Harley Merlin 11: Finch Merlin and the Lost Map Page 17

  The Basani twins shrugged. “We’re listening.”

  “Good.” He walked to a small cauldron on his workbench. Several glass bottles stood beside it. “These vials contain poisons and deadly toxins.”

  “Please don’t release another gas,” Blanche begged, her eyes fearful. I felt my own shiver of dread. The pottery experiment had been a nightmare, one nobody wanted to repeat.

  “Fear not. That part of your learning is over.” Etienne chuckled. “The purpose of these is to show you that, in the right combination, poisons and toxins can actually give life and Chaos. They are created to harm, but you can use chemistry to alter their function, as long as you are precise. If you get one drop wrong, however, you will create something far worse than the sum of its parts.”

  “So this is a precision test?” Oliver leaned lazily across his workbench.

  “Goodness, you’re all inquisitive today.” Etienne sighed, clearly frustrated. “It is more about understanding that combining the right quantities of poison will create a powerful elixir, strong enough to counteract the killer effects. I am teaching you the importance of equilibrium.”

  He picked up a glass pipette and dipped it into the cauldron, where he presumably had a potion pre-mixed. Vibrant blue liquid shot up the glass tube. Bringing it over his pot, he dripped eight drops onto the soil of the orange-colored sapling.

  The tree grew in front of our eyes, the thin trunk quickly fattening and twisting skyward until it was taller than Etienne. The branches extended, like someone unfurling from a long sleep. The fruits swelled into orbs that looked a lot like the oranges I’d eaten at breakfast.

  Awed gasps hissed around the room, including mine. This was way cooler than getting gassed in a pottery studio.

  “This is the task.” Etienne grasped the cauldron and poured the remains into a sink. The blue liquid disappeared down the drain.

  “We have to grow a fruit tree?” Mr. Abara asked.

  “In simplistic terms, yes,” Etienne replied. “You have the same bottles of poisons and toxins on your benches. You must deduct the correct combination for the life-giving potion, to help the saplings grow until they bear fruit.”

  How hard can that be? I meant that with the height of sarcasm. He’d made it look super easy, although we hadn’t seen the work that went into that cauldron, and I knew it’d be anything but straightforward.

  “You have three days to achieve this goal,” Etienne continued. “You may come and go as you please, to eat and sleep and so on. The door will remain open all day and night, and your pots are individually marked, so they cannot be switched around. Do not even attempt to cheat, as there are magical measures in place to prevent it. As always, if you fail in this task, you will be removed from the island.”

  I peered at the racked-up bottles, which were helpfully labeled: cyanide, arsenic, belladonna, black mamba venom, cottonmouth venom, among many others. The worst of Mother Nature’s poison pantry, neatly lined up. I glanced at the others, who looked similarly perturbed. Oliver, Luke, and Blanche kept their distance from the bottles.

  I raised my hand, like a good schoolboy. “How will we know if we’re getting it right or wrong?”

  Etienne smirked. “The trees will tell you.”

  Twenty-Two

  Kenzie

  I snapped out of another round of Morphing, panting hard. Not because of the energy required to keep this up, but because of what I’d seen. I’d been a literal fly on the wall in that weird workshop. Like a zoo for plants, with a chemistry lab at the bottom. And, right now, I was terrified for Finch. More than I’d ever been.

  I’d gone for the fly first, as I already had control over its mind. It had been the last creature I’d piggybacked on before entering the head of the mouse, meaning I could jump easily back to the island where my fly friend lived. Just one mind leap and I was there. Almost as simple as the return journeys, where I just zapped straight back into my head.

  Before I went for the parrot, I’d wanted to scope out what Finch was up to and get the lay of the land, so I’d know exactly how to get to him when I had the parrot. Plus, it never hurt to listen in on things. I’d hoped it might be obvious who the spy was, but even watching, unnoticed by everyone, I hadn’t picked up on anything odd.

  “Kenzie?” Ryann hurried to my side. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “I’m fine, but Finch isn’t.”

  “What do you mean?” She pushed a glass of water into my hand.

