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

by Carmen Caine

  I still found them difficult to really grasp, after all I’d never really seen one.

  I took several deep breaths, but it didn’t really do a thing to calm me down.

  It took me a little while to realize that the silence around me was unnatural. Finally, I glanced up to find their eyes still locked on me. I couldn’t begin to interpret their expressions.

  “What’s wrong?” I gulped.

  Jareth didn’t speak. That in itself was unusual.

  After an extraordinarily long time, Rafael nodded at the mirror and admitted, “It’s the mirror. How did you summon your fate lines? Only Jareth and I can do that. You’re not a … Fate Tracker … obviously.” His voice grew softer with each word until it trailed away completely.

  I frowned, confused. “I didn’t do anything!” I began a bit defensively.

  But then the mirror turned black and a hissing sound snaked through the room, immediately bringing our conversation to a complete stop.

  The hissing grew louder, and the mirror’s surface began to flicker red.

  Mist appeared.

  I heard voices and fragments of conversation interspersed amongst the hissing.

  “… not far from her …”

  “…must still have it!”

  “Have to get it back and quickly!”

  “We can’t proceed without it! It is key to our success!”

  “But did she corrupt it?”

  I caught my breath, knowing the words referred to me. I shivered as a chill ran down my spine.

  The mist drifted across the mirror for a time before finally parting to reveal a red sky with black cliffs rising above a sea of lava. Columns of smoke drifted up from the ground, curling around dark forms writhing in piles at the top of the cliffs.

  I peered closer at the wriggling masses, and then drew back, startled.

  They were lizards.

  Large and snake-like, they were all shapes and sizes, some resembling dragons while others looked like mutated dogs with scales. All of them were alert, their multi-lensed eyes searching in our direction as if they sensed our presence.

  One of the lizards opened its mouth and emitted a sound worse than someone scraping their fingernails on a blackboard.

  I gasped, covering my ears with my hands, noting from the corner of my eye that Rafael was doing the same.

  However, Jareth was not.

  He was staring at the mirror impassively and in an almost vacant manner, as if in some kind of catatonic state.

  That thought made me realize just exactly who the writhing masses of lizards were.

  I was looking at the lizard people.

  Horror filled me.

  The lizards rose as one, lifting their noses in excitement as above them a black creature with wriggling tentacles popped into view. The creature floated above their heads, its appendages stretching out in all directions, and then as it attempted to flee, the lizards’ tongues lashed out. Pulling the wriggling creature down, they ripped it apart and greedily consumed it.

  The whole thing was disgusting and creepy. “Make them go away!” I croaked in a gargled whisper, shuddering with fear.

  Another dark creature similar to the first popped into existence. The lizard people scrambled over each other viciously to capture and devour this one just like the first.

  I covered my mouth with my hands.

  “Stop feeding them, Sydney!” Jareth barked, breaking into my thoughts.

  His surprising words jolted me out of my horror.

  Simultaneously, the lizards froze. Turning as one, they rose on their haunches and peering through the mist, stared in our direction as if they could see us.

  They’d sensed us somehow. Or more accurately, they sensed me. Somehow, they’d breached the vast distance between us to focus their attention on me. They were watching me with mysterious eyes, eyes reminiscent of bottomless, coal-black pits, and eyes that I felt myself falling into.

  The stench of sulfur filled the air, and suddenly it was unbearably hot.

  Dimly, as if from far away, I heard Rafael shouting, “They see us! Don’t look at them, Sydney!”

  But it was too late. I already knew that. And I couldn’t look away, I couldn’t even try.

  A low voice rumbled through my bones, vibrating my teeth. “It’s the girl. She’s the One.”

  Several lizards crouched, their forked-tongues flicking out eagerly as they prepared to leap.

  I knew they were coming for me, but there was nothing I could do as I heard Jareth’s dark voice slithering through my mind, hissing much in the same manner as the lizards’ had. “You can’t have her. She isn’t yours. She’s mine.”

  The lizards held still.

