We left the living quarters and headed through the hallways of the coven, until we reached the hidden door that led to Raffe’s glass box of emotion. It still felt eerie to wander through the narrow corridor toward the main room, every sound deadened thanks to the soundproofing.
“Are you sure you’re okay to do this?” I asked nervously, the sight of the “cage” making me feel guilty. Giving Kadar the reins put a lot of pressure on Raffe, in every way possible.
“If it gets us the answers we need, it’ll be worth it.” He cast me a reassuring smile. “He’ll listen to you. I know he will. And if he doesn’t, he gets shoved back down. That’s how this works.” I wasn’t sure he was talking to me anymore. It seemed to be a warning for Kadar.
Raffe walked over to the glass box and unlocked the padlock with the key. He left it in the bowl on the table to the side of the room, before retreating behind the clear façade. I followed him, the padlock slotting into place automatically behind him as he entered. He smiled at me through the glass as I stepped back and waited for the magic to happen.
“My spicy señorita. I was wondering when you might get bored of dear old Raffey and beg to have me back,” Kadar purred. I hadn’t even noticed the transition. A few wisps of black smoke wafted up from his shoulders, his skin darkening to that strange, deep red before my very eyes. “Admit it, I’m a lot more fun, aren’t I?” His eyes flashed crimson as he pressed himself to the glass, doing a less-than-enticing dance against it.
“Is that supposed to be impressive?”
He grinned. “I’ve got plenty I could impress you with, Santana. I’ve never felt more alive, thanks to the name you gave me. It’d be rude of me not to offer you something in return, and I have just the thing in mind. Although, you’ll need to let me out first. I’m aching to get my hands on you. I’ve been picturing the terror on your face as I put my hands around your throat—you won’t know if I want to kiss or kill you until the very last moment. What a tasty thought.” He licked his lips, a throaty cackle rippling from his mouth.
“Not going to happen, Kadar,” I replied. “There’s no way you’re getting out of there.”
“Don’t you think about me? Let’s not lie to each other. I know you do. Raffe isn’t here; you can tell me anything,” he whispered.
“I think about how glad I am you’re stuck behind a glass wall.”
His eyes flashed blue. “Fine, be coy. I am a patient demon. I will win you over, and when I do, I will sink my teeth into your flesh and bathe in your blood, until we are one entity. Your soul will bind to mine, and nothing will separate us.”
“You should read a Hallmark card if you want some flirting ideas,” I retorted. “Telling a girl you want to bathe in her blood isn’t exactly romantic.”
“But you aren’t just any old girl, Santana. Your energy is intoxicating. I want to lap it all up until there’s nothing left. It’s all I can think about, all hours of the day. It feeds me. It makes me want to thrive. It makes me want to devour you in one bite.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I’m not here to hear about all the nasty things you want to do to me, Kadar.”
“Have you come to bargain?”
“I suppose.”
He leered at me through the glass. “Name your terms, and I’ll name mine.”
The thought of entering into a bargain with a djinn didn’t sit well with me. Making deals with the devil was a notoriously bad thing to do, but desperation didn’t give me many other options. If I wanted more information on Erebus, I needed to offer something in return. Knowing Kadar, I wasn’t going to like his suggestion. No flesh-biting or blood-bathing, Diablo.
“I want to know more about your connection to Erebus,” I said confidently. He could probably smell my fear.
He laughed coldly. “Such a tiny, insignificant question. I suppose I can answer anything you want to know about that, as long as you’re willing to answer a few of my questions afterward. A fair exchange, I’d say. Believe me, I could be asking for more. My sweet girl, I want to, but I figured we’d start small. Next time you come begging for me, we’ll move on to bigger and better things.”
Questions? Could be worse. I felt a little wary about what those questions might be, but he was right—he could’ve asked for a lot more. This seemed like an even exchange. That was the problem; it seemed a little too fair.
I shrugged. “Fine, I’ll answer some of your questions if I’m satisfied with the answers you give me.”
“I only give satisfaction, Santana. Care to find out more?”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Let’s just stick with the questions, shall we? Now, tell me about your connection to Erebus.”
