by Sarah Noffke
“Who was it?” John asked, then shook his head. “No, never mind. You don’t have to tell me.”
“John, I think I need to move into the House of Seven early,” Liv said, and couldn’t believe the words had fallen out of her mouth.
Apparently, John couldn’t either because he looked up suddenly, the broom and dustpan in his hands. “What?”
“Well, I mean, I was planning on doing it at the end of the month when that horrid lawyer forced you out of here,” Liv began. “However, I think I need to quit and move before that. Like in the next hour.”
John set the broom down and gave Liv a serious look. “Are you in danger?”
She nodded, then changed the direction of her head to shake it. “I’m always in danger. That’s the nature of the job. But more importantly, you’re in danger. And look at what that jerk did to your shop!”
John actually laughed at this. “I’ve done worse things to it after a night of whiskey. For the life of me, I don’t know why I think I can repair a damn thing when I’m drunk. Then I end up tripping on a cord and knocking over an entire shelf of stuff.”
Liv didn’t laugh. “John, I’m serious. That deranged elf is going to be back. He all but promised it.”
“Well, then go to the House of Seven so that you’re safe,” John stated. “You said they had security measures. Lord knows I can’t protect you very well. The locks on your apartment are a bit of a joke, but in my defense, you won’t let me put any more on there.”
Liv quit cleaning up and gave John her full attention, feeling the weight of the situation like a great burden on her heart. “John, this is serious. If that elf had gone after you? Well, I don’t like to think about what would have happened.”
“Don’t…” John said his voice cracking. “Don’t leave here and quit just because you’re worried about me. We don’t have that much time before…well, before it’s all over. Before I move and the shop is gone. If you need to quit because you have to focus on your Warrior duties or you need to be in a place that’s safer, then do that. I’ll support you. I’ll help you pack. I was planning on it anyway. But don’t you do anything because you’re worried about me. I know you locked that door so I couldn’t get out here and help.”
He pointed at the back door, his arm shaking.
“John, I had to—”
He cut her off, shaking his head. “I may not be a Warrior with magical powers, but I can take care of myself, Liv. I’ve been doing it for a long time, and I won’t have you thinking you have to protect me.”
This was the same argument he’d thrown up when she’d offered to fight the lawyer and whoever else was forcing him out of the building. There was a pride in his eyes that she hadn’t questioned then, and something told her not to argue with now. He looked strong, and also close to breaking, like all she had to do was walk out that door in the name of protecting him and it would undo him. They didn’t have much time left together, and she understood that he didn’t want it tarnished with his safety and magic.
“John, I’m sorry,” Liv said, looking at the wreckage. “I’ll clean all this up.”
He waved her off. “It isn’t a police officer’s fault when a criminal breaks into a house, and it isn’t your fault when the bad guys come after you. It’s a part of the territory. And Liv, I’d much rather have you around and criminals tearing up my shop than the alternative.”
She didn’t know what to say. Nothing seemed adequate in her mind. Thankfully the door clanged as someone entered, interrupting the moment.
Liv spun, ready to jump in front of John and defend him. She softened with relief at the sight of Rory.
He stood stock still, his eyes scanning the shop. “What happened?”
Liv gazed at John and Rory. This was going to create a new level of complexity for everyone. Looked like it was about to be Honesty Hour.
“The elf came back, looking for Turbinger,” Liv explained.
“Turbinger?” John asked as Rory seemed to process.
“Yeah, it’s a—”
“Book,” Rory lied, cutting Liv off.
Liv shook her head. “No, it’s a sword.”
Rory shot her an angry look.
“He’s already in this,” Liv argued. “The least he deserves is the truth. He already knows that you’re a giant, so we might as well put everything on the table.”
“Liv, it isn’t safe,” Rory began, keeping his gaze off John.
“Not safe?” Liv questioned. “An elf came to John’s shop and tried to blast me through the wall. The sword is doing strange things to him. I think John deserves our honesty at this point.”
“It’s better if you just stay out of this,” Rory said, still not looking at John.
“I’m already in this,” John stated. “Until the last day of the month, I’m all in. And if you two don’t like it, you can just…well, eat Pickle’s turds.”
The laugh jumped out of Liv’s mouth without her expecting it.
Rory laughed too, the tension broken by John’s ridiculous sense of humor.
John stepped forward, looking up at the giant. “I might be a mortal and not understand the magical world.” He scratched his head. “I admit that it doesn’t always look right to me, like I’m not seeing it clearly. Hell, some of the things Liv shows me I forget later, as if I hadn’t seen them at all. Who knows why? However, I’ll tell you what I told her, and that’s that I don’t want the people I care about running away in order to protect me. I’m already involved, so don’t shut me out now.”
Rory thought about that for a moment and then nodded his head slowly. “Okay, but we just don’t want anything bad happening to you.”
“You two are like a broken record player.” John chuckled. “Of course, give me a chance to tinker with that record player and I’d have it as good as new.”
Liv laughed, but Rory remained stoic, his eyes searching the wreckage.
“You say it was the elf from before?” he asked Liv.
She nodded. “And he promised to return.”
Rory shook his head. “He won’t have much longer. You cut him with the sword, right?”
