Adapt Or Be Crushed (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 9)

by Sarah Noffke

  Sophia knew what needed to happen next and opened a portal using what had to be the last of her magic. To Mahkah’s relief, Wilder had followed her and wasn’t far behind.

  Tala carried Evan and Coral through the portal that led to right outside the Gullington, where the Dragon Elite would be safe once more. The others followed. All of them found solace on the grassy lawn where they passed out, huddled together and protective of one another after the battle that had nearly ended them all—but hadn’t, because they’d have other important battles to come.

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  Nevin Gooseman watched from the only cloaked magitech plane he had left as his leviathan and simurgh sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The Dragon Elite might have defeated him again…

  Nevin ground his fist into his knee. He was livid, thinking this would be a bigger battle. However, he wasn’t out for the count.

  The politician knew better. He hadn’t expected this to take the dragonriders out. He’d learned from the past and knew not to discount them.

  What he hoped was that they were injured. Scared. Not prepared for what was coming next.

  If the Dragon Elite thought that these monsters were sizable, they had no idea what was coming for them.

  This had been Round One. None of them would survive Round Two.

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  “What are you sketching?” Hiker asked Mama Jamba as they all sat at the breakfast table and waited for Trin to bring their food.

  “Things,” she said simply and kept her attention on the pad of paper in her hands.

  He sighed before turning his attention to the bruised and battered Wilder, Evan who didn’t appear much better, and Mahkah and Sophia. “Good work out there. I hope you all got some rest.”

  “I slept fitfully,” Evan admitted. “Without my wife, I just can’t sleep.”

  Quiet mumbled something from his place beside Mama Jamba. She nodded in reply.

  “Try telling him that though,” Mama Jamba replied to the gnome.

  “Tell me what?” Evan asked at once.

  She pursed her lips. “How do you know we’re talking about you?”

  “I know.” Evan looked toward the kitchen. “Do you think Trin will come through with food any time this century? I’m starving.”

  Hiker, who would normally tell him that he was exaggerating, glanced back at the kitchen. “Trin?”

  The cyborg didn’t materialize. He shook his head and returned his attention to the riders.

  “Any luck on finding out where those monsters came from?” Wilder sipped his water and sucked in a breath. His busted lip was much better thanks to the Castle, but he was still pretty bruised. It would take a few more hours until he was all better. Simi and the other dragons were all recovering in the Cave.

  “I still need to do more research,” Hiker answered. “Someone is trying to harm us, that’s for sure. But if they think the Dragon Elite will hide away while they send dangerous creatures out to harm the mortal world, they’re wrong.”

  “That’s right,” Evan cheered. “We’ll go out and fight those fights. You lead the way.”

  Sophia shook her head. “I’ll lead the way. Sir, I know you need to maintain vigilance here.”

  “Of course you do, Pink Princess,” Evan retorted but winked at her good-naturedly.

  The truth was that Hiker Wallace was much more valuable as a trusted leader at the Gullington than out in the field. There was a place for him and another for a combat specialist. Sophia had found her calling in a way, and it was out fighting battles with the others. It felt natural to give orders when things were at their worst. She didn’t feel pressure but rather the adrenaline of the moment, and that aided her.

  Trin exited the kitchen, holding a huge tray that overflowed with a bounty unlike anything she’d served thus far. She set it down between Sophia and Hiker and attempted a smile, which always appeared strange on the cyborg’s face, but still nice.

  “Welcome back, S. Beaufont and the others,” Trin said, seeming to mean it.

  “Thanks, T.” Evan reached for a pastry on the end.

  The cyborg reached out and slapped his hand. “Not you. Your wife can make you breakfast, if that’s what you want.”

  She then turned and strode for the kitchen again, her hips swaying back and forth.

  Sophia’s eyes widened, and she exchanged a look with Wilder that said it all. They both knew what was going on, but based on the offended expression on Evan’s face, he had no clue.

