by Sarah Noffke
For a moment, Liv wanted to pull out the ring in her pocket and show it to Clark, but she still didn’t trust him. “What do you mean, we can’t ignore it?”
Clark looked around for a moment before focusing on her again, his movements tense. “I’m not sure what’s going on. I think Ian and Reese were onto something. Maybe even our parents, too—”
“Oh, so you’re finally admitting that their deaths were suspect?” Liv asked, cutting him off.
He waved his metal gauntlets at her. “I’m not sure that’s what I’m saying. All I know is that we should stick together and try to learn more. We need evidence and more information.”
“Four people we love have died, and we have nothing to prove that it was suspect except a lot of circumstantial evidence that doesn’t add up. Like, why did they die together? Mom and Dad, and Ian and Reese? Why were their deaths unexplained? And—”
Ian nodded, interrupting her. “I know. It is weird, and I think you’re overly paranoid. I’m probably overly dismissive.”
“Well, as long as you’re finally owning that.”
Clark leaned closer. “There’s something else.”
Liv simply stared at her brother, waiting for his next words.
“I went and checked for the canister in the storage locker after the fact, and it’s missing.”
“What?” Liv asked.
“Yeah, and then I checked the record you provided, and it claims that you said both canisters were destroyed in the explosion,” Clark explained.
“But I brought back one of them,” Liv said and hesitated. “Wait, I did, didn’t I?” Suddenly she couldn’t remember what the reality was: this, or the one Valentino had planted in her head. It was all muddled.
“I think someone was hoping that you’d confuse things, and they’re relying on that now,” Clark said.
The truth dawned on Liv, and she felt a loud ticking in her chest. “Do you think that Adler—”
The look on Clark’s face silenced her. “I don’t know what to believe yet. You shouldn’t either. We need to investigate, but carefully. It feels as though Ian and Reese might have left us clues, but we need to proceed with great caution.”
“Yes, because if someone killed them for what they knew, the exact same thing could happen to us.”
Clark agreed with a nod. “I promise to stick by your side, even if that doesn’t appear to be what I’m doing.”
“You’re creating a façade, so as to not draw attention,” Liv realized.
“Yes, because you’re drawing enough attention,” he said with a laugh.
“Should I stop?” she questioned. Getting closer to the truth was the only thing Liv had wanted for a long time, but she’d given up, and then she’d forgotten.
“No, keep doing what you’re doing,” Clark told her. “I wasn’t able to tell you this publicly, but what you did with this case was brilliant. Mom and Dad would have been extremely proud of your bravery.”
Liv didn’t know what to say to that, and the tension in her throat was so tight it was hard to breathe through it.
“Liv, going forward, I want us to work together,” Clark said, holding out a hand. “But that means you’re going to have to be upfront with me. Trust me, and also listen to me when I give you advice. Do we have a deal?”
Liv eyed his armored hand. He was offering a true partnership. That was how the Warriors and Councilors were supposed to operate, but they hadn’t been acting in that way since the beginning. She thought of the House of Seven and how it had been set up to create balance. Warriors and Councilors, working together to protect magic. Her parents had loved and honored those roles. They had risked everything for them because that was what they believed in.
And although Liv had doubted the honor of the House of Seven for so long, deep in her core, she felt that its original mission was still true. The partnerships the Founders had set up were a beautiful thing, meant to preserve one of the most powerful forces in the world: magic.
Liv took Clark’s hand and shook it, looking him directly in the eyes. She felt invisible energy bind their hands, as if creating a pact. “Yes. To working together, brother, so that we can find the truth and also protect magic.”
Clark smiled back at his sister. “Actually, do you remember what Dad used to say about truth and magic?”
Liv thought for a moment and was about to tell him that she didn’t recall, but then a voice she hadn’t heard in ages and had sorely missed echoed in her head. She spoke the words as they sounded in her mind. “The truth that binds all things is the ultimate way to protect magic, but first it must be discovered.”
FINIS
The story continues with The Uncooperative Warrior, coming February 15th!
The truth has been buried for so long, that only one person can uncover it—someone who doesn’t play by the rules.
Magic has been stolen.
A giant’s sword locked away.
And no one questions the peculiar.
