Harley Merlin 8: Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos Read online

  Imogene frowned. “I believe my interruption may have prompted her to act more rashly than she may have planned. Perhaps she didn’t have time to take him without me intervening further. I was injured but I would have fought to the death to keep Jacob here if she had attempted to snatch him. That would explain why she left him in this state.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “Plus, she probably knew it’d crush me to see him like this.”

  “She’s a cruel woman.” Imogene stared listlessly at the desk. “However, there are other theories that conflict with the main Chaos theory. There’s a theory that a Child of Chaos can create a new ability, as long as they have the core power from another magical. Take Telepaths, for example—the root of their ability stems from Empathy, but it is an advanced form. Perhaps Katherine plans to expand upon the rare abilities she’s collecting, creating new magicals with powers that have never been seen before. Interdimensional travel, or Teleportation, might expand from Portal Opening… It’s a frightening prospect.”

  “She really wants to hit me where it hurts,” I murmured, half to myself. “Picking me apart, one friend at a time.”

  “As I’ve mentioned, the spy in our midst may not even know they are a spy. You mustn’t be too hard on your friends, even if you suspect them.”

  Then maybe it’s better that they’re not involved at all. I knew I could trust myself. I knew I hadn’t been influenced by Katherine. As for everyone else, there was no way to be sure. If they didn’t know something was up in their own heads, then how could I?

  The answer I’d given to the Chains of Truth, when I’d admitted that I’d sacrifice everything and everyone to kill Katherine, came rushing back. Maybe the only way to protect them would be to keep them out of it. And, maybe, that would be the only way to protect myself, too. But could I really do this on my own? Could I really take the steps to end Katherine without any backup whatsoever? I needed to think long and hard before I made that decision. At least, this time, I didn’t have the spectral trio breathing down my neck for a reply.

  “All isn’t lost, though, Harley.” Imogene’s voice knocked me out my reverie.

  “Huh?”

  “The Grimoire, Harley. You still have it, and that means there’s still hope. With that, you may find the key to destroying Katherine.” She gave me an encouraging smile, but I couldn’t muster any kind of joy on my face. It would’ve felt wrong.

  I shrugged. “Yeah, if I can figure the damn thing out.”

  “You haven’t made any progress? I realize that, with everything that’s happened, I haven’t had the chance to speak with you about it.” She paused. “I don’t wish to add any pressure to what you’re already feeling, but there’s an undeniable sense of urgency surrounding your ability to utilize its power. Now more than ever before.”

  “I found one spell, but it was in riddles,” I replied. “From what I can gather, it seems to be made up of three pieces. It kept talking about trios and threes, so that’s my conclusion, anyway. It mentioned memories, and hidden fragments, too. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, to try and make sense of it.”

  “What do you think it means?”

  “I might be way off, but I think the three pieces refer to three specific memories. It mentioned family ties, too, so I’m thinking these memories have to do with my family, since it’s their Grimoire. One memory from my mom, one from my dad, and one from me. Maybe.”

  She nodded. “That sounds very Merlin-esque, from what I can remember of their work.”

  “Basically, I think I need to find the three pieces and put them together, like a puzzle. The spell talked about Euphoria, too, and I know that’s based in memory and dream states, from my own experience. Euphoria is used to go deeper into the subconscious, right? So that would suggest I’m looking at hidden memories, rather than ones that are in the easy-to-reach part of my head.”

  “I see…” Imogene said.

  A clearer idea began to form, as though the Grimoire was giving me permission to figure it out properly. “There might be something embedded in those hidden memories. And, in order to retrieve the three pieces I need, all three parties need to perform Euphoria to open up those memories and get the pieces.”

  “Ah.” Imogene sounded disheartened, and I knew why. Hiram and Hester were dead. How could they perform Euphoria if they weren’t even on this plane of existence anymore? I thought about asking for Tatyana’s help, but she could only deal with spirits who were still in this world—the ones who hadn’t crossed over. Beyond that, it was unexplored territory, which meant this whole thing was insane and impossible. She knew it, and I knew it.

