Harley Merlin 11: Finch Merlin and the Lost Map Page 16

  The critter twisted around and set off at breakneck speed into the darkness. Unfurling my palm, I lit up a ball of Fire. Its soft glow spread outward, and I almost backed up against the door. A narrow walkway extended over a black abyss. Maybe the precipice had a bottom, but I couldn’t see it.

  Welcome to the real Hades—it’s a hell of a place.

  Steeling my nerves, I followed the mouse across the walkway. It didn’t seem concerned with the imminent death on either side as it scuttled onward. Don’t look down, don’t look down… Only when the walkway stopped did I realize it was a bridge. But a bridge to what?

  A scream echoed through the darkness. Not a human scream. Something more bestial. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and a shudder ran through me. But I couldn’t back out now. The mouse continued running, and I followed.

  More walkways ensued. Some traversed pure darkness. Others crossed streams of molten lava, bubbles spewing bright orange globules. That surprised me—some powerful magic was being used down here, for the place to have lava running through it. I mean, I wasn’t that far underground, so it couldn’t be the natural kind. Other walkways crossed pools of steaming water, geysers skyrocketing upward and splashing the bridges. I hissed as a few specks hit me, blistering my skin. The hallways that led here were practically Baltic compared to this. My T-shirt might as well have been a second skin.

  I raked my forearm across my forehead to try and get rid of the slick mess but only smeared it around. Even the mouse’s fur was drenched. It stopped more often, as if to catch its breath. Not so smug now, are you?

  Beyond the boiling springs, a circular platform opened onto a huge pool of dark water, with nothing visible beyond. Bobbing casually at the edge of the platform was a small boat. The mouse jumped into it, prompting me to do the same. I couldn’t be shown up by a rodent, after all.

  “You want me to row, right? I doubt you’ve got the upper-body strength.” I sat on the middle bench and picked up the oars, facing forward. It would’ve been easier to row sitting backward, but I wanted to be able to see where I was going. As soon as I dipped the oars into the water, a glowing line appeared beneath the black surface. It seemed to be guiding me.

  Huh… handy. Following the glow, I rowed the boat merrily, merrily across the black pool until my arms started to burn. The heat hadn’t let up, but at least it didn’t melt the oars.

  About ten minutes later, another platform appeared, an island in the black pool. A single door stood on the island, without any walls to hold it up. It was literally just a door.

  “How do you know so much?” I eyed the mouse, but it just flicked its tail in reply. Even the monks would’ve had a hard time navigating this place. I followed the glowing underwater trail to the island and moored the boat on a waiting post before awkwardly clambering out.

  I walked up to the door. To my surprise, it was already slightly ajar. It gave immediately and swung wide. I was a little surprised it wasn’t locked, but at least I didn’t have to go and steal another key. Pitch darkness faced me.

  The mouse darted through my legs and sprinted into the gloom, so I went after it. I’d trusted it this far—because I trusted Kenzie. The door slammed behind me and the space lit with golden light, though I had no idea where it came from. My jaw dropped, and a gasp escaped my throat.

  I stood in a chamber filled to the brim with incredible ancient treasures: jewels, crowns, scepters, golden boxes, magical weapons, papyrus scrolls, silk clothing, and leather-bound books that gave off Grimoire whispers. Put together, everything in here must’ve been worth billions.

  I moved toward a golden chalice embedded with rubies the size of my eyeballs. My fingertips had barely touched it when mousey decided to gnaw on my ankle. I jumped back, hopping on one leg as I rubbed the bite.

  “Could you not?” I snapped. It scampered up the mountain of treasures and stopped on a small pendant wrapped around the base of the golden chalice. I peered at the object. It was spherical and made from dull bronze, with ancient Greek writing etched into the globe. It hung on a slim bronze chain and was probably the least appealing thing in the entire room. They had crowns, for Pete’s sake! I’d look good in a crown.

  “What?” I waited for the mouse to do something. I could’ve sworn it rolled its beady eyes as it nudged the pendant, squeaking faintly. “You want me to take this?”

  The mouse squeaked again.

