Arbitrate or Die (The Exceptional S. Beaufont Book 2)

by Sarah Noffke

  “Hey, Clark,” Liv began. “Soph is here.”

  “Thanks,” her brother said dryly, offering Sophia a hug before looking her over. “You look like you’ve lost weight.”

  “It’s called muscle,” Liv stated. “Warriors and dragonriders get it because we move around unlike you lazy Councilors.”

  He shook his head at her and returned his attention to Sophia. “Are you getting enough rest? Proper meals? I can pack you a care package if you like. And are you making friends?”

  “She’s a dragonrider, for heaven’s sake,” Liv complained. “It’s not like she’s at a boarding school for girls.”

  “Quite the opposite, actually,” Sophia stated. “And I’m great, thanks for asking. How are you?”

  Clark shook his head. “There’s an evil growing. At first, we thought the Phantom had returned, but Mother and Father rid the world of that atrocity, and nothing could ever bring it back.”

  “Right…” Sophia said, trying to keep her face neutral.

  “But now we suspect,” Clark began, “that the evil is connected to this Thad Reinhart you told us about, and since what he’s doing harms the Earth, it technically falls under the dragonriders’ jurisdiction. And since Thad Reinhart is a dragonrider—”

  “What did you just say?” Sophia exclaimed, earning looks from many of the chatting fae in the room.

  Clark leaned forward. “You knew that, right?”

  “No, I think when she yelled, ‘What did you just say,’ it was because she didn’t know that piece of information,” Liv stated with a laugh.

  “How did you learn that?” Sophia asked her brother.

  “Well, I ran across something in the Forgotten Archives,” he explained. “It wasn’t much, just a list of dragonriders. His name stuck out because you’d just told us he was behind the spreading evil.”

  Sophia had been looking for that list, but it was missing from the Incomplete History of Dragonriders—unsurprisingly. It seemed like the most pertinent information was missing from that book, which was probably why Trinity, the librarian for the Great Library in Tanzania, wanted the Complete History of Dragonriders so badly.

  “Are you sure?” Sophia asked.

  Clark held out his hand, and a moment later, the large volume appeared. “Yeah, I can show you.”

  “Watch this. It’s sort of sick and also impressive,” Liv said, pointing at her brother.

  He rolled his eyes. “It’s not sick. I simply have reviewed this book many times, although I still have much to read.”

  “And shockingly, you don’t have a girlfriend,” Liv teased. “I wonder why?”

  He ignored her, flipping the book open and turning a few pages. A moment later, he pointed to a list. “There.” Clark turned the book around and showed it to Sophia.

  It was what appeared to be an incomplete list of dragonriders. Mahkah, Wilder, Evan, and of course, Sophia weren’t on it. She guessed it only included riders from before the curse made mortals unable to see magic. The Forgotten Archives, after all, told the history before the Great War.

  Her eyes skimmed the list and found three names close together that she recognized:

  Adam Rivalry

  Thad Reinhart

  Hiker Wallace.

  She scratched her head, totally bewildered.

  “Hiker didn’t tell you Thad was a dragonrider?” Liv asked.

  Sophia shook her head. “No, but he loves his secrets, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Oh, and something else that’s cool,” Clark began, pointing to the top of the list. “One of our relatives was a dragonrider.”

  Sophia didn’t have to read the name to know who he was talking to. “Yes, I met Oscar Beaufont.”

  “You what?” Clark asked. “He died eons ago.”

  “Well, I meant his ghost, or I assumed that it was him,” Sophia explained. “It could have been that the Castle led me on a scavenger hunt. It likes to do that.”

  Liv stretched her arm around Clark’s shoulder, hugging him tightly and offering Sophia a smile. “I don’t know about you, bro, but I feel totally better about our little sister living with the Dragon Elite at the Gullington now. She has the ghosts of our ancestors and a possessed castle and a leader who hides important information.”

  Clark shook his head at his sister. “You’re one to talk. What did you face down last night?”

  “It was nothing,” Liv argued.