  Imogene’s phone beeped, making me jump. She swiped her finger across the screen and nodded to herself. Putting the phone back in her suit pocket, she glanced at me. “Are you in good enough spirits to head to the Bestiary?”

  “Now?”

  “Yes, Alton has called an impromptu meeting, and it’d appear that you and I are the honored guests. Well, that’s perhaps putting it a little too poetically—in a nutshell, they’re waiting for us. I knew he was going to call the team together, at my request, but I wanted to gauge your state first.” She waved the phone at me, before sliding it into the pocket of her sleek cream suit. “There’s no pressure, if you don’t feel up to it. I’m sure everyone will understand your absence.”

  I shook my head. “No, I’m good to go.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” She smiled encouragingly. “Shall we?”

  A flicker of hope reignited in my heart. I couldn’t give up on the Grimoire yet. And, perhaps, I had one last card left to play, in order to make this thing work. That text had granted me one last reprieve.

  Alton.

  Two

  Harley

  Fifteen minutes later, we were standing in the familiar surroundings of the Bestiary, which had been fixed up since the fallout from Echidna’s theft. All the beasties were locked inside their glass cages, and most of the debris had been cleared away. The main atrium buzzed, the bright wires thrumming with energy. Wade, Tobe, Alton, and the rest of the Rag Team were present, though Louella was still in the infirmary, looking after Jacob. Krieger was still in the infirmary, too, keeping an eye on Levi.

  Everyone was staring at me like I’d grown antennae, a mixture of grief and concern flowing out of them. Don’t ask me how I am. Don’t ask me how I am. Don’t ask me how I am. Most of them still had the puffy eyes of people who’d recently been crying, and the whole mood was somber. Losing Isadora, and, to a lesser extent, Suri, wasn’t something we could all just snap out of. There were no words to explain this depth of pain. Even emotions couldn’t quite cover it.

  “Thank you for coming, during this trying time,” Imogene said, breaking the tense silence. It meant nobody had the opportunity to pity me, and I was grateful for that. “If we weren’t on a very strict schedule, I would have given you all more space to deal with the recent tragedies. I hope you won’t think me callous, but, as you all know, we don’t have a second to waste. We must discuss our options, going forward.”

  Wade skirted around the group and came to stand at my side. I leaned into his chest, letting him take the weight of my weary body as he put his arm around my waist. It didn’t make my pain any less unbearable, but it took the edge off. I hadn’t lost him, and I hadn’t lost the people who were standing around me. Because of them, I had to continue. I had to keep going until we could stand together again, with the threat of Katherine eradicated.

  But what about your answer to the Chains of Truth? I swallowed that memory, praying it would never come to pass, praying I wouldn’t have to lose another one of my friends. More and more, I was starting to imagine my future steps toward ending Katherine without them in the picture. That was the only way to fully ensure nobody else died on my watch—by separating myself from the pack. Even Wade.

  “We must find a solution to contend with Katherine. I realize you already know that, but we need to be on the same page,” Imogene continued. “As far a
s the Grimoire is concerned, Harley was just telling me of a spell she discovered. However, we’ve hit something of a snag. Harley, would you care to explain?”

  I snapped out of my private thoughts. “Uh… yeah, of course. The Grimoire.” I cleared my raspy throat. “I managed to find the Hidden Things spell, but there’s a massive problem with it.”

  “If it needs Echidna, so help me God, I’m going to start throwing windmills,” Finch muttered, swinging his arms to show exactly what he meant.

  “No, it has nothing to do with Echidna.” I sighed. “It’s even worse than that. It requires my mom and dad. As you all know, they’re… they’re dead, and they have been for a long time.” That word, “dead,” knocked me sick, my mind immediately jumping to Isadora’s blood pooling through the door of Krieger’s office.

  Tatyana frowned. “In what way does it require your parents?”

  “It needs their memories—hidden ones, to be more specific—but they have to be the ones to find them, deep in their minds.”

