Harley Merlin 11: Finch Merlin and the Lost Map

by Forrest, Bella

  Melody cocked her head, thinking. I did the same. “Children of Chaos can’t just wander around Earth as they please. So, he wouldn’t have been able to get into Atlantis in his usual form.”

  “Hence the need for a human body,” Finch interjected, before shuddering. “Since when do I use the word ‘hence’? I’ve been around Etienne for too long.”

  “But why couldn’t he have made a map himself? How come he didn’t already know Atlantis’s whereabouts?” Luke pressed. “This place has to be insanely powerful to keep a Child of Chaos out, in any form.”

  I’d been wondering that myself. Why put Finch through all of this? He wasn’t the all-powerful deity.

  Finch nodded. “From what I’ve seen, it seems he’s not as powerful in human form. He’s got limitations. Sure, he’s still strong, but he can’t delve into his Child of Chaos-ness the way he might want.”

  “That will work to our advantage.” Melody grinned. “If he can’t watch you all the time, he can’t control you, Finch.”

  Finch smiled. “That gives me more hope than I had before.”

  “That said, it’s best to err on the side of caution. Until we know what Erebus’s limitations actually are, we should play it safe. He is still a Child of Chaos, as you said, human body or not. He has civilizations’ worth of knowledge. Even in human form, he won’t be easy to fool.”

  Oh, I like you, Melody Winchester. You can stay. Without even the pleasure of meeting him, she’d figured Erebus out. Maybe I was wrong before. By the looks of it, Finch couldn’t have picked a savvier teammate. Well, except for me.

  Thirty-Three

  Finch

  Oh sleep, oh Morpheus, oh Hypnos… how I missed thee.

  I still felt like a bundle of breakages wrapped up in a bruised patchwork of skin, but a decent night’s rest made it more manageable. One of the monks had slipped me something, too, on my reluctant visit to the infirmary. One bottle downed and I’d finally slept last night. A curious purple liquid. No idea what it was, but I wanted barrels of the stuff.

  Melody and Luke hadn’t finished the formula. They didn’t need to now. Midnight came and went without any of us realizing, and Melody had refused to leave me. And of course Luke stayed because Melody did.

  Kenzie was safely hidden inside Melody’s jacket, having also refused to leave my side. I didn’t want Etienne seeing her. It was the same last night—I’d had to smuggle her into the infirmary under Melody’s jacket, and then put her under the bed. I didn’t know if she’d gone back to get some rest of her own while I’d been out cold. Still, she was stubbornly sticking with us now. And maybe that was for the best. Soon, if she hadn’t already, she’d have to relay intel to Erebus. He’d want news. She was smart; she’d know not to say too much. But it worried me that I didn’t know exactly what she might end up saying. Erebus had a way of prodding and poking to pry information out of someone.

  “And how is the wearisome student today?” Etienne looked up from his desk as Melody, Luke, and I piled into his study. We’d decided to wait until morning to visit him, to give Luke and me a chance to recover, though Luke hadn’t come out too badly. Part of me suspected he wanted to get some sympathy out of Melody.

  “‘Wearisome’?” I replied. “You sure that’s the right word?”

  Etienne smiled. “Yes, it is. How did the map-making go?”

  “I don’t really have a benchmark. I made a map, so I guess it went well.” It had been a weird ride. My mind had pretty much flown out of my head, into some kind of astral state, and spread across the entire globe, led by Chaos. I’d had to fixate on what I wanted, where I wanted to go, and that precise channeling had done the rest. Hell, it took over completely.

  “And what map did you draw? Where is it you plan to go?” Etienne pressed. “The Fountain of Youth, wasn’t it?”

  “Did I tell you that?” I squinted at him.

  “I hear things, here and there,” he replied.

  “I thought you were here to teach, not pry,” I shot back.

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt to know what my students get up to, but you make a valid point. If you don’t wish to tell me, that is your prerogative. However, I would say that I have a depth of knowledge that you might find useful, if you wanted to be forthcoming.”

  Since nobody knows much about Atlantis, that’s a firm no to that, pal.

