The Inner Circle, Book 3 of the Glass Wall ( A YA Urban Fantasy Romance ) (2 page)

It was a Fae protection rune, emblazoned with
his symbol.

I’d not trusted him before, but I certainly
did now. Grabbing it, I clutched it so tightly that my knuckles
turned white.

Blondie drew back, hissing.

“Sydney is under my protection,” Jareth said,
putting his arm around me. “You will not harm her.”

Blondie lips parted, revealing long fangs as
Marquis’ eyes widened.

And then in a flash, Blondie leapt at Jareth,
landing on his shoulder to slither down his arm. “I would know more
of you, Jareth,” his rasping voice snaked through the air.

“No, you may not!” Jareth shouted, flinging
Blondie’s body from his arm.

The Mesmer arced across the garage, twisting
in midair to land lightly on his feet. It was a sickening thing to
see. At that moment, he looked more like a snake than anything
else.

And then Marquis stepped forward to wave his
hand, and I noticed the ring on his finger. I knew that I’d seen it
before, but it took several moments to recall where. It had been in
the Hall of Mirrors. The ring was such a unique one, a distinctive
golden-eyed snake. The figure with the white cloak had done
something to the person wearing that golden-eyed snake ring.

I was so distracted trying to recall what,
that I missed what Marquis said.

But then Rafael was speaking. “Not now.
Leave. I will join you soon,” he directed.

“But what of them?” Marquis frowned, pointing
to us.

“They are not your concern,” Rafael replied
with a careless shrug.

And then Jareth interrupted. “What are you up
to, Rafael?” he asked in a hoarse whisper, running his hand through
his dark hair in a gesture of disbelief.

His eyes had focused over Rafael’s head, and
I knew he was reading Rafael’s fate lines.

Apparently, Melody noticed as well.

“Enough, Jareth!” her ruby-red lips opened to
order as she stepped forward, blocking Jareth’s view. “You may not
read his fate.”

She stood there, threatening and beautiful,
her platinum blonde hair falling in long spiral curls down her
back.

As Rafael and Jareth’s mentor, I knew she was
supposed to be one of the good guys. But she wasn’t. I was
beginning to realize that she was an evil mastermind.

But Jareth didn’t listen to anyone.
Apparently even his mentor.

Angrily, he shoved Melody aside and leapt at
Rafael, but with a sharp, lightning-quick chopping motion, Rafael
sent him sprawling across the garage floor.

Jareth crashed against some metal shelves
lined against the wall, sending gallons of paint, camping
equipment, and garden supplies flying in all directions.

With his face hardening into a cold mask of
fury, Rafael stalked towards him.

But then somehow, I found myself standing
between them.

“Rafael!” His name tore from my lips. “What
are you doing? How can you do this?”

He paused, and I could see the outline of his
jaw clench tight from under the white mask. But then he ordered,
“Out of my way, little human!”

There was no feeling in his tone. No emotion.
It tore my heart.

Pointedly ignoring me, he stepped around me
to grab Jareth’s shirt collar and haul him to his feet.

“As an Initiate of the Inner Circle, you are
forsworn to do my bidding.” Rafael’s lip curled upwards. But the
smile didn’t reach his eyes as he added, “I am your superior and in
more ways than
one
.”

“I’ll never follow you!” Jareth spat
venomously.

Rafael’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and then
again, his hand lashed out.

Jareth’s chin angled up and he fell back,
sprawling amidst the paint cans on the garage floor once more.

Dusting his hands, Rafael nodded in
satisfaction and then without even looking in my direction, he
addressed Melody. “It is time.”

Melody stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.
“Give the orders, my prince,” she said, holding my hand high in the
air. “And I will dispose of them properly. There will be no
trace.”

She said ‘them’ but I knew she was really
talking about me.

I froze.

“Now is not the time for
that
. We must
go,” Rafael replied without hesitation. He was confident and in
command. And he appeared to be enjoying himself. “At once.”

Melody didn’t like that. Her mouth opened to
protest, but as Rafael fixed her with a chilling gaze, she cleared
her throat and murmured reluctantly, “As you wish, my prince.”

