“You think he’s deliberately keeping a lid on Echidna going missing?” Raffe’s eyes glinted red.
Krieger nodded. “I would not be surprised. I’ve been baffled by the absence of National Council security. Even in our recent coven meeting, Levi didn’t say anything about Echidna. It’s as though he’s pretending it never happened. O’Halloran and the rest of the security magicals have been strangely obedient in the face of so much devastation. They haven’t asked a single question about Echidna either. I would have expected O’Halloran to say something, even if nobody else did.”
I had to agree—O’Halloran wasn’t a sheep. He did his duty, but he didn’t follow blindly.
Wade pulled a sour face. “Something weird is going on here.”
Great minds…
“Plus, Levi has all comms in and out of the coven monitored, so it’s not like we can send word to anyone,” Astrid added. “And you heard what Levi said—if any of us are caught discussing it, it’s a one-way ticket to the same cells as Alton, Santana, and Isadora. Bellmore has already taken a leave of absence because of the stress of his reign, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more follow suit. Though he’ll probably threaten them again to make them stay.”
This Levi guy sounds like a pain in the ass, Kenzie’s voice echoed in my head.
Understatement of the century, I replied. If he was making threats like that, then he was running scared. Those weren’t the actions of a man who wanted to help; they were the actions of a man who wanted to cover himself.
“Bellmore took a leave of absence?” Wade replied, surprised.
Astrid nodded. “She said it was due to personal health, but I’m pretty sure it has more to do with Levi. She left yesterday. Levi wasn’t too happy about it, but she’d have filed a complaint against him if he’d denied her. Which I’m guessing he doesn’t want. He doesn’t seem to want any outsiders coming in.”
“Good for her,” Dylan muttered. “Wish I’d thought of that.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he promotes those threats to Purgatory, if people start working against him,” Tatyana said. “He can’t risk word getting out, but the question is—why? Why is he so intent on keeping this information about Echidna inside the SDC, and why doesn’t he want outsiders coming in? Does he think he can resolve this himself?”
Wade snorted. “Not freaking likely.”
“He said he’s working covertly with the National Council and the new president,” Raffe replied coldly. “I heard him talking with O’Halloran and the others this morning. He seems to think that revealing Echidna’s disappearance to the public would just throw the magical world into unnecessary panic. I might even agree, if it wasn’t my father spouting it. Most of what he says is BS, and I’m worried this might be, too.”
Leonidas Levi, the king of bullcrap. The more I heard, the surer I was that he didn’t care about anyone but himself, so it didn’t seem likely that he was keeping quiet for the sake of the public.
“Katherine is too powerful now,” Krieger added. “I suppose, while the higher-ups are figuring out a way to stop her, they don’t want magicals losing their minds because Echidna is missing. But I assumed the public has been largely unaware of the rituals. They wouldn’t understand the importance of Echidna being missing.”
“Unless that’s been leaked,” Louella said. “Or they’re worried it might be leaked. All it would take would be one post on social media, and that’d be it. Mass panic. Even if news of Echidna being missing didn’t get out, the news that the Bestiary nearly failed might. That’d be enough to freak people out.”
Raffe nodded. “And you say you don’t think it’s likely that my father is trying to resolve the issue by himself, but you don’t know him the way I do. He might be trying to get to Echidna first, using a small team of his own handpicked security personnel so he can get all the praise when it’s all done and dusted. Right now, he really needs a win, or he’s going to lose this position, as well as any respect he’s managed to gain over the years. The Cali Mage Council would throw him to the wolves if it got out that Echidna was taken on his watch, so maybe that’s why he’s keeping quiet about it.”
There seemed to be a number of reasons for Levi keeping quiet about Echidna, and it was hard to tell which one might be the real reason. It could well have been a mixture, with the most self-serving options probably being the closest to the truth.
“That sounds plausible, knowing Levi,” Tatyana said. “He was supposed to be getting this place in order, but instead it’ll look like he was responsible for the magical world’s biggest catastrophe in recent history. He’d probably lose his seat on the Mage Council, too.”
