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

Back at the stone hut, Harley and I sat in the bathroom. It’d become our sanctuary, in a way. She sat on the floor opposite, with me perched on the tub. She was still worried about spying hexes, and this put an extra wall between us and anyone listening. Plus, I’d checked the place again and found no new additions to the eavesdropping party. Not that she was convinced. We were both exhausted from what had just happened, and she was reeling. Gaining an ability like that wasn’t an everyday sort of jam. I could almost see her head spinning as she tried to come to terms with it.

“You want to play a card game? Take your mind off stuff?” She hadn’t spoken in about twenty minutes, and I hated silence.

She shook her head. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Well, we’ve got until morning. So, we can either wait here like saps or do something.”

“I guess we could take a look around the compound?”

I frowned. “Not sure about that. I might be bored, but I haven’t lost my mind. People are wary enough of us as it is.”

She smiled. “I didn’t mean as the Mazinovs. Krieger said I should be all right to shift as long as I don’t shift back into myself, and this gem is still going strong. Plus, I managed to shift back after the Strainer incident, and it didn’t seem to affect this thing.” She glanced down at the shrunken orb at the end of the chain. Sure enough, it was glowing steadily.

“It’d technically still be using the same burst of energy, so he’s probably right. And, hey, if you want to head out there gussied up as some cultist, you be my guest. I’m not going to stop you, but I’m also not going to come with you. If I go, there’s more chance we’ll bump into the people we’ve shifted into.” I glanced at her. “Why do you want to look around the compound, anyway?”

She hesitated, running her tongue over her lower lip. “Curiosity.”

Yeah, right. “No, the real reason.” I arched an eyebrow at her.

She sighed. “Fine, I want to go and look for my mother’s spirit.”

“I thought as much,” I muttered. Of course she wanted to go and look for her mom’s spirit. I knew the urge had to be overwhelming for her, just on a personal level, let alone a mission-related one. But I didn’t think it was a good idea right now. I understood the urgency of the situation. All Hallows’ Eve was a week away. That gigantic clock over our heads was booming. But we had so many eyes on us already, and that spirit was locked up tight.

“You going to give up the goods, then?” she asked. “Shed some light on where she is? If these trials don’t go the way we want them to, we need to make sure we’ve got the location of her spirit. We’ve only got a week, remember? It’d be extremely useful to get some insider intel, like making sure that Hester’s spirit actually is where you think it is and gauging the types of security. It’s been a while since you were last here, Finch. Things might’ve changed.”

I released a slow breath. “I know. But it would be better to wait it out, Harley. It’ll be easier for us to get to Hester’s spirit once we’re official cult members. If we start sneaking around in those areas now, people are going to get suspicious.” I held Harley’s firm gaze. “Seriously, don’t go looking for Hester’s spirit. You won’t be able to find it. It’s already in the safest place it can be.”

She frowned. “Why? Where is it?”

“It’s locked away in Katherine’s office.”

“Where’s that?”

I sighed again. “I’ll tell you when we’ve passed these trials. We need to do that before we start snooping. One thing at a time.”

“We don’t have time to waste, Finch!” she said. She hated not knowing. But I wasn’t doing this to be malicious. Holding on to this information until we passed the trials was the safest way to go. I knew how this place worked. If we got caught wandering into secure zones after we’d been initiated, we were more likely to get a slap on the wrist than get murdered. Until then, neither of us could go near Katherine’s office.

“My way involves taking the least risk for the best gains. Trust me on this.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Well… I need to do something. We’re on a seriously tight deadline here—emphasis on the ‘dead.’ A week is going to trickle away before we know it.”

“Hey, I understand the time constraints as well as you do, Sis,” I shot back. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t head out and try and get some intel and scope out the security in this place. Just… if you’re going to head out, stay in the compound. If we start wandering around the outskirts of this place, they’ll get suspicious. That’s the last thing we need right now.”

“What about the Hexagon?” she asked.

“To do what? Play with the humans?” I had to put her off the idea of going there. “Just avoid that place and stay in the compound. All I’m asking is that you wait until after the last trial, and then I’ll tell you everything.”

She shot me a dubious look, but seemed to relent. “Maybe I’ll just go and see what the guard details are like in the main compound, then,” she said after a moment. “Clear my head and do a bit of recon on those hive buildings I saw through the trees. Get a feel for the local area, see what sort of security and weaponry they’ve got going on, ask some questions about security on the Hexagon... Maybe see if anyone’s talking about the upcoming ritual, too.”

I smiled. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“So I can do whatever I want, then?” She got up and walked to the door.

I snickered. “Just be careful. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. And don’t go outside the main compound, I mean it. If you get caught sneaking around the woods, you’ll ruin this. Oh, and don’t use the phones by the Strainer. They’re tapped.”

“Like I said, I’m just going to have a little look inside the main area, see what the nightlife is like.”

“And stretch your Shifter muscles while you’re at it?”

She paused. “It might come in handy later. I can still feel the Shifter energy pulsing away, and the gems are still glowing.”

“Plus, that extra juice you’ve got isn’t doing any harm in supercharging that thing.” I arched an amused eyebrow. If she got stuck without her Shifter ability, we were doomed. Not that I thought she would. “For Shifters, phasing from one new person into another is still classed as the same Shift, so to speak. You should be fine.”

She nodded. “Krieger said I should be able to phase back and forth a couple times without it affecting the energy of the Ephemera. I can still feel the new ability in my veins, and it feels strong. Really strong. It doesn’t feel like it’s fading at all, and the gem is still glowing away, like I said.”

I smirked. “That’s all peachy with a side of keen. But, if you can’t shift back, I’ll have to come up with one hell of an excuse.”

She closed her eyes, and a ripple of grayish light swept across her skin. Where Volla Mazinov had been, Tess Crux now stood in the bathroom doorway. I gaped at her. Shifting shouldn’t have been this easy for a newbie. She was hammering through every obstacle like a pro.

“Am I in one piece?” she asked.

I nodded. “Yep, no droopy eyes in sight. How’s the Shifter energy feeling?”

“It’s weird. It’s still here. I can feel it, alongside the rest of my abilities.”

“Then it’s not weird, it’s a freaking miracle. I’m not using my Fire again unless I really have to. Preservation is key for mere two-bit magicals like me.” I wasn’t a special edition magical like my sister, who had all this extra mojo zipping about inside her. Growing up with her would have been a complete nightmare. If I’d thought I’d had to prove myself as an only child, having a sibling like Harley would’ve been a total ego killer.

“Oh, before I forget. You should take this, just in case.” She reached for her St. Christopher medallion and handed it over to me. Reluctance was written all over her face.

I snorted. “We giving each other gifts now?”