by Sarah Noffke
“Oh, and before I forget, I’ve been studying up on makeup and hair. Let me fix that up for you.”
“When do you learn this stuff?” Liv asked, closing her eyes as if Sophia was going to apply eyeshadow by hand.
“YouTube,” the little magician answered simply. “Okay, you’re all done.”
Liv opened her eyes, not feeling any different. However, her hair wasn’t resting on her shoulders anymore, but rather was in a high ponytail, the strands curled and hanging down on one side. “Do I even want to look in the mirror?” The question brought back the memory of looking into the hand mirror in Papa Creola’s shop. She couldn’t shake the image of herself as an old woman.
“I think you look rad,” Sophia gushed, producing a regular hand mirror.
Tentatively Liv held it up, not recognizing her own reflection for a moment—again. “Wow! If this whole magician thing fails, I can just go into prosti—”
“Liv, is that you?” a voice called from behind her.
Liv froze, recognizing Stefan’s voice and wishing she could make a portal and escape. However, portal magic wasn’t allowed in the House of Seven. After giving Sophia a frustrated look, she turned around to face the Warrior.
“Yeah, it’s me,” she said, keeping her eyes low and checking to ensure that her boobs were hidden. Well, mostly hidden.
“What are you wearing?” he asked, his eyes wide as he studied her. Stefan was wearing his usual long traveling cloak and black boots. His dark hair was extra disheveled, and his pale face was splattered with mud in places.
Liv wound her fingers in the silk material around her neck. “It’s a scarf,” she replied.
A laugh burst out of Sophia’s mouth.
Stefan cracked a smile. “Yes, I see that. I was referring to the rest of the…” He raked his finger through the air. “I was mostly referring to whatever it is you’re wearing.”
“It’s my costume for the Kingdom of Fae,” Liv said, finding it hard to talk with the amount of lip gloss covering her mouth. She resisted the urge to wipe it off with the back of her hand.
Stefan nodded at once, scratching the side of his head and staring at the carpet like he had found something of sudden interest there. “Okay, well, that makes sense.”
“Actually, I’m glad I ran into you,” Liv stated, thinking of the book she was looking for. “Do you have a second?”
“Liv, I’ve got to run to a lesson,” Sophia cut in, gathering up the books. “Do you need me for anything? I mean, am I done helping you pick out clothes?”
The little magician had almost dropped her guard and revealed that she was the one who had manifested Liv’s clothes. They both suspected that Stefan was well aware of the girl’s talent from hints he’d supplied.
“Yeah, no problem, love,” Liv said, giving her sister a side hug, afraid of smearing makeup on her pristine white dress. “Thanks for helping.”
“I’ll get to work on clearing out drawers for you in my room if you want,” Sophia said.
Liv nodded. “Thanks. That’s nice of you.”
She watched the young girl hurry away with her arms full of books.
“You’re moving into the House of Seven, it sounds like?” Stefan asked.
Liv turned, sighing. “Yeah, unfortunately, I have to.”
“’Unfortunately?’” Stefan questioned.
“Yeah, I’m sort of a loner who prefers to live by myself,” Liv explained.
Stefan’s mouth popped open. “What? Not really! I’m shocked.”
“Ha-ha,” Liv said as her eyes searched Stefan, remembering something Hester had let slip. “Hey, did you by any chance get bitten by something?”
The light expression on his face disappeared. For a moment, he looked incapable of speech. Then he pointed at the bandage on her leg, recovering. “I guess I could ask the same thing of you. What got you?”
“What got you?” she countered.
His eyes darted briefly to his arm. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
Liv shook her head. “No. I’m not that curious, but nice try.”
“So, you wanted my help on something,” Stefan redirected.
“Yeah,” Liv began, striding forward, finding it hard to walk in the platform shoes Sophia had put her into. She’d been so repulsed by the dress and the makeup that she hadn’t noticed the ridiculous contraptions on her feet. “I’m looking for a book, but the library doesn’t seem to be providing any options.”
