by Carmen Caine
But Grace was distracted and not really paying attention to them. “It was weird. Kinda looked like a bald cat … or an armadillo or something,” she mumbled as if to herself, frowning.
“Yeah, I can see how you could confuse those two.” Jareth gave a scathing laugh, but it was clearly forced.
But Grace ignored him entirely. Her eyes had locked on me. “Are you sure you’re ok, Sydney?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak yet. I wasn’t ok, but I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.
Her frown deepened. Apparently, my feeble nod had done little to convince her that I was fine. “I’m taking you home,” she said, taking charge of me.
“We’ll all go,” Rafael agreed, firmly planting his arm around my waist.
No one spoke as we trudged over to where Al was.
Taking one look at our faces, he just told us all to get some rest and drink some hot tea, and that he’d be home after he’d judged the dozen snow shelters in various stages of construction. We left him there, directing an ever-growing group of kids, but as soon as we walked away, he pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open.
We walked back in silence, and soon enough, we’d arrived back at Al and Betty’s house where Rafael helped me take off my coat and half carried me to the couch.
I couldn’t stop shivering.
Betty appeared then, bringing a blanket and tucking it under my chin. “You might be coming down with something, honey. Just take it easy.”
I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t shaking from a fever, but out of fear.
“I’ll make you a can of chicken noodle soup,” she continued, lightly laying her hand on my forehead.
“I can stay here,” Rafael volunteered, sitting on the couch at my feet.
Jareth didn’t say anything. He just planted himself firmly in an easy chair, clearly settling in for a long afternoon.
Betty smiled at them both and disappeared into the kitchen with Grace at her heels.
The instant they’d left, both Rafael and Jareth asked me what had happened.
In a halting whisper, I told them everything, from the appearance of the white-cloaked figure that had sent Ajax away to Blondie and his conversation.
They both turned white.
“I’m scared,” I said in a choked whisper. “What’s happening? They’ll come again now. The Protectors can’t stop them.”
“If you trusted me, I could protect you.” Jareth pointed out darkly.
I looked at him. I wanted to trust him. I knew I was close, but I wasn’t quite sure I was all the way there yet.
“I want to, Jareth,” I admitted.
“Wanting isn’t good enough, Sydney,” he replied. Taking a protection rune out of his pocket, he tossed it at me. “But it’s easy enough to see where you stand.”
Slowly, I picked it up, and we all watched the white stone with its black mark glistening in my palm.
At first, it looked fine, but then it suddenly turned gray and cracked.
“I didn’t think so.” Jareth gave a bitter laugh and looked away. “You’ve listened to Rafael too long.”
Rafael stiffened and I swallowed.
“I’ll find Ajax,” Rafael suddenly said, standing up. “And Brock. I’ll find out what happened, and who sent them away. It’s clearly a critical piece to this puzzle!”
Reaching up, I grabbed his arm. “Do you have to leave?”
Patting my hand, he bent down and kissed my forehead. “You’ll be safe now. Jareth’s here. He’ll stay until I return. You may not trust him implicitly, but I do, Sydney. I know he’ll see you as safe as I would myself.”
I frowned. I’d have preferred him, but I knew he had to find out about the white-cloaked figure.
“I really must go now,” he said. I could hear the smile in his voice.
I realized I was still holding onto his arm. With a reluctant sigh, I let go and urged, “Hurry up and come back. And bring Ajax back too.”
I felt safer with Ajax there. In spite of his wickedness, I trusted him. And even if he was a bit twisted, somehow I’d grown fond of my evil, fur-coated guardian.
Jareth and I didn’t talk after Rafael left. We just sat there in companionable silence, flipping TV channels until Al returned along with Rafael and Ajax. Relief flooded me that nothing horrible had happened to Ajax.
I watched Jareth and Rafael exchange long glances. I wanted to know what had happened, but I couldn’t very well ask with Al in the room. I wished I could ask Ajax, but then, I figured he wouldn’t tell me anyway. And for the first time, I didn’t mind all that much. I just reached over and scratched behind his ears.
