Ridley and Link

""Come with me. Tonight. I can't stay here, but I came back for you.""

- Ridley finally admitting her feelings toward Link, Beautiful Chaos

Link and Ridley's relationship is a popular subject among the Caster Chronicles franchise. It is one of the more tragic ones since Ridley's refusal to admit she loves Link causes the majority of problems in the two's relationship. Link has been shown to be the only guy to have ever had an emotional effect on Ridley; and most likely the only guy.

Despite this, the two engage an on-again/off-again relationship. She also showed something of a protective side with him having gotten truly worried about him when he is hurt or could be. This is and her jealous side also confirms her hidden love for him when Ridley gets more than possessive when other girls try to get into a relationship with him; even physically harming Savannah when she flirts with him.

Link has been shown to be the only guy to ever have had an effect on Ridley; and most likely the only guy she ever truly loved since she has been seen to throw all guys aside in her life after she is done using them. Whereas with Link she continued to engage in an on-again, off-again relationship with him (as with the other guys she just cuts off completely altogether in her life) therefore keeping him in her life.

This is and her jealous side also confirms her hidden love for him when Ridley gets more than possessive when other girls try to get into a relationship with him; even physically harming Savannah when she outwardly flirts with him. She even threatens her to stay away from him implying he was "hers" and henceforth to "stay away," from him "before she gets hurts."

The biggest confirmation would probably be when Ridley is shown to be genuinely heartbroken when Link rejects her, even to the extent of being pushed to near tears. It is suspected at that Ridley may just be afraid of the extent of her feelings towards Link since he is the only person who has been shown to open up her weak side and has genuinely loved her. And also adding to the factor that she, for the first time, actually returns those feelings and emotions may possibly scare her. Examples being in the short moments in the series when Link opens up and reveals his feelings towards her, she is shown to almost open up a vulnerable and weak side to his confessions, but when seeing someone watching them is then quick to hide those emotions her cocky attitude and bluntly and coldly rejects him. (Thus verifying she is afraid of being seen as weak.) The only time she has ever returned his feelings openly is when they were alone and no one is there to witness her open up her vulnerable side to him; though that does nothing to stop his rejection of her due to her selfish choice of getting her Siren powers back from their enemies who have done nothing but harmed them.

Beautiful Creatures
Ridley's relationship with Link at first started out as any other relationship with a guy (you're kinda an asshole for writing this part, anonymous person! Not all women use men to get what they want); her using her siren powers on him to get what she wanted out of him. However slowly, Link began to genuinely fall in love with her despite her wild personality and how she basically mistreated him always ignoring him. Despite this, Link truly falls for her as the novel goes on and, possible, Ridley as well with Link..

Beautiful Darkness
By now, Link has broken up with Ridley after discovering her true nature and how she used it on him. However, it is hinted at that Ridley has developed real feelings for him as well being shown in several scenes to care for his safety and Ethan also describes that Ridley was "the one who looked uncomfortable," when seeing Link for the first time in awhile; this may possibly be due to Ridley realizing she actually felt something for him. Another hint being that at the end of the novel, when discovering what John Breed had done to him, bitten him, Ridley is described as "looking like she could throw someone off a cliff" and not bother to regret it.

Also throughout the novel, she and Link constantly bicker and argue in between when Ridley is shown to worry for Link; though she denies caring about him. In the novel, Link confides in Ethan that while he knew Ridley was Dark, he still loved her.

Beautiful Chaos
Ridley's jealous side is seen for the first time Beautiful Chaos as she continues to ignore Link and reject his attempts at a relationship with her further indicating of her growing feelings for Link. When Link begins to develop a masculine appearance due to his changing into an Incubus by John Breed's bite, more girls start to flirt and hit on him showering him in flirtatious attention. Ridley's jealous side is seen when she begins to get viciously jealous and possessive when other girls flirt with him; her anger being directed at Savannah Snow who flirts with Link the most. Ridley even goes to the extent of not only threatening her to leave Link alone, but to even make an entire cheerleading pyramid fall on top of her, breaking her leg. But throughout the course of the novel, Ridley denies having any sort of feelings for Link claiming she won't ever love him; even going out with another guy to prove this to him; though her jealousy towards other girls who flirt with him continues to go completely unhinged along with Link's still lingering feelings for Ridley.

Later at a party Link isn't able to deny his feelings for Ridley and ends up calling her his "girl," and says how he loves her and wants to be with her. Ridley at first looks like she might just return his feelings, actually showing a vulnerability, but after seeing Ethan, Lena and Liv watching from afar instead yells at him saying she will never love him and to just get over her before storming off. Link finally gives up on Ridley just as Savannah comes up and kisses him and Link, seeing he now has nothing left to lose, kisses her back. Ridley sees the kiss from some distance away when turning around and in reaction, literally in an actual sense, screams in outright fury. Ridley, in the mix of her anger and jealousy, casts a Furor Cast, a cast that induces fury in the target(s).. It is made clear by this action that Ridley does love Link, but perhaps is just too stubborn to admit it.

Ridley isn't seen again until towards the end of the novel when sneaking into an empty hallway at the school dance to see Link who was at his locker changing his shirt. It is revealed that she got her powers back by her now golden eyes. (With Ridley explaining that she "begged for forgiveness and all that.") When Link expresses his anger at her choice, she then begins to claim that she only did it for him- for the first time returning Link's feelings openly- and them as a couple so they could be together (reasoning he'd only get bored with her as a mortal and didn't want to risk that). She attempts to coax him into taking off with her for the night saying she only came back for him seeming to truly mean it, opening up a weak and vulnerable side never seen before. But she ends up losing him instead because of the selfishness of her choice.

In reaction to this, Ridley states that would be the last time he would ever see her again, actually seeming sincerely dejected at Link's rejection of her, and flees from the room while clearly holding back tears. After this, true to her word, she isn't seen again for the rest of the novel.

Beautiful Redemption
In Beautiful Redemption, the two meet once again after Lena saves Ridley when she was imprisoned by Abraham in a cage and shackles. While the two seem initially hostile towards each other upon first seeing each other again, Link insisting he and Ridley "weren't meant to be", Lena takes note of how Ridley can't look Link in the eye, causing her to wonder what happened between them. Link and Ridley "fight" (aka flirting, this which is obvious to everyone) with each other throughout the course of the novel together, but seem to gradually get on a more better note with each other. This shown in a scene where the two just simply talk instead of "fighting" and Link puts his arm around her shoulders, something Ridley doesn't seem to mind.

Despite their bickering meant to appear as hostility, it only further implies their feelings for each other. This even causing John Breed to tiredly insist if they would ever "stop it" during a "fight", making both Link and Ridley to say in unison, "Stop what?" and seeming genuinely confused as to what he meant. In the end of the novel, they sit next to each other at Dar-ee Keen's and talk a little bit about when they were together and when Link tells Ridley to admit she "loves" him (saying it in a somewhat joking manner), she says that since she's a Siren she cannot love anything. However, Link responds by directly telling her, "Except me" before kissing her on the cheek. This, in which, she doesn't deny. It is implied that they are somewhat of an unofficial couple.

Dangerous Dream
Ridley and Link gains a new problem as Ridley starts to regain her bad-girl attitude in Dangerous Dream. She now accepts that she loves Link, even calling him boyfriend. Ridley ask Link to go to a bar, but Link rejects the offer. Ridley threaten to break up, and Link accepts. Link said he had no time to go the next day, so Ridley country hops in Europe then goes to the bar. Ridley played Liar and ended up losing. Now she owes blood sacrifices, and is trying to find who is to die.