by Sarah Noffke
“It’s a possibility, isn’t it?” Liv asked. “The baby could have Stefan’s blood.”
“They most assuredly do,” Renswick answered. “What you need to determine is if it’s his magician blood or that of the demon.”
“If it was, would it be a problem?” Sophia dared to ask, gaining the attention of the other two in the room. She swallowed and collected herself. Sometimes she still felt like a child having discussions in an adult’s world. “I mean, Stefan was given the antidote, which kept him from turning. So it goes to reason that the child, if it has the demon’s blood, is also immune from the negative effect.”
Renswick exhaled, his gaze off in thought for a moment. “It’s possible, but it’s a risky wager. I’d be more likely to assume that the child would gravitate toward shifting into a demon. You see, the antidote cured Stefan from shifting, but he retained the demon blood. That means the cure resides in him, stopping the blood from turning him into a monster. The child, well, the child would have gotten the blood, the demon’s DNA, without the antidote.”
“Could you administer a dose of the cure to the baby?” Sophia asked.
“I could,” Renswick reasoned. “But first, that’s risky to do to a young infant. Second, I simply don’t have any more. I used it all to cure Stefan.”
“I have a solution if we determine that the child has demon blood,” Liv stated. “It’s not something we want to employ unless we have to. That’s why I need your help. Renswick, can you run tests or do something to figure out if the baby has demon blood?”
“Yes, but we must hurry,” Renswick said in a rush, finishing his drink and setting it down, hurrying for a case sitting on a nearby bookshelf.
“I’m sorry to have dropped in on you,” Liv stated apologetically. “I didn’t want to pull you away from anything.”
He shook his head, opened a briefcase, and withdrew a series of medical instruments. “I have little concern for my schedule or your interruption. You were right to come and see me. I simply believe we must hurry and determine the status of the child because if they have demon blood, then you’ll have a small window of time to remedy the situation.”
“I will?” Liv asked, her eyes wide. “Why?”
“There’s little information on the subject,” Renswick began. “However, demon babies grow fast. They, like the living, breathing form they would become, suck the life from around them.”
Sophia gasped, realizing the full implications of what he was saying. “The baby would deplete Liv, wouldn’t it?”
He nodded darkly. “I’m afraid so. We don’t know how long we have. The tests I’ll need to run will take some time to complete. I’ll do them as fast as I can to get results but not compromise their integrity. Liv, every day that you’re pregnant with that child, you could be at serious risk.”
Liv nodded. “I realize that.”
“Are you sure you simply want to determine the child’s status?” he asked. “It might be easier—”
“No, I want the baby,” she said adamantly, cutting him off. “I’m willing to take the risk. It’s worth it.”
Not needing to be convinced anymore, Renswick nodded and motioned Liv over. “Very well then. Let me get some samples, and I’ll get to work on the tests. Do come over, would you?”
Sophia watched as Liv strode over to the elegantly dressed and undeniably competent man. She felt confident that he possessed the skills to help Liv. She now knew that even if Liv was nervous about becoming a parent, she wanted this for her and Stefan. What worried Sophia was if they’d all regret her taking this risk.
This child could be a blessing, or it very well could be the end of Liv Beaufont.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The green dragon swooped through the air over the Expanse of the Gullington, flapping her wings and sailing effortlessly up to the clouds. Speeding behind her were two other dragons. Riders didn’t accompany them, but the new dragons were getting stronger, better at flying. Soon, they’d be ready for their riders.
Sophia gazed across the Expanse where the new dragonriders also looked up at the sky, watching their dragons soar around the clouds, spiraling and speeding along. Sophia also read the tension on Cooper’s face, and she imagined he wondered how he would hold onto his dragon when she barreled through the air, high off the ground.
“Remember when you were as petrified as him?” Lunis asked by her side.
She rolled her eyes. “I was never petrified,” she argued. “If I remember correctly, I wanted to ride you, and you simply refused.”