  And at the same time, I somehow snapped out of my altered state.

  “What’s going on?” I gasped, whirling to Jareth. “How did you do that?”

  “Do what?” Rafael turned to me, his face pale. “What did he do?”

  “Who are you?” The lizard voices chorused in my head again, but this time, I knew they were speaking to Jareth.

  Jareth lifted his hands.

  Immediately, mist began to swirl in the mirror. There was a flash of light, and a new chilling scene was superimposed on top of the old one. Hundreds of humanoid forms were scattered across the mirror, each connected to the naval by an umbilical cord of bright, golden light. The cords of light fanned out in all directions, trailing off to disappear into the mist.

  I wondered what was at the other end, and then the mist briefly parted, and I saw my answer.

  Lizards.

  Each golden cord of light was connected to a fork-tongued lizard.

  I felt sick.

  Clearly, the lizards were some sort of macabre puppet masters, controlling their victims, or perhaps—and I felt even sicker—sucking their energy like ticks.

  Rafael gave a muffled cry.

  Startled, I followed his horror-struck gaze.

  He was staring at one of the human forms linked to a particularly large, black, and disturbing lizard.

  But then I realized it wasn’t a human at all.

  It was Marquis.

  Chapter Seven – The Puppet Masters

  Staggering back, Rafael’s eyes remained glued to the mirror as his hands flew to his temples, and a hoarse cry wrenched from his throat.

  I could scarcely breathe.

  The mirror’s reflection altered, focusing on Marquis and Zelphie walking in a garden as blue, butterfly-winged dragons glided in the sky overhead. Zelphie was talking, but I couldn’t hear her. She appeared highly agitated as she waved her hands emphatically in the air and made rapid chopping motions.

  Marquis yawned, clearly bored.

  At that, Zelphie stopped abruptly, pivoted on her toe, and angrily strode away.

  With an indifferent shake of his head, Marquis watched her go before resuming his walk alone. Nothing about him appeared amiss, save for the faint image on the mirror of the golden cord of light stretching out from his stomach to the dark, oily lizard sprawled on the black cliffs a dimension away.

  I shuddered.

  Just how many people did the lizards control?

  Suddenly, Marquis stiffened. After a moment, he whirled to face us, his brows drawn in a puzzled frowned as he lifted his hand to his forehead and began searching the empty air in front of him.

  Unconsciously, I took a step back.

  Was he searching for us?

  His lips crooked in a half-smile and for a brief moment, his eyes morphed into reptilian slits as his tongue forked and black scales shimmered over his skin.

  I gasped.

  Rafael looked ill and covered his face with his hands.

  Suddenly, I didn’t want to see anymore. I just wanted to run away. But was it too late? Had Marquis sensed us somehow? He could be looking for us, or perhaps all of those writhing lizards on the cliffs were as well.

  I didn’t want to think of just how many there might be.

  I’d almost turned away whe
n the mirror’s reflection changed yet again, showing a myriad of tiny forms, each one tied to the cluster of lizards by a golden cord of light. There were so many cords circling out from them that the surface of the mirror looked like it was covered with a glowing, gold spider web.

  Jareth’s voice snaked through my mind once more, and his dark eyes zeroed in on the wriggling pile of scaly forms on the cliff. “Begone! You’re not welcome here!”

  As one, the lizards spat and hissed, rising on their haunches and straining our way as Jareth shoved past me.

  Suddenly, a gust of wind burst from the mirror, sending his dark hair flying wildly in all directions, and then there was a blinding flash of light.

  With a choking gasp, Jareth clutched his hands to his chest and sank to his knees. He began to scream, a deep bone-chilling scream rife with pain.

  Instantly, the mirror turned black.

  I couldn’t move. I just stood there, silent and scared speechless, unable to comprehend what I’d just witnessed.

  Rafael pushed past me to kneel beside Jareth thrashing on the floor. With his fingers already beginning to glow, he placed his hand over Jareth’s chest as they were both enveloped in a soft bubble of light.

