The Brotherhood of the Snake (Return of the Ancients Book 2)

by Carmen Caine

Chapter Three - In Love with Who?

  Rafael was at Jareth’s side in an instant, catching him as he fell.

  A chill crept down my spine. “What is it?” I asked Rafael in a strangled whisper. “What happened?”

  He didn’t answer me. The corner of his mouth turned down as he ran his hand over Jareth’s pale face.

  I was scared. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew I was glad Rafael was there. Moving closer to him, I repeated, “What happened? Is he ok?” I didn’t like Jareth, but I didn’t want him hurt.

  “He will be shortly,” Rafael assured. A spark leapt up from his fingers to form a bubble of golden light around his hand before moving to encompass Jareth’s face. It stayed there a moment before fading, leaving Jareth breathing easier and looking much more normal.

  With a nod of satisfaction, Rafael dropped his hand.

  I frowned, again wondering about those golden sparks of light, but I didn’t have time to ask because Ajax chose that moment to burst back onto the scene. Giving Jareth a cursory sniff, the Doberman pawed his shoulder once and then tilted his head sideways to face Rafael and emit a long, low whine.

  Rafael glanced at Ajax with a horrified expression.

  I shivered in apprehension. “It’s the Mesmers, isn’t it,” I stated, knowing I was right. “The lizard people are here, aren’t they?”

  Rafael’s concerned eyes touched mine in a brief acknowledgement. “Ajax … disposed of it. They’re gone. It’s safe now.”

  I was glad Al was safe, and I couldn’t help wondering for how long. But I didn’t ask that.

  From the corner of my eye, I noticed several onlookers pause outside the pet store to stare at us. Hoping they’d lose interest, I turned my attention back to Jareth.

  “Is he going to wake up soon?” I asked Rafael curiously. “What did they do to him?”

  “Mesmers couldn’t have done this,” Rafael replied, in a faintly mystified manner. “They only gain control by looking into your eyes or if you hear their words. Jareth was too far away for either.” His brows knit in a puzzled line.

  “Need an ambulance?” A helpful voice queried.

  I squinted over my shoulder to see a group of teens approaching. The speaker was a tall, red-haired gangly kid wearing a Jareth t-shirt. Instinctively, I moved to block his view, but as usual, Jareth wouldn’t cooperate.

  A long, loud moan escaped his lips, and he sat up abruptly, knocking his sunglasses off.

  It only took about two seconds for the awed teen to recognize him. “Isn’t that Jareth?” he gasped.

  “That’s Jareth!” a girl in his group squealed.

  Enthusiastically, they ran towards us as Jareth raised a bewildered brow and scowled.

  Rising smoothly to his feet, Rafael attempted to intercept the onrushing teens. “He’s fine. There's no need for concern,” he assured with a polite smile.

  But they didn't get the hint. An excited hubbub of voices rippled through the burgeoning crowd as more people poured in from the surrounding stores.

  “Look! It’s Jareth!”

  “It’s really Jareth!”

  There were even critics. “Typical druggie rock star!” someone snapped.

  If I hadn’t been preoccupied with thoughts of Mesmers popping out of the second dimension to control my body, I would have smiled at that one.

  Jareth sat there a moment, clearly not himself. He appeared to be struggling with something. Several times, he glanced over his shoulder and jerked his head sharply to one side as if listening to something.

  I found his behavior puzzling and was just about to ask what was wrong when he attempted to stand. He would have failed had not Rafael leaned down to hoist him roughly to his feet.

  They stood there a moment, grasping each other’s forearms as their gazes locked in a sudden, defiant rivalry.

  Rafael glanced over the gathering crowd and hissed in open disapproval, “You weren’t supposed to become this famous, Jareth!”

  Disentangling himself, Jareth stepped back, weaving a little on his feet. Brushing off whatever had been bothering him, he regained control to lift the corner of his lip in a sneer.

  Flashes of light flickered around us.

  It took me a moment to realize that his fans were taking pictures. Hunching my shoulders, I maneuvered back to avoid the limelight and something crunched under my foot.

  It was Jareth’s designer sunglasses. I stooped to pick them up, but Jareth snatched them from my fingers.

