Then Angelique flexed her hands, stretching out her long fingers, as if the memory had passed. “Once I became a Cataclyst, the game changed, and I was the popular girl on the block. Everyone wants their own firestarter.”
Link pushed his way in front of Sampson. “Did Silas have a Siren in his ménage-à-whatever? Long blond hair with a pink streak and stubborn as hell? She would’ve come in a couple days ago.”
Say yes. Please tell me you’ve seen Rid and she’s okay.
The Cataclyst shook her head. “I broke out a week ago, and the other girls in there were the least of my concerns. Every woman for herself. I got enough problems.”
Magnolia Blue turned to Link and his friends. “Now do you understand why I said looking for Silas Ravenwood’s place isn’t a good idea?”
“I don’t have a choice.” Link went into panic mode and stepped closer to Magnolia Blue. “The Siren I asked about is my girlfriend, and we think Silas Ravenwood kidnapped her. What if he’s rentin’ her out like Angelique said? You gotta tell me where the plantation is, ma’am. We need to find her. Please.”
The Archivist shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, son. But I don’t know.”
Angelique scoffed. “Lucky for you, there’s one person here who does.”
Link turned toward her. He was ready to drop down on his hands and knees and beg if it got him closer to finding Ridley. “Will you tell us where it is?”
“Sure.” Angelique examined her red nails. “The Outer Door is in the basement of the Gardette-LePretre House, not far from here.”
That was easy.
Link almost couldn’t believe how quickly she’d said it—the one thing no one had been able to tell them since the accident: where to find Silas Ravenwood.
“Isn’t Gardette-LePretre the house people call the Sultan’s Palace?” Liv asked. “I’ve read about it.”
“Of course you have,” Floyd muttered under her breath.
Liv shot her a look and turned back to the Cataclyst. “People say it’s haunted. According to most of the stories, a wealthy Turk rented the house, and he was living there with a harem of stolen women. That is, until they were all murdered. It was the scene of one of the grisliest mass murders in New Orleans history.”
“Imagine if people knew that all the women in his harem were Casters,” Magnolia Blue said.
“A harem of Casters?” Liv asked. “I’ve never heard of anything like that. The Keepers certainly don’t have any records of its existence. It must’ve been the only one.”
“Not the only one,” Magnolia Blue said. “Abraham Ravenwood had a Caster harem of his own, with girls to spare. Where do you think the sultan got the girls in his?”
The idea was sobering.
Link headed for the door. “We need to go.”
“Even if you find the Outer Door, you still have to go through the plantation’s main house and make it past Silas’ Blood Incubus and Darkborn guards to get inside the labs,” Angelique called after him. “I only found the way because some old lady carrying a tray of food led me to the Outer Door. What if you get lost? Who will save your Siren?”
Link stopped, then turned and walked back toward them.
“What you need is someone who’s been there before,” the Cataclyst teased.
“Are you offerin’ to go with us?” he asked.
Floyd grabbed his arm. “Why would she go back there after everything Silas did to her? Think about it. She must have an end game.”
“Of course I do.” Angelique tossed her fiery hair over her shoulder. “No one does anything out of the goodness of their heart. I’m no different. I’m just willing to admit it.”
“What could possibly be worth risking your freedom—and maybe your life?”
“Someone she loves,” Necro said thoughtfully.
“Maybe a family member, or your Empath friend?” Floyd asked.
A flicker of sadness passed across the Cataclyst’s face. “I would’ve taken her with me, but there was no way….” Angelique shook off the emotion and forced a stiff laugh. “My motives aren’t that sentimental. Just the opposite.” She stretched out her fingers and flexed them again. “I want revenge. Silas Ravenwood locked me up like an animal and treated me like a slave. Then he used me as a lab rat. I want to kill him and burn down every inch of his precious labs.”
“You get us inside, and Silas is all yours,” Link said.
A vicious smile spread across Angelique’s lips. “Do we have a deal?”
John stepped between Link and the Cataclyst. “Hold on. How do we know we can trust her?”
“This whole thing could be a setup,” Necro added.
“It doesn’t matter,” Link said. “We can’t turn back now.” He looked at Magnolia Blue. “Mr. Johnson said we could trust you. So if you vouch for her, I’ll take your word for it. Is she tellin’ the truth, ma’am?”
“Link—” Floyd started, but Link held up his hand.
The older woman glanced at Angelique, who seemed amused by the dilemma.
Magnolia Blue shook her head sadly. “I wish I knew. But I can’t predict what’s going to happen. I can only change the way things appear here and now. If you want someone to tell you more than that, you need a Diviner or a—”
Link picked up a folded tarot card from the counter. “Or a Seer.”