Harley Merlin 3: Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals

by Bella Forrest

  It had given me an idea. As friggin’ terrifying as Kadar was, I figured he might have insight into how a magical could become a Child of Chaos, like Katherine wanted to. It didn’t sit too easy with me that I’d have to get Raffe to let the demon loose for a bit so I could speak to him one-on-one, but right now we were clutching at a whole bunch of nothing where Katherine and the kids were concerned. That psycho-bitch would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, which meant we’d have to do the same.

  Fire with fire, and all that jazz. Although, if this ruins my dating plans, I swear I’ll come down on you like El Niño, Shipton.

  I knocked on Raffe’s door, hoping he was in. He’d mentioned something about a meeting with Alton, but it was almost eleven. I doubted Alton would have kept him so late. A shuffling echoed beyond the door. He answered a moment later, looking even sleepier than before.

  “Santana?” He frowned at me. “Is everything okay?”

  I nodded. “Are you busy?”

  “I was about to go to bed, but I can stay up for a bit if you need something.”

  “I was wondering if I could ask a favor,” I said tentatively. “Only trouble is, I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

  “Oh?” He sounded wary.

  “Can I come in?”

  He stepped back and ushered me into the room. He’d never invited me in before. I glanced around the place, admiring the black-and-white photos on the wall. They were mostly landscapes, with the occasional portrait mixed in—a group of kids sitting in a circle, an old lady on a porch stoop, a soldier kneeling in the middle of a vast desert. Raffe had never struck me as the kind of guy who liked photography, but these were amazing. I walked over to one and touched it—a landscape of a boating lake, with a single vessel out on the water.

  “Are these yours?”

  He nodded shyly. “I used to like taking pictures. Not so much anymore.”

  “How come?”

  He shrugged. “Other stuff got in the way, I guess.” He sat down on the edge of the bed. “How was your swim?”

  “Really nice,” I replied, with a smirk. “Harley didn’t even know the pool existed.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t look too good.”

  I pulled a face. “Just what a girl wants to hear.”

  “No, I mean… you always look beautiful, and you still look beautiful now, it’s just… uh… you seem a little pale. Did you swallow pool water? I know it’s clean and everything, but you can never be too careful.”

  I smiled, my heart swelling at Raffe calling me beautiful. “I’m fine, honestly. I think I’m just worn out after everything that’s been going on. I’m guessing you’re the same, with all this napping you’ve been doing.”

  “The djinn is being louder than usual,” he admitted. “It’s draining, but I’m doing okay. Weirdly, he gets more volatile whenever… never mind. I’m fine, just sleepy.” His cheeks flushed pink, his gaze dropping for a second. So, Kadar gets feistier whenever I’m around, eh? I suppose I should be flattered, but not if he’s sapping Raffe to do it.

  “I won’t keep you too long,” I promised.

  Sitting down at his desk, I launched into conversation, quickly filling him in on what Harley and I had been up to earlier. I left out the bit about the Grimoire, making up a white lie about another book on the Children of Chaos. After all, I’d promised Harley I wouldn’t say anything about it. She was scared about what might happen if it got out. If the Mage Council caught one whiff of it, she’d be toast. Frankly, I was scared for her, too. I’d witnessed it with my own eyes. They’d lock her up and throw away the key if they found out what she was capable of. Levi already loathed her for her power, even with the Suppressor keeping things on an even keel.

  “Anyway, there was this passage about Erebus and his relationship with djinns,” I explained. “I was hoping you might let me talk to Kadar about Erebus, see what I can get out of him. If he’s got some info on whatever Katherine is up to, we need to know about it. I hate to ask you to let him loose, but we’re desperate.”

  Raffe sighed. “I’ve always known that djinns shared ties with Erebus, and I thought the same thing as you. I’ve already tried to talk to Kadar about it, but he just mocked me the whole time. He flat-out refused to say anything useful and told me to deal with whatever Katherine had in mind. He’s not bothered if she gets the power she wants. I guess he thinks it won’t affect him.”

