by Sarah Noffke
“Maybe the Castle can help you find whatever you’re looking for, sir,” Sophia offered.
Hiker laughed dully. “The Castle. Why, I thought of that. The entity that’s always quick to hide my stuff and not give it back. It’s probably the Castle that has what I’m looking for and won’t give it up until I’m six feet under.”
Sophia nodded. “So I take it you tried asking, then?”
“You’d be right,” he replied, his attention off in thought before he looked up at her. “You said you had news. What is it?”
Sophia wished she had good news, especially because Hiker seemed frustrated by his current situation. However, she needed to tell him what she’d found out and hoped to then soften the blow with something light that might help, although she realized it was probably more for her morale than his.
“I found out what happened to the demon dragonriders after the Great War when the Dragon Elite stayed inside the Gullington,” Sophia said in a rush and realized that her tone gave away the grave nature of the news.
Hiker’s eyes skirted to Mama Jamba. “You know, don’t you?”
“What do you think, son?” she answered, her eyes going wide at the screen, apparently intrigued by whatever the salesperson was showing.
“Tell me,” Hiker urged, looking straight at Sophia again.
As succinctly as she could, Sophia explained what she’d learned about the history from Clark. As she’d expected, the news made Hiker’s face contort with anger.
“Those damn Royals have always been out for us,” Hiker muttered, still looking around his office for the misplaced item.
“Sir, I’m a Royal,” Sophia informed him.
He nodded. “You’re the biggest pain in my ass. Probably not out to kill me, although I think it depends on the day.”
She nodded. “It does cross my mind on occasion.”
“So your thoughts…” Hiker knew that Sophia had thought through a couple of different scenarios based on what she’d learned.
Drawing in a breath, she explained how they didn’t want to repeat history and played through a few different ideas she had. When Hiker appeared annoyed by her bold plan, Sophia launched her thoughts for finding the Rogue Riders.
“Go after criminals.” Hiker combed his hand over his beard. “There are a few of them. You do realize, right?”
Sophia giggled. “Yeah, I’m aware. I think we can narrow it down. It’s a start anyway.”
“The lynx gave her the idea so it’s worth pursuing,” Mama Jamba called from behind the screen in her hands as though she’d been part of their conversation the entire time.
“The lynx?” Hiker arched an eyebrow at Mother Nature.
She waved a hand at him dismissively. “One of the most powerful entities in the world. Tricky little creature with more mystery than even I can fathom. Also a friend to the Beaufonts and offered this advice she’s using.”
Hiker gave Sophia a skeptical glare. “When were you going to tell me you had such powerful friends?”
“I don’t really,” Sophia admitted. “They pop up on occasion and sometimes help me, and sometimes annoy me.”
Hiker nodded. “I know how that goes.” He glared at Mama Jamba, who had her attention solely on the screen.
She looked up suddenly. “Do you think that thermal underwear will be too bulky under my snowsuit?”
“Why does it matter? You don’t need a damn thing, you batty old woman,” Hiker replied. “You’re Mother Nature. Stop with this lunacy of planning a trip. We have a crisis on our hands, and you’re over there wasting time.”
She lowered the screen and regarded Hiker with a pursed expression. “The point isn’t whether I need something. I simply want to have a human experience. It’s been a while.”
“Why?” Hiker asked. “You’re not human. You’re better.”
Mama Jamba shook her head and clicked her tongue dismissively. “That’s not how it works, son. There’s no better. There’s only different. I have my strengths and weaknesses, and so do humans and every other creature and plant and pebble on this Earth. That’s the way it goes, whether you like it or not. We weren’t created equal, but I’ll be damned if we were created better than one another.”
Hiker sighed and gave Sophia a commiserating look. “There’s little reasoning with this one lately.”
“So my idea about finding the criminals.” Sophia tried to steer the conversation back on track.
He nodded, not at all seeming that interested. “Yeah, that’s fine. It might work. Whatever. What do we have to lose?”
