by Sarah Noffke
“Well, I didn’t really have a choice, now did I?” Liv countered. “I got Sophia and John out of here, but there was nothing else I could do.”
“You did well, getting them to safety,” Clark commended her. “Sophia came straight to me and told me what had happened. You can imagine our panic when we showed up here to find you two passed out and a bear on the floor.”
“What subdued the bear, anyway?” Stefan asked.
Liv glanced over her shoulder, meeting Plato’s eyes. There was something in his expression that said, “Don’t give away my secret.”
“I’m not sure,” she lied. “A spell of some sort.”
“Well, back to the matter at hand,” Clark stated. “What you did was…well, it was so you. It was infuriating. And spontaneous. And—”
“Completely commendable,” Stefan cut in.
“Thank you. And I only did what I had to in order to defeat Queen Visa,” Liv explained. “If we hadn’t, she wasn’t going to stop, because she wanted more power and control. It was only a matter of time before she became too strong for anyone to defeat.”
“But offering your reserves to this fae?” Hester said, indicating Rudolf. “That was very risky. If he had siphoned any more, you might not have made it.”
“But if she hadn’t, we wouldn’t have defeated that wicked bitch,” Rudolf shot back.
Hester agreed with a nod and then, seeming to change her mind, she bowed. “You’re very right, King of the Fae.”
“Wait, what?” Liv asked. She poked her ear, thinking she was still asleep. “What did you call him?”
“Well, king of the fae,” Hester said. “I apologize, what is your name?”
“Rudolf,” he supplied.
“Yes, well, King Rudolf defeated the previous ruler of the fae, and by their laws, that makes him their new leader,” Hester explained.
“That’s right,” Rudolf said victoriously. “I knew today was going to be a good day when I woke up and Serena was going down—”
“King or no king, if you finish that sentence, I will strangle you,” Liv threatened.
He shook his head. “Oh, fine, then. I won’t tell you about Serena’s trip down to the market if you’re going to be that way.”
“Well, I’ll be. I never expected all this. You’re a king, although I’m certain you can’t cross the street alone,” Liv said, holding her hand up to her head and swaying slightly.
“Here, try eating something,” Stefan offered, bringing over the container of now-cold nachos.
“I don’t mind if I do,” Rudolf said, cutting Liv off as she reached for one.
She shook her head. “That’s so bizarre. Now you’re in charge of your people? I don’t have to call you King Rudolf, do I?”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way to put your own flare on the title,” he said with a wink, grimacing after taking a bite and putting a half-eaten chip back.
“We’re going to have to figure out what to do with that bear,” Hester said suddenly, looking around.
“I can help with that,” Stefan offered.
“Very good,” the Councilor said. “And then there’s this place… What do you call it?”
“It’s an electronics repair shop,” Liv supplied. “I work here on the side.”
Hester nodded. “Yes, it’s very charming. I like it. But it’s a mess, and will need to be repaired.”
Glass and broken appliances were everywhere. Liv didn’t want John to have to deal with his shop being wrecked again.
“I can take care of that,” Clark said, instantly going to work putting things away using his magic.
Hester and Stefan carefully approached the bear, who looked unwilling to move, especially with Plato in front of him giving him a death stare.
Liv pushed up to her feet, nearly slipping in the water on the floor. That was when it really sunk in. “Queen Visa is gone, Rudolf. Can you believe it?”
He stood along with her, brushing off his jacket. “Yes, it’s hard to fathom, but the possibilities are now endless. I never expected a great honor such as being king, but now that I am, I plan to do wonderful things.”
“Like make Taco Tuesdays a national holiday?” she joked.
He laughed. “Like encourage the fae to use their potential. We’ve grown so complacent over the years, not utilizing our talents. Letting them waste away. All we do is overindulge and make trouble for mortals. The fae used to be the greatest artists and writers in the world. Pollock, Picasso, O’Keefe.”
“Wow, those were all fae?” Liv asked.
He shook his head. “No, those were mortals who became famous because the fae weren’t hogging the spotlight.”
Liv laughed. “Well, try to leave a little bit of room for the mortals to get some attention.”
He bowed humbly. “Of course. And are you prepared for when Serena finds out that you threw yourself at me?”
Liv shook her head. “Tell her I was delirious, and that it will never happen again. I was certain we were both going to die. But since near-death experiences are now commonplace for me, I don’t react like I used to.”
Rudolf gave her a sympathetic expression. “How about this time, I don’t tell her?”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
He put his arm around her shoulders, and she allowed him to hug her. They looked at the repair shop being put back together by Clark as Hester and Stefan tried to deal with the bear.
“Thanks for coming to my rescue,” Liv said in a hushed voice.
“Thanks for letting me use your power. I couldn’t have defeated that awful woman without you.”
“You know, Rudolf, you’re not so bad, but if you ever tell anyone I said that, I will strangle you.”
He leaned his head on her shoulder and smiled. “And you know what, Liv? You’re not so bad either. Actually, you’re a very loyal friend.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Liv sat on the workbench, kicking her legs, with Plato beside her.
