Rectify Injustice (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 6)

by Sarah Noffke

  She took a bite of the candy bar, enjoying the creamy chocolate.

  You should also consider taking a nap for a bit, he offered.

  Sophia shook her head. “And leave you all alone?”

  He smiled. I’m not alone. You’re here.

  “I’ll snore,” she argued.

  Yeah, but you’re the one who is going to lend me your strength when I tire, he explained. You can’t do it unless you’re rested. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.

  “But Lun—”

  Oh, would you look at that? he interrupted.

  “What?” she asked, back on full alert. She jerked her head back and forth to search for whatever he was talking about.

  The wave down there, he said.

  She squinted at the blue water below them that went on for miles and miles and miles.

  Oh, and look, there is another one, he joked. And another. If you’re not going to sleep, maybe we could count them. One, two, three—

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” she quipped.

  Do you want to play the license plate alphabet game? Lunis asked her.

  “I don’t think that will work out here,” she answered.

  Looking for an A. Let me know when you see one. He swiveled his head back and forth, looking at the sea of blue that seemingly stretched on forever.

  Have you found one yet? he asked after a long moment.

  Sophia laughed. “No, not yet.”

  Oh, cool, he declared. Look at that down there.

  “What?” she asked, finding herself yawning.

  I found another wave, he answered. Oh, and there’s another one. And another. And another.

  Feeling the sleepiness tunneling into her head, Sophia smiled. “Okay, fine. I guess I can close my eyes for a bit, but wake me up if something happens.”

  Like if I find the letter A on a license plate? he asked.

  “Yeah, that,” she answered.

  You got it, Soph, he said as she laid her chest onto him, enjoying the constant beat of his heart and wings as they soared over the Atlantic Ocean.

  “Night, Lun.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Hey, Stephen, Sophia heard Lunis say in a distant corner of her mind as she hung between the confines of sleep and the waking world. What’s your spirit animal? Mine is a human.

  Feeling like she’d been asleep for a hundred years, Sophia tried to open her eyes. She could hear the wind racing by her. When she’d fallen asleep, that had been part of what had helped her to drift off. Lunis under her had been like a cradle, gently rocking her back and forth like she was a baby. Now it seemed to imprison her in this state of sleepiness.

  Do you find when you need your spirit animal most, they magically show up? Lunis continued to speak as the wind rushed by her ears.

  With more force than she would have thought necessary, she pushed up, finding her face cemented to her dragon via drool. She was pretty sure she didn’t look pretty with her hair matted to her saliva-encrusted face. Her eyes struggled to regain focus.

  Well, hey there, sleeping beauty, Lunis said, having heard her thoughts.

  She wiped the grossness off her face. “Who are you talking to?”

  You drooled on me, he stated matter-of-factly.

  “Who is Stephen?” Sophia asked.

  My imaginary friend, he replied.

  Sophia blinked and found varying shades of blue. Dark ocean with a light blue sky on top was pretty much it as far as the spectrum of colors went.

  “You have an imaginary friend?” She was strangely amused even though she was still combatting the grogginess of sleeping while in flight.

  I have a lot of things, he told her, sounding offended. A pet rock named Herman. A phobia of dark places that smell of cheese, and an imaginary friend named Stephen.

  Sophia was certain she was hallucinating and none of this was real. She must still be dreaming, she rationalized. The smell of the salty air and cool breeze on her face made her consider maybe this was real.

  “I have so many questions based on what you’ve told me,” she said and realized how dry her throat was. Grabbing her canteen from her cloak, she took a drink.

  Well, I met Herman in the Cave, but he’s since moved into the Nest with me, Lunis offered as an explanation. The dark places thing started when I was in the Cave too. I blame Bell because she’s got gas that smells like—

  “Please stop,” Sophia urged, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Okay, fine, he said, sounding hurt. Share time is over. I get it.

  “I’m your spirit animal?” Sophia asked.

  Lunis snickered. No. I said my spirit animal was a human. Gosh, you don’t have to think so highly of yourself that you assume it’s you. It could be all humans. Or a few. Or maybe it’s Evan.

  Sophia erupted in laughter. “Evan is your spirit animal?”

  Maybe! Lunis exclaimed. You really shouldn’t eavesdrop on my conversations.

  “You were having it out loud while I was on your back,” she argued.

  While you were asleep, he stated. I was bored. Who else was I supposed to talk to?

  “I’m not your spirit animal?” She was surprised to find that hurt her feelings. “Because all humans are your spirit animals?”

  He sighed. Of course it’s you, Soph.

  She smiled, shaking off the sleepiness. “Where are we?”

  Over the ocean, he answered at once.

  “Thanks,” Sophia replied dryly as a sudden wind blasted by them, nearly tearing her off Lunis.

  “Whoa!” she yelled. “What was that?”

  Wind, he answered at once, struggling in the air.

  “Yeah, I got that much,” Sophia said, gripping the reins tightly. “But why does it feel…so forceful?”

  She could sense Lunis struggling to cut through the air. There was something wrong.

