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

by Carmen Caine

  I’d gotten so distracted that I almost missed his next words.

  "You’d have strong feelings for him already,” he was advising carefully. His jaw was tight again, and he looked grim. "But such a deep attraction might masquerade as another feeling for a time. Your reaction to Jareth is quite strong."

  My mouth dropped open at the suggestion.

  "Absolutely not!" I snorted in astonishment.

  But he wasn’t deterred that easily. "His fate line is intricately entwined with yours." He was calm, but it was a cold, detached calm.

  "You mean his Blue Thread?" I faced him fully, recalling Jareth's insinuations in the mirror and found myself asking, "Aren't your fate lines entangled with mine, too? How do you know you're reading this right?" By the time I'd analyzed where that idea might lead him, it was too late to take the words back.

  Rafael caught his breath and glanced away. "It can't be me, Sydney, if that's what you're asking. If I were to love a human, I would risk the destruction of the Tree of Life itself. That is a risk I'd never take. It appears my fate is the opposite of yours … mine is not to love."

  I swallowed, experiencing a multitude of emotions, embarrassment and profound disappointment mostly, but I didn't want to wallow in any of it. "Well, this whole thing's a bit absurd," I said finally. "I mean, standing around discussing who I might fall in love with, especially since it hasn't happened, and I don't think it will. I don't feel that way about anyone!"

  There was a strained silence. I searched for something to steer away from this awkward and confusing talk of love, so I seized upon what he'd just said. "Uh, what's this Tree of Life, anyway?"

  His answer was short, clipped, and distracted. "It anchors the dimensions together."

  We just stood there.

  He held very still, looking at me through his dark, long lashes, and then I wasn't thinking about anything other than how intriguing his eyes were as he raised a finger and lightly touched my cheek.

  Butterflies flittered in my stomach. I'd never felt anything like it, but then Ajax chose that moment to push himself between us and the timeless moment shattered.

  I took a guilty step back.

  What was I doing?

  This whole thing hadn't gone nearly like I'd planned. My crush wasn't going away at all, and I certainly hadn't taken the first step on a path of love.

  Undoubtedly, I'd taken the first step on the path of disaster.

  I was in serious danger of falling for a guy who'd just told me up front that he wasn't the one, and if he did fall for me something really bad was going to happen and not just to me, but to the entire universe.

  I'd apparently inherited my mother's knack for heartache.

  Rafael averted his gaze and pointed to the hardware store. "My car's over there. I should probably get you home now."

  “Ok,” I agreed in a small voice, feeling self-conscious. Putting my hands in my pockets, I tried to look casual and followed him across the parking lot to the side street.

  In the shadows under a tree, I saw his black Bentley surrounded by small clouds of rapidly melting mist. Beads of water rolled down its windows.

  Astounded, I gasped, "Did you just shift your car?"

  "It makes no difference how much an object weighs, but it does make it a little tricky to avoid getting caught," he explained matter-of-factly as he opened the driver's door with a flourish. "You can drive."

  I eyed the expensive car and shook my head. "That's a bad idea."

  Ajax twitched his ears in apparent agreement.

  Rafael studied me a moment. "Things are likely to get complicated with the Mesmers returning. I'd feel better if you knew how to drive." He tossed me the keys.

  I caught them instinctively and then reluctantly slid into the driver's seat.

  If Ajax's tail had been longer, I'm sure he would have tucked it between his legs. As it was, he pointed his four-inch stub straight down, flattened his ears, and climbed into the back seat with as much enthusiasm as if he'd just been condemned to death row.

  "I'm not that bad, Ajax," I muttered, adjusting the mirror as Rafael elegantly slipped into the passenger seat.

  Suddenly, everything felt incredibly intimate. His presence was overpowering, and it made me nervous. Hurriedly, I started the car and pulled away from the curb in a series of jerks.

  Rafael didn't say anything but from the corner of my eye, I saw him wince.

  Ajax made a sound suspiciously close to a mocking laugh.

  I glared at the Doberman in the mirror and then hit the gas pedal.