To my astonishment, he sat still under my fingers, permitting me to touch his velvety fur.
It wasn’t much later that I told everyone I just wanted to sleep, and taking Ajax with me, crawled tiredly into bed. I lay back on the pillow and as I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep, I dimly noted that I was actually sleeping with my head on the pillow.
Ajax had curled up at my feet.
I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I knew it was significant.
It rained during the night, making a big icy mess that closed school down for good. Since we were so close to winter break, they just dismissed us until the New Year.
Grace ran around screaming in delight.
The phone rang shortly after.
Samantha was having car trouble and couldn’t make it to her coffee shop, but one of the baristas had walked to work and had opened it but needed help. Since I lived close by, she was hoping I could somehow find a way to come in for the evening shift.
Al had put chains on the truck tires and volunteered to deliver me, and I ran back to my room to get ready. I hadn’t really let myself think about the previous day too much. I knew I was going to have to soon, but right now, I wanted distractions. And I would feel safer in crowds of people rather than staying home. The Mesmers seemed to avoid large crowds.
I closed my bedroom door and turned to see Jareth slouching against my dresser, poking his finger into Jerry’s cage.
“This mouse is strange,” he said by way of greeting. “It’s not a normal mouse.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. Jerry looked normal to me. As I approached, he sat up on his hind legs and greeted me with an enthusiastic twitch of his whiskers.
“He’s too smart.” Jareth scowled.
I scowled back at him and muttered, “You can’t just show up in people’s rooms and gripe, you know.”
“I was worried about you.” Jareth shrugged. “And Rafael made me come since he can’t shift on his own anymore.”
“Well, I’m as fine as I’m ever going to be nowadays, and I’m going to work so I’ve got to get ready, so get out,” I said, shooing him away with my hands. I didn’t want to think about Blondie or Tulpas right now.
But Jareth didn’t seem all that eager to go. Folding his arms, he frowned. “The Tulpa is still here, Sydney. That’s why they won’t go away. They want it.”
I shuddered. He was making me think. With a sigh, I caved.
“Did they talk to you?” I whispered hoarsely.
He veiled his dark eyes. “It doesn’t matter. I know what they want. It’s a special Tulpa. It’s alive. That’s why they won’t stop until they find it, and they believe you have it.”
“Huh?” My mouth gaped open. I was stuck on the first part of his sentence. “It’s alive? I thought you said Tulpas were just emotion!”
“They are,” he explained tersely, “But this one is sentient. I can tell.”
“How?” I mouthed.
But then Grace was rapping on my door, asking me if I was ready and when I glanced back, Jareth had gone, and the room was drenched with mist.
I scowled. It was just like him to come in, ruin my day and then leave.
I was ready in five minutes, and since Al was still shaving, I gathered my things and restlessly wandered outside to wait. The snow had melted into vast sheets of ice, and I slipped more than once on
my way to Al’s truck parked in the driveway.
I’d just tossed my backpack into the truck cab when I noticed the shades on the garage window were up.
I’d wanted to see what Al was doing in the garage. Now was my chance.
Half skating my way to the window, I tipped one of the empty garbage containers on its side and balanced myself on top of it for a look, but my breath immediately fogged the window. Quickly wiping a circle clean with my elbow, I peered through.
It was gloomy inside, but there was just enough light to reveal a large tent made of PVC pipe and plastic sheeting in the center of the garage. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that the tent was covered on the outside with some sort of wire, but I couldn’t be sure.
“And what are you doing, Sydney?” I felt Rafael’s soft breath on my neck.
I yelped and involuntarily jumped back, landing straight in his arms.
He was ready to catch me and didn’t appear to mind in the slightest. He just stood there, holding onto me and then his eyes took on a different look. Reaching over my head, he drew a question mark on the window’s foggy surface and asked in a rough voice, “What am I going to do with you, Sydney?”