  Jamming them back on his face, he faced the crowd and adopted a rugged, bad boy smirk. “Shoo! Go away! Nothing to see here,” he said in a voice that meant completely the opposite as he struck one of his rock star poses.

  A burst of applause accompanied more squeals and giggles.

  “Is that really your girlfriend, Jareth?” someone shouted over the other voices barking questions.

  I stared at them, surprised at the insulting tone of the questioner as well as the mere notion of being Jareth’s girlfriend. I couldn’t resist rolling my eyes and muttering under my breath, “Seriously?”

  I expected Jareth to toss his head back with his typical roar of laughter. But instead he sidled close to drop his arm around my shoulders and smiled as if in confirmation.

  “His girlfriend?” I found myself snapping indignantly. “In his dreams!”

  Jareth jerked as if I’d just slapped him.

  Belatedly, I recalled the Fae didn’t dream, but as his dark eyes sought mine from over the top of his sunglasses, I saw in them a shock and surprise of such magnitude that I was certain it had little to do with my cutting response.

  “You as a girlfriend would be a nightmare, Sydney!” he growled in my ear before raising his voice to drawl at his admirers, “Who’s asking? I’m in the market for an upgrade.”

  I rolled my eyes again, wondering how I’d ever thought he was cute when across the parking lot, I saw Al exit the hardware store and head back towards his truck. A quick inspection of the surrounding shadows revealed nothing following him this time, but I shot a glance at Ajax for corroboration anyway.

  I got it.

  The Doberman met my unspoken query with an extended, belligerent yawn. Clearly, he was bored out of his mind.

  Rafael didn’t miss a thing, raising his voice so I could hear him over the noisy crowd peppering Jareth with questions, he promised, “Al’s safe, Sydney. You don’t have to worry. I’ll see that you’re both protected.”

  He moved closer to me, so close that his leg brushed mine, and my stomach flopped.

  I furrowed my brows in a deep frown.

  I had Mesmers to focus on, not incredibly handsome blond guys wearing black eyeliner.

  As if reading my mind, some girl tittered, “Who’s that hot blond guy?”

  This statement was met by squeals of agreement as a bevy of girls all pointed at Rafael and began giggling as I watched, experiencing an odd pang of jealousy.

  Jareth took it upon himself to answer, “Him? He’s no one important!” Tossing his head, he swept his hands in a broad gesture, drawing everyone’s attention, and announced, “I’m leaving now. Get out of my way.”

  Holding his arm up to deflect the flashing cell phones still snapping pictures, he boldly stepped into the crowd, clearly expecting them to fall back to make way before him.

  To my astonishment, they did.

  Brushing his fingers along those waggling at him from either side of the newly formed path, he strutted towards Al’s truck like a peacock.

  “Shall we?” With a light touch on my shoulder, Rafael gently guided me forward.

  My pulse quickened in response, and I could feel the telltale flush creeping over my cheeks. I was grateful that it was dark so he couldn't see me blush. I didn't like this new hypersensitive self. I was going to have to figure out the root cause and exterminate it.

  We followed the picture-taking crowd trailing after Jareth as he sauntered to where Al waited next to his truck. Walking his fingers along the truck bed, th
e rock star paused dramatically, cocked his head to the side, and then leaned in close to whisper something in my foster father’s ear.

  Al’s eyes lit. Tossing his plastic bag and PVC pipes into the back, he waved Jareth around to the passenger side before disappearing into the cab.

  Wondering what was going on, I pushed my way to the front of the crowd just as Jareth opened the door.

  “Al’s taking me, Sydney.” He shrugged, peering down at me. “You can’t come.”

  My first instinct was to protest, but figuring it had something to do with the Mesmers I managed to nod instead. After all, Jareth's presence alone would most likely make them stay away. He was obnoxious enough to annoy probably even them. At least Al would be safe.

  I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

  With his eyes locked on Rafael, Jareth grabbed my shoulders, pulled me close, and planted a kiss full on my lips.

  Part of me froze in shock.

  The other part coolly noted that I didn't have the slightest attraction to him. It was like kissing a slug.