  “Wow, how rude.” Evan looked at his hand like Trin had left a mark. The cyborg was stronger than most and probably could have, but her slap had simply been a warning instead.

  “So, your wife,” Wilder began and took a piece of bacon from the platter. “How is she?”

  Evan shrugged. “How am I supposed to know? I can’t have that one weighing me down. I’ll pick her up when it’s time.”

  “When will that be?” Hiker asked Sophia.

  She glanced at the grandfather clock on the far side of the dining hall, knowing it told more than time. “In a couple more days.”

  Hiker nodded. “Then it seems we have more time to rest up and prepare for the next battle.”

  Sophia grabbed a scone off the tray and took a bite, enjoying it plain. A few more days. Nice. She needed that. They all did. They’d survived and been victorious, but the next battle appeared to be more momentous based on what others thought they’d need. Armor. Weapons. Special advantages.

  That was fine. Sophia would be ready when the mysterious danger presented itself.

  “Sophia, can you help me with the dragonettes this afternoon?” Mahkah asked while buttering a roll. “Lunis has promised to assist with their training.”

  Quiet mumbled something inaudible.

  “That’s true, the sheep are still a problem,” Mama Jamba replied to the gnome.

  “I thought you were going to take me shopping for my belated wedding present,” Evan wheedled.

  Sophia smiled. “All of that except for you, Evan. However, the sheep have gone long enough. I will help with that soon. I promise. And I’m happy to assist with the dragonettes too. But I’ve got something else I promised to do first. It won’t take long, but I need to devote my attention to it before anything else.”

  “A deathly mission to fight deranged house elves?” Evan asked.

  Sophia shook her head. “No, house elves are awesome and never deranged.”

  “A mission to buy me the best anniversary present ever?” Wilder chimed in.

  “Our anniversary is coming up?” Sophia questioned seriously.

  “A mission for the Dragon Elite, right?” Hiker speculated.

  She shook her head. “None of that. Sometimes you have to know when to celebrate the little things, the ones that mean a lot to others because later, they will mean a lot to the rest of the world. Or at least, I suspect they will.”

  Chapter Seventy-Nine

  “Happy birthday to me,” King Rudolf Sweetwater sang and clapped his hands. “Happy birthday to me!”

  Liv slapped a hand over his mouth. “It’s not your birthday, Ru.”

  He apparently licked her hand, making her jerk it away. “I thought that when children had a birthday, that parents got to pretend it was theirs too because we went to so much work to bring them into this world.”

  “What did you do?” Liv questioned.

  “I gave up multiple naps,” he declared.

  Sophia shook her head, but smiled and watched as the Captains toddled around in their pretty little outfits on their birthday. “I think that the triplets having to share a birthday with each other is quite enough.”

  “Thanks for arranging this,” Rudolf said, quite sincerely as he looked around at the Build-A-Bear workshop that was different from the one in the mortal world that most were used to.

  Sophia had agreed not to tell anyone, even King Rudolf, that Lee from the Crying Cat Bakery had made the arrangements, at the assassin
baker’s request. Apparently being thoughtful would be the worst thing in the world. So instead, Sophia had to take the credit. She nodded. “You’re welcome. I hope they enjoy it.”

  The triplets waddled over to the shop attendant who began leading them in the activity, which included assembling all parts of a bear that would in fact come alive at the end and be a lifelong companion if they so desired. Getting into the Magical Build-A-Bear workshop wasn’t easy, but Lee had connections and it was truly a fun experience for Rudolf and Serena and the triplets, who were used to having everything.

  Sophia smiled. She felt that even the privileged deserved the best. It wasn’t Rudolf’s fault that he was filthy rich or handsome or strangely lucky. At the end of the day, no one had a bigger heart than the king of the fae. He would do anything for his people or magicians or the Dragon Elite. Those people deserved to be rewarded, and so did his lovely halflings, who Sophia truly believed were destined to go on and do great things.

