by Sarah Noffke
She opened the door and ushered Clark into her apartment. “Get in here. Did anyone see you?”
He looked over his shoulder. “No. I’m careful not to be followed or seen, unlike someone at the Natural History Museum. I still can’t believe you blew out the windows and jumped off the roof.”
“What can I say? I get inspired by culture and art.”
Clark pursed his lips and scratched his nose. “You wouldn’t by chance have been involved with the recent theft there?”
Liv held her arms out wide. “Do I look big enough to carry that giant sword that was stolen?”
“Liv!” Clark said, his voice full of tension.
She waved him off. “What’s the Council saying about the incident?”
He rolled his shoulders and sighed. “That’s the thing. Adler is acting like it isn’t our business, telling us we should focus on other cases.”
“Sounds like he doesn’t think magic was involved,” Liv said hopefully.
“Well, no magic that corresponds to the event came up on the radar from registered magicians, but I’m still unsure. How did you do it?”
He asked the last question so casually that Liv gave him props. She smiled. “Nice try, but that’s not why I asked you to come over.”
“I thought we were going to be open and honest with each other?” Clark said, his tone stern.
Liv’s attempt at lightness was instantly squashed by his seriousness. He was right. “Well, I think the less you know about this, the better, but it could be related to what we’re working on.” As she unpacked the ingredients from the box of food, Liv explained what she was doing. She couldn’t help but laugh when Clark flinched every time she mentioned Rory.
He began to pace as she started making baked ziti.
“You’re working with a giant?” he nearly yelled, his face flushing pink. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because for some strange reason, I thought you’d overreact,” she said, stirring the pasta and rereading the directions.
“Overreact? Of course I would. They can’t be trusted. Do you know what they’ve done to magicians?”
“I actually don’t. Do you know? Why can’t they be trusted?”
“Well, they…they…they refuse to have their magic registered with the House.”
“Which makes them different from other magical creatures how?”
Clark halted, momentarily thrown off. “Well, it’s the same as them. But they are different because…”
“Because?” she prompted when he didn’t continue.
“Liv, it’s different with giants.”
“That’s just the thing, Clark—I don’t think it is. We’ve been fed certain information our whole lives, you more than me, but it doesn’t add up. Why is there a dispute? Why was the giant’s sword put into the mortals’ museum? Who put magical wards around it?”
He pointed behind her. “I don’t know, but your water is boiling. What are you doing, anyway?”
“I’m cooking you dinner,” she said proudly.
Clark’s chin tucked back on his neck. “Why would you do that?”
She shrugged, stirring the water and gesturing at Plato. “I don’t know. The cat said I should.” Liv rummaged through her drawer for a can opener for the crushed tomatoes, but she couldn’t find one. She winked at Plato. “Turn your head. I’m going to use magic to open this can, but in my defense, I already know how to open cans.”
He set his head down on his paws, not looking like he cared in the least.
“You know that restaurants make food?” Clark said. “Actually, the House’s chef, Mario, makes incredible dishes.”
“I remember,” Liv agreed. “But in all seriousness, I’m trying to learn how to do things without using magic.”
“I don’t understand. You had your magic locked for five years. Why didn’t you learn how to do these things then?”
Liv strained the pasta, waving the steam out of her face. “I was learning other things, like how to repair flat irons and fix hair dryers.” What she didn’t say was that she had been trying to figure out how to fix herself, but it hadn’t worked. She had been trying to learn how to survive during the last five years. Now she was looking forward to figuring out how to thrive.
“What’s a flat iron?” Clark asked.
“It’s science. You wouldn’t understand.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, probably not.”
“Anyway, I know you don’t approve of me hanging out with giants and breaking into museums, but—”
“That’s just the thing! The more you make your case, the more I get it. Just like the canister of magic, I’m starting to see that there’s a lot I don’t understand that doesn’t make sense. There is definitely something going on.”
Liv’s eyes sparkled as she pulled the still-sealed envelope from her jeans. “Speaking of the canister, I might have some information.”
“You didn’t open this?” Clark asked after she told him the story about the brownies and what they’d offered her. He ran his finger over the seal on the envelope, his gaze intense.
“I wanted to wait for you,” Liv explained. “We’re in this together.”
Clark gazed at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Thanks. This proves it.” He handed her the letter. “Open it.”
She took the envelope and ran her finger under the seal, breaking the wax. On the front of the card were two words: Zietgort Monastery.
Liv didn’t know what she had expected the note to say, but that definitely wasn’t even close.
“Is that where the canister of magic is?” Clark asked, taking the note and turning it over as if looking for more.
“I guess so. But why would Adler or whoever it was put the canister there?”
“Maybe it’s being used by someone there,” Clark offered.
The timer in the kitchen sounded, pulling their attention away from the letter that offered too little information and yet more than they could have hoped for.
