by Sarah Noffke
Sophia only realized right then what kind of challenge she’d signed on for. She smiled, accepting it proudly. “Yes, we are going to find out where those eggs are and get you a fresh new perspective to bring back to the Gullington.”
“Great!” Ainsley said excitedly. “What do I need to do first?”
“Get rid of that pot of sludge and make yourself fat and ugly.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Are you sure that I’m ugly enough?” Ainsley asked as they strode for the Barrier on the edge of the Gullington.
Sophia gave her a slight smile. “I never thought I’d be saying this to you Ains, but you’re so ugly, I don’t want to look at you.”
The shapeshifter had made herself into a short, round man with patches of gray hair on his boxed-shaped head. There were multiple large moles on his face, all of them sprouting wiry gray hair. And his teeth were crooked and yellow when he attempted to smile, which looked more like a devious scowl.
“Thank you, S. Beaufont. I know you wouldn’t say that unless it was true.”
When they were at the Barrier, the housekeeper turned and looked at the Castle with quiet longing.
“Hey, the Castle will be fine without you for a bit,” Sophia consoled, sensing that Ainsley didn’t want to leave her home, even for a couple of hours. Strangely, Sophia thought she was more worried about leaving the Gullington than she was nervous about seeing the modern world.
A truly melancholy expression took over Ainsley’s face. “You think it will be okay?”
“No,” Sophia said at once, realizing her mistake. “The Castle is probably going to fall into a full-on depression, decorating the inside and outside with black and gothic décor.”
Ainsley perked up. “Oh, you think so? I hope. I wouldn’t want to think that this place wouldn’t fall apart without me, although I did ask Quiet to look after things in my absence.”
Sophia paused. “Hey, about Quiet…”
“Yes?” Ainsley asked. “Is this about his real name?”
Now that Sophia was thinking about it, Quiet had mentioned on the one occasion she understood him that his real name wasn’t Quiet, and he’d tell her what it was if she stuck around. “You can tell me what it is, can you?”
Ainsley shook her head. “No, it wouldn’t be right.”
“Well, that’s actually not what I wanted to ask about,” Sophia began. “Have you noticed that he’s been acting suspicious lately?”
Ainsley lifted a curious eyebrow. “You do realize that the groundskeeper for the Gullington is the quintessential definition of suspicious, right? I can’t find him half the time, and neither can the Castle, which is bizarre. If anything goes on in the Expanse, he absolutely knows about it. And I’m certain that he’s been hoarding snacks in his room, which I haven’t been able to enter in over four centuries.”
“Oh,” Sophia said, surprised. “And he teleported me through the Gullington, which I didn’t think could happen.”
“It can’t,” Ainsley affirmed. “But some rules don’t apply to the gnome.”
“I wonder why,” Sophia mused as they crossed the Barrier to where she could create a portal to Roya Lane.
“I wouldn’t wonder too much on it, S. Beaufont. There are some mysteries that aren’t worth your time.”
“Okay, well, after you,” Sophia said, holding out her hand to Ainsley.
The housekeeper simply regarded her with a tentative expression.
“It’s fine,” Sophia stated. “I’ll come through right after you. Since I opened the portal, it’s better if I go through after you.”
Ainsley shook her head. “It’s not that. It’s just been so long since I’ve stepped through a portal.”
“Oh, you’re nervous then?” Sophia questioned.
The ugly man nodded.
“Well, it’s a bit of a strange feeling when you enter a portal,” Sophia reminded her. “But just try to acclimate as soon as you step through. Take in as many of the things around you as possible: smells, sounds, and sights. If you do that, then you should be okay, although being slightly nauseous is common.”
“We could just take a train there,” Ainsley offered. “Roya Lane is in London, right?”
“Yes, but you can only get there using portal magic since only magical creatures are allowed to enter.”
“Fiddlesticks,” she complained. “Fine. I’ll do it, but any words of wisdom on what I’ll see?”
