Nomura successfully deflected Wade’s attacks, using only his Telekinesis. Of his three main abilities, it was the one he trusted most during combat. Sometimes he used his Earth Elemental skills to manipulate the shape and size of his Esprit swords, turning them into chillingly effective weapons. Nomura was also an Air Elemental, but he rarely used that power. Not that he wasn’t good with it. On the contrary. It was extremely intense and not suited for training purposes, he’d once said.
Wade managed to slip through Nomura’s defenses and delivered a fiery blow, using a flaming whip. He’d already figured out that fireballs weren’t going to touch him. Nomura hissed when the whip cut through his silken tunic. Wade froze, terrified that he’d actually managed to injure Nomura, who grinned and turned his fear into an opening.
The preceptor dashed across the training circle and delivered a dizzying array of kicks and punches. It threw Wade for a loop. Nomura then used his Telekinesis to grab him by the throat again, this time his hand making the gripping gesture just inches away from Wade’s skin.
“Now, you’re mine,” Nomura announced. “I can finish you off before you even think of a way out.”
“Yield. I yield,” Wade croaked.
Nomura chuckled as he released Wade and looked at me. “See, Merlin? Focus on how far you can push your raw power first, then worry about fine-tuning or amplifying it with your Esprit.”
I nodded slowly, in awe of what I’d just witnessed. Wade’s ego was bruised, but he, too, looked impressed by Nomura’s fighting skills.
“You really think I can be as good as you?” I asked.
Nomura gave me a faint half-smile. “You’re really hung up on that Mediocre label, aren’t you, Merlin?”
“The Reading was clear, sir,” Wade replied, giving me a sympathetic look. “Adley de la Barthe may have had her shortcomings, but she was a stellar physician. And our patented lie detector doesn’t… lie.”
Ah, yes. Adley. The unsuspecting accomplice. Adley had come to the San Diego Coven a couple of years back as the physician. She’d fallen for Finch, who’d played her into keeping his Shapeshifting ability a secret. She paid dearly for her mistake, and she was now serving time in one of the cells in our basement, awaiting a trial date. But Wade was right—despite her weakness for a friggin’ psycho magical, Adley had built quite a reputation as a physician. And her Reading had been clear about me: I had all these abilities and, even though I was a full Elemental, which was ridiculously rare, I was also a Mediocre.
“Didn’t Alton agree that Merlin should do a second Reading?” Nomura said, frowning. “I thought Adley had suggested the same, too.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied. “I guess the new physician will do that, though I haven’t had the chance to talk to him much, lately.”
“Of course you wouldn’t.” Nomura sighed. “Krieger took over all of Adley’s projects. He’s got his hands full for a while. Nevertheless, you should get tested again, if only for your peace of mind. I doubt you’ll get different results, but Chaos can surprise us sometimes. Who knows?”
That statement somehow filled me with hope, despite Nomura’s generally pragmatic approach. His teaching techniques had that “tough love” vibe, but most of his students honed their skills over the years. Hell, I’d already come a long way.
One month in this place, and I had much better control over my Telekinesis and Fire than before. Despite my complaints about not being able to use my Esprit during Nomura’s training sessions, I had to admit I was making progress.
Deep down, the fear of one day facing Katherine Shipton pushed me to try harder, to do more, and to learn as much as I could about myself and my family in the meantime. When Finch was carted off to Purgatory, he had sneered at me and said that this was far from over.
The troubling part was that I believed him. So, if there was so much as a 10 percent chance that I wasn’t a Mediocre after all, I wanted that second Reading. Katherine Shipton was most likely plotting something big and terrible, and I felt as though it was my responsibility to take her down. To prove that the Merlin name still stood for the goodness and greatness of this magical world, and not the murder and mayhem that my father had left behind.
Two
Harley
I’d grown accustomed to life in the coven.
I liked it. A lot. I’d even learned to control my Empathy around crowds of people! And we were getting awfully close to a deadline, on my part. The probation month was coming to an end soon, and the San Diego Coven was quietly waiting for me to make a decision. Should I stay, or should I go?