  “You know, you could’ve done that from the start. Squeaks are more useful than tail flicks.” I shook my head and stepped toward the pendant. Unraveling it from the chalice stem, I slipped it over my head and let it dangle against my chest, under my soaked shirt. It didn’t feel particularly powerful.

  I eyed a stash of gold coins in a nearby varnished box. They didn’t look hexed. Drawn like a magpie to the glitter and gleam, I scooped up a handful. You know, for my troubles.

  I yelped when mousey bit me again. “I could crush you, Kenzie. I know it’s you!”

  The mouse stared at me, unimpressed.

  “Stop biting me and tell me why you’re doing this. I don’t care if it’s all in squeaks—throw me a friggin’ bone!”

  The mouse lashed its tail.

  “Oh, I’ve pissed you off? Well, tough.” I reached for the gold coins again, and the mouse darted up the mountain of treasures and leapt at my face. I flailed wildly to try and protect myself. “Dammit, Kenzie!”

  The mouse glared at me from my shoulder. It squeaked right in my ear, clearly agitated. I didn’t speak vermin, but I got the picture. I could only take the pendant. The rest had to stay here. But… why? Couldn’t I just have one little trinket, as a souvenir?

  Shaking my head, I left the room. Kenzie stayed on my shoulder, clinging like I was a two-dollar donkey ride. I didn’t like the feeling, but what could I do—fling her off and watch her mouse-paddle to the other side? Good thing I like you, Kenzie.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was back in familiar territory. Still underground, but no longer lost. I’d left the key against the side of the wall, by the prayer room in that long corridor, so the lead monk would think it’d dropped off him when he’d come to help me. I rounded the corner that would lead me back to the surface and almost barreled into a familiar figure.

  Luke blocked my path. Sweat drenched him, and I knew it wasn’t from his daily exercise regimen. He smelled of the monastery’s underworld, like campfire mixed with a touch of brimstone. I glanced anxiously at my shoulder, where Kenzie had been sitting. But she wasn’t there anymore. She’d clearly seen Luke and made a run for it, knowing it’d beg a few questions if I had a mouse pal perched there.

  “Did you follow me?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

  His forehead crinkled into a frown. “You’re not the one who should be asking questions, Finch. I may have lost track of you along the way, but I knew you’d reappear. What were you doing down there?”

  “None of your business,” I shot back. If he’d lost track of me, hopefully that meant he hadn’t seen the whole charade of me Shifting into Etienne’s sidekick and stealing the key, or anything after that.

  “It is my business if you’re up to something.” He got right in my face. “It’s Etienne’s business, too.”

  I held my ground, though he could’ve knocked me flat with one shove. “I had a mouse problem. I fixed it. All peachy.”

  “You think I’m going to believe that?”

  “Believe what you want. I’m telling you the truth.” I eyeballed him. “What’s your problem, huh? I thought you were here to watch Melody, not me. What I do in my spare time has nothing to do with you.”

  I held his gaze and watched suspicion harden his features.

  “Why are you following me?” I asked again.

  His eyes narrowed. “Because I don’t trust you.”

  “Have I given you reason not to?”

  “I’m looking at one right now.” He squared up, and I braced for a hit.

  A cluster of monks emerged from a n
earby door, chattering. They went quiet as they saw us facing off.

  “Shouldn’t you be starting your next trial?” one asked.

  I glanced at him. “I don’t know, should we?”

  “Yes, I think you should. Hurry. Mr. Biset doesn’t tolerate latecomers!” the monk urged.

  “This isn’t over,” Luke whispered.

  “No, it’s not,” I hissed back. But we couldn’t go for each other’s throats in front of the monks. And I didn’t want to miss the third trial. Turning on my heel, I stormed away from Luke, listening to his footsteps echoing mine.

  This monastery got weirder every day. And Kenzie’s sudden appearance didn’t help. She knew a lot, but how? I turned to whisper to her and remembered she’d vanished when Luke showed up.

  My hand slipped over the pendant under my shirt. What is this for? Yet again, I had an endless stream of questions and not a single answer.

