by Sarah Noffke
“This is all hard to believe, and yet, strangely, it makes perfect sense,” Ireland said.
“Well, if you think this is a lot, I’ve still got to get you to the House of Fourteen, and things are even stranger there,” Liv said, looking over her shoulder at the front window, which was now dark, the sun having set. “I’m not sure you’re safe yet, but I’m hoping you will be there.”
“Okay, well, do I have time to pack a bag?” Ireland asked, looking around the shop as if trying to decide which books he needed to bring.
“I think that whatever you need, we’ll have for you at the House of Fourteen, or we can easily get it,” Liv stated.
“B-b-but my toothbrush,” Ireland stammered.
“Strange as it seems, we have toothbrushes. We’re magicians, not Neanderthals.”
“Okay, but my favorite pajamas? I’d like to have those with me. They help me sleep at night, and something tells me that I’ll need that,” Ireland stated.
Liv held out her hands, and a pair of worn plaid pajamas materialized. “Are these them?”
“Yes!” Ireland exclaimed, grabbing the garments from her hands.
“Anything else you need, we can summon the same way,” Liv stated. She turned and pointed at the orange cat rolling around on the top shelf. “However, you will need him.”
“Do you mean that I’ll need him to get into the House of Fourteen?” Ireland asked.
“Yes,” Liv answered. “But also you’ll need him to survive.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Ireland Reynolds stared into the Black Void with a perplexed expression. “I think I can hear it talking, or something inside of it talking. Do you hear voices?”
Liv glanced at the swirling mass of blackness and then Ireland. “So you can see it too?”
“How can you not see that?” Ireland asked, absentmindedly petting Harry, who he was carrying in his arms. “Is it an infestation of some sort?”
“I’m not certain,” Liv admitted. “Further investigations will have to wait, though. The meeting is starting, but it’s best not to tell people, even in the magical world, that you hear voices.”
Ireland nodded, looking all around and studying every detail of the House of Fourteen. He’d been wide-eyed since he entered. Unlike John, he’d only recently learned about this world, so his introduction to the House had been very entertaining for Liv.
“What’s through there?” he asked, pointing to the garage-sized door that led to the residential area of the House.
“That’s where you’ll live,” Liv said matter-of-factly. John lived down the “road” from the entrance to the House. It was easy enough for him to commute. But Ireland wouldn’t have it so easy, and since he couldn’t portal, he was probably going to have to stay at the House most of the time.
“But my shop,” he said, pulled between excitement and confusion.
“I know, and I promise that it’s all going to work out,” Liv stated. One of the next items on her agenda was to figure out how to help John and Ireland cover their shops. She was certain there was a creative option so they didn’t lose their familiar life while serving on the council in the magical world.
Ireland didn’t seem so sure.
“Hey, after this meeting, I’ll take you to a place I think you’ll love,” Liv stated.
“You do realize that you’ve just taken me into a giant magical house that’s hiding inside a tiny palm-reading shop, right? I’m already in love with this world. I just don’t know what to make of it.” He lifted the cat in his arms. “Not to mention that less than an hour ago, you transformed Harry into a huge chimera. I’m wondering why he doesn’t weigh more in my arms.”
Liv laughed. “It’s magic. Conversely, I weigh a lot more than I look. We’re able to conceal strange things with magic.”
“Okay, so this council I’m meeting with…” Ireland began, his voice tentative as he revolved, as if trying to figure out which way to go.
“You’re not really meeting with them. Remember, I said you were going to be on the council.”
He nodded. Swallowed. Held Harry tighter. “Sorry, it’s hard to keep everything straight. I think it will take me a while to adjust.”
Liv softened, remembering everything else this guy had been through. She extended her hand, her palm hovering just above his shoulder before she decided to lay it on him in an awkward but comforting way. “I know you’ve been through a lot. I know you haven’t even had a chance to mourn your sister and brother. Things will get easier. And hopefully, you and John can find some peace together as the first two Mortal Seven reunited with the House.”
“John. Yes, I’m looking forward to meeting someone else like me.” Ireland took a step forward, following Liv to the Door of Reflection.
She turned to him, offering an encouraging smile. “I’ll wait for you on the other side.”
He nodded. “Okay. Like when we entered the House of Fourteen, I have to do this on my own, right?”
“Yes, as with most things in life, you’re mostly on your own, but then you realize there is support all around you. All you have to do is look for it.”
“Thanks,” Ireland said, appearing as if he just swallowed a hairball the size of Harry.
Liv half-expected to see Spencer standing in his spot among the Warriors when she entered the Chamber of the Tree. Thankfully, that bad dream appeared to be over. Neither Spencer-the-illusion nor Kayla Sinclair was in the room.
“Warrior Beaufont,” Hester said with a curious tone in her voice. “We didn’t expect to see you.”
“Well, I have good news and bad news,” Liv said, striding to her place next to Stefan. He offered her a faint smile that reached all the way up to his blue eyes.
“Let’s start with the bad news,” Haro said, his chin tucked into his chest and his gaze intently on her.
