Ellison and Grace disappeared into the doors of the nightclub a good hour before Betty and I could. We decided to wait at a coffee shop across the street and sat down to sip hot tea and browse the local newspapers.
By the time we got into line, I was getting excited.
The Pike Place Show Box was a fairly nice place, but the walls were painted a dark red that, combined with the awful opening band, made me wonder several times if I were in Hell. Grace and Ellison were up front, waving and screaming, but I sat at one of the little round tables in the back with Betty and sipped on diet cokes.
I could tell she was concerned about me. Every ten minutes, she leaned forward and screamed over the noise, “Are you feeling ok, honey?”
“Yes!” I smiled each time.
Finally, the opening bands finished screeching, and there was a break while Jareth’s crew set up and changed the stage.
Through the crowd, we couldn’t see Ellison and Grace, but they began to text us. They had actually met Jareth, and he’d been pretty cool. He’d signed Grace’s notebook and Ellison’s stomach. They had each gotten a T-shirt and a signed photo.
I was starting to feel a little foolish, and honestly, a little jealous. I had obviously let my paranoia get in the way of having a bit of fun. I began to regret, just a tad, my choice of giving Ellison the VIP pass.
“Honey, why don’t you join them?” Betty kept prodding.
I shook my head, and then conversation became impossible as Jareth came out on stage, and all the girls in the building began to scream at once.
From where I was, I couldn’t see what he really looked like. He was wearing so much make-up, and his teased black hair stood out from his head in all directions. He could have looked like anything underneath it all. His voice was amazing and he sang all my favorite songs. He was an incredible showman, prancing up and down the stage with fireworks exploding behind him in all directions, and he seemed to change outfits in the blink of an eye.
Soon, I found myself screaming and clapping with the rest. All thoughts of spying were long gone, and the energy in the room sucked me in.
Finally, as he ended the last set, Betty insisted I get a little closer for the encore.
Giving her my sweatshirt, I pushed my way through the crowd, successfully squashing any concerns that I had and letting myself get caught up in the moment. I didn’t figure I’d be able to get very close. It was, after all, Jareth, but I guess everyone must have been tired from all the jumping and screaming, because just as he came back on stage I found myself squeezed right in between Ellison and Grace—right in the very front.
“This is so fun!” Ellison screamed in my ear, and then flames shot out of the stage floor and Jareth began to sing again.
Metallic silver makeup completely covered his face, and he wore a white, sequined space suit with a plunging neckline that revealed his muscled abs. Again, it was impossible to tell what he really looked like, but I no longer cared anyway. I was screaming the words and raising my hands with everyone else. A few people crowd surfed and made it all the way onto the stage before bouncers pulled them down and escorted them away. Jareth kept singing.
I closed my eyes and waved my hands, and then, all of a sudden, fingers closed around my wrists, and I felt myself lifted onto the stage.
Screaming out of fear this time, my eyes flew open, and I found myself standing next to Jareth as he sang. He clamped his arm firmly about my shoulders as he shouted out something about Seattle and pointed to me.
The crowd went wild.
Just a few feet in front of me, I could see Ellison and Grace grinning and giving me the thumbs up sign.
A little stunned, I remained where I was, listening to Jareth sing into my ear. I could feel his rib cage vibrating as he belted out the song.
As the seconds passed, I began to get excited. I was actually on stage with Jareth! He had his arm around me!
Then, the thought crossed my mind that now would be a great time to get a good look at him. I could settle my crazy suspicions once and for all.
I’d just plucked up the courage to examine him closely, when Rafael emerged from the screaming crowd, leapt onto the stage, and strode right toward us. His eyeliner was at least a half-inch thick, and he wore some kind of a flashy metallic jacket with his blond hair standing out in all directions, just like Jareth’s wild mane.
If I hadn’t known who he was, I probably would have thought he was part of the show.
In fact, the crowd apparently thought so because everyone began to scream more with the exception of Grace and Ellison. Their mouths had dropped open.
The bouncers looked at Rafael, a little confused, but they turned away as Jareth placed his free arm around Rafael’s shoulders and kept singing.
The last words were scarcely out of his mouth before he was leaving the stage, herding both Rafael and me to the back.
Too dazed to even panic, I stumbled several times, but Jareth was strong. He swept me forward, and in just a few seconds, I found myself standing in his private dressing room as Rafael strode through the door.
“Let me go!” I shouted, struggling a little in his vice grip.
Jareth wasn’t even looking at me. He had turned his full attention to Rafael with a cynical laugh.
Rafael stood before him, arms folded. His jaw was rigid as his eyes filled with a cold fury.
Obviously, Rafael and Jareth knew each other very well and not in a friendly way. If they were to fight, I wasn’t honestly sure which one would win. Both of them were the same height and matching build.
There was an intense silence, and then Jareth let me go and moved to grab a towel. Wiping the makeup off his face, he said, “I wish I could say it was pleasant to see you again, Rafael.”
“Likewise, Jareth,” Rafael replied. His tone was cold, but even and calm.
There was a moment or two of silence as Jareth thoroughly mopped the towel over his face. He bunched it up like a basketball and shot it into the trashcan before turning to face me.
I almost fainted. He really was the same man from Halloween. I was so stunned that I couldn’t think.
“I see now why you’ve protected this one so much.” Jareth bowed slightly in my direction before shifting his gaze back to Rafael. “But since you know where our mentor is, you should have called me. You know that I only want to help her. In fact, I’d wager I care more for her than you do.”
Rafael said nothing, but his gray eyes narrowed.
After a moment, Jareth snickered a little, “Could it be you don’t know yet?” Tossing his head back, he chortled. “And I was always so jealous of you, thinking you were the better Fate Tracker! Could you really not know that Sydney has been touched?”