  After several long moments, Jareth stopped screaming and the bubble popped.

  With a deep, wavering breath, he gripped Rafael’s wrist and whispered, “Are they gone?”

  “Yes,” Rafael replied, ashen-faced. Giving him a long, measured look, he added, “And while I would know how you sent them back, first tell me how badly you’re hurt.”

  Jareth blanched. Grinding his teeth, he practically snarled, “Why such brotherly love?”

  Rafael drew back a fraction. “Hardly love,” he answered coolly. “I’d assist even the most bitterest of enemies under these circumstances.”

  As I watched, his bracelet glowed again, this time turning a brilliant green as thick droplets of light began oozing out to splash over Jareth’s hands and chest.

  Closing his eyes, Jareth grimaced, clearly still in acute pain.

  It took several interminably long minutes before he managed a barely distinguishable whisper, “That’s sufficient.”

  Rafael ignored him and continued to concentrate on the droplets of light.

  A good five minutes passed before Jareth abruptly sat up.

  “Enough!” he growled. With a sarcastic lift of his lip, he placed his arm diagonally across his chest and delivered a mock salute. “I’m in your debt, your highness.”

  The words sounded every bit of the insult they were intended to be.

  Rafael jerked as if he’d been slapped and then stood in one easy, fluid movement. “You’ve evidently recovered,” he observed sharply before turning to me, his face filling with concern. “And you? Are you well, Sydney?”

  “I don’t know,” I replied, finding my voice at last. Pointing feebly to the mirror, I just shook my head in shock. “What was that? What just happened?”

  There was a distinct pause.

  “I’m not certain,” he admitted. His face was pale. He was clearly shaken himself.

  I shuddered, recalling the hissing voices and the fact that I hadn’t been able to respond. “They were mesmerizing me, weren’t they?”

  His silence was a sufficient answer.

  I was overwhelmed with questions. Questions that I knew I’d be better off leaving unasked, but I was caught in some kind of gruesome trap. I couldn’t stop myself from asking even when I didn’t want to know the answer. “What did they mean that I’m the One? The One what?”

  Rafael held still.

  “Who knows, Sydney?” Jareth snapped, clearly irritable. He eyed his palms and flexed his fingers a few times before practically growling, “I wouldn’t necessarily trust anything they say. Who knows what they’re truly after? You could tell by their questions that they’ve got ulterior motives.”

  I hadn’t remembered them asking too many questions, but I blew the comment off as I recalled how the lizards had consumed the wriggling forms mysteriously popping into existence above their heads accompanied by Jareth’s command that I stop feeding them.

  “Why did you say I was feeding them?” I heard myself asking.

  He glared at me darkly as he struggled to his feet. “You saw the manifestations of your fear as well as I did,” he answered sourly, glaring down at me.

  He seemed worn, exhausted, and he was definitely getting crankier by the second.

  “My fear?” I frowned, not appreciating his attitude. But then, I rarely did.

  Shooting me a condescending look, he reminded disdainfully, “We’ve told you before that humans create Tulpas. Congratulations. Now you’ve witnessed the process first hand.”

  Thinking of the Tulpa that had tried to consume me, I couldn’t suppress a shudder.

  But Jareth was still explaining, albeit in a nasty tone. “Your thoughts are pure power, Sydney. Every genuine emotion you feel physically manifests itself in the second dimension. You created fear for them, and they find that particular emotion quite tasty. In fact, they thrive on fear, preferring that above all of the other dark feelings that humans create.”

  I thought I was going to vomit. “You’re saying that I created that … that thing with all those black tentacles?” I didn’t want to believe something so disturbing had originated from me.

  At that, Jareth’s frown morphed into an outright impatient scowl. “Haven’t you listened at all? Yes, you created it! You humans excel at hiding your head in the sand. You’re an easy target.” Swaying a little, he stumbled to the couch and fell on it heavily. “They’ve got you right where they want you, wallowing in fear, convincing yourselves you’re unworthy of happiness. It’s an endless cycle. Really, Sydney! You just took one look at them and turned yourself into a fast food restaurant for their pleasure!”

