“She’s an old friend,” Nox said sadly. “I owe her everything.”
Link didn’t have to ask how Necro, Floyd, and Sam had found them, not when they’d walked in behind Lucille. He had noticed that she had scampered off after they Ripped.
Necro looked around. “Where’s Ridley?”
Link looked at Nox. “You tell them.”
“Silas injected her with an Illusionist’s powers and I don’t even know what else.” Nox shook his head and looked at Link. “And it changed her.”
“Changed her how?” Link waited for the rich boy to answer him, but someone else did first.
“For the better, if I do say so myself. Think of it as a makeover.”
Link spun around.
Ridley walked toward them. Everything about her seemed different and yet the same. From the sultriness in her voice to the calculating expression on her face, it was all her but more pronounced. Like Ridley was more … just more, somehow.
But one thing was definitely different.
Her eyes.
The gold Dark Caster eyes he’d stared into so many times were a violent purple now.
It doesn’t matter. It’s still Rid, and she’s okay.
Link moved toward her, encircling her in his arms. It was so good to be near her.
She was warm and full of life, and love—
But when he pulled back and looked at her again, she seemed different.
She’s been through so much. It’s a miracle she’s alive.
“I thought you were dead, Rid. You don’t know how happy I am to see you.” He noticed the strange way she was looking at him, like she was scared. But he ignored it and slung his arm around her neck anyway. Ridley recoiled like he’d tossed a pot of boiling water all over her.
“What’s that smell?” She covered her nose and mouth, angling her body away from him. “It’s like you dragged a rotting body in here.”
Link sniffed under his arm.
Maybe she’s messing with me.
But the way she was holding her arm out to push him away definitely didn’t make it seem like that.
“I don’t know,” Link said. “We were around a buncha Sheers in this house in New Orleans where they were murdered. Can you smell dead people now? That’s kinda cool, I guess.”
The thought gave Link the creeps, but he didn’t want to make her feel bad.
Liv walked toward them slowly, watching Ridley as she moved closer. When Liv was a few feet from Link, Ridley gagged and stumbled away from them.
“You smell even worse than he does. Don’t come any closer. Please.” Ridley braced herself against the wall with one arm and dry-heaved.
Liv froze. “Oh my gosh.”
“What?” Link knew he was missing something important.
Liv backed away and tugged Link’s sleeve, giving Ridley some space.
“John,” Liv said, waving him over. “Can you and Sampson come over here?”
Sampson and John walked over and stood next to Liv and Link.
“What’s going on?” John asked.
Liv nodded in Ridley’s direction. “Keep walking.”
Sampson and John exchanged a confused look and did as Liv asked.
Ridley had caught her breath by now, and she didn’t react at all as the hybrid and the Darkborn approached. “Am I under arrest?” she teased.
“Want to tell us what we’re doing?” John looked back at Liv.
“Testing a theory,” she said quietly.
“What kind of theory?” Link asked. “What the hell’s goin’ on, Liv? Why can’t we get near Rid without makin’ her want to puke?”
Liv looked away. “I think it’s because we’re both Mortal—at least, part Mortal.”
Link’s stomach twisted into a knot, and for a second, he thought he might puke. “That can’t be right.” He shook his head. “Tell her she’s wrong, Rid.”
Ridley kept her distance and tossed her pink-streaked blond hair over her shoulder casually. “Makes sense to me.”
The way she said it was almost like she didn’t care.
“But what about us, Rid? How are we gonna fix it?” Link swallowed hard, a sinking feeling settling inside him.
She looked troubled, avoiding his eyes. “We aren’t. It was good while it lasted, Hot Rod. But things are different now.”
“Rid, we can figure this out. Maybe there’s some kinda antidote or somethin’.” Link knew he was begging, but he didn’t care.
Everyone turned away like they were watching a car crash.
“You don’t get it, Shrinky Dink. I’m not the same person.”
“Then who are you?” Link was hurt and confused, but he wanted to understand. He hadn’t come all this way for nothing.
Ridley looked away. “To be honest, I feel like throwing up. I need some air.”
Link shook his head. “I don’t know what Silas did to you, but deep down, you’re still the same girl.”
“Hardly,” she said. “I don’t know what I am. Not anymore.” She had never spoken more honestly in her life.
Link ran his hand through his spiky hair. “I know who you are. You’re the girl who gives me a hard time and won’t let me call her Babe. The girl who lives to torture my mom, but who’s always there for the people she cares about.”
Ridley shrugged. “What kind of torture are we talking about? You know, so I can picture it.”