Dangerous Deception (Dangerous Creatures 2)

t 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.”

Link headed for the door across the room from the one they’d come in through. He couldn’t get away from creepy cocoons or Angelique and her Sarafine blood—or whatever it was—fast enough. The only person who seemed to want out even more was John, who was right on Link’s heels, dragging Liv along with him.

The moment they entered the hallway, Angelique strode past them. “This place is bigger than it looks. Silas has private lab rooms, and the cells are in the dungeon.”

“There’s a dungeon?” Necro cringed.

“That’s what we called it,” Angelique said before turning back to Link. “If your girlfriend’s here, he’s probably keeping her there. But I only know the way to the cells and the lab room where he gave me my infusions.”

Infusions. Cells. Link had trouble thinking about anything else as they followed Angelique through the gleaming white hallway and down a stone staircase that led underneath the building and into stone tunnels.

“Now I understand why they call it the dungeon,” Necro whispered.

“Shh,” John said. “I heard something.”

Sam nodded. “Me, too. It sounds like a girl’s voice.”

It was all Link needed to hear. He bolted through the tunnel, his Chucks slapping against the stone floor.

I’m coming, Rid.

Within seconds, he saw the iron bars and rows of cells.

But when he reached the first cell and looked through the bars, his heart sank.

A pretty brunette scrambled away from the cell door and cowered in the corner.

“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He tried to smile, but he couldn’t. “I’m not one of Silas’ guys. I’m here lookin’ for my girlfriend. Her name’s Ridley. Maybe you’ve seen her?”

Necro caught up with him just as a girl in another cell stepped forward.

“We know her,” the girl said with a Russian accent. “The new one.”

Link darted toward the bars. “Right. That one. Where is she? Is she okay?” He rushed through the tunnel, searching every cell. They were full of girls, but Ridley wasn’t one of them.

“I see you found the Menagerie,” Angelique said as she caught up with them. Liv, John, Floyd, and Sam were farther behind her, whispering to the terrified imprisoned girls. “Looks like Silas moved everyone.”

“Angelique? Is that you?” Another girl approached the bars, craning her neck for a better view.

The Cataclyst walked over to the girl’s cage. “Drew. It’s nice to see you’re still alive.”

Relief spread across Drew’s features. “I can’t believe you came back for us.”

The other girls were coming to the doors of their own cells now.

Angelique brought her fingers to her lips like she was trying not to laugh. “I didn’t come back for you, Drew—or any of the rest of you,” she said, looking around. “I came back for me. But it was fun catching up.”

Necro stormed over to Angelique, who was reminding Link of Sarafine more and more by the minute. “We can’t leave them here like animals.”

“Rescuing people wasn’t part of the deal, Necromancer.” Angelique continued down the tunnel. “I don’t need to add hero to my résumé. Again, those are the shiny balls. Not my thing.”

Necro looked over at Link. “I’m not leaving without them.”

Floyd shouldered her way past Link and stood next to her friend. “Me neither.”

“We’ll get you out somehow,” Link said, staring at the Russian girl behind the bars. “I hate to ask you this, but do you know where Silas is keepin’ Ridley? I’ve gotta find her.”

The girl shook her head. “Our cells were all together for a while. Then Silas moved us.”

“But they did it at night when it was pitch-black so we couldn’t see where they were taking us,” the other girl, Drew, added. “I guess Silas doesn’t want anyone else escaping.”

Link glanced down the tunnel as Angelique moved farther away. He didn’t want to leave these girls, but he needed to find Rid. And the Cataclyst knew her way around, at least a little.

“Go.” Floyd gave him a shove. “Find Ridley. Necro and I will take care of this.”

“I can stay and Rip them out one at a time,” John offered.

Necro shook her head. “Link might need you. You and Liv go with him. Sam will help us. We’ve got this.”

Liv shook her head. “But how—?”

“I’ve picked a few locks before,” Floyd said sheepishly. “I know my way around a prison.”

Sam grinned. “And I’ve ripped a few doors off their hinges.”

“Floyd and I are Dark Casters, after all,” Necro added. “So you probably shouldn’t ask for the details. Now go.” She gave Link a hard shove.

In that moment, Link loved her. Necro was a true friend, maybe the truest he’d ever had, besides Ethan. He didn’t know how to tell her that, but he hoped she knew.

“Thanks,” he said. It wasn’t enough, but he didn’t know what else to say. Instead, he took off after Angelique.

