by Sarah Noffke
Slowly she nodded, swirling the remaining whiskey in her glass. “The kittens belong to a friend of mine. Someone broke into his place the night before you found me in the library.”
“To get the sword, I gather,” Stefan guessed as the bartender brought over the bottle of whiskey.
Liv’s instinct was to divert, but she couldn’t keep doing that if she wanted Stefan to cooperate with her. Yes, she’d thought he was up to something, and it appeared he was—trying to survive a demon bite.
“Yes,” she finally answered, “I panicked and took the sword and the kittens to the House of Seven.”
Stefan laughed, refilling their glasses. “You definitely had to have some balls to bring that sword into the House. I can only imagine what would have happened if Adler had caught you, or someone else.”
“I’d have thrown a kitten at them and run away,” Liv joked.
Stefan ran his fingers over his stubbled chin. “Kitten bombs; not a bad idea.”
“Yes, they are so adorable that they momentarily disarm the enemy, allowing me to escape.”
The smile dropped from Stefan’s face. “The next question is, why did you steal the sword, and what did you do with it?”
Liv shook her head. “You said I only had to tell you why I had a bag of kittens. The sword was not part of the deal.”
Stefan held up his hands as if in surrender. “You’re right. So then, please continue about the kittens. What did you do with them?”
Clever approach, Liv thought. He was mostly referring to the sword, probably realizing that the kittens and weapon went together. “I returned them to my friend.”
“And do you think the little felines are still in danger?” Stefan quickly added, “From whoever tried to break in before?”
“I’m certain they are.”
He nodded. “So what does your friend plan to do with ten kittens, especially with criminals posing such a danger to them?”
“That I don’t know,” Liv answered, knowing all too well that they were really talking about Turbinger. “I suppose I’ll need to continue to help him protect them, although I’m not sure what that will involve.”
Stefan took a drink. “Do you need some help?”
Liv arched an eyebrow. “Actually, I think you’re the one who needs help. How long have you been infected?” She pointed to his right arm.
“How do you know where the bite is?” he asked, looking impressed.
“You’re drinking using your left hand, although you use your right to swing your sword,” Liv explained. “I’m guessing in battle it doesn’t bother you, but otherwise you favor it.”
“And here I thought you hardly noticed me,” he said with a wink.
Liv snapped her fingers, an impatient expression on her face. “Out with the story, Stefan. I’ve got to get to bed on time since I’m opening the store tomorrow morning.”
Stefan cracked a smile. “I think you’re the first Warrior in the history of the House of Seven to have a side job.”
“Yeah, but you go to college on the side, right?” Liv asked. “You’re majoring in avoidance.”
“Double major, actually,” Stefan corrected. “Avoidance, and the art of distraction.” He poured another drink for himself, looking to have loosened up considerably since they had sat down.
“So this demon that bit you. His name is Sabatore, right?” Liv threw him a curveball. “You’re trying to track him down, aren’t you?”
On cue, Stefan’s mouth fell open. “How do you know its name?”
Liv took a drink. “I’m much better at following you than you are at trailing me. You never even knew I was there.”
A dark shadow fell across his eyes as he lowered his chin.
Liv waved off his sudden seriousness. “Hey, it’s only fair.”
He shook his head. “No. You asked me to stop following you, and I did.”
“Well, if I’m completely honest—”
“As you should be,” he interrupted.
“Yes, as I should be,” she continued, “the Council is suspicious of you. Clark related that to me. Said he thought you were hiding something. Since I don’t trust anyone, I had to check things out for myself. I followed you the night you went to Amsterdam.”
Realization dawned on him. “And you saw me questioning that demon about where Sabatore was?”
Liv affirmed his guess. “I didn’t know then that you’d been bitten by a demon. Not until tonight when that demon said you’d been kissed. How would he know, though?”
