With the jar still clutched in my hand, I leapt down off Tobe’s back and rushed toward the fracas. I put the jar down in front of the serpent, only to have it strike at my chest, the blow sending me hurtling back against the far wall. I put out my arms in an attempt to lessen the impact, my hands smashing against the thick stone with a sickening crunch.
I sagged to the ground, struggling to shake off the pain that ricocheted through my bones. When I lifted my hand up, I gasped. Two of the gemstones on my Esprit had shattered. They were the ones channeling Earth and Air—the two elements I had yet to fully master.
Getting to my feet, I scanned the ground for the missing shards, but they were too small to find.
Great… that’s just what I need.
Glancing over at the others, I watched as Wade reached into his pocket and deposited a bunch of the small, green entrapment stones in a circle around the serpent. It reminded me of the first time we’d met. He was still as cocky as he’d been back then, but he’d well and truly won me over. He stopped, dropped, and slapped the ground hard, the way he’d done that first time, his mouth moving as he muttered something. His rings lit up, while the crystals glowed to life, greenish-white beams crisscrossing over the Purge beast. The serpent thrashed against it, looking for a way out of the entrapment net as the glowing ropes flattened the creature to the ground and singed the shimmer of its scales.
Standing up, Wade lifted his hands across the beast, his rings turning that familiar shade of red. He whispered something as the snake writhed and slithered, before it disintegrated in a puff of black smoke that sank down into the glass of the Mason jar. Major déjà vu. The net vanished a moment later, leaving Wade to pick up the used stones and the Mason jar to glow red.
I was relieved to see that they’d managed to capture the serpent safely in the jar, though Santana had slumped to the ground in a broken heap. Her body shivered all over, her teeth chattering. I could hear them from where I stood.
At least she’s alive, and that beast is in a jar. At least there’s that.
My smashed gemstones paled in comparison to her suffering. Still, I could feel their loss moving through my veins. I’d only just started to get used to the Esprit, and now I’d lost half of my channeling power. With Katherine looming large around us all, the timing couldn’t have been worse.
Thirty
Santana
I bolted upright, bright light streaming into my eyes. With my chest heaving and my heart pounding a million miles a minute, I struggled to get my vision to focus. Black spots danced like Orishas in my line of sight. A hand grabbed my shoulders.
“Hey, it’s okay, you’re safe.” Raffe’s familiar voice cut through the panic in my head. “Calm down, you’re in the infirmary.”
As I took a few deep breaths, the anxiety fled from my body. My head felt fuzzy and everything ached, but if Raffe said I was okay then I had to be. Ugh, what the hell happened? Why do I feel like I’ve been hit with a freight truck? Slowly, my vision cleared, revealing Raffe perched on the edge of the bed. He smiled at me, a furrow of concern pinching his brows together.
A nervous chuckle rippled from the back of my throat. “I’m so glad to see you, Raffe. I thought I was losing my mind for a moment,” I said. “Seriously, I had this freaking crazy nightmare, right before I woke up just then. I dreamt that I was at the Family Gathering and I Purged right in front of your dad. I think I might have said something to him before it happened, which was embarrassing enough. Dreams are so weird, aren’t they?”
Raffe nodded slowly, a strange expression on his face. “They are… but that actually happened, Santana. That’s why you’re in here. You’re in recovery after a pretty nasty Purge.”
I gaped at him in horror. “Is everyone okay?”
“Everyone’s fine, although my dad probably should’ve worn his brown pants to the party.” He chuckled, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh with him. All I could think about were those poor bastards who’d witnessed me Purge, right in front of everyone. Frankly, I was mortified. It was on par with calling a teacher “Mom” or not noticing you had toilet paper on the bottom of your shoe.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe I did that,” I said. “I just thought there was something wrong with the heating. I never thought… I’ve been so absorbed in everything else that’s been happening lately, I didn’t notice the signs my body was giving me. The sweating, the slurring, the pains. I’ve been a total idiot. I can’t believe I put so many people in danger.” I held my head in my hands, wishing I could turn back the clock. I’d done some stupid things in my time, but this topped the lot.
