Harley Merlin

Note: This page is about the character, not the book series.

"That note was the only thing my parents had left me with, before dropping me off at the orphanage when I was three. I was bounced around from one foster home to another after that. It was rarely a pretty picture, and my father's advice somehow helped me retain my sanity. Even now, as I glided into adulthood, I kept looking at that note for guidance, whenever a part of me wavered. As a foster kind, I always had to "stay safe" and "stay smart", though the two rarely went hand in hand."

-Harley thinking about the note her father left her and the foster system

About Harley
Harley Merlin is the protagonist of the Harley Merlin series, books 1-9 (First arc). Harley is an orphan and one of Katherine Shipton's main targets in the first arc. She was brought into the SDC by Wade Crowley, her future husband, where she found her Esprit, a bracelet that used to belong to her mother. Other than her Esprit (and perhaps a few other things), one of her most prized possessions before she gave it to Marie Laveau was a note from her father that said, "Harley, I am so sorry for doing this to you, but there is no other way. Stay safe. Stay smart. I love you. Dad."

Powers
Harley's magical powers include Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Telekinesis, Empathy (she can read people's emotions), Reverse Empathy (she can make others feel whatever emotion she wants them to feel), Bestial abilities (she can control Purge beasts), and she can read unfinished Grimoires. Having all four elements is very rare and makes Harley very powerful. Her Primus Anglicus blood makes her even more powerful than an Atlantean, and very important for the balance of Chaos.

Before Meeting Wade
Harley Merlin used to be in an orphanage. She went from foster home to foster home, but got treated very badly in each one, and also in the schools she went to. Because of her magical abilities and the fact that she was an orphan, people called her a "freak".

Fortunately, the Smiths, a kind family consisting of George and Angela Smith, plus their daughter, Ryann, adopted her. Harley calls George and Angela Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and had a strong relationship with her foster sister Ryann. Under the Smiths' loving care, she grew up and got a apartment. Harley also bought a Mustang, a car which she named "Daisy", as her first major adult purchase. She starting working at a casino, pinpointing cheaters because of her Empathy, or the ability to read people's emotions.

Then Wade shows up and she sees a gargoyle's tail in between roof bars, seeing Harley using her ability tips Wade off. Harley leaves the casino after catching the cheaters and goes outside. There she sees the gargoyle attack a nonmagical and helps Wade capture it. Wade offers to bring her to the SDC but she refuses. After that Wade's business card starts appearing everywhere. Harley then agrees to join the coven but continues to live in her apartment. Harley is taken to Alton Waterhouse, the SDC's current leader, and tells him her powers. He is surprised that Harley is a full elemental and gets Adley La Barthe (the medical magical) to confirm it. Adley confirms it and says that Harley is a full elemental, has telekinesis and empathy, but is also a Mediocre. Both Wade and Alton are puzzled about this, but let it go for the time being. Later when Harley is alone at home, Murray (the first appearing gargoyle) and two others attack her. Her apartment and car are wrecked so she agrees to live in the SDC. The next morning she meets Wade's friends. They joke about his gift-giving skills and Santana (one of his friends) asks if he got the lingerie sizes right. Harley nods and everyone except Wade laughs. Then Garrett and his group show up along with Finch. They just glare at Wade and Harley's group and sit at their own table. Later Alton calls both groups to clean up footage and erase people's memories. Garrett's group gets to investigate while Wade's group has to clean up. Harley is forced to choose a group and chooses Wade's. Wade calls his friends to join the group. They are Santana, Raffe, Tatyana, Dylan, and Astrid. Wade tells Harley that Astrid is a human, but she is an exception to the no humans can know about magic rule. He also mentions that Alton has brought Astrid back to life several times as she died while helping the coven. Harley wonders if there is more to it but doesn't say anything. Later during clean up duty, Harley is more useful than before because she knows how to approach the people in the shops.