I’d yet to decide, but I did appreciate how Alton didn’t pressure me. In the meantime, I continued to enjoy my midcentury-style room in the coven, my pretend part-time job at the Science Center’s Archives and Library, and, most importantly, the free meals.
Lunch was served in the banquet hall, with its pristine white marble walls and long dining tables. Some of the seats were empty—the coven had lost people during Finch’s gargoyle attack. Over a dozen had died, and at least twenty were still in the infirmary, recovering from their wounds. There wasn’t enough magic in this world to fix certain injuries. It was up to the magical’s body to fight and heal itself, as best as it could.
I skipped past the knot in my stomach caused by the sight of empty seats and stopped by the buffet first. I loaded my plate with chunks of bread and a heap of cheesy grilled potatoes, which I then slathered in one of the chefs’ signature gravies. My body demanded food, drained of the energy I’d burned during my training with Nomura and Wade, and my mind required nourishment after the early morning courses in Alchemy and Occult Chemistry. Needless to say, I was making progress on all magical fronts, but I was useless if left “hangry.”
Looking around, I spotted my Rag Team at one of the long tables. A couple of seats away from them were Finch’s old teammates, including Garrett Kyteler, who still carried that brokenhearted-boy look on his handsome face. I still had a bit of a soft spot for him, but I blamed it on my hormones—just my body responding to an attractive individual. Nothing more, nothing less.
No longer overwhelmed by crowds, thanks to my Empathic self-control, I kept my focus on my friends as I walked over to them. They’d saved me a seat.
Santana Catemaco, Tatyana Vasilisa, Raffe Levi, Astrid Hepler, Dylan Blight, and Wade Crowley. They weren’t just my teammates anymore. We’d grown closer as a group. We’d learned to work together and to trust one another. Most importantly, they supported me in my quest to improve myself. I knew I would forever be in their debt for everything they’d taught me so far, knowingly or otherwise.
“There she is!” Santana exclaimed as I glided between the long tables to reach them. “Heard you had quite a fiery experience in Physical Magic earlier!” she added, chuckling.
They were all smiling, happy to see me again. It warmed me inside to feel that. The only one who was still guarded and weirdly nervous around me was Wade, but I decided not to rub his face in it after the ass-whooping he’d just gotten from Nomura.
I sat down at the table and proceeded to scarf down my lunch. As usual, I left little room for talking, washing my food down with a glass of sparkling water, which Raffe was courteous enough to pour for me.
“It was intense, yeah,” I replied, then tackled another piece of potato. “This gravy, though…”
Astrid giggled. “I know, right? I’ve been trying to get my hands on the recipe, but the chefs hold on to it like it’s a state secret.”
“So, how are you coming along with everything?” Santana asked. “I haven’t seen much of you this week.”
I gave her a brief shrug. “Really busy. But I think I’m doing okay. I mean, it’s definitely better than when I first got here.”
“Still a long way to go, though,” Wade interjected.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Hello, Captain Obvious.”
That was part of our routine. Banter and sarcasm were essential parts of my dialogue with Wade. I didn’t quite und
erstand what purpose it served him, but for me, it was a good way to keep my mind sharp. I enjoyed our back-and-forths. Well, I enjoyed delivering solid burns to Mr. High-and-Mighty-Crowley, anyway.
“It’s true. You’re nowhere near our proficiency levels,” Wade replied, pushing a broccoli stalk around his plate with a fork.
“Oh, I know. Wait till I get there, though,” I said. “I did manage to make you sweat this morning. I’ll take that minor victory today.”
The others instantly turned their heads to look at Wade.
“Did she kick your ass?” Dylan asked, grinning like the Cheshire cat.
“You wish,” Wade muttered, pretending to focus on his almost-empty plate. “Nomura had us training without our Esprits again. Needless to say, Miss Merlin here still can’t wrap her head around that.”
“I’d just love to get more training with my Esprit, not only without it,” I grumbled.
“You heard Nomura. First, you need to hone your raw abilities,” Wade replied.
