by Sarah Noffke
Chapter Nine
Liv had rushed to her apartment as soon as she’d gotten the message from Sophia. It didn’t sound urgent, but there was definitely concern in her voice, although she hadn’t expanded on what was wrong. The little magician had only said that she wanted Liv to come home when she could to see something.
When she was almost to her door, she recognized the giant standing out front. However, Rory didn’t quite look like himself. He was wearing a Renaissance costume, with his hair pulled back into a small ponytail and…makeup.
Liv halted at the sight of him, tilting her head to the side. “Are you wearing tights?”
“No,” he answered, then shook his head. “Yes, I guess that’s what they are.”
“And is that blush on your cheeks?”
“It’s stage makeup,” he answered expressionlessly.
“Because?”
He held up his phone, displaying a message from Sophia. “She told you to come here too?”
Liv nodded. “Yes, but don’t think you can distract me from my line of questioning. Why do you have on eyeliner?”
“It’s for a thing I’m doing,” he replied vaguely.
“Does this thing have anything to do with your mysterious occupation?” Liv asked.
He shook his head. “No, this is my outlet. I do this because my job doesn’t allow for much creativity.”
“I believe that’s the most you’ve told me about your job,” Liv said as she stepped around him. “We’re going to talk about this get-up you’re wearing and why in just a minute. First, let’s go check on Soph.”
Rory agreed with a nod, following Liv inside. Thankfully, the place appeared to be in order. Liv ran to Sophia’s room, calling for her.
“I’m in here,” she replied, her voice coming from the bathroom.
Liv gave Rory a hesitant expression, and he immediately halted.
“You go ahead,” he stated. “I’ll wait out here.”
Carefully, Liv slid back the door to the restroom, peeking her head through. “Soph, is everything all right?”
The girl wasn’t sick, as she had expected. Instead, she was trying to pull her egg across the marble floor on a small rug. The egg, which Liv had last seen this morning, was strangely bigger.
With a tired sigh, Sophia stood, wiping her hand across her brow. “I’m fine, but I could definitely use some help.”
Confused, Liv stepped backward, waving Rory into the bathroom. “It’s fine for you to come in.”
“What’s going on, Soph?” he asked, coming into the bathroom. His eyes widened at the sight of the egg, which somehow was twice the size it had been that morning. Before, it had been about the size of a football. Now it was more like a beach ball.
“I’m not sure,” she said, indicating the dragon egg. “Is it normal for him to grow so fast?”
Rory scratched his head. “I’m not sure. I have limited experience with dragon eggs. Well, with dragons in general, really.”
Sophia sighed. “Yeah, I figured. I looked in the book, and it didn’t say anything about it.”
“Why are you in the bathroom?” Liv asked.
“He says he’s cold, and I figured the easiest way to warm him up would be to run him a hot bath,” she explained.
“Good idea,” Liv said. “But how are you going to get him in and out of the bath?”
“That’s one reason I need your help,” Sophia answered. “Also, I’m worried that if he keeps growing so fast, we might have to move out.”
Liv shook her head. “No way. You’re staying with me. It’s safe here.”
“Soph is right, though,” Rory mused. “The dragon might need a place that’s more conducive to his growth. They usually prefer it really hot. Dragons often have their eggs under mountains or close to a volcano.”
“Well, my little sister isn’t moving to a mountain, so we’re going to have to figure something else out,” Liv said with authority.
“Rory, would you mind helping me, please?” Sophia asked, pointing to the blue egg. “He says he’s really cold.”
The giant nodded. “I think this is a good sign. He’s gone through a growth spurt.”
“Oh, do you think he’ll hatch soon?” Liv asked, both excited and nervous about the possibility. She wasn’t sure she was ready for whatever came next when the dragon hatched. Would Sophia be pulled away by the demands of being a dragon rider? She was still so young.
The little magician shook her head. “No, he says I’m not ready yet.”
“Wait, you’re not ready?” Liv questioned. “He’s the one incubating in a shell.”
Rory halted before picking the egg up, studying Sophia. “Have you had a growth spurt lately? You look bigger?”
She glanced down at her body and shrugged. “I think so. I did notice that my dress was a bit shorter this morning.”
Liv studied her sister, noting that the green and blue paisley dress hit her just above the knee, whereas before it had been closer to her calf.
“Wait, are you saying the dragon had a growth spurt because Sophia did?” Liv inquired.
Rory thought for a moment. “It’s possible. They are linked. And if he’s saying you’re not ready, that might mean you need to grow a bit more, Soph.”
“But I don’t want her to grow up,” Liv complained.
The giant turned, giving her a serious expression. “You realize this is inevitable, right?”
“I know, but I want her to remain young and innocent a bit longer,” Liv stated.
“And she will, but Sophia’s growth is tied to her dragon’s egg now,” Rory said. “There’s not a lot of information on this subject since the Elite guard the information pretty tightly.”
“The Elite?” Sophia asked.
“That’s the group of dragon riders,” Rory explained. “For years, many thought they were gone, but I think they are just laying low. I’ve been trying to contact them to make them aware of you since you’ll be joining them at some point.”