What must you think of me, Raffe? You saw me like that… What am I going to say to your dad the next time I see him? “Yeah, sorry about the whole Purging everywhere thing. It happens, right?” I’m sure that’d go down well.
I looked up as Harley entered, a broad grin on her face. Everyone seemed determined to cheer me up, but I felt like hiding under a rock for the rest of my life. Purging in public wasn’t exactly a common thing to do, and I felt like I’d broken rule number one of the coven guidebook. I’d put people in danger. No quantity of smiles or jokes could put me in a better mood. Nope, you’re going to have to deal with Captain Sourpuss for a while.
“How’re you feeling?” Harley asked, taking the chair on the opposite side of the bed.
“Grim.”
“Wade just came to tell me that your Purge beast is safely stowed away in the Bestiary,” she said brightly. A little too bright, Merlin. Your acting skills are terrible. “It’s like a smaller, less terrifying version of Quetzi. Like, I wouldn’t try to keep it as a pet, but I wouldn’t fear for my life if I got in a box with it. Tobe seems pretty smitten, though I guess he gets like that with most of his creatures.”
I smiled despite myself. “I’ll have to go and visit it sometime, see what kind of monster I’ve managed to conjure. You know, I thought it’d be something super impressive—I think we all hope we’ll be the kind of magical that can churn out a beastie like Tobe. Apparently, I’m not quite there yet.”
“Hey, it put up a hell of a fight. You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself,” she teased.
“It’s weird, but I feel kind of attached to it,” I said shyly. “Is that meant to happen? I don’t want to be around it all the time, don’t get me wrong, but I’d like to visit it now and again. Please don’t tell me this is what childbirth is like, because I am so not ready for that kind of responsibility. Next thing I know, my Purge beast will be all grown up and off to college, and I’ll end up in debt for the rest of my life trying to make sure it stays on the straight and narrow.”
Harley laughed. “Nice to see you’ve got your sense of humor back.”
“Not really. I’m forcing it.”
“I hear that’s bad for you.”
“Feels like it,” I muttered wryly, turning to Raffe. “Seriously, though, are magicals supposed to feel attached to their Purge beasts? That seems really freaking odd to me.”
Raffe shrugged. “It happens sometimes. I think it depends on the level of energy it took to Purge it. By the looks of things, you exerted a lot trying to get that creature out.”
“Yep, that definitely sounds like childbirth to me,” I replied. “My mother always likes to tell me, in graphic detail, how bad her labor was with me. This all sounds very familiar.”
“Can you remember much about your Purge?” Harley asked.
“Yes and no. To be honest, I thought it was all a dream, and then Raffe kindly told me that it actually happened and I’m now an embarrassment to myself and the coven.”
“I didn’t say that!” Raffe protested.
I smiled at him. “I know, I’m just ad-libbing a little. Dramatic license and all that.”
When I turned back to Harley, my eyes snapped toward the broken jewels of her Esprit. The empty sockets stood out like a sore thumb, the vacant holes dull beside the glittering gemstones that remained. She caught me looking, before hurriedly puttin
g her arms behind her back. I realized it must have been broken in the fight between my stupid Purge baby and everyone who’d tried to stuff it in a jar.
“I did that, didn’t I?” I asked. “You don’t have to hide it; I can see the stones are broken.”
Harley shook her head. “If I had better control of my own powers, I wouldn’t have had to worry about it breaking. It’s like Nomura says, we shouldn’t have to rely on these things. It’s just hard not to, when they make everything so much easier.”
“Dammit, Harley, I’m so sorry…” I swallowed hard, the guilt almost overwhelming me. Esprits were so personal and not easily repaired, from what I knew.
Harley’s expression softened. “Don’t feel bad. If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t have Purged like that. You performed a powerful spell because of me, and this happened. In a way, the Esprit breaking is my own fault.”
