You have no right to do this, Sophia. This isn’t your business.”

  “It may not be,” she fired. “But one could argue Wilder’s feelings were none of your business.”

  “He is my dragonrider and works for me.” Hiker’s face turned red. “What happens in my Castle is my business, and you would do well to remember that.”

  “Can someone please explain to me what is going on here?” Ainsley asked, sounding scared.

  Hiker shook his head. “No. There are some things we don’t need to fix. Somethings we just have to let go of.”

  “I can see why you’re taking that position, Hiker,” Saint Valentine observed.

  “You have done quite enough here,” Hiker fired, spit flying from his mouth, his unbridled power building. Once Sophia was done fixing everyone else’s problems, she was definitely going to have to help him with that before it got the better of him.

  “I don’t think I am,” Saint Valentine said quite calmly. “Sophia booked an appointment with me, and therefore, she is entitled to my services.” Turning to her, he gave her a thoughtful expression. “I’m ready to tell you my assessment of your friend.”

  “NO!” Hiker yelled. “Sophia, get out. What this man has to say isn’t for your ears.”

  “What is going on here?” Ainsley asked, now standing and trembling.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Sophia proclaimed. “You can tell me who I can’t love and be with because I work for you, but what you can’t do is tell me who I can help. Ainsley is my friend, and if there’s a way to fix her, then I’m going to do it.”

  “You’re going too far,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “What is happening here?” Ainsley sounded on the verge of tears.

  Sophia faced her. “Ains, a long time ago, you threw yourself in front of Hiker to save him from an attack by his brother, Thad Reinhart.”

  At her back, she heard Hiker sigh loudly. She pushed on.

  “You survived the attack, but it cost you your memories.” Sophia gulped and looked to Mama Jamba for support. She nodded, encouraging her to continue. “You were brought here to the Castle and it healed you. You know how if you leave for long you get ill?”

  Ainsley nodded.

  “That’s because the Castle is keeping you alive,” Sophia explained. “For centuries, you have been unable to leave here, and the worst part of it is, even as I tell you this, you’ll forget it if the Castle desires it so. It erases the information from your memory so you don’t suffer. For as much as Quiet has done you don’t like, he wants the best for you. He has kept you alive all this time and tried to make you as comfortable as you can be under the circumstances.”

  Ainsley’s mouth was hanging open as she tried to process this. “What if I don’t want to forget this time? What if I want to know there’s something wrong with me so I understand the emptiness I wake up with each day.”

  “Then you simply ask,” Mama Jamba answered, pointing to the doorway where Quiet stood, having materialized without anyone knowing.

  In a daze, Ainsley walked around Sophia and Saint Valentine, her attention on the gnome. “Quiet, you did this? You kept me alive when I should be dead? You took my memories so I wouldn’t suffer? You kept me busy here, so I had a purpose?”

  The groundskeeper nodded, his chin low and his hands behind his back.

  “Then how can I be angry at you,” she said, a tender smile in her voice. “I know you kept secrets, but I realize now, there’s a reason to your madness, and I forgive you. I have one request.”

  The gnome looked up at her, age-old wisdom in his eyes. His expression seemed to beg for her to continue.

  “Let me remember this,” she told him slowly. “Don’t erase this memory from my mind. I wake every morning feeling lost. Now I know why, but if you make me forget again, I’ll just live in this perpetual
cycle. At least now, when I wake up, I know why my heart hurts. I can’t remember who I was before. I can’t leave the Gullington. Knowing that’s hard, but not knowing why I feel lost, that’s worse. Please, Quiet, don’t erase my mind.”

  He nodded—a simple gesture, but it meant so much. As quietly as he had shown up, the gnome disappeared, leaving everyone in the office in silence.

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty

  “I want to know who I was before,” Ainsley said, looking at Hiker. “I want you to tell me. You know, don’t you?”

  He nodded. “Ainsley, this isn’t worth it. We did what we could to save you and keep you as comfortable as possible.”

  “That isn’t fair,” she argued, her fists by her side. “I want my memories back. S. Beaufont was right to do this for me.”

  “Ainsley,” Hiker began, again using her name, which he never did. “There are some things that are worth forgetting. You’re better off this way. I assure you.”

  The housekeeper whipped around to face Saint Valentine. “You know how to fix me. I want you to do it so I can remember who I am. I want to be able to leave the Gullington. I want to be as far from this man as possible.” She pointed at Hiker and he flinched.

  Saint Valentine released a pained smile. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. I cannot cure a broken heart. Only you can do that for yourself.”

  “Broken heart?” Ainsley asked, her voice full of shock. “I’m suffering from a broken heart? That’s the spell Thad Reinhart hit me with?”

  “No, but it’s the reason you lost your memories,” Saint Valentine explained. “And it’s what prevents your body from healing yourself completely from the attack. Fix your broken heart and you’ll have your memories. You’ll be able to leave here for good.”