  The Bentley was far more responsive than Al's old truck. It lurched forward, sending loose gravel shooting out behind the wheels, as around the bend in the road, headlights of oncoming traffic suddenly appeared.

  Instinctively, I slammed the brakes, nearly sending Rafael through the windshield.

  He didn’t say anything as he straightened, took a deep breath, and braced his hands on the dashboard.

  "I don't think this is a good idea," I mumbled, clearing my throat.

  "You're doing fine," he inserted quickly, bestowing an encouraging smile my way.

  He didn’t look directly into my eyes. I knew that was a sign of lying.

  "You'll get used to it,” he continued, waving a hand for me to resume. “It won't take long."

  Not sharing his optimism, I slowly tapped the gas and inched the car forward.

  We drove in fits and starts, for the most part slower than your average turtle, but then punctuated with random bouts of speed. It seemed like the Bentley's gas pedal functioned more like an on-off switch than anything else.

  By the time I turned onto our neighborhood road, we were all seasick and wanting nothing more than to get out of the car.

  Finally, I pulled into our cul-de-sac and slowed down, searching the driveway and surrounding area for Al's truck.

  It was nowhere to be found.

  I was just about to ask Rafael if he knew where Jareth had taken Al when Ajax snarled, and I automatically slammed the brakes.

  But this time Ajax didn't care. The Doberman's dark eyes had riveted on Mrs. Patton's menagerie of lawn ornaments.

  "What is it?" I squeaked, grabbing Rafael's arm.

  His head snapped around. "Get out of the car, Sydney." His voice was low and calm, but urgent. "Just leave it here. Run to Al's house. I'll be right behind you."

  He didn't need to tell me twice.

  I bolted out of the Bentley and ran.

  And as he promised, he was right behind me.

  We were almost on the porch when I heard the chilling, high-pitched squeal I'd heard before, followed by a crash of falling masonry as Ajax began barking wildly.

  I wasn't even aware that I'd turned around to look until Rafael slipped his arm around my waist and half-carried me into the house.

  Betty and Grace glanced up in surprise as we burst through the front door.

  "What's up?" Grace asked, holding a half-eaten apple in one hand.

  I couldn't answer. I just stood there holding tightly onto Rafael's arm. My palms were sweating and my nails bit deeply into his skin, but he pretended not to notice.

  Giving my hands a gentle pat, he smiled warmly at Grace. "Sydney drove home," was all he said.

  They all laughed.

  I attempted a weak, fake smile, but it was hard when I wanted nothing more than to run shrieking through the house that the lizard people were here.

  "Al won't be home for a bit," Betty informed us cheerfully, holding out a large bowl of popcorn. "We’re going to watch TV. Want to join us?"

  "Certainly." Rafael dipped his head gracefully as he pried my fingers loose from his arm. Encompassing my cold hands in his, he squeezed them gently before turning to Betty. "Please take your seats. Sydney and I will bring drinks for everyone."

  “You’re such a sweetheart.” Betty smiled broadly at him, giving his shoulder an affectionate pat as she passed by.

  "I want a Coke!" Grace shouted over her shoulder as she di
sappeared behind Betty into the family room.

  I just stood there, still caught in the clutches of terror, gripping Rafael's hands so hard that I must have cut off his circulation, but he didn't seem to mind.

  As soon as we heard the TV blaring from the other room, he pulled me into the kitchen.

  "The Mesmers were hiding in Mrs. Patton’s yard, weren’t they?" I gulped. "What are we going to do? Why are they here?"

  "They must be looking for the Tulpa, too," he murmured softly, his jaw clenched tightly. “It’s the only thing that makes sense."

  I shuddered. First, the Tulpa had appeared, though letting that one loose had largely been my fault. Now, I’d brought the Mesmers here too. “It’s all my fault,” I choked.

  His response was immediate. Cupping my chin in his hands, he forced me to look at him. “Absolutely not, Sydney! This is meant to be, never forget that!”

  "I'm not brave enough for this." The words caught in my throat. “I’m scared!”