  “What will happen to Blanche?” Melody interjected, saving me from the interrogation chair. “You said she’d be punished for her actions against the sanctity of the monastery. What will that entail? You don’t do executions here or anything, do you?”

  I smirked. “No, but I hear they throw a hell of a bar mitzvah.” As per usual, I resorted to jokes to cover my discomfort.

  “Very amusing, Finch.” Etienne didn’t laugh. “Blanche will be sent to Purgatory, where she will await trial for aiding and abetting a dangerous fugitive, and a former Cult of Eris member.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a little risky for you, bringing in the authorities? Wouldn’t want you to be carted off to prison, now, would we?”

  “No, we wouldn’t. You have no need to fret. An influential friend is doing a favor for me by transporting Blanche to Purgatory and explaining the circumstances without mentioning me.” He smiled smugly. Just how many friends in high places did this guy have?

  “Where is she?” Melody asked.

  “Where I can keep an eye on her.” Etienne rose from his desk and crossed to a door in the side of his study. He opened it with one of his many keys to reveal another door, of iron bars. A cell, in no uncertain terms—Etienne’s own private jail. Behind the bars, Blanche writhed, straining against a gag. Like she really wanted to say something.

  You had your chance to talk.

  “You can say your piece,” Etienne said, stowing the keys away. “I have some business to attend to with the remaining students. I must contend with the collateral damage of their disappointment, though I’m used to such things by now. I will be back shortly, so I suggest you make your grievances snappy.”

  He left without another word. I supposed he didn’t have to worry about her breaking out. The protective charms on the barred door thrummed with magical intensity. He’d used the good stuff.

  “Anyone got anything to say?” I sighed sadly. In the cold light of a new day, this was a bittersweet victory for me. True, I’d found Atlantis, but that had come at the price of denying everyone else the opportunity to learn map-making. I’d kept it secret to stop Davin’s spy from making progress. But she’d been found, and I still hadn’t shared the love. I felt bad about it, if only for Mr. Abara. Melody and Luke, too, despite their insistence that it was fine because we were headed for the same place. The others could stuff it.

  Luke shrugged. “I don’t. I said it all yesterday.”

  “Relax, Luke.” Melody’s voice held warning. “Maybe it’s best you don’t go near her, if you’re feeling like that.”

  “Like what?” I pried.

  “He’s having some dark emotions about Blanche.” Melody went to Luke and took his hands in hers. “She isn’t worth it. I’m alive, and I’m okay. You’re alive, and you’re okay. We’re all going to be fine. There’s no use bearing grudges.”

  Luke gazed into her eyes. “I thought I would lose you yesterday.”

  “I know, but she’s going to be punished. You heard Etienne.” Melody soothed the beast. “Let’s just focus on what comes next.”

  I scouted Etienne’s books while contemplating what to ask Blanche. It was my way of getting my questions in order. All the while, I absently toyed with the eye pendant around my neck. I’d almost forgotten it was there, I’d gotten so used to wearing it.

  I glanced at Kenzie, who’d fluttered over to my shoulder. “Do you know what this thing is for? You put me through a lot to get it.”

  “Nope! Nada! Take! Just take!” she squawked. “Ball! Gold ball! Take! Just take!”

  “For someone who loves the sound of his own voice, Ere
bus sure does keep his mouth shut about important stuff,” I muttered. But it had to have some use, right? Erebus liked a laugh at my expense, but he wouldn’t have sent me through that underworld for nothing.

  I lifted the pendant from my shirt and held it up to the light. The symbols etched across the gold burned more brightly, but they didn’t give anything away. I wasn’t familiar with the markings at all. Which meant they had to be old school—from a time I hadn’t bothered to study during my cult education.

  “What’s that?” Luke distracted me from the pretty item.

  “A memento.” I shot him a knowing look.

  Melody squeaked, her hands flying to her mouth. “Did you steal that?”

  “Stole, borrowed, took without asking… whichever floats your boat.” I looked it over again. “Anyway, I didn’t have a choice. Erebus wanted me to have it, so—” I froze, mid-sentence. A thin, curved, near-imperceptible line ran around the center of the orb. I hadn’t noticed before, but this thing was made of two halves. Ignoring Melody’s shocked stare, I pushed the halves apart, revealing what looked like an actual eye in the center of the pendant. The metal covering provided the lids to protect the eyeball. Immediately, the iris lit up white.

