Page 30 of The Misplaced Warrior

Liv nodded. “The House of Fourteen, like all magical locations, is influenced by time and memories. It takes on the characteristics of those that dwell within it.”

“Is the Rogue Rider Mansion like that?” Gen asked, looking around the place that was absolutely created by magic and influenced by those within it.

“Yes, but compared to the House of Fourteen, it’s an infant,” Liv explained. “It’s still developing and thanks to Sophia’s savviness, there are certain controls in place to keep it from taking on too much of a life of its own.”

Amanda pointed to the House Manager Tablet.

“Right,” Gen chirped before taking a bite of her taco. “So the library in the House of Fourteen…”

“It’s about like the crazy building where it’s housed,” Liv began, pouring queso onto her taco with eager eyes. “That damn place is possessed by all those who have lived in it. I’ve seen it do the strangest things. It changes on a whim and hides things that it doesn’t want people to see. It’s like a naughty toddler at times.”

“About like the Castle at the Gullington,” Gen related, thinking of how sentient that place was.

Amanda shook her head. “Oh, no. That magical building is Quiet, so it’s as ornery as that grumpy old gnome. But yes, they are similar. Magical buildings are living and breathing creatures that are always under the influence of people, feelings, information and events.”

“Which means, the library in the House of Fourteen is a crazy maze,” Liv cut in, wiping cheese off her chin. “All the books make it a very confusing place. Many get lost in there due to the strange way that it behaves.”

“So how am I going to help Jack find this sword?” Gen asked.

“Well, the good news is that finding what you want is pretty straightforward in that library,” Liv answered.

Gen smiled with relief. “Oh, well, then that’s good news.”

“But with all things in this world, there’s a caveat,” Amanda chimed, slurping on her straw, taking a drink.

Gen slumped with sudden defeat, deflating slightly after the near win. “Of course.”

“You see, to find anything in the library in the House of Fourteen,” Liv began, “all you have to do is focus on what you’re looking for. The library will lead you to what you want to find. However, if you get distracted, if your thoughts take any slight detour, then you’ll be diverted and the chances of finding your way again are slim.”

“Oh,” Gen said, drawing out the word, suddenly feeling a little overwhelmed by this news.

“You can’t even be distracted by a fleeting thought of hunger,” Amanda advised. “If so, you’ll be dropped into the cooking section and forget what you were looking for in the first place.”

Gen chuckled, taking another bite. “I don’t think I’ll be hungry for a long while after this meal.”

“You’re a magician,” Liv said, shaking her head. “The beauty of our magic is that we need calories to fuel it. So load up now and after your meeting tomorrow at the House of Fourteen, you and Jack can celebrate with a feast. There are a ton of fun date places there in Santa Monica, next to the House of Fourteen.”

“Oh, I’m just helping Jack to find his sword,” Gen corrected. “It’s not a date or anything like that.”

“Right,” Liv said with a wink. “And I just eat queso for the nutritional properties.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

FORGING FOUNDATIONS

House of Fourteen, Santa Monica, California, United States

“I can’t believe you created this place,” Jack said, his chin in the air and awe written on his face as he stared up at the arched ceiling in the entryway to the House of Fourteen.

“Well, I didn’t do it on my own,” Gen amended, hiding her blush. “And it was all built with magic.”

He reached out and touched the wall covered in the symbols known as the Founders’ language. However, he couldn’t see them because he wasn’t a Royal—one of the families making up the current or previous members of the House of Fourteen. And few could read this ancient language which Gen, her father and the other founding families created.

She was the only living person who could translate the language with one hundred percent accuracy. It held the secrets of how the House of Fourteen was created and protected. And although the council urged Gen to share this information, she’d refused and would continue to. Sharing that information would only create vulnerability, exposing the cornerstone of the magical governing organization.

Rose and London, as demi-gods, had been able to read the Founders’ language. However, that power had disappeared when they gave up their immortality to create balance between mortals and the magical races by having children, offering the antidote to separateness. Rose had started to decipher the language but only learned that the Elders were the Founders and they were immortal, watching from the Land of Chimera.

From there, they made assignments to the various magical organizations. All that information was written on the walls. Some of it had been written by Gen, but much of it was new to her and would have been added after she left 1426 London.

---