Stefan nodded. “Yes, you have to be singularly focused, and if I may be so bold, you might be a little distracted with your wardrobe planning and this relocation business.”
Liv thought about that for a moment. Her mind had been reeling at the thought of John being booted out of his shop as she searched, hence the book she’d found about LA assholes. That author had it spot on the money. Most people in LA were assholes. Well, not John. Or Rory, but she wasn’t going to tell the giant that. It might go to his already overly large head.
“Yes, I think you’re right,” Liv stated. “I might have been a bit distracted. Still, do you know of a book that talks about how Warriors’ blood is most valuable when the person is alive?”
The idea had occurred to Liv when she’d read the ancient language of the founders and it had spoken of councilors’ blood being needed to open the chamber. It was implied to her that the councilor should provide that blood, meaning that someone couldn’t kill them and use it. That idea had first been proposed to Liv by her father, who had related one of his cases to her. He stated that it wasn’t widely known that the magical properties of a royal’s blood changed based on whether they were living or dead. Furthermore, the blood was incredibly useful, since royalty had certain access to things. When Liv recalled this lesson from her father, she wondered why it had taken her so long to realize that Reese had meant that Clark’s blood was part of the riddle. Inside and outside the House it was common for royal blood to open things since they were elite and few.
“I do know a few books like that,” Stefan related. “But first, is this involving one of your secret missions, like how you got that bite on your leg?”
Liv rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. How would I have time for secret missions when I’m busy preparing to be murdered by Queen Visa?”
“Valid point, Warrior Beaufont,” Stefan said, bowing slightly. “My apologies. Please follow me.” He spun around and strode down a narrow aisle of books, breezing past all of them before coming to the end of the row. Liv had a hard time keeping up with him, afraid with each step that she was going to trip on her heels.
Stefan slipped a leather-bound book from the shelf and handed it to Liv. She took it, reading the cover aloud. “The Royals.” She looked up at Stefan, adrenaline rushing through her veins. “Does this detail who the original Seven were?”
Stefan’s face scrunched with confusion. “No. It simply explains how the House is set up, and why. The history is a bit abbreviated, in my opinion. I read it many times when we were invited into the Seven.”
Liv’s elation dissipated as fast as it had come on. “Okay, well, thanks. This sounds like it will be helpful.”
“For?” Stefan asked, drawing out the word.
“For saving my life,” she joked.
“Oh, well, then I daresay you owe me big for helping you with this request,” Stefan teased with a roguish smile.
“Totally, and I’ll pay you back by not telling anyone that you have a mysterious bite.”
Stefan winked at her. “Same, Liv Beaufont. Your secret is safe with me.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Hot daaaaamn,” Rudolf hollered with a whistle, looking Liv up and down about three times longer than was necessary.
Liv nearly swung her purse at his face, but she remembered that it held something fragile and refrained. “You sincerely have a death wish, don’t you?”
“I didn’t know you would clean up so well,” he said. “Seriously, if you dressed
like this more often, you wouldn’t be such a sour old maid.”
Liv clutched her purse and shook her head. “I’m not an old maid. I’m a Warrior for the House of Seven.”
“Yes, yes, I, as well as everyone in the magical world has heard about that. She’s Liv Beaufont, Warrior for the House of Seven. Blah, blah, big shot material.”
“Would you shut up so that I can focus?” Liv wove between drunk tourists who held giant plastic glasses and gawked at her like she was a showgirl. She sort of wished that Queen Visa would put her out of her misery and kill her on the spot.
“Which casino do the fae own?” Liv asked, looking up and down the sprawling Strip.
Rudolf laughed. “Which one? We own them all. The Kingdom of Fae is the entire Strip, but the Queen’s chamber is there.” He pointed to the Cosmopolitan hotel. It towered beside the Bellagio’s fountains, which were presently quiet, the tourists lining up for the show that would soon begin.
“Okay, so I just have to go to the top floor and request a meeting with Queen Visa?” Liv asked.