  It surprised me to hear that they’d already talked about it. For some reason, I hadn’t thought they spoke to each other that often, even though they shared the same body. Raffe seemed to hate Kadar, and Kadar wasn’t exactly Raffe’s biggest fan. Then again, I supposed it made sense that they’d chat from time to time. It probably made their life sentence go a bit faster.

  “I don’t want to press the issue if you’re too tired, but would you mind if I tried anyway?” I asked. “Kadar might be more willing to speak to me. I can’t explain it, but he doesn’t seem to mind me that much. I guess he’s grown to like me, just like you have.” I flashed him a cheeky grin.

  He smiled back, chuckling to himself. “That’s true about Kadar, but I wouldn’t say you grew on me, Santana,” he said. “I liked you from the moment I met you. You have this energy about you that I’ve never seen or felt before. I’m not good at showing affection. I never have been. It’s probably a family trait. But you make me want to show my feelings more. I’m still learning when it comes to this.” He gestured to the space between us.

  My pulse quickened. For the first time in my life, I’d been rendered speechless. And by Raffe, of all people—the man of so few words, silencing me in the space of a few moments. There was a delicious irony in that, though my mind wasn’t functioning well enough to appreciate it. All I could do was sit and gape at Raffe like a moron.

  “Do you want to go to the cage and try this out?” he prompted, grinning.

  I struggled to find something to say. “Try what out?”

  He laughed. “Coercing Kadar into talking.”

  “Oh… yeah, of course. Right. That.” I smacked my forehead. One-nil to Raffe, you sneaky, surprising, handsome bastard. “Yeah, we should go before it gets too late. If you’re already tired, I don’t want to keep you up until four in the morning again—talking, that is. Talking to Kadar.”

  “Fortunately, I haven’t had a recent conversation with my father, so we should be fine on that front,” he replied, a pleased smirk tugging at the corners of his kissable lips. “I’ll be able to control him better this time, since my anger isn’t feeding him. He feeds off other things, but I’m pretty sure I can control those feelings for a couple of hours.” His gaze met mine, my heart damn near stopping at the sight of the irreverent glint within them. Raffe Levi, are you being saucy with me? Now this I can get used to… once I can think straight again.

  We left the living quarters and headed through the hallways of the coven, until we reached the hidden door that led to Raffe’s glass box of emotion. It still felt eerie to wander through the narrow corridor toward the main room, every sound deadened thanks to the soundproofing.

  “Are you sure you’re okay to do this?” I asked nervously, the sight of the “cage” making me feel guilty. Giving Kadar the reins put a lot of pressure on Raffe, in every way possible.

  “If it gets us the answers we need, it’ll be worth it.” He cast me a reassuring smile. “He’ll listen to you. I know he will. And if he doesn’t, he gets shoved back down. That’s how this works.” I wasn’t sure he was talking to me anymore. It seemed to be a warning for Kadar.

  Raffe walked over to the glass box and unlocked the padlock with the key. He left it in the bowl on the table to the side of the room, before retreating behind the clear façade. I followed him, the padlock slotting into place automatically behind him as he entered. He smiled at me through the glass as I stepped back and waited for the magic to happen.

  “My spicy señorita. I was wondering when you might get bored of dear old Raffey and
beg to have me back,” Kadar purred. I hadn’t even noticed the transition. A few wisps of black smoke wafted up from his shoulders, his skin darkening to that strange, deep red before my very eyes. “Admit it, I’m a lot more fun, aren’t I?” His eyes flashed crimson as he pressed himself to the glass, doing a less-than-enticing dance against it.

  “Is that supposed to be impressive?”

  He grinned. “I’ve got plenty I could impress you with, Santana. I’ve never felt more alive, thanks to the name you gave me. It’d be rude of me not to offer you something in return, and I have just the thing in mind. Although, you’ll need to let me out first. I’m aching to get my hands on you. I’ve been picturing the terror on your face as I put my hands around your throat—you won’t know if I want to kiss or kill you until the very last moment. What a tasty thought.” He licked his lips, a throaty cackle rippling from his mouth.

