“It’s not like that,” Alton said, shaking his head. “You have to understand something, Harley. The San Diego Coven is relatively young and… not stellar. Not yet, anyway. It went through years of neglect, until I took over. We have talented magicals here, but most of them are mediocre, so to speak. Having someone who can manipulate all four elements in this city is rare. And Wade mentioned Telekinesis, too?”
I scowled at Wade, mentally branding him a snitch. He replied with a disinterested shrug, then took his hands out of his pockets and put them behind his back, in a solemn posture.
“Shall I escort her to Adley?” Wade asked.
“I’ll come with you.” Alton stood up and walked around his desk.
“Wait, what? Where are we going? What tests? Hold on!” I growled, then shot to my feet, wrestling with panic and fear as I tried to keep my composure.
Alton and Wade stopped just before they reached the double doors, then turned around to face me.
“It’s okay, Harley,” Alton said. “We’re not going to hurt you. We just need to find out exactly what you can do. I’ll make assessments based on that. It’s part of the process, nothing to fear.”
In his defense, Alton had been nothing but kind and courteous, explaining stuff I’d waited my whole life to hear. There were rules in this place, and, since he’d basically allowed me in, even if on a temporary basis, the least I could do was indulge the guy and let him assess my abilities.
“I can’t believe it. I’m meeting real-life warlocks and witches, and you all sound like bureaucratic pencil pushers, with processes and assessments and whatever else makes you think you’re in control of your lives,” I complained, following them as they crossed the hallway.
“From Chaos comes Order,” Alton replied with a wink.
Chapter Eight
Wade pushed open the doors to another chamber ahead, while Alton stayed by my side as we walked in. Judging by the pristine white walls and square neon light fixtures on the ceiling, this was a lab of sorts. My stomach churned in response to the various chemical smells, while my gaze darted from glass vials and jars to potted plants, ceramic dishes loaded with colorful powders, and a plethora of herbal and mineral paraphernalia.
A white plastic chair stood in the middle of the room—a sturdy-looking thing, with a stainless-steel podium base, two attached side tables, and brown leather straps on the armrests and front legs.
“Whoa,” I breathed, then stilled, staring at the chair.
“Relax, the straps are not for you,” a woman said. There was a hint of amusement in her voice as she emerged from behind a large potted hibiscus bush in the far-right corner of the room. The floor was smooth and white. I felt like a rat in a testing lab.
The woman was a head shorter than me, and in her mid-thirties, with fine expression lines bringing out her violet eyes. She wore her black hair in a short pixie cut, with purple tips, in deep contrast to her elegant gray pantsuit and white lab coat.
“Harley, this is Adley de la Barthe. She’s our physician,” Alton said, as Adley reached out and shook my trembling hand.
Only then did I realize how nervous I was.
“Pleasure to meet you, Harley,” Adley replied, and I gave her a brief nod in return. Curiosity emanated from her, and it was aimed at me. There was also a tinge of excitement as she smiled. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
I looked at her, then at Alton, Wade, and the white chair, before I crossed my arms and shook my head.
“That thing looks like what’s at the end of a death sentence,” I said, grappling with my anxiety. I’d spent my whole life staying out of labs and hospitals, so I was having a hard time associating this room with anything good.
“Like I said, the straps are not for you, Harley,” Adley insisted, then motioned for me to sit.
“Then who are they for?” I replied.
“For Purges,” Wade interjected, impatiently rolling his eyes. “Just sit in the damn chair.”
“What are Purges?” I didn’t budge. Like a kid about to get into the dentist’s chair, I was stalling.
“Purges are a natural process for magicals,” Alton replied, giving me a warm smile in an attempt to soothe me. “When we use magic, when we enlist the powers of Chaos, our bodies gather a type of toxic waste—negative energy, poisonous darkness that builds up as we exercise our abilities. It’s directly proportional to the strength of the magic we use. The more powerful the spell, the more toxins that gather inside us.”
