Harley Merlin 3: Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals
Bella Forrest
Contents
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1. Harley
2. Harley
3. Harley
4. Harley
5. Santana
6. Santana
7. Harley
8. Harley
9. Harley
10. Santana
11. Harley
12. Harley
13. Santana
14. Harley
15. Santana
16. Santana
17. Harley
18. Santana
19. Harley
20. Harley
21. Santana
22. Harley
23. Harley
24. Harley
25. Santana
26. Santana
27. Harley
28. Harley
29. Harley
30. Santana
31. Harley
32. Harley
33. Harley
34. Santana
35. Harley
Read more by Bella Forrest
Copyright © 2018
Nightlight Press
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One
Harley
Fear seized me like a boa constrictor, wrapping tight around my chest. I sank back against the wall of the coven’s elegant hallway and hoped nobody would see me. The shadow of a majestic dragon hid me from sight. To be honest, I’d never paid particularly close attention to them before, despite the statues being absolutely everywhere. Talk about theming. No one could ever be in any doubt about what the San Diego Coven’s mascot was.
I smirked. Wade would’ve killed me for calling them mascots.
“They’re emblems of our strength and fortitude,” he’d have said, no doubt flashing me a withering look for good measure.
Down the hallway, classical music rang out, and my stomach twisted in knots.
Get your ass in gear. You’re a Merlin—stop being a coward. I’d been giving myself the same pep talk all the way down from the living quarters. At the magnolia trees, it had taken every ounce of willpower I had not to turn around and run back up the stairs. In ten whole minutes, I’d moved ten yards down the hall. A yard a minute… way to go.
A few minutes more, and I’d be late.
Then again, what had they expected, leaving me alone in my room to go out-of-my-mind crazy all morning? Whoever thought noon was a good time for a ceremony was evidently out of their mind, too. I’d have preferred dawn, since I hadn’t slept last night anyway. Hell, why hadn’t we gotten it out of the way as soon as I’d said I’d pledge?
I wasn’t really the nervous type, but this felt different somehow. I’d have to stand in front of a crowd of hundreds, with everyone staring at me, silently judging my worthiness. Having never really been part of anything for longer than a couple of years, the prospect of being a true member of the coven was as frightening as it was exciting. This was a lifetime deal, and I kept wondering when the devil was going to pop up and reveal himself. It was the foster kid in me, always expecting the good to be ripped away at the last second. Aside from the Smiths, the San Diego Coven was the best thing to ever happen to me. Here, for the very first time, I felt as though I belonged. I wasn’t an addition to something… I was integral to the whole thing. A cog, instead of a spare bolt left behind in the box.
Not to mention that during the night my mind still raced with thoughts of everything that had happened in the last few weeks. I’d been at the coven for just over a month, but it felt like a lifetime. Katherine Shipton was out there, somewhere, and it was only a matter of time before she made her next move. She had the kids—I knew she did—but we had no way of knowing what she was going to do with them. Plus, she had to be pretty pissed by now. We’d knocked down three of her pawns, stalling her way to checkmate.
Emmett Ryder was dead and buried, with a simple marker above his tomb that detailed his crimes. The coven had put his body in the Crypt, deep below ground in the SDC in a restricted zone that only Alton and the Mage Council had access to. Meanwhile, Emily Ryder was stuck in Purgatory and had yet to breathe a word of Katherine’s plan—or “Katie,” as they’d so sickeningly called her. No person that evil could have such an ordinary name. Stalin, Vader, or Hitler, maybe, but not friggin’ Katie. Finch was the same, stewing in staunch silence. Although, cracks had started to appear in his frosty façade, like the initial split of a heavy boot on solid ice. A bit more pressure, and he might be the first to break.
“Harley?” a voice echoed down the corridor, snapping me out of my gloomy reverie. Wade.
Maybe, if I just stay super quiet, he’ll walk right by me. I sensed irritation emanating from him in spiky waves. He was not in the mood for my tardy antics today. Not that he ever was. Still, it didn’t stop me from winding him up on every possible occasion. It was probably the most beautiful part of our friendship: the endless, sarcastic banter.
I slipped out of the dragon’s shadows. Wade’s deep green eyes widened for a moment. The prickling pulse of his annoyance softened into something warmer, a sudden rush of admiration, mingling with a less tangible feeling that rippled beneath the surface—something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“I’ve been looking all over the place for you, Merlin! And you’ve been ignoring my texts,” he snapped, though a note of wonder still lingered. It brought a smile to my face. “What were you doing behind that statue? Wait… you weren’t hiding, were you?”
