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

Meanwhile, from off in the stands, I sensed jealousy pouring out of Kenneth Willow. He was staring right at me, hating my guts. He could probably tell how much I’d impressed Katherine and loathed the idea of being shoved out in favor of a newbie. Especially as Katherine had directly said how much she hated ass-kissers—a label he’d previously worn with pride. What a douchebag. The more I encountered Kenneth, the more I detested the very sight of him.

As the last droplets of gold cooled, permanently ingrained in our skin, Finch and I exchanged a look. We were both full members of the cult now. There was no going back after these brands. Now, we could get on with finding Hester’s spirit before All Hallows’ Eve came hurtling toward us and get off this freaking island. That was all that mattered.

“You will be taken to the compound in two hours to eat breakfast with the rest of the cult,” Katherine said, smiling down at me. I guessed she really liked to see her new members down on their knees before her. “Until then, Naima and Tess will return you to your hut, so you can sleep off the pain of these brands. I apologize if it’s in a bit of a state when you get there. My people won’t have been too neat in searching for those surveillance hexes.” She chuckled to herself as she turned and walked away, dropping gracefully down the gap between the disc and the stands and disappearing from sight.

We’d taken a terrifying step into the underworld of Katherine’s cult. And our new lives here were only just beginning.





Back at the stone hut, after doing another search for any new surveillance hexes, Finch and I sat on our beds in total silence. We should’ve been celebrating how far we’d come, but I didn’t have an ounce of happiness left in me. Even pretending to be a member of this crapstorm made me feel dirty and wrong, like I was somehow betraying everything I’d worked so hard to become. Like I’d become a traitor to the SDC, the Rag Team, and everyone I’d left behind, outside the walls of this interdimensional pocket.

“Did you have to do that the last time, or did you get some special treatment because of who you are?” I asked, finding my voice.

Finch frowned. “The tattoo?”

“Yeah.”

He put out his forearm and let a ripple of Shapeshifter energy pulsate over his skin, Pieter’s arm fading to reveal the original brand on Finch’s real skin, right by the new one. The skin around his new brand was still raw, with blood coagulating into black clumps from the burnt flesh.

“I always kept it hidden, but I had to do it, same as everyone else. No special treatment, not even for me. I should’ve realized back then that Katherine didn’t see me as her son. I was just a tool, like the rest of them. And now I’ve got two of the bastards.” His voice was tight with pain and bitterness, and I knew it wasn’t coming from the residual agony of the brand. He was genuinely hurt by Katherine’s actions toward him, and I had a feeling the scars ran deeper than even he knew.

“Will I be stuck with this, then?” I muttered, touching the golden brand tentatively. Pain shot up my arm, making me wince.

He nodded sadly. “The Shifting can’t protect you from it. You’ll just have to remember to keep it hidden when we get back to the SDC. I can cover mine up by Shifting parts of my arm into someone else, but once your Ephemera is out of gas, that brand will stay. Maybe Wade can get you a bracelet or something.”

“Great.” I stared at the hideous mark, feeling sick to my stomach that I was going to have to bear this Apple for the rest of my life. A cuff or a bandage or a sleeve might cover it, but it would never go away. It would always be there, lurking beneath—a perpetual reminder of being here, and of the woman I hated more than anyone in this world. But, right now, there was no use crying over spilt gold. “You know, I wasn’t sure if Katherine would actually show up to any of these trials.” I needed to take my mind off this freaking gold disfiguration, channeling my anger into the person who’d caused it.

“She’s never done that before. I guess, with this mole on the loose, she feels like she has to vet everyone who comes in.”

I nodded. “You’re probably right.”

“You nearly gave me a heart attack, doing what you did. I know Volla Mazinov was supposed to be ballsy, but that was… well, panic-inducing.”

“I took a risk and it paid off.”

He smiled. “You were born under a lucky star, Sis.”

“Hardly.” I toyed with the pendant from Imogene around my neck. Finch was still wearing my St. Christopher, but I didn’t mind too much. I figured he could use the spiritual guidance more than me, for now. “So, who do you think the mole might be? Any clues?”

“Not sure. I’ve got some thoughts. You?”

“I was trying to put out some Empath feelers while you were getting that brand. Shinsuke’s running scared—like, all I ever feel from him is terror and uncertainty. He might be the weak link, and that could very well indicate he’s the mole we’re looking for.”

Finch nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“I wish I could talk to the others, get their perspective on things.”

Finch smirked. “You missing Golden Boy?”

“I miss them all.” My cheeks reddened. Was I that obvious?

“He’d probably be like, ‘It’s getting too risky in there, I want you out.’ He’d ruin the whole thing. See, that’s the trouble with personal relationships—they make everything messy. What should be simple and clear gets clouded, when emotions are involved. It’s better that you can’t speak to him. Trust me. You’d get a bunch of doubts and stop focusing on the task at hand.”

I chuckled. “You really don’t think much of him, huh?”

“I never do when it comes to coven drones.”

“He’s not a coven drone!”

Finch grinned. “Whatever you say, Sis.”

“Are you saying you don’t have an emotional investment in this? I’d say having a bit of a heart has done you some good, even though it took you a while to get to this point. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Adley.”

“Don’t.”

I frowned. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t talk about her. If you think I’m going to whip out a guitar and get all my kumbayas out, you’ll be waiting forever. I’m not a sharer. You can talk about Wade all you like, but I’m not going to talk about… about her.” The pain in his voice as he said “her” threw me completely. It sounded like he had razorblades in his throat, his face twisting in physical agony at the mention of her. I supposed I didn’t really know the depth of his feelings for her, and I probably never would.

“I didn’t mean to drag up any bad memories.”

He sighed. “I know, but it’s not something I can talk about. With anyone. Not even myself, most of the time.”

“Do you miss her?” I knew I was poking the bear, but I was genuinely curious.

“What did I just say?”

I lifted my hands in mock surrender. “Okay, no talking about Adley.” I glanced at him. “Well, maybe one last thing. I’m glad you loved her. I’m glad she reminded you that you have a heart, even though that came at a terrible price. She didn’t deserve that, and neither did you. That’s all I have to say on the matter. My two cents, done.”

Finch slithered off the edge of the bed, still noticeably sad. “I need some fresh air.”

“Finch, wait…”

“I won’t be long. I’ll just go and do some recon on Hester’s spirit, clear my head while I’m at it. And don’t worry, I’ve still got this if I get into any trouble.” He took the medallion out of his shirt to show me, before stuffing it back beneath the fabric.

“I didn’t mean to upset you.”

He snorted. “You couldn’t if you tried. I’m just sick of these four walls. I need to go for a walk before I lose my mind.”

I eyed him curiously. “Okay. Whatever you need. I’ll be here when you get back.”