Stefan and Hester had left an hour ago with the black bear. They thought they could take it to a place where it could be rehabilitated and have a chance at a normal life. The shop looked as if nothing had happened. However, Liv didn’t feel that same way.
She’d spent the last several minutes trying to wrap her head around the last two battles. They had been eerily similar. In both instances, a race of magical creatures had warred internally, and although Liv was a Warrior for the House of Seven, she hadn’t been the one to make peace.
Instead, her job had been to call on someone inside the race. In the case of the werewolves, she’d had to rely on Fane. And with the fae, it was Rudolf who took down the queen. That gave her hope that maybe that was how things would happen for the House. It had fallen apart from within, as empires often do, which meant it had to rely on its own to put it back together.
It would take mortals and magicians to fix things. And more than anything, no matter what the future held, Liv wanted to be a part of that change.
“Thank you for saving my life yet again,” Liv said, rubbing Plato on the head. He nuzzled into the affection, relishing it.
“Just doing my job,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Well, maybe one day, it will be my job to save you.”
“If it is, the world has gone to shit, and you should take a spaceship to another planet,” he joked, settling down his head like he was taking a nap.
A second later, Clark stormed through the door to the back. “Are you serious? This is too much.”
Sophia trailed behind him. Liv had been so excited to see that the girl was okay that she’d whisked her off her feet, making her blush when she first saw her. The little magician had done a fantastic job, going back to the House and finding the right help. Liv cringed at the idea that Adler and Bianca could have shown up. Then she’d be explaining why there was a dragon’s egg sitting on the workbench.
“It’s not that big a deal,” Sophia argued. “It might not even hatch.”
&nb
sp; “It’s going to hatch, Soph,” Liv encouraged.
“How could you let her get a dragon’s egg?” Clark admonished.
“How could I not?” Liv countered. “And it magnetized to her.”
“But what if it does hatch? How are we going to hide it? And who is going to train her? And what if—”
“Clark,” Liv cut in.
“What?” he asked.
“Breathe,” she suggested. “Everything is going to be okay. Sophia is brilliant. And she has us, and we’re pretty okay. Just try to relax.”
He nodded reluctantly.
Remembering something, Liv summoned her father’s cane, offering it to him. “Here, I promised I’d return this.”
He shook his head. “No, you keep it for a little while. You might need it. Well, at the rate you’re going, you’ll definitely need it. Who knows what trouble you’ll get into next?”
“I was thinking of picking a fight with hairy centaurs next,” she teased.
“Figures,” he replied, giving Sophia a look as she gathered up her egg. “Are you ready to go?”
She nodded, blowing a kiss to Liv. “Thanks for the nachos. And the memories. And the laughs.”
Liv blew her a kiss back. “Anytime.”
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Clark asked as they strode for the door.
“As always.” Liv waved to him.
“Try not to get into trouble between now and then,” he cautioned.
“Fat chance,” she replied.
Liv and Plato enjoyed a full moment of quiet before John pushed through the door at the back, carrying a box, Pickles at his heels.
“Oh, good, I’m glad to see you’re looking better,” he said, striding over and sliding the box onto the table beside them.
He eyed Plato a bit reluctantly. “Were my eyes deceiving me, or did that cat…”
“Turn into a panther?” Liv supplied. “I told you he can talk.”
John shook his head. “I saw him shapeshift. There was no talking going on.”
“Yeah, well, maybe one day he’ll prove I’m not crazy,” Liv stated.
Plato gave her an expression that said, “Don’t hold your breath.”
“Is it normal for your cat to be able to do that?” John asked.
“What, doesn’t Pickles morph into a wolf?”
John laughed. “Only when he’s really hungry.”
Liv pointed to the box. “What do you have there?”
“Remember, you asked for my family records,” John answered.
It was a longshot, Liv realized, but ever since talking to Dr. Dowling, she thought there could be a connection between the ancestors of the Mortal Seven and the ability to see magic. There was still much to uncover on this subject, but she thought that if they could link John to one of the original mortal families even distantly, it might give them a lead.
“My mother had our genealogy done years ago,” John explained, pulling a dusty old book from the box. “She was able to trace our family roots all the way back. Pretty fascinating stuff.”
Liv pulled up the picture she’d taken of the names of the Mortal Seven in the Ancient Chamber on her phone. “Okay, look through there and tell me if any of these names are one of your distant relatives.”
John scanned the family tree. “Go for it.”
“Any Fioris in there?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“How about Wong?”
John laughed. “No. Nothing with Asian descent.”
“Okay, what about Gaurmond, Alvarez, or Luce?”
John took a moment before saying, “No.”
“All right, well, only two more. Reynolds, or Carloway.”
John’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“Reynolds.”
“No, the other name,” he said.
“Carloway?” Liv asked. “Is there someone in your family with that name?”
“I’d say,” John said, suddenly appearing breathless. “My family can trace their heritage all the way back to the Carloways.”
