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

by Sarah Noffke

  Her first idea was to relieve the pressure. Releasing the heat and gases inside the volcano would work in theory, she reasoned. But even with intense magic at their disposal, Sophia didn’t know how they would vent the volcano. Then that idea, along with something that Liv said, gave Sophia a plan. It would either work or seriously backfire.

  There was no getting down from Mount Castiglione at this point. The trek was too far and the volcano too intense. The only option was to stop it and hopefully save the surrounding cities of Naples and Pompeii.

  “Your mama is so ugly, her reflection said, ‘I quit.’” Liv waited until the monster cast her an offended stare. She didn’t seem content unless she angered the beast before extinguishing its fire, essentially taking away its life force.

  Sophia found it much faster to free the rocks than the water. Frost formed over the huge pile that had once been the four giants. It towered high above them when Liv “swept” them together. Having them all compiled made it easier for Sophia to freeze them and helped with the next phase.

  When Sophia thought the rocks were sufficiently frozen, she turned her attention to Liv. “Are you ready? We have to do this together.”

  With a look of pure confidence, Liv reached out to the huge boulders as if she was going to pick them up with her fingers. “Let’s get moving. My nachos are getting cold somewhere.”

  Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Seven

  When Liv had mentioned something about plugging up the volcano, Sophia had taken the idea literally. If they needed to stop or at the very least slow the volcano down, the best way would be to plug it up.

  From studying geography, Sophia knew that volcanic plugs were an actual thing that could lead to an explosion. But she thought that if they employed magic, meaning using rocks that once belonged to giant men and were frozen, that could cool the volcano from the inside out. And if it didn’t work, then it very well could make matters much worse, and not just lava and ash would rain down from the sky, but also rocks.

  “Okay, ready?” Sophia let out a breath and prepared herself for the next feat. It wasn’t something she could have done on her own. As powerful as Liv was, it was unlikely that she could accomplish it solo either. But together, the Beaufont sisters stood a chance. Sophia hoped with all her might that it worked because the strength it took would probably make both of them pass out.

  This time, Sophia wouldn’t have Lunis continue to fuel her spell when she fell into unconsciousness. They needed too much precision. Sophia had to stay awake long enough to finish things. Then she could pass out and hopefully wake to a blue sky, or least one that wasn’t falling ash and rock.

  “I’m ready,” Liv said with conviction.

  Both magicians turned their full attention to the huge mound of boulders and focused, using their collective magic to pick up several hundred tons of rock.

  At first, the pile only trembled. A small boulder rolled down the stack and landed on the ground. The earth quaked under the mound, which Sophia thought was the reason for the rocks shaking. Then they all rose into the air and soared high above their heads.

  Sophia didn’t allow herself a moment to rejoice at their success. She needed to concentrate with everything she had. One slip-up and the rocks would fall where they’d roll and crush them—freeze them. They were in essence all big ice cubes at this point, but Sophia thought the effort to change the temperature would be worth the work.

  Plugging the volcano wasn’t enough. The lava had to be “calmed down” first. One of their hopes was that the rocks would fall into the volcano’s mouth in such a way that they didn’t plug it right away but instead created a vent. Then the smoke and steam would release, and the lava would solidify to complete the plug. That was the hope, and for someone who didn’t know much about these things, Sophia had to rely on faith because that’s all she had left.

  Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Eight

  Sweat dripped down Sophia’s forehead and into her eyes, but she stayed focused. Her chest filled with heat and her breath became irregular. Her hand shook in the air and she spied that Liv’s did the same. But they kept the huge pile of boulders airborne.

  That wasn’t enough though, and they both knew it.

  “Ready,” Sophia said through clenched teeth.

  Liv nodded, probably the only reaction she could manage right then.

  In unison, the sisters moved their hands from in front of the suspended boulders to the mouth of the volcano peak spilling lava down the side of the mountain next to them. The heat radiating off the structure was intense, but Sophia refused to allow herself to feel it. All that she gave attention to was moving the rock pile through the air to the volcano that promised to shoot bright orange magma into the air, raining down on them and the surrounding areas.

  Not on my watch, Sophia thought with strict firmness.

  The effort to move the mound of rocks over the top of the bubbling peak took all that Sophia had. All that Liv had. But when they finished, there was only one thing left to do, and it was thankfully the easiest thing Sophia had done all day.

  “Now,” she whispered to her sister, and together they dropped their hands and abandoned the spell that had the power to take them both out.

  The cluster of rocks fell into the mouth of the volcano, making lava splash out and ooze over the side.

  For a moment, Sophia held her breath, only allowed to watch. There was nothing left for her and Liv to do. There was nowhere to go. They could only wait and see if the plan she’d concocted with little understanding of science would work.

  Steam issued from the volcano’s mouth and filled the night sky. A great sizzling sound filled the air as if the loudest barbecue grill in the world stood right in front of them.

  Spurts of smoke shot into the air with a few rocks.

  Liv gave Sophia a sideways look that spoke of her apprehension. However, no matter the doubt that the warrior felt, she managed a smile and clapped a hand on Sophia’s shoulder. “It’s going to work.”