Dylan frowned. “So he stands to lose a ton if people know Echidna is gone. They’ll know it means Katherine’s on ritual number four and gaining ground. They’ll be looking for a scapegoat, and he’d make the perfect one.”
“That doesn’t mean we have to just accept the rules that Levi is laying down. When have we ever done that before?” Wade eyed the present members of the Rag Team. “If we let him cover this up for his own benefit, then we’re accessories to his stupidity. There’s got to be something we can do about Katherine, even without access to unmonitored comms.”
That’s my boy.
Krieger smiled. “I can think of one way we might be useful.”
“Go on…”
“Well, I’m very close to completing the magical detector to an operational degree. Once I’ve made a few final tweaks, we can use the bloodied rag that Finch left and find Katherine with it.” He paused, his brow furrowing. “The only trouble is, I fear I may need Jacob’s help in order to use it. I took a sample of his Chaos, yes, but more will certainly be required for such a task.”
Dylan groaned. “We don’t know where he is, Doc.”
“All we know is that he’s with Harley and Finch, but there’s been no sign of any of them,” Tatyana added.
Astrid nodded reluctantly. “I’ve been listening out as much as I can, and I know for sure that Levi has sent security magicals to search for them, but they haven’t come up with anything so far. It’s radio silence, as far as they’re concerned. So, either they’re really, really, really, far away by now, or they’ve found a good hiding place and are keeping their heads down.”
I’m right here! Obviously, I couldn’t make myself known to them, but it felt weird to be so close and not be able to say a word.
“Do you think they might be at the Smiths’?” Louella asked. “Jacob talks about them a bunch. If he was in a panic, he might have gone to the first place he could think of.”
Astrid smiled. “I thought about that and changed the address in the coven system. If they go looking, they won’t find the right house. Since we’ve had a new influx of security magicals, they shouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Even if they can, it’ll give me time to come up with something else. So far, no details have been sent there. I guess they don’t think there’s any way that Harley would go straight to people she cares about.”
I hoped it would be enough to deter the security magicals from bothering the Smiths, though they’d already promised to cover for us if anyone came knocking. Ryann was a tough nut to crack, especially when she went into future-lawyer mode. She’d throw the book at them… literally, if they tried to push their luck.
“Do you think it might be possible to get Jacob back?” Krieger didn’t sound too hopeful.
Louella’s eyes widened. “If you went to Levi and explained what you need Jacob for, he might be able to arrange some kind of amnesty for him. You know, maybe say that he can be off the hook if he works exclusively for you on the magical detector. Then, Levi could get the word out, somehow, and that might be enough to bring Jacob home.”
As I listened to them discuss what they could do to get Jacob back, Wade’s gaze darted toward the mouse. We were tucked behind the glass jar, but I got the feeling he was looking straight at me. His stare didn’t shift. Before I could say a word to Kenzie, to ge
t her to stay put, she made the mouse scurry out from its hiding place and go behind a metal box that provided more cover. As the mouse peered out from behind it, we saw that Wade’s gaze had followed. His brow furrowed slowly. I wished I could’ve transferred some of my feelings over to him, to let him know I was right there, but my abilities didn’t work here. I was just a passenger—a distant visitor, able to observe and nothing more.
He mean something to you? Kenzie asked.
Yeah, was all I replied.
I can get the mouse to wave, if you want?
I chuckled. I don’t want to freak him out.
Suit yourself.
“So, is that our next order of business?” Tatyana asked. “Finding Jacob?”
Raffe nodded. “That and helping O’Halloran get Isadora and Alton out of jail. He might not be saying anything about Echidna going missing, but O’Halloran is being pretty vocal about them being locked up. He wants Santana out, too, same as the rest of us, but the chances of her being released are slimmer than ever.”
“Levi thinks he has the upper hand by keeping her behind bars, the idiot,” Tatyana said.