“Purges are a healthy and necessary way for our bodies to expel this dark energy,” Adley added. “In the beginning, they weren’t monitored or conducted in contained environments, such as this room, but now we know better. We can even predict when a magical needs to Purge, as there are certain symptoms.”
“Why do they need to be in a controlled environment?” I asked.
“Because the Purge can be extremely painful,” Alton replied. “Witches have described it as worse than childbirth. Personally, I can tell you it hurts. It burns and claws at your insides, as if you’re being torn to shreds in slow motion.”
“You’ve Purged?” I tried to visualize the process.
He nodded. “More than once, yes.”
“What happens to the toxic… whatever?”
“Once it makes contact with the air, it materializes into a monster. Shapes and dimensions vary, but, usually, the beast’s size echoes the magical’s power. A powerful witch can generate a creature the size of a mountain, for example. I’ll tell you more about this later, though. For now, Harley, we need to get you tested.” Alton motioned toward the chair once more.
The gargoyle from the other night came to mind. Was that a Purge monster, too? Clearly, I had more follow-up questions at this point, but Alton didn’t seem interested in answering until I complied with his request. After a few seconds’ worth of back-and-forths in my head, I eventually conceded and sat in the white chair, my skin crawling as my fingers touched the armrests.
“How do you plan on testing me?” I asked, my gaze following Adley as she walked over to a nearby cabinet, then pulled open a drawer. I couldn’t see more from that angle, but I could hear various metallic instruments clanging, sending shivers down my spine.
I can still run, if need be. I’ll just whack the three of them against the wall or something and shoot out of here.
“I’ll need a little bit of your blood,” Adley replied, turning around to face me.
Dread froze the blood in my veins at the sight of a freakishly large metal syringe in her hand. It looked like something they used back at the turn of the century, with a needle thick enough to probably kill a small animal. Oh, this is going to hurt like a mother—
“Nope, I’m out of here. Okay. Thanks. Bye!” I sprang up, my brain instantly switching into survival mode. There was no way I’d let them stick that monstrous thing in me.
“Sit. Down.” Wade’s voice pierced through me, and I lost control over my body.
My muscles stiffened, the connection to my brain cut off, somehow. Frost coated my veins, as I looked at him and saw his hand raised, his rings glowing blue. Oh, crap. I sat down, my joints crunching and hurting as I desperately tried to fight it. I couldn’t.
Wade had Telekinetic abilities, too, and they were much more powerful than mine.
“Wh-What are you doing?” I hissed, glowering at him.
“You need to hold still,” he replied, while Alton put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently.
My heart pumped erratically. My breath hitched. Every fiber in my body cried out for release, but Wade didn’t let go. He wasn’t going to let me go until they were done with their test. Adley came closer, holding up the empty syringe for me to see.
“I’m sorry, Harley,” she said softly. “It will just pinch for a bit, and then we’ll let you go. We need to assess your powers.”
“Let me guess, your dumbass rules?” I spat, narrowing my eyes at Alton, then Wade.
Alton nodded slowly, watching a
s Adley brought the needle closer to my arm. “Yes. We must all follow them. For your safety, and ours.”
“Relax, we’ve all done this,” Wade replied, then moved his fingers, forcing my left forearm to turn over, so Adley could stick the needle into my vein.
I cursed under my breath, heat spreading through my forearm, swiftly followed by sharp pain as Adley’s needle pierced my skin. She drew a few milliliters of blood. It was over quickly, though, and Wade kept Alton’s promise, letting me go as soon as Adley removed the syringe from my throbbing arm.
“Ow,” I groaned.
Adley put a piece of sterilized cotton against the puncture wound and pushed my forearm up, for me to keep pressure until the bleeding stopped. This reminded me of my first vaccines—fortunately, my Telekinetic abilities manifested after the shots; otherwise, there would’ve been some pediatricians in San Diego with permanent psychological and physical scars, for sure.
“Again, truly sorry, Harley, but we had to—” Alton tried to apologize, but I gestured for him to shut up.