  “He’s on the third trial, and it’s a crazy one. A load of poisons and toxins are supposed to make a tree grow. One wrong drop, and I’m guessing it’s lights out.” I gulped the water.

  “Poison? What if there’s an accident? Did it sound like it could kill him?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Ryann went to pour me another glass and almost knocked the jug over. She was a big, jittery mess. Her eyes had a haunted look, and she’d gnawed her bottom lip raw with stress.

  I leaned forward and poured my own water. “You care about him, huh?”

  “I’m… his friend, and he’s like an extended member of my family. Of course I care,” she replied, her voice shaky.

  “There’s more to it than that.” I stared at her, but she wouldn’t look me in the eye.

  She shook her head slowly. “I want Finch home, but… it’s just because I’m his friend. Same as you.”

  “Then why are you acting like you’ve taken fifty caffeine tablets and downed them with a chaser of energy drink?”

  “He might die, Kenzie!” she sputtered. “When I heard he’d gone missing after the cave-in, I damn near lost my mind. That’s why I’m here, with you, keeping my mouth shut—you’ve got answers. You’ve got a way to bring him home.”

  She clearly liked him. He was my friend, and I wasn’t losing control of my senses because he was in a jam. Was I scared for him? Sure. Was I knocking over jugs? No.

  “I won’t judge you, Ryann. Finch is a good guy. Shady past, sure, but he’s different now. Do you know how many times he watched my mom so I could take Inez out to the movies? He’d bring food over, too, in case I hadn’t had time to buy any. And some of that happened before he moved away from the dark side. If you like him, good for you. He’s one of the decent ones, and they ain’t easy to come by.”

  Ryann’s shoulders sagged. “It’s not like that.”

  “Why, because you’ve got a guy already? People fall in and out of love all the time. It doesn’t make you a bad person, if you’ve got a thing for Finch. As long as there’s no crossover, what’s the issue? Dump the guy and get Finch when we bring him back.”

  She stared at me like I’d just told her to nuke the SDC. “It’s not like that! I love Adam.”

  “How much?”

  “A lot,” she replied firmly.

  “Do you love Finch?” I dangled the bait.

  “I… no. I mean, yes, but not that way.” She fumbled through her reply. It gave away everything. The poor girl had a battle raging in her heart. “I’m just worried about him because, you’re right, he’s a good guy, and he’s Harley’s brother, and my family adores him. I don’t want him to get hurt. He doesn’t deserve all of this.”

  I eyed the bottle with Mom and Inez inside and decided to let her off the hook before she started knocking things over again. “I have good news.”

  “You do?” She gave a relieved sigh, either because I’d switched topics, or because she was genuinely thankful for some sort of silver lining.

  “We don’t need to go for the zoo option. I spotted a pet shop on the mainland with parrots. One can squawk in English, which should make things easier. I don’t know any Greek, and I doubt Finch’s is up to snuff. I can hijack that one and fly the bird to the monastery,” I replied.

  “I’d been panicking about that,” Ryann admitted.

  “Me, too.” I flashed her a reassuring grin. “I’ll have to pace myself. All this Morphing is doing a number on me. I’m already dog tired, stretching my mind to and fro
m Greece, even though I have a direct route to some of the creatures there now. But Erebus wants me listening in on everything, all the damn time. And it’s not like I can run outside the monastery for a breather. The moment I let go, I end up back here.”

  Ryann frowned. “Are you okay?”

  “For now.”

  “Is there something I can get you? A way to keep you powered up?”

  I shrugged. “If there is, I don’t know what it—”

  The door burst open. Both of us froze, then turned slowly as Erebus strode in with a swagger.

  His eyes narrowed on Ryann, and a smirk tugged at his lips. “Hmm, yes… there she is.”

  Ryann looked like she wanted to disappear between the sofa cushions.

  “This is Ryann.” I jumped in. “I’ve enlisted her to watch my body while I’m Morphing. You can’t be too careful in this neighborhood. Lots of gangs creeping around, and they don’t all like me. Don’t worry, though, I’ll wipe her mind after it’s over.”