John looked back and forth between the two, following the exchange.
“Yes, and the wound appeared to be infected,” Liv answered.
“No, it’s not infected. You don’t have to fatally stab someone with Turbinger unless you want their death to be immediate,” Rory explained. “Simply cutting them with the blade will eventually lead to death. It’s why it’s the most deadly weapon on Earth, and therefore in my protection.”
“But I got the impression the elf thought if he got hold of the sword he’d be okay,” Liv stated.
Rory dismissed this at once. “That’s a false rumor. There is no cure for a mark from Turbinger.”
“Then we won’t have to worry about the elf for much longer,” John said, injecting cheerfulness into his words.
Rory’s face didn’t display the same hope. “I fear the elf will grow even madder before his end. They usually do. Desperation will set in.”
“That means he’ll be back,” Liv said, thinking. “And the sword…is it safe?”
The sigh that fell out of Rory’s mouth didn’t fill her with confidence. “It’s safe enough, but after this, I’ll have to increase security measures. I knew someone wanted to get to the sword, but this complicates things.”
“What can I do?” Liv asked.
Rory looked her over in that way he had, concern spilling from his eyes. “You can eat. How much magic did you use fighting him?”
“Not much, but I guess it was enough to deplete my reserves,” Liv answered.
John clapped his hands, stepping between them. “That settles it. I’m taking you two out for pizza.”
Liv rolled her eyes. “We need to clean up the shop and figure out how we’re going to deal with this.”
John dug into his pocket, his change rattling. “I see no better way of doing that than over an extra-large pizza.” He withd
rew a handful of quarters. “And how about a few rounds of pinball?”
Liv couldn’t help but laugh. She might have been putting John in danger, but he was absolutely one of the best things for her morale. “Okay, but I think we’ll need two extra-large pizzas.” She leaned forward, cupping her mouth as if she were trying to hide what she was saying from Rory. “Remember, he’s a giant.”
“I heard that,” Rory stated. “And I’ll stick with a salad.”
Liv gave him a sideways look. “What, are you on keto and watching your figure?”
He shook his head. “I’m lactose-intolerant.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Liv couldn’t believe it, but she was actually looking forward to getting assigned a case from the Council. As they’d ordered, she’d taken a few days off after her successful completion of the fae case. It had been nice to clean her apartment and have extra time with John and work on her sparring skills with Akio, but she wanted a case, even if it was something ridiculous like grooming a centaur or telling gnomes they needed to bathe every fortnight. She figured that since Queen Visa hadn’t killed her, she’d go back to getting lame cases, which she didn’t mind so much.
What she wanted most, besides for John to stay and his shop not be sold to dumb investors, was to get her mind off things. He wasn’t going to allow her or Rory to interfere, although they all but begged him while they were eating pizza. The giant had picked over his salad like a dainty southern debutante who was afraid to eat in front of a potential suitor, grimacing as Liv stuffed greasy pizza with double pepperoni into her mouth.
What he’d liked even less was her insistence that they find a potion that cured him of his lactose problems. Apparently, giants were against such things as potions, preferring to go the all-natural approach with their digestive systems.
When Liv entered the Chamber of the Tree, she was surprised to find she was the only Warrior there that day. The white tiger was standing next to her spot as if waiting for her, his eyes focused on the councilors. Thankfully, the black crow was absent. Or maybe he was off chasing Adler’s small dragon around somewhere, the two plotting world domination at the Sinclair brothers’ insistence.
“You’re late, Ms. Beaufont,” Adler said, his eyes low as he studied something in front of him.
She wasn’t; Liv knew that. But what was the point of arguing with the sour old man? She’d simply take her case and get out of there. The less arguing, the sooner she could be trimming trolls’ toenails or whatever else they wanted her to do.
Liv took her spot and forced an “I’m a team player” smile. That was when she noticed the melancholy look on Clark’s face. He was probably horrid at poker. He had to be, based on the expressions he couldn’t keep under wraps.
She tilted her head to the side, studying her brother. Was he still mad about her going to the kingdom of the fae without telling him? Had he learned something about the canisters? Was he angry that she had followed Stefan? The worries streamed through her head as she tried to focus.
Liv cleared her throat as the councilors looked around nervously, many of them focused on Adler, who didn’t seem to care. He continued to study the screen in front of him, unhurried.
After a long minute, he glanced up. “Right, well, we have a new case for you.”
“Cool. Throw it at me,” Liv said, trying to inject enthusiasm into her voice.
The disapproving look that graced Bianca’s face was totally worth saying dumb shit, Liv thought. She straightened and made her face serious. “I mean, very well. I patiently await the assignment.”
Adler leaned forward to look down at her. “Ms. Beaufont, you do realize that being a Warrior isn’t a game one should take lightly, don’t you?”
What was the right response here? Liv wondered. Something sarcastic? Or she could ask Bianca to give her lessons on how to take everything too seriously? However, Clark’s expression broke her resolve. She simply nodded. “Of course, it isn’t a game. I take my role seriously.”
“I have yet to witness that,” Adler replied with a smug look.
“Olivia, the Council has voted on a new case for you,” Bianca said, her eyes blazing with evil delight.
