by Sarah Noffke
Stefan set the book on the ottoman, his face unchanged. “Your cat also hides from you, if I remember correctly. The one you said was strangely in the House of Seven, although it is against the rules since he’s an outsider.”
“Most hide from me. It’s sort of my thing,” Liv said and pointed to the book he’d laid down. “Are you trying to bring some demons out of hiding?”
Stefan’s eyes cut to the volume and he actually smiled. “That was just a bit of light reading to get me ready for bed.”
“Oh, don’t you have a case to attend to? Like, innocent magicians who need your wrath or an elfin community you need to exert your influence over?”
“You’re very skeptical of the House of Seven, aren’t you? Why did you take on your responsibility as a Warrior if that was the case?”
“Maybe I’m hoping to be a part of the change.”
Stefan sighed, looking around at the grand architecture of the library. “The House is due for changes, although I fear that implementing them will not be easy. For thousands of years, the House has operated the same way it always has. Some, like the Sinclairs, find this to be a point of great pride.”
“I think it’s a sign of stagnation,” Liv shot back defiantly.
“I tend to agree with you.” Stefan regarded her for a long moment, something apparently working in the recesses of his mind. Finally he said, “Is there a book I can help you find? Sometimes it’s better to attack the collection in pairs. That makes it harder for the right book to get away.”
Liv wanted to laugh, feeling like any venture in here was more of a safari than a casual bit of browsing in a library. “No, I don’t think… Actually, what do you know about the creature who lives in the pond in the garden?”
From the expression that jumped to Stefan’s face, this wasn’t a question he was expecting. “Creature? I think it’s more accurately referred to as a monster, although I can’t tell you what it is. It’s tried to drown me at least once. Since then, I haven’t risked getting that close.”
Liv nodded. “Yeah, I made the same mistake when I was a child.”
“You do have a flair for dabbling with things that are mysterious and dangerous, don’t you?” Stefan asked.
The wall with the symbols seemed to be calling her. She wanted to try her ring on it, but the longer she hung around, the more questions Stefan asked her. She faked another yawn.
“Oh, it appears I’ve bored you,” he said, bowing slightly. “I’ll return to my book and leave you to your search.” He sat back down on the sofa, pulling Demons and Where They Hide back onto his lap.
In her head, Liv quietly yelled, “Nooooo,” wondering why he had stationed himself in the exact place she wanted to be. However, she kept the disappointment off her face as she waved to Stefan, leaving him alone in the one area of the library she desperately longed to search.
“I’ll see you later,” she said, striding in what she thought might be the direction of the exit.
“Yes, see you later, Liv.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The yawning darkness sought to eat Liv’s courage as she hid under a large tree, watching the guard patrol the front of the Natural History Museum. She’d dismissed Rory’s warnings, but alone in the dark, his words felt big enough to swallow her will.
Plato appeared beside her suddenly, the white tip of his tail standing out in the blackness of the night. “There are two guards inside the building.”
Liv tried to nod, but she felt too stiff for even the simplest movement. “If I get myself in trouble, can you by any chance rescue me?”
The cat leapt, landing on the horizontal branch beside her. She hadn’t even realized that the perch was there, and at such a perfect height. “There is nothing anyone can rescue you from that you can’t get out of yourself.”
“Oh good, more riddles.”
Plato gave her an annoyed stare. “And you should know that if I can help, I will. However, I can’t get the sword free.”
“That’s where the brownies come in,” Liv stated.
“And I can’t disable the security on the building,” he continued.
“Yes, that’s where I come in,” she replied.
“Are you worried that you’re not ready for this?” Plato asked.
“Are you?” she countered.
“I worry that you’re putting yourself in danger for a giant’s sword and a payoff that might not be worth the risk.”
“Are you saying that I shouldn’t do it?”
“If I did, would you turn around and go home?” Plato asked.
Liv shook her head. “Not a chance.”
“Then stop stalling,” Plato said. “Your opening is now.”
The guard turned the corner of the building, disappearing out of her view. Liv didn’t wait another second more before springing out of her hiding place and hurrying across the grounds. The hardest part was the start, she told herself. Now that she was in motion, the rest would go smoothly…she hoped.
High atop a nearby building, Stefan Ludwig watched as Liv Beaufont ran across the lawn and straight over to the side entrance to the Natural History Museum.
“What are you up to, Liv?” he mused.
Tracking her there hadn’t been hard, which meant that he was going to have to teach her how to move through the city without being followed. If he’d been Adler or Decar Liv would have been caught, and there would be no explanation that could get her out of trouble. Still, Stefan wondered what the magician was doing returning to the museum. He’d wanted to follow her before that night to find out what she did when not at the House of Seven, but an injury Hester had been unable to heal yet had prevented him from doing so. It had kept him away from a lot lately.
