Harley Merlin 7: Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix

by Forrest, Bella

  I frowned. “And this tunnel leads directly to the San Francisco Coven?”

  “Why would I suffer through an eight-hour car journey with you if it didn’t?” Finch shot me a look. “I hate to say it, but someone needs to introduce you to the power of deodorant.”

  “Says you. Someone needs to introduce you to the power of modern music.”

  “Heathen.”

  “Lover of dad music.”

  Wade stepped in. “How come nobody knows about this entrance?”

  “It’s an unregistered location,” Finch replied. “It leads right into the coven’s interdimensional pocket, using the Aperi Portis spell.”

  “Aperi Portam,” I corrected.

  “No, Aperi Portis. It’s a modification of the other spell. It’s how we’re going to get inside undetected.”

  “This is insane,” I said, half to myself.

  Wade nodded. “If these are all across America, and the authorities don’t know about the majority of them, that’s bad news. How many does Katherine know about?”

  Finch shrugged. “Not as many as me. I’m a sucker for a loophole, and I know my fair share—things I never told Katherine. If you help me stay out of Purgatory, maybe I’ll tell you more of my sordid secrets.”

  I shook my head. “You can keep the sordid ones to yourself. We just want the useful ones.”

  “I knew it was only a matter of time before you started to bargain,” Wade muttered.

  “Then why do you sound so surprised?” Finch laughed. “You know there’s no way I’m going back to Purgatory. You probably knew it the moment you agreed to let me out so you could get me involved in your Muppet games.”

  “You’re going back, Finch,” Wade replied.

  “Nope, I don’t think I am.”

  I glanced at Finch. “He has done a lot of good for us.”

  “Are you out of your mind?” Wade gaped at me.

  “I’m just saying that, despite all the harm that Finch has caused, to me as well as everyone else, that’s starting to fade a bit compared to what Katherine did and will continue to do.” I could tell I wasn’t going to convince Wade on this subject, but I couldn’t stay quiet about it. “I guess I’m looking at this as his probation. If he does enough good to counteract the bad, then maybe he doesn’t deserve to live out the rest of his life behind bars.”

  Finch grinned. “I’m touched.”

  “I know you are.” I shot him an amused look. “In the head.”

  “You’re so predictable,” he retorted, but I could tell he was pleased he was sort of winning me over. The truth was, I still hadn’t been convinced about his true loyalty until his private encounter with Katherine in her office. He could have gone back to her then, and it probably would’ve been the easiest route for him to take, but he hadn’t. He’d defied her and put himself at further risk for our sake.

  “Then we’re going to have to agree to disagree on this,” Wade said. “As far as I’m concerned, he’s going back to Purgatory one of these days.”

  “Just say you’ll rethink things.” I wanted him to be on Finch’s side. “He’s kept me alive so far. That’s got to count for something, right?”

  “Never thought I’d see you two lovebirds on opposite sides,” Finch said.

  “We’re not on opposite sides, we’re just having a healthy debate about you,” I replied with a smile.

  Finch chuckled. “Like I said, I’m touched.”

  “I can’t promise I’ll change my mind about you going to Purgatory, Finch, but… I suppose I can give it some more thought,” Wade said unexpectedly. “But now’s probably not the time.”

  “Look what a little bat of those lashes can do, Sis.” Finch grinned. He drew his fingertips across his lips, zipping them. “Well, if we’re not hashing this out now, and Wade has promised to think about it, how about we get on with breaking into the SFC?”

  “That’s the most sensible thing you’ve ever said,” Wade replied. A hint of tension lingered between us as we approached the swirling vortex of water and headed into the tunnel. I didn’t know how I could make Wade truly see just how much Finch had changed, or how I could get him to see things in a different light. I’d thought the whole cult thing might’ve changed his perspective, but I still had a ways to go, by the looks of it. But I was determined to try, especially as he seemed to be teetering on the edge of coming around to the idea. Everyone deserved the chance to clear their name and make amends for the bad things they’d done. I still had to do that for my father, and though Finch hadn’t quite been cursed in the same way as Hiram, I knew he’d never have ended up doing those terrible things if he hadn’t been raised by Katherine’s cruel hand. He’d earned the same courtesy by joining us, and by staying true to his new position.

