Harley Merlin 3: Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals Read online

  As the two Security Magicals came in to take Marjorie to her room, I wondered what abilities these other kids might have, beyond the ones we’d seen and written down. We still had Louella’s limbs in the coven mortuary. There was only one problem… A Reading couldn’t be done on dead people.

  Sixteen

  Santana

  The following evening, I lay back on Astrid’s bed and covered my face with a pillow. Music played from Smartie’s speakers—a slow ballad that was making me sleepy. Exhaustion was already creeping in, after a full day spent following leads that went nowhere.

  Marjorie had touched a few of the belongings from the rest of the missing kids and done her best to piece together where they might be, but every location we’d visited had been a dead end. Either the kids had been moved, or it had been an old vision of where they’d been. Nobody nearby knew anything about them, nor had they caught a glimpse of them. All these false steps were starting to annoy me.

  “This is hopeless,” I muttered into the pillow.

  I knew I was being a defeatist, which wasn’t like me at all, but exhaustion had a way of wrecking my positivity. There were still a bunch of leads for us to follow, and we were set to try again tomorrow. After all, Marjorie had told us that her visions changed, shifting like the colors in a kaleidoscope. One day, they showed one thing, another day they might show something else. We were hoping for the something else; otherwise, we were right back at square one.

  “No, it’s not,” Astrid replied sternly. Tatyana, Astrid, and I had retreated to the comfort of Astrid’s room. There was something about the way she’d decorated it that felt welcoming, with Christmas lights covering one entire wall and crystals clinking soothingly overhead. Harley and Wade were off making moon eyes at each other, Dylan was in his room, cramming for a college exam, GI Joe and Jane had gone for dinner in the banquet hall, and Raffe had gone to speak with Tobe about reinforcing his Hyde box. According to Raffe, he was worried about its integrity. Super comforting, considering I spent a whole night beside it, thinking it was safe.

  “It is annoying, though,” Tatyana conceded. “We keep thinking we’re getting somewhere, that we have this upper hand, and then it vanishes again. Having a Clairvoyant should have made this easy, but she lacks the strength to be of considerable use.”

  I pulled the pillow away from my face and sat up. “Hey, she’s trying her best.”

  “I’m not saying she’s not, but I don’t think I’m wrong in assuming that we all thought this would be the key to solving our problem. If she were stronger, and more in control of her powers, it might have made a difference. As it stands, we just have visions that lead us nowhere,” Tatyana replied bluntly.

  I hated to admit that she was right. Tatyana was one of my best friends, and I adored the bones of her, but sometimes she lived up to her reputation as an ice queen. Every time Marjorie strained to use her powers, seeking to delve deeper, it left her weak and worn out. The trouble was, we’d all been given the gift of time with our powers. Marjorie didn’t have that luxury, not if she wanted to please everyone around her. It riled me up to think of the pressure she was under. For heaven’s sake, she’s only been at the coven a day! Give her a friggin’ break. I didn’t say it out loud because it wasn’t Tatyana I was annoyed with. It was Alton. For the director of a coven, he wasn’t being particularly patient with the newbie.

  “She must be so confused,” Astrid said. “I bet all she wants to do is go home to the Hamms and forget any of this ever happened.”

  “Yeah, which is what the Hamms have done,” I replied wryly. “I’m not looking forward to the day I have to tell her that.”

  Tatyana smiled. “You two seem to have a nice connection. It’ll be good for her to have someone like you. She looks up to you already, I can tell. I just hope your foul mouth doesn’t rub off on her.”

  “My language is perfectly clean, thank you very damn much,” I shot back, laughing. “Anyway, I can’t help being fiery. It comes with the territory if you’re a Catemaco.”

  “Speaking of which, how’re you feeling about the Family Gathering next week?” Astrid asked, looking up from her book. She’d been delving into the realm of rare abilities to see what we might be up against. There were some insane ones that had fallen into extinction, as far as the history books were concerned: Flyers, Amphibians, Regens, Electros, Time Jumpers. A mad bunch of awesome powers that had been cut off somewhere down the bloodlines.

