“What was that?” she breathed.
Ridley reached out again, and the moment she touched his skin, she felt the electric shock of his power meeting hers. She craved it. She was starving for it.
Rat Man had the only thing she needed. More fire. More of the cold, cold burn. She would’ve told him if she could have found the words.
Instead, she drew herself into him, until her hands were wrapped around his head and her lips were pressed up against his jaw. She wanted to drink him in.
She moved her lips to his neck.
Who was the bone rat now?
Rat Man only stared.
No.
Not Rat Man.
She had to pay attention now.
She could tell this was important.
She could tell everything was about to change.
She closed her eyes and counted.
Three.
Two.
One.
When I open my eyes, I’ll push my way through the haze. I’ll make myself listen to the words. No more lullabies.
Time to grow up.
Time to listen to Auntie Sarafine.
Put away the bone rats.
Take your place.
You are a thing of power, Ridley Duchannes.
It’s time to use it.
So she did.
And with the full force of the power exploding through her, Ridley drew this Nox to her lips and drank him in, until the universe spun around her and all the voices in her head finally stopped talking and listened.
CHAPTER 17: LINK
Wanted Dead or Alive
Link only needed to say one word—one name, actually—to break down his plan for John and Liv. It was a little harder to explain to Floyd, Necro, Sam, Magnolia Blue, and the Cataclyst in question.
Liv stared at him for a moment, speechless. “Have you completely lost your mind?”
John rubbed his temples. “I think it’s pretty obvious he has.”
“Where are we gonna find a better card reader?” Link asked. “Think about it. She’ll know if we can trust Angelique or not.”
“Does someone want to tell us who this Amma person is?” Necro asked.
Liv, John, and Link exchanged glances. Every time they heard that name, the pain of losing her returned.
Liv sighed. “She was a gifted Seer, born from a long line of Seers that went back generations. Her powers were legendary.”
“Almost as legendary as her pie,” Link added.
“Then what’s the problem?” Necro asked. “She sounds perfect. I’ll channel her, and we can get her to read the Cataclyst’s cards.”
Yeah, right, Link thought. It won’t be that easy.
He tried again. “She’s not like other people. You can’t just pick up the phone and expect her to get on the line.”
“Why not? I’m a Necromancer. My whole life is one giant phone call to the Otherworld.”
It was pretty clear to him that Necro, Floyd, and Sampson didn’t understand exactly what they were dealing with here. The idea of bringing the orneriest old lady he’d ever met back from the grave—and shoving her inside the body of a blue-haired Dark Caster—was scarier than walking through a swamp full of gators, carrying raw chicken. Not that Amma would’ve let him do anything that crazy.
She had raised Ethan, and Link had known her since he and Ethan became friends in kindergarten. Even though she couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred pounds soaking wet, she was the only woman who scared Link more than his mom.
Now I just have to explain that without lookin’ like a punk.
“We used to stay out of her way if she was doin’ a crossword puzzle,” he said. “She’s not the kinda lady who’s gonna be happy about bein’ disturbed in the Otherworld.”
Necro rolled her eyes. “Most people aren’t.”
“She’ll get over it,” Angelique said. “Are we really still talking about this?”
Liv paced, something Link couldn’t ever remember her doing before.
A bad sign.
“I’m not sure Link is painting a clear enough picture,” Liv said. “Amma Treadeau is very particular, and not the biggest fan of …”
“What?” Sampson asked.
“Dark Casters,” John finished. “Actually, she’s not a big fan of the Caster world in general.”
Angelique burst out laughing. “Now we’re the problem?”
“Of course not. At least, not the only problem.” Liv eyed her coldly. “I’m just trying to think this through.”
“Ethan’s gonna kill me. He’s gonna kill all of us,” Link said to Liv.
“Does your girlfriend have time for that?” Magnolia Blue asked.
Link glanced at John, who shrugged. “It was your idea, man. You say the word, and we drop the whole thing.”
Link took a long, hard look at his options—of which there were exactly none.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head. “If we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna need some pie.”
Everyone sat on the floor and formed a circle while Liv lit four novena candles in the center and placed a pecan pie next to them. “It won’t be anywhere near as good as one of yours, Amma,” she said. “But it will have to do.”
Magnolia Blue had used her powers as a Shifter to change a souvenir voodoo doll into the pie.
“Think it will taste the same?” Link was pretty sure it wouldn’t.
“It’s just an offering,” Magnolia Blue said. “She won’t actually eat it.”