  Twenty

  Kenzie

  I jolted awake. It was dark out, but lights illuminated the room. Opposite me, some police drama played on the TV. I sat up and swore loudly. Being a Morph came with limitations, but they’d never pissed me off the way they had today. Frustration was an understatement. I’d wanted to tell Finch why I was there and what to do. He’d probably figured some stuff out for himself by now, but seeing him so annoyed left me feeling worse.

  This isn’t going to cut it, long-term. I had more intel to pass on, and trying to squeak or tail-whip or bite my way through wouldn’t be enough.

  “Kenzie?” Ryann’s voice dragged me out of my funk.

  “Alive and well.” I sat up and froze. Ryann looked well and truly freaked. “Did something happen to the bottle?” I darted toward the TV table. The bottle stood where I left it, safe and sound.

  She shook her head. “It’s not the bottle.”

  “What’s the matter? You look like you just met Crossbones in a dark alley.”

  “I’m going to pretend I know what that means,” she said, clearly rattled. “A message came for you while you were out.”

  “What message?” I waited for her to give it to me. Instead, she pointed toward the bathroom with a shaky hand.

  “I was in there when it appeared.”

  I looked at the bathroom. “When what appeared?”

  “You’ll see.” She turned back to the TV, staring blankly.

  I headed for the bathroom. My knees shook, weak and weary. After Morphing for a long stretch, it took my limbs a while to recover.

  I pushed the door open, and my heart damn near stopped. Blood across the mirror spelled four words: Davin spy. Monastery breached.

  It wasn’t much, but I understood. This wasn’t a message for me—it was a message for Finch. Erebus sent it for me to relay.

  Davin had a spy in the monastery. Probably one of the people I’d seen. Sure, it could be a monk, but that Etienne dude would’ve figured them out by now. From what Erebus told me, he wasn’t a dumbass. More likely it was a newcomer, sent by Doncaster under the pretense of learning map-making. Ryann came to stand in the doorframe.

  “Does it mean something to you?” Ryann asked quietly, as I wiped away the blood with a towel.

  I brushed by to throw the towel in the washer. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

  “Is Finch in trouble? Is Davin there?” Ryann asked.

  “I didn’t see Davin, but I’m guessing he’s got a spy in the mix,” I replied.

  Ryann wrung her hands. “Do you think he’s targeting Finch? Garrett said they fought in the mine. What if he went to the monastery to finish what he started—to kill Finch?”

  “Before you start wigging out, take a breath. Davin’s a big-picture guy. He’s not going to break through all that security just for Finch. He’d wait until Finch left.” I sat beside her. “Which means Davin is targeting the monastery, not Finch.”

  Ryann nodded. “You’re right… sorry. I keep thinking of Finch getting hurt, or worse, and my brain starts racing.”

  “You haven’t mentioned any of this to Harley, have you?” I had to be sure.

  “No. I’ve been checking in, and she’s none the wiser.”

  “Good, one less thing to worry about. Davin might not be after Finch directly, but that doesn’t mean Finch isn’t in danger,” I continued. “The problem is, I went as a mouse this time, and I couldn’t communicate well. I managed to bite him in the right direction, but I need to spell this out somehow.”

  Ryann turned to the TV, where a commercial advertised some tropical drink. Bright birds burst from a slow-motion splash of the colorful liquid. I hated commercials. What did birds have to do with liquid sugar?

  Her eyes widened. “What if you could be specific?”

  “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “What if you picked an animal that can mimic a human voice?” She pointed to a macaw flapping across the screen.

  My brain blew. “Holy crap… that might work! I can’t make animals talk like me, but I can use what they’ve got to imitate some words. Enough to get a message across.” I leaned forward to get a better look.

  “An African gray might be your best shot. They’re known for mimicry,” Ryann replied, jittering with excitement. “I’ve seen videos of them saying rude things, and they have quite the vocabulary when they want to.”

  “But where would I get one? They’re not exactly hanging around Greek islands.”

  She smiled. “A zoo will have one, though, and I bet Greece has at least a few of those.”