  “Is it glowing?” Melody came closer.

  I nodded. “Yeah. Have you seen something like this before?”

  “No… I don’t think so,” she replied, clearly in awe.

  “Have a sift around that mind palace of yours, see if anything comes up,” I suggested. The iris flashed green when Melody came into its field of vision. Curious, I pointed it at Luke. Another flash of green. Hmm… I turned it toward Blanche, just to get the full array of experimentation. The iris burned red and glowed for longer than it had with the other two. I flashed it back at Melody and Luke and got the same burst of green. Then back at Blanche, just to be sure. Yep, red again. Words started to appear in the air before the eye: All is not what it appears.

  “Does anyone else see that?” I asked. What the hell did it mean?

  Melody peered closer, a gasp escaping her mouth. “Yeah, I definitely see that. All is not what it appears? What does that mean?”

  “I guess it means all isn’t what it appears,” I replied, as Melody pushed me closer to Blanche, the red glow throbbing and the letters burning brighter. Blanche struggled behind the bars, her eyes wide. She rocked like a madwoman, her teeth visibly straining behind the gag to try and bite through, or tear it away.

  “But why is it green for us, red for her?” Melody jittered.

  “It probably knows she’s a traitorous… never mind,” Luke bit out savagely.

  I frowned. “We should ask her some questions. Maybe this eye can sense her lies? And I’d sure like to know what Davin was after, in exchange for bringing Blanche’s husband back.”

  “I don’t think we should go near her. Red means danger or stop, where I come from,” Luke grumbled.

  “She’s tied up and locked behind bars. What’s she going to do—break through all these charms and walk out of here, scot-free?” I walked up to the bars, stuck my hand in, and tore off the gag before Luke could get a dig in.

  A tiny ball tumbled from Blanche’s mouth and hit the floor. My heart almost jumped clean through my chest. It looked like… no, it definitely was… an Ephemera.

  “Thank Chaos… thank Chaos you came.” Mr. Abara’s voice said with Blanche’s lips. “Etienne wouldn’t remove the gag. I couldn’t explain. I couldn’t tell him… he locked up the wrong person.”

  My stomach churned. “What’s this, some trick of yours?”

  “No, boy. I am Mr. Abara. There is no trick from me, only her.” His eyes darkened as his body morphed back into his own. “I was tasked with keeping an eye on that woman while Etienne went to tell the students what was happening. He left for a few minutes, but it was all she needed. She hit me with a hex—a green puff of smoke. Next thing I know, I’m waking up with an Ephemera in my mouth, bound and gagged.”

  My head spun. If Mr. Abara was here, then where was Blanche?

  “She must have used a modified Ephemera to hold Mr. Abara in this form,” Melody said, her voice tight with terror.

  “I told you she was a vicious harpy!” Luke snarled.

  I jumped into action, using everything in my arsenal to unpick Etienne’s protective charms in double-quick time. Every unraveling curse I’d ever learned poured out of my hands to the charms. They glowed as they came apart. Luke bent the bars wide enough for Mr. Abara to get out. For a man his size, that was no easy feat. But every second we wasted, Blanche was out there, on her way to freedom.

  Or somewhere else… I patted my jeans pocket to make sure the map was still there. Sure enough, it was.

  An icy smack of dread hit me in the gut. Etienne hadn’t seemed worried when he’d strolled out of here, which meant the monastery’s outer defenses hadn’t been triggered. If Blanche had escaped, it would’ve sounded the alarm. So Blanche must be nearby, lying in wait, preparing to pounce.

  Now, I was fully convinced that Erebus’s and Davin’s goals were closely linked. Davin had been there at the Fountain, right before Erebus claimed his human body. He had sent a spy to the monastery precisely when Erebus had sent me. I’d have staked my left bum cheek—my favorite one—on it…

  Davin wanted to find Atlantis, too.

  Thirty-Four

  Finch

  “Mr. Abara, tell Etienne what’s happened,” I instructed. “Melody, Luke, come with me. We need to find Blanche.”