“Shush,” I muttered. “It’s done. Now what?”
“We see what you’re made of.” Adley smiled and brought out a wide copper bowl with strange markings engraved on the inner lip. I could’ve sworn they were runes. Or hieroglyphs. I should’ve paid more attention in “preppy” history class.
“You’ll pay for that, by the way,” I snarled, pointing a menacing finger at Wade, who replied with a light chuckle.
“Dream on,” he said.
I didn’t pursue it further. He was going to get paid in kind for this… physical violation. The irony didn’t escape me, as far as my outrage was concerned. I’d used my Telekinesis on others, after all. I’d physically harmed them, too. Ugh, do unto others and so on.
“Okay, let’s see what Harley Smith can do,” Adley said, as she emptied the syringe into the copper bowl, with Wade and Alton moving closer, while I craned my neck to get a better look.
The blood trickled down into the center of the bowl, then purposefully spread out in thin crimson streams, forming a variety of patterns against the copper surface, like some kind of mandala—swirls and lines repeating in a circular fashion.
“We call this Reading,” Adley explained, analyzing the blood pattern. “It gives me a clear picture of your key traits and abilities.”
“Okay,” I murmured. “What does it say?”
“Oh, wow,” she replied, her forehead smoothing. She seemed to recognize something in those lines and curves. “You have all four elements. That is truly impressive, and rare. Very rare, actually… Telekinesis. Oh, you’re an Empath!”
She beamed at me, her excitement genuine and quickly replicated by Alton, whose eyes widened as he stared at me with pure, unadulterated joy. I’d referred to myself as an “empath” up to this point after some online searches for what I was experiencing. It had simply come across as the most relatable term I’d found in the dictionary. It was interesting to see how the magicals were using it as an actual label.
“You’re an Empath, Harley? Why didn’t you say so?” Alton beamed at me.
“It’s not exactly something I just blurt out.” I shrugged, my gaze shifting to Wade.
As exposed as I felt in that moment, I did feel partially avenged. Judging by the stunned look on his face and the flurry of raw panic pouring out of him, Wade was coming to terms with the fact that I could read him like an open book. And he freaking hated it. I stifled a grin, pressing my lips into a thin line, as I looked at Alton and Adley again.
They were both looking at me as if I were some rare specimen. A magical unicorn.
“Hm, this is strange,” Adley said, frowning as she turned the bowl around. “I can’t read further into you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, still wrapping my head around this new reality of mine, while Wade was boiling on the inside. His anger at his own vulnerabilities made it difficult for me to concentrate. It then hit me that I could enjoy this a little more, while he was still coping. “Wade, can you please get yourself under control? You’re making it hard for me to focus.”
“Why do you say that?” Alton replied, somewhat confused, while Wade cursed under his breath and scowled at me. My heart grew three sizes.
“He’s worried because I can feel everything he feels,” I shot back with a smirk. “I mean, he’s nervous because he feels vulnerable, now that he knows. Which is okay. I’m enjoying the look on his face.”
As soon as he heard that, Wade seemed to find the last ounce of self-control he had left at the bottom of his consciousness, and crossed his arms over his chest, pretending to look inside the bowl. Alton didn’t bother to reply, but he was definitely amused.
“I… No, I can’t read you further. And that’s not a regular occurrence,” Adley concluded, her brow furrowed.
“Do you know why?” Alton asked.
“Nope.” She shook her head. “But based on what I’m seeing here, Harley is a walking contradiction. She has all these abilities already, and yet her power levels are weak, at best. According to what her blood is telling me, she is a—”
“Mediocre. Harley Smith is a Mediocre,” Wade interrupted her with a smirk aimed directly at me. It was his turn to enjoy something I wasn’t sure I understood yet.
“Does the term mean something else for a magical?” I asked.
“No. It means exactly that.” Alton sighed, confused and disappointed at the same time. “You’re what we call a Mediocre. Lackluster. Moderate abilities, with not much power. You’ll probably experience a single Purge in this lifetime.”
