by Sarah Noffke
Her playfulness evaporated as her mouth popped open. “Wait, what?”
Adler looked down the bench at Clark with a sinister glare. “I do believe it is my role to announce the cases, Mr. Beaufont.”
“Actually, I don’t think that there is any assignment on the matter,” Haro stated. “The Council is about balance and equality.”
Adler released a frustrated sigh. “Although that is true, for efficiency’s sake, we’ve always had me make the announcements.”
Liv was hardly listening. She could hardly believe what Clark said. She was being assigned to go after demons. The image of the red devilish-looking monster in the streets of Amsterdam was engraved into Liv’s memory. The sounds and smells that radiated from the beast weren’t something she could easily forget, and now she was being ordered to hunt them down and slay the monsters?
Clark held out a hand. “By all means, please do the honors, then. I didn’t mean to disrupt efficiency.” Liv could hardly believe the rebellious tone laced into his words.
Adler brushed off his shoulder as if whisking away Clark’s gesture. “Ms. Beaufont, you’re being assigned—”
“Demons?” she asked, cutting him off, unable to believe this turn of events.
Adler made a sound of frustration and nodded. “Yes, demons. If you’d let me fin—”
“Although I appreciate the Council’s confidence in my combat skills, I think I need more training before tackling such dangerous beasts,” Liv said, realizing that she was probably only making things worse for herself at this point. Oh well, might as well swim all the way to bottom since I’m already halfway there, she thought.
“It’s not a matter of confidence,” Adler stated through clenched teeth. “It has more to do with necessity.”
Oh, good. For a moment she thought the Council was starting to view her as a capable warrior. “I don’t understand. I thought it was Stefan’s job to go after demons,” Liv argued.
“Do you see Stefan here?” Adler asked.
Liv looked around just to be a smart ass. She really couldn’t help herself. “Unless he’s hiding, I don’t think so.”
“Demonism is spreading,” Lorenzo explained, his hands steepled, his fingers touching his lips lightly. “It’s a growing problem, but recently it has become worse.”
“I still think that putting a more experienced Warrior on this case would be better,” Clark argued.
“And I’ve already explained to you that they are all busy,” Adler said with an impatient sigh. “The outbreak in Florida is especially bad right now.”
“Although we’d like to offer you a case that suits your skillset better,” Hester began in a small voice, “there is an undeniable need to address the demons in that area of the United States.”
“’Skillset?’” Liv questioned.
Loudly, Adler tapped his hands on the table in front of him. “Some on the Council think that one of your better qualities is negotiations.”
Liv smirked. “But you don’t agree?”
Adler rolled his eyes. “I think that you’ve had beginner’s luck.”
“So why not send me after demons? That will teach me a lesson.” She couldn’t help herself. Liv had to say it. It was obvious what Adler was trying to do. Queen Visa hadn’t murdered Liv as he had hoped, so was sending her off to battle demons in the swamp. He was probably already planning her wake and had picked out the family who would replace the Beaufonts.
“I didn’t assign you this case,” Adler said in a low voice. “The Council voted on it, and the majority won.”
Liv studied Hester, Clark, and Raina. Their reactions said enough for Liv. They had voted against this, but the other four wanted to throw Liv in the demon pit and see if this time she’d come out ahead. Then she remembered something she’d heard about Stefan. Adler had assigned him demon cases in the beginning too, hoping to get rid of him, but the warrior had surprised him. Liv wanted to believe she’d rise to this challenge just like with Queen Visa, but this somehow felt harder because there was no way to negotiate with a demon.
“I’m just confused why I’m getting assigned this case now,” Liv began. “Before the cases were trivial, but it sounds like this demon problem has been going on for a while.”
“If you don’t want the case, all you have to do is decline it,” Adler stated.
“And then my title will be removed, and I’ll be swiftly kicked out of the House of Seven,” Liv said, staring down at the white tiger.
“Oh, so you can remember rules,” Adler fired back.
She wiggled her nose, enjoying this more than she should. “Depends.”
“There are roughly three demons in the lower part of the state of Florida,” Adler said in a bored voice, reading from his tablet. “Your case is to track them down and slaughter each one.”
“Do I get a Killing Demons for Dummies book?” Liv asked.
Clark slapped his hand to his forehead, embarrassment written on his face.
“Ms. Beaufont!” Adler said, warning in his tone.
Liv stuck her hands on her hips. “What? Demon hunting is advanced. I might not know a lot, but I know that much. It’s not something they cover in the first year of Warrior training, am I right?”
“If you’d taken the House’s training, this wouldn’t be an issue,” Bianca dared to say.
“Really? Then tell me, B, how do you slay a demon?” Liv challenged.
She blanched, her mouth slamming shut. “I’m not a Warrior, and therefore it’s not my job to know such things.”
Raina nodded. “It’s true that it’s more complicated and undeniably dangerous. And although some of us might have voiced our doubts about you being assigned this case, the Council has voted that you should be assigned to it.”
“And we act as one,” Adler reminded her.
Raina nodded. “Of course. And I’m sure you will find resources to assist you.” Liv could have sworn she’d winked at her.
