by Sarah Noffke
“I know you won’t,” he declared.
“When you’re free, dear Sophia,” Mama Jamba said, drawing everyone’s attention to her escaping the dining hall.
Freezing at the exit, Sophia turned. “Yes?”
“When you’re free next, would you be so kind as to take Hiker to the beanstalk you planted?”
“Me?” Sophia asked.
At the same time, Hiker exclaimed, “Her?”
Mama Jamba nodded proudly. “You want to know what’s going on, so go take a look for yourself, son. Sophia can take you up there.”
“Up there?” Sophia questioned, disappointment evident in her voice.
“Yes, and when your schedule allows for it, the timing should be about right,” Mama Jamba informed her.
“You mean, whatever monster has moved in up there will be ready to knock my block off,” Hiker corrected.
She smiled innocently. “Well, the point is to help you balance your twin powers and control your temper, so let’s hope he doesn’t.”
Hiker considered Mother Nature for a moment before shaking his head. “I should have known you were up to something.”
“You really should have,” she replied.
Sophia stood frozen next to the cyborg dog, looking for a way to get out of the mission with the hot-headed Viking. Before she could come up with anything, Hiker looked at her, a stern expression on his face.
“After you meet with the House of Fourteen and attend to your other meetings, I want you back here,” he ordered. “We’re going up that beanstalk and getting to the bottom of things.”
Sophia nodded obediently, realizing there would be no getting out of this. She consoled herself with the idea that a mission with Hiker Wallace wouldn’t be so bad. Her rational brain also couldn’t discount the fact that venturing up a mysterious beanstalk in the middle of New York had trouble written all over it.
Chapter Seventy-Six
A dark switch stared at Sophia as she took the portal to the House of Fourteen from the Castle at the Gullington. It reminded her of the gold coin she’d used to go back to the reset point and open the portal to the House and the Great Library. She was now the guardian of the gold token and kept it safe at Father Time’s insistence.
Although it remained mostly unused, she often wondered if there would be a reason to use the token to go back to the reset point to see events in the past right before the Great War. That reminded her she was to use the gold coin to go back with Liv to Roya Lane since the reset point was during a lunar eclipse. It was the only time the Midnight Lunar Eclipse Candy Store was open. She needed to get in there to buy magic chewing gum to complete the mission for Lee to recover a mysterious and magical katana.
Sophia really didn’t think she had the bandwidth for another side mission, but she would always make good on her deals. Lee had helped Sophia by making the cupcake for Serena that lengthened her life, and in return, she asked for the katana. There were many components to the mission, and she reasoned she should probably get started on it soon. As if the universe was encouraging this, Sophia ran straight into the person she needed for the mission on her way out of the portal at the House of Fourteen.
“Hey, there you are!” Liv exclaimed, hugging her at once.
“You’re back,” Sophia said, in surprise. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”
Liv laughed, waving her off. “Yeah, right. When Stefan and I were at the beach resort, we caught a lead on some aliens who were possessing the staff using magic and had to put the kibosh on things. Long story short, there was a battle. We won. The resort is no more.”
Sophia blinked at her sister in confusion. “I have so many questions. Aliens? Are you serious? That’s a real thing?”
“What do you think elves are?” Liv asked with a laugh. “They’ve just been here for a long time. Anyway, all is right with the world again. At least at the present moment, but that’s bound to change any second now.”
“Only you and Stefan would seek out a mission on your honeymoon.” Sophia was shaking her head but laughing still.
“We don’t seek this stuff out,” Liv argued. “Danger finds us. We’re freaking magnets.”
Sophia knew what her sister meant. It was why she was on the brink of ten different missions at once. “Hey, since you’re back, do you want to go to the Midnight Lunar Eclipse Candy store with me soon?”
“Sure!” Liv agreed, suddenly excited. “I need some prank candy for Clark to thank him for watching the place while we were gone.”
“Prank candy as a present,” Sophia commented, shaking her head. “Only you…”
“He likes it,” Liv explained. “Yeah, I’m down to go when you’re free.”
“Don’t you have missions?” Sophia asked.
“Yeah, like a dozen, but I can break away for this,” Liv stated. “Oh, and I have the magic compass for you too. You’ll need that for the mission, you said.”
“Yes, thank you. I also need to recruit Zac Efron,” Sophia told her sister. “Although I haven’t wrapped my brain around how I can do that.”
Liv nodded, understanding at once. “I think I can help you there. I looked into it—”
“In all your spare time,” Sophia said with a chuckle.
“Well, I had Mortimer do some research for me,” Liv remarked. “He’s a mortal, so it was under his jurisdiction. Anyway, apparently he has a bodyguard who is pretty protective—”
“That’s sort of their job,” Sophia interrupted.
“No,” Liv disagreed, toggling her head back and forth. “This guy, his name is Ramy, is obsessed, and works around the clock to protect the star. Getting by him is going to be your biggest challenge.”
“Ramy?” Sophia asked. “You mean, the guy who is always in the background of Zac’s photos?”