  I exhaled and flopped back onto the bed. “I’m looking forward to it about as much as I would look forward to jumping into a baboon cage slathered in peanut butter.”

  “That good, eh?” Tatyana chuckled.

  I flipped over and crawled to the end of the bed. “You’re looking forward to it?”

  “Yes and no. I guess I’m a bit nervous about seeing my parents again. I anticipate the usual barrage of Vasilis charm,” she said sardonically. “However, this time I’ll have something good to tell them. It won’t all be doom and gloom and disappointment.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of days, but I’m planning to talk to them about the Merlins and Katherine Shipton.” She set down her phone and looked up at me, her legs dangling off the end of the bed. “It makes sense, right? They know their history, I’m sure they do, and they might have even been around during some of those events.”

  I frowned. “Weren’t they in Moscow?”

  She shook her head excitedly. “No, not back then. Twenty years ago, they were still in New York, working their way through the ranks of the NY Coven. It was a few years later that they took their positions as directors of the Moscow Coven—because, you know, they don’t do anything without each other. Like they’re joined at the hip or something.” She rolled her eyes, making me laugh.

  I grabbed the pillow and chucked it at her head. “Hey, that’s romantic!”

  “Not when it’s your parents.”

  “If Raffe gets off his ass and tells me he likes me, that might be us one day.” I grinned at the thought. My encounter with the djinn hadn’t done anything to put me off. We all had our flaws. His just happened to be a smoky demon that took over his body every now and again, giving him improved strength and stamina. There might even be a couple of benefits to that…

  “Believe me, you don’t want to be anything like my parents,” Tatyana said.

  I laughed. “I think it’s a good idea to speak to them about the Merlins and the Shiptons. They might have some useful insider knowledge that we’ve missed, or that certain people don’t want to tell us.”

  “Hey, those people might end up your father-in-law one day, from the way you’re going on about Raffe,” Tatyana teased.

  “See, that’s the one thing that could put me off Raffe… but if he can cope with my family, I can cope with his.”

  “We’ll find out next week, won’t we?”

  I grimaced. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I haven’t even thought about how I’m going to navigate that minefield,” I said. “My parents will sweep in with their nosy questions and their high expectations and their constant hassling. ‘When are you getting married? When are you coming home? When will you find a good man and take your place at the head of the Catemaco Coven?’ The usual stuff. It’s always a broken-record kind of thing. It never sinks in that I’m not interested, that I don’t want to bow to that kind of pressure.”

  “So, you’re thrilled about it, then?” Tatyana joked, throwing the pillow back up onto the bed.

  “I think I’m the same as you,” I admitted. “I’m half dreading it, half looking forward to it. At the end of the day, they’re my family, and I love them right down to their overbearing core. I’m just not too eager to be married off, you know? I like to keep my romantic options semi-open.”

  “Raffe will be glad to hear that.”

  I glanced at Astrid, who hadn’t said much as Tatyana and I had babbled on. She held Smartie close to her chest as it played a sweet song, her gaze somewhe
re off in the distance. All she needed was raindrops on the window and she’d have been a still from a romcom. I nudged Tatyana and pointed to our friend.

  “Since we’re talking about romantic options… what’s going on with you, Astrid? Any options you want to tell us about, hmm?” I asked.

  Tatyana nodded. “A certain Garrett Kyteler, perhaps?”

  Her cheeks flushed pink as she turned to look at us, evidently remembering that we were still in the room. She put Smartie back down on her desk and fidgeted uncomfortably. I might as well have shone a flashlight in her face and demanded she tell me everything, she was so on edge. Up until that moment, I hadn’t been positive that there was much going on between her and Garrett, but now I was sure. This looked like the face of an entirely smitten young woman.

  She shrugged. “I… I like him.”

  I shrieked. “You do?”