He looked undeniably handsome in his dark blue uniform, which shimmered strangely in the dim lighting of the hallway. The high collar was also odd—a magical stylistic choice, no doubt. Most of it ran around his neck in a band of gold. It reminded me of a chef’s jacket, only way cooler. Gold buttons ran up the front, each embellished with the Latin names of the elements that gave us our magical strength—Terra, Aqua, Aer, Ignis. At the top, I noticed the name Gaia taking prime position just below the hollow at the bottom of his throat. Mother Earth, the one holding all of this together. Beside it, on the folded triangle of his golden lapel, he wore a single red gem. Fire, I supposed. It was a surprisingly militant look for the SDC, but it suited Wade to a T.
I crossed my arms. “I was just on my way to the ceremony.”
“The great Harley Merlin, afraid of public speaking?” He sounded annoyingly gleeful. “Is that it?”
“Please. I’ve got bigger things to worry about than reciting some spiel. I was the one who talked to the Mage Council after the gargoyle incident, remember?”
Wade’s expression suddenly became more serious. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”
“I’m fine! I just wanted to take my time on the walk over. Stop making it sound like we’re about to get hitched or something.”
Wade’s eyebrows shot up, and my face heated as the words echoed down the hall. My throat constricted, making it hard to swallow. I had no idea whether the feelings were mine or his. He had this way of muddling me, churning my mind upside down until I couldn�
�t tell where the trail of his emotions ended and mine began.
“Come on. It’s rude to keep everyone waiting,” he urged, turning on his heel. His voice caught for a split second. “You look good, by the way. That shade of green suits you. Brings out the red in your hair.”
“You mean I look like a Christmas ornament?”
He flashed a grin over his shoulder. “No, you look good. I’d forgotten you had arms, since I’m so used to seeing you with that leather jacket slung over your shoulders.”
I shot him a look as I followed him down the hall. How I love our little tête-à-têtes.
My formal gown had been Tatyana and Santana’s suggestion, but I was deeply regretting letting them run wild with my wardrobe. And, presumably, Wade’s credit card. The emerald silk of the flowing skirt trailed behind me like liquid, while the structured bodice held me in like I was some medieval princess. Tiny embroidered flowers and vines curled across the waist and up to the bust, which showed a modest amount of flesh. After all, I wasn’t out to shock my new “family.” I knew I looked fierce, and it was a good feeling. Plus, no one could see my heavy-duty boots beneath the skirt, which seemed like another win to me.
“Hurry up. Everyone’s waiting for you,” Wade said, pausing for me to catch up. “Don’t make me carry you in there, Merlin, because I will. And you won’t like it.”
“Yeah, yeah. The sooner this is over, the sooner we can celebrate.”
The moment I stepped through the arched main doors, everyone fell silent. I could’ve heard a gnat fart. Already, the emotions of the gathered group were creeping toward me, threatening to overwhelm my senses. I focused on Wade standing by the door, letting everyone else and their cacophony of feelings fade into the background. He seemed proud and guarded, as though he knew what I was up to but didn’t have the heart to refuse me my security blanket.
I’d forgotten how massive the Hall was, with more of the coven’s scaly, bronzed mascots arching between the polished marble floor and the vertigo-inducing heights of the ceiling above me. The flickering lights of the chandeliers cast shards of radiance across the gathered audience.
My heart thundered in my chest as Wade offered me his arm and led me toward the wide, circular podium that stood nearby. I’d used the hidden back entrance, reserved for guests and, apparently, pledgers.
We made our way past the seven mirrors, their bronze edges reflecting the rusty glow of the torches along the wall. To take my mind off the swollen crowd before me, I wondered just how far these mirrors could reach and how fast one could get to a new destination through them. Could I get to Hawai’i if I leapt through one right this second, to avoid all of this entirely?
“Don’t even think about it,” Wade whispered, giving me a hard stare.
“What? I wasn’t thinking anything.”
All eyes were on me, and not for the first time. This place gave me an eerie sense of déjà vu. I hardly dared to look out at the sea of people, fearing it might unleash the floodgates of my Empath abilities. The last thing I needed was hundreds of feelings chipping away at my self-control, like my last big entrance here. Sure, I’d gotten a better handle on crowds, but that level of judgment, wariness, and suspicion was hard to ignore. Even so, the atmosphere was infinitely less hostile than before. There were even some smiles, if I looked hard enough.
Most of the coven seemed to be here, and they were all wearing uniforms like Wade’s. The Rag Team were on the sidelines, plus Garrett, with his former investigative squad lined up sheepishly beside him—minus Finch, of course. On the podium itself, Tobe, the Beast Master, stood at the farthest edge, while the preceptors took up the chairs that had been laid out for the occasion. All six were there: Jacintha Parks, Hiro Nomura, Sloane Bellmore, Oswald Redmont, Lasher Ickes, and Marianne Gracelyn. O’Halloran stood behind them with his arms folded, looking sharp in his black uniform, while Wolfgang Krieger had taken a seat to the side, closer to Alton. Krieger seemed oddly distracted, his chair slightly turned and his clinical blue gaze fixed on one of the mirrors, as though he were hypnotized. He snapped out of it as Alton nudged him and stood for my arrival.