“Whoa now. Harley Merlin, self-deprecation doesn’t suit you. You’re tough as old balls, so stop being so damn hard on yourself. What happened in New York isn’t your fault. It just so happened that I had to step in to stop something… freaking nasty from coming out of your weird fog tornado,” I chided. “Honestly, even without the Esprit, and even with the Suppressor, you’re a million times stronger than most magicals. Swear to God, if I hear another self-pitying word come out of your mouth, I’ll slap it off.”
Harley collapsed in a fit of giggles. “There’s motivation for you, if ever I heard it.”
“You’re damn right.”
Raffe cleared his throat. “What the heck went on in New York?”
Harley and I exchanged a glance. “A spell went wrong, and I had to do a little bit of on-the-fly fixing. No biggie, it just brought on the whole Purge thing way sooner than I would’ve liked,” I replied. “I was already tired, so it used up a lot of energy. Still, nobody got hurt. No harm, no foul. All’s well that ends well and all that clichéd fluff.”
Harley’s ringtone cut through the awkward silence that followed. Clearly, Raffe didn’t believe what I was telling him, but I could come clean later. The Grimoire debacle was Harley’s tale to tell, not mine. I wasn’t about to snitch on her.
“Who’s calling?” I asked.
“It’s Wade,” she replied, putting him on speakerphone. “Hi, Wade, I’m in the infirmary with Raffe and Santana.”
“Good, that saves me a couple of phone calls,” he replied.
“Compassionate as ever,” I teased.
A short silence followed. “Sorry… I hope you’re feeling better, Santana.”
“That’s better. You were saying?”
“We’ve received word from the surveillance crew. They’ve spotted some suspicious activity around the abandoned factory; a few cars pulled up and parked by the fences for a while, before driving off again. There have been people walking close to the building, too, though surveillance agents have kept their distance so they don’t scare these guys off. We think Micah will probably be moved there soon, so we’ve got to go ASAP.”
Harley nodded. “I’ll meet you in the foyer in five minutes.”
“See you there. And hurry up.”
She rolled her eyes. “Will do.”
“Punch a few of those nasty little punks for me, will you?” I said, looking up at her with mournful eyes. I wanted to go and help, but I was in no condition to fight a sickly octogenarian, let alone a horde of powerful magicals.
“I’m sorry, Santana. I wish you could come.”
“That’s right, rub that salt deep,” I teased halfheartedly. “You should get going before Wade throws a hissy fit.”
She turned to Raffe. “Raffe? You coming?”
“I should stay,” he replied.
“Pfft, don’t be ridiculous! There’s no way you’re staying here with feeble old me,” I said. “I mean it, Raffe. They might need help from… They might need a bit of your hidden strength, if it turns nasty. Protect the others, okay? Make sure they all get back safe.”
“If you’re coming or staying, I need to know,” Harley urged. “We’ve got to move now.”
He looked at me with uncertain eyes. “Will you be okay on your own?”
“Raffe, I’m not helpless. I’ve just had an embarrassing experience. My ego is more wounded than anything else. Go on, scoot! Don’t make me chase you out of here, because I will. With my hospital gown flapping in the breeze, I swear I will.”
“Stay safe, okay?” he murmured, dipping his head to kiss my cheek.
“And you,” I replied. “I mean it, make sure everyone comes back safe. Do you hear me?”
“I will,” he said, before sprinting out of the room with Harley.
I watched them leave, my heart heavy. I’m talking to you, too, Kadar. Bring my people back. Bring Raffe back to me. I’m counting on you.
Thirty-One
Harley
The Jeep sped along the coastal highway, heading for the edge of the Tijuana River Mouth State Marine Conservation Area. That’s one hell of a mouthful—couldn’t they have come up with a catchier name? It was the very spot where Marjorie had pictured Micah, though her visions weren’t exactly reliable. However, since the Shapeshifter had grabbed her and put that image in her mind, she had envisioned Micah at this location a couple of times, after touching objects belonging to him. It was almost as though the Shapeshifter vision had opened up more images to her, channeling them through the items we already had. It made her able to focus properly on Micah, feeling him out, expanding her Clairvoyance so she could more reliably confirm his location. The highest probability for where he was going to be was the warehouse, and he was due to arrive there… well, pretty damn soon.
