Harley Merlin 2: Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins

by Bella Forrest

  “Shocked” didn’t begin to describe my current state. Stunned? More or less the same thing. Baffled? Absolutely. Resigned? Still—hell, no. A thousand times, no.

  “So, what you’re saying is that… even with the Suppressor on, my powers still slipped through,” I concluded.

  “Exactly. I will look into a detection and extraction procedure, Miss Merlin, as I myself am personally intrigued,” Krieger said, grinning.

  I chuckled. “Yeah, I can feel that. Thank you, Doctor. At least I know now.”

  “I’m pleased I could give you some good news. Even though we often refer to Mediocrity as being just a label, it does have an impact on our lives as magicals. Nobody really wants to be a Mediocre, after all. In your case, it’s even preposterous!” Krieger replied. “Give me some time to research the Dempsey Suppressor properly, and I’ll advise you on the next steps once I know what to do. In the meantime, I will report this to Alton. I’m sure he’ll be interested in hearing these results.”

  “Yeah, I’ll bet. In fact, I think he’ll be pleased. He did say there was more to me than met the eye,” I said, then remembered Garrett’s advice from the previous night. “Doctor Krieger, I wanted to ask you something, and I think it’s related to this. Light and Darkness—I’ve read about a magical’s affiliation to one or the other, but I don’t understand exactly how that works, or what it means.”

  Krieger paused, his pale blue eyes fixed on mine. His lips curled into a devious little smile. “I guessed you would ask, at some point. Adley never mentioned it in the report she wrote after your first Reading. It struck me as odd, but, thinking of you as a Mediocre, I wasn’t sure it mattered much. Now, however, it’s different. Allow me to explain.”

  He rushed to his desk and fumbled through one of the drawers, then came back with an old book, flipping through its pages until he found what he was looking for.

  “Light and Darkness are primordial Children of Chaos. It’s not a matter of good and evil here, because that isn’t how we quantify Light and Darkness,” he continued, and handed me the book. He showed me an illustration depicting two dragons flying around each other, one black, the other white. “It is true that many magicals connected to Darkness end up committing terrible crimes, but it’s always been my belief that it is more a question of character than of Chaos. Light and Darkness amplify a magical’s abilities differently. It would be difficult for me to explain right now, but I will leave this book with you for reference.”

  “How does this connection work?” I asked, holding on to the book.

  “You’re born with it. We all are. I, for example, belong to Darkness. My abilities are intense and can be extremely destructive,” Krieger said.

  “But you’re such a sweetheart,” I replied, smiling.

  “Don’t let the good versus bad prejudice cloud your judgment,” he shot back. “I told you, that’s not how we view Light and Darkness. Light-affiliated magicals experience a different kind of intensity in their powers. They’re more inclined toward Telekinesis and Herculean abilities, for example, as well as Air and Water Elementals. Darkness is better connected to Shapeshifting, Empathy, Earth and Fire, Necromancy, and other death-related powers. Perhaps that’s where the stigma comes from. Like I said, that book will give you more insight on both.”

  “I thought Elementals were all drawn to Light.”

  “It’s not a rule,” he replied. “Most are, but many aren’t,” he added, smiling. “Like I said, there’s no set value for Darkness and Light. You can still find a Necromancer who’s on the Light side. Extremely rare, but still, it proves it’s possible.”

  “Okay. So, what am I connected to?” I asked.

  “That’s the million-dollar question,” Krieger said. “Your connection right now is inconclusive at best. I would need to remove the Dempsey Suppressor to know exactly where you fall on the spectrum. Given your combined abilities, it’s difficult to even guess right now. You might as well know that Raffe Levi, Alton Waterhouse, Tatyana Vasilisa, and Garrett Kyteler are connected to Darkness. Your other friends are part of Light.”

  That did come as a surprise, but, based on Krieger’s explanations, it made sense. After all, Tatyana and Alton had death-related abilities, for example. Alton’s notes from my parents’ file became even more intriguing.