Rudolf shook his head. “I have a better idea.” He hooked his arm through hers and nearly dragged her in the direction of the building.
“Am I going to like this idea, or will it involve having a fight with Mother Nature or some other powerful entity?” Liv dared to ask, nearly slipping several times.
“Knowing you, you’re absolutely going to hate this idea, but I guarantee that it will stall your death for a few minutes, at least.”
“I don’t want my death stalled if I have to smell your cologne any longer,” Liv said, holding her nose.
“What? I’m not wearing cologne. That’s a fae’s natural scent,” Rudolf said, offended. “Calvin Klein and all those other designers pay big money for our pheromones.”
“Ewe. I heard that stuff was full of cat piss and whatnot,” Liv commented.
“Speaking of cats,” Rudolf began, “where’s your lynx?”
Liv looked around, never knowing when Plato was there or not. “I guess he hates Vegas as much as me. Must have stayed home for this one.”
“Well, maybe he’ll show up to bail you out again.”
“Honestly, I don’t think there’s any bailing me out this time. I have to rely on your advice and my cunning, which means I’m screwed.”
Rudolf led the way into the Cosmopolitan. Ladies and men stopped, not hiding their reactions as he passed. One woman dropped her giant plastic cup, spilling beer on the ground, her mouth hanging open like she couldn’t believe such a man existed.
“Do you ever get tired of people gawking at you?” Liv asked, turning around to take in the crowd staring at them.
Rudolf flashed her a toothy grin. “What do you think?” He reached out and touched her chin. “And baby, they are looking at you, too. You’re wearing that dress like a champ.”
“So you want a broken nose. Cool. I’m on it.” She cocked her fist, ready to launch at his pretty face.
Rudolf simply smiled. “Save your angst. We’re going to need it for the bar.”
“Bar? That’s where you’re taking me? It’s too early to drink, and I need my wits about me.”
“It’s never too early to drink. I always think better when I drink,” Rudolf stated, stopping and holding his arm out.
Liv hadn’t seen such a beautiful bar in all her life. The Chandelier was several stories tall, and it dripped with thousands of beads like they were inside an actual chandelier. Couples sat on the posh sofas and at the bar, sipping cocktails and making out.
“Wait, I get that it is Vegas, but those people are going at it,” Liv said, feeling the need to shield her eyes from the public displays of affection happening pretty much everywhere.
“Take a closer look,” Rudolf whispered in her ear.
Liv searched the bar and realized at once what she was seeing. “Those are fae?”
He nodded. “Yes, and the Cosmo is the place they come to hunt most often. The Bellagio is where they perform most often. The Venetian is where they indulge in their drugs of choice. You get the idea. Each of the casinos seeks to meet one of their needs.”
“Why aren’t you including yourself in that?” Liv asked.
Rudolf raised an eyebrow at her. “Haven’t you figured out by now that I’m not like the rest of the fae?”
“How so?” she inquired, unable to take her eyes off a couple as a fae ran his hand up a woman’s leg, kissing her neck.
“I have class.”
A laugh burst out of her mouth.
“Hey, now,” Rudolf fired back, offended. “I do. You won’t find me in here seducing mortals. I don’t even like Vegas. Notice that I’m always in Roya Lane when you’re looking for me?”
“Yeah, and why is that?”
Rudolf glanced around, searching for a spot. “I have my reasons.”
“Oh, ever the man of mystery. What do I have to do to get you to spill that information? Fight a gnome? Wrestle a centaur?”
Rudolf grabbed her by the hand and tugged her to a pair of stools at the bar. “You have to make out with me.”
Liv jerked her hand away. “Left or right?”
He spun around, a quizzical expression in his eyes. “Left or right what?”
“Do you want your left or right eye blackened?”
He grinned. “Right, for sure. It’s my better side.” Then he leaned in faster than Liv could fully react and slammed his lips onto hers, kissing her with so much force that she nearly toppled backward. She grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him back, and before she could stop herself, she launched her fist at his left eye.
