by Sarah Noffke
“That doesn’t at all sound like a perfect scenario,” Plato said playfully.
“Ha-ha,” Liv stated.
“For now, just stay away from it. The House is changing, and maybe this is how it’s dispelling residual evil.”
“I don’t like it when you don’t know about things since you seem to know about everything,” Liv commented.
Plato agreed with a nod. “I don’t like it either. It makes me feel like the rest of you.”
Facing the Door of Reflection, Liv prepared herself for what she’d experience next. It was never easy to willingly walk into a nightmare. However, it was part of entering the Chamber of the Tree, and the experience had gotten easier. It was like exercise.
What Liv saw when she stepped through the Door of Reflection didn’t compute at first. She was standing in front of a closed door. Beside her was Clark, and constricting her chest was a white dress. For a long moment, she simply stared down at the strange garment that hung from her body and trailed behind her. Then Clark held out his arm to her with a pleasant smile on his face. “Are you ready to walk down the aisle?”
“No!” she yelled as she stumbled through the Door of Reflection. Everyone in the Chamber of the Tree stared at her.
Chapter Five
“Warrior Beaufont,” Hester said, her voice shrill. “Are you all right?”
Liv spun around to affirm that she’d stepped all the way through the Door of Reflection. She covered her mouth, mortified that she’d screamed out loud. With a slow nod, she turned back to the council, who were all regarding her with looks of concern.
The Chamber of the Tree was full, with every single Warrior present. To Liv’s surprise, standing on Decar’s spot was a slender young man with a black mohawk. She studied the council and found another stranger in the place where Adler had sat once. It was a woman of about twenty, her black hair short on one side and long on the other. In her nose was a loop, and many tattoos covered her arms and neck.
Before she could ask any questions, Haro waved her to her spot. “Warrior Beaufont, you’ve been through quite the ordeal. I’m certain that your consciousness is still processing the death of Adler Sinclair.”
“Which you’re responsible for,” the woman said.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Liv said, taking her spot next to Stefan.
“Ms. Beaufont, this is Kayla Sinclair, and beside you is Spencer Sinclair,” Bianca said. “They are the last two remaining Sinclairs, cousins of Adler and Decar. I assume you can understand how upsetting it was to find out that their only living relatives were murdered.”
“We don’t call it ‘murdered’ when people are stopped who were breaking the law,” Liv replied. “It’s call justice.”
“Regardless of your stance on my relatives’ conduct, it was still incredibly traumatic to learn that Adler and Decar were dead,” Kayla said.
“Of course it was,” Bianca said in a strangely soothing tone. “As it was for me.”
“Oh, really,” Liv challenged. “Did you know the Sinclair brothers well?”
Kayla shook her head. “You don’t have to know a relative to feel the pain of their loss.”
“And I’m guessing the council contacted you with the information?” Liv inquired.
Raina shook her head, a scrutinizing expression on her face as she eyed the new Councilor. “No, actually. Kayla and Spencer simply showed up. We were all surprised since we were unaware that there were any remaining Sinclairs.”
“How interesting,” Liv said, mulling over the strangeness of the new situation.
The white tiger stepped out from the shadows, a similar expression of scrutiny on his face. Liv’s back muscles twitched where Jude had attacked her when she was trying to unregister her magic, or at least she had experienced the hallucination that he did.
“If the introductions are over,” Lorenzo began, “then I think we better continue with House business. Spencer, are you ready for your first case? If you need more time to adjust, that’s understandable.”
“Wait, I wasn’t given any time to adjust,” Liv complained, remembering how Adler had insisted that she train at the same time that she took on cases.
Clark covered the side of his face with his hand, shaking his head.
“Well, it’s true,” Liv went on, seeing his disapproval. “I was told that the Beaufonts would be replaced in the House if I didn’t take on my Warrior responsibilities.”
“That’s true,” Haro said.
“That was simply because you abdicated your role as Warrior and gave up your magic,” Bianca said. “I think your loyalty was in question.”
“I think,” Hester began, “that it was Adler trying to set Warrior Beaufont up for failure. Now that we are aware of his end goals, much of his behavior has been illuminated.”
“Regardless of what’s happened in the past, I think it’s a good idea for Spencer to have time to adjust to his new role,” Lorenzo stated. “Maybe he could shadow one of the Warriors. Stefan, for instance.” He directed his attention to him, a stern expression in his eyes. “You’re working on the elf negotiations. I think that would be a good way for Spencer to learn.”
“Actually, I think working solo on this one is for the best,” Stefan answered at once.
“And I’m certain that Warriors don’t get a vote on such matters,” Kayla said.
So being an asshole runs in the Sinclair family, Liv thought.
“Although I’m sure you have the rule book already memorized on your first day,” Stefan began, “a Warrior’s opinion is taken under advisement. It was only under Adler’s dictatorship that absolute rule by the council happened.”
“I don’t appreciate the disrespectful banter regarding my deceased cousin,” Kayla said, sounding hurt.
It was an act. Liv knew it. But it was a waste of her efforts to point it out.
“Warrior Ludwig is correct though,” Haro stated. “And I’m sorry to admit that Adler did steamroll us more than once. At times, I wanted to object, but I didn’t, and for that, I’m sorry.”