As Link ducked through a doorway after her, he realized there were worse things than unconscious Casters hanging from the ceiling from magical marionette strings and a Menagerie of girls locked in cages.

At least, there was one thing worse.

Silas Ravenwood.

“Crap.” It slipped out right before Link started holding his breath. He didn’t want to end up in some kind of hybrid Incubus cocoon.

“You can say that again,” John muttered.

Silas’ eyes narrowed, and the four Darkborns flanking him—including Chloe the Butcher—didn’t look any happier to see them.

Angelique breezed over to the Blood Incubus. “Silas,” she purred. “What an unpleasant surprise.”

Silas lit a cigar, trying to look half as relaxed as Angelique genuinely seemed. “Can’t be much of a surprise if you’re breaking into my labs.”

“We have a score to settle, and it’s not my fault you hired …” The Cataclyst glared at Chloe. “Ineffective security.”

Chloe lunged at Angelique, her hand closing around the Dark Caster’s throat. With the flutter of Angelique’s fingers, the Darkborn froze, wincing as her arm retracted involuntarily.

“Now, now,” Angelique said. “Unless you want me to make you dance for us, I suggest you control yourself, Ms. Boucher.”

Silas’ eyes widened. “Chloe told me about your unusual ability. But I never would’ve believed it.”

“Sounds like you lack imagination, Silas.” Angelique closed her hand, releasing her hold on the Darkborn. “Although your handiwork on me and your little collection of caterpillars in the lab does make me wonder. It’s a shame you won’t live to see it through.”

“Aren’t you the least bit curious?” Silas asked.

Liv held up the book of lab notes. “We know exactly what you’re trying to do. Drain Casters of their powers and inject them into other Casters—”

“Trying?” Silas raised an eyebrow. “I’m doing a lot more than trying, you stupid Mortal.”

John charged at Silas, but Angelique threw up her arm to stop him.

“Tsk, tsk, Silas is mine, remember?”

The Blood Incubus noticed John for the first time. He’d been so focused on Angelique that he’d barely glanced at the rest of them. Silas pointed a ringed finger at John. “You. How dare you set foot on my family’s property? We raised you—”

“Raised me?” John snapped. “You experimented on me.”

Silas clenched his jaw, his expression murderous. “Actually, we engineered you like the animal you are. Bred you like a dog. And before this night is over, I’m going to put you down like one, too. You’ll be sorry you killed my Grandfather Abraham.”

“Umm, hello?” Link raised his hand like he was in summer

school. “Technically, I killed him.”

John clapped a hand on Link’s shoulder. “We both did. It was a coordinated effort.”

“This is all very interesting.” Angelique yawned. “And by interesting, I mean boring.” The wind picked up, blowing her red hair around her head like a fiery halo. “But Silas and I have some unfinished business.” She turned to him. “The kind that ends with you lying dead on the floor. So how about a little fire and blood?” She cracked her knuckles, readying her fingers. “That’s what you made me for, isn’t it?”

“Angelique, I’m hurt.” The Incubus held a hand over his chest. “I harvested that sample of Sarafine Duchannes’ power a year ago, and I’ve been saving it all this time. Waiting for the right Caster—someone worthy of such a gift.”

“I didn’t ask for any gifts from you,” she hissed. “Just like I didn’t ask to be kidnapped and live in a cell. Or to be forced to use my powers when you rented me out to your disgusting friends in the Syndicate.”

Silas dropped the cigar and snuffed it out with his wing tip. “That’s where you’re wrong. Sarafine’s powers are a gift. Originally, I took the sample for research purposes, but when I realized how strong her powers were—the fact that a sample from her was equal to a full extraction from the other Dark Casters we drained—I couldn’t waste them.”

Angelique walked toward him, stopping only a few feet in front of him. “I’ll consider it payment for services already rendered. Enough is enough.”

“What if I can offer you something more valuable than revenge?” Silas sounded too calm for someone who was about to die, which made Link nervous.

“What’s he doing?” Link whispered.

Liv didn’t take her eyes off the Incubus. “Making a deal.”

But Angelique didn’t seem interested. “Nothing is more valuable than revenge.”

“How about power?” Silas asked.

“Already have it,” she countered. “Thanks to you, I have the power of the most dangerous Cataclyst in history running through my veins. I can even control this new breed of so-called immune Supernaturals. What more could a woman want?”

Silas stepped closer to the Dark Caster who was probably about to kill him. “I can think of a few things. An empire. Powers so potent that no one can touch you, including my other test subjects. Information on the scope of Sarafine Duchannes’ powers.”