  Leaning down, he lightly kissed my forehead. "You are remarkably courageous, little pixie. You’re strong enough, I assure you.” His kiss was brotherly, comforting, and it helped, but only a little.

  I reached up and gripping his fingers tightly, stared out the kitchen window behind him.

  It was dark outside.

  The feeble glow of the streetlight seemed overwhelmed by the surrounding shadows, sinister shadows that I could almost see moving, creeping closer to the house.

  I shivered and confessed in a hoarse whisper, “I’ve always been kind of scared of the dark, and now it’s worse because now there really is something awful lurking in the shadows.”

  He spun me around to face him. Planting his handsome face inches from mine, he winked and said, "Don't be afraid of the shadows, Sydney, they only mean there's light nearby."

  I wanted to believe him, but I could only think of them right now as Mesmer hiding places.

  Dimly, I heard Ajax barking and a thumping sound as he bounded onto the porch and with a numb expression, I watched Rafael open the door to let him inside.

  The Doberman’s ears were flat and his almond-shaped doggie eyes were wide. He stamped his front paw several times in a clearly aggressive, agitated way.

  I knew it didn’t bode well. He hadn’t acted like this after encountering the first Mesmer.

  Rafael’s brows lifted and his lips tightened. He placed a long finger on Ajax’s head, and the Doberman disappeared in a small poof of mist.

  "What is it?" I asked in a shaky voice as Rafael returned. "Are they gone? Why did they come back? Did they escape? Where did Ajax go?"

  I knew I was asking too many questions, but I was nervous and couldn't stop myself.

  "You’re quite safe, Sydney, they're gone," he promised, moving to the cupboard. He hesitated a moment, eyeing the iron handle, and then picked up a wooden spoon from the counter and used it to pry the door open.

  The gesture reminded me that he wasn't human. He was a Fae and that meant he'd never be able to touch iron.

  Oddly, it snapped me out of my rising hysteria.

  I took a deep breath and forced myself to think.

  Rafael knew a lot more about Mesmers than I did. If he said I was safe, then I probably was. And though it was hard for me to trust anyone, I figured I could trust Rafael. After all, he’d helped me more than once already.

  And letting myself panic really didn’t accomplish anything but instead increased the likelihood that I’d make some stupid decision.

  Yes, I was scared, but I wasn’t accomplishing anything by wallowing in that fact. And as I didn’t like to wallow in anything, I refocused my thoughts on the task of getting drinks and asked, "Looking for the glasses?"

  I moved to the correct cupboard, took out a few, and set them on the counter. We worked in silence, filling the cups with ice, the clink of the cubes sounding unnaturally loud in the silent kitchen.

  After a moment, Rafael's lips lift in a genuine smile.

  Following his gaze, I spied a black nose sniffing the perimeter of the kitchen counter like a periscope.

  It was a relief to smile myself.

  Pulling out the Paunchy Poodle Pills from my sweatshirt pocket, I extended my hand. "Sorry, Tigger, but you're stuck with these."

  The red-brindled bloodhound padded into the kitchen to inspect the packet of pills. It only took him one sniff before his ears drooped in dismay and his eyes adopted an even more mournful expression than usual.

  But he wasn't one to give up so easily on anything.

  Shuffling to the refrigerator, he settled in front of it to stare at us, his eyes telling us to get him a hotdog.

  Rafael laughed.

  It was a low pleasant rumble that I found calming. My smile widened a little, but my improving mood was shattered the instant the front door crashed open and Jareth boldly strode inside with Al at his heels.

  Chapter Four – Chupacabras

  Jareth swaggered into the kitchen, snapped his fingers in my face, and grinned. "Did you miss me, Sydney?"

  Spreading my arms wide, I snorted and replied, "This is my space, Jareth. Don't step in it."

  He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and pivoted to face Rafael, his smile hardening into a mask of animosity. "Al has something to show us," he said abruptly.

  I held my breath, my mind instantaneously flooding with questions. Had Jareth told Al they were fairies? Had Al believed him? Had the Mesmers followed them, too?

  I watched Al drop the plastic bags and PVC pipes onto the kitchen counter before turning to give me a conspiratorial wink as he patted his pocket holding the neighborhood watch notebook.

