Home > Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Harley Merlin #3)(14)

Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Harley Merlin #3)(14)
Author: Bella Forrest

“It might be one of us, for all you know,” Astrid joked, her laughter dying on her lips. “Sorry… I shouldn’t joke about that kind of thing. After the whole Finch thing, it’s in poor taste.”

“If we do not laugh, we will cry. Isn’t that the saying?” Tatyana chimed in, setting the book down. “I think I might stretch my legs for a bit. These books are filled with nothing but fairy stories and myths.”

“Is there nothing in them that might help us—a bit of subtext or something?” I asked, flipping back over onto my stomach.

“Absolutely nothing, just the usual stuff about the Children being here at the beginning of everything, forged from raw Chaos. Blah, blah, blah, blah…”

Astrid sighed. “If only we had a step-by-step instruction manual. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing?”

“I think that’d be a terrifying thing,” I replied with a tight laugh. “There’d be crazy folks trying to turn themselves into Children of Chaos left, right, and center.”

“Ah, you may have a point there.”

I sat up on the edge of the bed and scooped my hair into a ponytail. “Actually, I think I might stretch my legs, too. We’ve still got a few hours before the evening patrol. I might as well put the time to good use.”

“What are you thinking?” Tatyana asked.

“I might pay the Smiths a visit, see if Jacob left anything behind. We may be able to forge a tracer spell from something that belonged to him,” I replied, flashing a nervous grin. “Plus, it’s taco night—it’d be rude not to go.”

We’d successfully used a tracer spell to expose Finch as the Bestiary’s saboteur. If we used it again to try and trace Jacob, I figured we’d have a hope in hell of finding him. Right now, our options were ridiculously thin on the ground. This way, we kill two birds with one stone. Wherever Jacob is, that’s where Isadora will be, too.

Astrid frowned. “You haven’t seen them since the incident. Are you sure you’re okay visiting them? Do you want some company?”

I shook my head. “Sorry, guys, I think this is something I have to do alone. I can’t keep putting it off for my own selfish reasons. I mean, they keep texting to say they miss me, asking when I’m coming around, and I keep telling them I’m busy. I can’t avoid them any longer. They deserve better than that.”

“I know you’re used to getting things done by yourself, but you’ve got us now… if you ever need us for anything,” Tatyana said. “You know that, right?”

My heart swelled. “Thank you. I mean it… thank you.” I stood up slowly, feeling overwhelmed. “If there are any spare tacos, I’ll bring them back. Fair exchange?”

“Fair exchange,” Astrid replied. “Just be careful out there, okay? You’re not really supposed to go anywhere on your own right now.”

Tatyana nodded. “Take a cab straight there, and keep your phone on. Let us know when you’re done. We’ll probably be heading out on patrol by the time you’ve finished there, so we’ll rendezvous or something. If this weather lets up, that is. Weird for San Diego, but I guess it needs a storm from time to time.”

“Sounds good. I’ll text you if I finish early.” I’d never had any friends care so much about me before. Although, I’d never really had friends before, so I had nothing to compare it to.

I slid my phone into my pocket and grabbed my leather jacket from Astrid’s coat stand, slinging it on as I headed out into the corridor. A few people wandered about, meandering back from the banquet hall. I hurried along, taking the steps two at a time, then skirted past the magnolia trees.

Not long after, I exited the main entrance to the coven and walked through an empty Kid City, making my way toward the exit of the Fleet Science Center. Against the glass, the first spatters of rain had begun to fall. I paused at the revolving doors and sent a text to Dicky’s number. I didn’t need the card anymore—I had it memorized. It would’ve been easier to put it into my phone, but I figured it was safer not to. I’d thought about driving Daisy to the Smiths, but this seemed like the safer course of action, since we weren’t supposed to be heading out alone. Dicky was my loophole.

He appeared ten minutes later, flashing his headlights as he rolled up to the sidewalk. I sprinted to the cab and got in, a fine mist of rain sprinkling my hair. It was gloomy out, the sky overcast and plump with swollen gray clouds that threatened an imminent torrent. San Diego was due a storm.

“I hadn’t expected to hear from you anytime soon, Harley,” Dicky said after I’d fastened my seatbelt and given him directions. He already knew the house—he’d dropped me off there when I’d gone to check on Jacob—but if he recognized the address he didn’t bat an eyelid.

“No?”