  “I really do,” she whispered, looking anywhere but at me. “I know he gives off this rude, abrasive vibe, and he’s a major sufferer of foot-in-mouth syndrome, but he’s fun to be around. He’s funny, and he’s intelligent, and he… well, he seems to like me back. I’m not one-hundred-percent sure, but I really do think the feeling might be mutual.”

  “How could he possibly resist? You’re a dreamboat!” Tatyana cried excitedly.

  “Recently, he’s been giving me all these subtle signals—a joke here, a touch there, a thoughtful moment now and again. Plus, he’s responsive whenever I attempt to flash a little signal in his direction. I’m not the greatest flirter of all time, but I think I do okay. He laughs quite a lot, which I think is a good thing?”

  “Of course it is,” I assured her.

  Astrid looked up sheepishly. “I know this must be awkward for you, Santana.”

  “Pfft, what are you talking about? Garrett and I dated a million years ago. All of that is way in the past now,” I replied, meaning every word. “It was when I first came to the coven, and I think it was more out of loneliness than anything else. Besides, it all went sideways pretty quickly.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever asked you why it went sideways,” Astrid said. She looked worried, visibly bracing for bad news.

  I shrugged. “We just weren’t meant to be. We didn’t work out. I think we were too different,” I replied, not wanting to delve too deep into it. I didn’t care about Garrett in that way anymore, but the scar of our bitter breakup still had its place in my heart. He’d hurt me and betrayed me, his eye constantly roving, and it had taken me a long time to forgive him for that.

  “Are you sure that’s all there was to it?” Astrid pressed nervously.

  “It doesn’t matter how we ended, because everybody changes. What matters is, we didn’t work out. I’m sure he’s a good guy now.”

  “Do you think it’s a good idea to pursue this?”

  I smiled at her. “I think you should follow your heart, mi querida. I only have one word of advice, and that would be to look after yourself. Keep a guard around your heart, because he might end up breaking it. He might not, but it’s always a good idea to protect yourself.”

  “A few weeks ago, I’d have agreed with you. In fact, I probably would have stayed away completely,” Astrid said. “But recently… I don’t know what’s happened to him. Garrett seems to have changed a lot since he and Wade patched things up. It’s like a weight was lifted off his shoulders, or something. I can’t explain it. I’m not saying there’s a major friendship rebirth afoot, but they have a better idea of where they stand with each other. It seems to be having a pretty wonderful effect on Garrett.”

  “That’s great, Astrid. It really is.” I meant it from the bottom of my heart. I wanted her to find someone awesome. She deserved an ace guy who adored the ground she walked on. There wasn’t a smarter, funnier, wiser woman alive than Astrid Hepler, and she was worthy of the best of the best. I didn’t think Garrett fit that description, but that wasn’t up to me. If she liked him, then more power to her.

  The lingering sting of betrayal clouded my judgment where Garrett Kyteler was concerned. A bit of patching up couldn’t change someone’s nature. Garrett had always been an ass, and I was willing to bet my life on the fact that he would continue to be an ass… in some form or another. The only difference was, if Astrid opened her heart to him and he crushed it, he would have me to deal with. I would rain down on him with the fury of a thousand tormentas and wear his balls as earrings.

  “Anyway, enough about me,” Astrid urged. “I’m not the only one in this room with a fledgling romance. Tatyana, have you got anything exciting to tell us?”

  “Yes, the tea must be spilled,” I encouraged, grinning like a loon.

  She sighed and rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was looking forward to telling us about Dylan. “Things have… progressed a little bit, I suppose. He’s extremely hard to read. Sometimes, I think he’s really into me, and the next I think he’d prefer to be with his college friends. That is the problem with American men—they aren’t very open with their feelings.”

  “And Russian men are?” I flashed her a knowing grin.

  “No, I suppose you’re right about that,” she said with a giggle. “Well, I say he isn’t showing signs of interest, but he did take me on a date the other night.”

  Astrid grinned. “He did?”