Except for Liv Beaufont. She downright rants about it.
The House of Seven keeps sending her on wild goose chases, but this warrior has a way of stumbling upon clues. When one leads her to an unlikely ally, Liv strikes up a partnership that she might end up regretting.
A decade of servitude is not so bad, right?
However, if things go right, then Liv will be that much closer to finding out who murdered her parents.
Is it worth it to risk everything in the name of justice?
Pre-order now at Amazon
Sarah’s Author Notes
January 29, 2019
Returning to my fantasy roots after a stint in science fiction and chick lit, has been majorly awesome. I still had to put some scifi elements in this series though, because that’s my thing. The magic tech was a lot of fun and hopefully will complicate things (in a good way) as the books progress.
When Michael and I were crafting this universe, I remember sitting on the floor of my office and writing notes as he spouted off ideas. Those notes are pretty much unreadable. I’ve decided that I’m going to start recording our conversations, since then I can actually go back and review everything he said. Seriously, Michael, do you take speed talking classes?
Michael was pretty adamant, early on, that there be a giant on Liv’s team. He kept calling him George, which totally made my notes hilarious when reviewing: “George throws her into a bar fight.” “George is secretly nice.” “George wants a tall girlfriend.” The reason this is especially funny is “George” is the fake name I call my ex-husband in books and on social media to protect his identity. George is secretly nice. Very secretly.
At one point, we were trying to figure out a companion for Liv. Dogs are great, but that’s been done a lot. Then there are trolls and fairies and whatnot. I threw out there that Liv’s sidekick was a cat. To which Michael asked, “Why a cat?”
I looked up at my office chair at that moment to find my own cat sitting in my spot. That’s why I’d taken a seat on the floor. Damn animal runs the show at my house. That’s when Plato was created.
The next morning, I randomly opened these chaotic notes to a page. It read, “Dogs are hookers.”
Seriously, I need to record our conversations. Piecing together the notes and trying to figure out all the awesome ideas we wanted included in this first book took some time. I’m pretty sure I had to turn the notebook upside down, at one point, to read the words that went around the paper. Still, I think it all worked out. Michael got his giant and I got the cat and many of the best moments in the book came out of that first conversation.
Michael randomly throws out ideas when we’re talking. They always get me thinking and bring a freshness to the book. One such idea was when Liv got drunk. Michael was talking about Liv being a rebel and said, “And so this guy says, ‘Are you drunk?’ and Liv answers, ‘Are you ugly?’ Then later she can be like, ‘Well, you’re still ugly.’”
And that’s how the magic happens. I believe that I’
ve become a better writer working with Michael. He helps me to innovate my own writing. And has taught me that sometimes the best chapters are where the characters just chill and explore and bond. Oh, and the banter.
I loved crafting this series as a team and look forward to many more.
Without further ado, I’ll turn the mic over to MA. I’m sure he can’t wait to tell you about why he didn’t go down the slide in Bali. Everyone else was doing it…
Michael’s Author Notes
January 31, 2019
THANK YOU for not only reading this story but these Author Notes as well.
(I think I’ve been good with always opening with “thank you.” If not, I need to edit the other Author Notes!)
RANDOM (sometimes) THOUGHTS?
DOGS ARE HOOKERS
I wonder if Sarah is going to look at all the items she mentioned in her Author Notes and say, “Really? Dogs are hookers is the piece you took out of that?’
First, she does mention the whole “I’m going to record our conversations” part in our talks. However, that comment has been made multiple times, and it hasn’t yet occurred, so I’m lumping it in there with “the check’s in the mail,” “words are on the page,” and “the sequel will be done soon.” That isn’t a comment about Sarah, she writes FAST.
Ok, back to dogs.
If you follow Sarah on social media, she mentions this …”cat” (for lack of a better term, since that is the physical form the conniving jester sent to punish humankind is walking around in at the moment.)
Don’t believe me? Why is a grown-ass adult woman who wouldn’t let a man move her from her desk allowing a one-foot-tall meowing monstrosity do it? Hmmm? See…
It’s true.
Now, back to dogs.
Wait, back to the cat. I didn’t finish that thought.