  “I’m guessing there’s no spiritual shrink who can pry those bad boys out?” Finch replied. He was playing the joker again, and I knew it was for my benefit. A slice of normalcy, to keep me steady.

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so, not with them in the afterlife. Is that right, Taty?”

  “Nobody knows what lies beyond. I don’t know of any Kolduny who could converse with spirits once they’d crossed over. It’s unknown territory, I’m afraid.” Her tone was heavy with disappointment. I could feel that same emotion flowing from everyone else. This wasn’t the good news they wanted; it was just another blow, after the barrage we’d already taken today.

  Alton opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something, but he quickly shut it again and dropped his gaze. I eyed him, wondering what was on his mind, but I didn’t call him out in front of everyone. He and I were going to have a private conversation soon enough, whether he liked it or not. I wasn’t letting go of that fragile coil of hope that something could be done about it.

  “With that in mind, we need to think of an alternative,” Imogene said. “I will leave you to discuss it awhile. As for myself, I have an appointment with the California Mage Council, to talk about the clear evidence of Katherine’s magical influence in the higher circles of the magical world. With these pills in circulation, I need to decipher whom I can trust from the wider spread of Mage Councils, not just my own, and that will require the organization of a summit. I’ll be discreet about it, as their loyalty will need to be deciphered in secret.”

  “I was just about to suggest that,” Alton replied. “We need to know, in no uncertain terms, who has and hasn’t been compromised.”

  Imogene nodded. “I’ll see to it that the preceptors are also involved, once I can be sure there’s no foul play where they’re concerned. Speaking of which, Rita is currently being held by the security magicals, but we must be quick in our questioning. Astrid, do you still have the means to assist with this?”

  “I do,” she replied. “I’ve still got all the polygraph material from our last set of interrogations, and they should be able to verify whether she is who she says she is. I’ve also arranged to bring Gregoire LaSalle in, for his Empath skills.” She looked to me apologetically.

  “It’s okay, I know I’m too close to the situation,” I replied. “It’s better that you bring someone else in. I’m not exactly in an objective state of mind.”

  That wasn’t entirely true. I did want to help in the interrogation, but I supposed they were right. There was a pretty high risk that I would lunge across the desk and try and pummel the truth out of Rita. And, though I didn’t know Gregoire LaSalle personally, the name rang a bell. He was one of the former Angels who had come to the SDC to retire from the elite world of the European magical secret services. He had a more impressive resume than I did, for sure.

  “Can you get Bellmore back?” Santana asked. “We could probably use her, especially with all this pill stuff going around.”

  “I will make some calls, but her leave was already agreed upon before I became the director. It would appear she’s dealing with some health concerns, so that may not be possible, but I’ll certainly try.” Imogene looked tense, as if the weight of the world were on her shoulders. I knew the feeling.

  “What about those kids?” Dylan chimed in. “We need a plan to get them back from Katherine.”

  “I’m going to speak to the Mage Council in greater detail about that and make plans for their retrieval, no matter how many private armies I have to gather to achieve it,” Imogene replied. “I’ll even ask for the assistance of the Angels. I’ll be damned if I let that woman kill innocent children for her rituals, especially children who were supposed to be safe under my care.” Her voice cracked with anger and determination, her eyes glinting with a bitter sadness.

  “Would the Angels really help?” Raffe frowned. “I know you’ve said that LaSalle agreed to help with the interrogation, Astrid, but he’s one of us—he’s got a personal stake in uncovering any spies. The other Angels might not be so easy to persuade, since they’re not exactly known for giving their U.S. neighbors a hand.”

  “I believe this is a matter of universal importance,” Tobe answered solemnly. “If ever there was an opportunity for global cooperation, I imagine this would be it.”

  Imogene smiled. “That’s my hope, Tobe. We have both of the LaSalles in the coven, after all, so I may also need to speak with them once these interrogations are over. They’ll have avenues and persuasive means that I lack, in my current position, but only time will tell whether we can rely upon Europe for aid. They may still believe that this has little to do with them.”