Letting out a weighty breath, Stefan closed his eyes for half a beat. “The demon could smell it on me. Sense it in me. Demons share a common bond with one another, and he knew I’m not completely human anymore.”
Liv tensed, feeling the severity of the matter suddenly. There was no hiding behind jokes anymore. “How long do you have?”
Stefan drained his glass. “It’s hard to say. Each case is different, and most are not documented.”
“Because the person who was bitten doesn’t tell anyone, and therefore no one knows until they’ve disappeared and turned into a demon?” she suggested.
He nodded. “Yes, something like that.”
“But why are you tracking down Sabatore?”
“Because that’s the only way to create the antidote,” Stefan explained. “I need his blood.”
“Tonight when you were tracking those three demons, how were you doing it?” Liv asked, believing she already knew the answer.
“We’re connected, like I said before. I can feel them.”
Liv covered the shiver tracing its way down her spine. “Then why can’t you find Sabatore?”
“It must be a part of the system of conversion,” Stefan said with a sigh. “I think I’m blocked from him.”
“Otherwise, everyone who was ever bitten would track down the demon who did it and get the antidote,” Liv guessed.
Stefan assented with a nod.
“But if you’ve been on the hunt for Sabatore while tracking down demons, why is there a rise in their numbers? I saw you kill that one the other night.”
Stefan ran his hands through his chaotic black hair, making it look much worse. “I’ve neglected my job in my attempts to find Sabatore. Yes, I’ve been going after some demons, but only specific ones who I think would know his whereabouts. That takes time. And it’s getting harder to kill them, as well. Sometimes… Well, sometimes, I don’t.”
“Tonight you didn’t seem to have a problem,” Liv said, trying to be encouraging. The melancholy dripping off the other Warrior was nearly suffocating her.
“You were there,” he admitted. “And it depends. I killed the demon in Amsterdam, but the day before, I let a few go, unable to finish the act.”
“Because it feels like you’re killing one of your own?” Liv guessed.
Stefan pushed her drink toward her with his forefinger. “Your drink is getting cold.”
She smirked at this and swallowed the rest, pouring them another round. “Hester knows. Does anyone else?”
Stefan raised an eyebrow. “That’s why in the library you asked me if I’d been bitten by something, isn’t it?”
“Yes, she let it slip to me,” Liv admitted.
His laugh broke the tension. “I kept wondering how you knew I’d been bitten. It definitely added to your mystery.” He leaned forward, looking across the table at her. “I believe you’ve been bitten on the leg by something. Care to elaborate on that one?”
“Damn kittens,” she said at once. “The little shits don’t know their own strength.”
Stefan laughed again. “And to answer your question, Hester is the only one who knows, besides you now. The Council can’t know. No one can. If they did, well, I’d be…”
Liv lowered her chin, giving him an intense stare. “I know you think I’m going to infer the rest of that sentence, but it’s incredibly important that you finish it. We can’t have any confusion on this subject.”
“Liv, protocol dicta
tes that when a magician is bitten, they are ‘disposed of.’”
There was that word the Council loved to use: dispose. It was a polite way of saying “kill.”
“I don’t understand how they could do that when you obviously haven’t turned,” Liv argued, heat flaring in her chest. “You have time, don’t you? To find Sabatore and create the antidote?”
“Maybe. I mean, yes. I hope so.” Stefan didn’t sound at all sure of himself. “But I won’t deny the logic. The demon’s impulses are getting stronger. I’m able to control them, but I’m not sure how much longer that will last. And like I said, there is no way to know when I’ll turn. It could be fast or gradual.”
The man sitting across the table from Liv didn’t resemble the demons they’d slain in Florida. His cheeks were flushed with color, and there was passion radiating from his eyes. However, if the demon’s venom circulated in his blood, it was only a matter of time until he changed into a beast full of evil intent and malice.
“So you need help finding Sabatore,” Liv stated.
Adamantly, Stefan shook his head. “No, I need you to stay out of this.”
