It was the third object that really had an impact on me, before I even laid a finger on it. It was a stunning ring-bracelet, splendidly crafted in an elegant gothic style, in amber gold. The bracelet held one large, oval black onyx, and the metal was decorated with swirling patterns all around. The ring had a large white pearl mounted on it, and there were four smaller gemstones on the delicate chain connecting the ring to the bracelet—a sapphire, a red garnet, an emerald, and a diamond.
It looked so beautiful, yet so different. I’d never seen anything like it. The moment I touched it, however, my heart nearly exploded. I bit my lower lip, then put the ring-bracelet on my left hand. As soon as I locked the bracelet around my wrist, I found myself smiling. It was a perfect match.
Three breaths later, my body reacted, and my very soul sang. It felt like liquid happiness pouring through me, lighting me up from the inside. It was as though the entire world was right again. A piece had been missing from my very existence, and this was it. I knew it, deep in my heart.
It spoke to me. Not in words, but in a flurry of emotions, as if I was finally aligned with the universe. A surge of power rippled through my skin. Is this what Chaos feels like?
I didn’t want to rush to a conclusion, but there was one way to put it to the test. I dashed out of my room and ran down the hallway toward the backyard, where the dragon fountain was—that little corner of paradise I’d yet to fully enjoy.
It didn’t even matter that I was wearing my slacks and tank top, or that I was barefoot. I ran as fast as I could, thinking I needed some space in case something went wrong.
“Harley!” I heard Wade behind me.
My heart was beating so fast, my vision focused on the path ahead, that I hadn’t even seen him. I heard his footsteps behind me. He was running after me.
I made it into the garden, my left arm tingling with what felt like delight. This is it. I think.
“Harley, are you okay?” Wade caught up with me.
I lifted my hand in response, my gaze fixed on the fountain. It took him a couple of seconds to respond, after checking out the ring-bracelet.
“Is that—”
“Let’s find out,” I interrupted him. I didn’t even want to hear that word until I was able to confirm it. Light bubbled through me, stretching my muscles and filling my chest with hope. I couldn’t bear the thought of a disappointment.
I put my hand out, focusing on the water trickling out of the stone dragon’s mouth. The sapphire on the connecting chain lit up in a breathtaking blue hue, and I squealed with joy, wiggling my fingers at the water.
Droplets were pulled from the flow, perfect little balls of spring water that hovered in the air above me. “Oh! My! Days!” I giggled, watching as the droplets trembled and swirled around one another until they combined into a larger blob of water, the size of a soccer ball.
Relief burst through me, and I feared my heart wouldn’t take that much happiness.
“This is it! This is my Esprit! I managed to open my mom’s box, and it was in there. Wade, meet my Esprit. Esprit, meet my Wade—” I laughed, then instantly realized what I’d just said. “I mean, meet Wade. Esprit, meet Wade.”
My face burned as I turned to look at Wade, who was staring at me, all wide-eyed and befuddled. Heat expanded in my chest. He pointed at the water blob. “You might want to keep an eye on that.”
“What, why?” I asked, then checked my water ball and stilled. It had tripled in size and was shaking uncontrollably.
One second later, as a burst of energy flowed through me, it exploded, splashing water all over Wade and me.
We stood there, dripping wet and saying absolutely nothing. I was equal parts excited and embarrassed, my Esprit animating me better than six shots of espresso in one chug.
“I’m guessing this is what you meant when you said the Esprit can be highly unstable until I learn how to use it?” I asked, rhetorically, then wiped the water from my face, relishing the subtle jingle of my ring-bracelet. That was a sound I was more than happy to get used to.
Wade needed a couple seconds to respond, his eyes locked on me, as water trickled down the slim blade of his nose and onto his already-soaked shirt. “Think of it as a sports car. You can feel the rush from the moment you get in it, but you still need to learn how to drive it properly, so you don’t end up in a lake.”
I sniffed, then nodded slowly, lovingly gazing at my Esprit.
“I think this belonged to my mother,” I breathed.
“That makes it all the more beautiful,” Wade replied softly.
I couldn’t help but agree. Sure, I had a lot of work cut out for me, plenty of training and reading up on the Esprits, but I’d found it. I’d tossed my father’s message away, and it had somehow led me back to my mother.
A tear found its way out, rolling down my cheek and splashing against the cobblestone pavement, where my bare feet and toes were wiggling with delight.