He lifted his arm and pulled up his sleeve, eyeing the bite in the moonlight. It was no worse than before but no better. Thankfully Hester had managed to stop the demon’s poison before it did too much damage, but healing his arm completely was a different story. Maybe that was why he was there, watching Liv chant spells at the museum’s security pad instead of off on his own mission.
Locating and slaying the demon who had done this to him wasn’t going to be an easy feat, but Hester had assured him that it was the only way to heal the bite. She’d also promised him secrecy, at least for the moment.
Stefan had been assigned the case of hunting down some demons that were terrorizing mortals, and he’d mostly been successful. Slaying demons in this realm was one of his favorite pastimes. However, going into their lair and operating on their terms was a different story. He would do it, though. He’d assured Hester of that much, and she’d granted him the time. The last thing he needed was to worry his sister Raina, or for Adler or the others to doubt his strength as a Warrior.
Everything at the House of Seven was about perception. He’d learned that early on. And if they knew he’d been bitten while on a case, well, the level of difficulty of cases he was assigned would change. He’d seen it a hundred times. That was why Akio and Decar were given the hardest cases—because they were seen as the strongest Warriors. However, he suspected things were about to change. There was a new force in the House who was about to take them all by surprise. She didn’t play by any of their rules, and apparently she worked her own cases on the side, Stefan noted as Liv slid into the museum undetected.
Chapter Twenty-Two
One of Liv’s dreams was to break into a museum and have the entire place to herself. In that fantasy, she didn’t have to jump up to see over the heads of strangers or wait in long lines. Or deal with slow walkers. Or really, deal with people at all.
Quiet excitement spilled over her as the security door released, and she stepped into the darkened corridor. Liv suddenly had the urge to run through the Natural History Museum, enjoying the freedom of having it all to herself.
A brisk shuffling noise startled her back to reality. She wasn’t alone in here; it only felt like it. Two guards patrolled the floors every few minutes. That much Mortimer had been ab
le to tell her after his brownies had done their reconnaissance. However, there were multiple other factors they didn’t know as much about.
The guard strode by, not noticing Liv as she sank back against the wall. He whistled as he walked. How stereotypical, Liv thought, watching the back of his head as he swung a flashlight and sauntered towards the amphibian exhibit.
“Well, looks like I’ve got company tonight,” the man said, his voice making Liv tense. Had he seen her? She peeked out from her place, the light from the corridor partially touching her head.
A woman carrying a box stood on the other side of the man, a forced smile on her face.
“Yes, we’re updating the fetish carvings exhibit tonight,” the woman who was the curator for that collection said, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Liv sunk back suddenly. The woman had seen her!
“What was that?” the curator asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.
“What was what?” the guard replied.
“Over there. By the side entrance. I saw something.”
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it, Liv thought, her mind racing for an option. She could bolt out the door and escape, but then this mission would be over before it even started. The idea of failure hit Liv straight in the stomach, making her want to double over.
Instead, she took a page out of Sophia’s book and melded herself into the wall. A flash of light hit her in the face, making her squint, but otherwise, she stayed as still as she possibly could, knowing that any movement would disrupt the illusion.
“Over here?” the guard asked. “I don’t see anything.”
“I could have sworn I saw someone looking around the corner,” the woman stated.
“Well, maybe it was someone from your team,” the man offered.
“Yeah, maybe,” the curator replied, not sounding at all convinced.
The guard put the flashlight away, giving Liv a respite. “I’ll do a few extra patrols tonight if it makes you feel better.”
No, Liv thought. The plan was centered on the clockwork of the guard’s schedules. Any change to that would throw everything off.
“I’d like that,” the woman said. “Especially because my team will be in and out of the exhibit area throughout the night.”
“Not a problem,” the guard said, his footsteps fading as the two walked the other way. “Show me the exhibit you’re working on.”
“It’s right over here.”
Liv waited until their voices had died away to soft muttering before she peeled herself from the wall, the camouflage fading. She considered keeping up the glamour, but she didn’t want to risk running through her magic reserves this early into the mission.
Sliding along the closest wall, Liv hurried to try to stay on schedule. If the guards would be patrolling more often, she had less time to get to the room with the sword than they’d planned. She hoped that the brownie who had come to help was fast.
When she was almost to the area where Turbinger lay, Liv froze. Her heart jumped into her throat. The exhibit they were updating on that night was directly next to the sword room.
Damn it, Liv thought, her brain cramping from the sudden complication. How was she supposed to stroll into that area and steal the sword with museum employees working right next to it?
Before, the mission had felt a little far-fetched, since they were relying on a brownie to open the case and remove the sword in less than six minutes. Now they had even less time, and more people to avoid. Well, Liv had to avoid them. The mortals apparently couldn’t see brownies. It must be nice to be invisible, a spell Liv hadn’t mastered. It would supposedly draw too much attention from the Council if she did use it.
“Are we going to get a dinner break?” a man called from the area with the fetish carvings.
“Of course,” the woman from before replied. “Let’s just get a few more things in place and then we can take a break.”