Anyway, she mentions her cat and ALL the issues she has with it, and I believe has tried to sell or give away said cat multiple times. She has a dysfunctional relationship with her cat. Then again, most (but not all) cat owners have a master-slave relationship with their cat.
I guess we know who is prepared for the alien overlord future.
Anyway, I’m giving Sarah grief about her cat challenge, laughing at her as she TRIES to defend her position (can’t, it’s objectively a problem) and she mentions that cats give their love to precious few. The chosen. The chosen few of the cats that receive their benevolent love.
“So, dogs are hookers, then?” I asked.
And BAM! We have an Author’s Note.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
One of the interesting (at least to me) aspects of my life is the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. In the future, I hope to re-read my own Author Notes and remember my life as a diary entry.
This will be short—I’m in my dark(er) office. Power was shot to hell when the “neighbors” up a couple of floors had a contractor flood their unit, the unit beneath them, and one over (ours) right before the Christmas holidays.
We were leaving for six weeks.
Ok, so fans installed, holes drilled in walls, and vents cut out to dry the walls. I’m told I will have electricity in my office when everything dries.
We were gone for six weeks, practically. Fans were finished, we arrive back (to a messy office because of moving stuff around for the fans) and electricity…
Is still not working.
People come back over, go to the jack in the floor. “Yup, water is probably in the floor. It hasn’t evaporated because of the PVC pipe, and that’s why it won’t work.”
It would have been nice for someone to have thought about that BEFORE we left on vacation. So, right now I’m sitting in the dark office, typing on the laptop with light streaming in from the nearby bathroom.
With another fan blowing air into a 4” hole to dry out the long pipe.
Just for giggles, they hooked up the lights in the other bedroom to the same circuit. So, there is no electricity in that room either.
I recognize that we are blessed to have electricity at all, and no electricity in two locations isn’t the biggest problem.
But, have you counted how many things you plug in to charge up in your life?
It’s a lot.
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Review them so others have your thoughts, and tell friends and the dogs of your enemies (because who wants to talk to enemies?)… Enough said ;-)
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
Acknowledgments
Sarah Noffke
My favorite part of writing any book is creating the acknowledgements page. It reminds me that writing a book is not a solo task. I might sit alone and write, but the finished product is a result of the support and encouragement of a tribe of people.
Thank you to the readers who buy the books, read them, review and recommend. YOU are the one who keeps us writing. I’m always inspired by the messages I receive from readers. Thank you supporting the books and offering so much richness to my life.
Thank you to my LBMPN family for all the support. Steve, Michael, Lynne, Moonchild, Jennifer and so many others who help champion the book to publication and beyond.
Thank you to the beta readers who offered so many valuable insights early on. Thank you to John, Chrisa, Kelly, Martin and Larry.
Thank you to the JIT team for all the awesome feedback. A new series is always exciting and nerve-wracking. Michael and I thought we had a great idea for a new world, but we don’t really know until we get objective feedback. What would I do without all you awesome readers?
Thank you to my friends and family. Writing is a strange profession. I work weird hours, talk to myself, have a strange diet, get antsy about deadlines. But the wonderful people in my life continue to show their encouragement and thoughtfulness no matter what. It is never lost on me because I know that I wouldn’t be doing what I love without all you amazing people, cheering me on.
And as with all my books, the final thank you goes to my muse, Lydia. I wrote my first book so that I could make my daughter proud, and it’s never stopped. I write every book for you, my love.
Check out Sarah Noffke’s YA Dystopian Fantasy:
What if everything you knew was a lie?
Em is a Defect, one of the unfortunate Dream Travelers not gifted with a psychic power. Desperate to do whatever it takes to earn her gift, she endures painful injections. But they aren’t working.
The truth is hiding.
A long-kept secret begins to unravel when Em Fuller starts looking for the truth. Her seemingly perfect town is not at all what she thought it was.
What she finds doesn’t make sense.
While searching for clues, someone grabs Em, pulling her into a closet to hide from the authorities. But it’s not a stranger. For years, Em thought that Rogue Vider was dead.
Some things are worse than death.
Rogue reveals a shocking, unforgivable truth.
She has a choice: Run or hide.
Em’s society has been betraying her, but she has no idea how to break away from its authority without hurting everyone she loves.
Get Defects here.
Connect with The Authors
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