  “Oh, really? Since when are aliens bent on stealing magic from Earth nothing?” Clark challenged.

  Liv stuck out her tongue. “Since now. And they weren’t successful. I just need to figure out how they got here, or I’ll have to keep kicking alien butt every day, which is annoying since getting their slime out of my hair takes forever.”

  “Oh, they probably got into our orbit because Wilder didn’t actually cover my shift at the Gullington,” Sophia said with a laugh.

  “Say what?” Liv asked, confused.

  Sophia smiled. “Inside joke.”

  Liv laid her head on her brother’s shoulder. “Aww, see, she’s making friends. Sophia has inside jokes with old dragonriders with cool names.”

  “Well,” Clark said, a serious expression on his face, “I’d feel better if you’d let me send you with some sandwiches. Maybe muffins.”

  “Thanks,” Sophia stated, “but I’m off to London right now. Liv, will you send me the information?”

  Her sister nodded. “Consider it done. And tell Bermuda that I said… On second thought, don’t mention me to the giantess unless you want to put her in a bad mood.”

  “Noted,” Sophia said, backing toward the door before Rudolf could notice she was leaving. “Tell the parents-to-be that I had to leave, but I’ll send them something ridiculously expensive for the triplets.”

  “We will,” Liv said, waving. “And remember, since they are having triplets, you need to send four presents.”

  Sophia winked. “Can’t wait until they have their babies and realize they only have three.”

  Liv laughed. “Yes, the nursery is going to have to be completely redone.”

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  According to the message Liv sent Sophia, Bermuda Laurens could be found in the British Museum, but not in any public galleries. Evidently, the giantess’s research had her working in the lower level in a restricted area. That was why Liv sent someone to help Sophia find Bermuda. She’d told Sophia to keep an eye out for a little guy named Ticker.

  The smell of museums was one of Sophia’s favorites. Yes, they usually were full of chemicals that kept the artwork and artifacts clean. But underneath that were the unique smells of plaster, art materials, dust, and magic.

  Sophia strode down to the lower level, sliding through the crowd of tourists. She had no idea how she was going to find the guide Liv had sent, given the hordes of people. And she didn’t know who she was looking for. By “little guy,” did Liv mean she’d sent a gnome? Or was it simply a shorter magician?

  A small black and white cat she recognized popped up beside her. “Plato? What are you doing here? You’re the guide Liv sent me to find Bermuda Laurens?”

  The lynx shook his head, appearing amused, as usual. “No, I’m doing some research of my own here and just happened to run into you.”

  There was no one in the vicinity to see her interacting with a talking cat. That was pretty typical. The lynx only showed up when no one else was around and disappeared at the slightest hint of anyone.

  “The coincidence is uncanny.” Sophia eyed the cat, trying to figure out if there was a side agenda. There usually was with Liv’s sidekick, who was definitely not all he appeared or seemed.

  “What is this research you’re doing?” she asked him.

  “I can’t say,” he stated.

  She nodded. “Figured.” Sophia looked around, still trying to locate her guide. “Well, can you help me find this Ticker Liv sent to help me?”

  “Nope,” he said at once.

  She r
olled her eyes at him. “You’re thoroughly unhelpful.”

  “It’s true.”

  “And why is it that you told me that to bond to Inexorabilis, I had to redo the death of the Phantom?” she asked, remembering that he’d helped her but in his own weird lynx way.

  “It worked, didn’t it?” he challenged.

  “Sort of, but not at first. And I almost was killed or turned evil. I wasn’t sure which one was going to happen first.”

  A smirk crossed his face. “But you weren’t. And now you’re bonded to your sword.”

  “You work in mysterious ways.”

  He nodded. “If I would have told you that you needed to do something of great significance to prove your loyalty to the sword, you would have been wracking your brain for days. As it happened, you were able to kill one bird with many stones, or in this case, arrows.”

  “You know about Devon’s bow?” she questioned.

  “Of course.”

  Sophia shook her head. “Then I suppose you know about all the other strange things that came out of that single mission.”