  I think we’re running into a storm, Soph, he said, all lightness evaporating from his voice.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Invisible wind streaked past them, throwing them off course. It was such a sudden change from the smooth ride they’d been having. Sophia bumped up and down, her butt landing hard on Lunis’ back.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, wondering if they were about to encounter another villain.

  Lunis indicated a huge storm ahead. I think it’s a regular old hurricane.

  “Oh, good.” Sophia sighed. “Just a regular old hurricane.”

  He groaned. Well, what do you want me to say? The good news is we can make it through it with only minimal damage.

  “I don’t want any damage,” she argued.

  That’s the bad news, he told her. We have to go straight through it.

  Sophia groaned as well.

  I don’t have the energy and you don’t have the reserves to go around it, Lunis explained. That would take too long and take us too far off-course.

  “So we’re willingly going to charge through a hurricane?” she questioned.

  Just pretend you’re from Florida and can’t be inconvenienced to take shelter during a tropical storm, he said with a snicker.

  She smiled and patted her dragon. “Okay, if you’re up for the challenge, I’ll be here to weather the storm with you.”

  Sophia felt him smile. I’ll weather all storms with you, dear Soph. But just so you know…

  He paused as the winds turned dramatically more violent.

  “Yes?” Sophia asked, worried about what he was going to say next.

  On the way home, he began. I’m you’re going to be my getaway car.

  Chapter Thirty

  “Getaway car?” Sophia questioned.

  It seems only fair, Lunis argued, struggling to stay level as the winds grew stronger. They now carried debris that must have come from the ocean, neighboring islands, or ships.

  Sophia watched as seaweed flew by and nearly hit her in the face. “You’re my getaway car?” she remarked.

  Well, if the getaway car streake
d straight through the police barricades, Lunis said, never losing the humor in his voice even as they barreled straight at the storm, which was turning the blue waters black.

  Sophia hadn’t been in a hurricane, but something told her this wasn’t a normal storm.

  What makes you think that? Lunis asked curiously.

  She ducked as a propeller from a plane nearly lopped off her head. The debris in the wind was increasing as they neared the storm.

  “It just doesn’t seem right,” she insisted. “Something seems off about it.”

  What makes you think that, though? Lunis questioned.

  A cow flew by them, mooing like it was annoyed by being tossed around in the storm.

  Sophia tensed. “The flying cow is part of my reasoning.”

  Lunis sighed. I get that I’ve been eating a lot of carbs lately, but you don’t have to resort to name-calling.

  Although Sophia wanted to laugh, the severity of the moment was building in her. “Lunis, why do you think cows, plane parts, and…is that a frozen yogurt machine?”

  A large object with a name brand for frozen yogurt flew by them before disappearing into the water.

  Is it too late to go back? Lunis whined. I could really use something sweet.

  “Focus, would you?” she implored.

  I don’t know the answer, Lunis told her. We passed a cruise ship back there, and there were also freighters.

  “They’ve gotten caught up in this storm too, then,” Sophia reasoned.

  Well, it’s their fault if they went straight into it. He scoffed. I mean, who would do that?

  “We are doing that,” she said as fish streaked by her face.

  Oh, I always wanted to see flying fish, Lunis observed fondly.

  “They aren’t meant to fly,” she declared, looking around. “Something isn’t right, Lunis. There’s no reason a cruise ship would sail into the path of a hurricane.”

  It could have turned quickly, he argued. That happens.

  She nodded. “Something tells me it didn’t, and innocent, unsuspecting people got caught in this storm, which doesn’t feel natural.”

  I’ll need more reasoning than that, he demanded.

  “Well,” she began, trying to work it out in her mind, “Mama Jamba sent us on this mission. She knew we had to cross the Atlantic right now on this course. I have a hard time believing she would have sent us straight through a hurricane, knowing we couldn’t expend energy to avoid it.”

  You have a hard time, or you don’t want to believe it? he questioned.

  Sophia sighed. “I know she’s not always forthcoming and all, but she wouldn’t endanger us.”

  Oh, like when we had to battle a ton of men and snow and other torrential environmental elements to find her originally? he argued.

  “This is different,” Sophia insisted. “She didn’t know if she wanted to be found then, and she wanted us to prove we were worthy.”

  Maybe this is a test, he pondered.

  Something huge shot out of the water as they neared the eye of the hurricane, making it nearly impossible for Sophia to keep a grip on Lunis. She pretended her hands were cemented onto him and didn’t allow herself to let go.

  “I don’t think this is a test.” Her teeth began to chatter from the rain and wind assaulting her in the face.

  Why? Lunis pressed, pushing all his energy into keeping them in the air.

  Sophia indicated an object in the distance. “Because Mama Jamba wouldn’t have sent us to face that.”

  A large purple octopus shot up out of the water from the eye of the hurricane, and suddenly both dragon and rider realized it wasn’t a storm. Everything they were experiencing was a result of the giant angry creature in front of them.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  This, love, is when we tuck tail and portal home, Lunis joked.

  Sophia couldn’t help but smile. It didn’t matter what the circumstances. Her dragon would always find time in dire situations to kid. She loved that about him. She appreciated he knew they were far enough from the monster octopus to have time for banter.

