by Sarah Noffke
“Yeah, that should be your problem,” Alicia said, sliding out from under the pinball machine. Pickles jumped up and licked the scientist’s toes, showing his appreciation in a strange way.
“Wow, I never would have found that. Thank you,” John said.
Liv winked at him when she arrived beside John. “But you’ll know what to look for the next time.”
He laughed. “This thing has been a pain in the rear end. There will be no more pinball machines.”
“Never say never, Mr. Carraway,” Liv said, hugging Alicia, who nearly squealed upon seeing her.
“Thanks for sending me some help, Liv,” John said, smiling at the women. “If not for Dr. De Luca, I’m not sure I could have figured out it was a timing issue with the circuit board.”
“You would have figured it out,” Alicia said, waving him off. “Although I was happy to help.” She glanced around the shop, sighing softly. “And I’m happy to visit this place. There’s something so...”
“Perfect about it,” Liv supplied.
Alicia nodded. “Yes, that’s what I wanted to say, but I didn’t want to sound overly presumptuous. I did just enter the place a few minutes ago.”
John chuckled nervously. “Well, I like it. Nothing fancy, but it’s home to us.” He indicated Liv and himself, then his expression shifted suddenly. “I didn’t mean to imply, Liv, that it’s your… I was simply saying—”
“What this crazy man said,” Liv stated. “This is home. And it’s utterly perfect.”
John beamed.
“Although we have done a few magical expansions on the shop, as you might have noticed,” Liv stated.
Alicia nodded. “I absolutely did. And I love that John has a non-mechanical helper.” She reached down and patted Pickles on the head. The dog was all too excited to accept the attention.
“How are Plotting Panda and Laidback Lion?” Liv asked.
“They are recovering,” Alicia stated. “And I should get back to them now.”
“Thanks for stopping by,” John said, waving like a schoolboy at the magician.
“Actually, I’d love to stop by again if you’ll have me,” Alicia said, blushing slightly.
“If I would?” John asked, clutching his chest. “It would be an honor.”
“It’s just that I don’t encounter many magical-tech shops like this one,” Alicia explained.
“Well,” John said, combing his hand through his hair, “it’s not really supposed to be—”
“What you see is my fault,” Liv stated.
“There is no fault,” John amended.
“Anyway, it’s not like your shop, Alicia,” Liv explained. “It wasn’t planned to be full of magic-tech. We serve mortals, unlike you.”
“I know,” Alicia said, rubbing her arms and looking around. “That’s one reason I find it so charming. You have a different approach. I love the old appliances. They have been given a second life, and that means—”
“They don’t end up in the landfill polluting the Earth,” John stated.
“Yes, that’s one reason I make my gadgets out of reusable materials,” Alicia said. “Actually, if you’d like to discuss some practices, I’d love to tell you about a few of the interesting ones I’ve found.”
“I would love that!” John said cheerfully.
Liv suddenly got the feeling she wasn’t really in this conversation. She simply beamed back and forth between the magician and the human, enjoying listening as they exchanged ideas on best practices.
“I should get out of your hair,” Alicia said after a minute. “Sorry, I could talk geek all day with you two. I never have anyone who understands this stuff.”
“We are your people, then,” Liv stated. “You should pop over any time, especially on the days I have cases. I bet John could use the extra help.”
“I wouldn’t want to inconvenience Alicia—”
“Consider it an exchange program of sorts,” Liv said, cutting John off.
“I’d love that,” Alicia said, blushing again. “Liv, I’ve got to portal out. Can you please follow me to the back, where I think it’s best to portal?”
Liv knew it was fine to portal right where she was. She’d done it a hundred times. “Absolutely,” she said, leading the scientist to the back.
When they were past the swinging door, Alicia turned around, urgency in her eyes. Liv expected her to say a few different things, but not what she actually said.
“Liv, I swear my magic is stronger now!”
“Now?” Liv questioned.
“Since entering John’s shop,” she explained.
