Harley Merlin 8: Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos

by Forrest, Bella

  “Give up, Harley. You’re not going to win this,” I said, taunting her just a little. I had to get my kicks somewhere.

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” she replied, with an unnerving calm. Bluffing, are we?

  I snorted. “Well, you know that’s not true. Either you submit, or we make you. I know which one is more dignified. Look at the state of you. Anyone would think you ought to be locked up. You’re acting like a crazy person.”

  “You don’t have the upper hand this time.”

  “Must we always fight? Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you just gave in and joined me? You might like it. I offer some serious perks.”

  “Go to hell!” she snapped.

  “We were there together, remember? Or did you forget? Have you forgotten about poor Shinsuke already? Shame on you.” I grinned.

  She closed her eyes and began to mumble something under her breath. Bright green smoke emerged from her skin, spiraling around her in a powerful vortex. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen before, and I’d seen most things. A moment later, it shot out in an explosion of tendrils, forcing me to duck as one strand made a beeline for my head. I heard the whoosh of it as it whizzed by, bouncing off the side of my forcefield.

  I didn’t appreciate being made to duck, especially not when I’d gone to the trouble of putting up a shield. Unfortunately, one of my cultists wasn’t so lucky. The tendril hit him full in the chest. He screamed as his skin melted away, leaving a puddle of milky goop on the floor where he’d once stood.

  “Not exactly sporting of you, Harley,” I snarled. I didn’t like surprises, either, and this little trick had definitely surprised me.

  Her mouth opened, as if she was about to come back at me with some ever so stinging retort, when Levi’s eyes snapped open, flashing red. Zalaam had the reins, as any good djinn ought to. He sat up and lurched toward Harley before she even saw him, tapping her on the back of the head.

  “Alnuwn alan, waedam alshueur bi’ayi ‘alm. Tagmid eaynayk wadae alnasyan yati astayqz eind alaitisal bik. Walakun lays gabl dhalik. Alnuwm alan, walsamah laha yakhudhuk,” he whispered, the Arabic rolling off his tongue like music to my ears. In essence, he was putting her to sleep. It was all over, in less than a minute. Jacob was out. Harley was out. Finch was out. Louella was writhing in Davin’s arms, making me slightly jealous. But at least she wasn’t dropping limbs left, right, and center. The Atomic Cuffs had seen to that.

  “Lucky number twelve,” I purred, more to myself than to anyone else.

  On the other side of the infirmary, the door opened and Herr Doktor walked in. His face was a picture. He looked at Davin and the cultists, his eyes moving around the room, settling on Finch, Harley, Louella, and Jacob, all of them down for the count, aside from the pretty little Telepath. Before he could open his mouth, I brought down the forcefield around me and transformed into my real self, letting myself breathe without all those flimsy fabrics wafting around me. He stared at me, totally baffled.

  “Pleasant evening, isn’t it? You really should have gone somewhere else.” I raised my hands and sent a shockwave of powerful, raw Chaos through the infirmary. It wasn’t a specific ability. Oh no, it was more than that. So much more. A new skill I’d picked up that I’d been so very eager to use.

  The crackling torrent hit the infirmary walls, sending sparks across the interdimensional bubble that held this entire show together. As the tendrils spread out like veins, they sapped the bubble of its energy, tearing holes in the ceiling, the walls, everything. Soon, there would be nothing left. All of this would come tumbling down, just like the rest of the world, once I was in my seat of power.

  Davin sent out a blast of Air that swept Krieger right off his feet, slamming him into the back wall so hard that he didn’t get back up again. He crumpled to the floor, his head lolling to the side. Beyond the infirmary door, I heard the rumble of boots approaching. The security magicals were on their way, but it was too late. I’d already done my damage.

  “Thank you, Davin.” I walked toward him, as the infirmary crumbled around us. This was romance. Standing together while a coven fell to pieces. Part of me hoped he’d be standing at my side when the rest of the world followed, so we could rise from the ashes together. Maybe I’m a romantic after all.

  “Do you need anything else, Katie?” He gave a smooth bow that looked effortless.

