by Sarah Noffke
“And does she think you’re insane?” Liv asked.
Rudolf gave her an offended look. “No, she believes me implicitly. I did bring her back from the dead.”
“Technically I helped with that,” Liv stated.
“Technically, but no one needs to know about that, especially her.”
Liv sighed. “So even though she’s been exposed to your magic often, she still doesn’t see it?”
“No, and remember what I learned from unblocking the memories connected to your ring,” Rudolf began. “Mortals used to be able to see magic, but they can’t anymore. That’s how it’s always been…or at least, so I thought.”
Liv scratched her head. This didn’t make sense. Why could John see magic after being around it, but Serena couldn’t? What was the dividing factor? She definitely needed more information.
“So, I have something for you.” Rudolf pulled a small stone from his pocket and handed it to her. “I didn’t forget the promise that I made to you after you brought Serena back. I intend to repay what you did for me. For us.”
“With a dumb stone?” Liv took it, holding it close to her chest with mock fondness. “Thank you. You really shouldn’t have.”
Rudolf’s light expression dropped. “You don’t like it?”
“Well, gift wrapping could have helped with the presentation.”
“Oh, you don’t realize what I’ve given you,” Rudolf exclaimed. “I forget that you were raised in a sheltered hovel on the West Side.”
“You mean the House of Seven in Santa Monica?” Liv asked.
“Yeah, yeah,” Rudolf sighed. “Anyway, this handy-dandy item will allow you to call me to your side at a moment’s notice.”
“Cell phones do that, you know?”
Rudolf shook his head. “This is different.”
“Before, when I needed you to explain why you had me retrieve a dead girl from the fountain, I simply called you, and you showed up.”
“This is different.”
“And a minute ago, I thought about you, and you showed up,” Liv stated.
“But again, I have to be in close proximity, whereas the summoning stone works from across the globe,” Rudolf stated. “All you have to do is hold the stone in your hand and say, ‘My beautiful Rudolf, come to me.’”
Liv nodded like this was perfectly reasonable. “What do I do after I’ve thrown up?”
He shook his head. “Okay, whatever version of that phrase will work. I swear it’s wonderful. Even if you don’t have cell reception or I’m in the sex swing in a precarious position—”
“Nah! Nah! Nah! Nah!” Liv yelled loudly, covering her ears again and attracting attention from nearby groups.
Rudolf rolled his eyes. “My point is that the summoning stone will call me directly to your side, no matter what I am doing or where I am. Distance is not a factor.”
“Will you be wearing whatever you’ve got on when I call you? Or in your current position?” Liv inquired.
“I will, in fact!” Rudolf told her proudly.
“Cool. So from this point forward, always have clothes on.”
“Oh, you’re so uptight,” Rudolf said.
“No, it’s just that I only have one set of eyes,” Liv explained.
“Well, you’re very welcome for such a wonderfully thoughtful gift.”
“I haven’t said ‘thank you’ yet…or maybe ever.”
Rudolf sped up, moving through the crowd away from her. “You will. One day I’ll be there for you, and you for me. Until then, Liv Beaufont, Warrior for the House of Seven.”
He waved, disappearing into the horde of people.
Liv shook her head, finding herself in front of the place where the brownie office was located. She slipped the summoning stone into the pocket of her cape next to the busy bee clip, sure that she’d never use it. Why would she ever call on Rudolf unless she wanted to rapidly become annoyed?
Chapter Nine
The dusty hallway that led to Mortimer’s office wasn’t a surprise. Liv was used to ducking to avoid the cobwebs and grimaced at the amount of grime that had built up around the light fixtures.
What was a surprise was the brownie’s appearance when she peeled back the door to his office. The room was still a complete mess, with stacks of disorganized papers everywhere. However, Mortimer was looking…nice. The hair that usually sprouted from his large ears was gone, as were the tufts that poked from under the collar of his shirt. He’d even appeared to have lost some weight, which was probably why his suit looked new.