Liv nodded. That made sense. “Yes. He’s a mortal who can see magic.”
Alicia gave her a confused expression.
“He is good about enhancing magician’s magic,” Liv stated, remembering what she’d recently learned.
“Oh, well, I guess that makes sense, although I’m not sure why,” she said.
“No worries,” Liv replied. “Just come back often to catch up and get the boost to your magic. I think it will be good for everyone.”
Alicia threw her arms around Liv’s shoulders, squeezing her tight. “I’ll definitely be back. I love everything about you, Liv Beaufont. Your giant. Your magician friend named Stefan. Your cat. And your mortal friend.”
Liv hugged her back, having no words except, “Me, too.”
“She used to be a chicken,” Liv said, elbowing John in the side when she sidled up next to him after returning from the back.
He laughed. “I’m guessing you’re referring to that lovely scientist you had help me with the pinball machine.”
“She’s a tinkerer,” Liv corrected. “Just like us.”
He grinned at her. “There is no one like us.”
Liv didn’t know what to say to that, so she pointed at the pinball machine. “What’s wrong with it?”
He indicated the scrap piece of paper. “It’s detailed there.”
Liv glanced over the analysis and nodded, swirling her finger through the air. A moment later the machine fired to life, the lights blazing and the sounds echoing in the shop. “All fixed. Now pack for Hawaii.” Then, thinking of her next mission, she amended, “Actually, you should go to Mexico or Bali or somewhere else.”
“Yeah, fine,” he acquiesced. “I don’t really feel like I earned this vacation. I didn’t find the problem, nor fix it.”
“John, you’ve worked tirelessly for decades,” Liv argued. “I’d say of anyone, you deserve a vacation.”
He hung his head suddenly, heaviness in his movements. “Can I tell you something, though?”
Liv nodded. “What is it?”
“I know you’re busy, and I’m not asking you to go with me. I’m just saying, I don’t really want to take a trip by myself right now. Maybe in a bit, when it makes sense. I don’t know.”
Liv understood immediately. John had just taken his life back after Chloe. He had so much more to experience now that he wasn’t throwing himself into his work. “You know what? The vacation can wait until you’re ready. In the meantime, why don’t you just work on what makes you happy, and invite Alicia to the shop to help with things you want?”
“You think she will come?” he asked, a new excitement in his eyes.
“I think if you invited her here for cold tea and stale biscuits, she’d accept,” Liv stated.
He laughed. “You sound like a British person.”
Liv glanced down at her dirty clothes, realizing she hadn’t changed since Venice. “I don’t feel like one.”
As if cued by her repugnant reaction to her appearance, Clark and Sophia marched through the door, looking as refined as ever in their pressed clothing.
Liv’s face spread with joy as Sophia ran over and wrapped her arms around her. Liv didn’t have a chance to react before Sophia glanced up, tears welling up in her eyes. “Liv, you have to come back to the House with us. We have something of urgency you have to see!”
Chapter Thirty-Five
No one said anything all the way to the House of Seven. Liv kept throwing sideways glances at Clark, but he would only shake his head as if that was the answer to the questioning look in her eyes.
Sophia moved so quickly in her dress covered in red roses that Liv had to speed-walk to keep up with her. This was an emergency, and yet Liv didn’t get the impression that either of her siblings was sad. They were anxious, yes. Perplexed, maybe. But not upset. Actually, a couple of times, Liv noticed a slight smirk on Clark’s face when he didn’t know she was watching him.
Once they were in the House of Seven, Liv didn’t know what to expect. Would they go straight to the Chamber of the Tree? Was it the Black Void? Maybe this had all been a trick to try to get Liv to attend a party in one of the ballrooms?
When Sophia led them up the stairs, Liv sped past her, halting at the top of the first landing. “What’s going on? Is everything all right?”
Sophia nodded and then shook it. “Yes, but not really.”
Clark stepped up even with Sophia. “It isn’t worth explaining, and especially not here. The only way to see this is with your own eyes.”