  The lynx strolled beside her, his black tail with a white tip flickering. “Naturally, and it was all executed perfectly to set up future events.”

  “And by future events, you mean…” Sophia trailed away, used to playing this game with the cat.

  “I can’t say,” he replied at once.

  “Of course you can’t.” She sighed. “Well, thanks for orchestrating things and tampering with events for unknown reasons.”

  “You’re very welcome,” he stated proudly.

  “Any other wisdom you want to pass along before I find the guide Liv sent to help me?” Sophia asked him.

  “Invest in board games,” he said plainly.

  Sophia blinked at him, wondering if she’d heard him correctly. “Say what? Why would I do that?”

  “Because winter is approaching, and you’ll want a way to pass the time at the Gullington,” he offered.

  “I’m a rider for the Dragon Elite,” she argued. “I don’t think I have the luxury of sitting around and playing Clue or Battleship.”

  “I don’t think that Quiet would like those games that much,” Plato said. “Get something a bit edgier. You have to make time for the little things. It can’t always be missions and battles. If it is, you’ll lose the point of doing it all in the first place.”

  “The point is to help the world be a better place and save this planet,” Sophia imparted.

  Plato shook his head. “I get that, but you don’t have to lose your world for that to happen. Take a break every now and then. Hang with the ones you share the Castle with.”

  Sophia narrowed her eyes at him. “How do you know about Quiet? And why does it sound like you know about the others? I haven’t mentioned them to Liv and Clark.”

  “You mean, you haven’t told them Evan teases you every chance he gets, and Wilder has a dashing look about him?” Plato asked.

  Sophia stuck her hands on her hips. “You’ve been in the Gullington? How? Only Dragon Elite and those who serve them are allowed through the Barrier.”

  “Well,” he began with a long yawn, “I’m not allowed in the House of Fourteen either, and that hasn’t stopped me.”

  Sophia shook her head at him. “You’re such a strange creature.”

  “So are you, Sophia Beaufont. That’s what I like about you.”

  She was about to say something else, but at that instant, Plato disappeared, leaving her alone in the wing of the museum.

  For a minute, she walked on, browsing the displays and not finding anyone she thought could be a guide sent by her sister.

  Casually, Sophia strolled through the Sainsbury African galleries, appreciating the artwork, metalwork, textiles, and sculpture. She halted in front of a particularly interesting pottery display, enjoying the fine detail on the largest pot.

  Strangely, Sophia could swear that she heard scratching coming from inside it.

  She leaned forward, trying to peer into it. When she was less than a foot away, a little brown creature popped his head out the top, a wide grin taking up most of his face.

  Sophia jumped back, as startled as if a snake had spilled from the pot. When she recovered, she saw that it was a brownie, one of the many house-elves who took care of mortals’ homes while they slept. This one was particularly small, with huge ears and eyes to match. He was incredibly cute.

  “Hey,” Sophia said, checking around to see that no one was paying attention.

  “Te Micker!” the little brownie stated.

  “Do you mean you’re Ticker?” she asked.

  He nodded adamantly, climbing all the way out of the pot. “Siv lent.”

  “Liv sent you?” Sophia asked, trying to understand the creature’s strange way of communicating.

  He nodded again. “Yes. Yes.”

  “You’re going to help me find Bermuda?”

  The brownie slid down the side of the pot, landing gracefully on the floor next to Sophia. “Mollow fe!”

  The little guy took off fast, zig-zagging around the pottery collection. Sophia was about to object that she’d get in trouble for entering the display when she noticed the guard stationed in that room was asleep.

  She sped up, trying to keep up with Ticker, who thankfully was looping around the pottery. When Sophia realized what he was doing, she paused until he started in a new direction.

  He halted, an annoyed expression on his face as he pointed at where he’d just come. “Fou yollow.”

  “Do you mean you want me to do exactly as you did?” she asked.

  He placed his fist on his hips and nodded.