  “Not going to happen, Kadar,” I replied. “There’s no way you’re getting out of there.”

  “Don’t you think about me? Let’s not lie to each other. I know you do. Raffe isn’t here; you can tell me anything,” he whispered.

  “I think about how glad I am you’re stuck behind a glass wall.”

  His eyes flashed blue. “Fine, be coy. I am a patient demon. I will win you over, and when I do, I will sink my teeth into your flesh and bathe in your blood, until we are one entity. Your soul will bind to mine, and nothing will separate us.”

  “You should read a Hallmark card if you want some flirting ideas,” I retorted. “Telling a girl you want to bathe in her blood isn’t exactly romantic.”

  “But you aren’t just any old girl, Santana. Your energy is intoxicating. I want to lap it all up until there’s nothing left. It’s all I can think about, all hours of the day. It feeds me. It makes me want to thrive. It makes me want to devour you in one bite.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m not here to hear about all the nasty things you want to do to me, Kadar.”

  “Have you come to bargain?”

  “I suppose.”

  He leered at me through the glass. “Name your terms, and I’ll name mine.”

  The thought of entering into a bargain with a djinn didn’t sit well with me. Making deals with the devil was a notoriously bad thing to do, but desperation didn’t give me many other options. If I wanted more information on Erebus, I needed to offer something in return. Knowing Kadar, I wasn’t going to like his suggestion. No flesh-biting or blood-bathing, Diablo.

  “I want to know more about your connection to Erebus,” I said confidently. He could probably smell my fear.

  He laughed coldly. “Such a tiny, insignificant question. I suppose I can answer anything you want to know about that, as long as you’re willing to answer a few of my questions afterward. A fair exchange, I’d say. Believe me, I could be asking for more. My sweet girl, I want to, but I figured we’d start small. Next time you come begging for me, we’ll move on to bigger and better things.”

  Questions? Could be worse. I felt a little wary about what those questions might be, but he was right—he could’ve asked for a lot more. This seemed like an even exchange. That was the problem; it seemed a little too fair.

  I shrugged. “Fine, I’ll answer some of your questions if I’m satisfied with the answers you give me.”

  “I only give satisfaction, Santana. Care to find out more?”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Let’s just stick with the questions, shall we? Now, tell me about your connection to Erebus.”

  He paced the floor of his cage, his eyes turning red again. “I can go one better, even if you won’t indulge me. If you like, I can channel the inner knowledge that all djinns gain from Erebus and relay the answers back to you. Think of me as your spiritual mediator.” He appeared to be disappointed by my lack of enthusiasm for his advances, and yet there was a weird softness to his tone that intrigued and terrified me in equal measure. It was as though he genuinely wanted to do me a favor, to keep me happy.

  “That would be very kind, Kadar.”

  His eyes glittered like sapphires, shifting from red back to blue. I’d pleased him, somehow.

  “My first question is, what is the process for becoming a Child of Chaos?”

  He fell silent for a moment. “The act is nearly impossible,” he said, his voice returning with a thousand whispering echoes. It sounded similar to the way my voice changed when my Orishas spoke through me. Creepy.

  “Nearly?”

  “That’s what I said, didn’t I?” he shot back, with a sly grin.

  I clung to the word. “Has anyone in the history of magicals ever attempted to become a Child of Chaos?”

  He slipped back into his brief trance. “It would appear that they have, and foolishly so.”

  “Who?” My heart gripped in my chest. I was getting somewhere.

  “That is not a question that we care to answer. We do not speak names—names are much too powerful,” he replied. “Ask something else.”

  I frowned, trying to reword it. “Are there any records of this attempt here on Earth?”

  “Clever girl,” he purred. “Erebus and the other Children of Chaos have a particular interest in a Clairvoyant called the Librarian. They are keeping a watchful eye on her. This bookworm has kept track of all the magical spells ever created and attempted. I may not be able to reveal any names to you, but if you can find the Librarian, you may find the rest of your answers yourself.”

