by Sarah Noffke
“My love,” Guinevere interrupted when Liv was telling her about Sophia. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
“I don’t want you to,” Liv said, her tears close to the surface.
“I know, but my time is up. I can’t stay here much longer.”
Liv’s eyes darted to Inexorabilis. “Are you going back into the sword?”
She shook her head. “Oh, no. You freed me, darling. I have no reason to return there. One of my children found me, as I intended. Now I finally get to move on.”
The tears Liv had been holding back from the beginning tried to force their way to the surface. “Will you go on to see Daddy?”
Guinevere’s blue eyes watered. “I really don’t know, my love.”
“If you do, will you tell him—”
Her mother held up her hand, silencing her. “He knows you love him. There is no one who has felt the warmth of your love and not known how you felt about them, because when you care about someone, it’s like sunshine on a cool day, Olivia. But if I get to see your father again, I’d like to tell him something that he doesn’t know. That I don’t know. Something only you can answer for us.”
Liv blinked at her mother, wondering what this grand question would be. “Yes?”
“Olivia, are you happy?” Guinevere asked.
It was such a simple question. The simplest, really—either yes or no. That was the answer. It was like asking whether someone was hot or cold. It wasn’t complex. And yet, Liv stalled, not knowing how to answer her mother’s question.
“I’m close,” she finally said.
Her mother, who was still holding her hand, squeezed it with a beautiful force that constricted Liv’s heart. “What’s holding you back, my love?”
“It’s just that I miss you both so much. And then there’s Ian and Reese, and…” The tears came now, pouring down Liv’s cheeks, reminding her that she was a girl with hurts and fears and a history of spells from her ancestors and not just a magician who was impenetrable, as she often thought.
“You don’t have to give up happiness for us,” Guinevere said. “If anything, we died so that one day, the next generation could get that much closer to the truth. To a place where all races are happy. And you aren’t excluded from that, my dear. You might be a Warrior for the House, but your right to happiness is the same as everyone else’s. It is your birthright. You were born to find the truth. You were born to fight for justice. And more than anything, Olivia Beaufont, you were born to be happy.”
Chapter Fifteen
Liv’s mother began to fade too soon. They barely had time to hug and cry in each other’s arms before Liv was back in Hawaiki’s kitchen, her present reality spiraling away around her.
“She told you the truth?” the old elf asked when Liv opened her eyes, her fingers still pressed into Inexorabilis.
Liv kept her fingers there, thinking she might be transported to the Matterhorn. She just needed one more glimpse of her mother’s timeless eyes and carefree smile. She just needed to cement her image in her mind so that one day, when she was old, she could remember the person who had inspired her the most with her passion and courage.
When the sword didn’t transport her, Liv glanced at the elf, shaking her head. “Is she…”
“She’s gone,” Hawaiki answered. “She stayed for as long as she intended.”
“But I had more to say to her,” Liv argued as if this had been Hawaiki’s doing.
“There is never enough time for two tethered souls on Earth.”
“But—”
“What your mother did is something I’ve never seen,” Hawaiki said, cutting her off. “She sacrificed a great deal to relay that information to you. To take that chance. You might have never found her sword, and then she’d be stuck forever. That was the risk she took. You must always be grateful that you had the time you did with her. This was truly a gift that most never have with those they’ve lost.”
Liv nodded, realizing the old elf was right. She’d seen her mother one last time, something she’d never thought possible. Pulling her hand away from her mother’s sword, she straightened, trying to compose herself.
“So you want me to erase your memory because you don’t want to take up this crusade,” Liv guessed.
Hawaiki’s face was covered with shame. “I realize that I should help, but my time fighting battles is over. I’d like to live out the rest of my life in peace.”
Liv couldn’t argue with that. If she’d ever been given a choice, she might choose to not know the truth. However, she suspected she wouldn’t. Fighting for justice was something that ran deep in her blood. She knew that now. Her ancestors had done everything so that she could stop the tyranny that had started long ago, and Liv didn’t want to rest until she put an end to what her mother and her father and her ancestors had fought against.
“I understand,” Liv said, stepping around the table. “What all would you like me to erase?”
“Just the memories in the sword,” Hawaiki answered. “I’d like to remember you and our short time together. But just tell me that I didn’t need to know the rest. I think I’ll understand that.”
Liv nodded, holding up her hand and focusing. A moment later, the spell was done.
Hawaiki blinked at Liv as if trying to orient herself and then glanced around. “We did it?”
“Yes,” Liv answered, picking up Inexorabilis and sheathing it.
“I asked you to wipe my memory, did I?” Hawaiki asked.
“You didn’t want to know the rest,” Liv answered.
The old woman nodded. “I can’t argue with my past self. It knows what I want for my future, which is mostly relaxation and honest hard work.”
“And I hope that’s all that’s in store for you, Hawaiki.”
The elf appeared like she wanted to say something. She opened her mouth several times, but nothing ever came out. “I guess I should show you the way out.”
Liv nodded, feeling heavy with emotions.