“Ummm…I’m looking for Mortimer,” Liv joked. “Have you seen him?”
He beamed. “It’s me, Liv Beaufont, Warrior for the House of Seven. Don’t you recognize me?”
She squinted at him, leaning down to avoid knocking her head on the ceiling. “No, that can’t be! You’re his younger brother or cousin, right?”
He shook his head. “Nope, it’s me, good ole Mortimer. I’ve been taking care of myself.”
“Wow,” Liv said. “But why the sudden change?”
“Well, you remember the last time you were here, right?”
The smile on Liv’s face dropped as she remembered the events that happened the last time she visited Mortimer. “Oh, no. This isn’t because that obtuse fae said something about you being hairy, is it?”
“It is,” the brownie squeaked.
Liv rolled her eyes. “Why would you take anything that Laffy Taffy says seriously? Not only does he not have all his marbles, but the jar he keeps them in is full of mayonnaise and is cracked.”
Mortimer blushed. “Thank you for the kind words, but Rudolf is considered to be one of the most attractive fae, and that’s saying a lot.”
Liv blanched, trying to figure out what she’d said that was nice. Sometimes she felt like the only one in the magical world who was not on drugs. “It doesn’t matter if he’s attractive. You shouldn’t change who you are because he said that you were hairy or whatever.”
Mortimer shook his head. “That’s okay. I’d been wanting to laser off some of my extra hair for a while. I won’t tell you how often my shower drain gets clogged.”
“Doing it out of practicality makes sense to me,” Liv stated.
“Also, I have a new profile up on Latch.com.”
“What’s that?” Liv asked.
“It’s a dating site for brownies,” Mortimer explained. “I think I work too much, and worry I’ll never have anything to show for it.”
Liv agreed with a nod. “Have you thought about getting an assistant? Maybe someone to help with filing? Then you wouldn’t have to work so much.” She stared at the many stacks of papers precariously teetering beside them.
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Mortimer said. “I wish you would have suggested that sooner.”
Liv tilted her head to the side. “Wait, you have never considered getting an assistant before? You manage the brownies for households all over the world.”
“Yes, but that’s the way it’s always been. There’s one boss for thousands of brownies.”
“Your organizational structure seems a little flat,” Liv observed. “Maybe start with a secretary, and then consider getting a few regional managers. Then you’d have more time to go to the gym or get a facial or take a girl on a date.”
He nodded, seeming to like these ideas. “I never would have considered this before, but I realize that I’ve been stagnant. I’m thinking of sprucing the office up a bit too.”
“By dusting?” Liv asked hopefully, feeling a sneeze about to come on.
Mortimer gave her a shocked look. “Time isn’t a luxury, dear child. No, I was thinking of maybe installing a window or two. It is dark in here.”
Liv shrugged. Natural light would be an improvement.
“That’s not why you’re here, though, to hear about my renovations,” Mortimer said, sitting back in his chair and crossing his hands over his belly. “What brings you to my office, Liv Beaufont?”
She’d th
ought about this extensively. Her family had been killed because of what they knew, and Bermuda had been threatened. There was someone out there, possibly many somebodies, who didn’t want the truth about the House out in the world. However, any way she looked at it, Liv couldn’t believe that Mortimer was a threat. Did she need to tell him everything? No. But did she need his help? Yes, most likely.
To survive, Liv was going to have to be stealthy, and also carefully choose who to trust. Maybe her parents had confided in the wrong people. Maybe they hadn’t told anyone and had instead searched on their own, drawing unnecessary suspicion to them. It was hard to know, but she believed she had to follow her instincts on this.
“I was hoping you could help me with something,” she began.
“Of course,” Mortimer said at once. “We’re always of service to you. How can I help you this time?”
“You’ve been serving mortals for how long?” Liv asked.
He thought for a moment. “Well, I’ve lost track, haven’t I? I guess it’s been a few centuries. I took over for my father, who took over for his.” He slapped a hand to his forehead. “Oh dear, I better get to dating faster than I thought. Otherwise, who will take over for me one day?”
