by Sarah Noffke
“And now?” Liv asked.
“I still do, but in spite of everything, I think you might be what that institution needs,” Rory said.
Liv was speechless again. Rory’s visit with his mom seemed to have humanized him somehow. “Would you like to meet my little sister?”
Rory nodded and then shook his head. “Yes, but first I have something to tell you.”
Liv paused. Sucked in a breath. “Go on.”
“It’s about Turbinger,” he related.
“You found out the memories it was holding?” Liv asked.
He ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t think I fully understand it yet, to be honest. I saw so many things, and I’m still trying to piece them together.”
“At least you did it before the sword was taken away,” Liv said hopefully. “Maybe in time, it will make sense.”
He nodded. “I think that’s where you come in.”
Liv looked up at him quickly. “Really?”
“Well, before I told you to back off and not pursue leads,” Rory began. “I was worried about you and John and whoever was behind the elf. However, I realize now that we need answers more than ever. Something has been covered up that none of us can explain. There is a history that has been erased, and although I can only see bits and pieces of it, I think that uncovering it fully will change everything.”
Liv stiffened. “Rory, what did you see?”
He gave her his full attention and spoke in a whisper. “Liv, a long time ago, there was a war between magicians and mortals. It didn’t end well, and from everything I could see, I can’t tell you who won.”
Liv sucked in a breath. “What? I’ve never heard of such a thing. How do we not know about this? It sounds monumental.”
Rory agreed. “I think it was, and I believe everything has been rewritten so that we forgot the past.”
Liv looked around the room, a chill running down her spine. “Then it will be our mission to uncover everything. Whatever has been lost will be found.” She looked at Rory, giving him a meaningful expression. “Whatever has been broken will be mended.”
He almost smiled at her. “Then maybe we can all live as one again.”
Sarah’s Author Notes
March 1, 2019
Thank you to you, the reader, for reading the books and supporting the series. I’m still so thrilled you all have connected with Liv, Rory, Sophia and the gang. I’ve gotten a huge outpouring of attention for Rudolf. Can you believe that this fae wasn’t even a part of the regular cast? He just showed up on the page one day, insulting Liv and making awesome jokes. Since then, I’ve been reluctant to let him go.
I found myself in Las Vegas on holiday between books two and three. That’s when I came up with the idea for the Fae Kingdom. I was looking out at the Vegas strip and thought, what if the fae owned all of this? Then the idea started to unravel as I had a drink at the Chandelier at the Cosmopolitan. That bar is totally whimsical and the perfect backdrop for the sexy fairy creatures. I knew I wanted to modernize the fae in this series, making them edgy and not carrying flowers or wearing kilts. Vegas seemed like the perfect place for these deceptive creatures. However, what I didn’t realize until after starting book three was that there would be a ton of layers to these seemingly superficial fae.
As some of you’ve read about in other books, I often enlist Lydia, my daughter, to name characters. One day, we were sitting at our favorite Indian restaurant, discussing the next book. We often do that at this place and then Lydia draws scenes from the book on the paper covering the nice table cloth. While she was drawing, I asked her what the queen of the fae should be called. She told me Queen Visa and that she’d have a pet bear named, Bruiser. I have to admit that I forgot about Bruiser when I wrote about Queen Visa, but there’s time to include him in later books. It was a good idea for the queen to have a pet bear and Bruiser, a small black bear, is Lydia’s favorite stuffed animal. He has an alter ego that we call “Own Bear.” In the morning he jumps around the bed and says, “I’m my oooooown bear. You don’t own me! Don’t tell me what to do.”
If I ever wonder why my daughter rebels later, please remind me of this bear’s alter ego which I absolutely created. Anyway, Bruiser will show up in another book, I’m sure.
But Lydia got her wish about naming Queen Visa. She’s pretty much named half the cast at this point. Funnily, Michael was reading the outline for the book and saw the name Queen Visa and made a note that said: “King Mastercard? Prince American Express? Lol. (Sorry, it was so easy…).”
Okay, it was easy and he’s right. I deserved that. I allowed a seven-year-old to name a character and she has no idea what a Visa is, but probably heard it somewhere. However, when she named this queen who owned the Vegas strip Visa, I was like, you’re a freaking genius.
My question to Michael is, what are you doing living in the fae kingdom? And what have you done with Bruiser? And are you and Queen Visa trying to take over the world?
Oh! And where are my BBQ nachos? I finished another book!
Michael’s Author Notes
March 3, 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?
Have you ever hoped for something wonderful, and it was just that much more precious because you were able to be a part of it for someone else?
That is my life right now.
The success of Liv’s stories has been a wonderful surprise, and watching Sarah’s reaction to the success has been particularly satisfying. I’ve had more than one opportunity to either chat with her in Slack or on the phone when she admits she still feels like pinching herself.