“How is that?” Liv asked.
“We’re the Carraways now. At some point long ago, they changed the name, but no one knew why,” John explained.
“Maybe to protect them from dangerous magicians,” Liv stated. “Or maybe they were forced to in order to cover things up.”
John’s eyes slid away. “What does this all mean?”
Liv thought for a moment. “Do you have any other living relatives?” She already knew the answer to the question, but she had to ask. John was an only child, and the last of the Carraways.
He shook his head. “No, it’s just me.”
Everything suddenly came together like a puzzle. It was beautiful and bizarre, and way too strange. With a knot forming in her chest, Liv looked at him meaningfully. “If I’m right about this, John, it could mean you’re one of the Mortal Seven.”
He slapped his hand to his forehead. “Well, I’ll be. I never expected anything like this.”
Liv hadn’t either. And maybe there were other Carraways in the world, but ones who were descended from the Carloways? No, it made sense that John was one of the Seven, and it absolutely explained why he could see magic as a mortal.
Liv didn’t know what the odds were that she’d made friends with one of the Mortal Seven the day she’d left the House. However, as she glanced down at the feline beside her, she realized there was a lot of serendipity in her existence. Plato had come into her life that same day as well. Things had a way of doing that for Liv Beaufont—coming together even when she didn’t think the pieces fit.
Remarkably, she was closer to the truth than ever before, but more importantly, she felt hopeful that they could uncover it. She needed to investigate more. That would definitely involve going to Matterhorn. Who knew what she’d find there? Maybe clues? Maybe something her parents left behind?
If the werewolves and fae could fix things amongst themselves, it gave Liv hope that the mortals and magicians could too. She firmly believed that they needed one another the way that she needed John. He created balance in her life. The words inscribed on her ring echoed in her head: Together we are strong and balanced.
Yes, magicians and mortals weren’t separate. They were each part of the whole. They might have been divided for a long, long time, but it only took the spirit of one person to mend the rift.
Liv didn’t know if she would be the person to stand up for her people, as Fane and Rudolf had done to save their own. However, if called upon, Liv would rise to the challenge.
Sarah’s Author Notes
April 15, 2019
I sort of have trauma after writing this book. I was three days ahead of schedule when I was nearing the end. That never, ever happens. Currently, I’m finishing book six and I’m behind and looking at writing thirty thousand words over three days to finish three days late. But with book five, I was ahead of the game. I had it all mapped out. I would write ten thousand words in one day to finish—no easy feat. However, I figured if I did this then I could take those glorious two days to hang out by the pool or Netflix.
So as planned, I finished this book on a Friday. Saved. Sent to Jurgen. And went to veg on the couch. Imagine my horror when at three o’clock in the morning Jurgen messages me to tell me that the new chapters weren’t in the book.
What!? Of course they are! You must be mistaken.
I jumped out of bed to get to the bottom of this, knowing I couldn’t sleep anymore with the worry circulating in my being. I had words disappear one other time. It was horrible and I thought I’d learned my less, having backup of the backup.
Jurgen was right! The words were gone. I didn’t know where they went. The first time this happened, I spent hours trying to figure out what happened. It didn’t bring the words back. So at three o’clock in the morning, I began rewriting the words. I’d just written them, so it shouldn’t be hard, right? Well, it sucked. All of a sudden I went from having the day off, to having a Ground Hog’s D
ay where I did the exact same thing I did the day before.
But you know what, I think the words are better for it. The ending has to be tighter. I wrote it twice.
On top of this traumatic event, Michael and I had two of the four books in this series disappear from Amazon. Poof! Gone. It happened to many other authors over this crazy weekend, not just us. But man did it suck.
You know who didn’t suck? You awesome readers. I had so many people reach out to support us. At first, some readers were annoyed because book four was supposed to be on sale. Not only wasn’t it on sale, it was missing. Once I explained that though, readers lavished us with support.
And the next day, I had completed the book (a second time) and the other books were back online. I was exhausted and nervous. However, I felt better for the experience. I proved I could weather the storm and the books got back their best seller tags, proving they could come back from a huge slump. Really I have you all to thank for that. So thank you! I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. That keeps me going on days like today when I need to write ten thousand words instead of going outside. It will all be worth the effort when the book is done. Then I’m getting nachos!
Michael’s Author Notes
April 25, 2019
Dammit, I want Nachos now.
(By the way, THANK YOU for reading this book!)
I’m not going to say ANYTHING about being fortunate and not losing any work recently, in the far past, or ‘nothin’. Why? Because there are little demons at work just waiting to hear that stuff and POUNCE on an unsuspecting author and make his life horrible.
Or, you know, mine.
Across the company, we had about six books disappear during those crappy days. Although Amazon got their proverbial ‘stuff’ together pretty quickly, it was a stressful moment. But never fear, Sarah was here!
She was professional and calm during the whole incident. If she wasn’t, I don’t remember that aspect, and I would appreciate anyone who would know differently not reminding me.