The Rebellious Sister

by Sarah Noffke

  Liv laughed abruptly and loudly. “Magic? That’s ridiculous. I’m sure there’s an explanation. I bet it has a built-in battery.”

  Shane scratched his head, staring at the printer. “I don’t know…”

  Liv waved off his skepticism. “Now I remember. This model does come with a backup battery that will last for a little while until you plug it in. That will recharge the it for the next time you need to use the printer off the grid.”

  “‘Battery?’” Shane questioned. “‘Off the grid?’ Is that really a thing printers have now?”

  Liv laughed. “Oh, where have you been? Of course, they do.”

  Shane let out a giant breath. “Well, that’s a relief. I really didn’t know what to make of this. I thought I was losing my mind.”

  “Not quite yet,” Liv answered, turning her attention back to her current project and silently dismissing Shane.

  He nodded, picking the printer back up with a grunt. “Well, thanks. And I appreciate you upgrading it to color. That’s a nice feature.”

  “You’re welcome.” Liv kept her eyes down as Shane exited, working to keep her expression neutral.

  When the front door was shut, Liv let out a breath. “Well, that was close.”

  “How many of the other appliances you fixed are doing strange things, do you think?” Plato asked.

  “If I know my luck, all of them.”

  “What are you going to do?” Plato questioned.

  “Move away,” Liv answered. “But seriously, how do I fix things with magic without getting unintended consequence?”

  Plato thought for a moment. “Maybe try fixing exactly what’s wrong.”

  Liv nodded. “Yeah. Most of the stuff I fixed, I just zapped it until it worked.”

  “Which meant that the magic would fix anything that was wrong, or even lacking.”

  “But if I know what’s wrong and target that…”

  “Then you won’t have hand mixers that can make a cake without help,” Plato said, finishing her sentence.

  Liv’s hand shot to her mouth. “Mrs. Holly. I hope the blender and hand mixer haven’t taken over her house.”

  “I bet the old loon doesn’t think a thing about it,” Plato said. “And if she does tell anyone, they’ll just think it’s another of her far-fetched tales.”

  Liv nodded. No one was going to believe Mrs. Holly, but there were other clients who could cause a stir if their devices were working without electricity or trying to launch rocket ships.

  “You made this?” Rory asked, turning the hand-held device over in his fingers.

  “Well, I more or less put it together,” Liv answered.

  Rory switched on the device and watched as the needle toggled back and forth before pointing directly at Liv.

  She furrowed her brow. “Why isn’t it pointing at you?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know how you have this calibrated.”

  “It’s supposed to point to the largest store of magic,” Liv explained. “I figured that would lead us to the leeched energy.”

  Rory lifted an eyebrow. “Then between you and me, the meter is stating you’re more powerful.”

  Liv waved him off. “The House mentioned that my magic would even out. It’s surging because I just had it unlocked.”

  Rory gave her an unconvinced look. “I’ve never heard of that before, but I also don’t know many who have had their magic locked. Just those magicians who don’t cooperate with the House.”

  “Anyway, do you think it will work?” Liv asked, taking the device back.

  “There’s only one way to find out,” Rory replied. “But remember that I can’t get into those tunnels, so you’re on your own.”

  Liv pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Yeah, but it will be just like you’re there the entire time.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “So where is the hole?” Liv asked, looking around for the hidden tunnel.

  Rory pointed. “It’s straight ahead.”

  Like a blind person, Liv reached forward, feeling across the concrete wall.

  “The entrance is over here,” Plato said from several feet away, looking up at the wall.

  Liv glanced at Rory. “How long were you going to let me grope the wall before you told me?”

  A smile cracked his face. “You’d have found it eventually.”

  “Giants are awful people,” Liv said to Plato.

  “I could have told you that,” the cat said before jumping through the wall and disappearing.

  Liv found the edge of the hole and began climbing through, careful to not fall on the other side. When she was safely on the ground, she raised her phone. Thankfully, she still had reception due to the magical enhancements the House had made to the device. She video-called Rory, hearing his phone ring only a few feet away.

  After three rings she said, “Would you pick up already?”

  “I don’t want to seem too antsy,” Rory answered.

  “Oh, for the love of all that is holy!”

  Rory picked up after the next ring. “Hello, this is Rory.”

  Liv blinked at him on the phone. “Yeah, I sort of knew that, dumbass.”

  He shook his head. “Who is this? I can’t make out your face in the dark.”

  Then, “Oh, it’s Liv,” Rory said, recognition dawning in his voice. “I can see your face now.”

  “Ha-ha.” Liv held her hand up, recreating the ball of light without having to mutter the incantation this time.

  She pulled out the magic meter she’d constructed from the bag strapped to her side and turned it on. At first, the needle toggled back and forth, halting on her for a moment before spinning in the opposite direction.

  “Apparently you’re not the most powerful source of magic down here,” Plato said, looking at the device.

  Ahead she spied the green light she’d seen before and slid up next to the wall. “The Zonks are here,” she said in a whisper.

  “Just avoid offending them and they should ignore you,” Rory’s voice came through the phone on her butt. “You can do that right? Not be offensive for once?”