A grimace twisted up the corners of Raffe’s mouth, his eyes flickering red. “Yeah, he doesn’t seem to get that me and the djinn can be a team when we want to be. And neither of us is going to stop until Santana is out.”
Wade sighed, drawing my attention back to him. “I’m going to head over to Waterfront Park for a little bit, see if anyone’s talking about Imogene. Even with this level of urgency, Levi might not be willing to offer amnesty to Jacob. But Imogene would, for sure.”
Astrid nodded enthusiastically. “She might be just the ally we need right now.”
Wade stood and cast a subtle glance at the mouse. “Plus, I could do with a couple of hours away from this place. The espresso at Shiloh’s Café will help. Just don’t tell Levi—or anyone else—where I’ve gone, okay? I don’t want to have to deal with anyone right now.”
To my surprise, he left his phone on the table, walking away before anyone could stop him. I supposed, with me MIA, the rest of the Rag Team could understand the need for a few hours of privacy. I realized that this was my chance to reach out to him safely, without being caught by Levi’s new monitoring systems. I need to get to Shiloh’s Café ASAP!
“Do you think it’s a good idea for him to be out on his own, at a time like this?” Louella asked quietly.
Raffe shrugged. “Levi’s too busy interrogating Santana, Isadora, and Alton to bother with him right now. Or any of us, for that matter. My father won’t even notice he’s gone, and if he does, I’m sure Wade will tell him where he can stuff it.”
“But what about security?” Louella sounded worried.
“Wade will be able to give security the slip and head into Waterfront Park, no problem,” Dylan replied.
Tatyana nodded. “There are benefits to this kind of disarray, even if they don’t benefit everyone.”
I wondered if maybe Wade really had sensed me here. Was that why he’d headed to Shiloh’s Café in such a hurry, or was it purely coincidence? I couldn’t tell. Anyway, it didn’t matter, because the outcome was the same: I knew where I had to go to speak to him, face-to-face. Plus, I’d need to get Jacob back into the coven, with Wade’s help, so he could get started on the magical detector tweaks and we could get a move on finding Katherine.
Can we snap out of it? I asked Kenzie.
No problem. This mouse is going to be so confused when I Morph out. She’d barely replied when I came rushing back into the dingy kitchen in a blinding flash of white. I blinked a couple of times to clear my vision of the milky haze, only to find Jacob and Finch eyeing me curiously.
“Everything okay? You getting a craving for cheese?” Finch broke the silence.
I smiled at them both. “No craving for cheese, but we need to talk. Now.”
Eight
Jacob
After recapping the conversations they’d overheard during their mousecapades, with Kenzie giving us a moment alone in the kitchen, Harley looked at me. She had that sad expression on her face, the one that said, “Please, Jacob.” But how could I do what she was asking? Like, seriously? It was suicide. Or stupidity. One trip in a mouse and her brain had shrunk to the size of a pea. She had to be off her rocker to even suggest I go back to the SDC.
“Krieger needs you,” she said again, quietly. “He’ll protect you from Levi, I know he will. And the thing is… well, the magical detector won’t work without you, and we’ve got to find Katherine before she can get ritual four done. I know it’s a lot to ask, and I know you probably don’t want to go back, but it may be our only chance of getting to Echidna before the clock runs out on her.”
“Are you crazy?” I stared at her.
“I wish I was, but I’m deadly serious.”
Finch smirked. “You sure sound insane to me, Sis. I’ll fetch my spare straitjacket if you’d like.”
“Jake is needed there,” Harley insisted. “It’s the only way to put that rag you snatched to good use, Finch. I know it sounds bonkers, believe me, I do, but they really want to have him back so he can help them progress with the detector. Without him, they’re treading water, trying to figure out what else they can do. And they don’t have any other options right now. End of.” She turned back to me. “I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t completely necessary, Jake. You know I wouldn’t.”
“Levi will have my head on a stake,” I shot back. I’d been under his nose as Tarver for ages, and he hadn’t noticed. He didn’t like being made to look stupid. I wasn’t sure he’d gotten over it, or if he ever would.
