Furrowing my brow against the pain and forcing more and more of the reverse Empathy out of me, I saw something that made time stand still. In the center of the gargoyle horde, one of the beasts suddenly dropped to the floor. It folded its wings behind its back, its eyes fixed on me, blinking slowly. Instead of a screech, it let out a small, high-pitched whine, its head dipping and rising in a weird rhythm.
I couldn’t believe it. It worked! The gargoyle was just sitting there, watching me, while it bowed in that strange way. As I lessened the strength of my emotions, my sharp headache quickly disappeared, though it left a lingering sensation of nausea in my stomach, like I was getting over food poisoning.
I was so fixated on the obedient gargoyle that I almost forgot the rest of them. My reverse Empathy hadn’t affected them at all. I had to duck as one swiped for my head, my arms rising to protect myself. Air hissed through my teeth as I felt the nick of its claws, tearing a massive hole in my leather jacket and scratching the skin beneath. The obedient gargoyle snapped out of its trance and joined the rest of its leathery friends as they swarmed in a fresh attack. This time, no amount of reverse Empathy, or Telekinesis, or Elemental magic was going to help me, not if I wanted to get out of here alive. A true fighter knew when it was time to retreat, and I was waving my white flag.
Sprinting for the door, I banged on the glass. Tobe immediately unlocked the door to let me stagger back into the Bestiary, while the gargoyles screamed as they tried to push themselves through the forcefield. Tobe moved past me and entered the box, working his Beast Master magic on them, his voice rising from the back of his throat in a curious, mystical song. It was so eerie and beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes, the whole box thrumming against the vibrations of his rich tenor, as if Chaos itself were listening. His music manifested as a calming mist that drifted across the gargoyles, turning them back into black smoke.
“Are you okay?” Wade grabbed me and made me sit down on the cold marble. “Jeez, you’re covered in cuts.” He had a first-aid kit in his hand. Tobe had probably anticipated something like this and had given it to Wade in the event of some minor injuries.
“I’m fine,” I protested, but he was already pulling out antiseptic and cotton balls.
“You’re not fine,” Finch interjected, his face a picture of concern. “You just had your ass handed to you by a bunch of gargoyles, and you’ve got tears running down your freaking face. So sit back and let Nurse Crowley see to you. Doctor’s orders.”
“Does that make you the doctor?” I replied distantly.
“In this scenario, yeah.”
I was still entranced by Tobe’s song, my mind elsewhere. It troubled me how easily Finch could see right through me, even though I was supposed to be the Empath. Was it because we were siblings? Was there some subconscious bond between us? I had no idea. Right now, my head was pounding and my skin was on fire, and that was pretty much all I could think about.
“What’s that?” Wade’s voice brought me back around. My eyes widened as I saw what he was looking at. Through the gash in my leather jacket, a tiny speck of gold peeked through—the sickening, gilded threads that had leaked out from the main body of my disgusting tattoo. I scrambled to cover it, holding the edges of the leather together, while my eyes desperately sought out Finch’s.
“It’s nothing. I’ve been trying out a new bracelet, that’s all. I don’t think it suits me, so I’m probably going to get rid of it.” My cheeks were red and hot. I knew he’d probably understand if I told him how I’d gotten this horrible tattoo, but I was too embarrassed to show it to him. He’d given me strict instructions to be careful on Eris Island, and, while I had, I hadn’t been able to avoid getting this. That had been part and parcel of the subterfuge. I didn’t want him to pity me for the pain I’d been through. And I definitely didn’t want him to blame himself for me being permanently scarred. Even if I told him it wasn’t his fault, he’d blame himself. That was just how he was.
Finch pretended to look outraged. “Hey, I bought you that!”
“It’s just not to my taste.” I struggled to keep the truth from tumbling off my tongue.
Wade was staring at me, half confused, half suspicious. “Finch bought you a bracelet?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, it was meant to be an apology gift. I’ve been trying to wear it, for his sake, but I usually keep it covered since it doesn’t suit me.”