“Roya Lane is sort of hard to explain,” Sophia stated. “It changes often, and at night, I’m certain it’s probably more chaotic.”
“Why don’t you draw me a picture really quickly?” Ainsley summoned a pad and pen.
Sophia shook her head at the housekeeper. “You know, tough love is sometimes for the best.” Using her quick reflexes, she reached out and pushed the squat man through the portal before he could react.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“That was a rotten thing to do!” Ainsley yelled at Sophia when she stepped through the portal.
She offered her a sympathetic expression. “I apologize, but you were stalling, and sometimes the best thing to do is just take the plunge.”
Ainsley looked around, her eyes roaming over the various shops and strange creatures striding through the cobbled street. “Yes, and going through the portal wasn’t so bad. But being here is…well, making me think I should have brought my heart medicine.”
Sophia whipped around. “Are you okay? You have heart medicine? Do you want me to go back and get it?”
“Oh, no. I don’t have any. If I did, I would have brought it,” Ainsley answered.
Sophia sighed with relief. “Well, if the gnomes try and talk to you, ignore them. They just want to get you to gamble, and no one ever wins. Don’t take any food samples. And if you see a gorgeous fae, ignore him unless you want to lose a few hundred brain cells.”
Ainsley turned in a circle, her droopy eyes wide. “I’ve never seen so many amazing things at once. This place is incredible!”
Many of the magical creatures on the street turned to look at the pair, giving them curious expressions like they were wondering what Sophia would be doing accompanying such a homely man.
“Ains, it might be better if you didn’t draw so much attention to us,” Sophia said, pulling the hood from her cloak up over her head. “We are supposed to be incognito.”
“I know, but S., this place is bursting with smells and sights and sounds!” Ainsley rejoiced. “It makes me want to kick up my heels and do a dance!”
“Don’t!” a group of gnomes yelled at Ainsley. “No one wants to see you dance.”
“No one wants to see you,” an elf woman replied. “But I can sell you a face cream that will take care of those warts.”
“He’s fine,” Sophia said, ushering Ainsley down the lane toward Chimerick’s Bar and Grill. “Now, you remember what you’re supposed to do?”
Ainsley nodded, staring wide-eyed at every shop they passed, her knobby hands dragging longingly against the glass, leaving behind fingerprints. “I’m supposed to go into the bar, chat up the loudmouth at the bar, buy him a drink, and get him talking.”
“That’s right,” Sophia said. “I’ll be in the corner if anything goes wrong.”
Ainsley halted. “What is going to go wrong? Do they put out spider poison in this bar? Oh, please tell me there are spiders in there.”
“What?” Sophia asked. “Why would you want that?”
Giving her an expression of disbelief, she said, “You do know that spiders are crucial for the well-being of a place, right? People who kill the spiders who grace their residence open themselves for all sorts of problems.”
“So, you don’t do anything about the spiders in the Gullington?” Sophia asked.
“I try to make them feel as comfortable as possible,” Ainsley stated. “The nest under your bed gets a lot of my attention.”
“Oh, angels,” Sophia said, suddenly lightheaded. “We might need to move that nest when we
return.”
Ainsley shrugged. “Suit yourself. I thought I was doing you a favor by putting them in your room.”
“Move them to Evan’s, please,” Sophia requested.
“Fine, fine.”
“Okay, here we go,” Sophia said, giving Ainsley one last look over her shoulder before slipping into Chimerick’s Bar and Grill and disappearing into the shadows, unnoticed by the patrons, thanks to a shielding spell.
She was seated at a table in the corner by the time Ainsley entered after her. Hobbling up to the bar, the shapeshifter glanced around.
Sophia had given Ainsley the description of their target. She’d told her to ignore those with eye patches but was worried the housekeeper wouldn’t be able to find the character. Her fears were relieved at once when a drunk at the bar began hollering loudly at Ainsley.