  I had no clue what they’d talked about in that office, or what temptations she may have offered him, but I knew he’d cast her aside for good in the pursuit of being a better person. If we didn’t set an example and allow him to be forgiven, after all the good he’d done, then we were no better than Levi. And I would rather have kept Finch out of prison myself than see us put in the same category as that bitter, twisted troll.

  Twelve

  Harley

  Water whorled all around us as we walked through the interdimensional tunnel. The stretch of tunnel we’d entered had swept back into a solid mass of water at our backs. The passageway through the lake was beautiful, showing clear water surrounding us. Fish swam casually along, without a care in the world.

  However, as the water disappeared and gave way to the underbelly of San Francisco, the closing of the tunnel behind us became more worrying. Where there had been water, there was now solid earth and pipes and foundations, everything that made up the core of the city. I stayed close to Wade as we pressed on, my heart pounding in my chest with every step we took. Waves of rippling terror, combined with an undercurrent of despair, bombarded my senses, though it wasn’t coming from me, and it wasn’t coming from Wade, either.

  It took me a few minutes to realize that it was coming from the tunnel itself, which had once saved so many witches from the humans’ paranoia and pursuit. I had to stop and cling to Wade as a particularly volatile explosion of emotion went off inside me.

  “Are you okay?” He sounded worried.

  I nodded, dragging in a breath. “It’s this place.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I… I can’t explain it.” I closed my eyes, but that only made things worse. It was almost like I was back in the passageway of Eris Island with a horde of spirits floating around me, their emotions fierce and deeply personal. Only, I couldn’t see the ghosts of the people who’d fled through these tunnels. I could only sense their residual energy pulsating in the narrow passage. I clamped my hand to my chest, feeling an overwhelming sense of panic. My breath came in sharp gasps as I prayed for it to pass.

  “Harley?” Finch appeared at my side. “Is something up?”

  I nodded. “I can feel them all around me.”

  “Feel who?”

  “The people who came through here.” A burst of stomach-churning terror held me frozen in the passageway, unable to put one foot in front of the other. I could almost hear footsteps running behind us, but there was nothing but solid earth. These people had been running, breathless from their escape, and it had made me breathless too. Sweat poured off my brow and dripped down my back, my hands clammy and shaking as I gripped Wade’s arm tighter.

  “Is it your Empathy?” Wade said. “Is it acting up?”

  I gritted my teeth as pain hit me in the gut. “Someone died here… more than one person.” I was feeling the moment it had happened, a blade cutting right through my abdomen. Anguish and fear overwhelmed my senses in a relentless tide.

  “Can you walk?” Wade glanced down at me, but I could barely see him. My eyes were full of tears—falling for people I’d never known, but whose emotions I could feel as keenly as my own. I began to understand that this was some new facet of my
Empathy, one I’d only experienced a few times before, like when I’d held Marjorie’s photograph and felt the emotions of the people in it. I’d also experienced a version of it when I’d touched my parents’ Grimoire, but I didn’t know if that was the same thing, or if that was just a Merlin thing.

  “I can walk,” I replied. I had to. Gathering my Chaos into me, I put up a blockade against the onslaught of emotions, shutting them all out so I didn’t lose my mind. I didn’t want to block them all out like this or push away the importance of their pain and fear, but there was no other way I could continue.