  Squeaks of disappointment from the girls surrounding us brought me to my senses, but before I could react, Jareth pulled away and hopped into the truck. Raising three fingers to his cheek, he sent Rafael a mocking smile. With an arrogant toss of his black hair, he bowed at me before slamming the door shut between us.

  It was just as well, I might have hit him.

  Then the window zipped down and Al leaned forward to toss my neighborhood crime watch notebook through the opening. “You’ll need that, kiddo.” He grinned conspiratorially, patting a matching notebook poking up from his shirt pocket and added, “Tell Betty I’ll be home after I get some of those Blue Pickles with Jareth.” He was obviously thrilled to be using the MacKenzie Covert Code Phrase again.

  I couldn’t see Jareth’s eyes through his dark sunglasses, but I knew he was looking at me as the truck pulled away. They'd almost turned out into the street when he leaned out of the window, blew several kisses in my direction, and shouted in an exaggerated stage voice, "See you later toniiiiiiiight, Sydneeeeeeeeey!"

  As all eyes focused on me once again, I scowled and muttered, "Jerk."

  But his fans weren't interested in me, except perhaps to witness my demise. Since that wasn't about to happen with Ajax there, they moved away, dispersing almost instantly and in less than a minute, I stood alone in the parking lot with Rafael.

  He was watching me with those amazing, unreadable gray eyes and once again, my heartbeat accelerated.

  I frowned again.

  This crush was getting annoying. I didn’t have time for it. I had to figure out how to make it go away so I could focus on the more important things. Like Tulpas and Mesmers.

  Rafael merely stood there, arms folded, towering over me like some incredibly sculpted Greek statue.

  Yes, I had to admit that he was distractingly cute, and it took me longer than it should have to remember my life had taken a dangerous turn the moment he and Jareth had arrived. Shaking my head at myself, I muttered, “I really don’t know why I don’t run screaming the other direction whenever I see either one of you.”

  He tensed.

  “Jareth's so freaking obnoxious!” I felt compelled to explain. Recalling his unwelcome kiss, I belatedly wiped my mouth with my sleeve. “And I still don’t trust him. It’s a big mistake. He's playing games.”

  At the mention of Jareth’s name, the muscle in Rafael’s jaw ticked. "Perhaps, but he plays them well and usually wins."

  I didn't know what he meant by that, but I suddenly wanted him to know that Jareth's kiss meant nothing to me. Without stopping to think why I felt that it was important, I blurted, "Well, he won't win with me, if that's what you mean. I don't know what that kiss was about. It was awful."

  Rafael tilted his head back and something in his expression caught my full attention. I eyed him from head to toe. I'd thought him cute before, but today I'd become strangely aware of him on a different level. It wasn't just in the honor department that he came strikingly close to achieving knight-in-shining-armor status. I thought he had the looks, too. He was the perfect male specimen, broad-shouldered, strong jawed, toned muscles and all.

  Suddenly, I realized that he'd just watched me subject him to a detailed inspection.

  Mortified, I covered my blazing cheeks with my hands in the awkward silence that followed until my lips opened of their own accord and began babbling nervously, “I’m not really crushing on you, you know. I mean, I know I said in Avalon that I was crushing on you, but that's because I thought it was all a dream."

  I smiled, pleased. That sounded logical. I could almost convince myself it was true.

  He shifted and folding his arms, tilted his head to one side.

  Encouraged, I continued, "Honestly, I wouldn't be shocked to discover this whole thing's a figment of my imagination and I've just dreamt you up." I blinked, not quite liking the sound of that and rushed to clarify. "I mean I’m not dreaming about you. I’m not the kind to stand in front of the mirror imagining that you're my boyfriend or drooling over how gorgeously cute you are or anything like that."

  I winced. That hadn't helped. I would’ve been much better off just keeping my mouth shut. Had I just admitted he was drool-worthy?

  His brows flicked upward and his face filled with amusement. “So you think I'm cute, do you?”

  I flushed an even deeper crimson. A tiny voice in the back of my mind warned me to cut my losses and walk away, but I was rattled and determined to salvage my pride. Boldly, I forged ahead. "It doesn't really matter what I think. Girls like me never end up with guys like you. I'm just your average ordinary teen, and you're the dreamy fairy-tale prince straight out of a book ..."