  Maybe faith had no power in the world after an act was done. Maybe it was simply the propeller that got things in motion and kept things moving. Or maybe it was holding onto faith when there was nothing left that created the positive results.

  For whatever reason—because Liv believed in Sophia’s plan, or because the rocks had cooled the lava enough, or because enough pressure had been released before the plug formed—the quaking stopped.

  Sophia was startled, having gotten used to the trembling under her feet. It was like when she rode Lunis for an extended amount of time and dismounted. Her legs always felt strange as if not used to the lack of motion.

  Liv’s hand tightened on Sophia’s shoulder. “Did it…”

  Her words cut off when something like an explosion rocked the volcano. Sophia instinctively brought her hands overhead and prepared to shield herself from the lava and rocks that flew from the mouth of the volcano as if that would work.

  However, nothing flew from the top of the volcano. Instead, the boulders that had previously been frozen bubbled to the surface where they rumbled and shook before becoming still once more. They glowed brightly for a moment before seeming to instantly cool and form, to Sophia’s ultimate surprise, a plug of sorts.

  To Sophia’s relief and total astonishment, it had worked. They’d been able to plug up the volcano and potentially save millions.

  Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Nine

  When Sophia woke, she was lying with her head next to Liv’s in the grass outside Paul’s cabin on one of the peaks of Mount Castiglione. She didn’t remember falling asleep or rather passing out. For a moment, she wondered if the volcanic plug had all been a dream until she looked at the nearby peak and saw the mound of rocks keeping it sealed.

  Sophia sat up and blinked at her surroundings, noticing how different they looked in the early light.

  She sighed and looked around as morning dawned on the hills of Italy and made the rolling lands of vineyards and orchards glisten with the fresh l
ight.

  Liv stirred next to her, and Sophia turned her attention back to her. She realized at once what had awoken her sister. It wasn’t the morning sunlight or Sophia sitting up.

  Standing next to Liv and pawing her face was none other than the lynx, Plato.

  Liv pushed blindly in the cat’s direction, but he easily moved out of her reach.

  “Wakey, wakey,” Plato sang.

  With her eyes still closed, Liv shook her head. “Nah. I’m not going to school today.” She rolled over and tugged on make-believe covers.

  Plato looked up at Sophia with a sly grin. “This is a cute game we play.”

  She yawned and watched as the cat strode around to where Liv had turned and positioned his backend right in front of Liv’s face. Sophia wondered what the sneaky feline was up to when it dawned on her a moment too late.

  “What?” Plato hollered. “There’s a sale on plain black T-shirts, you say?”

  “Wh-Wh-What?” Liv opened her eyes groggily. Her gaze landed straight on the cat’s butt right in front of her face. She grimaced and rolled the opposite direction, and sat up at once. “Oh, dude! That joke totally got old after the tenth time you did it.”

  “But I’m hoping that you find it funny again after the eight hundredth time,” Plato sang while shaking his rear end at Liv. “Go ahead, don’t you want to make a wish on the morning star?”

  “After what you put us through, I’m thinking about skinning you, cat,” Liv threatened.

  Plato casually glanced out at the still-smoking volcanic plug. “I expected you to recruit Paul. I expected you to navigate the obstacles caused by the volcano and this being a hidden place. However, I didn’t see that you’d stop the explosion. Kudos.”

  Liv shook her head. “You have about a ten-second head start before I run after you, animal.”

  Plato wiggled his whiskers, unperturbed by the threat. “Paul seems to be happy in his new role. I think he’ll do nicely in the position. He asked that you two come by and visit once he’s settled in at the Great Library.”

  “So we can open the portal in the Castle and at fairy godmother college?” Sophia got to her feet and stretched, all her muscles feeling strained from the hike and many battles.

  “Oh, right,” Plato chirped. “I forgot about the portals. Yeah, when I was moving the Great Library to its new location, you’d have wanted to close those. Otherwise, all sorts of weird things would have resulted.”

  Liv gave her sister an annoyed expression. “Do you want a mink shawl? And by mink, I mean lynx. I hear they make nice mufflers. It gets quite cold in Scotland.”

  Sophia laughed, grateful for the relief. “Where is the new location?” she asked Plato.

  “Well, you can simply take the portal from the Castle when you reopen it,” Plato stated.

  “But for the rest of us who don’t have magic portals and aren’t allowed into the Gullington?” Liv said dryly.

  “That unprivileged person would go to Timbuktu,” Plato informed her.

  “I see that knowing you does me few favors,” Liv stated.

  “I got you backstage at that Snow Patrol concert,” Plato argued.

  “Then you got us kicked out when you stole the drummer’s drink,” Liv spat.

  The lynx giggled slyly. “They all like having a cat around and think it’s funny when I drink until they realize the feline can drink them under the table and will empty all their expensive liquor bottles.”

  “And that’s why I can’t take him to parties,” Liv said to Sophia while thumbing in the cat’s direction. “Seriously, how about fur-lined boots? Or cat-lined anything? I’m buying, and by that, I mean I’m skinning the creature.”

  Sophia’s phone buzzed in her pocket. Since they were on the top of a mountain in a hidden place, she had to guess it was someone important who knew how to get hold of her.