“Ms. Beaufont, the Council does not have all day to wait for you to make your decision on this case,” Adler said.
Liv looked around at the chamber floor, which was empty save for her and the white tiger. She stopped herself from pointing out to him that there were no other Warriors in need of the Council’s attention.
“I’m going to do it,” Liv stated confidently. “Of course, I’ll do it. I simply think that giving a newbie Warrior such a dangerous case might speak of certain prejudices.”
“Ms. Beaufont, would you like to speak more plainly about what you’re implying?” Adler fired.
Liv thought for a moment. “Absolutely. Right after I return from killing those demons.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Akio didn’t interrupt Liv as she explained what had happened with the Council the night before. He simply ran his eyes over Bellator, which was resting in her hands, the gears turning in his mind.
“When I was a boy, I had a falcon,” Akio began, his tone thoughtful.
“Who didn’t?” Liv joked.
His eyes lit up, apparently appreciating the joke. “The bird of prey kept rodents and other smaller birds away from my family’s estate. One day he flew off and didn’t return, and within the week, the mice and other animals had invaded our yard.”
“I’m not sure I’m following you here,” Liv said, sheathing Bellator and deciding to stretch before they started sparring. “How does that relate to the Council’s assignment?”
“I actually don’t know why the Council is assigning you such difficult cases,” Akio explained. “However, if Haro voted for you to take the case, that tells me there is a real problem with demons. Could they have assigned the case to a more experienced warrior? Yes, I think so, but there’s little reason to worry about that now since the case is yours and there’s no going back on it.”
“It’s just difficult when half the Council seems to want me dead,” Liv stated.
“As I said before, I believe that if Haro voted for you, he must believe you’re
capable of the task.”
“And Lorenzo?” Liv inquired.
Akio shook his head. “I’ve known the Rosario family for a long time, and I can’t say. Maria keeps to herself, and her brother is unreadable.”
“And Bianca and Adler?”
A half-smile crossed Akio’s face. “I think we both know those two have a distaste for you.”
Liv laughed at the stoic Warrior’s bluntness. “At least I know I’m not reading anything into it.”
“My point about the falcon is that the mice invaded our property because the hunter had disappeared and wasn’t patrolling anymore,” Akio said. “My concern is about the demon problem. There is no reason that there should be an influx unless…”
“The falcon has gone missing,” Liv said, finishing his sentence. He was referring to Stefan. However, she had seen him hunting demons with her own eyes. Well, mostly interrogating, but he did kill it. Still, Akio was right. There was definitely something suspicious here.
“Are you ready to spar?” Akio asked, taking his position in the middle of the training studio. They had grown accustomed to the routine of training, having practiced several times each week together. Liv liked him as a teacher. He was kind, but strict. Thoughtful, yet stern.
“Yes, more than ever,” Liv stated. “I’m going to pretend you’re a demon and my job is to slay you.”
“Remember your training,” he urged. “And more than anything, remember your teachers. That’s what will guide you in battle.”
Liv nodded, recalling what Akio had said about holding her earliest teachers, her mother and her father, in her heart while fighting. She unsheathed Bellator and stood at the ready, reminding herself that the sword was an extension of her.
As before, Akio came at her strong and fast, his sword slamming into hers and nearly knocking it out of her hands. She spun to the side, trying to get her balance before his next attack. It came like a rush of wind, fast and nearly tangling her in knots as she tried to block all of his attacks. She felt close to asking for a timeout, needing a break from his relentless pursuit. However, in the back of her mind, she heard a voice, one she hadn’t heard in a long, long time.
“Fight with love, not vengeance,” she heard her mother say. It was a line she’d said to Ian many times while they trained, Liv sprawled out reading a fantasy book on a training mat nearby. How had she forgotten this memory? She’d always been present for Ian’s training since they were both odd-number children who could become Warriors one day.
Fight with love, Liv thought, avoiding another of Akio’s attacks. That’s not at all what she was doing. She was reacting out of fear. Self-preservation. But what had Akio said?
“We rarely can persevere for self-preservation alone. However, when we remember the ones who made us who we are? Well, we become unstoppable .”
Liv pictured Akio as a demon. Her hand tightened around Bellator and she spun, ducking attack after attack. When she’d gotten a good distance from Akio, she felt her heart expand and her arms lengthen as if she’d suddenly grown. In one rapid movement, she brought Bellator across Akio’s sword, knocking it to the mat and leaving him weaponless.
He bowed slightly, a look of appreciation in his eyes. “It appears that you’ve learned an important lesson.”
“That if I need a haircut, I should come to you?” she joked.
He shook his head. “The desire to survive is miniscule compared to the need to protect. Just now you fought me not to win, but rather with an urgency to defend. Take that into battle against any demon, and you will slay them.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The moment Liv stepped onto Rory’s property, her feet were swept into the air, suspended by something invisible, and her head was upside down, her fingertips inches from the ground.
“What the hell?” Liv growled, trying to pull herself up to see what had her feet trapped. She tried several times to do a crunch, but was unable to right herself.