  All right, that was it. I evidently couldn't talk to him right now without putting my foot in my mouth. I wondered if it was too late to walk away.

  But he surprised me.

  With a smile crooking the corner of his lip, he leaned down, playfully tweaked the tip of my nose with his finger, and said, "I beg to differ, little green-eyed pixie. You are far from average and ordinary. If you saw what I see, you’d never spout such nonsense about yourself.”

  Jareth had just kissed me and I’d felt nothing.

  Rafael tweaks my nose and my heart leaps into my throat, instantly rendering me speechless.

  He leaned closer, oozing charisma and charm. "You are astoundingly brave and honorable, Sydney. I've seen you quite often these past few years, patiently supporting your mother through her challenges, and I've felt your sorrow and heartache.” The smile on his lips faded, and he hesitated before adding in a soft murmur, “That’s something I understand better than you might know."

  My brows knit, puzzled. He’d seen me often in the past few years? Understanding dawned. "You’ve been spying on me through your mirror?" I asked, feeling somewhat exposed.

  He shook his head in disagreement. "Spying, no, but tracking fate lines, as is my duty."

  Since I was Blue-Threaded, I supposed that I could understand that easily enough. It didn't seem worth getting all riled up at this point. After all, the lizard people were watching, too. I didn't want to think about all these aliens observing us under a microscope, so I switched the subject. "Being considered honorable is nice. Thanks."

  “True, but you’re more than that, Sydney,” he said, catching my fingers in his, he drew a spiral on the top of my hand with his thumb. "You may not see yourself as beautiful and extraordinary, but there are those who do."

  I stared at him, my heart beating erratically before I managed to collect my thoughts to croak, "I wasn't fishing for compliments. You don't have to say things like that. I'm not the kind of girl who enjoys flattery. It actually makes me uncomfortable."

  His gray eyes twinkled at that. "I know that quite well. But I wasn't engaging in flattery. You have the most remarkable green eyes, little pixie, and your wealth of midnight hair is quite stunning."

  My eyes widened and my mind went blank. />
  No one had ever said anything remotely like that to me before, and I didn't know what to do.

  Finally, I went with honesty. Looking him straight in the eye, I forced my lips open. "You're a really nice guy, too nice. In fact, probably the nicest guy I've ever met. But you don't have to spare my feelings. I'm fine. I don't need anyone to think I'm beautiful or anything like that. I honestly don't even believe in love and all that stuff, if you want to know the truth. It doesn't last. If you've been watching my mother in your mirror, then you know what I mean."

  Rafael’s eyes crinkled a little. "Your mother has yet to find love," he murmured and shifted his focus above my head.

  It took me several seconds to realize he was reading my fate lines.

  Then something in him saddened. "You may not believe in love, Sydney, but love has already found you. You are fated to share a love better suited for tales than reality."

  I blinked. "Me?" It was preposterous.

  His steady eyes bored through mine. "You've already taken the first step on this wondrous path, Sydney. You've already met him."

  "Met him?" I repeated, astounded. I knew I should be focusing on Mesmers and finding the Tulpa, but I couldn't let this pass unchallenged. "You're crazy. I think I'd know if I felt something for someone!"

  He just stood there, towering over me, watching me with his eyeliner-ringed eyes, looking like a model with his chiseled abs and anime-styled blond hair.

  I swallowed, hit with the sudden realization that I was feeling something. Something for him. I suppose I’d been incredibly attracted to him from the start, but I was just coming to realize it today.

  But that was a crush. Wasn't it?

  I didn’t know much about love. I mean, I loved my mother, though I felt more like her older sister than anything else. And I certainly loved Jerry. Thinking of his little pink nose and quivering whiskers made me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

  But that was the end of my experience with love.

  Or was it?

  The question itself was quite shocking. I’d never asked it before.

  Of late, I’d come to feel something for Al and Betty, though I wasn’t sure I’d actually call it love. I wondered if I were capable of loving more people, but then I recalled Rafael’s words in Avalon about there being many shades of love and that there really wasn’t a limit on that particular feeling.