  “Oh, don’t choose that outfit for your bear, Captain Morgan.” Rudolf pushed Sophia back to get around her. “Something short and scandalous. Don’t take after your godmother Liv.”

  Sophia laughed and slapped her sister on the arm. Liv smiled at her.

  “This is fun.” Liv looked around as Queen Serena helped Captain Kirk and Captain Silver pick out accessories for their bears.

  “Life is fun,” Sophia stated.

  “And full of adventure, based on the marks on your face,” Liv added.

  Sophia brushed her hands over her cheeks, realizing that some of her battle marks were still there. “Well, you know how it goes.”

  Liv nodded. “That I do. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. How about you?”

  Sophia thought for a moment. “Every day is an adventure. It’s exhausting and terrifying and often heartbreaking, but you know what? I want to be the one who saves the world so the rest of the population can sleep in. Even after coming off a battle, I look forward to the ones of tomorrow and I know there will be more because evil never takes a day off. So no, I don’t want a do-over or a different job. I want to keep doing this for the rest of my life, which I hope will be very, very long.”

  Liv wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulder and hugged her tightly. “I have a feeling that you, Sophia Beaufont, will outlive us all. Or at I least hope you do. Because you’re the absolute best of us all.”

  Sophia smiled at her sister. She didn’t know about that, but she hoped that tomorrow wasn’t her last day…or the next. She had exploding sheep to fix, bad guys to take down, and a whole list of things she needed to do—and that was all before the epic battle that approached, full of unknown evils.

  However, after fighting the giant bird and sea monster, she wasn’t scared anymore. Whether her enemy meant it or not, sending something huge to try and take down the Dragon Elite only made her braver…tougher.

  Sophia was ready for the next challenge. And she was hopeful that she’d defeat it.

  The world depended on it.

  Chapter Eighty

  A guttural howl echoed from the horned creature’s mouth. It sounded both like a bitter threat and a promise of bad deeds yet to come.

  Nevin Gooseman watched his “pet” from the safety of the box office at the top of the abandoned stadium in Dallas, Texas.

  The tarrasque had grown considerably and was now threatening to break free of its restraints. It was more important than ever that Clyde Jackson, its handler, kept it subdued when the monster wasn’t eating. The magically enchanted chains kept the beast from demolishing the stands and trampling through the streets of Dallas.

  That time would come very soon though, Nevin thought with satisfaction. However, the timing had to be perfect. If they released the tarrasque now, it would be easy enough for the Dragon Elite to take it down, based on how they handled the simurgh and the leviathan. Nevin had to give it to them—the dragonriders shouldn’t be underestimated. But they weren’t invincible, and he thought he’d found their match. Something that would overpower the dragons and outsmart the riders.

  However, when Nevin released the tarrasque, it would be because it could no longer be contained. Then there would be no stopping it.

  Technically, Nevin had no plans to release the monster. He would simply allow the handler’s magical wards that kept it asleep to wear off. Overwhelmed by hunger, the beast would break free of the abandoned and rundown sports stadium. Then it would feast on mortals until the Dragon Elite undoubtedly showed up and finally met their match.

  It wouldn’t be much longer now. The tarrasque was as big as the football field. Soon it would fill up the entire space, including the stands. The spikes on its back were already close to the domed ceiling. When it was allowed to sober up completely, all the monster would have to do was rock back on its heels, then it would bust free of its confines.

  Nevin Gooseman would be long gone by then.

  A tarrasque had never been allowed to get as big as the one he had Clyde Jackson rapidly maturing. This was the last one in existence, and it wouldn’t live long after breaking out due to all the magical enhancements they’d used to make it grow, but it would live long enough. According to Clyde Jackson, the tarrasque would live at least a month before its heart gave out. That was more than enough time for it to do massive damage. Nevin thought that the beast would take down the Dragon Elite within minutes. Then, left unchecked, it would further destroy the city and probably all the military forces that came after it.

