“They attacked you,” Alton whispered.
“And then some!” I chuckled nervously. “They’re vicious, Alton. Literal killing machines. Emily’s a Herculean with Telekinesis, and Emmett has Fire. That’s on top of their Shapeshifting. Oh, and they’re pretty good with what I assume were deadly curses. I dodged a few bullets back there.”
“But you escaped,” Wade replied. “How?”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence and for assuming they kicked my ass,” I shot back, slightly irritated. “Granted, that assumption would be correct. They beat me six ways from Sunday and were seconds away from killing me, when I had some… unexpected help.”
I took another breath, waiting for the pain in my ribs to subside. My hunched position wasn’t helping, so I slowly shifted my weight, leaning to my right. I closed my eyes for a moment, thankful to breathe properly again.
“Well? What happened?” Alton blurted, clearly on the edge of his seat.
“Isadora Merlin happened,” I replied. “She showed up out of nowhere, opened up a wormhole, and transported me to Waterfront Park.”
Both Alton and Wade were stunned.
Alton was the first to speak, his eyes wide with shock. “Isadora’s alive.”
“Oh, yeah,” I said.
“And she’s a Portal Opener?” Wade added, staring at me in sheer disbelief.
“Ahem,” I said, nodding. “One of two in existence, according to her.”
“Two?! They were supposed to be extinct. We thought the ability died with her,” Alton replied.
“You assumed she was dead.” I sighed. “She’s not. And she saved my life back there.”
“Did she tell you anything? Where has she been this whole time?” Wade asked.
I raised a hand to stop them both from asking the same questions I’d already tried to ask Isadora. My head was about to explode.
“She didn’t say much. But she did emphasize how dangerous it was for her to be around me. She’s wanted by some pretty dark magicals, apparently. Including Katherine Shipton, who, by the way, is definitely working with the Ryder twins. She’s orchestrating this whole thing with the magical kids, and she’s toying with us,” I said. “She’s doing it on purpose. Having the Cranstons and the Devereauxes killed, stealing some of the kids and recruiting the others. She’s planning something big and bad, Child of Chaos stuff, but Isadora doesn’t know what, exactly. She’s looking into it.”
“You let her go?!” Wade said, mildly annoyed.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Seriously, Crowley? I just got my ass handed to me by the Ryders. Do you really think I had any strength or skill to take on a seasoned witch who can open friggin’ portals in the fabric of space?” I snapped, raising my voice.
Wade went silent but didn’t take his eyes off me.
“Fair enough,” Alton cut in. “What else did she say?”
“She said I shouldn’t believe everything I’ve read in the newspaper archives about my father, then gave me a spell to research. Sál Vinna,” I replied.
Hope sprouted somewhere in the depths of my soul, and, for a split second, I could’ve sworn it wasn’t just my feeling. Something told me that both Wade and Alton were hoping that there would be more to Hiram and Hester Merlin’s story than what they already knew.
“I asked Astrid to find me some information about it,” I added.
“Good. Let me know what you uncover,” Alton replied. “It sounds Icelandic in origin. And the Northerners are not known for their light and positive spell-work. In the meantime, I’ll double security on the families on our list. If Katherine is behind all this, we must expect the worst.”
“Okay… Listen, there’s one thing that’s been bugging me,” I said, worried about the magical kids we could still bring back here for protection. “Don’t you think we should bring the families and the kids in and keep them safe here? I mean, haven’t we learned anything from the Cranstons?”
Alton pinched the bridge of his nose. “I want to, believe me. But like I said to Wade earlier, I have direct orders from the Mage Council now to keep them where they are and look out for the Ryders,” he said. “I had to confer with them on the matter after we learned about what happened with Kenneth. Humans nearly died because of magic. Special protocols require that I inform the Mage Council about it. They were adamant that we leave the families where they are and do our best to secure them remotely. They want the Ryder twins caught at all costs.”
“And they want you to keep the kids and their parents in the crossfire, even after all that’s happened? Seriously?” I asked, still alarmed by their reasoning.