“Okay, well, you two have quite the way of unveiling things,” Liv stated. “I’m sending you with all news from now on, and you can play this mysterious game with others. It totally catches one off-guard.”
Clark took the lead, not stopping until he was at the door for the apartment he shared with Sophia.
Liv was about to follow him in when Sophia grabbed her wrist. Glancing back at her sister, she noticed how serious she seemed.
“Just don’t hurt him,” Sophia said softly.
“Clark?” Liv asked.
Sophia shook her head. “No. Just keep an open mind until you’ve heard everything.”
Liv didn’t know what to say. She swallowed and stepped through the door after Clark.
Once they were in the privacy of the residence, Liv blinked around at the place. It didn’t appear any different than usual. On the main wall were the words which always tightened her chest: Familia Est Sempiternum.
“What is it?” Liv asked, doing a full turn, trying to figure out if this was a strange trick.
Sophia stepped into the middle of the room and squatted down, the skirt of her dress forming a bell. “It’s okay. You can come out now.”
Liv wasn’t sure what she expected to happen next, but it definitely wasn’t this. The door to Sophia’s room squealed as it opened all the way. Liv’s hand flew to Bellator, and then a small dragon entered the room. At first, Liv thought Sophia’s egg had hatched, but then she remembered that it was missing. And this dragon was orange and red, with bright eyes that seemed too mature to belong to a baby. That was when Liv realized that she’d seen this dragon, but only once. It was a miniature that belonged to Adler Sinclair. Liv couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about him, and yet, the timing was incredibly uncanny.
“What’s he doing here?” Liv asked, watching as Sophia got onto all fours, staring intently at the dragon as it approached. He kept flicking his eyes at Liv and then at Sophia, hesitation in his every move.
When no one answered and the dragon drew closer, Liv pulled Bellator from its sheath. All eyes swiveled to her.
“No,” Sophia said in a hush. “He won’t harm us. But he wouldn’t tell me why he’s here until we brought you.”
“Wait, you’re communicating with that thing?” Liv asked indicating the dragon, who had stopped moving, his head to the side and steam billowing from its nose.
“His name is Indikos,” Sophia said. “And yes, I can communicate with him telepathically.”
Liv moved so she was between Sophia and the dragon. “Why did he want me here? Actually, how did he get in here in the first place? Is he the one who took your egg?”
Sophia pushed to her feet. “We’re not sure. I was in my room when he came out from under my bed. He told me he wanted to help and had important information, but that I had to retrieve you and Clark first.”
Liv regarded the dragon with skepticism. “How do we know this isn’t a trick and Adler is setting us up? Indikos shouldn’t be in here at all.”
Clark nodded. “I agree, and have similar concerns. But we can’t make any decisions until we at least hear what the dragon has to say.”
Liv glanced at Sophia. “Well, she’s the one who hears what he says. Can you serve as a translator for us?”
Sophia nodded and knelt on the floor again. She extended a hand to the small dragon. “It’s okay. We’re all here, and ready to hear what you have to say.”
“If you speak to him telepathically, why are you talking out loud?” Liv asked.
Sophia glanced up at her. “It’s for your benefit. That way, you at least know what I’m saying. Indikos speaks in my mind, very much the same way that my dragon does.”
“So you’re a dragon whisperer?” Liv asked.
“According to Bermuda Laurens, all dragon riders have this ability,” Sophia explained.
“Cool. Sophia talks to dragons. I talk to chickens and cats, and you, Clark…” Liv paused. “What do you talk to?”
He flashed her a defiant look. “To myself.”
“Oh, nice one, brother,” Liv commended. “Your comedic timing on that was good.”
“I find that if I’m self-deprecating, you appreciate my jokes more,” Clark stated. “I’m not sure what that says about you, though.”
“That I have a warped sense of humor and you’ve fallen victim to it,” she replied.
Sophia gave them both impatient looks. “If you two are done?”