He snorted at her, smoke issuing from his nostrils. “I was testing you. You were asking for permission, and I wanted you to get to the point where you knew when to make demands and when you knew when not to because as much as I like you, at the end of the day, I can eat you.”
“You know what else it is at the end of the day?” Sophia watched as Evan urged the younger, less experienced dragonriders to join him for combat training on the other side of the lawn.
“What?” Lunis asked.
“Night,” Sophia answered at once.
Lunis groaned, apparently not appreciating her joke. “Leave the comedy to me.”
Sophia harrumphed. “If I remember correctly, you said during our time together that I’d make three requests of you that were essentially demands.”
He nodded. “The first was the first ride.”
“Which was so I could save the day and investigate Thad Reinhart’s facility.”
“Hey, I’m not chopped liver, and contributed on that case,” Lunis stated. “I mean, I was your ride, wasn’t I?”
“Yeah, my flying Uber,” Sophia joked, earning an eye-roll from her dragon.
“Again, I could use a snack.”
She giggled. “Then I requested for you to abandon me to get Mahkah to safety when he was harmed while we were getting the token.”
“I remember.”
“So that means I have one more blind request I get to make and you have to comply with regardless.”
“Is this your way of hinting at wanting to make your final request?” Lunis asked. “Do you want me to roll over and do a trick for you? Play dead? Let you rub my belly? Or do you crave some frozen yogurt? I can take you for a run if you’d like. Maybe some white chocolate mousse ice cream with Reese’s Pieces?”
“Why do most of those things sound like things you want to do?” Sophia questioned. “No, I’m not wasting my last request so easily. I’m going to make it something good. Something you wouldn’t do otherwise.”
He nodded. “Like tolerate Wilder?”
Sophia laughed. “No, I’m not asking for that.”
“Good.” Lunis sighed. “Because it’s supposed to be a request, not a miracle.”
“Oh, come on,” Sophia complained while watching the new riders running through various training exercises under Evan’s and Wilder’s supervision. Mahkah was guiding the dragons in the sky close by. Sophia glanced over her shoulder at the Castle in the distance and pictured that Hiker was probably watching the whole thing from his office window.
“Everything is shifting here at the Gullington, isn’t it?” she asked Lunis when they’d been quiet for a long moment.
He nodded, a peaceful look in his eyes. “It feels right though. Like the timing is good and will work in our favor. If we’d had new angel dragonriders before, it might not have worked, but we’re ready. The dragons are ready.”
Sophia sighed. “Let’s hope when we leave here that the world will be ready.”
“That’s something that has less to do with us and more to do with the world,” Lunis stated, taking on a sage-like tone. “We can only ever be in charge of our evolution and preparedness. When they’re ready, the new riders will venture out into the world, and whether it’s ready or not won’t be up to us. Sometimes these things have to be forced though.”
“I don’t know,” Sophia said with uncertainty.
“Those three new dragons,” Lunis began, indicating the
majestic creatures in the air, “when they first were reunited at the Gullington, there were small skirmishes. They’d grown, come into their skills and grown territorial.”
Sophia shook her head. “I bet you’re happier than ever to have your place right now.”
“Don’t you know it,” Lunis agreed. “There were all sorts of problems, but the elder dragons or I didn’t intervene because breaking them up wasn’t up to us. Maybe they weren’t ready to interact yet, but there was no way for us to delay it. So, trial by fire. There were fights and wounds and drama and now, look at them.”
Sophia smiled up at the sky. “They’re fine.”
“They’re better than fine. They needed to go through that rocky period to get to where they are now. It’s part of the process. So the world may not be ready for dragonriders after everything that’s happened, but it’s going to get us regardless. We’ll weather the challenges.”
Sophia loved when Lunis joked and was silly. It made it all the more special when she knew he was capable of dipping into his wise persona, offering timeless wisdom.
“Hey, Little Bit!” Evan called in Sophia’s direction.
She simply nodded in return.