“Pfft, there’s gratitude for you,” Finch muttered, but his eyes were sympathetic.
That is gratitude, Finch. Thank you… thank you.
“I might have to find a new jacket.” I broke the silence that was starting to stretch between us.
“I’ll get one for you,” Wade replied, making me feel even worse.
“You don’t have to.”
He smiled. “I know, but I want to. You love that jacket.”
“Yeah… I do.” Because you bought it for me.
“I’ve got one you can borrow until Wonderboy cleans out Dolce & Gabbana for you.” Finch smiled down at me. “Now, let us clean you up before these things get infected.”
Tobe emerged from the glass box, closing the door behind him. It gave me the distraction I needed to press my arm to my side, keeping Wade from seeing what was really under the fabric.
“It may be wise to take a brief recess from the gargoyles, for now,” he said. “They are much too infuriated, and I do not wish you to come to further injury.”
“Good idea,” I replied.
As Wade dabbed the cuts around my face and neck, Finch took over on my forearm, turning it gently toward him. Keeping his eyes on me in a silent promise to keep my secret, he pressed the soaked cotton ball against the cut just south of my Apple of Discord, careful not to reveal the gold of it through the gap in my sleeve.
As if you two weren’t already making it hard enough to do this on my own.
Eight
Harley
Wearing a beat-up biker jacket that smelled strangely of a very feminine perfume, the three of us—Wade, Finch, and I—reunited with the Rag Team in the Luis Paoletti Room, missing only Louella, who was still working on Jacob. Finch had retrieved the jacket from one of his hidden caches around the SDC, and though it looked like it had belonged to him, given its larger size, I couldn’t ignore that faint scent. I’d wanted to tease him about it and say it wasn’t exactly the cologne I’d expected, but the way he was looking at the jacket was weird, too. As though it meant something to him. I realized, with a sinking feeling of gratitude and sadness, that he’d probably given this to Adley to wear. The perfume was her perfume. It must have pained him to give it to me, but he’d done it anyway.
Thank you, I mouthed.
He shrugged and mouthed back, No problem.
“Do we have any hits on Naima?” Wade had gone into business mode as he looked around the room at the others. It pulled me back into the task at hand. We needed to find Naima in order to find Katherine.
Astrid glanced nervously at O’Halloran, who’d been instructed to join us. It was hard to tell if he was fully cured, after the antidote that Imogene had given him, but he seemed to be his old self. He wasn’t jabbering like an idiot whenever anyone mentioned Echidna, which was a good sign.
“Look, I know I must’ve given you a shock when I went all crazy, but you don’t have to be wary of me anymore,” he said sheepishly. “I know that’s easier said than done, but the effects of those pills have worn off, I promise. I’m back in business. Same old O’Halloran, even though I feel like I’m having the worst hangover of my life. It’s all coming back to me in dribs and drabs, but so far I don’t think I did anything embarrassing. So, maybe not quite like the worst hangover I’ve ever had. There was this one time, on a bachelor party trip to Boston… uh, never mind, you don’t need to know about that.”
Astrid relaxed slightly. “Do you have any news?”
“Actually, I’ve been tasked with recruiting magicals for a solid offensive against Katherine once we find her.” He s
miled proudly. “So, it’s important that I’m here, because I need to know where to send these soldiers once Katherine is found. Otherwise, how’re we going to kick her ass?”
“Good point.” Dylan nodded appreciatively. “We’ve got brains by the bucketload, but we’re going to need brawn to end her.”
No… no, you’re not. I was going to get the Hidden Things spell done before it got to that point. I had to. There could only be gold at the end of this messed-up, mega-complex rainbow, and I was going to get my hands on it before any of my friends, or any of those soldiers, could so much as pick up a weapon.
“That’s all well and good, but we need to focus on Naima. She’s our way in to wherever Katherine is hiding out,” Wade replied. “There’s no point having an army if we can’t find the enemy.”
“Touché,” Raffe said. “Couldn’t have put it better myself.”