  Feeling a dull ache as the emotions kept trying to get in, I let Wade put his arm around my waist to keep me from stumbling, and we set off down the tunnel. As we reached the water again, making our way to the island of Alcatraz, I tried to focus on the eerie scenery that surrounded us. This was a once-in-a-lifetime view, to be within the heart of the water, but there was something scary about it, too. It wasn’t clear and welcoming, like the lake had been. Instead, it was dark and gloomy, the swirling shadows stretching away into the distance.

  After what felt like an hour of walking, with the ghosts of so many tortured souls hounding me, the tunnel came to an end. A shimmering shield lay up ahead, swirling in the same way the entrance to the passage had. Only, here, there was a door behind it. Finch approached it first and whispered, “Aperi Portis” as he gripped the handle. The door opened outward, and Wade and I followed Finch through it as the rest of the passage collapsed behind us, leaving only the shield between us and the water. I was relieved when Wade closed the door behind us, glad to have my feet on more solid ground.

  “What did I tell you?” Finch whispered with a grin. We stood in a corridor, deep below Alcatraz, within the walls of the SFC. I could tell from the grotto-like glow of the lights in the stone recesses and the cozy vibe of the place.

  “Okay, you pulled through for us,” I replied, flashing him a smile. “I’d give you a round of applause, but it might blow our cover.”

  I was about to suggest we get a move on and head to Remington’s office, when two magicals came around the corner of the hallway. We froze and they froze, their eyes narrowing in suspicion.

  “You there! What are you doing here?” The first magical approached us, with the second following close behind.

  “This is a restricted area. You shouldn’t be here,” the second said. They were dressed in black, similar to the security uniforms at the SDC. I guessed it was true that all of the covens were upping their security measures, thanks to Levi’s half-truths about the state of things with Katherine.

  “We’re not causing any trouble,” Finch replied.

  “Then why are you here? How did you even get in? There haven’t been any arrivals through the mirrors, and I haven’t seen any of you around here.” The first magical eyed us closely. I felt Finch stiffen at my side, sparking concern that he was about to do something stupid.

  Fortunately, Wade stepped in front of him. “I arrived late last night. I was transferred from the Houston Coven, and these are my research colleagues.” He gestured back to us as he took a step closer to the two magicals.

  “Last night? We’ll have to check the mirror entries.” The second magical glanced at the first, their expressions curious.

  “Absolutely.” Wade got even closer to them. “I’d be happy to come with you.”

  “You’ll have to. All of you.” The first magical was about to turn away when Wade closed the gap and pressed a thumb to the foreheads of both security officers.

  “Efferant universa animo sopor,” he whispered. The two magicals fell backward, collapsing to the ground, their eyes turning white as they lay there on the floor. They still seemed to be breathing, which was good, but I had no clue what he’d just done to them. I’d never seen him use a spell like that before.

  “I guess everyone’s got tricks up their sleeve that I don’t know anything about.” I smiled at Wade. “Impressive, Wade. Very impressive.”

  “Believe me, I can do a whole lot more.” He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “It wasn’t that impressive,” Finch muttered. “And I swear, if you two keep flirting, I’m going to throw myself out of that door and right into the San Francisco Bay.”

  I laughed. “We’ll save it for later. Right, Wade?”

  “Definitely.” He flashed me a wink.

  “I mean it. I’ll drown myself.” Finch pretended to barf, which only made me laugh harder. After coming out of that tunnel, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I knew we had a lot of serious stuff to do, but it felt nice to be able to laugh like this, if only for a couple of minutes.

  “Come on, let’s find Remington before we get into more trouble.” I nodded to the security magicals, who snored softly. Hopefully, we’d be in and out before they even woke up, and if this was a restricted area, it was unlikely anyone was going to come across them. Still, I’d learned that it was a bad idea to leave knocked-out security people in the open.

  Taking one of them by his arms, I dragged him into the nearest nook—a carved hole in the stone wall, which would cast enough shadow to keep him hidden for a while. Finch and Wade followed with the second guard, until the two magicals were safely stowed away in the recess, tucked behind a weird decorative statue of a satyr playing panpipes. It had amber eyes that seemed to watch us as we worked, a twisted grimace on its carved face. Ugh, this is giving me the heebie jeebies.

