by Sarah Noffke
“Yeah, you better run!” Liv yelled, pumping her fist in the air.
She turned to Rory, looking victorious. “See, I did it!”
“You sure did,” he said plainly.
“Now we can talk to whoever can help me track down the leeched magic.”
Rory nodded in the direction the gnomes had fled. “Yeah, well, you better get running, because you just frightened them off.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“It was the gnomes who could help me?” Liv asked, her hands on her hips. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t have a chance. You’d already started a brawl with them, and then it was too late.”
“Well, we’ll have to find someone else,” Liv stated.
Rory shook his head. “Gnomes are the only ones I’m aware of who have an energy meter for tracking stored magic.”
Liv gave him a pointed stare. “Again, something I think you should have told me before I went and offended them.”
“Looks like you’re going to have to settle for option two,” Rory said.
“What’s that?”
“Go to the House of Seven and ask them if they have something similar that would work?”
Liv cringed looking down at her jeans, which were burned in places, and at her dirty t-shirt. “Right, well, I need to change first.” She pointed at herself, but nothing happened.
“What are you trying to do?” Rory asked.
“I’m trying to change my clothes.”
He shielded his eyes. “Don’t do that in front of me. What if something goes wrong?”
“Well, then, I guess you’ll see a boob.”
“And lose my lunch,” he said with a look of distaste. “Also, where are you pulling these clothes from? Your apartment?”
“Or wherever. I haven’t done laundry, so probably not from my place,” Liv replied. “My sister put me in clothes, but I have no idea where they came from.”
“Magicians have a service they use to manifest things,” Rory explained. “It consumes less energy than creating an object from nothing.”
“A service?” Liv asked.
“Yes, the service has a storage warehouse of most of the common things magicians manifest.”
“Like a black combat suit?” Liv asked, thinking of the outfit Sophia had put her into.
“Yes, as well as other things,” Rory explained. “However, unless you have a subscription to this magician warehouse of supplies, you’re going to have to summon from your apartment or create from nothing, which you look too drunk to successfully pull off.”
“Again, I’m not drunk,” Liv said, staggering a few feet to the side and then turning back around to face Rory. “Okay, well, maybe I’m buzzed. That seems like the way to show up to the House of Seven: buzzed and dirty.”
The Chamber of the Tree was empty when Liv fell through the Door of Reflection. She was seriously tired of having the experience of going blind while indistinct figures huddled around her.
The white tiger stepped out of the shadows when she looked around the room, taking in details she hadn’t noticed when standing before the Councilors.
He gave her a pointed stare that seemed to see all the way to her soul.
“So what’s your deal?” Liv asked the white tiger, feeling hiccups coming on.
He blinked at her impassively.
“And the crow? What’s that about?”
The white tiger strode over to her, halting when he was dangerously close. His gaze was on her pocket for a long moment before he looked up at her.
Taking the hint, Liv reached into her pocket, finding her mother’s ring in there, where she’d put it that afternoon. She also found something she hadn’t remembered being in her pocket: a one-hundred-dollar bill. Liv’s brow scrunched in confusion. She’d just washed these jeans, which meant the money had recently been put into her pocket. But how? She shoved it back down and held up the ring. “Are you going to tell them I have this?”
The tiger didn’t answer out loud, but his gaze seemed to communicate a whole host of information. She held the ring up to the light radiating from the tree. “I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do with it.”
Symbols like in the long hallway between the entrance and the Chamber radiated behind the ring. Liv pulled the ring down, startled. The symbols disappeared. Again she lifted the ring so it was even with the tree and the many names of the families. The symbols appeared behind the ring again, floating in the air.
“Wait, what’s that about?”
“What’s what about?” a voice called behind Liv.
She tensed, shoving the ring back in her pocket as she spun to face Decar Sinclair. The other Warrior wore a silver robe that accented his white hair, making him appear almost monochromatic. He studied Liv as she worked the ring into her pocket.
“Oh, nothing,” Liv answered. “I was referring to the broken finger I got tonight.” She held up her middle finger, showing him the bruised appendage while flipping him off.
He grimaced. “However did you do that?”
“Bar fight,” she said simply. “Have you seen my brother?”
Decar nodded. “Yes, he’s in Adler’s study. I’ll lead you that way.”
Liv wanted to decline the offer, but she didn’t know where Adler’s study was. She was feeling a bit too sassy and sort of afraid she’d say something else to offend him.
Following Decar through the Wall of Reflection and the large door to the living quarters, Liv kept an eye out for Plato. Hopefully, he was somewhere close by and could aid her if she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
“You realize that Warriors aren’t supposed to get into bar fights and act in a disorderly manner,” Decar said, his tone overflowing with condescension.
“What? I totally thought that was in the job description. Well, shucks! I might have to rethink this whole protect magic thingy.”
Decar looked back at her as he climbed the stairs. “For now, no one knows who you are, because you’re new. However, in time, magicians and creatures will know you, and your behavior will reflect on the House of Seven.”
“Which is why I wore my good jeans today.”