  I shook my head. “No, you’ve done everything I could have asked for. You’ll be rewarded, I promise you that.”

  He smiled. “I look forward to worshiping you, in every possible way.”

  “So, you still won’t join me until I’ve ascended?”

  “You have given me plenty to think about. Perhaps my mind is already changing.”

  I gazed into his intense eyes. “Then I look forward to the day you finally submit to me.”

  “Oh, that day has already been and gone, my darling. I am yours, body and soul. Soon enough, once you have become the goddess that I have always known you to be, I will worship you, as I have promised.”

  “Patience isn’t one of my virtues,” I warned.

  “It will be worth the wait, I assure you. Delayed gratification at its finest.”

  “Don’t disappoint me.”

  He took my hand and kissed it gently. “Never.”

  “Then I suggest you follow me.”

  “I would follow you to the ends of the Earth. My divine goddess. My Eris.” He’d never called me that before, and it threw me for a moment. Somehow, it sounded even more wonderful coming from his lips.

  “Then we should go.” I sent out three strong strands of Telekinesis, wrapping one each around Louella, Harley, and Jacob. Holding them steady, I swept my palm across the air in front of me, my hands sparking with vibrant light. A burst of energy shot out of my fingertips and tore open a hole in the universe. I waited until the edges stopped crackling before I stepped through, trailing my three captives behind me, my cultists waiting to follow.

  Finch could die in the crumbling infirmary for all I cared. That way, I would finally get what I’d been wanting without having to hang around to watch the life leave him.

  I paused at the portal threshold and turned back. “Thank you for your help, Zalaam. You should probably get out of here if you want to survive. Not that I’m particularly bothered if you stay.”

  He glared at me, his eyes flashing. “I didn’t want to help you. I was just upholding my end of the bargain.”

  “I know—that’s what’s so wonderful about it.” I chuckled. “At least you know that Raffe and Kadar will be safe. Aren’t you glad? They get to live because of you. You should give yourself a pat on the back. Not everyone will be so lucky.”

  Zalaam had bartered for Raffe and Kadar’s lives, and I’d been only too happy to grant him that, for the right price. I knew a bargain when I saw one. Having a djinn on your side was always useful. And he’d come through in the best possible way. Harley had walked right into the trap without even realizing it had been set. Everything had been planned down to the minute, the moment I’d known Louella could blow my cover. And now, I had her to finish my ritual. And I had Jacob to use in my new world.

  And I had Harley, the clock stopping for her at the eleventh hour. There wouldn’t be a reprieve. She wasn’t going to stop me—she was going to help me. After all, thanks to her, the Grimoire had revealed its secrets. With it, I would take what I’d stolen from Odette’s head and give myself the body that I needed in order to be a true goddess. No raw, flailing energy for me. I would be whole—a solid person to be worshipped by all on Earth. I’d seen the spell I needed in Odette’s mind, and I knew what I was looking for within the Grimoire’s pages. A spell that could be modified to meet my needs, once I had completed the final ritual. A spell that could be used by any Child of Chaos. I guessed Chaos never expected me to reach the finish line. Fools. Well, I was going to show them just how dedicated I was.

  Every step that Harley had taken, this whole time, had been for me, with
out her even knowing it… and that was going to sting like an absolute bitch.

  Thirty-Eight

  Harley

  My eyes shot open, like I was lurching out of the worst nightmare of my life. My clothes were drenched in sweat, my breathing rapid. I looked around wildly, somehow expecting to still see the infirmary, but we weren’t in Kansas anymore.

  No, we were as far from the SDC as it was possible to be.

  I felt something rough and solid behind my back and tried to bring my arms forward. They wouldn’t budge, bound together with Atomic Cuffs.

  As I blinked through the pounding headache that threatened to explode my skull wide open, my vision cleared. Greenery surrounded me on all sides, crumbling ruins poking up through the vines that had reclaimed their territory. Creatures howled in the branches of the endless rainforest canopy, rustling leaves in their panic to get away from the intruder who’d burst into their world. I sat at the edge of an open glade, a ferocious waterfall crashing down on the far side, disappearing into a gaping crevasse below. Wildflowers grew on narrow outcrops of rock.