Sophia lowered her chin and regarded Hiker with some annoyance. He was distracted. Not only that, he was starting to seem like he was losing his steam. She needed him to be motivated. It would take all of the Dragon Elite for whatever came next, which unfortunately she had no idea what all that would include.
“Also, there’s another thing, sir,” Sophia began, more nervous about the next thing she wanted to ask about than telling Hiker about the morbid demise of the demon dragonriders.
Sensing the caution in her voice, he glanced up. “What is it?”
“Well, I know we have a lot going on, but I think that keeping up morale is important for the guys. Especially right now with so many changes and the potential for more to happen.”
He glared at her. “What are you trying to plan? Is this like your Halloween thing?”
“That was fun,” she argued. “Yes.”
“I had a lovely time at the Halloween party, dear,” Mama Jamba stated. “Although Hiker kept stepping on my feet when we danced.”
“I did not,” he retorted. “Now, what’s this request you have, Sophia?”
She nodded and drew in a breath. “Well, I get that it’s not a big deal here, but I thought that since Trin and I are American and Mahkah too, technically, that we could have a Thanksgiving meal. It’s more about the idea of gratitude rather than the historical aspects.”
To her surprise, Hiker laughed. “Oh, right. Good old Scottish Thanksgiving. What exactly are we celebrating?”
Sophia blinked, not having expected this reaction. “Well, I guess it’s when we showed up on your island, and you offered us whisky, and we asked what you wear under your kilts.”
Mama Jamba nodded. “I remember that. It was a sunny day. I saw to that.”
Hiker shook his head. “Yeah, I’m fine with a Scottish Thanksgiving, but you have to get Trin and Quiet to sign off on it. They’d be the ones responsible for the details since I want your attention fully on the Rogue Riders and everything connected to them.”
Sophia smiled, grateful for the small victories. “Great. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”
Hiker cut his eyes at her. “I’m sure. Because when you want the Castle to do something, it erects a big top and throws a lavish party. I lose something small and it won’t so much as offer me a clue about where it is.”
Sophia offered him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sure that when the time is right, you’ll find what you’re looking for.”
Mama Jamba smiled broadly. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Hiker nodded, his gaze unfocused in thought as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Yeah, maybe you two are right, for once. Maybe the timing isn’t right yet.”
Sophia shook her head at Mama Jamba. “I think we’re supposed to take it as a compliment that we’re finally right about something.”
“Oh, honey.” Mother Nature waved her hand through the air at her. “We’re always right. Hiker is the one who’s willing to admit it for once.”
Chapter Fourteen
The commotion down the block on the far end of Roya Lane made Sophia tense as soon as she stepped through the portal. There was something wrong, and she would go ahead and assume that it was her.
She couldn’t make out much as she hurried in the opposite direction toward Heals Pills, but she saw more than a few angry faces and many of them charged her way. Not thinking that this was the time for a peace-
building mission, Sophia decided to disguise herself and run for cover. There would be a time to explain to the world about the Dragon Elite, the Rogue Riders, and the difference.
However, for some reason, Sophia didn’t want to tear the Rogue Riders’ reputation apart. Right then, she believed that the problem was leadership and if they could get Versalee out of that position, maybe someone with a more balanced and healthy mindset could productively lead the demon dragonriders.
If the Dragon Elite slandered the Rogue Riders, there might not be any recovery for the groups later. Sophia wanted to believe in a future where the angel and demon dragonriders got along. They didn’t have to work together, but they also couldn’t murder each other to the point of extinction.
Sophia was banking on a long game, which meant she had to run right then rather than defend. There would be time for education, but when she was outnumbered and trying to avoid violence and looked like the bad guy they all thought she was, now wasn’t the time for confrontations.
Slipping into the shop, Sophia nearly tripped over one of the Captains. She was fairly sure it was Captain Morgan. The little girl had her mother’s dark brown hair, hanging in ringlets around her cherub-reminiscent face and her father’s piercing blue eyes. She held up a bottle of Heals Pills. “Buy. You ugly.”