“Oh. Okay,” I replied, somewhat disappointed myself.
For a brief second, the idea of being destined for greatness had appealed to me. With all my struggles to fit in somewhere, to find my purpose and place in the world, I’d thought I might be able to excel as a witch. A super special magical.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though the universe—or Chaos, for that matter—had decided that I was going to be a Mediocre. And I had no idea how much I hated that word, until it was used to label me. I let out a deep breath, my shoulders dropping slowly.
“Don’t despair, though,” Alton tried to encourage me, though I could tell from his tone and his emotions that he wasn’t very hopeful either. “You can practice and get better. Being a Mediocre doesn’t make you useless in any way. On the contrary!”
“What, now you’re trying to boost her morale?” Wade said. “Let’s not sugarcoat this. She’s a Mediocre, and that’s it. There’s no point in making her think she’ll ever amount to more. She’ll get herself killed trying to do something that’s out of her league.”
“No, no, it’s cool,” I said. “I’m still a better person than you ever will be, so at least I’ve got that going for me.”
“Now, now, no need to get spikey. Both of you, take it down a notch,” Alton intervened, raising his hand in a pacifying gesture. The red garnets on his dragon cufflinks glimmered in the white neon lights.
“I still don’t get why I can’t read deeper.” Adley frowned, still staring at the bowl.
“I’m sure you’ll get to the bottom of this. Reading is your expertise, Miss de la Barthe, not mine,” Alton replied, trying to end the matter there.
I caught a whiff of something… different coming from him. It felt like suspicion, but it lingered quietly beneath layers of renewed curiosity. I had a feeling that Alton was going to research the subject further. He seemed guarded, almost closed off.
The way he looked at me made me feel like he wasn’t done with studying me, with trying to understand what I was about. However, in the absence of more information, he had nothing else to go on. One thing was clear, though.
I was a Mediocre magical, and an orphan who had no idea what she wanted to do with her time on this earth. While I’d gotten answers to some of my most burning questions, I’d yet to resolve the one thing that bothered me the most:
Who is Harley Smith? What is she meant to become?
Chapter Nine
“Wade, I need you to meet us back in the Main Assembly Hall in an hour,” Alton said. “I’ll continue Harley’s tour and introduce her to our trainers, then bring her over to the Hall for the announcement.”
“Understood.” Wade nodded and turned to leave the room, without bothering to even look at me. From what I could tell, he was too busy trying to keep a cool and calm demeanor, now that he knew I was an Empath. I watched him disappear somewhere beyond the white room, wondering what had given him that arrogant sense of superiority he enjoyed flaunting before me.
“Wait, what announcement?” I asked.
“You’ll find out soon enough. I need to bring you up to speed on a few more topics before anything else,” Alton replied with a faint smile, then motioned for me to walk out first.
I let out an audible sigh, just to make sure I got my frustration across, then headed for the hallway, followed by Alton.
“Harley, should you decide that this is where you want to be, I’d like to see you again for another Reading,” Adley said.
I gave her a quick glance and a nod over my shoulder, then waited for Alton to lead the way to wherever we were going.
“I didn’t know I had a choice,” I said in an undertone, my gaze wandering around as we proceeded toward the end of the hallway. The sculpted dragons were both beautiful and fearsome, and I couldn’t help but wonder why they’d chosen such a controversial creature to adorn their public spaces. For people who advocated for balance and rules, it seemed ironic that they’d chosen a monster of Chaos to decorate their coven.
“It’s a bit more complicated than that,” Alton replied, walking by my side, “but this is how it stands right now. You’re an unregistered and untrained magical, Harley. We cannot just let you wander around San Diego all by yourself. However, I also understand how new and difficult this must all seem to you. So, I’d like to put you on a one-month probation with the coven, just to get you started and see how you come along. We will provide you with training and education so you can catch up with the other magicals who’ve already pledged themselves to the coven.”
Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven Page 9
