The Ferocious Force Read online

  Liv put her back to the feline. “Seriously, if you say you’re out for the night, why can’t you actually be out?”

  “I was,” he stated smugly.

  “Then how do you know what I ate for dinner?”

  “Because you left the takeout boxes in the trash.”

  “Why are you going through the trash?” Liv asked.

  “How else am I going to know what you had for dinner while I was away?”

  “You can simply ask,” Liv answered.

  He shook his head. “There’s no fun in that.”

  “You’re very strange. And I thought you were always watching me, even when you are away. How come you didn’t know what I had for dinner using your spyware or whatever you’ve got?”

  “I was in a place where I couldn’t get good reception on my Liv cam,” Plato stated.

  “Oh? Like where, I wonder?”

  “Other things you could wonder about would be how much sodium was in those nachos last night,” Plato said.

  “I’m sure it wasn’t—”

  “Three times your daily allotment,” Plato said, cutting her off. “And that’s for your intake as a magician.”

  “Are you lecturing me about my eating habits?” Liv asked.

  “Even though you’re allowed to eat five thousand calories a day, they don’t have to be from junk.”

  “Rory says desserts are best for magic restoration,” Liv argued.

  “And you had a pile of fried chips covered in melted cheese with steak. There was no sugar in it.”

  “Your point?”

  “Chocolate mousse would have filled your magic more and not made your fingers swell.”

  “Are you really advising me to eat sweets over nachos?” Liv asked.

  “I wouldn’t dream of telling you what to do,” Plato said. “But yes, I’m trying to help you to make better choices. If you want to live for more than one century, then you do have to be mindful about what you put in your body.”

  “It’s funny that you’re worried about queso being my demise,” Liv said with a laugh. “You were there when Shitkphace was trying to kill me, right? Or when Subner explained that I must cross molten lava on my next mission? Or when that druggie tried to cut me on the street this morning as he passed? My day job is pretty dangerous in case you haven’t noticed.”

  “Fixing appliances does come with some risks,” Plato said matter-of-factly.

  “I meant my other day job,” Liv said dryly. “So, what do you make of the new behavior of the ancient language?”

  “What do you think it means?”

  Liv gave him a scolding look. “That I need a new sidekick.”

  “Can you read it?” Plato asked, ignoring her remark.

  Liv squinted at the symbols. “I used to be able to, but for some reason, I’m struggling with it today. Anyway, it always says pretty much the same thing about the ancient chamber.”

  “Are you sure?” Plato asked, an undertone to his voice.

  Liv pulled out the Warrior ring and sighed. “No, apparently I’m not.” She ran the large gem over the symbols that were spreading out in large spirals, half-expecting them to translate into the message she’d read here a hundred times. However, this time, the words were different.

  “Stop the One and you’ll free us all,” the founders’ words read.

  “The One?” Liv asked. “Who could that be? And free us all? Is that referring to mortals?”

  “I couldn’t say,” Plato answered.

  Liv gave him a sideways glare. “You mean, you won’t say.”

  “Actually, isn’t it strange to you that the founders’ message here has changed?” Plato asked.

  Liv thought about that for a moment. The House of Seven constantly changed, like the long corridor here. Why shouldn’t the messages written in the ancient language change? But if they did, that begged one specific question. “Yeah. Like, who is writing it? I’d normally say the Founders, but are they doing that from beyond the grave? And how?”

  “All good questions,” Plato agreed.

  Liv shrugged. “Well, I’ll have to think about them. I don’t want to be late for the meeting with the Council.”

  “But you’re always late,” Plato questioned.

  “Yes, when Adler Sinclair is presiding over things.” Liv ambled toward the other side of the corridor, in the direction of the Chamber of the Tree.

  “Oh, and he’s absent, so you have no reason to be late and therefore irritate him,” Plato guessed.

  Liv spun. “Unless you think my tardiness will cause stress to Bianca Mantovani?”

  “I think your breathing does that,” Plato said simply.