Remembering that she’d disguised herself as an old man magician, Sophia pulled the disguise off. The halfling giggled like the magic trick was merely entertaining and not a huge display of spell work. The Sweetwater triplets wouldn’t ever know normal, it seemed. The extraordinary would seem common and mundane, but such was the way when King Rudolf Sweetwater was one’s father.
Sophia’s new appearance seemed to change the child’s sales strategy. Captain Morgan thrust the bottle of pills at her again. “Still buy!”
Taking the bottle from the toddler, Sophia smiled sweetly. “Thanks. I’m good. I own the shop.”
Sophia caught sight of Captain Silver and Captain Kirk toddling around the other aisles. Like their sister, they’d grown quite a lot and didn’t resemble normal mortal children. Nor did they give off the impression they were fae. The halflings were something else. Something new. No one knew exactly what to expect of them since mortal and fae was a rare combination.
“Captain Silver,” Rudolf bellowed from the back, coming through with his head down as he carried a box of products. “Are you taking another break? I’m docking your pay again unless you get back to work. There are customers to attend to.”
Rudolf was right. The shop was full of several people, but thankfully they didn’t seem to need any help. They were lined up at the cash register where Rudolf’s wife Serena was checking them out.
Captain Silver had sat down in the middle of the aisle and was chewing on a bottle of Heals Pills. She revolted from her father’s order to get back to work by drooling on the bottle and exclaiming, “Ghah!”
“The labor union can’t help you,” Rudolf argued while setting down the box and stocking the shelves. “I know my laws. Although mortal children can’t be forced to work before a certain age, the fae have no such laws. Quite the opposite. We’re required to earn our keep, or our parents will toss us back in the wishing well we crawled out of. So your fae side better get to work and drag your mortal self along with it before your butt that belongs to both gets a warning.”
Serena smiled sweetly at the customer, who regarded the whole display as if it might be cause for alarm. “Don’t worry. They’re empty threats.”
The old gnome nodded while taking his change and bag of products.
“Now remember to rub that ointment straight onto your face to fix that rash,” Serena offered.
His grimace deepened. “I don’t have a rash.”
Serena’s expression brightened. “Good news. Then it will be that much easier for the Heal Pills ointment to fix your ugly.”
The gnome spun and stomped for the door, his face flaring red…well, redder.
“Question.” Sophia strode over to Rudolf, careful to step over the toddler who was cleaning the floor—with her tongue.
“I’m only the stocker,” Rudolf said, his head down. “I don’t know anything about the products, and my boss hasn’t permitted me to talk to the public. Ask the insubordinate employee behind you for help.”
Sophia glanced at where Captain Silver gnawed on a bottle of Heals Pills, looking close to breaking the safety seal. She leaned over and plucked the bottle from the toddler’s hand, earning an offended expression from the child.
Sophia held out her hand. A colorful teething ring appeared that had plastic keys and a small stuffed elephant attached to it. She handed it to the child and offered a kind expression. “Here, chew on this instead,” Sophia insisted.
Captain Silver took the ring and launched it into her mouth so fast she nearly fell backward. She didn’t appear to have ever seen such a thing.
Spinning back to Rudolf, Sophia cleared her throat. “Your boss hasn’t permitted you to talk to the employees, eh? You don’t know anything about the products, huh?”
The fae froze, his hands in mid-air as he withdrew items from the box in front of him. From the corner of his mouth, he whispered, “Serena, is the person in front of me a dragonrider lacking a sense of humor and a stickler for telling the truth always?”
Thankfully, Serena had rung up the last customer in the shop, and it was empty again. Otherwise, Sophia worried she’d have to start defending herself if people found out she was a dragonrider.
“I don’t know,” Serena answered, sounding bored behind the register. “She’s pretty for a magician and has a sword, but if she has a dragon, it’s in her pocket or invisible because I don’t see one.”