Santana nodded. “Then we keep searching for her. We scour every possible outlet until we find her, and then we bring Harley in and force that cat-woman to purr.”
“I’ve made some headway,” Astrid added. “Smartie will find something soon, I’m sure he will.”
Tatyana leaned over the workbench. “If you need anyone to help, just let us know. We’re all on hand to do whatever needs to be done.”
“I’ve got people in LA that I can speak to, if that’ll help,” Garrett chimed in. It was nice to see him back in the fold, and I knew Finch appreciated having him around, even if they had yet to fully rebuild their bridges.
“That’d definitely be useful.” Astrid gave him a small smile, which made Garrett lower his gaze. I wished the two of them would get their act together and admit they still cared about each other, but that was going to be a hard thing to do with Astrid still dealing with the gap in her soul. Once all of this was over, I was determined to find a way to help her. After all, if my parents could be brought back from the afterlife, which was supposed to be an impossible thing, then fixing the hole in someone’s soul would be a piece of cake.
“What do you think?”
I looked up and realized Finch was talking to me. I’d retreated into my own head, the discussion sinking into the periphery.
“Uh… yeah, sure. I’m good with whatever everyone else thinks,” I answered, a little too quickly.
He arched an eyebrow. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
“You don’t sound sure.”
I rolled my eyes. “What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? I’m all in. I’ve got the cuts to prove it. Let’s get Naima.”
Finch kept looking at me, like he didn’t quite believe what I was saying. I had no idea where this sudden suspicion was coming from, but it was written all over his face. If he thinks something’s up with me, I’m going to need to take some extra precautions. I couldn’t have him trying to help me, not after the answer that he’d given to the Chains of Truth. He’d said he’d sacrifice himself for me, if he had to, and I refused to see that come to pass. No way.
Still, my reasoning didn’t stop me from feeling terrible that I was going to go it alone. Hopefully, one day, they’d realize that I’d done it for their own good, and they’d forgive me. Taking an army into Katherine’s domain was suicide, and I knew it. Maybe they all knew it too, but having that one, solid idea of attack to focus on was better than succumbing to Katherine’s influence and admitting defeat.
“Has Smartie picked up anything at all?” I put more enthusiasm into my voice as I turned to Astrid. I could still feel Finch’s eyes on me, but the glare wasn’t burning quite as much.
She nodded. “His system is set to pick up any trace of Naima or other known cult members. I already have some under surveillance, so, hopefully, that’ll lead us to Naima. Sooner rather than later.”
“We don’t have a lot of time,” Garrett replied. “What if Smartie and the surveillance can’t find her in time? It might be better if we go on the offensive and capture a known cult member, instead of watching them. Then, we could force him or her into giving up Naima’s whereabouts.”
“You going to suggest waterboarding next?” Finch muttered.
Garrett sighed. “I know it sounds extreme, but we’re out of options. We have to act fast and firm, or we’ll run out of time.”
“If we’re pushed to it, we might have to do it your way,” Astrid admitted. “But I’d rather watch for a while longer before we start crossing moral boundaries.”
“That’s fair.” He offered her a smile.
“If it’s okay with you, I’m just going to head out for a bit,” I said, and felt their eyes snap toward me. “I’m not feeling too good after the gargoyle mess. Sorry to just up and leave, but my head is banging.” That wasn’t exactly true. My stomach still felt a bit unsettled, but my head was just fine. Truthfully, I just wanted to be on my own again so I could work through my next plan of action.
Santana frowned. “You need me to brew you up some of Mexico’s finest coffee? It might perk you up.”
I shook my head. “I’ll be okay, but thanks.” I stood and made for the door. Wade’s voice called me back.
“I can come with you, if you want.” He smiled earnestly. “We can take a look over the Grimoire some more. Who knows, you might find some meaning in the pages you can read. Or we can take a walk in the dragon garden to clear your head?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ve got this. I just need some time to get rid of this headache.” Before anyone else could offer me a remedy, or protest me being on my own, I walked out. Grateful for the silence of the empty hallways, I headed for the infirmary. Jacob had been on my mind, and I wanted to see him. With everything else that had been going on, I felt like I’d neglected him.
