by Sarah Noffke
“Speaking of imposters,” Rory began, “were you able to complete the spell to disguise Liv?”
Sophia nodded, retrieving her bag. “Yes, but first I have a question. Have any other Warriors had a giant-made sword?”
Rory combed his hand through his hair. “I don’t know how that would be possible. Giants don’t interact with magicians—”
“Except for you,” Liv cut in.
“Well, and as we discussed, I’m different,” Rory said.
“And he used to really dislike me,” Liv told Sophia with a wink.
“What do you mean, ‘used to?’” Rory asked, mock-seriously.
“You totally love me, and you know it,” Liv stated.
“I tolerate you better than I used to,” he amended before glancing at Sophia. “And to further answer your question, giant-forged swords aren’t just floating around for any magician to get hold of. They are guarded, and there aren’t many out there since the art form is dying out. With no recent wars, there hasn’t been any need to craft swords. My grandfather was the last famous swordsmith.”
“But he taught you how to make swords and imbue giant magic into them,” Liv stated.
“Yes, but no one knows that,” Rory said. “Not even Mum.”
“Then there you go,” Sophia said, starting to pull objects out of her bag. “The prophecy is about you.”
“Prophecy?” Rory asked, looking at Liv with worry.
She explained what Haro had told her. The worry on his face deepened as she told him the story.
“Another missing piece of history,” he said almost to himself. “This can’t be good.”
“But don’t you think this oracle was referring to Liv?” Sophia asked.
“Oh, most definitely,” Rory said with a visible shiver. “I only worry about the aftermath to the magical population after she’s done shattering the House of Seven.”
Liv sighed loudly. “Come on, guys. This is ridiculous. I’m not shattering anything except for fashion rules.”
“You defeated Sabatore,” Sophia argued.
Liv shook her head. “That was Stefan.”
“And she found the hidden room with the magical canisters,” Rory said to Sophia, nodding.
“Not to mention that bit you guys learned about the missing history of the war between mortals and magicians,” Sophia added.
Liv wanted to scream or stomp her feet, or maybe both. “Seriously, you all have listening problems. I’m a dumb Warrior who is simply a placeholder until Sophia the Great takes over for me.”
“That’s in twelve years,” Sophia argued.
“Eleven years and four months, actually,” Liv corrected.
Rory drummed his fingers on his lips, thinking. “I suspected this might be coming, but with everything that’s happened, I fear the revolution will start before we’re prepared.”
“What do you have to do?” Liv asked. “Make pies?”
Rory huffed. “Whatever disrupts the House of Seven will have far-reaching effects on the other magical creatures. We’ll have to be prepared for that.”
“Well, I’m the one holding the sledgehammer, according to you two,” Liv said with a laugh. “So what am I supposed to do?”
“Let us know before you swing it,” Rory stated with a rare smile.
“Are you ready to become a grumpy old man?” Sophia said, holding up a potion bottle and eyeing the contents.
“When you put it that way, no, absolutely not,” Liv said.
A map appeared in Rory’s hand. “You’ll need this to find the giants.”
“I thought they were located on the Isle of Man,” Liv said, taking the map. “I thought that was a well-documented area.”
“It is, but the area where the giants are is protected by the same magic as my house,” Rory explained.
“So someone has to have the exact location, written down specifically for their eyes for you to find,” Liv guessed.
“Yes, which is why Decar would make the most sense for going on this mission,” Rory stated.
“Then how does the council expect me to find the place?” Liv asked.
Rory gave her an annoyed expression. “I think at this point, they suspect you’ll figure it out.”
“And they probably know you have a giant friend,” Sophia said. “You two are always together.”
Liv pursed her lips. “He doesn’t think of me as a friend, and they wouldn’t see us together because Rory always glamours himself when we’re in public together. Maybe it’s because his hair is atrocious.”
“It’s because I’m embarrassed to be seen with you,” Rory countered.
“Because I’m dressed like a homeless person?”
“Exactly,” Rory stated.
“Okay, so I have the map that will get me on the island and to where the crazed giants are roasting tourists over a fire,” Liv said. “Then what?”
“Then you have to treat them like Decar would,” Rory stated.
“Like I’m awesome and they are second-class citizens,” Liv supplied.
“Exactly,” Rory affirmed. “Decar would only ever talk to the chief, who is the meanest giant I’ve ever met.”
“I’m supposed to tell this guy off?” Liv questioned.
“Yes, exerting your superiority over him as his legion of giants watch,” Rory said.
“Why exactly did I sign on for this?” Liv asked.
“Because you’re dumb?” Rory offered.
“Because you wanted to protect Turbinger,” Sophia countered.
“Well, you told your mother that I’m coming, right?” Liv asked Rory. “Bermuda will help me if things go wrong, won’t she?”
“Mrs. Laurens,” he corrected. “And no. I figured it would be better if she didn’t know. She’s not that enamored of you, and would probably urge them to flay you if the opportunity presented itself.”
Liv made a great show of bowing to the giant. “I’m ever so grateful to be risking my life for your people.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said dismissively, giving his attention to Sophia. “The disguise: how long will it last?”