  We’re in the Land of Gaia… Only, this wasn’t the same spot where I’d tried to fight Katherine before. There was no altar and no reminder of President Price. Instead, we seemed to be in the decimated corpse of an old temple, though most of it had given way to the rainforest. A few blocks of stone showed where the floor might’ve been, and lichen-covered spires stood abandoned.

  In the center of the open expanse, there was a giant slab of stone, circular and marked with eroded figures. I could make out the face of a monkey, and maybe a dragon, but the rest had been worn away by time, splintered with weed-strewn cracks.

  When I turned my head to the side, my heart jolted. Standing on the eastern edge of the ruins was a shaking, quivering, weeping line of children, some so small it made me want to cry. Twelve of them, all bound in Atomic Cuffs, tears streaming down their faces. Micah was there, his head buried in Marjorie’s stomach as she tried to hold him with her bound wrists. The only one who wasn’t crying, who stood proudly with her head held high, was Louella. She was trying to be brave, her eyes fixed on me.

  I’m going to get you out, I mouthed, but she didn’t move. She didn’t even acknowledge that she’d seen what I’d said. I would’ve shouted it across the ruins, but the sight of Katherine kept me silent. It’d only put Louella in the firing line, urging Katherine to kill her first. I knew why these twelve magicals were here—this was the final ritual.

  Scanning the rest of the ruins, I saw Jacob a short way off, still unconscious. As for Finch and the rest of the Rag Team, they were nowhere to be seen. They aren’t here… she left Finch in that place. I remembered hearing the rumble of the whole place collapsing in on itself, which meant Finch had been stuck there, knocked out, with no way of escaping.

  Davin stood beside her, looking smug as he paraded around like a peacock. I wanted to punch him almost as much as I wanted to swipe Katherine’s head off. I could’ve kicked myself for not sensing trouble with him. Finch had a stellar bastard detector, and I hadn’t tuned in to it.

  “Ah, start up the band, Harley finally has the decency to join us. I hope you’ve packed your tap shoes, because it’s time to dance, niece of mine.” Katherine turned to me, dressed in a long emerald gown, a silver crown atop her red hair. The same hair I had. She looked so freaking pleased with herself. She’d played us for so long, and this was her payoff.

  “I won’t be dancing to your tune, Katherine,” I spat back.

  “Oh, but you will. You still don’t understand, do you? It’s over, Harley. You tried and you failed, as I knew you would, and now you get to see everything I’ve been working toward, all these years. I’ve earned it, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Where’s the real Imogene? I felt her emotions. She showed them to me. There’s no way you could’ve been her, all this time, without me realizing.” I wanted that to be true, I really did, but Katherine had always warned me that she had everything planned, down to the last detail. I hadn’t believed her, and I’d paid for it.

  She chuckled. “You and Jakey are so alike. He didn’t believe it either. I must have been that good. I mean, of course I was. I never half-ass a theatrical role.” She lifted her wrist and showed Imogene’s bracelet, unclipping it and dangling it from her fingertip. “A simple trick. Sideshow stuff. I press a few buttons, and boom, I can give the illusion of having a heart.”

  My stomach dropped. “It was you… it was always you.”

  Katherine slow-clapped, the sound sending shudders up my spine. “Now she gets it. I’ve put my entire life into this endgame, Harley. I told you time and time again that I had it all perfectly orchestrated, and you still thought you had the upper hand? I bet you almost popped a vein when you found out about the Grimoire. I bet you thought it would be your panacea—your cure-all, to get rid of me. Well, I’ve got news for you. Chaos is particularly stupid. Spells can be changed. And spells that can aid you, can aid me. Everything you’ve done, every step you’ve taken, has been to help me. And the best part? You didn’t even realize it.”

  “I’d never help you,” I hissed, thrashing against my Atomic Cuffs. I sent my Chaos through the lock, as I’d done with them before in the Smiths’ backyard, but they refused to break. I had a feeling Katherine had done something to them to superpower them, knowing I’d be able to free myself.