  “Okay,” Sophia said, realizing there must be something to the series of events. Maybe doing them a specific way unlocked a secret room. Magic was strange like that.

  Trying to recall the exact path the brownie had taken, Sophia began circling the pottery. When she was about to go around part of the display again, Ticker exclaimed.

  “Mo nore!’

  Sophia paused. “Okay, then what’s next?”

  He answered by speeding from the room into one with beautiful furniture and cotton panels hanging on the wall.

  Again, the security guard was asleep. Sophia suspected the clever little brownie was behind putting the mortals to sleep. It was a gift brownies had since they could could clean houses after the mortals had gone to bed.

  Ticker hurried around a huge chair three times. Then he did the same with a set of masks on stands. Sophia found it much more difficult to negotiate around the masks due to her size, but she managed to slide between them.

  Once she’d completed that part of the obstacle course, she realized she’d lost sight of Ticker.

  “Hey, where are you?” she whispered, searching the large room.

  The tapestry hanging on the wall lifted up at the corner and the little brownie’s head popped out. “Whis tay!”

  Sophia checked over her shoulder before peeling back the tapestry to reveal a small round portal. “Oh, and hence the obstacle course. It opened this.”

  Carefully she stepped through the portal, momentarily blinded until she was firmly on the other side. It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust. She knew Ticker had led her in the right direction because standing right in front of her was the infamous and very accomplished Bermuda Laurens.

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  “Finally, Liv, you brushed your hair,” the giantess said, briefly looking up. She returned her attention to a large book sitting on a workstation in front of her, hunching over to read the text.

  It appeared that Ticker had led Sophia to a storage area of sorts. Shelves lined the room, crammed with strange objects and artifacts. The room was mostly dim, with the main light over the station where Bermuda resided.

  Kneeling, Sophia offered Ticker a finger. “Thanks so much for your help. Let me know if I can return the favor.”

  “Wou yelcome,” the brownie chirped before hurrying through the storage area an
d disappearing.

  “Do you have Bellator with you?” Bermuda said, referring to Liv’s trusty sword. She held out her hand to the side, her eyes still pinned on the book. “I need a sword for something.”

  “Actually, I’m not Liv,” Sophia said, nearing the giantess, who was deep in concentration.

  She glanced up, blinking at Sophia as she neared. “Well, that explains the hair. The Beaufont sister who owns a brush and knows how to use it. You should teach your older sister.”

  Sophia laughed, bowing slightly to the accomplished giantess. “It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Laurens.”

  The always stoic giantess simply nodded. Her curly brown hair was reminiscent of her son Rory’s. He also had her facial features, making her more of a handsome woman than a dainty female. She was wearing a long brown dress and an extravagant hat with a bird on top.

  Bermuda nodded appreciatively to her. “The honor is all mine. Being in the presence of the newest dragonrider and the first female of the Dragon Elite is a true gift for someone such as myself.”

  “Am I in your book, Mysterious Creatures?”

  “Since the moment you were born,” Bermuda stated.

  That confounded Sophia, but she smiled instead of asking the questions needling her brain. “I’m here because I need to find the location of the rapoo. Can you help me?”

  Shock registered in Bermuda’s eyes. “Where did you hear about those cleverly helpful creatures? I haven’t written about them yet because I’ve yet to find one.”

  “Oh,” Sophia said, disappointment welling to the surface. “Well, a friend told me about them.”

  Bermuda tilted her head to the side, narrowing her gaze. “Yes, you would be the type to get a fairy godmother.”

  Sophia blinked at the giantess. “How did you guess?”

  “Well, besides the fact that you’re shimmering with pixie dust?” Bermuda asked.

  Sophia glanced down at her arms and just then realized that she was, in fact, sparkling like she’d been dipped in glitter. “Yes, I guess besides that.”

  “Well, I don’t know many who are aware of the presence of the rapoo,” Bermuda stated. “But a fairy godmother, well, she’d be in the know because of her connection to Mother Nature.” Bermuda paused. “Have you met the One? I’ve heard rumors that she’s back.”