I looked up, noting that though he’d only lightly ringed his grays eyes in black eyeliner today, he still looked awesomely wicked. I found everything about him fascinating and exciting, and I wanted nothing more to just stay there with his arm about my waist even though I knew that to be a mistake of the highest order.
While the Light Queen’s advice to follow my heart had helped me break Blondie’s hold yesterday, her advice did little for me today. I couldn’t follow my heart where Rafael was concerned. We could only be friends.
Feeling a little depressed, I stepped back and forced myself to focus on the problems at hand. “What happened to Ajax yesterday? And Brock?”
“Brock’s still missing,” he replied grimly, shrugging deeper into his coat to ward off the chilly air. “But Ajax was shifted back to Avalon. He couldn’t tell who was under the cloak.”
I frowned a little.
I’d always thought that dogs had an incredible sense of smell. Surely, Ajax knew who the white-cloaked figure was without seeing them? I was just about to point that out when the front door banged open, and I heard Al jingle his keys.
“I’ll drop by the coffee shop,” Rafael quickly promised with a bewitching smile. “I’ll see you shortly.”
I watched him wave at Al and run across the street to his Bentley as I slid into Al’s truck with a guilty smile.
Al sang with the radio all the way to work, and I was glad, because I really didn’t feel like talking. Finally, we were at the coffee shop and I was waving goodbye.
I’d arrived early to Samantha’s coffee shop, but I didn’t mind.
I planned on studying for that extra credit project Brock had signed me up for. And if I had time, I was going to borrow Samantha’s computer to watch a few cappuccino foam-making video tutorials. I figured today was my chance to catch up. She wouldn’t be there to see me make mistakes.
The coffee shop was busier than I thought it would be. A lot of Samantha’s customers lived nearby and had apparently walked the icy sidewalks to get there. But I wasn’t needed for a bit, so I grabbed my backpack, selected my free pastry of the day, and sat down to study.
Almost immediately, the door jingled and Jareth walked in, wearing his usual black leather and sunglasses outfit while popping a stick of gum into his mouth.
I didn’t say anything as he sprawled in the brown velvet chair next to me. I just opened my backpack with the intention of burying my nose in my books.
Pulling the backpack open, I slid my hand inside, but encountered something strangely cold. With a gasp, I jerked back just as the silver pen case Rafael had given me for my birthday slipped out to fall in my lap.
I frowned.
I’d thought I’d left it in my dresser.
“What’s wrong?” Jareth asked, leaning forward for a better look.
“Nothing.” I shrugged, picking the pen case up.
Spying it, he grinned and settled back in his chair to prop a booted foot on the coffee table. “Ah! It’s got something it wants you to write.”
“Huh?” I frowned again, glancing up at him. He acted like it was possessed.
“You’ll see for yourself soon enough,” he evaded and then looked down his nose at the notebook that I’d just plopped down on the table. “Hmmm…studying alchemy?”
“Alchemy?” I asked, frowning deeper.
“Ah yes, humans don’t learn that anymore, do they? Must be chemistry,” he snorted a bit derisively and tapped his finger on my open notebook. His dark eyes took on an ornery look. “I can help you study, get it over with, that kind of thing. After all, we have to save the world, you know.”
Grabbing a pencil out of my hand, he scribbled on my notebook before I could stop him. It took me several tries, but I managed to slap his fingers away.
“I’ve got to do this myself,” I said. “I don’t cheat.”
“A shame,” he replied, chuckling a little.
I glanced down to read what he’d written. For the question ‘Name the heavy metals’ he’d scribbled: Metallica, AC/DC, and Van Halen.
I snorted. “You’re worse than Brock,” I said, but I couldn’t prevent a smile. I actually appreciated his attempt at lightening the atmosphere. After everything that’d happened, it felt good to smile.