“None of this makes any sense. I recovered the canister of magic and brought it to the House of Seven, and then it disappears, as well as any records of it. Now it’s located in a monastery.” Liv pulled the baked ziti out of the oven. It was perfectly browned on the top, with steam rising from the center. Clark had told her she’d put too much cheese in it, but that had only prompted her to dump another handful into the dish.
“We’ve got to go there and find out more,” Clark said, watching as Liv piled two large scoops onto a plate and handed it to him. “This is too much for me.”
“No, it’s not, because it’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten and you’re going to eat all of it and then want seconds, but I will shut you down since I’m eating all of the rest of this,” she said, waving to the casserole dish filled with baked ziti. “And I agree about going to this monastery, but there is no ‘we’ about it. I’m going by myself.”
Clark put down his fork and regarded her with a disappointed look. “What happened to working together?”
“We are, but we don’t have to be sloppy,” Liv said, blowing on her bite. “If we’re caught together, we’re screwed. However, if I’m caught, you can plead innocence.”
Clark considered this for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hopefully you won’t be discovered by the House of Seven, but if you are, you can just make up some excuse like you did with the museum. I think the Council is starting to expect you to do random weird stuff.” He set down his fork again, a look of surprise jumping to his face. “Hey, you started working with the brownies. Does that mean you didn’t enforce the new regulations on them?”
Liv took a bite, the warmth and creaminess filling her mouth. “Of course not. I’m not even working the current case they gave me. I’m just going to let a few more days go by and tell them I completed it.”
Clark shook his head. “That’s not going to work for long. We’ll figure it out.”
“No, the Council won’t, because they are only assigning m
e dumb cases to keep me out of their hair.”
“That’s completely true,” Clark stated, finally taking a bite. His eyes widened as he chewed. “Wow, this is actually pretty good.”
Liv rolled her eyes at him. “Of course, it is. You can’t even taste the poison I put in it.”
“Ha-ha. I watched you make the entire dish.” Clark shoveled another bite into his mouth, bigger than the last.
“Good. That means that you know how to do it and can make it for me next time.”
“I don’t think so, Liv. Doing things without magic might be your thing, but it isn’t mine,” Clark stated, pointing at the casserole dish with the leftovers. “You’re not going to eat all that. I say we split it when I’m done with this.”
“And I say you fight me for it,” Liv countered with a wink. “I need to practice my combat magic.”
“Fine,” Clark agreed, taking the last bite from his plate. “But get ready to pee yourself.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“I’ll see you later, John,” Liv called from the back of the shop.
“Not if I see you first,” he replied, ducking his head through the door to the front and smiling widely.
“Oh, you and your dad jokes. Don’t forget to eat a vegetable today. And take your medication.”
He held up the donut he was working on. “Does this count? It was fried in corn oil.”
“No. Eat a carrot.”
John grimaced. “No, thanks.”
“I’m bringing you some carrot cake tomorrow.” With that parting shot, Liv and Plato exited through the back. The sun was just setting, casting the alley in shadows. She pulled her hood up over her head and began striding away from the store’s door. After some practice, Liv had found the perfect place to open a portal from the back area that couldn’t be seen from the road. That ensured she didn’t have to go all the way home to use portal magic, which was making commuting much easier.
“Liv…” Plato began, his voice tentative.
She halted, knowing exactly what he was referring to without him saying it. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Spinning around, Liv lifted her hand, releasing a disarming spell. Thanks to her sparring match with Clark, she’d mastered it. He’d also taught her how to use fire magic, although she still needed a flame present to do it.
Stefan appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, stumbling backward into the dumpster. He caught himself, a fierce look on his face.
“This is considered stalking.” Liv crossed her arms over her chest with a determined expression. “Why are you following me…again?”
Stefan’s eyes bounced between her and Plato. “And here I thought you didn’t know I was trailing you. I was going to offer you tips on how to move around without being followed.”
“I prefer to allow others to think I’m oblivious. Being underestimated is one of my key strategies when facing an opponent.”
“I’m not your enemy,” Stefan said, brushing off his leather jacket and coming a few steps closer.
“Why are you following me, then? Does the Council want you to babysit me?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m doing this on my own. I know you’re working on something besides your Warrior cases.”
Liv held her hand out, indicating the shop. “Yes, I work here fixing appliances. Do you have an electric razor or a toaster you want me to fix?”
Stefan hazarded a smile that lit up his blue eyes. “No, I use magic for those things.”
She shook her head and clicked her tongue, looking down at Plato. “All these magicians who rely on magic for everything. If it was taken away from them tomorrow, they’d be helpless.”
Stefan nodded in the direction of the cat. “And this must be the cat who can enter the House of Seven uninvited.”
“Are you going to tattle on me? Adler is looking for any reason to put me in timeout or whatever they do to punish uncooperative Warriors.”
“Liv, I’m not following you because I want to get you in trouble. I wouldn’t tell Adler or the other Councilors a damn thing about you. I have a feeling that you and I could be working together, but I need to know what you’re up to. Like why you broke into the Natural History Museum, and why you stole that sword.”