“I need my ax from the weapons room in the Castle,” he called to her and snapped his fingers.
Sophia smirked. “That sounds like a ‘you’ problem.”
“I was making it your problem,” Evan stated while striding over. “Since you and your puppy are hanging out, I thought you could go fetch it for me.”
“I’m horrible at fetch, as far as puppies go,” Lunis stated. “We can work on my skills, Evan. Run off over there, and I’ll fetch you with my teeth.”
“I thought Hiker wanted you on big-picture Rogue Rider stuff,” Evan said to Sophia, ignoring Lunis.
She nodded. “No leads have come in. I’m waiting to hear from my contacts about criminals. I have eyes and ears keeping surveillance. I’m ready to spring into action.”
Evan shrugged. “Seems like you could be doing more. Like getting my ax from the Castle.”
“I could, but I need to conserve my energy for the important tasks.”
Evan shook his head and glanced up at the Castle. “Speaking of the boss, looks like he’s calling you. I bet you’re in trouble for slacking off.”
Sophia turned, striding in the Castle's direction where Hiker Wallace stood on the steps, his hands on his hips and his eyes watching the activity on the Expanse. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ll get fired.”
Evan’s eyes lit up. “Oh, a man can dream. That would be the total best.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Sir, if this is about Pink Princess’ insubordinate nature then I agree that it’s overdue that you discipline her,” Evan sang as he strode up to the Castle beside Sophia.
“Evan, what are you doing here?” Hiker scolded, his meaty arms across his chest. “You’re supposed to be training the new dragonriders.”
“I realize that, sir.” Evan slightly bowed as they approached. “I needed my lucky ax and Sophia, who was lolly-gagging with her dragon and not helping at all, refused to go up to the Castle to get it for me. So here I am.”
“She’s not your servant.” Hiker looked down his nose at Evan. “And those who are your servant, you shouldn’t take advantage of, if you know what I mean.”
Evan nodded. “Coming from you, I know exactly what you mean. You’re the person who’s harbored feelings for our old housekeeper for centuries and have now moved her out of the position and given her special privileges that are mostly outside the Dragon Elite.”
Hiker narrowed his eyes at the dragonrider. “Our situation is different. I’m simply saying, don’t make Trin unhappy with your drama. I can’t afford to replace her if you screw things up with her.”
“What if I make her so happy that she’s the best housekeeper this place has ever seen?” Evan challenged and shrugged. “Although the bar is set awfully low.”
“Do you want me to punch him in the face, sir?” Sophia asked, quite seriously. “Or would you rather do it?”
Hiker shook his head. “I’ll ignore his acting out. I’m certain the Castle will punish his bad behavior since it has a particular fondness for Ainsley.”
“It also has a particular fondness for Trin,” Evan argued. “I make her smile.”
“You also make Quiet want to vomit, so I’m not as hopeful that the Castle won’t punish you for your brazen statements,” Sophia retorted.
He shrugged, strode past Hiker, and into the building. “Let the darn Castle do its worst to me. It’s already locked me in my room, taken all my things and put them on the Expanse, and terrorized me in every possible way for the last hundred years. I’m certain it’s out of tricks at this point. I mean, it is old and going senile by now.”
Sophia shook her head at Evan as he disappeared into the Castle. “It’s like he’s asking for the punishment.”
Hiker agreed with a nod. “I’m certain that he likes the abuse. It gives him attention and a reason to complain, without which he wouldn’t have anything to talk about.”
Sophia asked. “You needed me, sir? Is this about the Rogue Riders? I’m still researching leads. Nothing concrete yet, but hopefully soon.”
“Very good. No, this is about something…” Uncertainty filled his eyes. “It’s more of a personal thing I need help with.”
“Oh?” Sophia asked, suddenly curious. She couldn’t remember a time when Hiker asked her for anything personal. She’d assisted with giving him the reset point and learning about his history with Ainsley, but that had been different. Now it seemed he hoped for a favor.