And then, without further preamble, they
turned as one and disappeared in a cloud of mist, leaving me and
Jareth in the garage and Betty standing in the doorway, still
mesmerized.

They were gone.

We stood there for some time in shock.

Finally, Jareth crossed to the garage window
and pressed his palm against the frame. For a brief moment, his
hand glowed and when he moved away, I saw his symbol burnt into the
wood.

I didn’t move. I just watched as he burnt a
symbol into each corner, and when he was done he turned to me.

His eye was badly swollen in his dark,
handsome face. Rafael had given him quite a punch. Running his
hands through his dark hair, he simply looked at me.

Neither of us wanted to speak, but then Betty
made a gargling sound in her throat and we whirled to face her.

She had half-collapsed against the door. Her
face was gray.

“What’s happening?” I cried, rushing to her
side.

I already knew. We both knew.

She was dying.

“I’ll not let him cut her life cord,” Jareth
growled as he swept Betty up into his arms and carried her through
the kitchen, past her sea of Ebay boxes, and into the family room
where I’d found her.

Placing her upon the couch, he knelt beside
her and held out his hands.

They began glowing with light.

I looked down at her, lying in that catatonic
state. Her chest heaved with every breath as if it were her
last.

I couldn’t let myself think. I just hovered
over them for a time, but when her labored breathing only
continued, I moved to pace at the foot of the couch.

Suddenly, Jareth began to curse, and he rose
abruptly to his feet.

I followed his gaze to Betty’s face.

Her lips had begun to turn blue.

Rushing to his side, I gripped his arm. “Can
you help her?” I asked. My voice trembled.

He didn’t answer me at first, but then he
finally admitted, “I … don’t think so.” His dark eyes looked
horrified.

I couldn’t believe it.

Shoving him aside, I reached down and shook
Betty’s shoulders.

“Wake up!” I shouted. “You can’t go like
this!”

It didn’t help.

And then I recalled how I’d broken Blondie’s
hold on me before, by filling myself with love. I looked down at
Betty. Once, I’d thought her a plain, average woman with
mousey-brown hair and a face that no one would remember. But now, I
couldn’t understand how I’d ever thought such a crazy thing. As I
stared down at her, I saw the kindest, most beautiful woman in the
world.

My eyes filled with tears.

Dropping next to her, I buried my face in her
shoulder and tried to let my feelings of love wash over me. But I
couldn’t concentrate. I didn’t think it was going to work. As I
felt her shudder under my cheek, I drew back.

I could tell with a single look that she
didn’t have long.

“Once they’ve gone catatonic, only a Mesmer
can bring them out,” Jareth explained, ashen-faced.

It was hopeless.

Turning back to Betty, I held her hand.

“Mom,” I whispered.

My voice broke. I’d never called anyone that
before. My own breath came in one dragging sob.

And then Jareth’s fingers gripped my
shoulder.

I looked up.

His expression was shuttered, but he ordered
in a low voice, “Let me … try something.”

Numbly, I got out of his way.

He didn’t do anything. He just looked at
her.

I fidgeted. And just when I was about to
start yelling at him to take action, I saw them.

Scales.

Scales rippled down from his neck, covering
his skin just like I’d briefly seen before in Avalon, and just like
I’d seen in the Hall of Mirrors. His face had changed and there was
an unusual magnetic pull coming from his eyes.

And then he spoke. His voice was impossibly
low. Soft. Rumbling.

“Wake up, Betty,” he said.

The words were pleasant. Calming and
peaceful. I wanted to forget everything else and just listen to him
talk.

And then he collapsed on the floor and Betty
took a long, gasping breath.

I couldn’t move. I could only watch as Betty
sat up slowly, looking confused.

Passing a hand before her face, her kind,
warm eyes glanced up to meet mine. “Hi, honey,” she said
weakly.

“Are you ok?” The words zipped out of my
mouth before I could stop them. “Are you really ok?”

“I’m fine, honey,” she answered, drawing her
eyebrows up in a question. “Oh my, I must have fallen asleep. My
poor cheese sandwich.”

She pointed to the cheese sandwich still
sitting on the coffee table. The cheese had completely dried
out.