  Liv swelled with pride. “I do try to get under that witch’s skin.”

  She continued on, stopping when almost to the Door of Reflection. “Is it just me, or is the Black Void a bit… Oh, I don’t know, spirally today?”

  The blackness ahead still had a foreboding quality to it, but today it was moving like a storm cloud on a dark night.

  “Something does seem to be brewing,” Plato answered.

  Liv took a step toward it, but like a cord was attached to her navel, she got a swift jerk backward. Glaring behind her, she expected to see that someone had yanked her back. There was nothing.

  “I guess I’m not supposed to enter the Black Void today,” she stated. “It just seems to mirror the pattern the ancient language is making.”

  “Then it sounds like more investigation is needed,” Plato offered. “I’d advise not to enter a place that you know nothing about, and no one else can see.”

  “By that logic, many discoveries wouldn’t have been made,” Liv said with defiance. “Like North America, for instance.”

  “And think how much better things might have been then,” Plato offered.

  Liv shook her head. “Okay, fine. I’ll stay away from the spiraling blackness that makes my insides crawl with unease. If you insist.”

  “I absolutely do,” Plato said calmly.

  Taking a step toward the Door of Reflection, Liv prepared herself for what would come next—her deepest, darkest subconscious fears revealing themselves in her mind’s eye.

  Chapter Three

  Liv stepped through the door that was like a pool of water to find herself wearing a tight evening gown. In the dream-like state, she turned around, looking at herself in a mirror. The dress was snug in places, making it hard to breathe, and worse than that, the neckline scooped dramatically, so her boobs were on display.

  A painful pinching sensation spread across her toes. Liv held up the heavy material of the dress to find she was wearing strange torture devices.

  Those are high heels, a voice in her head said.

  Liv did a full turn, horrified by the color of the dress she was wearing—freaking hot pink. Her head was suddenly churning with horror. It sent painful waves of panic down her spine. Filled her stomach with dread.

  And then she realized her nightmares were about wearing a dress.

  This must be about Rudolf’s wedding.

  She shook off the violent emotions and stepped through the Door of Reflection and into the Chamber of the Tree.

  The strangest noise greeted Liv’s ears. She’s never heard it in the chamber with the council. It was laughter.

  With a scrunched brow, Liv looked around, noticing that Stefan and Haro were chuckling and many of the others in the room wore amused expressions.

  “So then I told the elf that if he thought he created nightmares, he must have been responsible for me,” Stefan stated. “Then I shot him with my bow and arrow.”

  Haro slapped his hand on the bench in front of him. “That’s priceless.”

  “What does the High Elf Council think about it? That you’re taking out their most wanted to earn their favor?” Bianca asked, a pinched expression on her face as if the tight-fitting gown she was wearing smelled of pickles. Liv shuddered, thinking of the awful dress she had been wearing in the image in the Door of Reflect
ion. She had to stop herself from clawing at her flesh like she had on the conforming dress again. With relief, Liv glanced down at the t-shirt and jeans she was wearing under her loose cape.

  “I haven’t met with the High Elf Council yet,” Stefan answered.

  “Why not?” Lorenzo asked.

  “Because my strategy is to take out all the direct threats to the elves to earn their favor first,” Stefan stated.

  “But then you will make them invincible,” Lorenzo said, sounding suddenly nervous.

  Stefan turned his head to the side as if he hadn’t heard the council member quite right. “Ummm…my idea is to earn their loyalty. I can’t do that unless I take out their enemies. All of them.”

  “Or you could just take out a few and earn it that way,” Lorenzo countered.

  “I was thinking—”

  “I agree with Councilor Rosario,” Bianca said smugly. “I think we are wasting our resources by having you take out all the enemies of the elves. You should try to approach the negotiations now.”

  Hester leaned forward, giving Bianca and Lorenzo an expression that could mostly be described as saying, “Are you two as batty as hell?”

