Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Harley Merlin, #6)

“I really do need to have a last-minute briefing with you, but I’m glad we’ve got a bit more time,” Wade whispered as we walked along, the two of us behind Finch and Isadora. We’d arrived in Salem a few minutes ago and were making our way down Bridge Street to reach Azarius. There was a coffee shop and a parking lot to our right, with a kiosk at the opposite side of the empty lot. That was our way into the interdimensional pocket, where we’d find Azarius. Not wanting to be caught out in the open without my new face, we ducked into a side street while we went over the final details of the mission.

“Me, too.” I’d managed to convince Astrid not to activate the speech devices until Wade gave the all-clear so we wouldn’t have to have an awkward, Russian-tinged goodbye. My farewells to the rest of the Rag Team had been hard enough, but this was going to be a killer. A week or so without hearing his voice… I didn’t want to imagine it, but it would soon be my reality.

“So, just a last check to make sure everyone knows what’s going on.” Wade addressed the other two, the four of us gathered together in a tight huddle. “As agreed, as soon as you have Hester’s spirit, you’ll get out of there and signal us with either the tech Krieger has put into your pendants, or the emergency device on the dock. Isadora will be able to trace your location through either and come to get you.”

Everyone had agreed that the job was too dangerous for Jacob, since he was both a Portal Opener and a Sensate. Katherine would’ve drooled at the prospect of such a tasty morsel for her collection. Even though he’d have portaled Astrid and Dylan to Key West by now, he was under strict instructions to portal back to the SDC until Astrid and Dylan called for him again. Dylan was staying on the mainland, while Astrid ventured with the tourists to Dry Tortugas to drop off the emergency device.

“Got it.” I squeezed his hand.

“As for getting around the island itself, I’ve got these memorized.” Finch whipped a scroll of blueprints out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Wade.

“How did you get these?” Wade sounded shocked.

“I had an old hiding spot in Krieger’s office, when it used to be Adley’s. I snatched them before we left.” It didn’t really surprise me that Finch had hidden stuff like this in the coven, though I wished we could’ve found them before breaking him out. There might have been a way to do this without him, if we had. Although, I supposed, in a strange way, I was starting to warm to him.

“Obviously, we can’t take them in with us, but they might be of some use to you,” Finch explained. “These black lines are the outlines of Fort Jefferson itself, and the white lines are the interdimensional pocket.”

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Wade replied. “How did you get these?”

Finch smiled. “Dry Tortugas used to be a busy shipping lane. My great-grandfather, Drake Shipton, bought the island with Fort Jefferson on it after the military abandoned it. He left it to Katherine in his personal will, but it was never disclosed in any official documents. Nobody even knows it’s owned by him, as far as I know.” He paused. “Although, the bubble does change location sometimes, when there’s a threat. I’ve seen it move to the Indian Ocean after a suspected breach, to one of my great-grandfather’s other islands. He liked property on formerly busy shipping lanes, what can I say?”

“So our great-grandfather was Jack Sparrow? Is that what you’re saying?” I smiled nervously.

He smiled back. “Only much, much cleverer.”

“Well, I’ll take these and see what Astrid can make of them when she gets back,” Wade said. The clock was ticking toward our goodbye, and I wanted it to stop altogether. I knew I was stronger than ever, but I didn’t want to have to do this alone. The Cult of Eris hadn’t given me much choice.

“Be careful out there,” Isadora said, moving forward to hug me.

“I will.” I hugged her back tightly, not knowing how long it might be until I saw her again.

“We’ll be there as soon as you need us. I’ll be waiting for your signal,” she added, as she released me. She cast an uncertain look at Finch, as if she wasn’t sure if she should bid him farewell, too. He was her nephew, after all.

“We should be going, then.” Finch covered the awkward pause, as he shifted into the guise of Pieter Mazinov, complete with his mane of curly golden hair and his cobalt-blue eyes. He already had the necessary swagger, and the speech device would soon kick in. I just hoped I could pull it off the same way. Being a different person was totally new territory, and I’d have to call on every ounce of tomboy in me to make it work as Volla.

“Can we have a minute?” I kept my gaze on Wade, ignoring the eyeroll from Finch.

“Sure, it’s not like we’ve got a schedule to keep to,” Finch replied.

I turned to Wade and looped my arms around his neck, feeling his hands smooth around my waist as he pulled me flush to his body. I really hoped this wasn’t going to be the last time I got to hold him like this. Otherwise, I’d have made the most of last night, instead of falling asleep watching a dumb movie. Now that the moment had come, I didn’t want to leave him.

What if I don’t see you again? The prospect was too terrible to even contemplate, yet here it was, weighing on my mind. I had to fight to shove it down, knowing it would only make things harder. I had a mission to complete. I clung to him even tighter, never wanting to let go. Tears were already brimming in my eyes, my eyelids fluttering wildly to try and keep them at bay.

“It’s going to be okay, Harley,” he murmured.

“I know,” I lied. “It’s just going to be weird without you.”

“If you need me, use your pendant to call for backup. We’ll be there before you know it.” He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “And just know that, whatever happens, I… I love you, Harley.”

My heart stopped, my mouth struggling to form the words. I wanted to say them, I really did, but they didn’t come easily to me. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d told anyone I loved them. Wade was waiting, looking flustered, but I was having a hard time finding the words, even though I felt it. I really, really felt it.

“I shouldn’t have—” Wade started to speak, but I cut him off.

“No, no, I… I feel the same way,” I blurted out. “I love you, Wade.”

His face broke out into a giddy grin, and I knew my expression mirrored his. “Come back to me, okay?” he murmured.

“I will. I promise.”

Slowly, he leaned in toward me, his lips grazing mine in a soft, tender kiss that made my knees tremble. I pulled him closer, pressing my lips harder against his, my mouth moving with passionate intensity. It was desperate and sad and remarkable, and I didn’t want it to end. Once it did, I’d have to step into the unknown.

“Geez, anyone would think you were going off to war,” Finch muttered, breaking our moment. “The plan is to get in and get out… alive. I’ve got no intention of dying at the hands of those cult fanatics. Harley isn’t going to, either.”

“Hey, weren’t you one of those fanatics until they tried to have you killed?” Wade shot back.

Finch shot him a deadly look. “Touché, pal. Touché.”





With Wade and Isadora gone, I clasped my hands around the Ephemera. Energy radiated from inside the ball, which would soon explode inside me. What could possibly go wrong?

I winced as the entire ball shot out the tiny spikes, each one burrowing into my flesh as I gripped it tighter. The Shapeshifter energy pulsed through me in a sudden jolt, my body going into an automatic response. Looking down, I watched as my hands and arms and clothes shifted into those of Volla Mazinov, my mind holding onto the picture of her so I got it right.