  Ryann nodded. “That’s right, Erebus. Is it just Erebus, or Mr. Erebus?”

  He shrugged. “Either is fine. And I don’t care what you do, as long as it garners results and doesn’t bring the coven authorities to your door.”

  “We’ve got a plan, and it’s keeping everyone away,” I assured him.

  “Make sure it stays that way.” He wandered the apartment, surveying it. “I’m not here to micromanage you. You know what’s at stake if you disappoint me, which is motivation enough, I imagine. I’m here for your report.”

  I nodded. “Right, yeah, of course.” I quickly gave him the details of Operation Parrot. All the while, Ryann squirmed. Seeing Erebus in his normal form would terrify anyone, but seeing him like this, human and cocky… it was the stuff of nightmares, especially for a non-magical.

  Erebus laughed. “That would certainly be entertaining to watch.”

  “Nice to see you having so much fun at my expense.” I scoffed. I couldn’t help it.

  “I hope that wasn’t sass, Kenzie.” He eyed me, still amused.

  “Not at all.” I dove right into the rest of the intel before his mood soured. “So, right now, Finch is in the third trial. It has to do with mixing up poisons to make a fruit tree grow.”

  Erebus groaned. “Yes, I remember the previous attempts. They all failed. All of them.”

  “But you’ve got the formula, right?” I pressed.

  “It is not as simple as that. Etienne changes the type of plant each year, in rotation, which each require their own unique potion.” Erebus leaned against the wall. “Perhaps the two of you can put your heads together and figure out the formula.”

  Ryann and I exchanged a confused look.

  “That’s a joke, right?” I asked, baffled.

  “You’ll have to find a solution, one way or another. Lots at stake, your mother and sister, etc. It doesn’t bear repeating,” Erebus replied firmly.

  For someone so desperate to see Finch succeed, he wasn’t putting in a whole lot of effort to make it happen. He was meant to be the omniscient one. I guess you’re lacking the omnipotent part, even with a human body, huh?

  “Do you have a list of the potions that Etienne has for each plant in rotation?” Ryann came in with a blinder. That was a damn good question.

  Erebus smoothed down the lapel of his suit jacket. “No.”

  “As a Child of Chaos and all, can’t you find a way into the monastery and get the list? It’d be a quick in-and-out job. Maybe he’s even marked the one he’s using.” Ryann was on to something, but Erebus couldn’t be the one to do it.

  “His human body means he’s limited, so he can’t go into the monastery himself,” I explained.

  Erebus glared at me. “Need I remind you about that bottle?”

  “I wasn’t making a dig, Erebus!” I blurted out, panicked. “I’m just explaining to Ryann why we have to do this without you. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Let’s hope not,” he said.

  “What if I said the plant had little orange fruitlings?” He had to know a few plants.

  Erebus frowned. “Orange, you say?”

  I nodded. “And when Finch touched them, it was like they were hot or something.”

  “Hmm… if they were hot to the touch, then it could be a weeping orange willow. Very rare species.” Erebus rubbed his chin, thinking.

  Ryann grabbed my arm. “I can help. I’m on good terms with a couple of genius chemists at the San Francisco Coven. I met them last year, while I was helping Astrid implement Human Relations into the curriculum across California. We’ve got a chat, and we still talk all the time and meet up. I’m sure they’d help, and they’ve got access to rare botanicals. Plus, it means nobody at the SDC will get wind of it.”

  Erebus snorted. “Very impressive. Glad to see someone is thinking outside the box. A shame you’re so painfully non-magical, but I give credit where it’s due. You’re certainly resourceful.” He paused. “No wonder Finch likes you.”

  Ryann blushed furiously beside me, though her embarrassment quickly morphed into confusion. I felt it, too. If Erebus knew Finch liked Ryann, then it meant he knew exactly who Ryann was and what she meant to Finch. Even Ryann didn’t know about Finch’s feelings. Well, she hadn’t until now, anyway.

  I realized that I’d put Ryann in a lot more danger than I thought. Any other human, even Astrid, Erebus couldn’t have used as leverage against Finch.