  “I doubt it,” Wade cut in. “They know what’s at stake. Katherine’s already spread across Europe.”

  Finch nodded. “Yeah, we heard some of her operatives talking about it when Harley and I were in the cult. If they don’t help, it’s nothing but blind ignorance. That, or Katherine’s gotten to them, too. I’m not sure which is worse.”

  “Then let’s hope they learn to see more clearly after I tell them of recent events, and that they aren’t under Katherine’s influence.” Imogene gave a quick farewell before exiting the Bestiary and leaving us to come up with an impossible solution.

  I watched her go, feeling unsatisfied with her plan of action. It was all ifs and maybes and vague, wishy-washy possibilities—there wasn’t a solid idea in sight. It all relied on people cooperating and people not already being under Katherine’s influence. As we’d learned from the security magicals and Levi, those influenced people were pretty difficult to pick out of a line-up, let alone from a bunch of calls. But at least Rita was being dealt with, although I was annoyed that Imogene wasn’t overseeing the interrogation personally.

  To be honest, I was starting to get the feeling that Imogene never really put her money where her mouth was. She talked a big game, sure, but the execution of it… not so much. She was trying, within the limits of her capabilities, but maybe her reach wasn’t as broad as I’d thought it was. I mean, she wasn’t the president. She was a small fry, in comparison, and I was only just starting to realize that.

  Moreover, she’d always painted this picture of infallibility, but the holes were starting to appear. The abduction of the magical children, for example. Those kids could easily have been sent away to some remote part of the world—the Arctic, Siberia, the Sahara Desert, or something. Instead, she’d kept them in California, through some misguided sense of self-confidence. Yeah, she’d put them in a high-security facility, but Katherine battered through those for breakfast. Imogene had dropped the ball on that one, in a big way, even though the kids being stolen wasn’t officially her fault. We’d all made mistakes like that. I had made mistakes like that, but I’d expected more of her. And that was the problem—we’d all been expecting too much of her, thinking she had a cure-all for everything, overestimating her ability to fix our problems. That infallible image was fading, fast.

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nbsp; “Anyone got any ideas on how we can get to the Big Cheese, then, now that she’s steamrolled everything we had?” Finch forced a bright smile onto his face. “You know, anything we haven’t already tried and failed at?”

  “I do,” Wade replied.

  Finch rolled his eyes. “Of course you do. Is it a bird, is it a plane—no, it’s Wonderboy!”

  “You saying you don’t want to hear it?” Wade smiled wryly.

  “Nope, you go ahead. I’m just glad someone has an idea. I thought there’d just be a chorus of crickets and a well-timed ball of tumbleweed.”

  Wade glanced down at me. “What if we could get close to Naima, close enough to manipulate her into giving us an accurate location for Katherine? It might not help us with the takedown, but there’s no use figuring that out if we can’t actually find Katherine.”

  “Naima hasn’t been spotted recently, either, aside from Jacob’s encounter with her, but I imagine she’ll be easier to locate in the short-term,” Astrid replied. “Katherine won’t stop looking for rare magicals, now that she has the detector, and I’m guessing she’ll keep sending her Recruiter to do just that. How do you suggest we get closer to her, if she can be found?”

  “Harley,” Wade said simply.

  I frowned. “Me?”

  “Your ability to control Purge beasts,” he explained. “If we can help you hone that, you might be able to use it on Naima and get into her head. Even though she’s a superior type of Purge beast, she’s still a Purge beast.”

  Tobe’s eyes glinted with excitement. “Yes, that is entirely true. We are created from the same fabric of Chaos as less self-aware Purge beasts, if you will. It may require a great deal of exertion, but I would be only too happy to assist you in your training, Harley. I am as Naima is. I would be the perfect individual to experiment upon, and I don’t mind being a guinea pig on this occasion, though I am a rather large guinea pig.”

  “It sounds like a good plan.” Alton smiled at me, though he still had that strange look in his eyes, like there was something on his mind. “Only if you’re entirely up to it, though. Nobody would blame you if you needed to take a couple of hours off.”