Dangerous Creatures(77)

They waited in silence. There wasn’t much left to talk about at a time like this.

Twenty-four hours of planning didn’t make tonight any better. The band had still ridden to the club in tense silence. The moldy basement beneath Sirene was still dank and deserted. Nox was still pacing in his office as if it was opening night.

It wasn’t.

There were no Casters crowding in. No DayGlo Sirenes selling Nectar of the Gods. No bartenders, no band.

Not on this level of the club, which had been locked off from the rest of the world, just as Nox had promised Silas it would be.

This storage room made the Underground look like the Happiest Place on Earth.

Ridley could feel the bass beat begin pounding through the walls. Nox had his house DJ covering for them. Every sound made her jump.

“Music’s come up,” Link said, listening.

“Yep.” Won’t be long now, she thought.

“We should be out there.” He sounded wistful.

“Not tonight, we shouldn’t.”

“Guess not.”

Rid smiled at him. “You had a good run, Shrinky Dink.”

“Yeah. Sirensong.” He said the name like he was filing it away in his graveyard of failed bands.

Who Shot Lincoln. The Holy Rollers. Meatstik. Sirensong.

Rid picked at a pink glitter nail. “It wasn’t all Nox, you know. Not all of it.”

Link didn’t take the bait. “Sure. It was also his mom’s Siren lyre.”

“Link.”

“Guess there’s no way to find out now.” Link sighed and looked at her. “It doesn’t matter, Rid. We gotta get outta here and get safe.” Get you out of here and get you safe. That was what he was thinking. Ridley knew Link well enough to know that, no matter how mad he might be at her.

She had always been his first priority. Taking care of her. Doing the right thing by her. Caring about her. She didn’t know why it had taken her so long to believe it.

Guess there’s no way to find out now.

She resisted the urge to reach out to him, if only to lay her hand on his arm. It was strange, having to remember not to touch him.

I did this.

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?”