  “I’m told that my mother was Darkness and that my father was Light,” I replied.

  “Which will make your full power even more interesting, once we take that thing out of you and figure out which connection you inherited,” Krieger murmured.

  Looking back, my father’s wish to have me grow up like a normal human felt like a double-edged blade. On the one hand, he’d probably wanted to protect me by keeping me hidden. On the other hand, however, it seriously impaired my development as a magical.

  I let out a heavy sigh before giving Krieger a faint nod. “Thank you for everything, Doctor. And for the book.”

  “Don’t let the Suppressor’s existence weigh down on you,” Krieger said.

  “I won’t. But I am curious about a few things and have questions. I think Adley will have the answers to them. I’m wondering if she did notice the Suppressor during my first Reading and chose to hide it from me. I don’t know, maybe I’m reaching.”

  “Not really. In the magical world, nothing is absolute. Given your Empath ability, you may sense deception in her if you ask the right questions,” Krieger replied. “If you’d like, I can join you. I have some inquiries of my own where her work is concerned, anyway.”

  I smiled, touched by his kind nature and slightly amused by his inquisitiveness. Krieger was nothing like what the rumors said. He sure did inspire dread and chills, and that German accent didn’t help, but the guy was amazing.

  “I’d like that, thank you,” I said.

  “Besides, after everything that happened, I don’t think you should be left alone with Adley.”

  He had a point there. And it was going to work in my favor if I had another pair of eyes in the room with me. If Wade was right in his suspicion that Adley may be able to deceive my Empathy, Krieger could, perhaps, spot that. He didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who could be easily fooled.

  Krieger and I agreed to meet later to speak to Adley, after which I left the infirmary with a positive attitude. I wasn’t a Mediocre, and I was looking forward to rubbing that in Wade’s face. But I was being suppressed… and that needed fixing, as soon as possible.

  Sixteen

  Tatyana

  I’d spent most of the previous evening by Dylan’s side in the infirmary. Krieger’s nurses were wonderful and kind, allowing me to stay there well past visiting hours. Dylan slept for most of the time, only waking up for a few minutes now and then. He’d mumble something, then doze off again. That beastly hex had drained the life out of him, and it was going to take a while for him to make a full recovery.

  That morning, I felt as though it was the start of a fresh, new day. The optimism was more than I usually dealt with prior to coffee, but I welcomed it.

  After all, I’d been feeling so guilty about what happened to Dylan.

  And I hadn’t found out anything more about Will or how he’d died. Astrid’s search through Smartie didn’t return any useful results. Alton figured it was probably because Will’s family wasn’t registered with the coven. There had been no record of a William living at that address in the electronic database. So that was a dead-end for the time being, and since it had probably happened a long time ago, long enough for Will to lose track of time altogether, I assumed it wasn’t in any way related to our issue with the Ryder twins.

  In the end, I had to focus on any information or facts that were recent and fresh. Once a trail went cold, it seemed nearly impossible to find anything.

  I slipped out of a hot shower, feeling rejuvenated and energized. If someone were to make me run around a football field in that instant, I would’ve darted off willingly. I wrapped a towel around my body and removed the shower cap, letting my long bl
onde hair loose.

  I wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror to look at myself, then froze. I was nowhere to be found in the mirror. Oberon Marx was my reflection.

  He was watching me. He was me.

  Dammit, he never left!

  “What the hell?!” I croaked, feeling my blood boil.

  Oberon stilled, surprised by my reaction. “Oh, crap, you can see me.”

  “The mirrors never lie, Oberon! You should’ve known better than to stow away in my body!”

  “Okay. Okay. Take it easy, Tatyana, I don’t mean any harm.” Oberon tried to calm me down, but fury was blazing through me like a firestorm. In my mind, I was already trying to remember an expulsion chant. For some reason, those memories were fuzzy.

  Scratch that. It’s not just some reason. It’s him! He’s messing with my head!

