Dangerous Creatures (Dangerous Creatures 1)

I did this to myself.

“Ow—” A yelp from Link broke the silence, and he shook his hand like he wanted to shake it right off. “Is your ring burnin’ up?”

She held hers up, wincing. The glowing red light cast shadows on the wall around them. “Like crazy.”

It was quiet for a moment.

Ridley stole a sideways look at Link. “I would have, too, you know.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Woulda what?”

“Taken your place. With Abraham, I mean. Back there, what you said. How you would have let him take you instead of me.”

Link stared at the wall in front of him intently. “Yeah?”

Ridley shrugged. “I just wanted you to know.”

He turned to her. “Rid—”

But the banging at the door startled them, and Ridley pulled herself to her feet, Link scrambling up after her. “Nox?”

“It’s me,” the familiar voice said from the other side.

Link unlocked the door. “Took you long enough.”

“Sorry,” Nox said. “I had to organize a few things. A few thousand things. Floyd and Necro are ready to go. I have them at each end of the stage, waiting for my signal.”

Ridley looked at Nox. “Necro. Is she—”

“Fine. Stronger than you think. Believe me.” In some ways, Nox knew her better than any of them, Ridley realized.

Link looked relieved.

Nox took in the dismal room. “How do you kids like it down here? Pretty luxurious, right?”

“We couldn’t have waited in your office?” Ridley asked.

“I said I was holding you down here,” Nox said. “That was the plan. This has to seem legit. Silas has eyes on the club. He’s not exactly a trusting guy.”

“So what’s next?” Ridley asked, shivering. She knew the plan, but knowing it didn’t make her feel any better about it.

Nox pulled a little crimson matchbook from his pocket and held it in the air between his fingers. Ridley recognized it immediately. The word SIRENE was printed across the cover.

Nox took her hand with his free one, and Rid could almost feel Link watching them. “You’re sure you want to go through with this, Little Siren?”

“If you’re sure it’s the only way,” she answered.

He nodded. “It’s the only way I can think of.”

Link’s eyes were fixed on the matches. “Is that for what I think it is? Or are you plannin’ to take up smokin’?”

“It’s time,” Nox said.

“So just a small fire, right? A diversion?” Rid started to get nervous.

“Not that small,” Nox said. “Maybe a little bigger than I let on.”

“Nox.” Ridley pulled her hand away.

“Okay, maybe not small at all.” Nox shrugged. “Don’t worry. I’ve shown everything to Necro and Floyd. The Illusionist can handle it. They’ll get everyone out of the club before they even know what’s going on. And, hopefully, before it blows.”

“Hold on, dude.” Suddenly, Link was paying attention. “You’re gonna burn your own club down?”

“The only way Silas Ravenwood will leave you both alone is if he thinks you’re dead, and it has to be convincing. Something he can see—or at least his men can see—with their own eyes. They’ll see Sirene when she burns.” Nox waved the matches. “Get it?”

“Wait. Seriously.” Ridley put a hand on his arm. “You’d burn down Sirene for me?”

“Why not?” Nox shrugged, looking at her. “I built it for you.”

For a second, no one said a word.

Then Link gave Nox a hard look. “How about you keep that crap to yourself, pretty boy? Otherwise, the wrong Supernatural might go up in flames.”

Nox ignored him.

Ridley looked away. “No.”

“Ridley. Please. Let me do the right thing, for once in my life.”

“I said no.” She shook her head. “Call it off. There has to be a better way.”

Link looked at her. “The guy has a point. As much as I don’t like it, we don’t have a whole lotta choices right now, Rid.”

“Exactly.” Nox sighed. “They come for you. The place goes up in flames. We carry out the bodies.”

“Our bodies.” Ridley was still having trouble wrapping her mind around it.

He nodded. “Eventually, Abraham will figure it out when you don’t show up on the other side. But by then, you’ll have a head start on him. You’ll just have to lay low.”

“Like, witness protection low.” Link nodded. “We’ll figure something out.”

Nox lowered his voice. “You saw the blueprints. You can’t go out the front door, or Silas’ men will see you. There’s only one way out from down here.” Nox pointed down the hallway. “The service door is at the end of that hall. Go out that way.”