  I’m sorry, Ryann.

  “I should be going. It looks like you’ve got plenty to keep yourselves occupied in my absence,” Erebus announced. “I look forward to my next update.” He twisted his hands and disappeared in a whorl of black smoke, leaving Ryann and me in the apartment.

  I turned to her. “You need to go, and not come back.”

  “What?”

  “Leave. I mean it. You can’t be involved anymore.” I nodded to the spot where Erebus had vanished. “You’re on his radar now, which means you’re in a crap-storm of danger. If I’d known he knew you, I never would’ve asked for your help.”

  Ryann put her hand over mine. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “You don’t get it, Ryann. He’ll use you however he can. He’ll use you against Finch.” I didn’t repeat the secret about Finch’s feelings. Ryann clearly understood.

  “That doesn’t matter right now. We need to keep this between us and focus on getting Finch out of the monastery any way we can.” Her expression hardened, showing no fear. She had ovaries of steel.

  “Look at you, not giving a crap about the E-man.”

  “He’s strung Finch along enough. Let’s finish this—you and me. Let’s bring our boy home.”

  She might’ve been tough, but I still wanted her as far from this mission as possible. Only problem was, I probably couldn’t do it without her. She had chemists on call, and she was already up to speed on everything.

  I relented. “I should get back to Morphing.”

  “I’ll make those calls.” She scooted across the couch, giving me room to lie down.

  “Let’s hope they’ve got a formula for us, huh?”

  She smiled. “I’ll bug them until they find one.”

  There it is… that desperation. I lay back and closed my eyes, preparing for another trip to Greece. Now that I’d connected with creatures over there, I could jump right into their minds, no matter the distance. So far, my main three were the mouse, the fly, and a seagull, who were never far from the monastery. But that part was the only thing that had gotten easier.

  Now that we’d discovered Erebus knew Ryann, this job had gotten way more complicated and dangerous. And it was too late to turn back.

  Twenty-Three

  Finch

  Where the hell was I meant to start? I’d spent ten minutes staring at the labels on the bottles. Nobody else had made progress, either. Everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to make the first move.

  “The trial has begun,” Etienne prompted. He’d left his gas mask at home
today, which gave me a sliver of comfort.

  Come on, get your logic hat on. I looked over the vials and tried to come up with a plan. Blue… I should go for blue. The liquid in Etienne’s cauldron had been a vivid azure shade, so it seemed like a good place to start. I reached for a bottle of dark blue liquid labeled “sea serpent excretion” and tipped it into a clean beaker.

  Everyone’s eyes darted toward me. I’d broken the tension, firing off the proverbial starter gun. I felt them watching and tried to ignore it. I needed to focus on what I was doing. And yet I had no idea what I was doing.

  I picked up another bottle, a paler shade of blue, labeled “box jellyfish nematocysts.” I poured that in, moderating the amount. Leviathan blood followed it into the beaker, then a couple of clear substances to lighten up the mixture. Soon enough, I had a liquid that didn’t look too far off from the one Etienne had used, at least going by color.

  With a deep breath, I put a pipette into the mixture and drew some out. I carried the pipette to the shrub. My shaking hand hovered over it, unable to make that oh-so-important squeeze.

  “Nothing’s going to blow up, is it?” I glanced at Etienne.

  He smiled oddly. “No… at least, it shouldn’t.”

  “Okay, comforting.” I closed my eyes and prepared to squeeze the bulb of the pipette.

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” Luke’s voice stayed my fingertips.

  My eyes opened to find Luke standing in front of me, arms crossed. “Huh?”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” he repeated.

  “How else will I see if it works?” I replied curtly.

  He shrugged. “It just doesn’t look like you’ve given it much thought.”

  “I’m not a chemist, Luke. It’s trial and error.” Why was he riding me? Was I on the right track, and he wanted to stop me? I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “I just don’t think you should be so blasé,” he shot back.

  I held on to my temper. “Who’s being blasé? My hand’s friggin’ shaking!”