  Liv thought for a moment. “I’m not sure I can. It might pain me.”

  “Well, then suffer,” Rory answered.

  Liv continued down the tunnel. “How do you know they will ignore me and not try to take a bite out of my body like before?”

  “Zonks are used to ignoring humans while working,” Rory explained. “They usually go unnoticed above ground, blending into their surroundings, but in this location, they aren’t disguising their appearance. That probably means they are using most of their magic to fix whatever the problem is.”

  “I’d be disguising myself too if I looked like them,” Liv said. “However, I don’t think there’s enough Botox and plastic surgery to fully fix their ugly faces.”

  “Remember what I said about not being offensive,” Rory stated.

  “Right,” Liv chirped. “But that just means I have to insult you extra.”

  “Whatever it takes,” Rory agreed.

  When the tunnel split, Liv followed the meter, which pointed to the right, the opposite direction from where the fairies’ green light was radiating.

  Ahead she spied a shimmering figure. “I’ve located another ghost. Do you think that’s the source of the magic?”

  “Doubtful,” Plato answered. “One ghost wouldn’t hold more power than you.”

  Another transparent figure walked through a wall, falling into line behind the first.

  “How about two?” Liv asked.

  “There are two ghosts?” Rory questioned.

  “Three, actually,” Plato answered when another ghost slipped down from the ceiling, joining the others, which were marching forward like zombies.

  “Three still wouldn’t be enough,” Rory stated. “In order to have more magic than you, I’m thinking it would have to be more like ten or twelve ghosts.”

  “Damn,” Liv breathed, surprised.

  She
continued following them, keeping a safe distance from the ghosts, who were approaching a lit room ahead on the left.

  A set of voices echoed from the area. Plato halted first, sidling up against the wall. His ears tilted as he listened.

  “There are two men talking,” he said when Liv looked down at him curiously.

  “Be careful, Liv,” Rory warned. “Whoever is up there has this major source of magic.”

  “How do we know they aren’t the actual source?” Liv asked in a whisper.

  “We don’t,” Rory answered. “Get a closer look but don’t get caught.”

  “Copy that.” Liv slid up against the wall as a ghost disappeared around the corner. She sensed something behind her and turned to find yet another ghost approaching.

  “As long as the conductor is on, they’ll continue to come,” a man said up ahead. “However, we are going to have to shut it down soon to recharge.”

  “If those damn fairies would stop blocking our efforts, we would be done already,” another man said.

  “Yeah, whatever they are doing is hindering the ghosts from coming through any entrance but this one,” the first man said. “But look, we are still getting a few through here.”

  The other man laughed, a cold, hollow sound. “Only a few hundred more and we’ll have enough.”

  “But like I said, we need to shut this down in a few minutes.”

  “Well, I need to grab something to eat anyway,” the other man said.

  Liv looked down at Plato, her eyes widening. They didn’t have much time. She needed to get closer and see what they were dealing with. She sped up soundlessly. When she reached the entrance to the room, Liv froze, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

  She slipped it around the side of the door so that Rory could see what was in the room before she did. Once she was sure he had gotten a good look, she held the phone up and looked at him straight on. His face had gone completely slack.

  He mouthed the words, “Get out now.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Liv’s heart was racing as she slid through the hole in the wall. Before her feet even hit the ground, Rory grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her forward.

  “Look, just because you’re bigger and stronger, you can’t pull me around like a ragdoll,” she scolded as he half-dragged her down the tunnel.

  “Can’t I, though?” he asked, his voice gruff.

  “What did you see?” Liv asked when he’d slowed a bit.

  “A magic battery powered by ghosts,” Plato answered.

  Rory nodded. “They have something that attracts ghosts, and then they walk into a large conduit. It looked like they were trapped in there.”

  “That’s the leeched source of magic?” Liv asked.

  “Yes, and I recognized one of the men,” Rory added. “His name is Valentino, and he’s not the kind of magician you want to mess with. He’s been creating trouble for giants and elves for a long time.”

  “And now it sounds like he’s trapping ghosts,” Liv stated.

  Rory stopped when they surfaced from the underground tunnels. “It makes perfect sense. He traps the ghosts, and they power the magical source.”

  “The question is, what is he going to do with all that energy?” Liv posed.

  A troubled look crossed Rory’s face. “It’s not good. We’re going to have to shut him down.”

  “’We?’” Liv questioned. “You can’t even get down there. I need a plan. Maybe the House can help me? If there is that much energy, I shouldn’t risk going in there on my own.”

  Rory nodded. “Yeah, I think this case just got a little out of your league.”

  Adler's eyelids fluttered with annoyance when Liv finished telling the Councilors what she’d found. She was the only Warrior in the Chamber of the Tree.

  “Do you have any evidence of this thing you’ve seen?” he asked.

  “No, but—”

  “And you didn’t see it with your own eyes, is that right?” Bianca questioned.

  “Well, no, but my cat did,” Liv said, wishing that Plato was standing beside her instead of hiding somewhere in the room.