Rudolf stumbled backward clutching his face. Guards swooped in from all directions, pulling weapons. Three seized Liv’s arms, and another caught Rudolf as he stumbled backward, checking him over. The entire bar turned into complete chaos as the couples broke apart, yelling and trying to figure out what was going on.
Liv tugged at the restraints being forced onto her but found it impossible to break free. She caught a smile on Rudolf’s face as he shook the guards off of him, telling them he was fine.
“Why did you do that?” Liv yelled as the guards pulled her away from Rudolf.
“So that you’d do exactly what you just did,” he answered with what looked like a painful wink. “I’ll see you up on the top floor, Dollface. You’re going to do great!”
Liv shook her head at the fae as the guards marched her away, taking her to a set of elevators.
“Where are you taking me?” Liv asked the man beside her, who she realized at once was a fae.
He gave her a serious expression. “To see management. She prefers to deal with troublemakers directly.”
Chapter Seventeen
The top floor of the Cosmopolitan looked out on the Strip, providing what was undoubtedly the best view in town. Below, Liv could just make out the Bellagio’s fountains, which were cascading in perfect unison.
The guards led her through a hallway dripping with the same kinds of beads as in the Chandelier bar. Eerie music played from unseen speakers. The windows were floor to ceiling, sunlight spilling through and making Liv squint.
“Your management deals with troublemakers directly?” Liv asked. “Seems like she needs more to do. That’s a job that should be outsourced.”
“She specifically deals with magicians who assault fae in her kingdom,” the guard answered.
Oh, so they were dropping all pretenses now. They knew who she was, but the question was, did they know what? She was going to have to reveal that at the right time.
Liv was unprepared for what she saw next. The guards led her into a room that put the Chandelier to shame. Queen Visa’s chamber was a wide-open office, the wall shimmering with light as if it were made out of diamonds. The carpet was solid white and instantly made Liv feel like she was walking on a cloud. Overhead hung dozens of chandeliers, their crystals reflecting the light, sending rainbows all over the room.
I’m in heaven, Liv thought, her mouth dropping
open.
“What the hell have you brought me?” Queen Visa called from the far end of the room. She was sitting behind a large modern desk. Behind her the wall was entirely glass, displaying the view of the Las Vegas Strip.
Various groups of fae turned to look at Liv as the guards led her to the front of the room. They were dressed similarly to her, although none of the women was wearing anything as skimpy as her dress.
“We apprehended her in the Chandelier bar,” the guard said, releasing Liv finally. “She punched a fae.”
Behind the desk sat the most beautiful woman Liv had ever seen. Queen Visa’s blonde hair hung in loose ringlets, perfectly framing her heart-shaped face. Her topaz-blue eyes narrowed, and that somehow made her even more attractive. The curves of her pink lips were flawless, drawing Liv’s eyes to them. When she stood, Liv could see that she was wearing a solid white blazer fastened at the waist with no shirt underneath, her boobs barely covered. The white pencil skirt was snug, hugging her narrow hips and stopping just short of her upper thighs. Her pink stilettos made a gentle noise as she strode around the desk, a murderous expression on her face.
So this is the woman who is going to kill me, Liv thought. At least my last sight will be a good one.
“You, magician, stroll onto my territory and assault one of mine? You must have a death wish,” the queen said, walking around Liv and sizing her up. “I don’t get it, though. You don’t dress like your kind. Where’s your oversized cape and bad sense of style?”
“I left it at home. When in Rome…” Liv said, her voice only slightly unsteady.
At her back, there was a commotion, but Liv didn’t dare turn around.
“You? The magician assaulted you?” Queen Visa asked, looking away from Liv.
A moment later, Rudolf was escorted to the front a safe distance from Liv. He was still clutching his face where Liv had punched him.
Bowing low, he forced a smile. “Yes, my queen. I was working on seducing her, and out of nowhere, she punched me in the eye.”
Queen Visa scrutinized him with a stare that could melt ice. “You don’t play the seductive game, and you know better than to try it on a magician. What are you playing at, Rudolphus?”