  “We aren’t turning back,” Sophia argued. “And not just because the magic beans will be ruined if we portal.”

  Because you want to do some shopping in New York? he asked.

  “Because whatever that thing is,” Sophia said, pointing to where the large monster was splashing, spinning, and all-around creating chaos in the waters of the Atlantic, “we have to stop it.”

  It seems to be minding its own business, Lunis observed as a palm tree hurtled passed them. Who are we to judge him and make him act differently?

  Sophia rolled her eyes. “He’s creating a hurricane-like storm in the ocean and has apparently attacked cruise ships and freighters and who knows what else. That has to be where all those objects are coming from.”

  Maybe he’s like Thelma and misunderstood, Lunis reasoned.

  Sophia lowered her chin. “Do you think I’m misjudging Hatch Two?”

  Hatch Two? Lunis questioned.

  “When I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend who was an octopus,” Sophia explained, then shook her head, knowing Lunis had access to her memories.

  Yeah, you pretended he lived in the fountain in the gardens of the House of Fourteen, Lunis finished, sounding impatient, like he’d heard the story a hundred times.

  “Well, I liked that Hatch,” Sophia reasoned. “Who was also a large purple octopus. Something tells me I won’t like this one.”

  She ducked as a washing machine sailed over her head.

  What makes you think that? Lunis sounded curious.

  “Ha-ha,” she replied. “Anyway, this is Hatch Two. Or—"

  Evil Hatch, Lunis supplied. Because for every good, there is bad. It’s the way of the world. There are Seelie fairies and Unseelie fairies. There are good and evil dragons. And there’s a good Hatch and a bad one.

  “Exactly,” Sophia said triumphantly, the heat of the upcoming battle starting to pool in her chest.

  A real quick thing before we charge ahead, Lunis mentioned with a coyness in his voice that should have made Sophia groan. The spiraling giant octopus thrashing its tentacles in the air and creating utter chaos made her cut the extra reaction.

  “What?” she questioned.

  It’s sort of ridiculous that you had an imaginary friend. Just saying.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Never grow up, Soph, Lunis told her in a rush as a blast of water nearly hit him in the face. But right now, I need you to get out a large sword and kill that beast.

  Sophia would have laughed if a spray of water hadn’t nearly sent her off her dragon. She tried twice to grab for her sword, but letting go with both hands proved difficult.

  Evil Hatch rose into the air as they approached through the rain and wind, which splattered Sophia’s face so hard it stung.

  The monster was unlike anything Sophia had ever seen. It resembled an octopus in every way, with its eight tentacles with large suckers. However, it was easily the size of a two-story house.

  Its black eyes were huge and shone with anger as it spun, propelled by the motion of its tentacles spiraling and creating a cyclone that threw water and wind in every direction for at least a square mile.

  Whatever this thing was, it was angry and bent on destruction. That’s when Sophia noticed planes flying in from the opposite direction.

  They will never get close enough, Lunis stated, having seen the same thing.

  “What are they going to do?” Sophia mused, watching as the aircraft struggled to get in close. The tumultuous winds knocked them back, sending them in the wrong direction.

  They are going to do what mortals do best when fearful, Lunis said, bitterness in his voice. They are going to drop bombs.

  “Is that any better than what we’d do?” she questioned, still trying to pull her sword but unable to take her hands off the reins.

  Yes, because when we take that thing out, we are only killing it, Lunis told her.
>
  Right on cue, a jet shot a missile at Evil Hatch, but he easily deflected it, knocking it out of the sky like it was a pesky fly. It crashed into the water, where it detonated a moment later, sending fish and other sea life rising to the surface of the ocean—all dead.

  See? Lunis asked, anger in his tone. They didn’t even injure Evil Hatch, and they’ve harmed a lot of creatures.

  “He’s injuring a lot of wildlife,” Sophia observed as a school of fish flew past her head.

  Yeah, but they are making it worse, Lunis stated, getting charged up. Let’s end this before the mortals make it worse.

  Sophia agreed, finally pulling her sword and able to maintain balance as they rode in closer to the monstrous octopus.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince had found a way to cut through the wind. She felt a charge as they neared the east coast of her home country. She knew Lunis was more fired up than usual after witnessing the senseless deaths of the ocean creatures. He was ready to take names and take out an octopus.

  It was surprising to Sophia that the closer they got to Evil Hatch, the less the winds affected them.

  It’s because he’s the eye of the storm, Lunis offered.

  “That makes sense,” Sophia said, looking over her shoulder, and trying to get the attention of the fighter jets in the distance. It was probably hard for them to make out much around the chaos of the giant beast, but she hoped they realized the dragon and rider were on the job and they wouldn’t fire any more missiles.

  I can shoot fire at them to encourage them to retreat, Lunis remarked.

  Sophia shook her head. “No, then they’d see us as enemies too. Any educated person on this planet will know the Dragon Elite is back and realize we’re here to help.”

  Yeah, can you imagine the realities we’re challenging right now. Lunis laughed. Oh, there’s a giant evil octopus, Bob, he said, doing his best impression of a mortal. Cool, we don’t need to fight it anymore because the ancient dragon and its tiny rider are on the case.