The preceptors and various other members of staff were to be expected. What I wasn’t expecting to see were four members of the California Mage Council. Three of them I recognized: Leonidas Levi, Raffe’s father, and the supposed deciding vote on important Council matters. Next to him sat Nicholas Mephiles, the revered alchemist who’d managed to turn stone into gold. He looked like he’d put on a few pounds since the last time I’d seen him, his stomach straining at his too-tight crimson waistcoat, while his jowls wobbled as he laughed at something Leonidas had said.
Then, there was the incomparable Imogene Whitehall, who offered me an encouraging smile as my eyes settled on her beautiful face. She wore a long, cream dress of delicate cashmere, buttoned from waist to neck, with a single silver bangle pushed up to the middle of her forearm. She was effortlessly stylish, her pale blond hair curving across her shoulder in a single braid. It made her look like some sort of Scandinavian goddess.
Beside me, Wade melted into a puddle of adoration, smitten to the core by Ms. Whitehall. I had to agree, she was an impressive woman who seemed to flood my mind with warmth. I just wished Wade’s admiration for her weren’t magnified through me. My heart beat faster and my stomach turned into a knot at the very sight of her.
I nudged him in the ribs. “Can you not do that right now?”
“Do what?” He arched an eyebrow.
“Fawn over Imogene. I can’t block it out.”
“I wasn’t,” he protested.
“That doesn’t work on an Empath, remember?” I chided, feeling him trying to block me.
The last Council member was a man I didn’t recognize. He was tall, in his mid-forties, but good-looking for his age. A graze of pale stubble edged across his jaw, leading down to the merest hint of a tattoo that clawed its way up his neck. His sandy hair was barely streaked with gray or white, and his caramel eyes still held a youthful vibrancy as they assessed me closely. A small X marked the spot beneath each of his eyes, giving him a rough-and-ready vibe.
“Who’s that?” I whispered to Wade.
“Remington Knightshade,” he replied. “Levi’s right-hand man.”
I grimaced. “And just as stuck up?”
He shrugged casually. “Maybe forty percent of Levi, if you want to look at it that way. He’s part of the California Mage Council as well.”
“Harley! You’ve made it,” Alton announced, breaking up our conversation. I stared at him, trying to figure out whether that was a reference to my poor timekeeping or my induction into the coven. Judging by his flat tone and the mixture of frustration and excitement that came off him, I presumed it was a thinly veiled jab at my tardiness.
Wade let go of my arm and made his way toward the rest of the Rag Team, his emotions growing fainter.
“You’ve drawn quite a crowd,” Alton went on, his chest swelling with something akin to paternal pride. He wore a variation of the coven’s uniform, his collar and cuffs navy while the main body of his suit gleamed with a rich, golden hue. “Now, let’s begin before everyone starts thinking about the banquet tables.”
My stomach grumbled. “Don’t jabber too long on my account,” I muttered. The nerves hadn’t left me, but I tried to focus on Alton as he addressed the crowd.
His soft voice somehow carried across the congregation. “We never expected to have such a strong-willed Merlin enter our ranks. It’s an honor, not only because of who you are, Harley, but because of what you have done for us.” He smiled at me. “That’s the most important and most treasured aspect of your presence here—the selfless way in which you’ve risked your life, saving people you didn’t even know. That is your nature, Harley Merlin, and that is the beating heart of the San Diego Coven. Everyone here is glad that you’ve chosen us as your family.”
My eyes filled with sudden, unexpected tears. A mixture of emotions overwhelmed me—my own and Alton�
��s, weaving pride with joy and a sense of belonging. Despite the Dempsey Suppressor inside me, and the lingering, terrible reputation that my father had left in his wake, I’d overcome. I’d proven myself more than worthy to be a part of this coven. I already knew that, deep down, but it felt so good to hear it said out loud.
“Thank you, Alt—Director Waterhouse,” I said, clearing my throat.
“There’s danger lurking in our city, and we will defend our home with every ounce of magic and determination we have,” Alton replied. “Your presence here only serves to strengthen our resolve. We will not be defeated.”
I nodded effusively, thinking of the kids that Katherine had stolen—well, that the Ryder twins had snatched on her behalf. Whatever it was she had up her sleeve, it had something to do with her endgame of becoming a Child of Chaos. How she’d do it and why she wanted to… that remained a mystery.
My gaze drifted across the gathered crowd, their emotions bombarding me like artillery fire. I let them in, and my nerves curled in frustration as I battled to make sense of the noise. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I let them in regardless. There were twenty or so that I couldn’t feel. Shapeshifters. The rest… I couldn’t help but see them in a different light now. Someone here, potentially in this very room, was spying on us for Katherine. Maybe there was even more than one mole. Either way, they’d leaked the information about the kids to Katherine and the Ryder twins—they’d had the details of each one, which had come directly from the coven’s archives. There was no other way they could’ve gotten their hands on the intel.
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