My response delighted him to no end, and he leaned forward to say something but stopped abruptly as the door jingled again, and Rafael stepped through.
“Studying?” Rafael asked by way of greeting.
“Attempting to,” I confessed, smiling back at him.
Lifting the chair, he turned it around and straddled it, crossing his arms over the back and offered with a warm smile, “Need help?”
“Jareth already tried,” I replied, sliding my notebook across the table.
Rafael’s dark lashes lowered to read it, and his lips lifted in a faint smile.
I was going to ask him more about Ajax when a bunch of customers arrived, and the barista running the shop asked me if I could start my shift.
The day passed quickly then. Rafael and Jareth hung out at the front of the shop, talking in soft voices. Judging by the serious expressions on their faces, it was about something serious. And after several hours, they abruptly left.
I thought it was strange that they hadn’t even said good-bye, but we were so busy I didn’t have time to think about it much.
Ellison arrived and we spent every free moment we had making cappuccino butterflies. I was better at it than I thought I’d be, and by the time I’d made my tenth one, I was beginning to feel confident.
“So, I think you need a celebrity couple name,” Ellison said suddenly, breaking my concentration.
“Huh?” I asked, glancing up curiously.
He put a finger to his chin and pretended to think. He nudged me with his elbow. “Rafydney or Sydnael, which one do you like better?”
I blushed.
“I’m partial to Rafydney.” He laughed.
“It’s not like that!” I protested hotly. “I don’t have a thing for anyone! We’re just friends!”
He raised a skeptical brow. “Really?”
My cheeks turned an even deeper red.
To my relief, my cellphone rang.
It was Al, telling me the tire shop was busy selling snow tires and that he had to work late, but Ellison overheard and offered me a ride home.
We were so busy the rest of our shift that we didn’t have time to talk about anything. We ended up staying a little later than scheduled, but finally our shift was done and I was tossing my backpack in the back of Ellison’s car.
Riding in his yellow VW beetle felt closer to riding home on a skateboard, especially after having been driven to work in Rafael’s Bentley. We kept sliding all over the road. It was strangely and irrationally fun. We spent the entire trip screaming in fear or
howling in laughter, and by time Ellison dropped me off, my sides were aching.
Waving goodbye, I watched his Volkswagen careen down the road before shouldering my backpack and heading inside.
I’d almost reached the porch when I felt a sudden shiver of apprehension.
I froze.
I was learning to trust my intuition.
It was already dark. A quick, surreptitious glance revealed nothing out of the ordinary, as far as I could see anyway, so I took a step forward.
And then I saw it.
The weird garden gnome wearing the black suit and the black top hat was sitting on the corner of the porch.
I bit back a scream.
I stayed there, staring at it for what seemed like an eternity but then logic finally conquered my fear.
Most likely, there was quite a rational reason for the weird gnome’s sudden appearance.
Mrs. Patton had probably loaned it to Al so that it could be added to his Operation ID spreadsheet.
Laughing a bit nervously at myself for behaving so foolishly, I jumped onto the porch, scurrying past the weird lawn ornament as fast as I could.
I’d just unlocked the door, and my hand was still on the knob when it moved.
In absolute horror, I watched the garden gnome stand up and begin to grow, taller and taller, morphing into the image I’d seen in the Hall of Mirrors.
It was the man in the black suit and black top hat, the man that had opened the door for the lizard people and had forced them into exile.
Chapter Eighteen – The White Mask
Dimly, I heard the sound of screaming and on some level, I knew it was coming out of my own lips, but I was far beyond being in any kind of control.
Somehow, I managed to open the door just as the man in the top hat tried to step in my way, but somehow, I went right through him as if he were made of smoke.
And then I was in the house, shoving the door closed.
But just before I slammed it shut, I saw his face.
The face was kind and strangely familiar, and the expression on it was sad, a sadness so deep that I felt like weeping.
The door closed between us, and he disappeared.
I closed my eyes, taking in deep, shaking breaths.