“I don’t want anyone to know about it,” Hiker began. “Which is why I’m asking for your help and your discretion.”
Sophia nodded. “Of course, sir. What can I do?”
“I need you to find something. The Castle is downright refusing to help me, and I know that it took it. I also know that for whatever reason, the Castle favors you.”
“Because I’m nice to it and don’t disrespect it,” Sophia offered.
He rolled his eyes. “Give it another few decades of it taking your things and changing the layout of the hallways on you, and that will fade. Then you’ll curse it the same as the rest of us.”
“Well, this thing you need me to find,” Sophia began tentatively. “What is it?”
“I can’t tell you,” he stated.
Sophia nodded as though this made perfect sense. “Great. I’ll get right on it. So, I’m looking for something that I don’t know what it is. Do you want to give me a hint of where to look or should I stumble around blindly?”
He sighed. “I really can’t tell you what it is. However, it’s in a small red velvet pouch that has orange tassels on the ties.”
“Okay, that’s marginally helpful,” Sophia conceded and quickly added, “I promise not to look inside if I find it.”
Hiker nodded, relief flickering in his eyes. “Thank you.”
“Why do you think I’ll be able to find it when you can’t?”
“Because as I previously mentioned, the Castle likes you,” Hiker explained. “Also, it’s easier to find something if it belonged to you or at least someone in your family.”
“Wait, what you’re looking for belonged to a Beaufont?” Then a brief memory rose to the surface of when Sophia was in Adam Rivalry’s room. There was an old picture of the dragonriders, and one of them was an Oscar Beaufont. So much had happened after that that she’d forgotten about it.
Hiker nodded. “Oscar gave it to me centuries ago. It was an heirloom, but he wanted me to have it. Anyway, it was right before the Great War broke out and everything went to hell with Thad Reinhart and the rest of the world.”
“So it’s yours?” Sophia asked.
He nodded. “I think you might have better luck finding it though. At least, I hope so.”
“Okay, then I’ll start looking.” Sophia sensed this was of great importance to Hiker, for whatever reason
. However, she would respect his privacy, although she was exploding with curiosity about what her ancestor gave Hiker and was lost somewhere in the Castle.
She had to hope that she found it and that in time, Hiker shared with her what it was. They had made progress after all, and she considered him a friend. Based on the trusting look he gave her with the task, she wanted to assume he thought of her in the same way.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Where is my blasted ax?” Evan asked out loud with no one else around. He stopped outside his room, having already checked the weapons hall.
“You’ve done something with it, haven’t you?” Evan looked around at the walls of the Castle, accusing it while holding up a fist. “You know, you might have some power over me, but I’m not letting it get to me. You can take my ax. I’ll get another one. What you’re mad about is that I’m so handsome, and you’re just a pile of rocks. I’m dating the housekeeper, and all she does is mop your floors.” He chuckled. “I guess if I were you and musty and old, I’d steal my ax too.”
Evan turned the corner, thinking he was headed back for the entryway, but finding the corridor to look a little different than the last time he was there—which had been only a few minutes prior.
“Wait, what the what?” He spun and found a brick wall that cut him off, making a dead end.
Evan sighed. “Oh, very funny. This is your punishment, is it Castle? That’s fine. Turn me all around and make this place into a maze. I’ll find my way out eventually. Then I’ll find my ax and hack into your walls. See who’s laughing when you’re all broken down to pieces. Oh, and wait until you see what I have in store for you at our next breakfast session.”
Evan knew that his threats were pretty useless, but he’d played this game with the Castle enough to know that it liked it. If he pretended to ignore the Castle or Quiet, as it were, then it would act out more. For whatever masochistic reasons, the old gnome liked being picked on.
Second, Evan knew that the “punishments” never lasted too long. The Castle would try to confuse him. Hide his stuff. Trick him a little. Evan would act frustrated, and when the Castle felt satisfied with the job it had done, it would put everything back to normal, and they’d go back to how things were…well, until the next time.