When they exited the house, Liv blinked from the bright light in the jungle and the strange surroundings she’d forgotten about. It felt like a few years since she had stood outside the mud hut and staring at the jungle in the distance.
“I hope you got what you were looking for, Liv Beaufont,” Hawaiki said, halting when she came to the roaring fire she’d built.
“I’m not sure I know what I came here for, but I got more than I was expecting.”
“And now, when you look at my home, what do you see?” Hawaiki asked.
Liv focused on the mud hut for a moment and noticed that it transformed into a beautiful white house with a large tree out front. “I see a home. A real one.”
With a knowing smile, Hawaiki nodded. “Yes, as I suspected.”
“What did you suspect?”
“Whatever I showed you in your mother’s sword, it healed a part of your spirit that was holding you back,” she answered. “You aren’t lost, as you were before.”
Liv didn’t know what to make of that. She stared mesmerized at the beautiful home for a long while before directing her gaze to Hawaiki. The elf still took on different forms of herself: a child, a teenager, an adult, and an elderly woman.
“I still see you in all your incarnations, though,” Liv stated.
“Oh, yes,” Hawaiki said. “I didn’t expect that to change.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s something unique about you, Liv Beaufont. You don’t see the world the same as others, which is why you don’t see me in one of my forms but rather all of them. I’m not sure what you saw in your mother’s sword or where you’ll go from here, but I suspect that what lies ahead on your journey will touch the world. Only someone who can see things in such a holistic way can actually change the broken bits on this sphere we call home.”
Liv didn’t know what to say to that. She was about to nod and simply say thank you when a noise caught her attention.
Tensing, Liv glanced up to find Indikos
sitting dangerously close to the fire.
Unstartled by the miniature dragon’s sudden arrival, Hawaiki glanced affectionately at Indikos.
With a proud smile, she said to Liv, “I think I won his favor.”
“With the fire?” Liv guessed.
She shook her head. “Oh, no. The fire was only a housewarming present.”
Liv laughed, grateful to find someone else who enjoyed puns.
“Indikos came out of hiding because he has decided to give me a chance,” Hawaiki explained. “And from here on out, all we can do is get to know each other and see if things work out.”
Liv thought of the simplicity of the statement. Wasn’t that what most were trying to do? Spend time together to figure out if things were going to work? If they didn’t, that was when the real work began.
Pulling the herb Rory had given her from her pocket, Liv carefully unwrapped it. Then she took a small bite of the leaf and chewed. A moment later, she heard a voice in her head that she knew wasn’t hers.
I like her, Indikos said. I like it here, and I’d like to stay.
Liv nodded appreciatively. I’m glad. I hope you find happiness here.
The miniature dragon flapped his wings and took off for the sky, soaring freely. I hope the same for you, Liv Beaufont. Thank you for all that you’ve done to free me.
Chapter Sixteen
Akio stumbled back when Liv threw a punch into the pad he’d been holding up. He gave her a look of surprise, not accustomed to her throwing him off balance during their sparring matches. There were few fighters as strong and resilient as Akio Takahashi.
He lowered the target he’d been holding. “A sleeping dragon has awoken within you.”
Liv blinked at him in confusion before realizing this was another of the metaphors he threw out during their practices. She couldn’t tell him the truth about Adler. And what was worse was, now she realized she couldn’t tell him or anyone else the truth about mortals without signing them up for the crusade. It wasn’t like she’d been volunteering the information before, but now it felt much more like an obligation to keep secret.
Still, she wondered how the Sinclairs and the Beaufonts had found their respective roles in the House and the Takahashis had managed to stay out of it. She silently wished she could have been a Takahashi. However, if she were honest with herself, Liv knew that was only good in theory. At her core, she believed she was a Beaufont because she was a person who wanted justice. She was proud that she was part of a family who had made sacrifices through the generations for a future of peace. She wouldn’t be content in any other family. Besides, the Takahashis had their own hardships, and whatever they were, she was sure they were unique to them.
Shaking off the adrenaline, Liv said, “I think more than just a dozing dragon has awoken inside me.”
Akio regarded her for a long moment, studying her in that way that was unique to him, where he seemed to peer into her soul. “Confronting our enemies never heals what they did that wronged us.”
Liv had been fantasying about what she’d do to Adler when she found him. She’d played through a hundred different scenarios. He was the one who had murdered her parents and Ian and Reese. He was going to pay. She didn’t know where he was or when he’d turn up, but when they came face to face, whether it was in the House of Seven or somewhere else, she’d make him suffer.
But Akio was right. Whatever she did to Adler wasn’t going to bring back her family. It might make her feel marginally better, but she was wrong to think it would fix anything. All it would do was take a bad man from this place so she could change what he’d done to the magical world. That was a start, but it wasn’t healing. That was something she could only give herself.
Liv was about to regroup so they could continue when Akio straightened, bowing to someone standing in the door of the studio.
“Little Rider, have you come to join us?” Akio asked.