“I haven’t heard from Isadora in a while. Thought she might be lying low,” he replied. “Figured something must have happened that night I dropped you off.”

I nodded. “Mm-hm. And then some.”

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to tell old Dicky about any of it. I drive, that’s it. Don’t ask no questions, don’t want to know no answers.”

I smiled. How refreshing.

“Harley!” Mrs. Smith cried as she answered the door. “My goodness, I’d almost forgotten what you looked like.”

My heart wrenched in my chest. The cleanup team had made her forget the Death by a Thousand Cuts hex, the wrecked house, and all the terrible things that the Ryder twins had done to her and Mr. Smith. Instead of the truth, the cleanup crew had implanted false memories about a home invasion, taking every magical element out of the equation. They’d dealt with the cuts in the only way they could, casting an illusion over Mrs. Smith’s legs and plying her with numbing serums in the night while she slept. As far as she was concerned, her legs were completely fine, even though she still had a few more days of healing to do. The serums quickened the process, but they weren’t instantaneous.

What hurt most of all, however, was the fact that they’d wiped all memory of Jacob from the Smiths’ minds—about adopting him, about bringing him here, about everything. It had been the kindest thing to do, but it still stung.

At least they didn’t make her forget about me.

“I had a few hours to spare, so I thought I’d come visit,” I murmured. “I’m sorry for not coming sooner, to check on how you were both doing after the home invasion. This new job is kicking my ass.”

“Language,” Mrs. Smith chided.

I smiled. “Sorry. I’ve had a long day.”

“And don’t you worry about not having the time to visit,” she insisted. “You’re doing so well, from what you’ve been telling us. Homeland Security wasn’t what I thought you’d do with your life, but still! It’s nice to see you happy in a job. Besides, you sent us those beautiful flowers and that gift basket from St. Clair’s. That’s enough to win me over.” She winked, ushering me inside the house. The scent of Mexican spices wafted through from the kitchen, making my mouth water.

“Still, I should’ve come to visit. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“Enough of that. You’re here now, and that’s all that counts.” She enveloped me in a warm embrace. I hugged her back twice as hard. Man, it’s good to see you again. I’ve missed you so much. I wanted to say the words out loud, but I knew the tears wouldn’t stop if I did. The defense mechanisms were firmly back in place.

Heading through to the kitchen, I tried not to look at her legs, seeking any sign of her injuries, but it was like turning away from a car crash. She must have wondered what on Earth I was doing, glancing down at her calves every couple of minutes, because she gave me a confused smile. Mr. Smith stood at the stove, mixing the taco ingredients together. He turned over his shoulder as we entered, a broad grin splitting his face. See, they’re happier than they’ve ever been. It’s like nothing ever happened.

“Hey, there’s our high-flyer! Did they turn you loose for an evening?” he chirped, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. He crossed the kitchen and threw his arms around me, pulling me in tight.

“A couple of hours,” I replied, hugging him back.

“Well, that suits us just fine. We’ve got plenty of food on the go—we were just wondering how we were going to eat all of this ourselves, weren’t we, hon?”

Mrs. Smith rested her hand on my shoulder, as though she were scared I might disappear. “We were indeed. Ryann was supposed to come down from UCLA to spend the night with us, but I think there might be a boy in the picture. Her plans changed last minute, so you came at just the right time.”

I heard the sad note in Mrs. Smith’s voice. It had to be hard for them, with Ryann away at college, me doing my own thing, and no memory of Jacob. He’d been the one giving them a renewed sense of purpose. Without him, I reasoned they were bound to feel a little lost. By all accounts, many folks who had their memories wiped couldn’t remember anything, but they did feel like something was missing. I had a feeling Mrs. Smith fell into that category, though Mr. Smith seemed quite content to fuss around his wife.

“That’s a shame,” I said. “It would’ve been cool to see Ryann. I haven’t spoken to her in a while.”

Mrs. Smith smiled. “She always asks after you.”

“I’ll give her a call sometime soon.”

She brightened. “You let me know if you hear anything good!”

“I might have to invoke a vow of sisterly silence, I’m afraid.”

Mrs. Smith laughed. “I do so miss having the two of you around the place. Everything seems so big, with it being just the two of us bumbling about. You’ll have to come by more often… when work permits, of course. I know how busy you both are.”

“I will,” I promised. “I mean it this time.”

   
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