Liv straightened, flashing Clark a punishing expression. “Yes, I’m ready, if Clark will act serious for once.”
“Ha-ha,” he said with zero inflection.
Sophia closed her eyes, a serene expression on her face. Liv kept her hand on Bellator, still unsure whether this was a trick or not. Clark shared her paranoia, she realized. He reached back to the entryway, grabbing their father’s cane from its resting place.
Sophia’s bright blue eyes popped open, and her hand flew to her mouth.
“What is it?” Liv asked, reflexively falling into a fighting stance.
Holding up her hand, Sophia put her at ease. “It was Indikos who helped to steal my dragon’s egg.”
Liv narrowed her eyes at the miniature dragon. He lowered his chin, suddenly appearing fragile, although that was usually the opposite impression she got when looking at a dragon—not that she’d been around many. Well, none. Just this one. Liv had really only seen dragons in books, which was typical of most people.
“So why is he here saying he’s going to help us?” Liv’s eyes slid over to Clark. “I think this is a trick.”
He nodded, pulling the cane apart to reveal the two small swords inside.
“It’s not a trick,” Sophia argued. “He has had a change of heart and wants to make things right.”
“Well, tell him to get to talking, and fast,” Liv stated.
“He understands what you say,” Sophia said with a pursed expression. She closed her eyes again. After a long moment, she opened them.
“It was Adler,” she said in a whisper.
“Well, I think we all sort of figured that,” Liv stated boringly.
Sophia waved her off. “No, Indikos said that Adler came in here to get the egg.”
“How, though?” Clark asked. “He can’t get into our home. Only a Beaufont can, or someone invited by one of us.”
Sophia’s eyes closed at once and remained that way. “Adler has a way of bending the rules.”
“Again, is anyone really surprised by this information?” Liv asked.
“Can he tell us how he’s bending the rules?” Clark asked, starting to pace, a sword in each of his hands. “What rules can he break? What do we need to watch out for?”
Sophia shook her head, her eyes still closed. “Indikos refuses to speak about that.”
“Then he better start talking about something else, or I’m giving him back to Adler
on the tip of my sword,” Liv threatened.
“He says that he didn’t want to help Adler locate the egg,” Sophia stated.
“How did he even know about it?” Liv asked.
“Remember the prophecy?” Clark asked. “Maybe Adler was aware of it and figured out that it could refer to Sophia.”
“That’s not it,” Sophia said at once. “But again, Indikos doesn’t want to talk about some things. He says it’s better that way.”
“Maybe for him,” Liv quipped.
“Where is the egg?” Clark asked.
“Adler has it,” Sophia explained. “He took it after Indikos helped him find it. However, he stayed behind because firstly, coming between a dragon and their rider is considered one of their highest crimes. And secondly, he says something dark has been dividing him from Adler for a long time.”
“Is this the thing he can’t tell us about?” Liv asked, regarding the dragon with a brooding expression.
“He won’t say,” Sophia answered.
“Shocking,” Liv retorted.
“If he’s here, then aren’t we coming between Adler and his dragon?” Clark asked.
“No,” Sophia stated in a definitive tone. “Indikos is no longer bonded to Adler. He says he truly never was. That it was forced.”
“I’m still not sure we can trust this old pet of Adler’s, even if he states that he isn’t loyal to him,” Liv said.
Sophia’s eyes popped open. “But he says he knows where my egg is and can help me get it back.”
“Soph, I’ll help you get it back.” Liv motioned between her and Clark. “We will do it together. If Adler took it, I’ll duel him to the death. I mean, I have been looking for a reason to break his nose anyway.”
“You don’t understand,” Sophia said. “We need Indikos to get into Adler’s chamber where the egg is hidden.”
Liv rolled her eyes. “That didn’t stop Adler from coming in here.”
“But we can’t bend the rules the same way,” Sophia stated. “We need Indikos. He can get in there, and if we go with him, then he’ll invite us in.”
“Fine,” Liv said, sheathing her sword. “Let’s go and get this over with.”