“It’s in my pocket,” Sophia said dryly. “Yes, Rudolf, I have my sword and some questions for you.”
Rudolf glanced up as a smile sprang to his face. “Sophia, I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve been hallucinating lately and seeing and hearing things that aren’t real.”
Sophia shook her head. “That hasn’t been the case since I got the mark erased from my soul.”
“Are you sure you did, though?” Rudolf slid products onto the shelf. “I mean, it seems like you’re still suffering.”
“Why are you refusing to talk to customers?” Sophia’s hand went for the hilt of her sword and paused there, a mock-murderous expression on her face.
“See!” Rudolf exclaimed. “I knew it didn’t cure you. You’re still seeing and hearing things. I bet you see three children who you’re mistaking as shop employees.”
“Was Serena, your wife, insulting a customer part of my delusions too?” Sophia asked.
Rudolf shook his head. “Oh, no. Serena is the worst. She constantly offends the gnomes. Well, pretty much everyone.” He leaned forward and cupped his mouth. “Finding good help is so difficult these days. I was going to fire her, but she threatened to make me sleep in the doghouse, and the pig’s pen she makes me sleep in is already small enough.”
“You all need therapy,” Sophia stated blankly. “You remember how we had a conversation about how the triplets aren’t qualified to work yet?”
“I remember.” Rudolf tossed the empty box over his shoulder where it landed in the doorway for the back room.
“Are you ignoring my advice?” Sophia asked. “Because this is my shop too, and I don’t think toddlers make good employees.”
Rudolf pointed at Captain Silver, who was blowing spit bubbles on her lips. “Especially that one.”
“Ru…” Sophia said, a warning in her voice.
He threw up his arms. “Fine. I won’t have the Captains work for me. That means you too, Serena. Sorry, Sophia’s orders. No family at work.”
The mortal glared up from the cash register with a seething look in her eyes. “What?”
Rudolf shot a finger at Sophia. “It was the mean old dragonrider. Not me. I love having you all here.”
“Well, what are we supposed to do then?” Serena asked grumpily.
“Look into preschools,” Sophia encouraged. “Really good ones. The best your riches can buy. Your children will need that.”
“Good idea,” Rudolf cheered. “What will we do with the Captains while Serena is at school?”
Sophia clapped her hand to her forehead. “The preschools would be for the children.”
“Serena could go too?” Rudolf questioned, an uncertain expression on his face.
“I guess so,” Sophia answered, wondering how they were having this conversation.
Rudolf nodded and smiled at his wife. “Okay, go find something that will make the kids into geniuses. You know, someone who knows the punchlines to knock-knock jokes.”
“Okay.” Serena picked up Captain Morgan and stuck her on her hip. “I don’t want one of those uptight places where they grade them based on performance.”
“You mean tests?” Sophia questioned.
Serena picked up Captain Silver with her free hand and quite nimbly stuck the child to her other hip. “Yeah, those things are so demeaning. They always make me feel stupid.”
“Imagine that,” Sophia stated dryly.
“Good idea, dear,” Rudolf stated. “Find a school where the curriculum is relevant to our ideals. No math. Science is a maybe. They better not learn how to read until they’ve mastered seamless costume changes in small spaces. I’m not raising a nerd who can’t take on a last-minute main role in a Broadway show with no notice. Priorities.”
Serena nodded. “I’m in complete agreement. I’ll find this school.” She snapped her fingers at her back, and Captain Kirk glanced up from tracing shapes on the floor. “Come on Kirky. We have to find a place to unlock your genius.”
Sophia was impressed at how the mortal handled the three children. That was the mystery and conundrum that was the Sweetwater family. Rudolf and Serena were simultaneously unbelievably dumb and also incredibly gifted in strange ways.
When the door to the shop swung shut, Rudolf clapped Sophia on the back and smiled. “Just like we rehearsed. You did great. Good job following the script. Now, mission accomplished. Serena is out of my hair once more, all because of you. If she ever finds out this was all your idea, she’ll no doubt murder you.”