Liv nodded. “That’s the one. No one talks to Zac without going through him. I suspect he’s not going to like the idea of you taking Zac on a mission in a dangerous tomb or wherever you have to go to get this katana. So convincing him will take some…” she held up her fist, “Persuasion, if you know what I mean.”
“Beat up a mortal?” Sophia was surprised. “I’m pretty sure that’s against the moral code of the Dragon Elite. I’ll just kidnap Zac when the guy is sleeping.”
Liv shook her head. “That’s what I told Mortimer, but he said Zac Efron wouldn’t do anything without Ramy’s blessing. They are pretty close since Ramy is Zac’s biggest fan.”
Sophia sighed, annoyance flaring on her face. “Cool, so the mission just got more complicated. How fun.”
“Hey,” Liv teased, playfully slapping her on the arm. “Maybe you’ll make a friend.”
Sophia laughed. “That’s not what I need. My friends just turn me into an errand girl.”
Liv agreed with a nod. “I make the same kind of friends.” She extended her arm. “You ready to go annoy the council…I mean, give them an update?”
“Absolutely,” Sophia affirmed, remembering the last few times she’d been here. Many of the council members tried to make her feel small because they were intimidated by the power the Dragon Elite yielded and their authority over the House of Fourteen.
Liv put her arm around her shoulder and led her to the Chamber of the Tree. “Tell Bianca her nose job looks really good. She loves it when I say stuff like that.”
Chapter Seventy-Seven
“Don’t give in,” Lorenzo Rosario commanded, shaking his head at Trudy DeVries when Sophia entered after Liv.
The Warriors for the House of Fourteen had to pass through the Door of Reflection when entering the Chamber of the Tree. It was supposed to cleanse them by showing them their greatest current fears. That was probably why Liv looked as though she were trying to shake a strange memory when Sophia entered behind her.
Just like on the other occasions Sophia had entered the dome room in the House of Fourteen, the council didn’t give her notice. Even the members who were considered honorable had trouble coming to
terms with the fact the Dragon Elite were back and outranked the authority of the House of Fourteen. Clark was probably the exception, but he was brilliant at playing the part and keeping up appearances.
“You’re back,” Hester DeVries said when Liv entered the space, surprise on her face.
“Yes, and I’m owed another vacation,” Liv declared. “I’ll put in for it in a decade or three.”
Haro Takahashi scrolled through his tablet, his face neutral. “With the number of cases piling up, it could be another three decades before we can spare you.”
Sophia took a cursory glance around. Liv and Trudy were the only Warriors present in the chamber. Even Stefan was gone, probably on a mission killing demons, as was his specialty.
“As I was saying,” Lorenzo cut in, sounding impatient and returning his focus to Trudy. “It’s irrelevant the mortal authorities are pressuring us to take more decisive action regarding the disappearance of magicians. We are going to carry out plans the way we see fit, and they will have to deal with it.”
Sophia glanced up at the ceiling overhead that sparkled with lights, representing the magicians all over the world. As she was studying the bright surface, one of the lights was blinked out, meaning the magician had died. Maybe by Mika Lenna’s hand.
She stepped forward and cleared her throat to get the attention of the council.
“Miss Beaufont, your appointment with the council isn’t for another few minutes,” Bianca Mantovani said in her typical snooty tone.
“My appointment is now,” Sophia stated with confidence. “Because I’m here now and can’t stay long.”
Bianca sighed. “Really, is this going to be another power play meeting? Because it does get quite tiresome.”
“I agree,” Lorenzo confirmed.
“It will if that’s the way the council wants it to go,” Sophia told them. “My information involves your current topic on the disappearance of the magicians.”
“Where we need your help on the matter is with smoothing relations with mortal governments blocking our efforts at investigation,” Lorenzo said matter-of-factly.
“I realize you’d like the Dragon Elite to run interference for you, and as I explained before, we are declining that role in this matter,” Sophia informed them, drawing surprised reactions from many of the members.
“Really, the Dragon Elite must learn its place,” Haro said, his voice suddenly stern.
“Our place will be wherever we decide,” Sophia fired back. “While you have been sending your Warriors to squabble with mortal governments, I tracked down a lead on who is behind the disappearance of the magicians.”
There was a fair bit of muttering from the council at this.
Behind Sophia, she heard Liv laugh abruptly. “At this point, why are you guys even surprised by these things? Of course a Beaufont came in to save the day.”
“Olivia,” Bianca scolded. “This matter doesn’t involve you.”
“Bi, nice nose job,” Liv shot back. “I liked the old one, though. It was daintier and easier for you to stick in the air.”
The Councilor’s eyes widened with embarrassment. “Really, show some decorum in this chamber.”
“Notice that Jude or Diabolos didn’t flag that statement of mine as a lie,” Liv imparted proudly.
Sophia glanced at the white tiger and the crow sitting on either side of the bench where the council perched. The regulators for the House of Fourteen would have given an indication if anything anyone said was false. Their unchanging, stoic positions proved Liv was correct and Bianca had had a nose job, probably by the infamous magician surgeon on Roya Lane, Buzz Works.
“If Rider Beaufont has found information on the disappearance of the magicians, I think we need to welcome the information,” Raina Ludwig suggested.