That was going to be Liv’s chance. However, there was another complication she had to worry about as she loitered in the corridor, hiding behind a large vase: the patrolling guards.
She had less than a minute before the next guard trotted around the corner behind her, spotting her position. Whipping her head back and forth, Liv waited until she heard his approaching footsteps and slipped into the recesses of the exhibit closest to her, hiding behind a life-sized zebra. Guilt pricked her throat when she realized that she was squatting directly on a protected museum exhibit, her back pressed against its fake shrubs.
When the patrolling guard had passed, Liv relaxed and stood up. It felt surreal to look out and see African animals all around her. She wondered why she hadn’t chosen the elephant to hide behind. That would have been a bit better than trying to hide her whole body behind a zebra.
What has my life come to that this is even happening, Liv wondered with a silent laugh.
“Okay, this is the last box,” the man working on the exhibit called, grunting as he set something down. “Can we go? The Thai place closes soon.”
The woman sighed. “Yeah, go ahead.”
“Aren’t you coming?” another voice asked.
“Bring me back some yellow curry,” the woman answered. “I’ve got too much work to do to leave here.”
“Okay, we’ll be back in half an hour.”
Damn it, Liv exclaimed inwardly. Maybe she could turn the mortal into one of the fetish carvings and be done with it.
She reminded herself that the Council could be monitoring her magic use. If she was caught inside the museum and working with brownies, she was sure she’d be done in the House of Seven, which meant that the Beaufonts would be screwed. No, whatever happened, Liv had to play this carefully. This was about protecting her honor and her family’s reputation…while also helping a giant.
Whistling echoed down the wide hallway. The other guard was back. They were coming around too often. Liv sank back down behind the zebra, waiting for him to pass. What she needed was a distraction; some way to pull these mortals away, if only for five minutes.
Just then something sparkled across the way, catching her eye.
Chapter Twenty-Three
On the far side of the museum, Liv caught the glint of gems and crystals sparkling in their cases. The thought that occurred to her next, simultaneously filling her with both hope and tension, was that she needed a distraction but not such a big one that the authorities would be called.
Making up her mind before she had a chance to overthink things, Liv stood up again, focusing on the exhibit across the way. It was at least twenty yards away, which meant that her aim had to be exact or she’d ruin her chances, along with a lot of precious gems.
With a clear intention, Liv directed her magic to the lights hanging over the gem exhibit. The overhead lights flickered, and the cases clicked as their security features were disabled. Using magic from this far away should have been difficult, but Liv had learned one very important lesson since having her magic unlocked: it reacted well to electronics.
“What’s that?” the woman nearly yelled.
“It’s coming from the gem exhibit,” the guard answered, his voice suddenly tight. “Stay here, and I’ll go check it out.” He pulled his radio from his belt. “Tony, where are you? Can I get backup over at the gem exhibit?”
“I’m on my way,” a voice radioed back.
“It looks like an electrical problem,” the woman stated.
“That’s typical. We’ve been having this problem lately. Stay here. I’ll be back in a bit.”
No, Liv thought. She’d hoped the distraction would take everyone away. She’d just have to resort to less primitive methods for the woman.
After the guard had sped off, Liv moved out of the African exhibit, trying to get a shot at the woman, whose back was thankfully to her as she unloaded small objects from a box. The incantation she muttered next was one she hadn’t used in a very long time. She nearly laughed, thinking about how she and Clark used to use it on each other. Most siblings poked and
pinched each other, but magicians could go to the next level of torture.
The woman stood suddenly. Tensed. Grabbed her midsection as she let out a small squeal of surprise. Then she promptly turned and strode toward the bathrooms located down the hallway. She moved quickly, probably trying to keep from peeing herself. It was a cruel trick, but it had done the job, and no one had gotten hurt.
When Clark and Liv had played the trick on each other, it had been common for one of them to accidentally wet themselves.
Feeling strangely amused and nostalgic, Liv hurried out of her hiding spot while she had a chance. She soundlessly moved across the tile floor, sliding to a halt once she was in the room with Turbinger.
Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the scene before her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The sword was gone! How could it be gone? Where could it have gone? Liv looked around, expecting to see clues or scrapes or some other clue, but the room with its stark white walls didn’t offer her anything.
The large case in the middle of the room looked peculiar sitting empty, only the indentions where the sword had laid evidence that Turbinger had been in the case.
Liv knew she was running out of time. The curator would be back from the restroom soon, and the guards would return. However, she didn’t know where to go. She’d come for the sword, but it was gone. But where?
“Pssst,” a small voice said by her feet.
Liv nearly jumped straight in the air, not having seen the small creature appear beside her. He was the same height as Mortimer but skinnier, his hair brushed to one side and trailing over his shoulder.
“Hey, were you sent by…” Liv’s voice trailed away as she looked the brownie over, wondering if she could trust him.
He nodded. “My name is Freddy. And yes, Mortimer sent me here to help you. However…” He pointed a long finger at the case. “The sword has been moved.”