“Kayla Sinclair was a traitor to the House, the same as her uncles,” Liv began. “I found her sabotaging my efforts to recruit the Mortal Seven. She killed—”
“Members of the Reynolds family,” Raina said, nodding gravely. “Yes, we’ve just seen a report about the family. Thankfully, most of them escaped the house.”
“The house?” Liv asked.
“Yes, Trinity Reynolds’ house in Brighton,” Clark explained. “An explosion hit it, but they appeared to have been tipped off. Many had fled the home before it blew up.”
“Oh, wow,” Liv said, quietly, glancing at the Door of Reflection, through which Ireland would be entering soon. She knew he needed a minute to collect himself. She’d told him to take his time and enter separately from Harry, who should take chimera form before coming into the chamber.
“We were able to correlate this report with the deaths of Peggy and Paul Reynolds,” Hester stated. “Video surveillance of the incident in London confirmed what you’re saying. It was Kayla Sinclair who murdered Paul, and we’re guessing Peggy as well.”
“She had the ability to create illusions,” Liv explained, grateful she didn’t have to convince the council again. “She’d sent Spencer, an illusion, to the swamps to try to stop me from finding the SandMan.”
“We realize that now,” Haro stated.
Liv was speechless. She’d always felt like she was trying to explain things to the council to try to get them to see the truth. It was weird to finally have them be so accepting.
John had been quiet, just regarding her with a tender appreciation. She could tell he was still trying to acclimate, and it must be hard for him to see the reports coming through and know that she was out there fighting evil. “Are you okay, Liv?” he finally asked.
She offered him a smile. “I’m fine. I mean, fighting illusions has made me sort of paranoid, but Kayla is dead.”
“You killed her?” Lorenzo asked.
“Yes,” Liv said with confidence.
“Are you sure?” he pressed.
“Yes, she was pushed off a building in East London,” Liv explained.
“But did you a
ctually see her die?” Lorenzo questioned.
“No, because—”
“I’ve found the news report,” Clark interrupted, holding up his screen and reading from it. “A woman’s body was found, having fallen from a third-story rooftop hours ago.”
Liv nodded. “Yes, that would be Kayla. I also learned that she was intervening in the elf negotiations, halting progress.”
“Oh,” Lorenzo stated.
“King Dakota of the elves also informed me that you, Councilor Rosario, had insulted them,” Liv said, narrowing her eyes at the man.
He held her gaze. “I did not. I simply stated that—”
“You’ve sent communications to the elves on your own?” Haro asked, turning to the man.
“I simply thought—”
“That’s not how we do things,” Hester objected.
“The elves won’t listen to reason,” Lorenzo said, pushing to his feet and shaking his head. “It is futile for us to try to build relationships with such savages.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what King Dakota said you called his people,” Liv stated firmly.
“That’s because they are,” Bianca interjected. “I happen to agree with Lorenzo. Why we are trying to incorporate people who don’t even have electricity in their main kingdom is beside me.”
“Because all people deserve our respect,” Liv stated adamantly. “If we are to learn anything from the past, it’s that no single race has it all figured out. The gnomes are amazing at gem work. The giants understand the Earth better than anyone. As magicians, we are fantastic at creating order. And the fae…well, they are really pretty. But my point is that when we look at one another and focus on our differences, we forget to see unique abilities.”
“That’s a very nice speech,” Lorenzo stated, his voice heavy with anger as he took his seat again. “However, the world isn’t seen through rose-colored glasses. The elves can’t help us. We’re wasting our time.”
“I absolutely disagree,” Raina stated. “The elves have much to offer.”
“I disagree with that,” Bianca fired.
“And I—”
Hester was cut off when Ireland Reynolds stepped through the door into the chamber, looking around like a lost puppy.
“Oh, and the good news is that I found one of the other Mortal Seven,” Liv said dryly like that was not a big deal.
Everyone in the room turned, their attention on Ireland.
John stood, his mouth popping open like he strangely recognized the guy standing awkwardly just inside the Chamber of the Tree.
“So Kayla wasn’t successful?” Haro asked.
“No. I was able to get to Ireland first,” Liv stated.
“Ireland Reynolds, then, I take it?” Raina wondered aloud.
“Yes, that’s me,” he said, staring around the chamber and taking in all the twinkling lights overhead.
John strode down the stairs of the bench with a hand extended. “I’m John Carraway. Welcome to the House.”
For the first time since she’d met him, Ireland smiled, an expression of relief flooding his face. “John. I have heard all about you.”
“And I know exactly what you’re going through,” John stated as Pickles ran down the stairs, following him.
Ireland’s gaze darted to the terrier, his mouth falling open like he was about to say something. However, at that moment, everyone’s attention was distracted as Harry stepped into the chamber in chimera form, a beautiful and majestic magical creature.
Chapter Forty-Four
Many gasped at the sight of the chimera, which was similar to Pickles’ other form but also different, unique in its own way. As if cued by seeing one of his own, Pickles transformed, huge in stature, even compared to Harry. The two approached each other with a strange curiosity on their faces as their owners stood to the side, watching them greet one another.
“Well, my report about wiping out a nest of demons will totally be overshadowed by this,” Stefan said in a whisper. “Once again, Liv steals the spotlight.”