  “I’m not messing with your head, Tatyana, I swear!” Oberon continued, having read my mind.

  I gasped. “Crap.”

  He smirked. “I can hear your thoughts, sweetheart. Sorry.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure and find a solution to this problem. With Oberon still in my body, I wasn’t really myself anymore. It was only a matter of time before he’d try to take over completely. They all tried that. I should’ve paid more attention to my mother’s teachings as a kid. She’d warned me about this, but I was too absorbed in talking to dead people at the time. The Kolduny were a rare and strict magical typology. There weren’t that many books about us.

  And why the hell couldn’t I remember any of the expulsion spells? Oberon was definitely messing around in my noggin. I didn’t like it. I had to figure out a way to get him out without him knowing it—challenge of the century.

  “What do you want?” I asked. “Why are you still here?”

  “I swear I have zero intentions of taking over your body. It’s not why I’m here, I promise,” Oberon replied. “If it were, you’d be gone by now, trust me.”

  “Okay. That still doesn’t answer my question.”

  I gripped the edge of the sink with both hands, trying to analyze my situation and surroundings as best as I could, knowing that Oberon was tuned in to my thoughts. I had to be careful.

  “Listen, Tatyana, you touched me in ways I didn’t think possible,” he said, wearing a pained expression. “I’ve been drifting around this place for so long, I was becoming cynical and jaded. But you brought me back to life. The lengths you were willing to go to in order to save your friend… That’s hardcore, girl. I like that.” He chuckled, then turned serious all of a sudden. “You’ve got trouble in this coven, and I want to help you.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  “There’s darkness lurking around here. I can’t quite put my finger on it, and the other spirits whisper to each other,” he replied. “It’s hard to get something concrete out of them, but they all say the same thing, on a very annoying loop. A storm is coming. A storm is coming. A storm is coming. I’ve been hearing that line since Harley Merlin first set foot inside the San Diego Coven.”

  My stomach churned. “And you think you can help me?” I murmured, frowning.

  It agitated me to no longer see my own reflection in the mirror, because it reminded me of how easy it was to lose control.

  “I’ve been quiet in here,” Oberon said. “I’m being gentle and not interfering in anything you do. I’ll keep doing that, I promise. But I need you to let me ride along, until the trouble—the so-called storm—passes. You’ll need me, Tatyana. You’ll need my strength, my Herculean abilities, especially now that Dylan is indisposed.”

  “Wait, so you want to stay in me for a little while longer? Have you lost your damn mind?” I hissed.

  “I can help you!”

  I glared at him. “You’ve gone nuts. I guess that’s what happens when you wander through the veil for so long, without moving on, huh?”

  “It’s not that!” Oberon snapped, then inhaled deeply in order to keep himself leveled. Ironically, I could feel his frustration as if it were mine. I wondered if that was how Empathy felt for Harley. “Tatyana, I like you. You’re a good girl with a strong connection to Darkness. You’re a Kolduny, for heaven’s sake! You’re a rare gem among the magicals, but you don’t have my strength, and you don’t know the people I know… in the spirit world, that is.”

  That captured my interest, and I paused for a moment before muttering, “Go on.”

  “Let me stay with you for a little while longer, at least until you catch the Ryder twins. I think they have something to do with this impending storm. I can feel it in my gut,” he said.

  “You don’t have a gut anymore. You’re piggybacking on mine,” I fired back.

  He grinned. “You know what I mean. Tatyana, you may be able to contact the spirit world and call out to them, but you know they don’t always cooperate. I can help you with that. I know everyone in this coven, darling. And I can put you in touch with some dead folk who knew the Ryder twins.”

  I thought about it for a while, well aware that Oberon could hear my thought process. He could separate himself from that and give me some privacy, but, at that moment, it was in his best interests to listen. He was trying to convince me to let him stay.

