Harley Merlin 6: Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris

by Forrest, Bella

  “Are you out of your freaking mind?” I hissed. Of course she was. She always had been. My body was itching to hurl something at her, to inflict as much pain as possible on her. I didn’t care if she thought she’d win. There was no way we’d let her. Even if I died here, Harley already had the spirit. I was certain of it. And, once it was released, Katherine would be laughing on the other side of her face.

  “What if I could offer you something you couldn’t refuse?”

  I snorted. “Unlikely.”

  “How about Adley, back from the dead?”

  I gaped at her. “Wh-What?”

  “If you come back to my side and promise to be loyal, I’ll bring Adley back from the dead. I’m in the process of recruiting a shiny new Necromancer—a good one, at that. Very powerful. If you come back to me, we can get Adley’s body from the spot where she’s buried and bring her right back. Given the way she died, they’ll have put an anti-decomposition spell on her, in case they need to exhume her for any reason. She’ll be fresh as a daisy, but she won’t be pushing them up anymore. You can have her back. Promise I won’t get jealous.” She grinned. “All you have to do is say the word, and you don’t have to hurt anymore. You can put that heart you’re so proud of right back together again.”

  “You couldn’t do it even if you wanted to,” I replied, though I had to give her props for her approach. It’d come out of left field, and man, it was tempting.

  If she could really do that… would it be worth switching sides for? Adley was the only person who’d ever cared about me. If I could just hold her in my arms again… Weren’t you supposed to do everything for love, no matter what the cost?

  “I could, and I can. I brought your great-grandfather back, didn’t I? Yes, it got messed up, but I won’t let that happen to Adley. Call it my way of making amends. But, in return, you have to come back to the fold. You and Adley both.” She paused. “Look, I know you’re annoyed with me about all of these murders and attempted murders, but the truth is, I wasn’t comfortable with having you killed in the first place. Try and see things from my point of view—I didn’t have a choice. You were a security threat, and I had to do whatever I thought was best. I didn’t actually want you dead. Do you really think I’m that heartless?”

  I was about to spit the answer in her face, but the old witch kept talking.

  “And, before you answer with a snarky ‘yes,’ you should know that you were all I ever wanted. You were my prodigy and my legacy, and I loved you more than anything. I still do, in fact, which is why I’m willing to offer you Adley in return for your continued presence at my side. That’s why you’re still sitting here. I sent someone to kill you because I was a coward, and I couldn’t do it myself. I wouldn’t have been able to. But I only did that because you tried to betray me first. You were preparing to give up secrets. With so much at stake, tell me what else I could have done?” She looked at me with mournful eyes. All fake, of course. She didn’t know what it meant to be mournful. She’d never shed a tear for anyone in her whole life.

  “Not kill Adley. Not kill me. Leave me to rot in Purgatory. That’s what you were going to do anyway, right? I didn’t see any wrecking balls bringing down the walls of my cell.”

  “I regret doing it, if it makes you feel any better.”

  I gave her a deadpan look.

  Katherine sighed. “Here’s the heart of the matter: you made the first move, and I was forced to retaliate. I didn’t want to, but you made me. If you’d kept your mouth shut, I would’ve come for you when all of this was over and put you back at my side. In fact, that’s what I want to do now, since Harley sprang you out of Purgatory for me.” She leaned over the desk, and I instinctively leaned farther back in the chair. “You know me, Finch. You know that I’ll get Hester’s spirit and consume it, and you know I’ll complete the other trials, too. I’m always one step ahead. It took me, what, half an hour to sever your escape plans? And I’ll keep doing it, until these rituals are complete. I won’t be stopped. But that doesn’t mean you have to lose. You can win, too. Just swap sides again. You can have everything you’ve ever wanted. Adley’s right there for the taking, but you have to be bold enough to make the move.”

  I hesitated. I actually hesitated. She was offering up so much, and she was right—all I had to do was say the word.