She offered him a slight smile. “It’s not a competition.”
“No, it definitely isn’t,” Akio interjected from her other side. “Or we’d all have lost to you long ago, Warrior Beaufont. Nice work.”
After doing a strange dance around each other, the chimeras took seats beside their masters, shrinking back into their cat and dog forms. On the tree behind the council, the branch connected to the Reynolds family illuminated. On one of the branches, Ireland’s name appeared, glowing brightly before matching the others.
“Absolutely fascinating,” Hester stated breathlessly. “I just love how the House is evolving. Well, I guess returning to how it was supposed to be. Our founders were really amazing.”
“I absolutely agree,” Haro added.
“Ireland Reynolds?” Raina said from the bench, moving down. “Welcome to House of Fourteen. Please join us up here.”
Ireland gave John a tentative expression like they were fast friends and he’d suddenly placed all his trust in the older man.
“It’s okay,” John stated. “Follow me.”
The mortal nodded, taking the path to the bench, where the council had made a place for him.
“So, the Sinclairs,” Hester said, a heavy tone in her voice.
“Yes, they are bad through and through,” Liv stated. “If any more show up at the door, knocking, I vote we tell them to keep truckin’.”
“Amen to that,” Stefan said.
“That’s not how the Royals work,” Bianca stated. “The Sinclairs have a place reserved here. Unless there are no more eligible members to fill their spots, we can’t disqualify them blindly.”
“Twice they’ve proven to be undermining our objective as the governing body for the magical world,” Clark argued. “I really don’t see how we can allow another one into the House.”
“And yet, if it was your family, I bet you wouldn’t want to be forced out,” Bianca stated.
“Actually—”
“With all due respect,” Haro said, cutting Clark off, “we will follow protocol and try to find any remaining Sinclairs. However, I think Kayla and Spencer were the last eligible members.”
The council members looked at each other, and when no one objected, the motion passed. Liv could only hope there were no other Sinclairs out there, sensing that there was something inherently evil about the blood that ran in their veins. Maybe hate and prejudice were hereditary, or maybe it was just easy to pass along wrong beliefs from family member to family member.
“Okay, since that is settled,” Lorenzo began, “I realize that it will take some time for our mortals to be oriented to the council, so—”
“Actually, I’ve made some progress tracking down members of the Renegades,” John offered, exuding newfound confidence.
“You what?” Bianca asked. “You mean that rebel group who distributes propaganda against the House?”
“That’s the one,” John stated.
“We’ve known about them for quite some time,” Haro said. “However, we’ve been unable to find any real information on them.”
“And honestly, they appear to be so grassroots that it hasn’t been worth our time to investigate,” Clark added.
“And yet, we spend our Warriors’ efforts negotiating with the elves,” Lorenzo fired back.
“Really, Councilor Rosario, you will have to put aside your prejudices during meetings,” Hester stated.
“The Renegades?” Rania asked, looking down the table at John. “What have you learned?”
“And more importantly, how?” Haro asked.
“I was actually married to one of their leaders,” John explained. “She’s come back, and I’m playing double spy, gaining information about their organization and efforts while giving her bogus information about the House.”
Everyone was silent, looking around like they hadn’t heard him right.
Finally, Trudy DeVries’ clapping brought everyone out of their daze. �
��Great job. It’s efforts like that which will change our path as a governing body.”
Stefan smiled at the Warrior next to him. “I agree. If we could only work as efficiently as this moving forward, reinstating order would be easy.”
“There would be peace among most,” Akio added.
“And as Warriors, our job would be to simply maintain the peace,” Maria stated.
“But we have a long road to get there,” Emilio said, looking intently at his sister.
“And yet, we will still get there,” Liv concluded.
The Warriors had never been allowed to speak like that during a meeting. However, things were shifting. Balance was being reinstated. Peace among the members was growing, and with it, hopefully, relations between the races would be rebuilt.
Chapter Forty-Five
Twice, Ireland Reynolds rubbed his eyes before blinking at the giant library Liv had led him into. “This isn’t real, is it?”
She laughed. “Your tabby cat transformed into a huge chimera, and you doubt that this is real?”
He gulped. “It’s just so much to take in. There must be ten thousand volumes in here.”
“More, I’m sure,” she stated, kneeling and petting Harry on the head. “Keep an eye on him. It’s easy to get lost in here.”
The feline seemed to understand these orders, sort of winking in reply.
“Liv, first the House of Fourteen, then the Chamber of the Tree, and now this,” Ireland said, revolving and taking in all the beautiful shelves ready to be explored.
“And don’t forget that you can make requests for changes to your residence at any point. It has to be customized for you since you don’t have magic.”
“Changes?” Ireland questioned. “I lived on top of the bookstore in a one-room flat. You’ve given me a huge living space in a magical house. I only had one burner before, and now I’ve got a full kitchen.”
“Which you shouldn’t need,” Liv stated. “Meals are served in the dining area three times a day. And there are the gardens, which offer a place to get sunshine. I can’t have you leaving the House on your own much right now. We just don’t know what other dangers might be out there, but if you do go, be sure to bring—”