“It’s the best way to catch the Ryders, especially since they’re clearly circling in. They won’t dare come after the coven again. We’ve strengthened security here,” Alton said. “Listen, I don’t like it either. But this wasn’t my call, and we can’t disobey them. If anyone else gets hurt, that blood is on their hands.”
“Ugh! The Mage Council sucks!” I groaned with frustration, but then tried to blow out a calming breath. There was clearly no point ramming my head against this issue any longer. “Okay. So, we can’t do anything about the families. What next, then?”
“We have APBs out on the missing kids,” Wade said. “We’ll monitor the police comms and scan the city’s CCTV resources as well. We keep an eye on the families and the remaining magicals. And we dig deeper into the Ryders and Katherine Shipton. That’s all we can do at this point.”
“Well, that and look into Isadora Merlin. A Portal Opener is an absolute gamechanger for us!” Alton replied. “She could be of incredible help. Can you reach out to her, Harley?”
I shook my head. “No. She’ll find me when she deems it safe enough. She’s very cautious, Alton.”
“When she does get in touch, let me know, okay?” Alton said.
The request made me nervous. “I will, but… what are you thinking?”
“I need to talk to her myself, Harley. No matter what,” he replied bluntly.
Whether it had anything to do with my parents or not, I couldn’t tell for sure. But doubt was definitely creeping up on Alton. He was worried about something. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a Telepath. To my surprise, I didn’t even know such an ability existed until this mission.
I found it irritating how I wasn’t told a lot of pretty important things, despite the training and magical courses. I was picking things up as I went, and I didn’t like that. It felt as though I was being kept in the dark on purpose.
Twenty-Seven
Tatyana
There wasn’t much for us to be happy about after the grim discoveries we’d made throughout the day. But when the infirmary called to tell us that Dylan was awake, smiles bloomed on all our faces.
Santana, Raffe, Astrid, and I went to check on him in the evening after the nurses and Krieger cleared him for visits. He was pale and sluggish, but he was recovering nicely from the beastly curse. The moment he saw me come in, however, Dylan’s brows drew into a dark frown and he looked away.
“You shouldn’t be near me,” he mumbled.
“Oh, don’t give me that crap!” I said, smiling. I was determined not to let him be consumed by guilt. “You’re functional again. That’s what matters.”
“I almost killed you!” Dylan insisted, shifting his gaze back to me.
A brief yet awkward silence followed as Raffe, Astrid, and Santana exchanged glances.
“Dude, it happens to the best of us,” Astrid said. “You were just the one to take the hit this time around. That’s all.”
“I’m sorry,” Dylan murmured, his eyes fixed on me.
I gave him a soft smile, my heart tingling with relief. Dylan was going to be okay. He was strong and resilient, and the coven wouldn’t have been the same without him.
We’d both come to San Diego around the same time. Though, we were both so different. I came with hefty magical baggage, while Dylan had been plucked out of the human world, after having slipped through the cracks of the
foster system. I was a relatively seasoned witch, while Dylan was still coming into his own as a warlock. I was frosty and kept most people at arm’s length. Dylan, despite his shyness, was warm and kind and open with everyone who crossed his path. He was like daylight, and I was the darkness of the night. Still, it was this exact contrast that made us work.
We got along better than most. And we never really had to say much for one to understand how the other felt.
Which was why, despite his frowny face and pouted lips, I knew that, deep down, Dylan was just happy to see me. I moved closer to his side, while the others settled at the foot of his bed. There were dark rings under his eyes. IV tubes went into his arms—next to us, bags of fluids and vitamins quietly dripped into his veins, building him back up, one milliliter at a time.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Dylan,” I whispered. “There was nothing you could’ve done to beat that curse. You were incredibly strong, enough to hear me, just before I gave you the cure. I know you did your best.”
“I could’ve killed you,” he replied. He sounded like he was in a lot of emotional pain—perhaps more than the physical exertion provoked by the curse itself, and it hurt me inside, too. “I was out of control.”