  “What if she’s already escaped?” Melody replied anxiously.

  I shook my head. “She hasn’t. She’s after the map. Don’t ask me how I know that, because it’s a long story—longer than we’ve got time for. You’ll just have to trust me.”

  “You’ve still got it, right?” Luke raised an eyebrow.

  I patted my pocket. “Of course. Safe and sound.”

  “Then why isn’t she trying to find you?” Mr. Abara asked.

  “I’d say she’s waiting for the right moment. If she doesn’t know we know about you, Mr. A, that gives us an advantage. So, let’s head out!”

  I took off across the study and burst into the hallway. Melody and Luke ran after me, and the three of us tore through the monastery. Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw Mr. Abara veer off in the opposite direction. I waited for Kenzie to flap away, but she was nowhere to be seen. She was a crazy-smart girl—she’d probably flown out the window to scour the outside.

  We sprinted along hallway after hallway, checking every room and alcove for Blanche. The prospect of scouring the entire monastery for her wasn’t comforting. But she couldn’t leave without the map, and I had that. Maybe that’d bring the old girl right to us. A dangerous tactic, but it’d speed things up a bit.

  “I know what that pendant is!” Melody gasped as we searched another room, startling a bunch of monks in the middle of morning prayer.

  “You shouldn’t be here! It’s sacrilege to interrupt!” one shrieked, covering himself like I’d caught him naked.

  “Blanche is loose. I’m sorry, but you might have to put whatever you’re doing on the back burner and get looking for her!” I yelled at them before heading down the next corridor. I turned to Melody on the way. “What, it just came to you?”

  She nodded. “I’ve been searching my… mind palace, as you called it. It just popped into my head!”

  “What is it?” Luke cut in.

  “It’s called a ‘Revealer,’ though it goes by another name, too. It’s a rare, ancient artifact, filled with the Chaos of a Veritas magical,” she explained breathlessly as we sprinted.

  “A who-said-what-now?” I panted.

  “A magical who can detect deception. They’re extinct, but they used to exist as readily as, say, Mimics or Empaths. The pendant is made from the eye of one. Hephaestus, to be exact,” she went on.

  I frowned. “The burly blacksmith dude from Greek mythology?”

  Melody nodded. “Exactly. Sometimes, he’s pictu
red with an eye patch—most people presume that’s because he was a blacksmith.”

  “That’s not the case?” Luke replied, barely out of breath. He made me and Melody look bad.

  “Blacksmiths used to wear an eyepatch over the eye that came closest to the smithy flames. But that wasn’t the case with Hephaestus,” Melody explained. “He actually lost his eye as part of an… exchange. His eye was the most powerful point of his Veritas magic, like a biological Esprit of sorts, and he gave it up in exchange for making Aphrodite fall in love with him.”

  “Who did he make that deal with? Seems like a lot to give up to make someone fall in love with you,” Luke remarked.

  Like you wouldn’t do something insane to get Melody to love you. I didn’t say it out loud. I needed Luke on my side, not battering me for my loose lips.

  “Well, the thing is…” Melody began.

  Creeping suspicion shivered up my spine. “Don’t say it.”

  “No, go on. I want to know,” Luke urged.

  “It was—” Melody started.

  I grimaced. “Don’t say it!”

  “It’s important to know the origin of things like this.” She offered me a sympathetic glance. “Hephaestus made the deal with Erebus. That’s why it also goes by the name, ‘the Eye of Erebus.’”

  I balled my hands into fists. “Son of a—! That’s why he got Kenzie to make me steal it! He’s probably been waiting years for the right person to get it back for him.” The memory of that flock of seagulls in Havana, grouping together in the shape of an eye, was seared into my head. The eye was his calling card, when he wasn’t smearing bloody messages on people’s windows or shattering perfectly good mirrors. Now his choice of symbol made sense.

  “You’ve heard of it?” Melody peered at me curiously.

  “You could say that,” I hissed.

  Melody’s eyes shone. “Do you know anything else about it? There isn’t much knowledge left of it, so I’ll have to keep digging in my head, unless you have answers.”