Joking aside, (really, not really) I would like to convey how your support of this series has made the beginning of 2019 cause Sarah’s eyes to glow, her lips to smile, and an easy chuckle cross her lips.
Wait, I’m sorry…she was looking at a hipster and making a comment.
My bad.
Ok, joking aside, your reading of these stories has made 2019 a special time in my life as I watch a wonderful collaborator succeed with these characters far beyond what we expected.
Thank you.
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.
DFW Airport, on an airplane…
Those joining me for the trip out of town are almost finished boarding, and it will be time to scoot down the runway and lift off towards fair Samarkand.
Or as we like to call it, Las Vegas.
I live in Las Vegas, just a few short steps from the Cosmopolitan Sarah mentioned in her notes. She is right—if there was a location for the Fae on the Strip, one of the courts WOULD probably be right there in the Cosmopolitan.
Interesting fact about the Cosmo—it doesn’t belong to any other players’ club. When you go to the Cosmopolitan and get a player’s card, the big “C” is the only casino which you can play using that card.
Just like I would suspect some non-sharing fae to operate.
In the car (middle floor only) they have a drink that has a bud of a plant on the top. You are supposed to chew the bud, then drink the liquor. When you do this, the plant (which is horribly nasty in my opinion) will numb the crap out of your mouth, tongue, (and if you try to spit it out, like yours truly) your lips.
Who would concoct such a nasty drink?
Fae, I tell you. I bet they laugh at the mund
anes who come into that place all the time.
Like me.
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Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
The Triumphant Daughter
Chapter One
The thick potion trickled from the corners of Wayne Grimson’s lips as he gulped, holding the bottle with both hands. His arms were shaking.
“That’s it,” Adler Sinclair encouraged. “Just a bit more.”
The lawyer did as he was told, drinking until the potion was nearly gone, only a small remnant clinging to the inside of the bottle.
His eyes were red and overflowing with tears when he lowered the bottle to his polished desk.
“Now remember, you aren’t to ever disclose who you work for,” Adler began, speaking the enchantment as he’d done so many other times to the lawyer. The potion wore off every few weeks, but it was worth redosing him. Wayne Grimson had proven to be reliable, doing Adler’s bidding and keeping attention off him.
“The threat of torture and death will not break my bonds,” Wayne said in a robotic voice. “No matter what, I will not speak.”
Adler nodded. “And you can’t be controlled by any other. No one but me can force anything upon you.”
Wayne wiped the sides of his mouth, straightening and starting to look more like his old self, although that part of him had probably been lost for a long time. He wouldn’t truly remember who he was ever again. That was the price of the molding potion, and to Adler Sinclair, it was absolutely worth it.
Mortals were expendable. Some didn’t see it that way, but they also didn’t understand the full scope of things—that if it weren’t for him and his ancestors and what they’d done, magic would have been lost long ago.
“I answer to only you,” Wayne said, blinking and looking around the office like he’d suddenly remembered where he was.
Adler ran his finger over the blade of the sword sitting across the front of the desk, marveling at its craftsmanship—the one that Wayne had recovered. Adler may have had no tolerance for the savage giants, but he could appreciate the work they did. For a long time, he’d tried to obtain a giant-forged sword but had failed. There were just not that many in the world, and the ones that were, the giants protected on the scarce bit of land where they’d been “assigned” to live. But a personal weapon didn’t matter as much as having secured the one before him. This one held memories and things that no others should know about. That was why it had been locked up in the National History Museum for the better part of a century.
Until Liv Beaufont ruined everything.
Adler reminded himself that she was just a dumb girl. At first, he’d worried that she had unprecedented powers or was going to be a problem like her parents and siblings had been. Her power level was higher than most…well, anyone’s, but he was sure it would normalize in time. He’d concluded she just kept showing up in the wrong places at the wrong times. Dumb luck. The demon-hunting case was perfect for her. It would either take her out or humble her—he didn’t care which one.
“I want you to continue to have your people keep an eye on Ms. Beaufont,” Adler ordered Wayne.
The lawyer nodded mechanically.
Adler had thought that forcing Liv to move into the House of Seven was the best way to keep tabs on her. However, he needed the sword back, and the leverage he had on her was enough to get her to release it. After deliberation, he realized that the inexperienced warrior would be more trouble for him living at the House. It was better if she simply risked her life slaying demons daily and stayed out of the House as much as possible.
Running his hands over the giant’s sword again, Adler muttered a series of incantations, glamouring the object so that it appeared to be an oversized poster in a cardboard, circular case. It was still heavy as hell when he picked it up, carrying it over his shoulder. He’d thought that hiding the weapon in plain sight was the best way to keep it away from the giants, who would feel the history pulsing within it and remember the past. He wouldn’t be making that mistake again. Turbinger would disappear, never to be seen again. There were places that only he knew about where things could be hidden, especially within the House of Seven.