  “First of all, he picks me up from the coven with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and takes me on this surprise journey through San Diego. I have no idea where we’re going, but I decide to enjoy the not-knowing part of it,” she continued. “We drive up the coast and park beside this tiny church that overlooks the ocean, and it has the most beautiful cemetery I’ve ever seen attached to it.”

  A cemetery didn’t exactly sound like an ideal date spot to me, but Tatyana looked almost smitten.

  “We walk through this pretty little gate and sit beneath the shade of some trees at the far side of the cemetery,” she continued. “There are spirits all around, gentle ones, who are content to wander in such a beautiful spot. They tell me that the bad ones come out at night, never in the day. I realize, as I’m walking, that he’s arranged a picnic in the cemetery for us, with a blanket and a basket full of my favorite foods—soft cheese, fresh bread, blueberries, truffles. He’s thought of everything. We sat there and we talked for hours, before he drove me home. No kissing, no fumbling, just one of those perfect dates where all you do is talk and get to know each other.”

  “And you think he’s not interested?” I gasped. “The man is clearly head over heels in love with you. No man puts on a picnic unless he loves you. And he set it all up in a cemetery, knowing you’d be at home there with all the ghoulies floating around. I imagine he had an idea or two about his ghoulies, too, even if he didn’t make any moves on you.” I flashed her a wink.

  “You’re awful, Santana.” She chuckled, flashing a coy smile. “I don’t know. See, he was lovely and charming at the picnic itself, but then as soon as we got back here, he went back to being odd again. All the confidence kind of drained away, and he got all shifty and weird. I think we might be going on another semi-date this week, so I may be able to figure him out better this time.”

  “He’s just shy, that’s my guess,” I said.

  “But then why was he cool at the cemetery, but weird here? I don’t get him.”

  “I think you should definitely see how the next date goes,” Astrid chimed in. “The more you get to know him, the more he’ll loosen up around the coven. It’s probably this place that makes him nervous, not you.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” she mused. “Anyway, why haven’t you and Raffe been on any dates? You’re into him, right?”

  “I’m definitely into him.”

  “And he’s into you, right?”

  I shrugged. “It’s been bugging me for a while, but I really don’t know. I like to think I know myself and that I can turn on the charm. But with him… I’ve got no idea if he’s just easily flustered and kind of blushy as a person, or if he’s, as you say, into m
e. I want him to like me the way I like him, but we don’t always get what we want. Which sucks, by the way.” I buried my face in the duvet cover. “If you think Dylan is hard to read, try reading Raffe. That boy, quite literally, blows hot and cold.”

  “Trouble with djinn djimminy djinn djimminy djinn djinn djaroo?” Astrid asked.

  I chuckled. “Surprisingly not. In this scenario, Raffe’s the one I’m having trouble with. The djinn is pretty freaking blunt. He says it like it is.”

  “You sound like you admire it.”

  “Him. Like I admire him,” I replied. I’d come to know the djinn well enough not to consider him anything less than a person in his own right. “No, I just wish Raffe could be a little more forward sometimes, you know? Well, as long as he’s being forward with the things I want to hear.”

  Tatyana smiled. “I have a solution to all your romantic problems, my dear.”

  “You do?”

  “Harley.”

  “Hey, I know she’s cute and everything, but ladies don’t exactly sugar my coconuts, if you catch my drift?”

  Tatyana burst out laughing. “No! I mean, why don’t you talk to Harley about Raffe? Being an Empath, she’ll be able to tell you what he’s feeling without anyone else knowing about it. Raffe included.”

  As if summoned by the mere mention of sugared coconuts, Harley thundered past the half-open door of Astrid’s bedroom. Striding at breakneck speed, she seemed to be headed somewhere important. I thought about going after her, but, considering her pace, I decided against it. She looked determined and kind of angry, and if she was angry at something, I didn’t want to get in the way of that freight train.

  Alas, my romantic woes would have to wait.

  Seventeen