“Looks like you need to do more crunches,” Plato stated matter-of-factly, watching her attempts with mild interest. He stood next to her, unaffected by whatever had her upside-down.
“Seriously, now isn’t the time to remind me I need to work out more,” she complained, grunting as the blood rushed to her head.
“Okay, later, then.”
“Why don’t you help me and tell me what’s got me trapped?” Liv urged.
“Magic,” Plato answered plainly.
Liv tried to gain momentum by swinging. “Wow, you’re so much help.”
Plato’s eyes followed Liv as she swung back and forth, trying to catch her feet. “It appears you’ve triggered some sort of trespassing spell.”
“Bloody hell!” Liv complained. “Rory could have told me about this when he invited me over.”
“Hey, Liv,” Rory’s voice called casually from behind her as he strode from the house. “I put protective wards on the property, and if you trigger them, you’ll be trapped.”
“Got it! Thanks!” Liv yelled, trying to twist around to see the giant. “Can you let me down?”
“I can,” he said simply.
“Will you?” she asked, her irritation building.
“Sure.”
Nothing happened.
“I think you were remiss in not specifying when you’d like to be released,” Plato imparted.
“Seriously, do you want me to kill you both?” Liv grimaced, looking at the lynx’s upside-down face. “Rory, will you let me down now?”
“Yes, once you say the magic word,” he replied.
“Giant stew!” she yelled.
Rory came around so that she could see him, shaking his head and suppressing a grin. “That’s two words, and I hear we taste awful. Very gristly.”
“Oh, look who finally has some jokes,” Liv countered. “Will you please let me down, grandma? And thanks for the etiquette lesson. Whatever would I do without you?”
“You’d remain stuck like this for a long, long time,” Rory stated, swiping his hand in a circle.
The grip around Liv’s feet released and she crashed to the soft earth head-first. Rolling over, she brushed off her arms and looked up at the giant with a scowl. “You enjoyed that way too much.”
He extended a hand to her. “I admit that I did. You look even funnier when you talk upside-down.”
Liv took his offered hand and allowed him to help her up. He nearly threw her across the yard when he pulled her to a standing position.
“So what’s up with the new security measures?” Liv asked, rolling out her shoulder, her arm having nearly been pulled out of the socket.
“The elf has been trying again to get onto my property,” Rory explained.
“And you got tired of continuously putting out fires?” Liv asked, noticing the many scorch marks on the lawn.
He nodded. “That was only supposed to be a short-term solution until I had time to up security. I know now that this thief must be using a spell that tracks the sword.”
“How do you know that for sure?” Liv asked. “Maybe he just knows that you and I are connected, and has therefore concluded that you have the sword? I mean, you are a giant and all.”
“Yeah, that’s a reasonable explanation, but remember when I told you where my house was?”
Liv thought back. That felt like eons ago, rather than a few weeks. “You gave me a piece of paper. The address only appeared when I set off for your house, and Plato said that no one but me could read it.”
“That’s right,” Rory affirmed. “And the address would have disappeared afterward. You see, only those I invite can even see my house. Otherwise, this lot looks like a disorganized junkyard.”
“What about Plato?” Liv pointed to the feline. “He can see your house, and he wasn’t invited. He just followed me here.”
Rory lowered his chin and regarded Plato with a considering stare. “Yes, just like he can follow you into the House of Seven. The same principles of magic don’t apply to lynxes. For instance,
he didn’t set off the alarms, and therefore wasn’t trapped the same way as you.”
“Yeah, and why is that?” Liv asked, glancing at Plato.
The lynx casually shrugged. “Let’s say it’s because I’m soft-footed.”
“You can see how lynxes are considered untrustworthy creatures, can’t you?” Rory asked Liv, acting as though Plato wasn’t present. “There’s no way to guard against them trespassing.”
“I’m glad you’re my friend rather than my enemy,” Liv told the cat with a wink.
“Lynxes have no friends,” Rory growled, striding in the direction of the house.
Liv gave Plato a sideways look. “I don’t believe that’s true.”
“What you believe is all that matters,” Plato replied.
“With you and our friendship?” she asked.
“With everything,” he answered.
Liv followed Rory into the house, and when she crossed the threshold, she was unsurprised to find that Plato had disappeared. The kittens were playing in a box in the middle of the living room floor.
“Say, you wouldn’t be keeping these kittens around because you know Plato doesn’t like them and therefore won’t come around while they are here, would you?” Liv asked, picking up Samson and cuddling the orange kitten in her arms.
Rory avoided eye contact, pacing in front of the fireplace, where Turbinger hung above the mantel. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think he does,” Liv said to the kitten, who had his eyes closed and was enjoying the belly rub and not listening.
“The wards I have protecting the sword won’t hold much longer,” Rory said, thinking. “I need something stronger.”
“What can I do to help?” Liv asked. She figured he’d say nothing because she couldn’t remember a time that he’d ever asked for help.
To her surprise, Rory turned around, a questioning expression on his face. “Will you keep watch over the sword tonight? I need to go and do something and don’t think I should leave it to chance. This elf is tricky, and keeps getting around my security measures.”