  “A parrot jailbreak. I like it. You know, you’re way more interesting than I gave you credit for.” I grinned back. It’d add a bit more flying time to get to the island again from whichever zoo was closest, but if it kept Finch from getting murdered by one of Davin’s spies, I’d flap like the wind.

  Twenty-One

  Finch

  By the time Luke and I reached the ground floor, we had a pretty impressive escort. The fretting monks corralled us through the corridors like two stubborn bulls until we reached a big, golden door in a cloistered square. Flowers bloomed everywhere, filling the air with overpowering perfume.

  The door in front of us looked exactly like the one I’d stolen a key for. I hoped there’d be no fire and brimstone beyond this one.

  “Hurry!” the monk urged.

  “All right, all right, we’re going,” Luke grumbled. His mood hadn’t improved.

  I tugged on the iron ring, and the door opened smoothly. Luke barged past me to get inside first. Sourpuss. I resisted the urge to trip him and followed. We entered a strange, round space, with elegant metal staircases leading up to three additional floors with sweeping circular balconies. A glass dome arched in place of a ceiling, and an enormous gemstone glinted at the apex.

  This place had shelves upon shelves of glass cases filled with weird plants. Big ones, small ones… And no two the same. One pulsated slowly with bluish white light, emitting bioluminescent spores that fluttered inside the case, trapped. A huge one, higher up, had vibrant purple petals and a center of serrated barbs, ready to clamp down on some unsuspecting creature. It reminded me of the ones that grew in Mexico, after Harley Purged the revamped Gaia.

  “You’re late,” Etienne scolded. He stood before the class, an eyebrow raised.

  “Sorry. We got lost,” I replied. It wasn’t exactly a lie. Besides, the monks had nodded effusively and rambled on about how easy it was to lose your way in this place, after I’d fed the same story to them. Which hopefully meant they weren’t suspicious about it.

  His eyebrow lifted farther, to almost comical heights. “And what, pray tell, did you do in order to get lost? Was it something more important than learning the divine art of map-making?”

  Luke stiffened at my side. Nothing to say?

  “We did some morning cardio to work off all the food you keep plying us with.” I swooped in to save our asses. It wasn’t much of an excuse, but hopefully he’d buy it. “If we’d realized the next trial would start soon, we’d have put it off.”

&
nbsp; “Sit down before I disqualify you for lateness.” Apparently satisfied, Etienne gestured to two empty workbenches.

  While most of the room looked like a botanical library, the ground floor reminded me of an antique chemistry lab. The kind Dr. Frankenstein might be spotted in, resurrecting sewn-together zombies. Each workbench had a worn, wooden surface, with rows of bottles and test tubes in racks. Some tubes contained clear liquid, while others held vivid purple, neon green, and viscous red. I wanted to yell, “It’s alive!” but I was already in Etienne’s bad books. I doubted he’d appreciate my comedic genius.

  A terra cotta pot sat on each bench, a sapling peeking its way out of the reddish soil. Tiny, fruit-like buds, with a faint orange hue, clung to the barely developed branches, but they didn’t look like citrus trees, nor did they smell like them. The saplings gave off a sour aroma.

  “What are you, huh?” I touched the branches and recoiled. They felt searing hot.

  “You might be wondering what this trial entails,” Etienne began. “Last time, you learned to overcome mental obstacles to focus on a task. This test is more about chemistry.”

  Melody’s hand shot up. “Chemistry? I wouldn’t expect a lot of chemistry to be involved in map-making.”

  “You could be forgiven for thinking that.” Etienne gestured at the nearest pot. “But chemistry and map-making are very similar disciplines. The right formula in chemistry can lead to a breakthrough in science, just as the right drawing can lead to a hidden place in map-making. The wrong quantities, the wrong drawings—both lead to catastrophe.”

  “Yeah, but drawing the wrong map isn’t—” Shailene interjected. Of course the twins had to wedge in their opinion.

  “—going to kill someone,” Fay added.

  Etienne smiled coldly. “Observe, then pass your judgments. Everything I present to you will transfer to your endeavors as a mapmaker. You may either open your mind and potentially succeed, or close it and surely fail.”