Turning, Liv found Sophia. She wore a pale blue dress, and had a light scarf tied around her neck and a floppy hat on her head. “I’m sorry, Master Takahashi. Not today. I only interrupt because my sister has an appointment I need to take her to.”
Liv’s brow scrunched as she regarded her little sister. “Appointment?”
Sophia nodded, tapping her wrist. “And we’ll be late unless you hurry up and get ready. This has been booked for ages.”
Liv wiped the sweat from her head, trying to remember what appointment she had. Then it hit her, and she remembered exactly why she’d forgotten.
Sighing, Liv turned to Akio and bowed. “I would rather stay and have you kick my butt for several more hours than go do what I must.”
He returned the bow with a slight smile. “I don’t believe I was the one with the victorious edge this round, but may I offer you some advice, Warrior Beaufont?”
“Always,” she said, realizing she’d come to think of Akio as a friend. It was strange because when she’d entered the House of Seven, she hadn’t wanted any help, and now she realized the valuable talents of those all around her whom she’d at first judged to be elitist. It just proved that not everyone in the House was bad. The Sinclairs were, and there had to be others. It would be part of Liv’s mission to find all those and punish them, along with Adler and Decar. That was part of her role in justice.
“If you lose yourself saving the world, will it really be worth it?” Akio asked her.
She opened her mouth, thinking the answer was easy. But all of a sudden it wasn’t. Her original answer of “Yes, absolutely” didn’t seem right. Would her parents be proud of her if she finished what they started but forgot who she was?
Liv simply nodded to her friend. “Thank you. I’ll take that under advisement.”
“I’m certain you will,” Akio said. “You’re a smart and skillful Warrior. Don’t allow your anger to color what you know to be true in your heart.”
“Seriously, you had to come and get me for this appointment?” Liv asked, trying to stay completely still so she didn’t get stuck with a pin yet again.
“Yes,” Sophia said, lying on her stomach and thumbing through a book. “King Rudolf sent sixteen messages to your place when you didn’t show up.”
Liv sighed, catching the seamstress’ annoyed expression. She hadn’t been the best model, not staying still during her fitting. But also wearing a tight-fitting formal gown of pink and neon green also wasn’t her ideal circumstance. However, as the best man for Rudolf’s wedding, she was expected to match the groomsmen, who would be wearing suits in the couple’s colors.
“I’m going to need you to suck in, honey,” the seamstress said, lacing fabric around Liv’s waist.
“I think I’d rather not.”
Sophia glanced up, giggling. “I think you’re going to look like a princess. That’s one of the most amazing dresses I’ve ever seen.”
Liv had to admit that she was right. The material had been spelled so that it shifted colors alternating between pink and green. Flowers were supposed to bloom on the dress in places, depending on the wearer’s mood. It also gave off the scent of springtime, making Liv strangely feel light even with all the frustrating thoughts rolling around inside her brain.
Desperately she wanted to tell Sophia about what she’d learned about Adler and their magic, but she didn’t know how. It was a weight she didn’t want to place on the young girl’s shoulders. Thankfully, Sophia didn’t have her magic registered yet, so they didn’t have to worry about fixing that. But for her and Clark, it was a different story, and a whole lot more complicated.
A wisp of smoke shot out of Liv’s bag, which was lying in the corner. Sophia and Liv exchanged other wide-eyed expressions that said, “What in the world was that?” However, the seamstress didn’t seem to notice.
“What was that?” Sophia asked.
Liv tried to remember what all was in her bag. Then she remembered the anywhere pad Rory had given her. Thinking it was safe for Sophia to check out and unable to move, she encouraged her t
o take a look for her.
After rummaging through the bag, Sophia held up the anywhere pad, which simply said, “I’m with Mum. We’re safe…for now.”
Chapter Seventeen
Out on Roya Lane, Liv was grateful to be back in her regular clothes with a bit of sunlight kissing the top of her head. She kept Sophia close to her as they navigated the busy street.
She was grateful Rory and Bermuda were safe, but thinking that Decar was after them was unnerving. And now she knew that they were set on this mission because of her, because of her parents. If something happened to them, it would be her fault. Then she’d really be out for vengeance.
Liv tried to remember what Akio had told her: saving the world wasn’t worth it if she lost herself. Which meant it wasn’t enough to fix things. She had to fix things the right way. Which probably meant the hard way.
“Can we go into this shop?” Sophia asked, dragging Liv into a store that had strange toys and books. The building blocks stacked on each other, creating different structures depending on who was playing the game. The books projected scenes, creating dazzling visions in midair. And the child who played with the dollhouses could shrink down and become an actual character in the tiny homes.
Liv and her sister explored Roya Lane for hours. It was a leisurely afternoon, and Liv had rarely allowed herself those. However, after everything she’d been through, she knew her spirit needed this. There would be time to fight. There would be a chance to fix things. Right then, though, she needed time with Sophia, the person who grounded her the most.
“Oh, what do you think about this for a wedding present for Rudolf and Serena?” Sophia asked, holding up a pair of self-brushing toothbrushes.