Decar looked at her burned pants and shook his head disapprovingly. He pointed to a door marked with the Sinclairs’ family crest. Liv remembered her father saying that he argued with Adler Sinclair more than any of the other Councilors. “It’s healthy to have a devil’s advocate,” her father had said once, but Liv had sensed that there were more than common disagreements between the two.
Liv charged past him and knocked three times on the door, and a moment later it slid back.
Stepping through, Liv’s nose was accosted by the strong incense in the air. She covered it and looked around the large room.
“Hello, Ms. Beaufont,” Adler called from the far side of the room, where he sat across from Clark. “What can we do for you? Aren’t you supposed to be on a case?”
Liv nodded. “Yes, but I have a question for my brother.”
Clark stood and strode over to Liv, taking in her rough appearance. “Are you all right?”
“I’m great,” Liv lied, her head swimming from the beer she’d drunk too fast. It was finally hitting her, or maybe it was the incense in the air that was making her woozy.
“You smell like you’ve been playing with gnomes.” Adler sneered.
“Yes, there’s a herd of them on my kickball team,” Liv said, looking over Clark’s shoulder.
“Was that how you broke your finger?” Adler asked, eying her over his spectacles, a wine goblet in his hands.
“She said she got into a bar fight,” Decar offered.
“Are you drunk?” Adler asked.
“Are you ugly?” Liv questioned. Clark’s hand shot to his forehead.
“Olivia, you must not—”
“Yes, it would appear that your sister has had a bit too much to drink, Mr. Beaufont,” Adler stated. “Why don’t you take her away until she’s sobered up?”<
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“Won’t help. You’ll still be ugly,” Liv said as Clark grabbed her arm and pulled her through the open door. He dragged her up another set of stairs and didn’t release her until he’d opened the door marked with the Beaufonts’ family crest.
The lights were dimmed in the living room and Sophia was asleep on the sofa, a teddy bear pressed to her chest.
“What were you thinking?” Clark asked, looking Liv over. “You offended Adler.”
“I also flipped off Decar,” Liv told him proudly.
Clark’s eyes sank shut for a beat. “You need to learn to behave yourself. We operate with a certain level of decorum here.”
“’Boring stuffiness’ is what I’m calling it.”
Clark pinched his nose. “You do smell awful. Were you really hanging out with gnomes tonight?”
“Kicking their asses, but sort of,” Liv answered.
“Why would you go near them?”
Liv looked at Sophia for a moment before reconnecting with Clark. “Were you always such a snob, or did hanging out with Adler and Decar make it rub off on you?”
“Liv, gnomes are—”
“Just like us,” Liv said, cutting him off. “That was what Mom and Dad used to say, remember? When the Seven threw the book at gnomes or other creatures, Mom and Dad fought for their rights, saying that magicians shouldn’t be treated differently.”
Clark shook his head. “I remember. Of course, I do! It’s just that they aren’t here, and the current administration—”
“Is the same as it used to be, except without Dad as a Councilor, there’s no one to oppose Adler’s cruel and unjust rule.”
“You don’t get it,” Clark said dismissively. “You haven’t been here long enough.”
“Or maybe because of that, I get it a whole lot better than you do,” Liv countered. “Anyway, I need your help. I found some Zonks in the underground tunnels where we think the leeching is happening.”
“We?” Clark questioned.
She shook her head. “Plato and me.”
Clark’s expression didn’t look like he was convinced. “So Zonks are behind the leeching?”
“No, they are fix-it fairies,” Liv stated. “I think they were leading me to the cause.”
“Zonks need magic to fix things,” Clark said, starting to pace in front of Liv. “It makes perfect sense that it would be them doing the leeching.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Liv argued. “They were sealing something. Maybe trying to prevent the leeching. I need to investigate more. I’m looking for a way to measure magical energy. Do you have something like that?”
Clark considered her for a moment. “No. If you’ve found Zonks at the place, then they are responsible. Protocol dictates that you apprehend and stop them.”
“No, Clark. You’re missing the point. They aren’t the cause, I just know it, but I need to investigate more. Will you help me?”
Clark stopped pacing. “By giving you something to measure magical energy?”
“Yes. That way I can follow the trail and find out who is behind this.”
“Zonks are behind this. That’s obvious to me. Take care of them and close the case. The sooner you do, the better you’ll look.”
“The better you’ll look,” Liv countered.
“Hey, you’re already getting enough heat for your behavior,” Clark said. “The best thing would be to complete the case and prove to the Councilors that you’re trying your best, especially after tonight.”
“Hey,” Liv said, using the same inflection as Clark had. “This is my case, assigned to me by you and your jerk cronies. I’ll be solving it how I see fit, and you’re just going to have to deal with it. This isn’t an open-and-shut case. I know it. I can feel it.”
Clark chewed his lip. “What did you do with the troll?”
“I killed it,” Liv answered.
He shook his head and charged for his bedroom. “Damn it. This isn’t going to work if you’re going to lie and break rules.”
“How else was this ever going to work?” Liv asked. “That’s who I’ve always been, and I’m not changing now.”