  "What is it?" I asked, unable to bear the suspense. "What’re you going to show us?"

  "Oh, that!" Al's face lit, and his blue eyes twinkled with excitement. "We heard it on the police scanner while we were giving the fans the slip."

  I shot a quick glance at Rafael. He stood with folded arms, watching Al with a clearly intrigued, yet amused expression that strangely made me feel better. Catching my eyes on him, he flashed me a warm smile and politely inclined his head in my direction.

  "Concentrate!" Jareth snapped, his voice thinning with irritation.

  Oblivious to Rafael and Jareth exchanging hostile glares, Al began to explain. "They called a couple of cops to check out a strange animal carcass in the shopping center parking lot we'd just left, so we swung by again to have a look on the way home. You kids come here to Betty's computer, and I'll show you a few pictures."

  Rubbing his hands together, he waved us into the living room filled with Betty’s cardboard boxes.

  We followed.

  "We must’ve just missed it,” he said as he sat down on the white plastic chair in front of the computer. “Can you believe it was right next to where we'd parked the truck, Sydney? We got a good look as they loaded it into the van. They're going to have a vet inspect it."

  I shivered, understanding all at once that he was talking about the Mesmer.

  Rafael's demeanor changed instantly. He was now tense, alert, and his eyes had narrowed.

  "I was telling Jareth here that it's a real chup-a-cab-ra!" Al continued, exaggerating each syllable. He wiggled and flexed his fingers as if he were a maestro preparing for a concert instead of someone simply getting ready to type on a computer keyboard. "Jack's sent me pictures of them before," he said as he began to peck at the keyboard with one finger. “Never heard of them coming this far north before though. Maybe Jack knows something about that. I'll give him another call."

  We fell silent.

  The sounds of laughter from the TV in the other room mixed with the soft clicking of the keyboard as Al laboriously hunted each key to spell "chupacabra", mouthing each letter with a satisfied smile when he found it.

  By the time he hit the letter ‘P’, Jareth visibly seethed with impatience, Rafael's jaw had hardened, and I found myself struggling with the temptation to snatch the keyboard away and type the letters in myself.

 
; Finally, Al finished and hit the enter key.

  "There!" he announced triumphantly, pointing to the computer screen.

  The image made my stomach twist into a knot.

  It was some kind of hairless and shriveled animal, resembling something half rat, half dog, but with long claws and a row of spikes along its spine and tail. Its mouth was shrunken, twisted, and pulled back to reveal long fangs on a distinctly gargoyle-like face.

  I knew it could only be a Mesmer.

  A quick glance at Jareth and Rafael confirmed it. They stood very still, their eyes riveted on the screen in outright alarm.

  “This must be contained, and quickly!” Rafael murmured, fingering the golden bracelet on his wrist.

  "Says here that they're really coyotes with mange," Al summarized, trailing his finger down the words as he read the article. He gave a skeptical humph and absently rubbed his chin. "Never heard of coyotes with spikes. Jack said just one look in their red eyes can make you nauseated. That don’t sound like a dog to me."

  I didn’t have the spirit to remind him to say “doesn’t” this time. I was too scared that I was going to panic again. Already, I could feel the first rumblings of terror surging back to life.

  "And how long have these chupacabras roamed the Earth?" Rafael asked softly, his jaw hardening even more.

  "Oh, twenty years or so," Al replied offhandedly, tapping the monitor with his thumb. He was clearly lost in his own conspiracy theory, oblivious to the reactions around him.

  I shivered, wishing in vain for the days when I'd believed fairies and other such creatures existed only in books. "Maybe it’s really the mange. It could’ve mutated and spread from coyotes to bobcats or something," I said, my voice wavering a little.

  I sounded as scared as I felt.

  Immediately, Rafael's comforting arm slipped around my shoulders.

  Al stood up and gave me an affectionate cuff on the arm. "Don't worry, Sydney. Those chupacabras are pretty rare. We probably saw the only one that made it this far north. And you're safe here. Tigger’s not going to let anything near you!"