“No, he won’t,” Harley replied. “Do you really think Levi won’t be frothing at the mouth to have that thing working? He’d happily keep your head off any pikes if you can help get it operational. Then, he can be ‘the director responsible for bringing the magical detector into existence.’ He can bathe in applause to his heart’s content, and soak up all the congratulations, even though he didn’t do anything toward it. Plus, you can be our eyes and ears in the SDC while we tackle the Katherine problem from a different angle. This way, we’re covering all bases. Plus, if we do this with Levi knowing you’re there, we’re not putting anyone else at risk of being an accessory and ending up in a cell.”
“This some sort of math lesson?” Finch muttered.
Harley flashed him a smug look. “Divide and conquer. Simple as.”
You sound more like him each day. People had quirks. Harley and Finch weren’t any different. Finch had started to say stuff like “end of” or “period” or “simple as,” and Harley had started using similar endings in her sentences, around the same time. It wasn’t something most folks would notice, but I’d always picked up on little things like that. It was like a person’s signature, almost. They mimicked people they were close to, almost out of habit.
“So, you and me are working together again?” Finch arched an eyebrow.
“Afraid so,” she replied.
“Great. That worked out so well the last time.” He pulled a face. I knew he was secretly pleased. Harley was ace. It didn’t hurt to be on her team. Yeah, she was headstrong, but she had confidence because of it. That was a cool thing to follow.
“We need to work like this, on different teams.” She folded her arms across her chest.
Finch grinned. “What, so we’ve got the Goody-Two-Shoes Gang and Double Trouble?”
“Or the Rag Team and Sub-Team One.” She shook her head.
“Why do we have to be ‘sub’ team?”
“Does it really matter what we’re called?” she asked.
He shrugged. “It might, since we’ll probably be using codenames from now on.”
“How about you pick names from King Arthur’s legends or something?” I suggested. I expected a sour look from Finch, but he and Harley seemed pleased by the idea. “You know, since you’re both technically Merlins.”
“Let’s have Gwen and Percy,” Harley said. “Guinevere for m
e. Percival for you, Finch.”
“Wasn’t he the useless one?”
Harley grinned. “No, but he was the one who wanted to search for the Holy Grail all by himself, thinking he didn’t need anyone else’s help.”
“My kind of knight. He was probably right,” Finch murmured. “If we’re using codenames, we’ll probably need to use burner cellphones—that might be our only way to communicate with Wade and the others, from here on out. If there’s one thing humans are really good at, it’s staying under the radar. We’ll need to get down to a human level to stand a chance of keeping in touch with the GTSG.”
Harley frowned. “GTSG?”
“Goody-Two-Shoes Gang,” I replied, with a chuckle.
“See, he gets it!” Finch smacked me hard on the back. I almost staggered forward. It was the closest thing to a hug he’d ever given me. Did this mean he was warming to me? Doubtful.
“So, I can’t stay here with you?” I looked to Harley. She had the final say here.
She shook her head and smiled. She and Isadora both had this way of staring at you that made you feel like you were the only person in the room. Not in a weird way but in a nice, calming way. The way a sister or a mother might look at you.
“How am I supposed to convince Levi not to lock me up?” I tried not to sound as worried as I felt. Years in the foster system had toughened me up, but I still had some softer bits left—bits that weren’t as tough. One of those bits was doing things totally alone. I reacted the same way when I had to speak to someone on the phone. I didn’t like it. It put me on edge.
Harley gave me a reassuring smile. She probably sensed my unease with her Empathy. “It’ll be okay, Jake. You head back to the SDC in a total frazzle, like you’ve just escaped. You play the victim like a pro, and say you were coerced into helping us. Make sure Krieger is in the room when you speak to Levi.”
“How do I do that—how do I play the victim?” I asked. To be honest, I wasn’t that great of a liar.
Harley Merlin 7: Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix Page 6