Liv wasn’t sure how she felt about any of this. She wanted to be happy for her sister, but how could she when it sounded like a strange group would be stealing her away in the future. And dragon riders had the most dangerous roles, protecting magic. How could she not worry about her sister?
“So these Elite,” Liv began. “Have they responded?”
Rory shook his head. “But I’m not a dragon rider, so they have no reason to talk to me.”
“They sound sort of snobbish,” Liv stated.
“Well, they are called ‘the Elite,’” Rory related.
“True. Maybe Sophia should contact them. Then she can find out if this growth spurt is normal or what to expect,” Liv suggested.
“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” Rory said, bending over to pick up the egg.
No one else had touched the egg since Sophia magnetized to it besides when Adler stole it. However, if the dragon needed to get warm, Rory was going to have to pick it up. The egg must have been extremely heavy because Rory grunted, struggling to lift it higher than his waist. Liv had seen him pick up boulders, and, well, her. It surprised her that the egg weighed more.
Carefully he laid the egg in the bath, which was already full of steaming-hot water. It bobbed around for a bit before settling into place.
“We are going to have to figure something out, because I’m going to need a shower later, and prefer not to do it with a dragon’s egg,” Liv said.
“You could try adding another bathroom,” Rory suggested. “You’ve already turned this once-tiny place into a penthouse.”
“Yeah, but I’m not really good with plumbing,” Liv stated. “The fountain in the atrium is about as good as I could do about adding anything that involved water.”
“And it has flooded the living room six times already,” Sophia said with a giggle.
“Hey,” Liv chirped, folding her arms over her chest.
“Yes, Liv can release all mortals from brainwashing, but she can’t magick a simple
bathroom,” Rory said with a laugh.
“And you’re wearing eyeshadow,” Liv fired back. “Care to tell us why?”
He sighed. “Because I’m in a play, obviously.”
“Why would that be obvious to anyone?” Liv asked.
“Because acting is one of my hobbies,” Rory stated.
Liv huffed. “Who are you? I don’t even know.”
Rory glanced at Sophia. “You knew I was active in the local theater, right?”
Sophia held up her hands. “Oh, no. Leave me out of this one.”
Rory strode for the exit. “Come on, Liv. I’ll help you add an extra bathroom. Plumbing pulls on elemental magic, which means it will be easier for me to do.”
She followed him out of the bathroom. “Not to mention, those tights probably help.”
He gave her a sideways look. “How do you figure?”
“I don’t know. They tighten up your magic, maybe.” Liv was surprised to find Clark standing in the middle of her living room when they exited the bathroom. He had a worried expression on his face, which was typical. In his hands was the Forgotten Archives.
“Is there a reason you all were in the bathroom together?” Clark asked.
“Yes, we were doing Rory’s makeup,” Liv answered. “We can do yours next if you like.”
Sophia giggled. “I think you’d look nice with a bit of mascara.”
“I don’t,” Clark said at once. “And I don’t have time to play dress-up.” He looked Rory up and down, obviously confused by his costume. He didn’t seem to know that Rory was active in the theater either.
“What’s going on?” the giant asked, pointing to the book in Clark’s hands. “Have you found something helpful?”
Clark nodded. “Yes, and it changes absolutely everything.”
Chapter Ten
“If you wanted our attention, you have it,” Liv said, impatiently watching as Clark flipped through the Forgotten Archives. The book, much like Mysterious Creatures, was huge, although it appeared to be a compact little volume.
“Hold on.” Clark held up a single finger as his eyes scanned the page. “I want to find the exact passage so that I get it right.”
“But aren’t there a thousand pages or more in that book?” Liv asked.
“Probably more like two thousand,” Rory stated.
“And we still have a home remodel project to do,” Liv said, trying to hurry Clark up.
He huffed and slapped the book shut. “Fine. I think I remember most of what I read. The book is complicated, and the history isn’t told in a linear fashion.”
“Because time isn’t linear, according to Papa Creola,” Liv stated.
“Apparently, when the House of Fourteen was created and the Mortal Seven were asked to join,” Clark began, “they had hesitation about their roles. They were worried they would be targeted by magicians or other magical creatures who didn’t like their rule.”
“Smart mortals, since later they were pushed out of the House and brainwashed,” Liv stated.
“And they also felt defenseless since they didn’t have magic,” Clark continued. “So the Magician Seven, led by Bernard Beaufont, decided to give each of the mortals a gift. These gifts were meant to protect the Mortal Seven from attacks by magical creatures who wanted to harm them based on their position. However, there was another purpose. The original Mortal Seven were picked because they were pure enough of heart and thought to uphold justice related to magic. Since mortals don’t live as long, the Magician Seven knew they’d need a way to easily replace the mortals on the council. Unlike magicians, who are appointed based on birth order or picked by the highest-ranking council member in the family, there wasn’t a system for picking the right person as successor from each family.”
