The Loyal Friend (Unstoppable Liv Beaufont Book 5)

by Sarah Noffke

  The doctor tapped the stack of papers on his clean desk, looking at Liv uncertainly.

  “Is there something you want to tell me about these two patients you had me scan?” he asked her.

  Liv considered this question for a moment. “Yes. The first, John Carraway, can see magic, and the other one, Looney Tunes, cannot. I’m trying to determine if there is a physical difference between them.”

  He raised a bushy white eyebrow. “You say that John can see magic? And he’s a mortal?”

  “Yes, that’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Liv explained. “Like, is he a genetic anomaly? If so, what are the differences between someone like him and someone like Serena, who can’t see magic.”

  Dr. Dowling nodded and put on his reading glasses. “That actually helps. Mortimer, who set up this appointment for you, didn’t give me any information, so I was operating blindly, which I thought was maybe better so that I could be more objective.”

  Liv was relieved that Mortimer wasn’t giving away any information. “Was there a significant difference between John’s and Serena’s brain scans?”

  He opened the file, reviewing it. “There was quite a startling difference. Genetically speaking, John is definitely a mortal. However, I ran some other test using magic and his DNA structure is somewhat different from most.”

  “What does that mean?” Liv asked, leaning forward in her seat.

  Dr. Dowling shook his head. “I’m not quite certain. It’s strange, but I have reason to believe it has something to do with why his brain operates differently than Serena’s.”

  “So these differences…do they pertain to magic?” Liv asked, her heart suddenly beating fast.

  “Oh, yes,” Dr. Dowling stated, peering at the files. “I’m not sure I ever would have caught this if you hadn’t brought John in to see me. Now, after hearing what you’ve told me, I believe something is affecting the cognitive receptors related to magic in Serena’s brain.” He held up one of the scans and pointed to a highlighted area. “This is the part in the brain that you and I use when we create magic. That same area is where we also perceive it. As you can see from the scan, this area in Serena’s brain is dormant, and has never been used, which I always believed to be typical for all mortals.”

  Liv was surprised that Serena had used any of her brain but didn’t say anything, keeping her attention on the doctor.

  He held up another scan. “This is John’s, and as you can see, that area of his brain is used, but not to the extent that mine or yours or other magical creature’s would be.”

  “Which is because he can see magic,” Liv guessed.

  Dr. Dowling nodded, putting the pages on the desk and combing his fingers through his beard. “The question I’m hypothesizing is, what is different in John’s genetics that makes it so this area of his brain works?”

  Liv grabbed the diagrams, studying them. “What if I told you that mortals all used to be able to see magic, just like John.”

  The surprise made Dr. Dowling’s eyes widen. “That’s quite startling.”

  “Does it mean the genetics of mortals has changed over time?” Liv asked.

  He thought about this for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think so. Not to this radical an extent. To me, it appears that John was born with an evolutionary quality to his brain that allows him to see magic. His ancestors probably had this and passed it along to him.”

  “Evolutionary quality?” Liv asked. She had always known that John was special, but not like this. And the bit about ancestors struck her oddly. What if the structure of the Mortal Seven was different from that of other mortals? She shook off the thought and focused.

  “Now, if what you say about how mortals used to see magic is true, then the next question is, what is preventing people like Serena from witnessing it?” Dr. Dowling mused. He massaged his temples as he looked over more notes. “Honestly, I’m just going to make a guess after reading these files and say that it’s possible there is something that is being broadcast that inhibits this part of mortals’ brains from functioning properly. John’s genetics make it so that this wouldn’t work on him. Of course, this is all just a guess, but that’s how science starts.”

  Liv cocked her head to the side. “Wait, like a transmitted signal? Is that possible?”

  “Not only is it possible, but I’ve conducted extensive research on the subject,” Dr. Dowling answered. “Mortals’ brains are incredibly easy to effect with a signal broadcast from a specific location. I’ve hypothesized that someone could affect them globally if they so desired.”

  “Like if someone wanted them not to see magic?”

  “Exactly,” Dr. Dowling said triumphantly. “However, that signal wouldn’t work on John, as evidenced by his scan.”

  “So this signal…how could we locate it?” Liv asked.

  Dr. Dowling pondered this for a moment. “That’s a tricky question. It would have to be magically broadcast. Only something with magic could have such far-reaching effects, which means it would have to be sent from a geographical location that holds a certain level of mystical power.”

  Something caught in Liv’s throat, and she suddenly couldn’t breathe. “Like a place with high elevation?”

  Dr. Dowling nodded. “That would be the first important factor. Then it should also have a certain quality of wonder, like the Great Pyramid or Niagara Falls.”

  “What about the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps?” Liv asked. “Would that be a significant enough place for brainwaves to be transmitted?”

  “Oh, yes,” Dr. Dowling said at once, suddenly excited. “That would be a prime location, and would protect the power used to broadcast and ensure it had reached the intended audience.”

  “So you think it’s possible that someone is broadcasting a signal that inhibits that area of the brain, making it so mortals can’t see magic?” Liv asked, needing to confirm this information.