  We walked away from the smirking satyr, which reminded me a little too much of Finch, and headed up the corridor toward the main part of the coven. However, before we could even step out into a new hallway, Finch called us to a halt.

  “It’s somewhere around here,” Finch whispered.

  “What is?” I asked.

  “Patience, Sis. Patience.” Finch smoothed his hands across the raw rock wall, until his fingertips hovered over an oval-shaped amber stone that was embedded so deep you’d have missed it if you didn’t know it was there. Which, evidently, Finch did. He pressed down on it with his index finger, prompting a narrow door to open with a shudder, tiny fragments of rubble falling to the floor.

  “Voila!” he announced.

  “I wish I could crack open that skull of yours and see what’s going on in there.” I shook my head in disbelief.

  Finch grinned. “All you’d get is a handful of goop. My secrets are my secrets.”

  He clambered into the narrow passageway, with Wade and me scrambling in afterward. The door slid shut behind us, but the corridor beyond was lit with the same glowing firefly lamps that were all over this coven, giving it that grotto vibe that I liked so much. At least here there were no ghosts or spirits trying to attack me with their emotions.

  We walked along the passageway single-file for ten minutes before we reached another door. There’d been other doorways branching off from the narrow passage, but Finch had ignored them all, making a beeline for this one. He put his hand on the doorknob and whispered the same Aperi Portis spell that he’d used to get the interdimensional tunnels to open. A soft click echoed through the corridor, and then Finch turned the handle and opened the door wide. I gasped in surprise when I saw the room beyond. I’d been here before. In fact, this was exactly where we’d been planning on heading.

  Remington Knightshade sat at his desk, his head turned over his shoulder in complete shock, while Garrett stared at us from the opposite chair. Clearly, they hadn’t been expecting any interruptions. Especially not the three of us creeping out of a secret door in the back of Remington’s office. I wondered if Remington had even known this door was here. From the look on his face, it seemed like he hadn’t.

  “Harley? Wade?” Remington eyed us both, before his gaze stopped at Finch. “You.”

  Finch rolled his eyes. “Why does everyone say that?”

  “What are you doing here?” Remington pushed his hand across his desk, his fingertips reaching for his phone. No… No, don’t do that!

  “We need to
talk,” I said. “And I need you to listen.”

  His fingertips gripped his phone, but he made no move to pick it up. Instead, he just kept staring at me, as if he didn’t quite know what to do. After all, Finch and I were wanted criminals, and Wade had just made himself an accessory, guilty by association. I had no clue if Remington would be willing to put himself in that same rocky boat.

  Thirteen

  Jacob

  I’d decided to make myself scarce for a bit. Not too scarce, since I wasn’t allowed to leave the Fleet Science Center, but there was some pretty cool stuff here to keep me busy. I found myself by the space station exhibit. Checking it out. Reading some things. I’d always been interested in astronauts and stuff. It was neat to look up at the sky and know there were people out there, up in a tin can above Earth.

  Reading a new part of the exhibit about Tim Peake and a couple other astronauts, I smiled to myself. Like, what if I could portal from here to the ISS? Would I even be able to do that? I didn’t know how far my portal abilities stretched. Could they go beyond the stratosphere? I was still learning about Chaos and its limits, and beaming up to the International Space Station would probably end one of two ways: I would be arrested and questioned by the US government, followed by a cell in Area 51, or I’d miss and end up in space, where I’d explode or something.

  I just wanted to clear my head. It didn’t feel right, being here without Harley. I’d texted her about Levi’s compromise to let me stay and told her about Levi’s whole secrecy jam—how he wasn’t saying anything about Echidna, but he was apparently working with the National Council. He kept threatening me with Purgatory about keeping the Echidna thing quiet. It was like a broken record.