This was more complicated than Liv had originally considered. The role of Warrior and Councilor for magicians was full of rules and regulations. It involved all sorts of technicalities and details that families had to observe. For instance, since there were only siblings left in the Beaufont family, the Councilor was the oldest child of odd birth order, and Warriors were the even-numbered.
That meant Clark had taken the role as Councilor, and one day he would choose his and Liv’s successors. If he got married, he could appoint his wife as Warrior, or one of his children. Liv, as Warrior, had to respect his decision, as was expected of all decisions the Councilors made. However, things would be different for the Mortal Seven, since there was only one of them and they’d have to be replaced more often due to their shorter lifespan.
“The thing that is stressed in the Forgotten Archives is that the Mortal Seven needed to be pure of heart,” Clark continued. “Councilors are supposed to interpret the law and assign cases. I always thought we had a huge role, but what I realize now is that the magicians on the council were really there to guide and advise the Mortal Seven. Back in the day, their vote outweighed ours because they were thought to be more objective about magical issues.”
“That makes sense,” Liv said. “Mortals not having any magic but governing it makes them way more objective than us.”
Rory agreed with a nod.
“That’s the reason it was important for the right Councilor to be picked from each mortal family,” Clark explained.
“And this gift the magicians gave them was supposed to help with determining who was picked?” Rory asked.
“Yes,” Clark answered, again flipping through the book.
“So what was the object they gave them?” Liv questioned, irritated that Clark was stalling, trying to find the right page out of two thousand. Hadn’t he heard of a bookmark?
“It wasn’t an object,” Clark corrected. “It was an animal. A chimera, to be exact.”
“What?” Rory asked, his mouth falling open. “But they are incredibly rare.”
“Yes,” Clark stated. “And these were the seven most powerful ones in the world. They are immortal, spelled to bond to the most pure-hearted in each Mortal Seven family, and also charged with protecting that person with their life. When they do pass, the chimera moves on, attaching itself to the next person in the family.”
“And that’s how the House of Fourteen knew who the next Councilor was,” Liv guessed.
“Exactly!” Clark said enthusiastically.
“This does change everything,” Liv said suddenly breathless. “So once I track down a family member, I just have to find the person who has a part-lion-goat-serpent following them around. That should be easy.”
“It won’t be, though,” Clark cut in, his face serious.
“Of course, it won’t,” Liv said dryly. “It never is.”
“I believe the chimera would have to have disguised itself, especially once magic was hidden from mortals,” Clark explained.
“So you think the chimeras are still out there, attached to the Mortal Seven?” Sophia asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Clark stated. “But since we haven’t heard any reports of chimeras, I think they are disguised as regular pets.”
“Pickles!” Liv said triumphantly, thinking of John’s terrier.
Clark shook his head, that familiar serious expression back on his face. “I knew you’d go there immediately, but it’s important not to get your hopes up. Pickles could be a chimera, which would make John Carraway one of the Mortal Seven. However, he could also just be a dog.”
“So how am I going to find out who in each family has the chimera, making them the Councilors for the House of Fourteen?” Liv asked.
Rory ran his hands through his hair, pulling it out of the low ponytail. “I think I can help with that. Or at least, I believe my mum can. She spent a lot of time researching chimeras. She should know the spell for revealing a disguised chimera. All of this makes perfect sense. The chimeras would have all taken on acceptable forms at the time the mortals were spelled, but they would remain locked in those forms until something released them. That would be for their safety as well as their master’s. The spell for releas
ing them is ancient, but if anyone knows what it is, it will be my mum.”
“Well, Shakespeare, lead the way to Bermuda,” Liv said, holding out her hand. “I’m sure she can’t wait to see me since I’m her favorite person.”
“Okay, but don’t mention anything about the play,” he said, twirling his finger and changing before their eyes into his regular clothes. His makeup disappeared, and his hair returned to its normal wild and curly appearance.
“Because?” Liv asked.
“Because she thinks it’s a waste of my talents, and I should be devoting my time to other things,” Rory related bitterly.
“Like your daily yoga practice?” Liv asked, making Sophia giggle.
“She doesn’t know about that either,” Rory said, making for the door.
“How about your knitting hobby?” Liv continued, following him.
“Nope,” he answered.
Liv glanced over her shoulder at her siblings. “Oh, the material for blackmail just keeps adding up.”
Chapter Eleven
“Why did you have me portal us to the fae kingdom?” Liv asked, taking three steps to each of Rory’s to keep up with him.
“Because,” he said.
“That’s not really an answer,” she stated. “That’s the beginning of an answer. And I just saw Rudolf, and my brain cells are still recovering from the experience.”
Rory halted and looked down at her. “I’m taking you to see my mum.”
Liv glanced around at the flashy slot machines in the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. “What is your mum doing here?” A moment later, she lowered her voice. “Oh, is she getting into some Sin City business?”
Rory rolled his eyes. “No. And I don’t even know what that could possibly mean.”
“I don’t either, but that’s because I’m a good kid.”
“You’re not either,” he said, striding forward again. “And Mum is here helping Serena with something or another.”