“Wow, you should come sit next to me, fella!” the man yelled. “People like you make me look good.” He was medium height and build, with thinning hair and a face full of wrinkles.
Sophia had turned on her heightened senses so she could overhear the conversation and immediately regretted her enhanced ability to smell. Even from across the bar, she could smell the man’s rancid breath and felt bad for Ainsley, who had to sit next to him.
The shapeshifter made several attempts to try and get onto the tall bar stool, nearly falling as she jumped. Her large butt didn’t fit really well on the narrow surface when she got up there, but Sophia was proud of Ainsley’s determination to stay on the seat by bracing herself on the bar.
“What can I get for you?” the bartender who had helped Sophia asked, throwing a napkin in front of Ainsley on the bar.
“Something strong,” she said, her voice deep and gruff as if she spent too many years in the coal mines. “And make it a double for my new friend.”
The man beside her smiled thoughtfully. “That’s mighty nice of you. I knew I liked you from the moment you walked through that door.”
“That’s because no one else in here wants to talk to you, Griff,” Clive or Clyde stated, pouring two double shots of whiskey.
So we have the right guy, Sophia thought, grateful for their good luck.
“To our good health,” Ainsley said, raising her glass to cheers with Griff.
“To mine,” Griff replied. “I’m not sure about you, buddy. You might want to get checked out soon. That yellowish tone to your skin can’t be good.”
“Well then, to putting in a hard week of work,” Ainsley said, not missing a beat.
“I can cheer to that,” Griff said, clinking his glass against the other one before knocking back the entire drink. “I tell you, this was the week from hell.”
“How is that?” Ainsley asked him, leaning forward and keeping her voice down.
Sophia felt miserable that Ains had to inhale Griff’s nasty scent, but not having too many overhear their conversation was for the best.
Griff leaned down, matching Ainsley’s volume. That technique always worked, it seemed. “Well, I had the displeasure of doing a job for probably the most despicable human being on this planet. But he overpaid on a somewhat easy job, so I was good with it.”
“Oh?” Ainsley asked. “I’m looking for work. Who is this guy?”
Griff shook his head. “He wouldn’t give me his name. I didn’t even get to meet him. But his communications were downright insulting. Micromanaged every aspect of the job. I just don’t work like that.”
“This job?” Ainsley inquired.
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” Griff answered.
“Well, what if I bought you another drink?” Ainsley offered, still not having touched her whiskey.
“I can’t object to that,” Griff stated cheerfully.
“Make it two more,” Ainsley said to the bartender.
He nodded, pouring another couple of doubles and sliding them in front of the men.
Griff threw back his drink, pulling his arm across his mouth as he shook his head. “Oh, that stuff burns, but in a good way.”
Ainsley slid her other drink over to him. “Here, have mine?”
At this, Griff gave her a questioning expression. “Why? You trying to get me drunk?”
Sophia stiffened.
Griff tensed, his eyes narrowing at Ainsley.
The shapeshifter looked momentarily thrown off, making Sophia’s pulse beat loudly in her head.
“Yeah, because I’m trying to get you to take me home,” Ainsley said with a laugh.
To Sophia’s relief, Griff erupted in laughter, slapping the bar. “There isn’t enough whiskey in this world, old buddy.” He picked up the drink and threw it back.
When Ainsley slid the other drink she still hadn’t touched, Griff didn’t object this time, taking the glass, but not drinking it this time. Instead, he began to sway, pointing a finger at Ainsley.
“You won’t believe what this son-of-a-so-and-so had me do,” Griff began, his speech slurring. He leaned in closer to Ainsley. “Dragon eggs.”
“No?” Ainsley replied. “I didn’t think there were any more out there.”
“Me too,” the guy said, raising the glass of whiskey to his mouth and sniffing it, but deciding not to take a drink just yet. He appeared close to falling off his barstool. Sophia worried that Ainsley had gotten him too drunk. There was a fine line between getting people to open up with booze and them passing out from too much.