“It is beautiful,” I murmured.
That road ahead didn’t seem as scary anymore. I was a complete magical now, with so much to learn.
But one thing was certain, even before I thought of admitting it to myself.
I was right where I needed to be.
Ready for the next part of Harley’s story?
Dear Reader,
First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking a chance on this book. I hope you enjoyed it!
If you did, I would be very grateful if you could write a review on Amazon (even if it’s just a sentence or two). Every review makes a difference to an author and helps other readers discover the book. :)
As for Book 2 of the series: Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins, you’ll be glad to know that you don’t have long to wait for it! It releases September 30th, 2018.
Pre-order your copy now for convenience and have it delivered automatically to your reading device on release day!:
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I look forward to continuing Harley’s journey with you. See you on the other side…
Love,
Bella x
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Read more by Bella Forrest
HARLEY MERLIN
Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
THE CHILD THIEF
(Action-adventure/romance.)
The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
THE GENDER GAME
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)
THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK
(Action-adventure/romance. Completed series.)
The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6)
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)
HOTBLOODS
(Supernatural romance. Completed series.)
Hotbloods (Book 1)
Coldbloods (Book 2)
Renegades (Book 3)
Venturers (Book 4)
Traitors (Book 5)
Allies (Boo
k 6)
Invaders (Book 7)
Stargazers (Book 8)
A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES
(Supernatural romance)
Series 1: Derek & Sofia’s story
A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)
Series 2: Rose & Caleb’s story
A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A Spell of Time (Book 10)
A Chase of Prey (Book 11)
A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)
A Turn of Tides (Book 13)
A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)
A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)
An End of Night (Book 16)
Series 3: The Shade continues with a new hero…
A Wind of Change (Book 17)
A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)
A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)
A Hero of Realms (Book 20)
A Vial of Life (Book 21)
A Fork of Paths (Book 22)
A Flight of Souls (Book 23)
A Bridge of Stars (Book 24)
Series 4: A Clan of Novaks
A Clan of Novaks (Book 25)
A World of New (Book 26)
A Web of Lies (Book 27)
A Touch of Truth (Book 28)
An Hour of Need (Book 29)
A Game of Risk (Book 30)
A Twist of Fates (Book 31)
A Day of Glory (Book 32)
Series 5: A Dawn of Guardians
A Dawn of Guardians (Book 33)
A Sword of Chance (Book 34)
A Race of Trials (Book 35)
A King of Shadow (Book 36)
An Empire of Stones (Book 37)
A Power of Old (Book 38)
A Rip of Realms (Book 39)
A Throne of Fire (Book 40)
A Tide of War (Book 41)
Series 6: A Gift of Three
A Gift of Three (Book 42)
A House of Mysteries (Book 43)
A Tangle of Hearts (Book 44)
A Meet of Tribes (Book 45)
A Ride of Peril (Book 46)
A Passage of Threats (Book 47)
A Tip of Balance (Book 48)
A Shield of Glass (Book 49)
A Clash of Storms (Book 50)
Series 7: A Call of Vampires
A Call of Vampires (Book 51)
A Valley of Darkness (Book 52)
A Hunt of Fiends (Book 53)
A Den of Tricks (Book 54)
A City of Lies (Book 55)
A League of Exiles (Book 56)
A Charge of Allies (Book 57)
A Snare of Vengeance (Book 58)
A Battle of Souls (Book 59)
Series 8: A Voyage of Founders
A Voyage of Founders (Book 60)
A Land of Perfects (Book 61)
A Citadel of Captives (Book 62)
A Jungle of Rogues (Book 63)
A Camp of Savages (Book 64)
A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY
A Shade of Dragon 1
A Shade of Dragon 2
A Shade of Dragon 3
A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY
A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
A Shade of Kiev 3
THE SECRET OF SPELLSHADOW MANOR
(Supernatural/Magic YA. Completed series)
The Secret of Spellshadow Manor (Book 1)
The Breaker (Book 2)
The Chain (Book 3)
The Keep (Book 4)
The Test (Book 5)
The Spell (Book 6)
BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY
(Supernatural romance)
Beautiful Monster 1
Beautiful Monster 2
DETECTIVE ERIN BOND
(Adult thriller/mystery)
Lights, Camera, GONE
Write, Edit, KILL
For an updated list of Bella’s books, please visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net
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Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven Page 37