  “A lynx, you mean,” Adler corrected. “They are notorious for being untrustworthy.”

  “Not Plato,” Liv said defiantly. She couldn’t tell them that Rory had also seen the source of the magic because mentioning a giant would immediately discredit the story, not to mention that they’d find out that she was working with Rory and Clark would probably die from mortification.

  Adler sighed. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what you expect us to do here.”

  “There’s a man named Valentino, and he’s trapping ghosts,” Liv explained for the third time. “We need to go after him.”

  “We aren’t Warriors,” Adler stated. “You are, and it sounds like the problem is with the Zonks. You saw them with your own eyes putting a strange substance into the walls.”

  “Ugly fairies aren’t the problem,” Liv insisted, catching the frustrated expression on Clark’s face. His face had grown more annoyed as she’d told the Councilors what she’d seen.

  Adler tapped his fingers impatiently on the bench. “Do you know that Zonks are notorious for creating disturbances all over the world? They hide behind this persona of being helpful, but they are actually a huge nuisance.”

  Bianca nodded. “It makes sense that they would be behind this.”

  “It was Valentino,” Liv argued, nearly stomping.

  Adler shook his head, his white hair swaying with the movement. “Valentino is a huge supporter of the House. He would never do anything to abuse magic. If he’s working on something, you are to stay as far from it as possible.” Adler looked down the bench quickly. “Do you all agree that Ms. Beaufont should go after the Zonks and dispel them? They appear to be the problem, agreed?”

  There was a collective muttering of “yes” from the group.

  Liv sighed. “We don’t have any evidence of that.”

  Adler held out his hand and a ball of wax materialized above his palm. It floated through the air and hovered in front of Liv. “You are to take that and use it to get rid of the Zonks.”

  Liv reached out and took the ball. “How?”

  Adler sighed. “If you had accepted the House’s training, you’d know how to use a shimven.”

  Liv put the ball of wax in her pocket. “I still don’t think the Zonks are the problem.”

  Adler slammed his hand down. “It’s not a Warrior’s responsibility to think. That’s what we Councilors do. You are to take our advice and proceed. Is that clear?”

  Liv looked to the other Councilors for back up. Clark had his face partially covered. Raina offered a sympathetic smile but remained quiet.

  It was Hester who finally spoke. “Valentino’s behavior is suspect, but if you take out the Zonks and the magical leeching doesn’t stop, we could extend the investigation.”

  Adler huffed. “I really don’t think that will be necessary. We’ll get to that after Ms. Beaufont completes her case.” He looked down at her sharply. “In the future, you shouldn’t need to convene with us so often, but rather complete your case based on the information we’ve provided you. Take out the Zonks, and I’m sure we will be done with this.”

  Liv let out a breath, wishing Clark would look at her directly. Feeling defeated, Liv’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, okay. I’ll go exterminate some ugly fairies if that’s what you all want.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Liv’s first day off all week, and she was planning how to kill a horde of fairies.

  “Remember back in the day when we used to catch a matinee on Sundays and not plot the destruction of innocent creatures?” Liv asked Plato as they waited for Rory by the entrance to the underground.

  Plato shrugged. “I always snoozed through the movies. I prefer adventure.”

  Liv tossed the shimven into the air. “Yeah, I guess so. I do miss Netflixing and having a moment to sleep in, though.”

  “You’re a
Beaufont,” Plato stated. “You’re not someone who gets to be lazy on weekends and goof off.”

  “No, not anymore.” Liv looked at the cat sideways. “By the way—”

  “No one says ‘by the way’ casually. The phrase should be, ‘I’ve been working up to ask you something.’”

  “Okay, fine,” Liv continued. “I’ve been working up to ask you how you found me the day I left the House of Seven five years ago.”

  “How?” Plato questioned.

  “Well, and ‘why’ would be good to know too.”

  Plato looked up as Rory approached. “Liv, I could sense you a hundred miles away.”

  “Because of my magic?”

  He shook his head. “Because of your pain. I sensed you needed a friend.”

  Liv nodded. “That I did.”

  She didn’t completely buy that her oldest friend had made her acquaintance simply because he sensed she needed him, but she wanted to believe it with all her being. Deep down, Liv knew that Plato had had a very important reason for joining her that fateful day and never leaving her side since. However, she didn’t want to spoil this moment, or maybe she didn’t want to know the truth.

  Rory dashed forward, catching the shimven before it dropped back into Liv’s palm. “What are you doing?”

  Liv gave him a strange look. “It’s a ball of wax. I’m playing with it.”

  Rory shook his head. “The ball of wax is encasing the shimvens, which are meat-eating beetles.”

  Liv shivered. “That’s how they expect me to deal with the Zonks?”

  Rory wore a similar expression of repulsion as he shoved the ball back into her hand. “Yeah. What a horrible way to take out magical creatures!”

  Liv shook her head, carefully pushing the ball into her pocket. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan to use it on the Zonks.”

  “So you’re going against the council’s orders?” Rory asked.

  “Of course I am,” Liv stated. “The Zonks aren’t the problem, but I was thinking that maybe they could help us.”