“That was the purpose of the curse, Dylan. To make you lose control,” I said. “Enough with the self-flagellation, already!”
He chuckled, then grimaced from the physical discomfort.
“How are you feeling?” Raffe asked, keeping his arms crossed.
Dylan grinned. “I think I’m doing better than you!”
Indeed, Raffe wasn’t looking his best, but he was extremely good at keeping his darker nature hidden. He had his own demons to deal with, and, sometimes, it spilled out into the physical plane. Raffe’s eyes were almost black, sheltered beneath black brows. The difference between a “Good Day Raffe” and a “Bad Day Raffe” wasn’t easily noticeable, though. Those of us who spent more time with him were able to tell.
“Do you need us to help you with anything?” Raffe replied, brushing Dylan’s observation away. “Anything at all?”
“I’m good, thanks,” Dylan muttered. “Just sore and embarrassed, really.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about,” I reiterated. “That was heavy-duty dark magic that Kenneth Willow used on you.”
He sighed. “Any news on the jerk? Have you tracked him down yet?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. He’s in the wind.”
“I’ve got his photo and physical description in the system, statewide,” Astrid replied. “We’ll know if he pops up anywhere on the grid. Until then, we just keep our eyes open. There isn’t much else we can do.”
“Man, I can’t believe I got my ass kicked like that by a seventeen-year-old,” Dylan grumbled, rubbing his face with his palms.
“You’re nineteen yourself. It’s not like the age gap really makes a difference,” Astrid said, slightly amused.
“Normally, I’d agree with you, but I’m a Herculean. We’re supposed to be more agile. You know, fast enough to not give anyone the opportunity to take us down with a curse. Especially not a kid,” Dylan said, pursing his lips.
I covered his hand with mine, squeezing gently. He looked up at me, his gaze softening on my face. “Kenneth had a morbid ace up his sleeve. Dark curses don’t care how strong or fast you are, Dylan.”
He nodded, and my pulse quickened. Then, out of nowhere and in no way commanded by my brain, my hand pulled back. My stomach hurt with frustration, and a familiar, yet uncomfortable weight settled on my shoulders. Every muscle in my body hurt, my joints bucking under the pressure.
That was Oberon’s doing. For some reason, he didn’t like me touching Dylan, and it irritated me to the point where I mentally pummeled him, throwing a flurry of Russian curse words at him. His chuckle echoed in my ears, while Dylan stared at me, frowning.
Sorry, Taty… I forgot you were behind the wheel, Oberon said.
Well, that wasn’t something the likes of Oberon could easily forget, and it was extremely annoying to experience—since the deal had been for me to always be in control. I had to keep my guard up, it seemed. At the first sign of relaxation or weakness, a spirit could slip into the front seat and bump me to the back. I couldn’t let that happen.
“Are you okay?” Dylan asked me, his voice low.
“Yes. All good. Don’t worry about me. Focus on yourself,” I replied, feeling the fake smile stretching my lips.
“Yeah, we need you back, buddy,” Astrid interjected. She gave me a warning look, then groaned and moved her focus back to Dylan. “We’ve got Garrett until you get better.”
“Ugh! No! Why?” Dylan whined.
“Well, he’s very good at what he does,” I replied. “And he’s familiar with our cases. I’ll take Garrett over Poe or Mont-Noir any time!”
“Wouldn’t you rather have me back, instead?” Dylan quipped.
“Absolutely!” I laughed. “Which is why you need to eat your veggies, listen to Krieger, and get yourself back in shape as soon as possible. Garrett may be good, but he’s still quite insufferable.”
Santana scoffed, crossing her arms. “Yeah, tell me about it.”
“Hey, you don’t have to work with him. Consider yourself lucky,” Astrid replied, grinning.
“Fair enough. I only dated him for a few weeks. Ew…” Santana grumbled.
Astrid’s phone beeped. “Oh, got a little bit of research work from Harley,” she said. Her eyes nearly popped out of their orbits as she read through the rest of the message. “Holy crap, she had a run-in with the Ryder twins!”