  She pulled out her phone and read the message, then smiled. “No thanks. Looks like I’ll be getting some fancy new clothes though. I’ve got to go.”

  “Okay, well, this was fun,” Liv sang as Sophia quickly made her way down the path. “Next time, let’s try to keep our eyebrows and not burn off our fingertips.”

  “Sounds good,” Sophia replied. “Can’t wait until next time.”

  “I can,” Liv replied dryly and turned her attention to the lynx. “Don’t go planning any adventures for me just yet. I need nachos first.”

  “You have two and half hours,” he teased.

  Chapter One Hundred Sixty

  “Get your paws off my slice of pizza, Angela,” Evan warned as Sophia reached for the last piece. She’d been so busy telling Mahkah and Wilder about the adventures with Liv and before that with Lee that she hadn’t had a bite, although her reserves were seriously depleted after Mount Castiglione.

  “I haven’t had any,” she retorted and took the piece.

  He dared to slap her hand, but it was more of a pat. “I called dibs.”

  “When?” she challenged.

  “Just now!” He continued to slap the back of her hand, trying to make her drop the slice.

  She shook her head and took a bite. “Oops, it fell into my mouth. Deal with it.”

  “I’ll order us another one.” Mahkah stood and strode for the counter in the Cosmic Pizza, a popular place on Roya Lane that served pizza with specialty toppings like French fries, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and for those who hated themselves—pineapple.

  “Just don’t put fruit on it,” Evan called after Mahkah. “It has no place on a pizza or a dessert.”

  “Amen.” Sophia sat back and sipped her beer.

  “I can’t believe you were on a volcano.” Wilder looked her over. “You don’t look like it.”

  “Thanks,” Sophia replied. “The new threads help.”

  She tugged at the armor she wore. Jeremy Bearimy had made it and handed it off to them. That was the text message she received when on the top of Mount Castiglione. The tarantula had already sent the dragons’ armor to Hiker at the Gullington and notified him to pick it up outside the Barrier. Hopefully, it all fit since the armor was custom-ordered for each dragon and there was no telling when they’d need it.

  Sophia had been so consumed with fixing the water supply and the sheep and with recruiting Paul the Great Librarian that she’d almost forgotten there was something bigger looming over the Dragon Elite, waiting to try and take them down. Nevin Gooseman had to be behind it. Usually, Sophia forced herself to have confidence when it came to facing villains.

  However, after the leviathan and the simurgh, she was more than worried about what Nevin Gooseman had in store for them. Besides wearing the new armor created by the best seamstress in the world, her only hope was that Bermuda Laurens came through with some information on the monster Nevin planned to send the Dragon Elite’s way.

  “I think I look quite dashing in my new armor as well,” Evan smugly interjected while looking down at his shiny and sleek new clothes.

  “Be careful how much pizza you eat,” Wilder warned. “If you have too much, then you might not fit into it much longer.”

  Evan scoffed. “I need quite a bit of food, boy. You wouldn’t understand.”

  Wilder nodded and pushed his empty plate away. “I guess I wouldn’t. After that, I was left quite satisfied.”

  “That’s what she said.” Evan dropped another of his favorite lines from the sitcom, The Office.

  Sophia shook her head and finished her slice of fajita pizza covered in black beans, salsa, guacamole, and carne asada. “I’m glad that Mahkah is getting another pizza. I’m starving after facing those lava creatures.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Evan stated. “I had this long contract negotiation with Nigeria that totally depleted me.”

  “You sound like a pretty little princess in contrast to Sophia,” Wilder joked.

  “She’s the one who wears pink like it’s going out of style,” he argued and leaned over to whisper loudly to Sophia. “It totally is. Stop wearing pink.”


  “Stop talking to me.” Sophia pressed her hand to the side of his face and pushed Evan away.

  He pretended she catapulted him to the far side of the booth. When he pushed himself upright, he gawked at Sophia, then at Wilder. “You watch this one. She’s abusive. I bet that if you step out of line, she’ll beat you.”

  Wilder cocked a sideways grin at Sophia. “I can take it, and need to be disciplined now and again.”

  “That’s what she said,” Evan spouted with a laugh.

  Sophia was about to reply with a sarcastic joke when she noticed a figure enter Cosmic Pizza who she didn’t recognize. Still, he was strangely familiar as he looked around the restaurant as if trying to find his party waiting for him at one of the nearby booths.

  The man had long black hair tied into a ponytail low on his head. Although he was an elf, he wasn’t dressed like one, merely wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. It was the glint in his eyes that made Sophia think she’d met him before.

  Then the man’s gaze connected with hers and he strode over. “There you are, Sophia. I’ve been looking for you all over this place and being in public robs my soul, so follow me right away.”

  The man turned at once and strode back for the door while waving over his shoulder for her to follow him, a commanding essence in his every move that Sophia didn’t know how to question and had a strong feeling that she shouldn’t.

  Chapter One Hundred Sixty-One

  “Who is that guy?” Evan asked as Sophia slid out of the booth and started after the stranger.

  “I don’t know,” she remarked, then followed the elf, not wanting him to get away since he didn’t seem to be waiting for her.