  “What do you expect? How can anyone see them and not get scared?” I countered, becoming defensive all at once. Recalling their hissing words, I added, “And their voices were so creepy. How did you hiss like that? You sounded just like them!”

  But Jareth had reached the end of his so-called patience. Rewarding me with an expression of scorn, he roared, “It’s no small wonder our Brotherhood can control you so easily! You humans simply beg for domination!”

  My own anger flared. I was fed up with him, but I didn’t have a chance to respond as Rafael cut in softly, “Our Brotherhood?”

  Jareth recoiled and retreated immediately into silence.

  Studying him intently, Rafael advanced. “And you spoke with them?”

  There was something in his tone that made me pause.

  Suddenly, the realization struck me. “You didn’t hear them!” I was astonished.

  Rafael stood still and gave me a terse nod of acknowledgement. “What did they say?” he asked.

  When it was apparent Jareth had no intention of answering, I repeated the exchanges that I’d heard. And while he pretended not to care, I could tell Jareth was listening attentively to my every word.

  The way he did it made me suddenly suspicious.

  I scowled.

  He was hiding something. He was acting superior, like he knew more than I did.

  It wasn’t all that hard to figure out. He looked guilty.

  “You heard them say a lot more than I did, didn’t you?” I accused him suddenly.

  Knowing that he’d betrayed himself, he leaned back on the couch, stretched his legs and closed his eyes like he simply planned to ignore us from then on.

  “How is this possible?” Rafael whispered hoarsely, eyeing the mirror with a haunted expression before turning back to Jareth. “How can you speak with them? And how did you send them back?”

  Jareth ignored him, remaining mute, sprawled out on the couch like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Reaching the couch in two strides, Rafael grabbed a handful of Jareth’s shirt and bodily lifted him up. Placing his face an inch from Jareth’s startled one, he warned in a low voice, “You kno
w that I don’t care to repeat myself!”

  Jareth’s lip lifted in contempt before he shrugged and then shoved Rafael back a little. Tossing his head so that his dark hair half covered his face, he gave a low, hollow laugh. “I’ve always been different. Of all Fae, you should know that at least. But I have no answers for you, Rafael.” He paused and glanced at the mirror with an unreadable expression.

  Rafael folded his arms and waited, but his body language clearly indicated that he wasn’t going to wait long.

  In a voice so low that I could barely make out his words, Jareth acknowledged, “Yes, I heard them. But I don’t know how. I heard them earlier at the pet store and then from across the street at Sydney’s house. And not only do I hear them, I understand them. They are the Brotherhood of the Snake. They do not give birth nor do they die. In ancient times, they roamed both Avalon and Earth, serving as guides to enlightenment before the Shadow People condemned them to the second dimension where they’ve been trapped for century upon century.”

  Rafael looked at him, aghast.

  Jareth bowed and with a flamboyant gesture, added in a mocking tone, “Thus ends the extent of my knowledge.”

  Silence fell. There really wasn’t much to say.

  Finally, Rafael straightened and his face hardened into a mask of determination. “Then we’ve merely discovered more questions to be answered, Jareth, as is clearly our fate.”

  Jareth drew his brows together, reminding darkly, “Our Blue-Threaded fate.”

  “Yes, our Blue-Threaded fate,” Rafael repeated, looking him straight in the eye. “Never forget that our Blue Threads hold the promise we’ll solve this for the benefit of all.”

  That was the first time I’d ever heard Rafael position a Blue Thread as a positive thing. I wasn’t sure if it was a sign of how dire things had become, but I decided I didn’t care. We’d always been so focused on the negative outcome that I kept forgetting what good a Blue Thread might do.

  To think that we could make the right choice was heartening, and all at once I felt inspired to stand up and to fight to make it happen.

  I glanced at Jareth, expecting a cynical response but he was mute once again.