“This is the first time you’ve wondered about your replacement?” Liv inquired skeptically.
“Well, I always knew that at some point I’d have to figure this all out, but I thought I had time,” Mortimer said, his words growing frantic as he sorted through papers on his desk. “But now with Father Time breathing down my neck and all the other worries, I wonder if I’ve put things off for too long.”
“Papa Creola has been harassing you?” Liv asked.
“Who?” Mortimer’s face contorted with confusion.
Liv shook her head. “Anyway, so you’ve been in this position for a while. That was what I suspected. Do you ever remember mortals knowing about magic?”
When Mortimer didn’t respond right away, Liv tensed, wondering if she’d made the right choice.
The brownie’s laughter broke her tension. “Sweet Liv Beaufont, mortals don’t know about magic. They can’t see it for whatever reason. I can’t tell you how many of my brownies have walked out right in front of them when they were up at an odd hour unexpectedly. The mortals jumped, thinking they saw a bug or a mouse or whatever else, but a moment later, they assumed that their tired eyes were playing tricks on them and dismissed the whole thing.”
Liv nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
Mortimer leaned forward. “Do you know of a mortal who can see magic? Does your John?”
Liv chewed on her lip. “He can, but don’t worry, he has not seen the brownies who clean the shop or his place.”
Mortimer let out a breath. “That’s a relief.” A moment later he added, “What a strange fella he is to see magic. Do you think he’s half-magician?”
Liv hadn’t considered that. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, though.” The idea did spark something else in her, though. John could see magic, but Serena couldn’t, although both of them had been exposed to it extensively. There had to be a reason.
Mortimer agreed with a nod. “I don’t think he is either. Brownies have a way of differentiating between mortals and magicians, and I would think we’d have seen the indicators. If he were, we wouldn’t be serving him.”
If Mortimer didn’t know that mortals could once see magic, then her assumptions were correct. Whatever memory spell was operating on magical creatures was absolute. It had erased that mortals could see magic from their lives as well as the history books.
“Mortimer,” Liv began, “I want to find out why John can see magic but other mortals can’t. It’s not that big a deal, but it’s still of interest to me. Do you know of anyone who could help me study this? Maybe compare how John’s brain works to other mortals?”
The brownie drummed his fingers on his lips, thinking, then pulled open his drawer and rummaged around. Liv thought he’d pull out a card, as he had when he’d sent her to see Renswick, the expert on demons. Instead, he pulled out a package of rice cakes. Taking one from the bag, he began to mindlessly chew, his eyes off in thought.
“Where are my manners?” Mortimer offered Liv one, but she declined.
No one ever had a hankering for rice cakes…or celery. Those were just things people ate to quiet hunger pangs. Too bad she couldn’t give part of her calorie intake to the brownie. Sharing a name with a decadent dessert probably made diets even harder for him, Liv mused.
“So to answer your question,” Mortimer started, crumbs flying from his mouth as he spoke. “I’ve heard of an elf who works as a neuroscientist. I’m not sure he can help, but I know he does a lot of research on genetics and brain structure, comparing the two to determine different factors. Would you like to take your John to meet with him?”
“Yes, as well as another mortal,” Liv said, thinking of Serena.
“Great,” Mortimer said, putting the rice cake down with a look of dissatisfaction. “I’ll get it all set up for you, and have one of my brownies contact you when it’s been arranged.”
“Wonderful,” Liv said, backing toward the door. “I really appreciate your help on this. Can we keep it between us?”
Mortimer bowed his head slightly. “As with all things we discuss, always, Liv Beaufont. I know you’re working on more than House business, and I applaud it. We don’t know what the newest Warrior is up to, but we are secretly rooting for you from our hiding places.”
Liv winked at the brownie. “Thank you. That means a lot. Until next time, Mortimer.”
“I look forward to it,” he squeaked.