“Too late,” she argued. “I’m already in it.”
“Liv, the reason I went with you tonight is that you don’t belong fighting demons. It’s not a pleasant job, and the risks are high. I figured if I helped you with this case, you could return to the Council and they’d give you something different; something more in line with your talents.”
“Although I appreciate the sentiment, I’m a little tired of everyone telling me what I should be doing.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” he cut in.
“You did, but let’s move on from that. You need help,” Liv countered. “And I have Bellator, which makes my job fighting demons easier.”
“Bellator?” Stefan rolled the word around in his mouth, something sparking to the surface. “The sword you bought off the guy at the flea market—”
“Leonard,” Liv supplied.
“Right, Leonard at the flea market sold you a sword named Bellator, which means ‘warrior’ in Latin,” Stefan said.
“Yeah. Totally strange and awesomely random, huh?”
He nodded. “Uncanny, really. You’ll have to take me to this market where you find such treasures.”
“It’s closed until spring.”
Stefan snapped his fingers. “Damn my luck.”
“Speaking of your luck,” Liv began, “I’ve agreed to help you track down Sabatore.”
The light expression dropped from his face. “No. I don’t want your help.”
“Stefan, this really isn’t about you,” Liv said, leaning forward. “Tell me, who replaces you if you become a demon?”
He hadn’t expected the strange misdirection. “Well, no one. There are no other eligible Ludwigs in line to take the role of Warrior.”
Liv nodded, having sensed this. “That means Raina would be booted off the Council. I’m sure Adler will have her replaced by someone more like Bianca and Lorenzo, who vote the way he wants them to. So, as you can see, this really isn’t about saving your ass as much as keeping Raina, your lovely sister, in her current position.”
His eyes danced with a hidden grin. “Well, when you put it that way…the answer is still no.”
Liv knew the rules of reciprocation. It was how relationships worked. All she had to do was play this exactly right to get what she wanted: his consent. Because honestly, she was going to hunt down Sabatore whether or not Stefan agreed to it. She still wasn’t sure, but after their day together, she sensed he was a good person. Magicians like him didn’t deserve to become demons, preying on the weak and innocent. That would tear his already tarnished soul to pieces. That was the reason she made the impromptu decision.
“I was bitten by a lophos,” she said in a rush.
Whatever Stefan was expecting Liv to say next, it wasn’t that. He blinked at her in surprise. “How the hell did you encounter one of those? I thought they were incredibly rare.”
“They are,” she affirmed, then told him bits and pieces of the canister story.
When she concluded, he drummed his fingers on his lips, a speculative expression in his blue eyes. “Okay, you can help me.”
“Wait, what?” Liv asked. “That’s it? You aren’t curious, or have questions or insights or anything?”
“Oh, I have all of that. Well, no insights, actually,” Stefan said. “However, I think you’re on to something. I’ve been suspicious since we were invited into the House of Seven, but I’ve never found anything like this. I’m going to accept your help in tracking down Sabatore, but in return, I want to help you.”
Liv considered him for a moment. “I’m not asking for your help.”
He grinned. “And I didn’t ask for yours.”
“Well played,” she said.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what help I can provide,” he stated. “I’m more of a Warrior than you.”
Offense jumped to Liv’s face. “I may be new, but—”
He held up his hand, pausing her. “Liv, Warriors are soldiers sent to do the Council’s bidding. That’s not you, though. You act on your own, and figure out things for yourself. You’re more of a detective than a brute force, which I’d wager to say makes you more dangerous than the strongest of us.”
Liv relaxed, softening her face. “Fine. Nice save.”
“Now, I don’t suppose that while we’re building all these bridges, you’re going to tell me why you stole that sword from the Natural History Museum?” Stefan asked.
Liv finished her drink and grinned. “Sure. I have a liking for antiques.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
It was obvious from the moment Liv stepped through the Door of Reflection that most of the Council were surprised to see her. If anyone was curious what she was carrying, they hid it well. She took her place next to Stefan, careful to keep her eyes focused ahead.