Clark slammed the door to his room, making Sophia stir on the couch.
The little blonde haired girl sat up, looking disoriented. “Liv?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Liv came over to her sister and knelt beside her. “Just stopped in for a moment. Can I carry you to bed and tuck you in?”
The blue eyes that looked up at Liv made her knees weak. How had she missed the girl so much and never realized it until that moment? “Yes, please,” Sophia requested, holding out a small hand for her.
Liv pulled her up and then scooped Sophia into her arms, carrying her to bed where she should have been all along.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Dropping wires and bolts and other parts behind her, Liv carried a mound of broken appliances to the front workstation. She dumped them on the table, allowing them to roll before coming to rest.
“You think you can do this?” Plato asked, jumping onto the counter and inspecting a broken compass.
“Why are gnomes the only ones who can make magic meters or whatever we’re going to call it?”
“Because they have a natural tendency toward being able to gauge things. They don’t even have thermometers and such.”
Liv licked her finger and put it in the air. “I do too. It’s a crisp sixty-eight degrees in here.”
“You know I have complete faith in you, but what’s your backup plan if this doesn’t work?” Plato asked.
Liv began dissembling the compass. “That’s not how ‘complete faith’ works.”
“I just think having other options is important.”
Liv tapped the compass, sending magic into the device and making it spin wildly. “I’m going to make friends with the ugly fairies, I guess.”
“They did say something about ghosts and formed that image of a man, so they obviously know something,” Plato agreed, looking up as Shane entered the shop carrying the printer Liv had fixed.
“Hey, there,” she greeted him, pulling the face off a clock. “Is the printer working okay?”
Shane slid it onto the countertop. “Thing is that it’s working too well.”
“Too well?” Liv questioned. “I think that’s a first.”
Shane pulled a sheet of paper from the tray of the printer and handed it to Liv. It was a color picture of a red sports car. All the details were crisp, and in the background, the trees were bright and perfectly framing the vehicle.
Liv looked the picture over and handed it back. “Color laser printers have come a long way recently.”
“That’s the thing,” Shane said, looking at the image. “This isn’t a color printer.”
“Oh, I upgraded it for you,” Liv answered, thinking fast.
Shane’s brow furrowed. “But something else weird happens. It’s got the copy option, right?”
“Yes,” Liv said, looking between Plato and the printer, not excited about what else weird the printer might be doing.
Shane lifted the top of the printer and put the picture of the car flat on the scanner. He then pressed the green button, and the copier began scanning. A moment later it churned out an exact replica of the original.
Liv took it. “I’m not sure I see the issue here.”
Shane held up the plug. “It’s not plugged in.”
“Oh,” Liv said, her eyes widening. “That’s weird.”
“Really weird,” Shane agreed. “I noticed it this morning after making a dozen copies and then realizing that my assistant had unplugged the printer last night. I can’t even begin to understand how it’s working. It’s like magic or something.”
Liv laughed abruptly and loudly. “Magic? That’s ridiculous. I’m sure there’s an explanation. I bet it has a built-in battery.”
Shane scratched his head, staring at the printer. “I don’t know…”
Liv waved off his skeptici
sm. “Now I remember. This model does come with a backup battery that will last for a little while until you plug it in. That will recharge the it for the next time you need to use the printer off the grid.”
“‘Battery?’” Shane questioned. “‘Off the grid?’ Is that really a thing printers have now?”
Liv laughed. “Oh, where have you been? Of course, they do.”
Shane let out a giant breath. “Well, that’s a relief. I really didn’t know what to make of this. I thought I was losing my mind.”
“Not quite yet,” Liv answered, turning her attention back to her current project and silently dismissing Shane.
He nodded, picking the printer back up with a grunt. “Well, thanks. And I appreciate you upgrading it to color. That’s a nice feature.”
“You’re welcome.” Liv kept her eyes down as Shane exited, working to keep her expression neutral.
When the front door was shut, Liv let out a breath. “Well, that was close.”
“How many of the other appliances you fixed are doing strange things, do you think?” Plato asked.
“If I know my luck, all of them.”
“What are you going to do?” Plato questioned.
“Move away,” Liv answered. “But seriously, how do I fix things with magic without getting unintended consequence?”
Plato thought for a moment. “Maybe try fixing exactly what’s wrong.”
Liv nodded. “Yeah. Most of the stuff I fixed, I just zapped it until it worked.”
“Which meant that the magic would fix anything that was wrong, or even lacking.”
“But if I know what’s wrong and target that…”
“Then you won’t have hand mixers that can make a cake without help,” Plato said, finishing her sentence.
Liv’s hand shot to her mouth. “Mrs. Holly. I hope the blender and hand mixer haven’t taken over her house.”
“I bet the old loon doesn’t think a thing about it,” Plato said. “And if she does tell anyone, they’ll just think it’s another of her far-fetched tales.”
Liv nodded. No one was going to believe Mrs. Holly, but there were other clients who could cause a stir if their devices were working without electricity or trying to launch rocket ships.