  But what about Harley? She wouldn’t have understood. She still had her Wonderboy, alive and kicking. She was loved. She had friends. What did I have? Suspicion and doubt around every corner, from everyone I met. Adley would fix that. Adley would look at me again, with those eyes, and make everything better.

  “Just say the word…” Katherine smiled, toying with the fountain pen on the desk. Was that what she’d make me use to sign this contract? Or would she ask for it in blood?

  “You really think you’ve found a Necromancer who’s powerful enough?” I hated myself for asking, but the thought of Adley, dead and alone in a tomb for all eternity, was worse.

  “I have.” Her eyes were bright. She knew she had me on some impossible ropes.

  Have you completely lost it? The logical side of my mind was warring with the emotional side. If I did this, if I agreed to Katherine’s terms, there’d be no going back. Harley would never forgive me. She’d never look at me the same way again. She’d hate me. They all would. Worse still, they’d all have been right about me.

  “I’d rather see her die a thousand times than let you have what you want,” I said, tears in my eyes. I tried to lurch forward in my chair, but she pushed me right back with a wave of Telekinesis. Behind the aquarium panels, the creatures were going crazy, drawn by Katherine’s power.

  Her body was almost crackling with the conviction of her words. Her promise that she could bring Adley back. She was manifesting it into the truth. And, the scary thing was, I believed her. She had such certainty in her voice that it was impossible not to.

  But that didn’t mean I was ready to turn tail, in spite of what she was offering. Harley had opened my eyes. She’d made me see that Katherine was vulnerable. And maybe, just maybe, that meant she wouldn’t win—even if it meant losing my chance of getting Adley back. I didn’t know if even I could be that selfish.

  “Kenneth, can you bring the prisoner in?” Katherine called out.

  I turned around in surprise, half expecting to see Harley in chains. Instead, I got the shock of my life: Wade Crowley. Kenneth was dragging Wade Crowley along in Atomic Cuffs. And, by the looks of it, Kenneth had gotten in a couple of good punches first. Although, knowing Kenneth, he’d done that after Wade had been clapped in irons.

  “That’s not possible.” I almost choked on the words.

  Katherine smiled. “You should never underestimate my determination, Finch. I’ve always got backup plans. Even my backup plans have backup plans. See, I always win, one way or another.”

  Harley wouldn’t do a thing while Wade was here as Katherine’s prisoner. My mother had gone straight for the jugular on this one. And I was utterly speechless. Harley didn’t have my merciless streak. Even if it meant the world collapsed, Harley wouldn’t leave here without Wade.

  So, what are you going to do? I had two options: surrender, or do something insane. Right now, the pendulum was swinging to either side. How could I argue with Katherine’s logic? She kept getting what she wanted. The evidence was irrefutable.

  As I was about to make my decision, the door burst open and Naima rushed in. She was breathless, which was no mean feat for a supercharged Purge beast. “She has escaped, Eris. Harley has gone. We cannot find her.”

  I turned around in time to see Katherine’s expression shift into one of shock as she got to her feet in a rush. “How could this happen? The spirits… they were loose! They should have restrained her by now!”

  I grinned in spite of myself. And you shouldn’t underestimate the determination of Harley freaking Merlin!

  Naima bowed her head in shame. “Something occurred within the tunnels, Eris. The spirits were all hi
ding, and they were scared. They were cowering in the crevices.”

  “What’s the matter, Katherine? Don’t you have a backup for that?” I jeered.

  Her face was a picture of fury. But then, just as swiftly, it morphed into something else. A smug grin that I wanted to swipe off. “It isn’t over yet, Finch. Not by a long shot.” She looked toward Kenneth as she hurried for the door. “Kenneth, cuff Finch and watch over him and Wade until I return. I’ve got something I need to take care of.” Despite her urgency, she paused. “Oh, and Naima, I suggest you find a way to make up for this colossal screw-up. Otherwise, blood, guts, nasty spells, etcetera, etcetera.”

  Naima bowed even lower. “Yes, Eris. I will.”

  “You see, Finch? Your sister left you here. She got what she wanted, and she left you here. If anyone is using people, it’s Harley Merlin. You and Wade were just the stooges.” She sneered at me.