  I stared at him, overwhelmed with gratitude. If anyone knew what was required to become a Child of Chaos, it had to be this Librarian… wherever she might be. However, the fact that someone else had attempted this insane act filled me with dread. They might not have succeeded, but that didn’t mean Katherine wouldn’t. Nearly impossible didn’t mean impossible.

  “Where is the Librarian?” I asked.

  Kadar shook his head. “No.”

  “What do you mean? Don’t you know?”

  “I mean no. You’ve drained my knowledge repository dry. Even if I wanted to say more, I won’t,” he replied. “If you want more detailed answers, you’ll have to talk to Erebus himself.” He erupted into cold, brutal laughter. Clearly, the thought of me calling on Erebus himself to get more answers was hilarious to a demon like Kadar. I, on the other hand, thought it might be the right idea. I’m clearly going loco if that’s what we’ve come to. Less fighting fire with fire, more fighting crazy with crazy. Then again, it might be mad enough to work.

  I thought about Harley’s reaction to the Grimoire and wondered if she really had almost summoned something terrible. Had Erebus been about to come on through to the mortal realm? Or was it something else? I couldn’t be entirely sure, but it sparked an idea in my head. A safer, less-charged way to call upon the Children of Chaos. There had to be a way to do it without risking Harley’s life, and the lives of everyone around her. It couldn’t always be smoke tornadoes and fire and brimstone; otherwise, nobody would have bothered in the past.

  “What are you thinking, my exotic flower?” he growled, pressing himself to the glass again.

  I flashed him a smile. “I’m thinking I want Raffe back now.”

  He waggled his red finger at me. “I don’t think so, chica. You’ve got your end of the bargain to hold up. You wouldn’t go against a deal made with a demon, would you? You know what happens to people who cross creatures like me, right?”

  Growing up in Catemaco, I knew all too well the kinds of things that could happen to a person who broke a deal with a devil. We were taught about evil spirits from a young age and how to protect ourselves against them. The first rule was never to get involved with a demon, but it was too late for that one. The only way to send a demon away was to fulfill your end of the bargain, or to get a bunch of powerful Santerias to send them packing for you. Since I didn’t have the latter with me, and there was no way of sending the djinn packing without killing Raffe, I’d have to settle for plan A.

  “Fine, ask your questions,” I replied.
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br />   He rubbed his hands together in delight. “You must answer truthfully. I’ll know if you’re lying, and you don’t want to lie to me.”

  “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” I held my hand to my heart and scowled at him.

  “Then tell me, do you have feelings for Raffe?”

  “That’s easy—of course I do.”

  “A little too easy, perhaps,” he mused. “How about this: do you find this darker side of him attractive, as well? If that wasn’t clear, I’m asking if you find me attractive, too?”

  I paused. I couldn’t lie. My throat constricted as I forced the word out. “Yes.”

  Kadar smirked. “That’s all I wanted to know.”

  He disappeared a moment later, his red skin fading in a flurry of smoke and his eyes shifting back to the midnight gray that I adored. He’d gotten what he wanted, and now he was giving the reins back to Raffe. Why did you make me say that? You smug pendejo!

  “Santana?” Raffe murmured.

  “Is it you?”

  He nodded. “It’s me.”

  I grabbed the key from the side and rushed toward the glass box, letting him out of his cage. He strode out and scooped me into his arms, swinging me around before bringing me back into a tight embrace. I wrapped my arms around him, my fingertips toying with the back of his soft, black hair. Gripping him tighter, I buried my face in his neck, inhaling the fresh, clean scent of him. A touch of something sweet and burnt lingered underneath, like spun sugar at a town fair. My Orishas chattered with nervous excitement, bubbling happily inside me. They liked the feel and scent of him as much as I did.

  He pulled away slightly, his hands moving to cup my face. My heart stopped beating as he leaned in, time slowing around us. His gaze lingered on my lips, my own fixed on his handsome face, anticipating the deliciousness of his next move. A gasp slipped from my throat as his lips grazed mine, the touch of his mouth searing my skin. I pulled him closer, kissing him back with every fiber of my being. It was everything I’d been hoping for and more.