Channing had wanted Marjorie to come with us, so we’d have her by our side if we needed more visions, but Alton had vetoed it completely. I liked to think it was for protective reasons, but I knew there was likely a selfish element to it, too. Marjorie had an impressive power; he couldn’t risk the coven losing that.
Astrid had stayed behind with her, to keep her safe from any further attacks. She’d set up a perimeter of cameras and shocking devices with Smartie, alongside a sizeable security detail. Marjorie’s initial guards had survived the attack but were recovering in the infirmary. Nowhere was safe with this mole in our midst, but she was better off at the coven than risking being snatched mid-mission. We couldn’t afford to give Katherine what she needed. After learning about those five rituals from Finch, I figured that’s what she needed the supercharged kids for. How and where and why—those were questions we couldn’t answer yet.
Garrett had been permitted to come with us, on the proviso that he wore the camera on his chest. He’d relented, eventually. He didn’t want to miss out on something like this. As we’d left the coven, Astrid had watched us from the foyer of the Fleet Science Center. Her fear for all of us had been palpable, though much of it had been directed toward Garrett. I guessed things were really starting to heat up between them, if she was feeling that worried about him.
It was a pretty packed vehicle, with Channing, Stella, Wade, Garrett, Tatyana, Dylan, Raffe, and me all squished into five seats. Somehow, Raffe was in the trunk, peering over the seats, while Tatyana was happily curled up in Dylan’s arms. There hadn’t been time to take two, with my Daisy’s keys still in my bedroom. It would have cost us more time for me to run up and get them, so we’d decided to squish into one. Now, I was starting to regret our decision. My muscles were cramping, and Channing didn’t appear to understand the idea of deodorant. With Wade in the driver’s seat, I was stuck next to GI Joe.
Still, it gave me an opportunity to observe the behavior between Channing and Stella, after Stella’s confession the other night. To my surprise, things didn’t seem too awkward between them. The mission was probably a good way of distracting both of their minds, and their emotions were fairly constant. Channing felt tense and focused, while Stella seemed to be nervous and fired up. A good mix for a mission like this. For the first time since they arrived, I was actually p
retty happy that they were with us. Right now, we needed all the muscle we could get, and these two were more military-minded than any of the Rag Team.
“Are you sure you should be coming with us, Harley?” Wade said unexpectedly, breaking the tense silence in the Jeep. Gee, thanks for that—way to call me out in front of everyone. I had as much right to be here as anyone.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“With your Esprit broken, do you think you’ll be okay in the event of a fight? I know Air and Earth aren’t your forte, but you might need them. You needed Earth when you took on Emily Ryder. Plus, your powers can be a little on the wild side. I don’t want you injuring yourself, or anyone else, because your Esprit is damaged.”
I forced a smile onto my face. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’m just worried, that’s all.”
“You shouldn’t worry so much. It’ll be fine, honestly. I have enough control to muddle through.” Did he just say he was worried about me? Wade Crowley is worried about me! That still didn’t mean he liked me like that, but I’d take it. I just wished he hadn’t mentioned it in front of a carload of people. Now, everyone was going to think I was some kind of liability. Well, I’ve got news for you, ladies and gents—I’m not! Occasional loose cannon, yes. Liability, no.
A short while later, we pulled up just around the corner from the abandoned factory. With a whispered instruction from Channing, who seemed to have named himself leader of this operation, all of us piled out of the Jeep and headed toward a gap in the fence. The surveillance team had told us where to go, marking the gap out on a map for us. The abandoned factory stood approximately a hundred yards from the outer fence. I could see the rusty machinery within and the peeling paint that Marjorie had mentioned.
Harley Merlin 3: Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals Page 31