Shivers ran down my spine, and dread gripped me as flashbacks of the Devereaux crime scene came back to haunt me. The Ryders were absolutely horrible magicals—the kind that even the worst of my ancient Vasilis family looked down on. My great-great-grandparents were historically recognized villains in their own right, responsible for the deaths of many, and even they would’ve disapproved of the Ryders’ dirty methods.
“And she lived to tell the tale,” Raffe breathed. “I think our little Merlin is not done surprising us.”
“Wait till they get that Dempsey Suppressor off her!” Santana said.
“Alton is sending an updated report shortly,” Astrid went on. “I’ve put the spell Harley sent me through the system, but it’ll take a while before I get some results back. In the meantime, we should all get some rest.”
We all nodded in agreement. I gave Dylan a weak smile. I wanted to tell him, Raffe, Santana, and the rest of our team about Oberon’s presence, but I knew they would overreact. On one hand, I appreciated their concern, since they only wanted what was best for me. However, as a Kolduny, I had to improve my ability to hold a spirit inside me and keep it under control. That only came with practice, and Oberon was the perfect exercise. Plus, he’d promised to help me. He knew I’d kick him to the curb if he didn’t come through.
I had Slavic blood running through my veins. I didn’t respond well to waffling. My skin tingled—a silent nod from Oberon, telling me he’d gotten my message.
No waffling. I promise, he whispered in the back of my head.
Then deliver. You promised you’d put me in touch with spirits who know more about the Ryders, I replied in my mind.
I’m having a little trouble finding them, but I will. I swear, he said.
I instinctively rolled my eyes in response, prompting Dylan to narrow his eyes at me.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
I shook my head. “All good. In fact, everything is much better now that you’re awake,” I said, smiling.
I would tell him after my work with Oberon was done. Until then, however, I had to juggle the outside world and the balance I was trying to maintain on the inside. Carrying a spirit within me did take its toll on my energy.
Twenty-Eight
Tatyana
We left Dylan to rest and went our separate ways for the rest of the night.
The next couple of days passed in bone
-crushing tension. We kept an eye on the other magical families we’d discovered in San Diego. There were charms in place and security magicals tailing each kid, twenty-four hours a day.
There was no sign of the Ryder twins, though. After their attack on Harley, they seemed to have simply vanished. We knew, however, that it was only a matter of time before they’d pop up again. Their job wasn’t done. There were still innocent magical kids out there, and, if Harley was right, they were all a part of Katherine Shipton’s plan.
Of course, we didn’t know what that plan was, or when she or her minions would strike again. There was no sign of Kenneth Willow or Marjorie Phillips. Micah Cranston was still missing, too, and the magical community of San Diego was on a general high alert. We were lucky to have additional security forces from the Los Angeles Coven, by order of the California Mage Council. They’d been sent over shortly after the gargoyle incident, and there were plenty of them to also help us keep track of the magical kids who had yet to move into the coven.
We didn’t like having them out there in the open, but we knew we wouldn’t get a better chance to catch the Ryders without them.
Dylan was close to making a full recovery. I had a feeling he’d be out of the infirmary by morning. Astrid was busy monitoring all channels for any sign of the Ryders or the missing kids, while also waiting for her Smartie system to return some information on Sál Vinna, the Icelandic spell Harley had mentioned.
On top of it all, we were checking the archives and old CCTV footage from the San Diego area, looking for images of Isadora Merlin. Alton had asked us to look into her and find out where she’d been and what she’d been up to. Needless to say, that was an incredibly difficult task, since Isadora seemed to be quite the expert at hiding her tracks.
Much like Katherine Shipton.
On Wednesday night, I was still languishing in one of the archive rooms, looking through a pile of journals and newspaper clippings, trying to find something on the Ryder twins and Katherine Shipton. But something was off. Entire pages were missing from some of the notebooks. Certain articles had been torn from their slots.
Harley Merlin 2: Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins Page 25