  I smirked. “Go screw yourself, Mother. I’d rather die a stooge than be a vessel for your selfishness. I will never forgive you for what you did. Any of it.”

  Katherine shrugged. “Fine, suit yourself. You can rot here with Harley’s Knight in Aluminum Foil.”

  Wade flashed me a desperate look as Kenneth tugged roughly on his Cuffs. What did he want me to do? Katherine swept out of the room without another word, and I found I didn’t care. Ol’ Kenneth might have managed to capture Wade, but there was no sign of Isadora. Which meant one thing: Harley had a way off the island.

  Thirty-Eight

  Harley

  I staggered out of Isadora’s portal with my mother’s jar clutched to my chest. She’d gone back inside for now, as it wasn’t safe for her to be freed inside the tunnels where the weird pull of All Hallows’ Eve was at its strongest. I had to resist the urge to tear the lid right off, just so I could see her again. Isadora hadn’t told me what had gone wrong yet, but I was surprised to find that we were still on the island. I’d expected to end up at the SDC. Instead, we’d landed near the titan that housed Naima’s Bestiary, Isadora’s portal crackling and snapping like it was having a hard time holding. It evaporated a moment later with a rush of air, leaving behind a worrying puff of black smoke.

  “What’s going on?” I asked her outright. “Is there something wrong with your portals?”

  Isadora shook her head. “It’s this place. It’s messing with my energy.” She took a shaky breath. “As for what’s going on… Katherine has Wade.”

  “What?” I tried to stay calm. Katherine had Wade, but that was okay—we could go back for him, right? We could get him out of this mess. Finch, too. I wasn’t leaving without them.

  “Wade and I felt you press your end of the rescue button, and we headed straight through a portal to the location it gave. Only, it wasn’t quite as precise as we’d hoped. We portaled in right beside this room with a bunch of guards outside. We were ambushed instantly. Wade got caught by Kenneth, but I managed to escape through another portal. I tried to grab him, but Kenneth had already hauled him off, and Wade shouted at me to find you.”

  “Wade sent you to find me?” That was Wade all over, putting my safety above his own.

  “I managed to MacGyver the rescue button a little to get clearer coordinates, which is when I found you in that tunnel. It’s this place, this compound, this island, Harley—it’s tricky, and that’s all I can say without swearing my head off. There’s something wrong with this whole setup.”

  “It probably has something to do with all the curses and protection stuff Katherine’s got hidden all around the island,” I said, forcing myself to keep a level head. “She’s probably got a few added tricks to throw a Portal Opener for a loop, too, just in case the island gets discovered.”

  Isadora nodded. “You could be right. My portals haven’t acted like that since I was a teenager.”

  “It’s this way back to the Hexagon. We can run there and take out the guards as we see them, since I don’t have my disguise anymore.” I moved to go, but Isadora grasped my wrist, pulling me back.

  “You can’t go and get him, Harley.” She stared at me. “That’s exactly what Katherine is counting on. I know you’re worried, but you can’t rush headlong into this. Katherine thinks she knows you, so you have to do everything in your power to do the opposite of what she’s expecting.”

  I shook my head, gritting my teeth. “I’m not leaving him there, Isadora. Katherine will kill him out of spite, you know she will.”

  “I’m not saying leave him there—I’m just saying Katherine is probably waiting for you to come charging in so she can demand something in return for his safety. Your life, most likely. It’s a trap.”

  “So what am I supposed to do?” I hung my head, completely torn. The guy I loved was with Katherine right now, getting who knew what done to him, and I was here, unable to help him.

  Isadora loosened her grip on my wrist and took my hand in hers. “I think you know what you have to do, Harley.” She glanced down at the jar in the crook of my arm.

  No… I knew this had been the goal all along, but now that the moment had come, I didn’t know if I could do it. Even in spirit form, she was my mom. I didn’t want to have to say goodbye to her. But what else was I going to do? Keep her in a jar like Katherine and whip her out whenever I felt sad? I shuddered, remembering the glass coffin with the shriveled raisin of Drake Shipton inside it. If I kept hold of my mom’s spirit and didn’t release her, I’d be no better.