“Anyway, this man told me to go and get these dragon eggs, so I did what I was told,” Griff went on. “But after I had them in my possession, he tells me that they need to be shielded. I start worrying that assassins or the Dragon Elite were going to come after me. But we all know that those guys are all gone, am I right?”
Ainsley nodded. “As far as I know. But assassins. I’d worry about them.”
“Well, and also poachers,” the man related. “Wouldn’t you know, as soon as I got those eggs away from their location, I had all sorts of people on my ass. And that guy, whoever it was who hired me, didn’t give a damn. He just wanted me to transport them to a safe location. I nearly lost a body part getting away from those ruthless poachers. Then I would have looked like all the deformed people in this bar!”
Sophia remembered when Lunis was in his egg and they had to transport him, it did bring out a bunch of poachers. They were apparently clued in to the energy a dragon egg gave off and came out in full force as soon as they sensed it. Rory and a few other giants helped to shield Lunis’ egg once they got it to his place, where it was safe. She realized now that there must have been something about the case at Zuma Zat’s that protected the eggs, but Griff hadn’t been smart enough to keep them in that chest, probably thinking there was a tracking device on it.
“So, what happened?” Ainsley asked him.
“Well, thanks to nobody in this dump,” Griff continued, “I was able to get the eggs to safety, but no one could tell me how to shield them. Thankfully, they are off my hands now and not my problem. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder and getting shot at.”
“I imagine, buddy,” Ainsley related. “But I wonder what kind of place you took them to? It must be shielded to keep the eggs protected from those poachers who were after you.”
“Oh, it is, and a genius location for eggs,” Griff said, taking a sip of the whiskey and swaying so much that Ainsley had to reach out and grab him to keep him from tumbling back.
“You’ve got my attention now,” Ainsley said with a laugh. “You’re quite the storyteller. I’m on the edge of my chair with curiosity.”
The man looked at her proudly before leaning in closer, his eyes shifting back and forth like he didn’t want to be overheard. “It’s in an underwater facility in the South Pacific, if you can believe. Some place they called the Institute.”
“That’s genius,” Ainsley said in a hushed voice.
It was brilliant, Sophia realized. The water would shield the energy of the dragon eggs, keeping them off the radar of poachers, dragons, and anyone e
lse on the hunt, namely the Dragon Elite.
“Yeah, this place was abandoned,” Griff stated. “Apparently it used to be this fancy headquarters for a strange population of people. Real vigilante types. The guy who hired me took it over. It’s full of all sorts of magical tech.”
“How did you get in there?” Ainsley asked.
“Oh, I had to take a submarine,” Griff stated. “That was nerve-wracking since I’m totally claustrophobic. Not until I got there did they tell me there’s this single room where you can portal to but the wards have to be taken down. Another tiny room that was too cramped was called the GAD-C. I don’t know. But thankfully, I was able to portal out of there and didn’t have to take the submarine back. I was happy to be out of the Institute. That place was like a tin box.”
“This place, the Institute,” Ainsley began, “you said it was full of magical tech? That’s nuts. Lots of people too, I’m guessing.”
“Oh, no,” the guy stated. “That’s the thing, this billionaire or whatever he is, doesn’t like employing people. He told me that much but apparently had to resort to having me go after the eggs. He relies on robots mostly.”
That made sense based on what Sophia had seen when she went to the facility north of the Gullington. She guessed the jet pilots were human, but maybe not. They could be cyborgs. But the guards around the facility were definitely robots, powered by magical tech.
“That’s nuts,” Ainsley said as Griff finished the rest of the whiskey.
“You want to know what’s crazy?” he asked.
“What’s that?” Ainsley asked.
“The way the room is spinning,” he stated, swaying before he toppled over backward, passing out.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sophia had her phone pinned up to her ear when she entered Hiker’s office. He gazed up at her, a less than happy expression on his face.
“Oh, good,” he said, “you’re one of those people.”
She covered the receiver. “One of what people?”