“The matter of Spencer’s assignment is still up for discussion,” Lorenzo said. “I vote that he accompany Stefan. All those in favor.”
Four of the council members raised their hands.
“Then it’s settled,” Lorenzo said victoriously.
Liv wasn’t surprised that Haro had voted with Bianca, Kayla, and Lorenzo. He was strategic and probably thought Stefan would be a good trainer for Spencer. Based on the look on Stefan’s face, though, he disagreed. Liv knew he liked working alone, unless it was with her.
“And now that brings us to the topic of registering magicians,” Clark said. “Or rather, I’d like to propose that we unregister all.”
This bold suggestion got every one of the Councilors talking.
“So are you all right?” Stefan asked Liv in a low whisper.
“Yeah, why?”
“Because a minute ago you screamed ‘no’ when you stepped into the Chamber of the Tree. What did you see in the Door of Reflection? Was it Adler?”
Liv gulped. She didn’t want to lie to him. “No, it was something less sinister.”
“Not by the sound of your voice,” he said. “You seemed really adamant about something.”
How could she tell him that she’d had to face her commitment issues in the Door of Reflection without making him worried? Everything was moving too fast for her, and yet, she’d taken her time getting to this place with him. And currently, she had zero regrets about the relationship. Stefan was good for her. As a person, he didn’t make her want to puke. And as a man, he was pretty incredible. And as her boyfriend…
Liv couldn’t finish the thought right now, so she simply offered him a forced smile. “Are you looking forward to having a newbie Sinclair along for the ride?”
He shook his head. “No, and it’s curious that mustache wanted him paired up with me.” He indicated to Lorenzo with a small nod of his head.
The council was s
o engrossed in discussing the topic of unregistering magicians that they took no notice of Liv’s and Stefan’s conversation.
“Although under Adler’s rule, the registration system was abused, I don’t think that’s a good reason to think it will happen again,” Lorenzo said.
“Abused?” Clark questioned, his face red. “Our parents were killed. Our siblings. This isn’t a matter of abuse. This is about murder.”
“There is no evidence to prove my cousin did anything,” Kayla stated.
“He admitted to it,” Liv stated. “And I saw it in a vision.”
“I will remind you,” Bianca began, “that visions of the past aren’t reliable proof of guilt. They are impossible to prove.”
Clark sighed loudly. “The point remains that it’s wrong for us to force magicians to register their magic. It places too much power in the hands of the council, and until we have checks and balances in place, I don’t think we should keep requiring magicians to register. We most certainly shouldn’t punish them for not registering, as we’ve done in the past.”
“I would agree with this,” Trudy chimed in.
Liv knew the warrior had been conflicted by being assigned to force magicians to register their magic. She’d overlooked the law when she could, and been reprimanded for it by the council. Liv also knew that Trudy was keeping a secret about being a seer, and she could only wonder what visions of the future she’d been given.
“I propose that we table this conversation until the Mortal Seven are found,” Lorenzo stated.
“I second that,” Hester stated, turning her attention to Liv. “How is that going, by the way?”
“It’s going,” Liv answered at once, wishing that everyone in the Chamber wasn’t staring at her.
The names of the Mortal Seven families were illuminated on the tree trunk behind the council. However, it was only the surnames, with no first names written on the branches, like with the magician families.
“Do you care to expand on that?” Bianca asked.
Liv definitely didn’t want to give Miss B the satisfaction of knowing she hadn’t made any progress on figuring out how to locate the Mortal Seven or identify which one should become Councilor. She considered telling them about John, but that seemed like only anecdotal evidence at this point. She needed something more concrete.
Her phone rang in her pocket, a loud siren noise she’d never heard it make before.
“Ms. Beaufont, it is common knowledge that cell phones are to be silenced during these meetings,” Bianca said.
Liv pulled the phone from her pocket. “It is silenced.”
“Apparently it isn’t,” Kayla said, wearing the same snooty expression as Bianca. Those two were going to get along just fine.
“Oh, I get it,” Liv said, reading the caller ID.
“Get what?” Bianca asked, a sharp edge to her voice.
“Who is the only person who can make a phone ring even when it’s silenced?” Liv asked, backing toward the exit.
“Who?” Hester asked.
Liv held up her phone. “Father Time. Sorry, guys, but when the boss calls, I’ve got to take it.”
Chapter Six
Liv wasn’t sure if she was imagining it, but she could have sworn Kayla’s face constricted with tension when she mentioned Father Time. For that reason, she took a more convoluted route to Roya Lane on her way to see Papa Creola, remembering when Adler had followed her.
Of course, Papa Creola wouldn’t tell her what he wanted her to do. Instead, he simply said, “Get here now!”
To which she replied, “A please wouldn’t kill you.”
Apparently, it would have because he hung up on her.
Roya Lane was buzzing with excitement when Liv stepped through the portal. As usual, she got curious looks from passersby. However, unlike usual, the gnomes weren’t scowling at her and hiding their illegal wares, the elves weren’t pointing, and the fairies weren’t covering their mouths as they no doubt gossiped about her. Instead, many of the magical creatures waved to Liv like they were best friends reunited after a long time.