  Tears filled my eyes. We were supposed to be off this freaking island by now, but we were still here, and things were getting worse by the second. But freeing my mom… This was the one thing I had left in my power. The one thing that would make whatever happened to us worth it. And hey, you might join her sooner than you think. Silver linings...

  With a painful sob racking my chest, I unscrewed the lid of the soul jar and threw it to the ground. My mother’s spirit swirled out, stretching into the ghost I’d seen before, in the tunnel.

  “You’re so brave, honey,” she said, her gauzy hands drifting through my face.

  “I don’t feel very brave right now.” I noticed that Isadora had stood off to one side, to give my mom and me a moment.

  “I know, sweetheart. I know this is hard for you, but it’s not easy for me, either. I’d stay by your side if I could, but if I do that, then it means Katherine will always have a way of completing the third ritual.”

  I nodded slowly. “I know.”

  “You have to let me go now, honey.”

  “I know… but this is going to hurt like a bitch.”

  She chuckled. “Language.”

  “Sorry. It is, though.”

  “Merlins don’t hide from a challenge, no matter how tough it might be,” she whispered. “And if the legends about soulmates being together in the afterlife are true, then I’ve got a hunky slice of husband waiting for me on the other side.”

  I choked out a sad laugh. “Mom.”

  “This doesn’t mean I’ll be gone, Harley. I’ve always been with you, and you’ve always been with me. That won’t change just because my spirit isn’t tied to this world anymore. I’ll be able to watch you properly, wherever I am. As long as you keep your father and me in your heart, we aren’t going anywhere. We’ll live on because you remember us.”

  “I just wish we had more time.” Tears trickled down my cheeks, and my heart felt like it was about to shatter into a million pieces. Pieces I’d never be able to put back together again.

  “So do I, sweetheart. So do I.” Her eyes turned sad. “Just promise me you’ll live a good life, okay? Promise me you’ll be happy. As happy as you can possibly be. Take pleasure in every tiny thing, even if it’s just Christmas lights, or fireworks on the Fourth of July, or the best damn pancakes you’ve ever eaten. And remember what I said about your Darkness. That way, I know you’ll be okay.”

  “You really have to go, huh?” I dropped my chin to my chest.

  “I really do, but only because it’s the natural order of things. I died,
and I should’ve crossed over, but Katherine stopped me. This is how it’s supposed to be, as hard as it is. I’m just glad I got to see you, at last, and that I got to talk to you, even if it was just for a short time. That’s a gift I never expected to get. I might not like the circumstances, but I can’t deny that I’m grateful.”

  I nodded. “Me, too.”

  “I love you, Harley.”

  “I love you, too.” I sobbed out the words, my body shaking violently.

  “Be happy, sweetheart. Find love, find the best friends you can, find all the good stuff in this world and surround yourself with it. Don’t be sad, and don’t feel like you’re on your own. I’ve been stuffed in a jar for nineteen years, but I’ve never moved from your side. I’ll still be there, I promise. Look for all that good stuff, like I said, and you’ll find me and your dad, too.”

  My heart felt like it’d been turned inside out. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, sweetheart. So much.”

  “Be happy too, okay? Give Dad a kiss when you see him, but nothing too gross. And tell him… tell him I forgive him,” I rasped out the words, fighting for breath.

  “I will. And, Isadora, thank you for taking care of her.” She began to disintegrate in front of my eyes, and it took every scrap of strength I had not to try and reach out with my Telekinesis and bind her to this world forever. I wouldn’t do that, not to her. My Darkness wasn’t getting fed this time.

  “It was the least I could do,” Isadora choked out, brushing tears from her eyes.

  “I love you!” I ran toward what remained of my mom, reaching out to touch the last, faint tendrils of her spirit.

  “I love you, more than you know.” She evaporated, her voice whispering one last sentence on the breeze. “You were the best thing that ever happened to us.”