“Depending on Liv’s stress level, anywhere from one to three hours,” Sophia answered.
“Wait, what?” Liv asked.
“The spell is dependent on your mood,” Sophia explained. “The more stressed you are, the less effective it is. So you have to remain calm, or it won’t last long.”
Liv closed her eyes and clenched her fists. “Okay, do it to me. I’m ready to become a grumpy old albino.”
“I need you to drink this potion first,” Sophia explained, shoving a vial into Liv’s hand.
“What is this?” she asked, opening her eyes again.
“It’s a blanking potion.”
“That’s very smart, Sophia,” Rory complimented the girl.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “I thought the disguising spell would have a better chance of working if we first blanked Liv’s appearance.”
“What are you two loons talking about?” Liv asked, eyeing the purple sludge in the vial.
“The potion erases…well, you, which will make it easier for me to imprint Decar’s appearance onto yours,” Sophia said.
“Oh, erasing me,” Liv said, downing the potion. “So no big deal then.”
“Well, there’s a chance that what makes you you could be gone forever,” Sophia warned.
Liv nearly choked on the awful-tasting substance.
“But I’m sure that won’t happen,” Sophia assured Liv in a rush. “It’s just an extra precaution.”
Liv expected to disappear as she had when Sophia had made her invisible. Instead, she turned opaque, like she’d stepped into a cloud. “Okay, this is weird.”
“It’s about to get weirder,” Sophia warned, pointing her finger at her sister as she squeezed her eyes shut. “Here goes nothing.”
“You mean, ‘everything,’” Liv corrected, feeling her form change. Her eyes rose up in the air, and she f
elt completely different all over, exactly as if she’d stepped into a new body.
Liv looked down at the black robes and long fingers on her hands, flexing them. “Oh, gross. I’m an uptight jerk who doesn’t shower often enough.”
Sophia smiled broadly at her sister. “Yep, you look perfect. Just like Decar.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Liv stepped through the portal, nearly losing her footing on the loose rocks in the cave on the shore of the Isle of Man. She wasn’t used to being so tall or lanky and didn’t like being so far from the ground.
“You need to walk with a certain confidence,” Plato offered, eyeing her with amusement from his perch atop a large rock.
“When I’m traversing mossy rock?” she questioned.
“Always,” Plato offered. “Right now, you’re walking like this isn’t your body and you’re not used to it.”
“I’m not,” Liv agreed.
“But Decar is, and the giants will notice if he doesn’t seem at ease.”
Liv knew he was right. “I just don’t know what to do with all these arms and legs. This guy takes up entirely too much room.”
“And he’s not that nice to look at,” Plato said, turning his attention to the ocean beating against the nearby shore.
“You’re so superficial,” Liv remarked. “So you wouldn’t be Decar’s friend because he’s homely?”
“And he’s an uptight magician,” Plato added.
“And why again did you randomly befriend me all those years ago after I left the House of Seven?”
“I’d love to answer that question, but I’ve got to be going.” Plato disappeared.
Liv shook her head and Decar’s long white hair swayed against her back. “You’re never going to answer that question,” Liv said, knowing that Plato was probably still there, just invisible. Anyway, that’s what she suspected, although she had little idea how his magic worked. She wasn’t holding out hope that he’d one day tell her, or even divulge why he had attached himself to her. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to push him away with too many serious questions. Or what if the reason was something that spoiled it for her? What if he was her friend because she was a Royal of the House of Seven? What if it had nothing to do with who she was independent of her heritage?
When she started out of the cave, Liv saw what had made Plato leave suddenly, besides avoidance of her questions. There was a tortoiseshell cat strolling down the beach. Unlike Plato, this feline didn’t have a tail, and the cat’s back legs were longer than her front, making her resemble a rabbit. Liv had heard of this breed of cat, which was called “Manx.” They had evolved on the Isle of Man, developing a genetic modification as many breeds do when they are confined to a specific place. They’d lost the tail, not needing it, and gained superior jumping skills.
“Why in the world Plato dislikes cats, I’ll never know,” Liv said aloud, smiling at the cat, who looked up as she strode by. Rory had said it was because they were in their pure form and that intimidated Plato, but there had to be more to it.
Pulling out the map Rory had given her, she made her way toward the green hills inland. Climbing through the rocks and sand wasn’t an easy feat since Decar didn’t enjoy the excellent physical health she did. Sophia had stated that although she was still in her body, the disguising spell made it so she shared some of his physical makeup. That was why she was impacted by his health and smelled the weird sour milk scent that wafted off his hair and skin. The dude could also use a good exfoliation. Maybe she’d get him a basket of bath supplies for Christmas.
She laughed to herself, thinking how weird it would be to exchange presents with Decar. He’d probably get her something disgusting like a pair of used socks.
Decar’s laugh sounded fake, like it was a sound he wasn’t used to making. She climbed through the tall grass on the hillside, enjoying the salt-laced wind. On arrival, Liv had felt the magic on this island. Rory had mentioned that he could feel magic when it was around him. That was how he’d known that her magic had been unlocked. Apparently, giants were more attuned to these things, but all magical creatures could sense it if they tried.