Twice a gnome came up and offered her a somewhat friendly handshake. An elf even gave her a piece of hemp candy, which she promptly put in the trash bin—not because she didn’t accept candy from strangers, but because elf food would make her hallucinate.
“She’s the one who stopped Adler Sinclair,” she heard someone say as she passed.
“Really shaking things up in the House of Fourteen,” someone else said.
“Things aren’t going to be the same now that Liv Beaufont woke mortals up,” another said.
Liv’s chest swelled with pride as the many people on the streets praised her. She hadn’t been sure how the information regarding mortals would be received by the other magical races. The council had been working with the different official head offices on a strategy, so she was out of the loop. This reminded her that she probably should have told the council about the meeting with the President of the United States, but it had skipped her mind, with the new Sinclairs randomly showing up.
It took Liv longer than usual, thanks to all those congratulating her, to get to the far side of the lane. She was just about to duck into The Fantastical Armory when something out of the corner of her vision caught her attention. She would have dismissed it and hurried in to see Papa Creola, but the image couldn’t be ignored.
King Rudolf Sweetwater was holding a baby doll to his chest and appeared to be trying to breast-feed it as he lovingly combed its plastic head. Liv ducked into a store full of magical nursery items like a teething balm that made all the baby’s teeth grow in overnight, making quick work of a usually slow process. There were also cribs that promised to put the baby to sleep, and rattles that silenced a crying baby. Literally, the rattle would make it so the screaming child couldn’t make a peep.
“Ummm…what are you doing?” Liv asked, sidling up next to the fae king.
“Shhh,” Rudolf said, pressing a finger to his lips. “I’ve almost got him or her to sleep.”
“It’s a baby doll,” Liv explained. “It doesn’t sleep, and I think the pink jumper it’s wearing means it’s a girl.”
“No one ever likes it when you stereotype,” Rudolf said, giving her a disgusted look.
“Oh? Well, I don’t like it when you use absolutes.” Liv pointed at the baby doll. “Again, what are you doing? Are you pretending to breast-feed that thing?”
He threw up the hand holding the doll, letting it dangle in the air. “Very well, Liv wants to talk, so I can’t put the baby to bed.” Rudolf tossed the doll into a nearby crib and stuck his hands on his hips. “Are you happy now? You’ve got my full attention, and the baby is going to be up all night. What do you want?”
Liv’s eyes widened with shock. “Ooookay. This is not awkward.”
Rudolf shook his head, his face softening. “I’m sorry. I’m just so stressed right now with the changes going on with the fae kingdom, my new business ventures, and Serena being pregnant.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, it’s true. We’ve launched a line of products and business is booming, but it leaves me little time to just chill, which makes Ruddy a very grumpy fellow.”
“First of all, that’s not what I was asking about,” Liv began. “Secondly, please don’t ever refer to yourself as ‘Ruddy.’”
He crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his bottom lip. “But Rudolf feels better when he talks about himself in the third person.”
Liv held up her hands, trying to calm the king, who looked close to throwing a tantrum. She glanced around for some sort of magical item that relaxed children but couldn’t find anything in the vicinity.
“Okay, what is this about Serena being pregnant? You two wasted no time.”
“Yeah, it’s true, which is why I was trying to get good at breastfeeding.”
“Ummm, you’re not the one who has to feed the baby,” Liv explained.
He huffed. “There you g
o again with that judgmental stereotyping. I guess just because I’m a man, I can’t nurse. Is that right?”
“Pretty much. And congrats. How far along is Serena?”
“I don’t know, a day or two,” Rudolf stated.
Liv arched an eyebrow at him. “Usually you can’t find out if someone is pregnant for several weeks.”
“Yes, but we’ve been doing it nonstop.”
Liv slammed her hands over her ears and shook her head. “I don’t want the details of your sex life.”
He gawked at her. “Who said anything about sex?”
“You just did.”
“No, I was referring to our secret handshake. Every time we make a deal or do something for the business, we shake on it. I think we’ve already done it like thirty-five times today. And yesterday was a doozy.”
“That’s not how babies are made,” Liv said.
“Are you sure?” Rudolf asked.
“Yes. You have to have sex to make a baby.”
“Oh, well, who has the time for that? With the new ventures and all the kingdom business, little Rudolf has been beat.”
Liv’s eyes fluttered shut with annoyance. “Ewww.”
“So, are you telling me that Serena isn’t pregnant?”
“I’m no doctor, but I’m guessing she’s not,” Liv said.
“Well, that’s probably for the best. I don’t have the time to nurse a baby right now, not to mention I wasn’t looking forward to getting fat.”
“Again, you aren’t the one… You know what, never mind.”
Chapter Seven
As usual, Liv felt dumber after her interaction with Rudolf. He had a good heart, though, and sometimes that gave her hope that he wouldn’t run the kingdom of the fae into the ground.
The Fantastical Armory was empty when she entered. Subner appeared to be busy working on something at the counter. There was a tiny, contained fire in the middle of a smooth, flat stone. The gnome was very focused as he peered into the orange and blue flames.