  “I’m certain that Warrior Ludwig knows the right strategy here,” Hester argued. “He’s made it farther than anyone else so far with these negotiations. I say we let him continue at his own speed.”

  “Although it appears that he’s made it farther,” Lorenzo stated, “I think it’s an illusion. He’s simply yet to meet a roadblock, but one could be ahead.”

  “I’m okay with Warrior Ludwig continuing as he has,” Clark stated with new confidence.

  Haro, Raina, and Hester agreed at once, nodding.

  Bianca’s and Lorenzo’s expression showed their disapproval. Before they could protest, Raina swung an invisible hammer, making an echoing sound around the chamber.

  “Then it’s been decided,” she sang, “Warrior Ludwig will continue to fight evil while also forging a path to a true alliance.”

  The other council members laughed, cheering for Raina’s enthusiasm. It was like a window had been opened in the chamber, making it feel like a spring day.

  Liv gave Stefan a cautious look. “Did I miss happy hour before the meeting? Everyone is a good mood.”

  “Not everyone,” he said from the corner of the mouth.

  She knew what he meant immediately. Bianca and Lorenzo seemed angrier than usual as they scrolled through their codices.

  “Should I stay to see your show?” he asked.

  With a minute shake of her head, Liv said, “There won’t be anything to see.”

  “That’s hard to believe,” he said, rocking back on his heels, his hands behind his back.

  “Ms. Beaufont,” Bianca said, regarding Liv with her usual disdain. “Why are you here? We thought you had cases with Father Time.”

  “I do,” Liv stated with finality.

  “Then why are you here?” Lorenzo asked.

  “Oh, to tell you that I will be working with Father Time for a bit,” Liv said. Diabolos swooped down, pecking just inches from Liv’s feet. She smiled meekly at the council, realizing that he was calling her out as a liar.

  Hester waved off any frustration, continuing to laugh good-naturedly. “I’m sure whatever you’re doing with Father Time is none of our business. We will leave you to do what you’ve got to do.”

  Really? Liv wondered cautiously. There wasn’t any eye-rolling or insults being hurled her way. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself.

  “I think it’s obvious that Ms. Beaufont isn’t being forthright with us about her projects,” Bianca said.

  “I’d like to be,” Liv began. “However, Father Time prefers that I keep my work private since he’s not sure who can be trusted.”

  Bianca rolled her eyes.

  There it was, Liv thought.

  “We are the Council for the House of Seven,” Bianca said in a scolding tone. “We can obviously be trusted with the details of your cases.”

  “I don’t know,” Haro argued, combing his hand over his chin. “If Father Time says you should keep them private, Warrior Beaufont, I would encourage you to do so. We all believe we can be trusted, but that’s beside the point. Sometimes, there are details we are simply not ready to comprehend.”

  Liv blinked up at the council member, wondering if he knew about her case regarding the Mortal Seven. There were many in the magicals who weren’t ready for that information. It would shatter their world. It would create chaos. That was why Liv knew when the time came, she had to reveal the information in the most constructive way possible. Mortals shouldn’t be punished, and magicians had to find a way to assimilate the change.

  Finally, Liv nodded, backing away from her spot. “Okay, well, I’ll be back when Father Time releases me.”

  She nearly tripped over Jude, the white tiger, who had somehow soundlessly laid himself out right behind her. Liv righted herself before stepping on the animal. She spun around, her heart suddenly racing, and nearly fell onto Diabolos.

  Liv’s chin flipped up to find Stefan and the council regarding her with curious stares. Bianca’s mouth was actually hanging open.

  “I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” Haro stated, indicating to Liv’s predicament of being sandwiched in between the regulators in the Chamber of the Tree.

  “Me either,” Clark said, shaking his head at her.

  “What could it mean?” Raina asked.

  “That she’s simultaneously telling the truth and hiding something,” Lorenzo offered.

  “She’s lying,” Bianca fired, throwing an accusatory finger at Liv.