“I agree,” Hester added. “It shouldn’t matter where the information comes from. The protection of our community is of most importance.”
Lorenzo signed dramatically. “The problem is that if the mortal governments find out we’re relying on the Dragon Elite to help us with our matter, then it only further degrades our reputation.” He held up a newspaper, indicating that day’s headline. It wasn’t about the giant beanstalk that had crashed through Cornelia Street in New York City. This was about magicians.
It read: “The House of Fourteen Fails to Protect Its Own.”
“I agree.” Haro nodded at the other Councilor. “This is turning into a very political situation, and the way we handle it is key. We’ve only recently been able to repair things with the mortal governments, and this is a huge setback. We need them to see us as a credible governing body or future relations will be strained.”
Sophia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re more concerned with your reputation than protecting magicians?”
“This is a House of Fourteen matter, and we’ve decided as a council that it needs to remain under our control,” Bianca declared.
The look on Clark’s face was one of shame. Apparently, it was true; the council had voted on the matter. He had obviously lost. Since the Sinclairs’ chair on the council hadn’t been replaced, the votes were split. The Mortal Seven would have been brought in to vote, although they weren’t present then. It seemed they also were concerned with preserving the reputation of the House of Fourteen.
Sophia understood. The Dragon Elite stepping in on this very serious matter did make the House of Fourteen look like they couldn’t protect their community or resolve things on their own. Really, it seemed they were less concerned with the matter at hand and more with the perception of the world.
“I think,” Hester began slowly, using her most diplomatic tone. “It would be good if the Dragon Elite turned the information they learned over to the council and we take things from there. Although we appreciate the detective work you’ve done to help us, it would be best for everyone if our Warriors took the lead from here.”
Liv sighed dramatically. “Got to love the House of Fourteen. Doing things inefficiently for a millennium. That takes talent.”
Clark shot her a disapproving glare.
“I thought we’d already resolved this and you understood I’d be taking over,” Sophia replied. “Our cases are tied together, and I was able to find a lead based on something I’ve been investigating.”
“Yes, but things have changed globally,” Hester explained. “So if you would turn over the information, we can take it from here. Trudy is currently assigned to the case.”
“The thing is,” Sophia started, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice and maintain an air of professionalism, “my contact who has informed me who is behind the disappearances needs something from me. You’ll need her to find the organization behind this.”
“It’s an organization?” Raina asked.
Sophia nodded. “Yes, specifically a man by the name of Mika Lenna.”
That produced an outburst from the council.
“I thought he was disposed of when the Lucidites brought Olento Research down,” Haro said, surprise in his voice as he started scrolling through his tablet.
“Apparently, he’s back,” Sophia stated and told them what she’d learned from Trin Currante.
Hester shook her head at the conclusion of Sophia’s explanation of the events and the cyborgs Mika Lenna created. “This is more troublesome than we feared. Cyborgs. Our poor magicians.”
“There is hope, though.” Sophia explained about the potential cure that would reverse the magitech installed in the magicians. “So as you can see, you’re going to need the Dragon Elite whether you like it or not. Trin Currante isn’t interested in working with anyone but us. In her mind, she agrees with the population of mortals who think the House of Fourteen turned their backs on their own.”
“Oh, really,” Bianca scoffed. “This is ridiculous. How were we supposed to protect them from an organization we thought was gone and a man who was supposedly dead?”
“Well, not worrying about your pretty nose
and the reputation of the House of Fourteen would have been a good start,” Liv remarked matter-of-factly.
Bianca shot daggers with her gaze. “This is an issue of economics. I don’t expect you to get that, Olivia.”
Liv, who preferred not to go by her full name, chuckled in response. “No, economics just goes right over my blonde head.” She flipped her long locks over her shoulder and smiled. “Thank goodness I have you to think for me. Do tell me, Bi, how is it that you’re able to think with such a tiny, little head?”
The Councilor’s face blossomed to an awful shade of red that contrasted with her high-collared black dress.
“Economics shouldn’t be the concern here,” Sophia argued, trying to steer the conversation back on topic.
Hester nodded, regret on her face. “I agree, however, issuing severe warnings to magicians and requiring them to observe a lockdown to avoid danger isn’t a viable option.”
“So instead, Soph,” Liv finished. “We’ve been sitting on our hands and just allowing our own to go missing. You get it, right?”
Sophia shook her head, infuriated the council was so complacent on this issue. “Trin Currante has agreed to work with the Dragon Elite. We are offering her a potential cure, and in return, she’s agreed to help us track down Mika Lenna and the Saverus Corporation. The Dragon Elite will be taking over this case from here. There will be no argument about this. You will also decree to the magical world that all magicians will have curfews, travel in pairs, and cut business hours until this is resolved and the culprits are apprehended. We will not chance any more magicians going missing.”
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. “Although you might have the authority to take over this case, it stops there. You can’t order the council to enforce such rules.”
“Yet, I just did,” Sophia pointed out with confidence. “If that is an issue, you can take things up with my boss.”
Undeterred, Bianca shook her head. “Hiker Wallace’s reputation is currently as flimsy as our own. There’s a rumor he’s in hiding due to an imbalance in power.”