As usual, Adler paused the lecture he was giving to regard Liv with mild contempt. “Ms. Beaufont, why are you here? The demon case—”
“It’s done,” she said simply, interrupting Adler. It was their thing. A cute little game they played.
Adler let out an audible sigh. “Ms. Beaufont, it takes Warriors weeks to track down demons, maybe even longer in your case since you’re inexperienced. You can’t expect the Council to believe you hunted down three demons all by yourself in a couple of days, do you?”
“Call it beginners’ luck.” Liv tossed the bag of demon heads into the middle of the chamber floor. They rolled out, their black eyes looking up at the Council. Bianca shrank back, as did the white tiger. Adler and Haro leaned over the bench, staring down at the heads as the crow swooped down, pecking one of the demons in the eye.
“Ms. Beaufont, are you making a mockery of these meetings?” Adler asked.
“I do believe you doubted whether Liv had in fact completed the case,” Clark said, his tone laced with pride. “She’s only providing proof.” He looked at Hester and then Raina. “That seems perfectly reasonable to us, doesn’t it? Considering that she completed the case in record time, and there would be skepticism on our part without such proof.”
Hester agreed with a nod. “I don’t think there is any way we can doubt Warrior Beaufont now.”
“How?” Adler said with a growl, his eyes narrowed on Liv.
She rocked forward on her toes and back on her heels. “I cut off their heads.”
This seemed to make him fume more. “No, how did you track down three demons in the middle of southern Florida so fast?”
“Well, although everything in Florida smells pretty bad, demons are the worst, so I followed my nose,” Liv stated. “And I found a few tracking spells that sped up the timeframe. Oh, and they were really hungry, so I bought a herd of goats from a rancher to use as bait.”
“Goats?” Bianca questioned.
“Yeah,” Liv answered. “They are these farm animals. Some have horns. These didn’t, because they we
re baby goats. Don’t worry, none were harmed in the slaying of the demons.”
“I know what goats are, Olivia, I was simply questioning why you’d use them on this case,” Bianca said, her expression severely pinched.
“Because my name is Liv,” she said dryly, so tired of correcting her on this one.
“It was a good idea,” Hester said at once. “Although not common knowledge, goats are good bait for hungry demons.”
Liv hadn’t known that bit of uncommon knowledge until Stefan had shared it with her while they were planning how this whole thing would go down. He’d told her that most of the Council wouldn’t believe she’d slaughtered the three demons on her own so quickly, so they’d constructed a scenario no one could doubt.
“Well, it appears that you, Mr. Ludwig, could take a page out of Ms. Beaufont’s book,” Alder said, leaning back as he grimaced at the crow pecking at the demon head. “Maybe if you were doing your job better, the rise in the demon population wouldn’t be happening.”
Stefan nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll work harder to control it.”
“You do that,” Adler said, scrolling through his tablet. “I guess you’re ready for a new case, Ms. Beaufont. We had something come in today that would suit you, and although the Council hasn’t voted on it, I’m sure they’ll all agree it’s perfect for you and—”
“I want to keep hunting demons,” Liv interrupted.
All of the councilors looked up at Liv, surprise evident in their stares. Clark was the one leaning forward the farthest. He looked like he was about to topple over the bench.
“It’s just that I am good at it, and there’s a need,” Liv stated. “And maybe if Stefan and I tackle them together—”
“I assure you that’s not necessary,” Stefan said, injecting ego into his voice.
“I only meant that there is so much a newbie demon hunter could learn from you,” Liv said.
While the Council considered this, Hester gave Liv a discriminating stare that said, “Do you know what you’re doing?” She knew Liv was partnering with a magician who could turn into a demon at any moment, putting her at ultimate risk, but the councilor also knew that if Sabatore wasn’t caught, Stefan would be lost forever.