He paced the floor of his cage, his eyes turning red again. “I can go one better, even if you won’t indulge me. If you like, I can channel the inner knowledge that all djinns gain from Erebus and relay the answers back to you. Think of me as your spiritual mediator.” He appeared to be disappointed by my lack of enthusiasm for his advances, and yet there was a weird softness to his tone that intrigued and terrified me in equal measure. It was as though he genuinely wanted to do me a favor, to keep me happy.
“That would be very kind, Kadar.”
His eyes glittered like sapphires, shifting from red back to blue. I’d pleased him, somehow.
“My first question is, what is the process for becoming a Child of Chaos?”
He fell silent for a moment. “The act is nearly impossible,” he said, his voice returning with a thousand whispering echoes. It sounded similar to the way my voice changed when my Orishas spoke through me. Creepy.
“Nearly?”
“That’s what I said, didn’t I?” he shot back, with a sly grin.
I clung to the word. “Has anyone in the history of magicals ever attempted to become a Child of Chaos?”
He slipped back into his brief trance. “It would appear that they have, and foolishly so.”
“Who?” My heart gripped in my chest. I was getting somewhere.
“That is not a question that we care to answer. We do not speak names—names are much too powerful,” he replied. “Ask something else.”
I frowned, trying to reword it. “Are there any records of this attempt here on Earth?”
“Clever girl,” he purred. “Erebus and the other Children of Chaos have a particular interest in a Clairvoyant called the Librarian. They are keeping a watchful eye on her. This bookworm has kept track of all the magical spells ever created and attempted. I may not be able to reveal any names to you, but if you can find the Librarian, you may find the rest of your answers yourself.”
I stared at him, overwhelmed with gratitude. If anyone knew what was required to become a Child of Chaos, it had to be this Librarian… wherever she might be. However, the fact that someone else had attempted this insane act filled me with dread. They might not have succeeded, but that didn’t mean Katherine wouldn’t. Nearly impossible didn’t mean impossible.
“Where is the Librarian?” I asked.
Kadar shook his head. “No.”
“What do you mean? Don’t you know?”
“I mean no. You’ve drained my knowledge repository dry. Even if I wanted to say more, I won’t,” he replied. “If you want more detailed answers, you’ll have to talk to Erebus himself.” He erupted into cold, brutal laughter. Clearly, the thought of me calling on Erebus himself to get more answers was hilarious to a demon like Kadar. I, on the other hand, thought it might be the right idea. I’m clearly going loco if that’s what we’ve come to. Less fighting fire with fire, more fighting crazy with crazy. Then again, it might be mad enough to work.
I thought about Harley’s reaction to the Grimoire and wondered if she really had almost summoned something terrible. Had Erebus been about to come on through to the mortal realm? Or was it something else? I couldn’t be entirely sure, but it sparked an idea in my head. A safer, less-charged way to call upon the Children of Chaos. There had to be a way to do it without risking Harley’s life, and the lives of everyone around her. It couldn’t always be smoke tornadoes and fire and brimstone; otherwise, nobody would have bothered in the past.
“What are you thinking, my exotic flower?” he growled, pressing himself to the glass again.
I flashed him a smile. “I’m thinking I want Raffe back now.”
He waggled his red finger at me. “I don’t think so, chica. You’ve got your end of the bargain to hold up. You wouldn’t go against a deal made with a demon, would you? You know what happens to people who cross creatures like me, right?”
Growing up in Catemaco, I knew all too well the kinds of things that could happen to a person who broke a deal with a devil. We were taught about evil spirits from a young age and how to protect ourselves against them. The first rule was never to get involved with a demon, but it was too late for that one. The only way to send a demon away was to fulfill your end of the bargain, or to get a bunch of powerful Santerias to send them packing for you. Since I didn’t have the latter with me, and there was no way of sending the djinn packing without killing Raffe, I’d have to settle for plan A.
“Fine, ask your questions,” I replied.
He rubbed his hands together in delight. “You must answer truthfully. I’ll know if you’re lying, and you don’t want to lie to me.”
“I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” I held my hand to my heart and scowled at him.
“Then tell me, do you have feelings for Raffe?”
“That’s easy—of course I do.”
“A little too easy, perhaps,” he mused. “How about this: do you find this darker side of him attractive, as well? If that wasn’t clear, I’m asking if you find me attractive, too?”