Chapter Ten
Pacing up and down the hallway in the House of Seven, Liv waited to be summoned into the Chamber of the Tree. For the first time ever, she’d been denied access when she’d tried to enter moments prior. Adler had yelled at her to get out, saying they were attending to private business. She’d stood motionless on the other side of the Door of Reflection, staring at the council members and Emilio and Maria, the only other two Warriors in the chamber. Finally, Clark had said that he’d come and get her when they were done, dismissing her.
She stepped back through the Door, pretty sure that whatever was happening in the Chamber of the Tree was none of her business—and absolutely something she needed to know about.
Since being kicked out of the Chamber, Liv had been striding up and down the long corridor, reading Mysterious Creatures. For some reason, she couldn’t stand being close to the Black Void. More so than before, it gave her a strange feeling of doom. She wanted to believe that it was all in her head, but she’d asked many people about the space, and none had known what she was talking about. They simply didn’t see it.
She’d spent that afternoon sparring with Akio. When they were almost done, she had asked him about the Black Void. He paused, looking her over like maybe he’d knocked her in the head too many times. He had, in fact, but she still had her wits about her.
“Sometimes when we see what others don’t, it’s because we know what others don’t,” he had said simply.
Of course, he was going to say something riddle-like, she realized after deliberating on his words. However, she’d seen the Black Void since re-entering the House of Seven, and that was before she’d known the truth about the mortal Seven. She didn’t remember seeing the Black Void when she was a child, only not liking that area of the House of Seven.
Liv tried to shake off the strange feelings the Black Void left her with, putting her back to it as she strode down the hallway, still reading through her book.
Werewolves, according to Bermuda Laurens, were not to be feared, as many thought. They were vicious animals who were bred to kill and feast, but so were lions and leopards and bears, and most didn’t think them monsters. Bermuda reasoned that werewolves were simply misunderstood. She’d echoed what Lorenzo had said about Lupei being the place they had originated in. It was their birthplace, like many thought that Salem was the magician
s’ birthplace. That was a misconception, but it showed how strong the ties to places of origination were.
Liv actually didn’t know where magicians had come from. She reasoned that information had been lost, along with a lot of other important history. Or maybe like mortals, magicians were just from the Earth, not one specific place. However, werewolves had come about because of a complex set of events related to magic, the rise of the full moon, and men’s quest for hunger. Actually, it was much more complicated than that, but Liv didn’t think the history was as important as the defenses she would need. She glossed over those details and studied what Bermuda had detailed about defending oneself against a werewolf.
Most werewolves are tame and in their regular form most of the month, Bermuda explained in Mysterious Creatures. However, some choose Lupei because it enables them to change every night, not just on the full moon.
Oh, Liv thought. This was starting to make more sense. Why else would a bunch of people choose to live in a cold and oppressive area? She realized at once that her jokes weren’t at all PC, and she should keep them to herself. She’d once had a regular customer at John’s shop named Andrei who was from Romania. Every time that Liv made a joke to him, his scowl would deepen, and he’d say, “You make no sense. Don’t quit your day job. Instead, fix coffee pot.”
If the werewolves could change at night, no matter what the moon’s fullness, then she was going to have to plan her trip carefully. Liv slumped when a sad reality hit her: she was going to have to travel like a mortal. On a freaking plane! With screaming children! And people who didn’t respect her personal space, and spoke too loudly, and chewed with their mouths open. And ate things like tuna sandwiches on planes!
Oh, no! That wouldn’t do at all.
She was going to have the council lock her magic once she had portaled close to Lupei, then turn it back on once she was out of the village, which needed to be well before nightfall. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take her long to discover the names of the pack members and identify the leader.
Liv turned the page to see a depiction of a werewolf. They looked about how she expected, standing upright like a man, but with legs like a wolf’s hindquarters, and muscled arms with long claws. Hair covered the beast’s body, and its face was more wolf than man. Liv shivered at the idea of running into one of the monsters without her magic. She was definitely packing pepper spray and a dog whistle. Well, and also Bellator.