Adler had always been a fan of hiding things in plain sight because most didn’t even know where to look. Most were so inundated with the thoughts in their heads or their own selfish desires that they didn’t see what was right in front of them. And even if they did, the enchantments in the House were strong enough to make them forget. That was why no one remembered the Black Void between the Chamber of the Tree and the residential corridor in the House of Seven. Even if anyone saw it, they wouldn’t know how to enter, and better yet, they’d be terrified to do so.
The sword would go in there and be safe for the rest of time. Adler was looking forward to reassuring the God Magician that things were back on track. First, though, he’d have to wake him. That filled him with both anticipation and trepidation. Things were always unpredictable when the God Magician stirred, his power being both great and diabolical. Adler couldn’t control everything when the God Magician was awake. He’d been working on that, though. He believed in maintaining the balance. That was why he’d risked everything to keep what his ancestors had started a secret, and he believed that this responsibility extended to all areas of the House of Seven.
Yes, he’d wake the God Magician on schedule. Thankfully, it would take the deity some time to recover, giving Adler a chance to avoid the complications that had happened last time, creating suspicion.
He let out a reassuring breath and reminded himself that things were different now. The House was different. He had selected the Councilors and warriors who made it up, lemmings and simple soldiers who did as they were told, not seeing that which he wanted to keep hidden.
Chapter Two
The snow crunched under Liv Beaufont’s boot, and it sank in several inches. She took another step, feeling like the blanket of seemingly endless snow might blind her soon.
Stefan had told her to stay put, hiding behind the embankment until she heard his signal. Glancing down at Plato, Liv grimaced.
“Why Wyoming and other horribly freezing places? Why can’t demons hide in Cabo San Lucas next to a pool with a cabana?” she mused, pulling her fur-lined cape around her tighter as she shivered.
Plato, who didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the freezing temperature, gave her a sympathetic look. “I thought this was an improvement over northern Alaska.”
“It’s not,” Liv replied. “Damn it, no more demon hunting in icy climates. If they want to prowl Earth, then they need to choose places more like hell. Wait, is that why they go to icy places? Is this the real hell?”
“I think they come for the mortals rather than the temperatures,” Plato explained, sniffing the air.
“Are people in colder climates easier to corrupt, do you think?” Liv asked.
“I think it depends on the demon, which depends on who they were when they were alive,” Plato related. “Some want to corrupt the innocent, spreading evil. Some like to perpetuate that which is already corrupt.”
“How do you know this? Never mind. You’re not going to tell me, and I’d rather you keep your air of mystery.”
Plato’s ears perked up slightly. “I might in this instance have been willing to tell you how I know that information.”
“Oh, really?” Liv inquired, holding Bellator, her sword, firmly in both hands.
“No, not really,” Plato replied slyly.
Liv pursed her lips. “Yo
u’re such a tease.”
“Speaking of teases.” Plato lifted his chin, directing his gaze over his shoulder. “It looks like the bait worked.”
Liv smiled with delight. “Which means it’s go time.” Even though she could hear the noises Plato was referring to, she waited for the signal. Timing was everything, as Stefan and she had discussed, reviewing the strategy time and time again.
The mehhhing of the scared goat would have made Liv’s heart constrict with guilt, but she reminded herself that it wasn’t a real goat. It was merely an apparition that Stefan had created as bait.
The goat jumped over Liv’s and Plato’s heads. They were tucked up against the embankment, which dropped off several feet. The goat didn’t stop after landing awkwardly in the snow, just kept scurrying down the steep hillside, its hooves sliding as it cried out in wild desperation.
A low whistle pierced the air, making Liv tense. That was it—the signal. She readied Bellator, noticing that Plato had disappeared.
The first demon soared over her head, clawing through the air, legs pedaling like he was riding an invisible bike. He landed with a crunch in the untouched snow, his hands down and his focus on the goat, which was quickly getting away. The beast, an exceptionally ugly creature with red scales over its head and neck and a forked tongue, growled.
“Hey, Baldy, why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” Liv called to the monster, getting his attention at once.
He spun to her, a vicious snarl ripping from his mouth. The demon was taller and broader than her, and fast. However, she was prepared, swinging Bellator at him as he sprang in her direction. The blade cut across his chest, spraying black blood over the white snow.
“Oh, hell, I was going to make a snowman out of that snow,” Liv grumbled as the beast grabbed his chest, writhing in pain from being marked with Bellator. “You ruined everything with your blood. Oh, and also by being a nasty demon.”