She was beginning to enjoy herself, and that worried her. “Remember who’s in control here, Silas, or I’ll have to remind you again.”
“I’m not the one in the cell,” Silas said, stupidly.
Ridley’s cell door flung open. Silas flew back into the small square of space that had been her prison, while she stepped out. “Think again.”
Silas rolled his eyes, reaching into his pocket and taking out a cigar. He cut off the end and lit the Barbadian, taking a long pull. When he exhaled a thin stream of smoke, the snakes recoiled. “Of course not, my dear. No one is going to do anything without your consent. So do I have your consent?”
“Excuse me?” Ridley tried to ignore the rush she felt at the thought of whatever Silas was offering.
“It’s time for another infusion.” He paused. “Unless you don’t want another one. In which case, I’ll move on to a new subject.”
“No,” Ridley said, louder than she meant to. “I mean, I’m ready.” She reached toward him and patted his cheek. “Just behave. That’s all I ask. Give me my infusion and I’ll be done with you before you know it.”
“Like a partnership,” he said, trying to manage a smile.
“Exactly,” she lied, feeling the power burning in her veins.
Silas unlocked the cell and extended his arm. “Shall we?”
Let the little man put on his little airs.
Or not.
Just get what you want and go.
Ridley eyed his arm and then stepped past it. She wasn’t interested in Silas’ theatrics. She wanted whatever he had waiting for her in the lab—and nothing else.
“Rid, please don’t do this,” Nox pleaded, his hand stretched between the bars. “You don’t need it.”
But I do, she thought. More than anything.
And you need me to have it.
I’m more powerful like this, and the one thing we’re going to need is power.
But she didn’t say that.
She just smiled at him. “It’s going to be fine, Baby. You’ll see. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I love you exactly the way you are,” he called out. Within seconds, his face reddened and Ridley knew the words had just slipped out, as words do.
She smiled. “But I don’t.”
Ridley ignored the way his shoulders sagged and followed Silas down the hallway. “What kind of power am I getting this time?” she asked, her body trembling with anticipation.
Silas dropped the five-hundred-dollar cigar on the floor, only half-smoked. “I thought I’d surprise you.”
Ridley relaxed. She loved surprises.
Surprises, and powers that didn’t belong to her.
And possibly, for the very first time, Caster boys.
CHAPTER 28: LINK
At War with Satan
Angelique strode across the room and snatched the vial out of Liv’s hand. She read the label—the one that said Sarafine Duchannes’ Cataclyst powers were running through her veins.
She threw her head back, red curls whipping through the air, and laughed. “Do you have any idea what this means?”
“Yeah. We’re screwed,” Link muttered to himself.
But Angelique wasn’t finished. “Most Casters consider Sarafine Duchannes the Darkest Caster who ever lived. Her powers were legendary.”
The last comment appeared to snap Liv right out of the state of shock they all seemed to be sharing. “We’re aware of that, you idiot.”
John looked at Liv. “How could Silas have saved Sarafine’s powers all this time if she’s been dead? I thought he was keeping the Casters in those cocoons until he was ready to extract their powers and inject them into someone else. Angelique’s only had her powers, what—? Weeks?”
Liv shook her head. “I have no idea how he did it. All I know is that those powers should’ve died with Sarafine.”
Link was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that some part of Ridley’s murderous aunt was inside the Cataclyst standing a few feet away from him. “Ethan saw her die,” he said.
Floyd touched his shoulder. “She is dead, right, Liv?”
“Yes.” Liv sounded flustered. “Very dead. Ethan was very clear about it.” She took a deep breath and looked at Link. “Whatever Silas did, he managed to do it without Sarafine—at least without her being alive.”
Now that Link knew the truth, he realized the signs had been there all along.
The way Angelique flexed her fingers before she was about to use them …
And the way she fluttered them exactly as Sarafine had, just before she uncurled them …
The bloodlust, even the smartass comments—they were all things Link remembered about Sarafine Duchannes.
A Caster so Dark she burned her own house down, with her husband and daughter inside.
Lena, the daughter Sarafine tried to kill how many times?
Link had lost count a while ago.
God, what would Lena think of this? Link did not want to ever tell her.
Angelique glanced up at the glowing cocoons. “Well, this certainly has been enlightening, but I’ve got places to go and people to kill.”
“Can you at least tell us where they might be keeping our friends, if they’re here?” Sam asked. “You owe us that much.”
“Actually, I owe you nothing.” Angelique waved her hand casually. “But I’m not heartless. Just unstoppable.”