“Won’t Silas have men at that door, too?” Rid asked.

“Yeah,” Nox said, “but they won’t be standing very close, if that’s where the fire starts.”

“You’re not saying—” Ridley couldn’t bring herself to finish.

“The fire starts here.” Nox nodded. “You’re going to have to get out through the fire. It’s the only way.”

“Hello.” Link waved. “Hybrid Incubus in the room. We’re not goin’ out the door. I’ll Rip us both out. I’ve gotten a lot better lately.”

“You can’t,” Nox said. “Silas isn’t stupid. He’s already got that one covered. The club is Bound—on top of my own Binding, he’s done his own. Can’t you feel it? No one can Travel in or out. No Rip letter could get through that now. You have to use the doors, like a Mortal.”

Ridley panicked. “But you said I die in a fire.” She stared back at him, her heart pounding in her chest. “This is what you warned me about. Tonight.”

Nox nodded. “You die in a fire. That’s one possibility. But not this one. I never saw anything like this. I never saw a future where we were the ones starting the fire.”

“How do you know?” Ridley felt desperate.

“I saw wooden stairs. I saw a fire. I saw the sky. Not a basement below the club itself.”

She shook her head. “What if it’s the same thing?”

“It’s not. Not if we’re in control of the whole thing.”

“Are you sure?” She could tell from the look on his face that he wasn’t.

“Ninety-nine percent. This isn’t one of the futures I saw for you. This isn’t one of your paths.”

Ridley was silent for a moment.

What other choice do I have?

“I’d rather die in a fire than end up as part of Silas Ravenwood’s harem,” she said finally.

Link grabbed her hand. “Yeah, well, you aren’t gonna do either. Not on my watch.”

“Our watch,” said Nox.

“Back up.” Link frowned. “If I can’t Rip, how are we gonna get outta this place? I’m pretty badass, but I’m not fireproof.”

“I am,” Sampson said from where he stood just outside the door. Ridley had no idea how long he’d been there watching them.

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Link raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

The Darkborn gave Link a hard stare. “Of course not, you idiot. But I can control it.” Sampson ducked his head under the doorframe and came inside. “Ever heard of the butterfly effect? They say if a butterfly flaps its wings in China, it can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world.”

“I sorta failed bio in summer school, so you might wanna hit the high points.”

Sampson continued. “When your cousin screwed up the Order of Things, that’s what she did. She changed the nature of the supernatural world, right down to the source.”

“The Dark Fire,” Ridley said in a low voice.

Sampson’s gray eyes met hers, and he smiled. “Why do you think they call us Darkborns?”

“It’s true. Sampson’s kind draw their strength from the Dark Fire,” Nox said. “So Mortal fire? Not such a big deal.”

“Yeah? What about Mortal smoke inhalation?” Link was suspicious.

“There’s fire, and then there’s fire. Let’s just say it bends to my will,” the Darkborn said, looking at Ridley. “The way guys bend to yours.”

“I thought you didn’t care what happens to Mortals?” Ridley looked at Sampson suspiciously. “I thought you didn’t get involved with Caster business?”

He shrugged. “There’s an exception to every rule. I’d hate to break up the band.”

Link stared at Sirensong’s lead guitarist with his mouth hanging open. “You’re the Magneto of Supernaturals. Holy crap.” Magneto was the one comic book character Link revered above all others. It was the highest compliment he could’ve paid Sampson.

“I’d go with Metallica,” Sampson said. “But I’ll take it.”

Link whistled to himself. “You bet your Dark balls a fire it’s a compliment.”

“So that’s it.” Nox held up the matchbook. “It’s time to take the future into our own hands. We light the fire. We set the Wheel of Fate in motion.”

Link grinned. “I’m startin’ to get what you’re sayin’. The Wheel can’t roll over us if we’re the ones pushin’ it.”

Nox handed Link the matches. “You’re not as stupid as you look. For a messed-up Incubus with Mortal limitations.”

“I get that a lot.”

Nox turned to Ridley. “You ready?”

She tossed her head. “I was born ready.” It was the second time she had tried to bluff him.