  “I-I-I’m not,” she said as Diabolos pecked at her boot. She felt something press into her calf and noticed that Jude rubbed his face against her.

  “Did you wash your clothes with raw meat again?” Stefan asked with a chuckle.

  Liv shook her head. She was too perplexed to make light of this situation.

  “Is there anything you want to share with us, Ms. Beaufont?” Lorenzo asked, then added, “Regarding your work for Father Time or anything else.”

  Carefully Liv stepped away from the tiger and the crow, backing toward the Door of Reflection. “Not at this time. But as soon as I can, I will,” she said and sped for the exit.

  Chapter Four

  Adler Sinclair wasn’t as young as he used to be. The climb to the summit of the Matterhorn had proven that. However, he had been able to rely on his magic to make the trek, unlike Guinevere and Theodore Beaufont, who’d had their magic locked when they were here. That was the last time Adler had been on the Matterhorn. The last time he saw the Beaufonts. The last time anyone had seen them.

  Adler knew it was preposterous, but he felt like their ghosts were there, haunting him. Each time a wind howled past his ears, sounding strangely like words—threats—he told himself it wasn’t real. That the hike was making him crazy. That the guilt was eating him up.

  He kicked snow out of his path, thinking he couldn’t go on any farther. The harsh conditions, even during the warm season, made the trek arduous. This wouldn’t have been so excruciatingly painful if Indikos hadn’t deserted him. For miles, Adler had told himself how wronged he been to have his dragon disappear. Indikos had grown increasingly distant over the last several months.

  Adler sighed. Who was he kidding? The dragon had always been distant, even though all of Adler’s research had said miniature dragons and their companions had a bond akin to one with a rider. Indikos had always been there, but never truly present. And now he wasn’t even that, Adler thought bitterly.

  This time of year, mortal hikers were bountiful on the Matterhorn. It annoyed Adler that he had to cloak himself in order to stay hidden from them. That had burned through magical energy he might need for other things. It just proved that mortals were useless, causing more problems than they were worth.

  Thankfully, most of the mortals were on a different path that would take them to the Solvay Hut, a refuge
for hikers. It was the mortal version of the broadcasting facility—a tiny house with inadequate amenities.

  Adler was headed for the facility Talon had constructed ages ago in the opposite direction. It wasn’t a shabby hut that offered respite to weary travelers. It was a sturdy structure that housed one of the most important pieces of magical tech in the history of mankind. And not only was it hidden from mortals, but it was also cloaked to prevent magical creatures from finding it.

  The signal that broadcasted inside the facility wasn’t electronic, like most thought of magic tech these days. There were no wires or circuits. It was mechanics and gears, coupled with a rare magical force. Together they combined to create a signal that when broadcast out into the world, prevented mortals from seeing magic.

  It was a simple enough theory: Interrupt the signals in their brains that were receptive to magic, and then they couldn’t see it. That had been the first thing the God Magician had done after winning the Great War. Then he’d erased the history and buried it forever in the Forgotten Archives. The book and the magic tech had been his creations. There was a reason he’d won the war and overthrown the entire House—he was better than the rest.

  And so was I, Adler thought.

  Soon he and Talon would take over the Council, and rule as they were meant to. That was the way it had been supposed to be, but Father Time had stopped Talon, putting him into hiding all this time. That had given the Royals time to recover, and the ancestors of the Founders slowly came into power.

  By the time Talon’s relatives were old enough to take their positions as Councilor and Warrior, the House of Seven was well formed. That had made it tougher for the Sinclairs to rise to power, but not impossible. Adler had made great progress in his time, protecting that which the God Magician had started. It was their greatest family secret, and the one worth protecting for all time.

  Things hadn’t gone entirely to plan. What was supposed to be the House of Sinclair had become the House of Seven. The Royals had returned to power. However, the signal was still broadcasting, and the Forgotten Archives were still hidden in the lost city of Atlantis. And Father Time was back, which meant he could be killed. Then the One would rise to full power, as he had always intended.