  “Can you reach out to them soon?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Yes. It will take some time, though. Maybe a day or two. They’re holed up somewhere in the veil. I’ll have to put the word out for their wispy butts to find me. But I guarantee you they will come, and they will cooperate with you, because of me. I swear. All you have to do is let me stay here for a little while longer. That’s all.”

  A minute passed in grueling silence as I measured the pros and cons. I had to maintain control of the situation. I’d never had a spirit stay with me for so long, but I had enough confidence in my mental strength. I couldn’t expel him on my own, but Santana had been trained for situations like this. She could take me down, tie me up, and use an ancient Roman exorcism to drive Oberon out, if needed. Until then, I could take this ride and maybe get to the Ryder twins sooner rather than later.

  “You’ll stay out of my mind,” I said.

  He nodded, visibly excited. “Absolutely. You’ll have your privacy, at all times. I’ll just be here, in the background, enjoying the senses of touch, smell, hearing, and taste again… Ahhh! I can’t wait to feel coffee on my tongue!” He chuckled, then switched back to his serious mode. He was making it hard for me to be angry at him. Even in death, Oberon Marx could be quite charming. “And I’ll lend you my strength, should you need it.”

  “I call the shots, at all times. Do we have an agreement?”

  “Yes. Absolutely. You’re in charge, Tatyana.”

  “Okay… You can stay. Just don’t make me regret this,” I replied.

  I wasn’t comfortable with this decision, but Oberon did have a point. If the Ryder twins were planning something big and bad, I needed to do my part and gather as much intel as possible. By whatever means necessary.

  “You won’t regret it. I promise,” Oberon said, beaming like the morning sun. “I’ll reach out to the spirits today. I’ll find your Ryder links and bring them to you.”

  I nodded once. “Let’s keep this between us, though. I’ll avoid mirrors, so my crew doesn’t spot you.”

  “I get it. I’ll be discreet,” he replied.

  Spirits had tried to take over my body before. It never ended well for them—or for me, either. They always drained the energy out of me, knocking me out for hours on end. Oberon felt different, though. He fueled me. It was a fascinating type of symbiosis, one I was interested in studying further, now that I had that chance.

  I also knew Santana and Dylan would be the first to object.

  But if I could do anything to help catch the Ryder twins and stop them from poisoning the minds of other magicals, I was ready to do it. Even if it meant bending my Kolduny ethics.

  Seventeen

  Harley

  After the Reading, I ma
de my way to the banquet hall. It was breakfast time, and I was dying for a cup of hot coffee. The lack of sleep from the previous night was callously reminding me that I needed a lot of caffeine to get through the day.

  However, the knowledge that I wasn’t in fact a Mediocre put a huge grin on my face. Of course, the magicals I passed by along the way didn’t know that and probably thought I’d lost my marbles, but it didn’t matter. I’m not a Mediocre. Suck it, haters!

  But something else was on my mind, too—besides the Dempsey Suppressor and the risks of its extraction via surgery. I’d used the dreamcatcher last night, and I’d gotten a better look at Isadora Merlin inside one of my earliest memories. I had a clear picture of her in my head. The long, undulating black hair, the sky-blue eyes that mirrored mine and my father’s, the stern look on her face, and the mild furrow of her slim eyebrows… I wondered whether she was still alive, or whether Katherine Shipton or some other vicious magical had gotten to her.

  Alton didn’t know much about Isadora, but the one thing he could tell me with absolute certainty was that she was hated by a lot of criminal witches and warlocks. It turned out, my Merlin auntie had put away a lot of baddies in Purgatory, back in the day.

  I couldn’t help but grin as I walked into the banquet hall, eager to share the news of my faux Mediocrity with the rest of my crew. I came to a sudden halt when I found Santana, Tatyana, Astrid, Raffe, and Wade at the same side of a table with Garrett. Poe and the others on his old team were on the opposite end, scowling at my people. That sight was confusing, to say the least, and I doubted that Wade and Garrett had somehow gotten past their differences over the course of one night.