“Oh, Miss Whitehall is here,” Tatyana said, watching the director’s table. We all followed her gaze and found Alton having lunch with the preceptors, accompanied by Imogene Whitehall and Leonidas Levi, Raffe’s estranged father. Raffe and Leonidas didn’t get along and only really saw each other during these official visits.
Raffe didn’t look happy. “Ugh. He didn’t even say he was coming.”
Imogene glanced around the banquet hall and smiled when she saw me. I gave her a polite nod in return, and she winked back. It felt as though we’d already had a full conversation. Imogene was one of the few people whose emotions I couldn’t sense, but her gentle expression and bright blue eyes always put me in a good mood.
Out of all the stuck-up figures in the California Mage Council, the authority directly overseeing coven activities in the state, Imogene was the only one I was wholeheartedly fond of. Even before I found my Esprit, she’d advised and encouraged me. Once the whole issue with Finch and the Bestiary was resolved, she took the lead on the Council and defended us, ultimately awarding our coven with over a thousand points toward the end-of-year bonus. In my book, that made her super cool and a breath of fresh air, compared to the elitist snobs she had to work with. I’d bumped into her before, mostly in Waterfront Park during the occasional day out, and we caught up over tea now and again. She was, by far, one of the kindest magicals I’d ever come across—in complete contrast to the pompously stiff Leonidas Levi.
“I wonder what they’re doing here,” I said, chewing on my last piece of bread.
“It’s probably about the gargoyle incident,” Raffe replied. “They’re most likely doing follow-up, making sure everything is okay.”
“The cleanup operation was a success, though. It took us two weeks to wipe everybody who was in the area at the time, but we did it,” Wade said. “Mage presence isn’t really necessary at this point. We have it under control.”
Astrid’s AI, “Smartie,” had done a stellar job of scrapping and manipulating CCTV and social media footage, as well. Tobe was back and had Preceptor Bellmore assisting him in further securing the Bestiary boxes. Everything seemed to be back on track, so I was inclined to agree with Wade.
Raffe sighed. “You don’t know my father well enough, then. Once he sets his sights on a coven, he’ll watch over it like a hawk and swoop in at the first mistake. Plus, he’s not very fond of Alton.”
“Surely, Imogene balances him out, right?” I asked. “Like she did at the hearing.”
“Oh, you mean when my own father was ready to sink my coven, and Imogene intervened and set the record straight after you came in and testified? Yeah. You could say that,” Raffe replied. “It doesn’t matter if Imogene is here, though. They’re both part of the California Mage Council, and it’s not just the two of them. All seven of them are watching us now. After what happened with Finch, they’re worried.”
“Well, the concern does stem from the fact that they now know it was Katherine Shipton’s doing. That she’s still very much alive and kicking,” Santana said. “They’re quaking in their boots, man.”
“She was really bad, huh?” I sighed, losing my appetite. Fortunately, I’d already gone through most of my plate, leaving a handful of crusts on the edge.
“Haven’t you been reading up on the Shiptons?” Tatyana asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Alton promised he’d dig up all the information he has on them and the Merlins, if I focus on training and learning,” I said. “He’s yet to deliver, but, frankly, I can’t say I’m looking forward to reading up on my family history. I’ve been studying about my abilities, mostly, and the Bestiary. It feels less… toxic.”
“Not ready to deal with your past, huh?” Tatyana replied.
I exhaled. “Willing, sure. But no, not ready.”
“Whatever you need, we’re here. You know that, right?” Santana said, smiling softly. “My Orishas like you, by the way.”
I chuckled. “Oh, yeah, after that ride they took me on with the gargoyles, I’m sure!” I replied, remembering the button in my throat, which the Orishas—powerful Santeria entities commanded by Santana—used to amplify my voice and draw the gargoyles back into Balboa Park and away from the city streets. The experience was impossible to forget, as it had left me with a small scar on my throat, where the button had burned through at the end.
“Well, yeah. They think you’re a tough cookie. They like tough cookies,” Santana said.