  “Yes, that’s what all the information points to,” Dr. Dowling said. “Although I would need to do more tests to determine the facts, and I plan to do so. This is a subject that needs all of my attention. I have many colleagues it will be of interest to as well.”

  “And John appears to not be affected by this because of the distinctive makeup of his brain?” Liv questioned.

  Again Dr. Dowling nodded. “I’m sure it’s possible there are other factors that would inhibit the transmitted signal. Maybe if the mortal was exposed to a pure source of magic or left Earth for an extended amount of time, or, well, there are a few scenarios I can think of which might work. However, genetics would be the most likely factor.”

  The canisters, Liv thought with a sudden burst of adrenaline. What if Adler had the rogue bits of magic put into the canisters and sent them away because if mortals were exposed to them, they could see magic again?

  Liv stood, taking the files from Dr. Dowling’s desk. “Thank you. This has been incredibly helpful.”

  “Those are actually my files,” he stated, his lips curling in disapproval. “I’ll need them to continue the research, but I’ll have copies made for you.”

  “I know, but I have to take these,” Liv said, gathering up the last of them. “I’m sorry, and I also apologize for what I must do now.” She pointed her finger at him and muttered a quick incantation.

  “What you must do?” Dr. Dowling asked, standing at once and shaking his head. “And you can’t take those. They’re my only copies. This is huge. Mortals seeing magic! Someone broadcasting a signal that inhibits others from seeing magic. A genetic anomaly. There is so much research to be done here. So many…” He looked around, bewilderment covering his face. The doctor shook his head like he’d just awoken from a strange dream.

  Tentatively he extended his hand to Liv. “Hello. I’m Dr. Dowling. What can I do for you today?”

  Liv offered him a small smile, hugging the files to her chest. “Actually, I was lost and just happened into your office. I’ll be going now.”

  He nodded,
looking around his desk like he’d misplaced something. “Very well.”

  Liv let herself out of his office, hurrying lest her presence spark any of the memories she’d erased from the doctor’s mind. She didn’t like tampering with his mind about their conversation or the tests he’d just run, but it had to be done. Now she had even more reason to visit the Matterhorn. Her parents had gone there for a reason, and maybe, just maybe, it was to turn off whatever was transmitting the signal, thus enabling most mortals to see magic again.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Trudy DeVries looked like a warrior out of a history book when she stepped through the portal outside Lupei, Romania. She was wearing dragonhide armor, carrying a round shield, and holding a long sword.

  In comparison, Liv looked like a homeless magician. She stared down at her solid black cape and her father’s cane.

  “So, although I think you look freaking fabulous,” Liv began, peering at the small village below, “I think your outfit sort of screams, ‘We’ve come here to kick your asses.’”

  Trudy took the position beside Liv, her boxy jaw held high as she appraised the land. “That’s generally the impression I was going for. What are you trying to communicate?” She gestured to Liv’s modest clothes, which were enchanted to keep the bitter cold out.

  “I’m going for an innocent look,” she explained. “Something that says, ‘Hey, I’m no big deal. You should probably underestimate me, up until the moment that I kill you.’”

  Trudy nodded appreciatively. “I do not doubt you. I’ll admit that your record so far is impressive, and I’d like to learn more about your untraditional approaches. Like, how did you and Stefan slaughter Sabatore, the Master Demon?”

  “I strolled into a deserted courtyard and pretended to be a lost, dumb blonde to lure him out of his hiding place,” Liv stated, remembering the awful smell when the disgusting demon had grabbed her.

  “Oh, so you use this unsuspecting approach often then?”

  “When it makes sense,” Liv answered.

  “Although I respect your input,” Trudy countered, “we’re going to slaughter a pack of werewolves, so I think first impressions are important.”

  Liv had respected Trudy from the beginning, even though she’d had little chance to interact with her. Unlike Decar Sinclair and Emilio Mantovani, she didn’t have a smug, self-entitled glare constantly plastered on her face. And unlike Maria Rosario, she didn’t walk around with an air of mystery.

  Trudy, whether it was a good or bad thing in her role as Warrior, appeared to carry her emotions on her face. When Adler disciplined her, shame covered her features, and when she disagreed with something the Council said, it was plainly written in her hazel eyes.

  Liv had worked with Hester, Trudy’s sister, and knew that the council member and healer could be trusted. She was keeping Stefan’s secret about being bitten by Sabatore, and she’d kept Liv’s secret about being bitten by both a mermaid and a lophos. However, it was wrong to believe that just because she could trust one family member, she could trust another. From a logical standpoint, it made perfect sense. Family stuck together, and they thought in similar ways. They were usually loyal to the same causes.

  And Liv knew, from Stefan that Trudy was sympathetic to the unregistered magicians she’d been forced to round up based on the council’s decree. For that reason, she was going to take a chance with the Warrior.

  “I don’t think we should take out the entire pack,” Liv began, carefully watching Trudy’s face for signs of resistance.

  “Because?” she asked.

  The easy answer was because taking out the entire pack would mean slaughtering an entire village. That was too big a secret to spill, however, even if she thought she could totally trust Trudy. Not only that, it was a burden. Sometimes offering people information wasn’t giving them power. It was making them shoulder an unnecessary load they’d be forced to carry alone.