It was then that she noticed Jareth passed
out by her feet. “Oh dear, is he ok? What happened?”

I felt numb.

And then Jareth stirred. His skin had
returned to normal. There was not a scale in sight.

“He’s fine,” I said. My throat was dry.

She didn’t believe me until Jareth
straightened and sent her a dark scowl. “I’m fine,” he muttered
under his breath.

He certainly sounded like his normally
annoying self.

I turned my attention back to Betty and
studied her tired face.

“What is it, honey?” she asked. Her
reassuring smile put me immediately at ease.

She was really going to be all right.

“I’m … just glad you’re ok,” I said. It was a
struggle to say the words without bawling my head off.

“I’m fine, honey,” she said as she got up and
gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I must’ve been tired. I
almost slept through dinner. Oh my goodness. We’ll need to make
something easy tonight. Al will be home soon.”

And then Jareth was standing up and Betty was
asking him what had happened to his eye. It was already turning
purple.

I half-listened as Jareth gave her some lame
excuse. Obviously, we couldn’t tell her that Rafael had socked him
a good one after joining the lizard people.

And then Betty was telling him to see a
doctor. And at his assurances that he would, she reminded him to
live healthily and eat more vegetables while insisting that he sit
on the couch.

“I’ll get you some ice for that eye,” she was
saying as she picked up her dried-out cheese sandwich. “I didn’t
realize I was that tired. I hate wasting food, but this looks fit
only for the chickens now. At least, they’ll enjoy the treat.”

As she disappeared into the kitchen, I
recovered enough to turn my full attention back to Jareth.

He looked pale. Sick.

“How did …” I began, but I didn’t finish the
question.

Neither one of us wanted to think about what
the answer might truly mean.

I looked at his swollen eye. “Should I get
some ointment for that or something?” I asked, pointing at it.

Jareth gingerly touched his purple skin.
“Rafael’s brutal when he wants to be,” he muttered. “I didn’t even
see that coming.”

A stilted silence fell.

And then Jareth got up, and straightening his
crumpled shirt, strode through the back door.

I followed him.

It was cold outside. The snow was melting and
our feet made squelching sounds in the darkness as we headed for
the line of trees that bordered Al and Betty’s backyard.

Reaching the first tall pine, Jareth braced
himself against it and leaned over as if he were going to be
sick.

“Are you ok?” I asked.

“Ok?” He turned on me then, sweeping his long
dark hair out of his face. “Do you really think I’m
ok
?”

I drew my lips into a grim line.

“Only another Mesmer can break a catatonic
trance, Sydney,” he rasped. “And the blue strand, the blue strand
in Avalon that is accessible only in the second dimension. I could
access it.”

“So could I,” I reminded him in a feeble
attempt of comfort.

“You’re a
human
!” He spat the word
contemptuously.

I scowled at him, immediately annoyed at his
tone, but I couldn’t stay angry for long. Whatever he was going
through had to be hard.

“What am I, Sydney?” he suddenly asked in a
tortured voice. “What …
am
I?”

I shrugged. I knew what he was asking. But I
couldn’t believe for one second that Jareth was an evil Mesmer.
“You can be anything you want to be,” I said stubbornly.

He snorted.

My scowl deepened. “I’m trying to help,” I
pointed out acidly.

But he wasn’t really listening to me. “That
tulpa,” he grated hoarsely. “It’s alive in its own right. It has an
evil purpose of its own. Something beyond what they’re trying to do
with it. I think it wants you.”

I couldn’t suppress a shudder. I already knew
it wanted to finish eating me. But I didn’t want to think about
that. “What
are
they trying to do with it?” I asked.

But he ignored me.

“And Rafael,” he said, beginning to pace
under the tree. “I can’t fathom how I failed to see it. He really
was in the Inner Circle this entire time.”

Hearing Rafael’s name was like being stabbed
in the heart. “The Inner Circle,” I whispered. “You were in it,
too, weren’t you?” Somehow, I felt better pointing that out, as if
somehow we’d discover Rafael was good after all.

Jareth looked at me and answered grimly, “I
was only trying to break in. I saw something strange in Melody’s
fate lines, years ago. I’d … I’d thought Rafael saw it as
well.”