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Fuck. Felt like a lifetime ago. And now I was walking directly back into the lion’s den.
“Hello! How can I help you be better today?”
The cheery woman sitting behind the circular front desk was a fae. She wore a black jacket over a black shirt, a black headband pulling back her mane of curly brown hair. The only thing colorful on her was her emerald-green eyes that sparkled like jewels.
Holy shit. That’s the same fae who attacked me in the attic.
My palms clammed up, my chest tightening. Fuck. My illusion better fucking hold.
“We were hoping to get some more information,” I started, surprised my ability to form functioning sentences still worked. I knew they wouldn’t divulge all their secrets to two random guys off the street, but I also knew this cult was desperate for new members. If we came in looking like fresh meat, then they were likely more inclined to drop some nuggets of information that we could use to help us find the paintings.
“Of course.” The woman—her name badge read Macy—leaned forward and smiled. The lobby area was extremely well lit, making it almost seem like a movie set, the light bouncing off the clean white marble floors and shelves. There were books displayed around the room, all promising the secrets to a better life, written by different high-ranking members of the cult. Behind the front desk was a huge slab of striated marble with embossed silver lettering on it, proclaiming that a better life was only a question away.
“Would you like a tour while I answer any questions you might have?” She was already standing and grabbing her keys off the desk, clearly expecting a certain answer.
“That would be great,” I said. Maddox looked around, taking it all in. He wasn’t the best at picking up on tiny details, so I wasn’t putting all my expectations on him discovering some massive clue, but standing next to him made me grateful I wasn’t alone right now. I doubted I would have been able to walk in if I hadn’t been with Maddox. This place—it was too similar. Nothing had changed since I was a kid.
Nothing.
“Right this way,” she said. “Let me take you to our library first. And I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your names?”
“Ricky,” I answered. “And this is Adam.”
“Nice to meet you both. So what brings you into the Center today?”
“Curiosity,” Maddox answered truthfully.
But that wasn’t the answer she wanted. I could tell. I had to give her what she expected to hear. Had to fast-track this tour because we only had twenty or so minutes before my enchantments gave in, and I certainly didn’t want a repeat of what happened with Kyler in the prison.
“We’ve also been going through a very difficult time,” I said as Macy led us down a wide hallway, the white walls displaying portraits of people smiling and living their best lives. “We’re looking for a way to get things back on track.”
“Can I ask what that difficult time consists of?” Macy asked as she pressed a key card up against a door, the heavy lock sliding open.
“We’re going through a housing issue,” I answered. “And Adam recently lost his job. It’s been a very difficult time for us. We’re looking for some support.”
“And that’s exactly why we’re here.” Macy placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, and it took everything in me to not recoil from her as if she held a handful of hissing snakes. She was a good actress, I could give her that. She was undoubtedly part of the Crimson Ring and had likely seen a lifetime of horrors, yet she was still able to smile and pull us in from the street like she was a gentle granny offering us some lemonade. Even though I’d already seen an entirely different—and murderous—side to her.
No wonder this cult never died.
“Come, enter our library.” She opened the door and let us step into the cavernous space. It was circular and had a glass roof that looked up to a cloudless Los Angeles sky, the sun shining down on over a dozen comfortable seats and tables to hang out in. The walls were full of books that stretched up toward the glass dome, ladders available to be wheeled around in case anyone wanted something off the top shelf. There were people sitting and sipping coffee, flipping through books that I was sure were full of more lies and philosophical poison, subliminally brainwashing all these people to worship their one true god: Niazatos, the Chaos King.
“Beautiful,” Maddox said, looking around.
“Isn’t it?” Macy stood with her hands held at her front, a proud smile on her angular face. A smile that didn’t touch her eyes. There was an emptiness to her. Something hollow. She was performing the function without fully falling into the part. The disconnect sent a shiver down my spine. It reminded me of the building we stood inside of, the empty promises that were laid out like cheese leading to a rat trap. Her teeth seemed unusually sharp. “It’s modeled after the glass ruins off Catalina Island. Have you two heard of them?”