For this reason, the giants would know that Decar was on the island. There was no escaping that. Well, unless she possessed a certain type of stone that hid the presence of magic, but Rory had said they were rare and not worth the effort of having to deal with the elves to get, who he said were too loud and flamboyant.
The map showed that Liv was on the right path, although she didn’t see anything up ahead—only seemingly endless rolling hills. When she came to the top of a steep hill, Liv expected to see the village belonging to the giants at its base, but it just slid down into what appeared to be a rock quarry. The main village full of mortals was to the north. Apparently, they had no idea they shared their island with the majestic giants.
Early on, the House of Seven had tried to require that giants register their magic. Some elfin tribes had willingly done that, and even gnomes weren’t that opposed to the requirement in exchange for certain benefits given by the House. Neither magical race was required to do it, as magicians were, but many did, having been pressured or persuaded by the House. However, the giants had declined, confining themselves to the Isle of Man and stating that there they’d go unnoticed by any, so they didn’t need to form any alliances with anyone else. According to Rory, the wars that had raged before this separation halted, even though the divide between magicians and giants was still palpable.
Yes, it was good that they weren’t fighting, trying to share resources, or conforming to the House’s rules. The elves agreed to glamour themselves when they were around mortals. Many magical creatures confined themselves to bubbles within the population, where they went unnoticed by mortals. And on the rare occasion a gnome or fae was seen by a mortal, they usually explained away the incident in some reasonable fashion. Or they ended up being considered “that crazy lady with too many cats.”
Liv nearly slid down the slippery hill on the descent. She was glad she didn’t, because when she got to the bottom, a rolling village unlike anything she’d ever seen materialized in a wide valley, replacing the rock quarry.
A pristine lake sat at the base of the valley, and around it were colorful fields full of crops, bordered by fruit trees. On the foothills were humble cottages, smoke spiraling up from most of the chimneys.
The village of the giants was simply beautiful. It was modest and inviting and filled Liv with wholesome feelings she hadn’t expected. The smell of fresh baked goods and clean water greeted her nostrils. She suddenly couldn’t understand why Rory would want to leave this place. It was one of those locations that appeared as though only good things happened there, like an idyllic town where the locals all know each other, protecting one another, spreading goodwill through kind gestures.
An arrow whizzed past Liv’s head, making Decar’s long white hair fly back in its wake.
She nearly threw herself to the ground to escape what she expected to be a barrage of arrows to follow, but instead, she forced herself to think the strangest thing: What would Decar do?
It wasn’t a motto that she wanted to live by, but in this instance, it should keep her alive.
Or that was the hope, anyway.
Liv reached into the robes she wore and withdrew the small staff that was apparently Decar’s. It grew on both ends until it was full-sized, crowned by a small dragon perched on the top of an opal.
It wouldn’t have been safe to bring Bellator into the village, but thankfully Sophia had found a spell that disguised Liv in not only Decar’s clothes but also offered her his weapon of choice. Using it would rely solely on her, though, since technically she wasn’t holding the staff. It was all an illusion, one that she hoped none of the giants could see through.
Sending out a blast of protective energy, Liv slammed the butt of the staff into the ground, sending a shockwave out around her. The force shot out, knocking several arrows that were flying toward her to the
ground. She continued to march forward, careful to keep her chin high and walk with ease even as the ground rumbled under her feet from her spell.
On the front edge of the village, several giants appeared seemingly out of nowhere, holding bows and arrows. They were all male, and wore thick leather clothes. Their hair was French-braided down their backs, and their faces bore unwelcoming expressions.
What Liv did next was against every fiber of her being, but she knew it necessary. She brought the staff up and sent out another blast, this one an offensive measure.
As if a tidal wave had hit the men, who were all over seven feet tall, they fell to the ground. Before they had a chance to get up, Liv strode forward, crossing the space between them faster than she would have thought possible, thanks to Decar’s long legs. At least there was finally something good about the old grump’s body.
The effect of using such a huge amount of magic was immediately evident. Liv swayed, thinking she might fall over right then. She propped her weight on the staff, covering her exhaustion with a deep scowl.
“I didn’t come to fight you, giants,” Liv said, her voice deep and foreboding. “But if you continue to oppose my visit, I’ll have no choice but to slaughter you.”
The closest giant rolled over, growling as he pushed himself to his feet. Even for someone as tall as Decar, the giant towered over her. However, she had gotten used to that since hanging out with Rory. Well, and also because she’d been vertically challenged all her life.
She lifted her chin, flashing a menace that she’d seen Adler display many, many times.
“You aren’t to enter our lands, magician,” the giant said, his bright blue eyes narrowing. Most of the giants had blond hair and light-colored eyes. In comparison, Rory would have stuck out among them with his curly dark-brown hair and emerald-green eyes.
“That is Warrior Sinclair to you,” Liv said, having a hard time getting out the rude words. However, she was sure that was how Decar would have responded. He’d want the respect he thought he’d deserved. Nothing for him was about building goodwill, but rather intimidation.