  Liv knew what that was like as she stared down at the seemingly idyllic village below, and even the most well-meaning magician might see this secret regarding Lupei as a huge problem. Wipe them out, and the werewolf epidemic would be gone—no more unnecessary murders related to werewolves who had gone mad. Bermuda had said in Mysterious Creatures that werewolves were unpredictable and deranged, even without the full moon. Although others had soiled their reputation, Liv had looked into Fane’s eyes and known he was different. His people were different. They were disciplined and could control the werewolf.

  “The pack leader, Vera,” Liv began, “has a hold on a couple of members. Maybe only one. We’ll have to figure that out. However, most of the others are innocent men who have been forced to do her bidding. Under different leadership, they might act differently.”

  “But they may not,” Trudy countered.

  “Adler informally leads the council,” Liv proposed. “Do you think Hester should be punished if he suddenly started making them do things they didn’t want to do?”

  “Suddenly?” Trudy asked with a laugh.

  So she wasn’t completely blind to his influence. That was something.

  “The law states that when a pack gets out of hand, they’re to be punished,” Trudy recited.

  “Yes, but what if the law is wrong?” Liv countered. “What if a pack follows its leader, no matter what? Those who created those laws hadn’t spent any time with werewolves. They didn’t know that the pack is at the alpha’s mercy. Whatever she orders them to do, that becomes law. They can’t go against it, even if they want to.”

  “Much like us,” Trudy mused.

  Liv shook her head. “No, very much unlike us. We aren’t governed by pack order. We have free choice. Which means, we have the ability to do what we think is right regardless of what the law states.”

  “So what are you proposing?” Trudy asked.

  “I think we need to take out Vera and her second in command,” Liv stated. “Then we reconvene and see how the pack changes. If they are still a problem, we take out the rest of them.”

  Trudy gave her a reluctant expression. “I’ve never done things this way.”

  “You mean where you go against the council’s orders?” Liv questioned.

  “No, I’ve done that more often than I care to admit,” she answered. “In our role, I think it’s difficult to always follow everything the council wants. They totally don’t get it. In the field, people are different than how they appear in the case files. But I’ve never chanced leaving a potential problem out there.”

  “What about when you’ve allowed unregistered magicians to go?” Liv argued.

  “That’s different,” Trudy rebutted. “Those are our own kind. They might be led astray. I’ve tried to get them to do the right thing, and I’ve followed up with them, giving them several warnings before doing as the council stated.”

  Liv shivered, thinking of Trudy killing magicians just because they weren’t registered with some overbearing government agency. She knew the Warrior had a good heart, but she wasn’t accustomed to thinking for herself. It was hard to be objective when the council was supposed to think for you.

  “Werewolves are people too,” Liv began. “So are giants and trolls and gnomes.”

  “Right, and fae as well,” Trudy added.

  Liv lowered her chin. “Barely. Don’t take it too far.”

  Trudy laughed.

  “My point is that we’ve taken to seeing them all as separate. You’ll show compassion for our own kind, bending the law for them. However, others don’t get that same leniency.”

  “And you think they should?”

  “I think that if we’re doing our job as Warriors, we have to take each case as it comes,” Liv stated. “I’m not saying we should disregard the law. More like we use it as a flexible blueprint that we modify depending on the landscape and materials and whatever else plays a role.”

  Trudy considered this. “That was a good analogy.”

  Liv smiled. “Thanks. I tried not to take it too far. Othe
rwise, I might have lost my momentum.”

  Trudy snapped her fingers and her appearance shifted. The bulky armor and shield disappeared, and the sword was exchanged for a staff. She gave Liv a hopeful look. “Okay, let’s try things your way. What’s your plan?”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “You really like being bait, don’t you?” Trudy remarked after Liv told her the plan.

  “Yes, apparently I have a death wish of sorts,” she answered. “That’s why I eat chili-cheese burritos, even knowing how they will make me feel later.”

  “I like how you live dangerously.”

  Liv flashed her a smile as she started down the hill. The plan wasn’t complicated, but it did offer some flexibility, depending on how things went. And also it wasn’t Liv and Trudy charging forward, blindly massacring werewolves without first offering them a chance at salvation.

  “I’ll meet you in an hour,” Trudy called after her, standing tall on the high hill.

  The werewolves in the village would know that a magician was approaching. They’d feel her magic, about like how giants did. That was why timing had to be crucial. Liv placed a speed spell on herself, making it so she moved like a werewolf, stealthily and so fast her legs felt as though they’d come after her.

  Thankfully she was still acquainted with the layout of the village, since it made it easier to negotiate. Liv sped by the bus of tourists before they stopped outside the inn. She would have preferred to portal into the town, but wards prevented that, which was typical. Every place except her apartment and the electronic shop seemed to have protections like that. It was probably overdue that she placed them around those areas, giving up convenience for security.

  The door to the inn was still swinging from her entrance when she came to an abrupt halt in front of Vera, who, as before, was standing behind the counter.