“Can’t wait to hear about it, B,” Liv replied.
Bianca’s face contorted with annoyance.
“Oh, you don’t like my little nickname for you?” Liv asked, mock seriousness on her face. “I rather like it. Get it? B for Bianca, and also because you’re a real bi—”
“You’re being assigned to hunt demons,” Clark said in a rush, interrupting Liv.
Her playfulness evaporated as her mouth popped open. “Wait, what?”
Adler looked down the bench at Clark with a sinister glare. “I do believe it is my role to announce the cases, Mr. Beaufont.”
“Actually, I don’t think that there is any assignment on the matter,” Haro stated. “The Council is about balance and equality.”
Adler released a frustrated sigh. “Although that is true, for efficiency’s sake, we’ve always had me make the announcements.”
Liv was hardly listening. She could hardly believe what Clark said. She was being assigned to go after demons. The image of the red devilish-looking monster in the streets of Amsterdam was engraved into Liv’s memory. The sounds and smells that radiated from the beast weren’t something she could easily forget, and now she was being ordered to hunt them down and slay the monsters?
Clark held out a hand. “By all means, please do the honors, then. I didn’t mean to disrupt efficiency.” Liv could hardly believe the rebellious tone laced into his words.
Adler brushed off his shoulder as if whisking away Clark’s gesture. “Ms. Beaufont, you’re being assigned—”
“Demons?” she asked, cutting him off, unable to believe this turn of events.
Adler made a sound of frustration and nodded. “Yes, demons. If you’d let me fin—”
“Although I appreciate the Council’s confidence in my combat skills, I think I need more training before tackling such dangerous beasts,” Liv said, realizing that she was probably only making things worse for herself at this point. Oh well, might as well swim all the way to bottom since I’m already halfway there, she thought.
“It’s not a matter of confidence,” Adler stated through clenched teeth. “It has more to do with necessity.”
Oh, good. For a moment she thought the Council was starting to view her as a capable warrior. “I don’t understand. I thought it was Stefan’s job to go after demons,” Liv argued.
“Do you see Stefan here?” Adler asked.
Liv looked around just to be a smart ass. She really couldn’t help herself. “Unless he’s hiding, I don’t think so.”
“Demonism is spreading,” Lorenzo explained, his hands steepled, his fingers touching his lips lightly. “It’s a growing problem, but recently it has become worse.”
“I still think that putting a more experienced Warrior on this case would be better,” Clark argued.
“And I’ve already explained to you that they are all busy,” Adler said with an impatient sigh. “The outbreak in Florida is especially bad right now.”
“Although we’d like to offer you a case that suits your skillset better,” Hester began in a small voice, “there is an undeniable need to address the demons in that area of the United States.”
“’Skillset?’” Liv questioned.
Loudly, Adler tapped his hands on the table in front of him. “Some on the Council think that one of your better qualities is negotiations.”
Liv smirked. “But you don’t agree?”
Adler rolled his eyes. “I think that you’ve had beginner’s luck.”
“So why not send me after demons? That will teach me a lesson.” She couldn’t help herself. Liv had to say it. It was obvious what Adler was trying to do. Queen Visa hadn’t murdered Liv as he had hoped, so was sending her off to battle demons in the swamp. He was probably already planning her wake and had picked out the family who woul
d replace the Beaufonts.
“I didn’t assign you this case,” Adler said in a low voice. “The Council voted on it, and the majority won.”
Liv studied Hester, Clark, and Raina. Their reactions said enough for Liv. They had voted against this, but the other four wanted to throw Liv in the demon pit and see if this time she’d come out ahead. Then she remembered something she’d heard about Stefan. Adler had assigned him demon cases in the beginning too, hoping to get rid of him, but the warrior had surprised him. Liv wanted to believe she’d rise to this challenge just like with Queen Visa, but this somehow felt harder because there was no way to negotiate with a demon.
“I’m just confused why I’m getting assigned this case now,” Liv began. “Before the cases were trivial, but it sounds like this demon problem has been going on for a while.”
“If you don’t want the case, all you have to do is decline it,” Adler stated.
“And then my title will be removed, and I’ll be swiftly kicked out of the House of Seven,” Liv said, staring down at the white tiger.
“Oh, so you can remember rules,” Adler fired back.
She wiggled her nose, enjoying this more than she should. “Depends.”
“There are roughly three demons in the lower part of the state of Florida,” Adler said in a bored voice, reading from his tablet. “Your case is to track them down and slaughter each one.”
“Do I get a Killing Demons for Dummies book?” Liv asked.
Clark slapped his hand to his forehead, embarrassment written on his face.
“Ms. Beaufont!” Adler said, warning in his tone.
Liv stuck her hands on her hips. “What? Demon hunting is advanced. I might not know a lot, but I know that much. It’s not something they cover in the first year of Warrior training, am I right?”
“If you’d taken the House’s training, this wouldn’t be an issue,” Bianca dared to say.
“Really? Then tell me, B, how do you slay a demon?” Liv challenged.
She blanched, her mouth slamming shut. “I’m not a Warrior, and therefore it’s not my job to know such things.”