“What? A sword was stolen?” Liv feigned surprise. “I was there for a late study group. We’re putting together a really rad insect collection.”
“Fine, I get that you don’t trust me, and I understand why. Lots of shifty things happen at the House of Seven, but I’m not like Adler or his minions. Raina and I are working to restore balance to the House.”
“How?” Liv challenged.
“Well, for one, I don’t hunt down and dispose of magicians who aren’t registered. I warn them. Give them ways to hide.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because killing our own is wrong. Killing the innocent is wrong, and it was never the House’s right to own a magician’s magic. That’s not how justice works.”
Liv didn’t want to admit it, but Stefan sounded a lot like her. For that reason, she was even warier of him. Someone trying to get her trust would say exactly what she wanted to hear.
“I work alone,” Liv said after a moment of deliberation.
“It appears that you work with the lynx.” Stefan motioned to Plato.
“That’s because I know I can trust Plato. I don’t know a thing about you.”
Stefan gave her an amused look. “You named your cat after a philosopher?”
“I didn’t name him.”
Plato twitched his tail in irritation. “I’m tired of people thinking I was named after him when it was the other way around.”
Liv took a step back. “I’m going to open a portal and leave. You’re not going to follow me anymore. If you want me to trust you, stop stalking me. Tell me what you know about the House and share information with me, then we’ll see what happens.”
Stefan nodded. “Fine, that’s fair enough. But if I need my television fixed, can I come by the shop again?”
Liv turned around, putting her back to the warrior. “No. And you shouldn’t be watching television. Go work your cases, already.”
She opened a portal and disappeared, Plato following her.
Chapter Thirty-Two
After portaling three more times, Liv was certain Stefan wasn’t following her. “What are your thoughts on him?” she asked Plato as they hiked up the lush green hill on top of which the monastery was situated. It was an old stone building with three tall towers that rose high into the pristine blue sky.
“I think he’s hiding something,” Plato said, aware she was referring to Stefan even though they hadn’t spoken for ten minutes.
“Like that he’s behind whatever is going on with the House?”
“I don’t think so. My instinct tells me he isn’t lying about letting off unregistered magicians. Still, I think it’s dangerous to trust anyone but Clark with what you’re investigating.”
Liv agreed with a nod. Ian’s and Reese’s deaths were still a mystery. So were her parents’. Maybe they’d gotten too close to the truth, but someone would have to know that, and that person could be anyone. No, it wasn’t smart for her to build bridges with Stefan. Not until he had proven he could be trusted.
“Do I ring the doorbell?” Liv asked when they made it to the large door at the front of the monastery.
“I think you knock,” Plato told her, nodding in the direction of the large knocker on the door.
Liv had considered breaking into the monastery to investigate, but that felt wrong, considering what it was. She might not be a religious person, but she respected the sanctity of other people’s religions.
The knock echoed through the grounds, sending a sudden chill over her arms. If she were caught there by someone from the House, she didn’t know what she’d say. Clark had said she could plead ignorance, but that would only work for so long.
A man dressed in long brown robes pulled the door open, his expres
sion uncertain. After taking one look at Liv, he turned and strode into the monastery. “Follow me,” he said, walking away with a slight limp.
Liv was unsurprised to discover that Plato had disappeared. She sped up to catch the old man, which wasn’t hard. “Hello, my name is—”
“I know who you are, my child, and I’m taking you to what you seek.”
Liv tilted her chin to the side, trying to decide what she should say to that. She had this whole fake story lined up, but it appeared that today she didn’t get to be Ethel Notterbottom—which was slightly disappointing.
“How do you know who I am?” she finally asked, smiling at monks as she strode by some who had gathered in the courtyard.
“I just know,” the man answered. “I am Niall, and I have been taking those from the House of Seven to this location for as long as I can remember, although I can never remember who I take or why.” He shrugged his bony shoulders. “It’s not my responsibility to know, though. I’m a simple servant.”
This didn’t make any sense. The canister was in this monastery, but House members came here to find something. What was it?
“We’re going down now,” Niall said, grabbing a lantern by a set of stairs and descending into darkness.
Liv tensed at the top of the stairs, trying to decide if she should follow. The monk seemed harmless; it was more about what might be waiting for her in the dark tunnel. She’d come this far, though and reasoned that she couldn’t turn back now.
“You don’t remember who from the House comes here?” Liv asked.
“I don’t remember many things about these trips,” Niall said.
Memory charms had obviously been used on the monk, and as Liv strode through the damp tunnels, she realized that there was one at work on her too. She had no idea where they were and had an inherent feeling of being lost.
After they took several turns, Liv felt she was in a maze and could never find her way to her destination alone. Getting out, however, didn’t seem hard. Just considering the idea made her feel that she’d be instantly spat out of the area if she so desired. This was a strange magic, one she had never heard of.