“That explains why they obey you,” Raffe interjected. It surprised Santana, and it must have taken some effort on Raffe’s part. My heart was pounding like a maniac—my Empath senses were picking up Raffe’s feelings. He was nervous, yet brave enough to give Santana a compliment. He liked her. A lot. But there was a part of him I’d yet to wrap my head around. Raffe struck me as a dual character. Warm and friendly, shy and helpful on the outside, but with a dark and poisonous storm brewing on the inside. He didn’t like talking about himself, which made it difficult for me to ask about the mixed emotions I sensed. I had a feeling I hadn’t earned his full trust on that. And no one on our team spoke on his behalf.
It was kind of an unspoken rule: Only Raffe talks about Raffe.
“Thank you, Raffe,” Santana replied, her lips stretching into a dazzling smile. It made my heart flutter—once again, that was all Raffe. I was swooning over her because of him.
“When is your second Reading?” Astrid cut in, looking at me.
Out of everyone in our circle, Astrid and Santana had been the most vocal about me doing a second Reading. Neither believed that I was really a Mediocre, and, as much as I tried to stop myself from experiencing potential disappointment in the future, I didn’t believe it, either.
“I have no idea. I haven’t talked to Krieger about it yet,” I replied.
“Ah. Wolfgang Krieger!” Astrid replied, faking a German accent and making us all chuckle.
I glanced to my right and noticed Garrett watching me. Rowena Sparks, Poe Dexter, Lincoln Mont-Noir, and Niklas Jones were with him, talking and laughing about something. But Garrett wasn’t listening. He was focused on me. I felt another pang, remembering that I’d never see Ruby Presley again. She’d died in the gargoyle attack, and even though we hadn’t really gotten along, her passing was still a terrible tragedy.
“I heard some pretty creepy stuff about Krieger,” Dylan said.
Garrett smiled at me, but there was a tinge of sadness in his blue eyes, which I was convinced had something to do with Finch. Out of everyone in his crew, Garrett had been the most affected, since he and Finch were best friends. I couldn’t feel him as an Empath, either, but his face said plenty. He was still hurting.
He’d repeatedly apologized for his verbal attacks on me, too. After all, he’d been the one to tell the entire coven what I’d just learned at the time—that I was the daughter of a mass murderer. He knew that the sins of my father had nothing to do with me, but, according to Finch, Garrett was pretty upset about how close Wade and I were. T
hat, in and of itself, was ridiculous, since there was nothing going on between Wade and me. The heart was a fickle thing, in Garrett’s case. He was still one of the hottest guys in the coven, but I just couldn’t look at him the way he looked at me. I didn’t feel that spark, the proverbial je ne sais quoi.
Our only date had gone sideways after Wade showed up with Clara Fairmont, then got into an argument with Garrett. That episode still puzzled me, weeks later. What had Wade been thinking, when my purpose had been to get intel out of Garrett regarding their Bestiary investigation?
“Define creepy,” Tatyana replied. “The man has quite the reputation as a physician. In fact, I’m told he’s one of the best in his field, able to mix medical science and magic in ways never seen before.”
“You’re quoting out of his profile in the San Diego Coven Gazette, aren’t you?” Astrid said, heavily amused.
“That’s what it says!” Tatyana chuckled.
Garrett then moved his sights to Wade. Again, I noticed a tinge of sadness. He and Wade had once been close friends, and neither wanted to talk about what happened between them. Still, I was curious.
“Most of the rumors you’ve heard about Krieger are unfounded,” Wade interjected. “He is kind of creepy-looking, though.”
“Rumors, as in how he snatches young magicals from their beds, does horrible experiments on them, then wipes their memories and puts them back in their covens?” Astrid replied.
“Or how he did a whole Dr. Frankenstein thing a few years back and made a new magical from different body parts, before having to put the creature down after it blew up his laboratory?” Santana chimed in.
“What about that time he slipped powerful toxins into the Miami Coven’s lunch, and they ended up going berserk for an entire afternoon?” Raffe joined the Spooky Krieger train, laughing.
“Miss Merlin!” A male voice made my head snap and instantly silenced everyone at the table. I recognized the German accent right away.
“Dr. Krieger,” I murmured.
Harley Merlin 2: Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins Page 2