  “Think about it, sweet-cheeks. Do you really think I’d have let you keep that dusty old book if I hadn’t needed something from it? Do you really think I’d have let you near it, knowing that it was invented solely to kill me? I don’t have a stupid bone in my body, Harley. I let you keep it for a reason. I do everything for a reason.”

  My eyes widened, as I realized she was right. Imogene had known about the Grimoire, which meant Katherine had known about it. And yet, she’d made no move to stop me. I knew the Grimoire was a sentient item that chose who it decided to let near it, but this was Katherine we were talking about—if she’d wanted to take it from me, in some way or another, she would’ve.

  “Then why let me go through all that trouble with the Hidden Things spell?” I shot a nasty look at Davin. “Since he is here, I’m guessing you knew about that. I’m guessing you were in on the whole damn thing. So why let me get that far?”

  She grinned. “Oh, I was so hoping you’d ask that question. It’s always hard to segue into a stinging blow without a prompt, you know? Otherwise, it just sounds forced, like I’ve been rehearsing it. And I hate to sound rehearsed.” She let the bracelet drop to the ground, since she didn’t need to uphold the pretense of being remotely human anymore. “I’m going to use your body, once I ascend as a Child of Chaos. The Grimoire is going to give me that, but you needed to find the right spells first. Since you managed to uncover the secrets, I’m guessing you already have them. Even if you haven’t quite found them yet, I’m going to have you read all those wonderful pages out loud to me, after I’m done ascending. Think of it like a bedtime story—the greatest one ever told.”

  “There’s nothing in there for you,” I muttered. “All of it is intended to kill you. If you have me read it out, I’ll make sure I serve that purpose. So, you can be the one to think of it like a bedtime story. One that’s going to put you to sleep forever.”

  She laughed. “Wrong again, Miss Righteous. I already know there’s a spell I can use. One that will turn your body into precisely the vessel I need. Didn’t you ever wonder why Odette was in that tragic state when you found her? I tore her mind apart to find what I needed. I shredded it to pieces, until she gave up the goods. The trick to torture is knowing your victim. Push the right buttons, and they all start babbling, sooner or later. Remington was my key. I know everybody’s dirty little secrets, and even Librarians aren’t infallible. They might have given up their past lives, but emotions die hard. Fortunately, I got her to squeal like a piggy before all of her marbles went missing. It’s a fine line, and I tread it so very, very well.”

  Odette…
I pictured her in the Paris Coven’s infirmary, rocking back and forth on the windowsill, her eyes blank. Her mind had been traumatized, leaving her a shadow of her former self. And now I knew exactly why.

  “Don’t do this.” I gritted my teeth and tried to fight against the Atomic Cuffs. It was a weak argument, I knew it was, but I needed to buy time to come up with some kind of a plan. Not that I had one. My own mind had all but given up, knowing I was moments away from being forced to wave the white flag.

  “Oh, of course, let me throw away all these years of hard work. You’re quite right, why would I want to continue with something I’ve been thinking about since I was a child? You’ve changed my mind, Harley. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for making me see the error of my ways. Please, allow me to untie you and let you walk free. And, while I’m at it, why don’t I just let all these children go, too? Let’s just forget about these silly rituals, shall we? And I’ll let the cult fold, too, as a gesture of goodwill.” She collapsed in a fit of hysterics. “Oh, and let me apologize for killing your parents. I shouldn’t have done it. I really shouldn’t have. I should have just swallowed all of their insults, and let them walk all over me, and channeled all of my energies into becoming a nun. Wouldn’t I look gorgeous in a habit?” She winked at Davin.

  “I think you would look gorgeous in just about anything… or nothing, for that matter.” He grinned.

  “Come on, Harley, you can do better than that.” She smirked at me. “Why not beg? I’d like to see that, I really would. Let me see just how much you want these children to live. Plead, on your hands and knees, for their lives. It won’t change anything, but it’ll give me something to giggle about.”