  The tarrasque’s armored skin was impenetrable by most weapons, and like diamonds, its claws and teeth could tear through just about anything. The Dragon Elite wouldn’t be prepared for this. There was no way that they could be.

  The simurgh and leviathan should have been more of a challenge for the dragonriders. They had, after all, been enchanted to be extra difficult to fight and aggressive. However after watching the battle, Nevin was hopeful that he’d at least injured the Dragon Elite. That was the plan all along. It hadn’t been hard for him to locate the beasts with Bermuda Lauren’s unknowing help and aided by Clyde Jackson’s expertise.

  The creatures had been in hiding, but it was easy enough to draw them into place and create a disturbance that would get the Dragon Elite’s attention. As Nevin suspected, the do-gooders came running right on cue.

  Imagine when the Dragon Elite learn that the city of Dallas is under attack by a giant dinosaur creature. They won’t think first. They’ll simply run so fast into battle with their smug attitudes that they’ll be picked off within a matter of minutes.

  Then the tarrasque could overrun the city, and mortals would get the punishment they deserved for taking Nevin Gooseman for granted.

  Nevin smiled with satisfaction at the beast that would be the Dragon Elite’s final demise. Without them, he could destroy the other dragons and eggs. It was all coming together. Soon, he’d have the revenge he was so hungry for.

  Chapter Eighty-One

  “Would you scooch over?” Evan pressed his feet under Sophia’s butt on the leather couch. “You’re taking up too much room.”

  She took up hardly any space on the oversized sofa—less than three-quarters of the space where Evan was stretched out with his head on the arm rest.

  After tucking her legs up to her chest, she shook her head. “If you don’t stop, then I’m going to chuck you out the window.”

  Evan laughed at her threat. “You mean throw me into Lunis.”

  Sophia looked up to find her dragon striding in the direction of the sitting room’s open window. It wasn’t raining at the Gullington for once, but all the dragonriders had congregated in the room that was hardly used, right off the entryway to the Castle. After their battle with the leviathan and simurgh, they all recognized that they needed a break. Hiker had authorized them to have a single day off, to which Evan made a sarcastic remark about how giving he was after they’d risked their lives to save the world.

  “Hey, Lun.” Sophia smiled as the blue dragon stuck his
head through the open window. He winked at Sophia before turning his attention to Wilder sitting in the oversized armchair beside the window.

  “What are you watching?” Lunis glanced down at the tablet in Wilder’s hands.

  “Zefrank,” Wilder answered. “He does all these nature videos on animals on YouTube, but teaches nontraditional information on them.”

  “Sounds intriguing.” Lunis watched the screen. “What’s this one on?”

  “Marsupials,” Wilder explained and held up the iPad so the dragon could get a better look. “Did you know that koalas don’t have those folds in their brain, also known as the ‘thinky-thinky parts’?”

  “Makes sense if you’ve ever met a koala,” Lunis stated. “They’re happy no matter what.”

  “Are you inferring that happiness is linked to intelligence, or lack thereof?” Evan asked absentmindedly, his attention on the device in his hand as he played Animal Crossing.

  “If that were the case, you’d be as happy as a lark,” Wilder joked.

  “Studies have proven that there isn’t a correlation between intelligence and happiness,” Mahkah explained from his place sitting cross-legged on the floor. He was also using an electronic device—a Kindle e-reader. “However, it’s important to note that those with higher IQs have more avenues for finding and maintaining happiness. They have the ability to find coping mechanisms when things are hard. There are many factors to consider, like the fact that higher intelligence usually results in better health, which would lead to better life satisfaction.”

  “Would you stop reading Psychology Today?” Evan teased, still playing his game.

  “You make some excellent points, Mahkah,” Mama Jamba said from her place on an elegant chaise lounge next to the roaring fire on the opposite side of the room. “Many believe that ignorance is bliss, but that’s not usually the case. Less knowledge means fewer options.” She went back to sketching on her notepad, which was always with her lately.