I wasn’t even halfway there when I heard footsteps echoing in the corridor behind me. Turning sharply, I saw Finch skidding to a halt in front of me, stooping to catch his breath. He grinned up at me as I waited for an explanation.
“I’m coming with you.”
I shook my head. “I said no to Wade. What makes you think I want you following me around? I just want to be on my own.”
“Not going to happen, Sis. You’re mentally unstable. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Thanks for that,” I replied curtly. “I’m not mentally unstable. I just want to be left alone so I can deal with some things.”
“Yeah, and I know what things. You can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool me.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not trying to fool anyone.”
He smiled. “Sure, and Pamela Anderson’s boobs are real.”
“Seriously, all I want is some time on my own.”
“So you can plan something outside of the Rag Team’s mission?”
“No, so I can deal with this headache—which you’re making worse, by the way.”
“Man, you really need to learn how to lie. It’s like watching a little kid tell me they didn’t eat the last cookie in the jar, when there’s chocolate smeared around their mouth.”
I sighed. “I’m not lying.”
“And I’m the King of Azerbaijan.” He chuckled. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Not being able to lie is the sign of a fundamentally good person.”
“So how come you’re so good at it?”
He frowned. “Are you saying I’m a good person? I’m confused.”
“Yes… no. I don’t know. You’ve gotten me confused with the Azerbaijan thing.” I lowered my gaze. “Finch, you’ve helped me out massively with so many things, but I need you to stop this time. I need you to not pursue this. Just focus on what the Rag Team is doing and let me do my thing. Please.”
He shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“What?”
“Whatever you say.”
“Seriously?”
He nodded. “Deadly.”
“Okay, well… thanks.” Puzzled, I turned and walked away, leaving him standing in the hallway, watching me. I wondered why he wasn’t pursuing this further, since he was usually as stubborn
as a donkey. Did he have something else up his sleeve that he was planning to do? I couldn’t tell. Not that it matters. All hell was about to break loose, anyway, if I succeeded with the Hidden Things spell. Maybe literally, if we got it wrong.
Nine
Katherine
I kept checking my phone every two seconds, like a teenager waiting for a bite from some dude who wasn’t interested. This had all the same anticipation, but if Naima didn’t call, there’d be considerably bigger consequences. I’d always found it funny how she even typed in the numbers with her big old paws. She’d cracked a couple of screens already with those claws of hers. Fortunately, we had insurance. Always get insurance, for everything. That was my motto. Take Imogene—she was my insurance against Harley, the SDC, and the wider world of magical authority.
Naima was supposed to be retrieving the eleventh magical I needed for the last ritual, but I didn’t have particularly high hopes. My little sidekick had started off with such promise, but she’d only become more of a disappointment as my Challenge had gone on. Don’t get me wrong, I was fond of the beast. She was like a friend and a pet rolled into one, and who didn’t want a pet who could speak?
But this was Naima’s last chance to prove her worth. I’d put her in charge so she could show she was worthy of the responsibility, but if she outlived her usefulness… well, I’d have no problem getting someone to put the kitty down. I couldn’t do it without causing myself pain, being her Purger and all, but I guessed the feeling would be different if someone else did the dirty work.
I had no room for weaklings in my future world. Naima had already had her ass handed to her more than once by Harley and the Misfits. Good name for a band. Perhaps I’d be generous and just lock her in my Bestiary and draw her power to sustain the island. That could work, too.
Okay, maybe there’s still some use in the old girl yet.
I never let stress get to me—it was a pointless feeling—but I was getting so close to the finish line that the nerves were building. I was in the wings, waiting for the curtain to go up. The greatest performance ever created. My shining moment in the biggest spotlight this world had ever seen. I couldn’t wait, but there were some little pests threatening to dull my shine.
Harley Merlin 8: Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos Page 8