“Touched?” I repeated. My voice sounded thin and shrill. Had I caught something?
At that, Rafael strode to my side and grabbed my hand. His fingers felt warm, almost hot, over my skin as he cradled my fingers between both of his hands. He stared down at me, impassively.
Jareth began moving about the room, shrugging out of his sequined outfit and into a black one. With a whistle, he lifted his hand, and the white pigeon I had seen before flew down from the curtain rod to perch on his shoulder. I hadn’t even noticed it had been in the room.
I glanced back up into Rafael’s eyes, worried and confused, but taking comfort in his presence. He still held my hand.
“This is a new development. She didn’t have the touch a few days ago,” Rafael said, looking at Jareth. “If she had, I would have contacted you.”
“I wish I could believe what you say.” Jareth rolled his eyes as he lounged against the opposite wall. “But it’s all making more sense now. I never imagined that the Blue-Thread I’ve been tracking of late would be you!”
With his brows rising into his hairline, Rafael ordered, “Explain yourself!”
Jareth began to laugh. It was a loud, long, and sarcastic laugh. Finally, he said, “Ah, how ironic it is that you’re Blue-Threaded yourself no
w, Rafael! You, the most hailed Fate Tracker of us all is now … Blue.”
Rafael blinked several times and then turned white.
I couldn’t believe my ears. It was sounding so much like what Jung Lin had written down. I was freaking out and wanted to run, but Jareth was standing in front of the door, and I didn’t think he would get out of the way.
There was a prolonged silence.
“How does it feel?” Jareth drawled at last.
Rafael said nothing.
“And this one!” Jareth nodded at me with his chin. “I’d wager the rest don’t know you’re both Blue now, do they?”
“You’re a strange one to judge,” Rafael finally replied. “I know well that she’s a Blue only because of you.”
Jareth smirked and bowed in front of me with an exaggerated flourish. “Now, all three of us are Blue. What does it mean? Is it disaster or bliss?”
“I … don’t understand,” I said. I was nervous, but I needed answers.
At my words, they both tensed. It was almost as if they had just noticed I was there for the first time.
Squeezing my hand, Rafael pulled me toward the door. “You’ve said far too much, Jareth.”
“Not if she’s a Blue.” Jareth shrugged.
“Stay away from Sydney,” Rafael warned. “If I find our mentor, I’ll contact you.”
“And if you don’t, you’ll pay the worst price. Don’t let the fact that your father heads the Inner Circle give you a false sense of security.” Jareth’s voice had taken on a threatening tone.
At that, Rafael expelled an exasperated breath. “The Inner Circle is a myth. Why hold onto such thinking?”
Jareth sneered. “Again, I’m astounded that anyone believes a naïve fool such as you could be Avalon’s most prized Fate Tracker. If you cannot even see what is before you, how can you read the Threads of Fate?”
“Come, Sydney,” Rafael murmured, pulling me to the door.
“Oh, Sydney!” Jareth called.
I hesitated and looked back over my shoulder at him.
“Here’s your VIP T-shirt” he said, tossing it at me with a mocking grin.
It fell to the floor.
Rafael pulled me out of the room. “This way,” he said, leading me through a dark corridor.
I could see a green exit sign blinking over a partially opened door. When we reached it, I shoved past Rafael to pull it open, but to my surprise, he reached over my head and shut the door with his palm. I whirled to look up at him.
“Stay away from Jareth,” he cautioned quietly. “He’s dangerous.”
“You guys aren’t human, are you?” I blurted. I couldn’t stop myself.
He blinked.
I was beginning to recognize that was how he expressed surprise.
“What makes you think that?” he asked, frowning.
“What was all that talk about being Blue?” I prodded, ignoring his question.
“It is nothing you should remember,” he replied. He was still leaning against the door blocking my way, but he raised his other hand as if to touch my cheek.
“Are you going to wipe my memory?” I squeaked in a high-pitched voice, freaking out.
“What?” He surveyed me in outright surprise. “No one can do that!”
“But I’ve seen Jareth disappear. No one can do that, either!” I said. A little voice in the back of my head told me to shut up, that I shouldn’t be telling him what I knew, but I was rattled and on the verge of losing all control.
“Sydney.” Rafael’s voice was soft and reassuring, but filled with authority. “You must calm down. You should not speak of such things.”
“Why?” I gulped. “Because it’s true?”
“No, because everyone will be concerned for your sanity,” he said. “Or, they might think you’re on drugs.”
I shut my mouth. That was true. I couldn’t decide if he’d just threatened me or not, but I was beginning to lose my fear of him. I wasn’t exactly sure why. “So, what is being Blue and what is a Fate Tracker?” I whispered, watching his handsome face closely.
Exasperated, he expelled his breath. “Have you considered that maybe Jareth is on drugs?”
I didn’t believe that. “How would you know?” I challenged.
“He’s my cousin,” he answered coolly.
I was about to snort, but caught myself. They did look related. Doubt entered my mind.
Rafael took advantage of my momentary confusion and opening the door, pulled me after him into the parking lot where I could see Betty, Ellison, and Grace waving excitedly at us.
“I’m so glad you got to go backstage, honey!” Betty gushed as we approached.
“What happened? What was the prize?” Ellison asked, craning his head around to see if I was hiding anything behind my back.
“These,” Rafael said, interrupting before I could even open my mouth.
He held out two leather jackets emblazoned with the symbol from Jareth’s latest album.
I didn’t even want to know where the jackets had come from. Rafael obviously knew that I knew he hadn’t been carrying them. I took it as his admission that he wasn’t human. I wanted to know more, but I was thoroughly sick of the whole thing right now.
I just wanted to go home and cuddle up with Jerry.
I closed my eyes, wishing they would all disappear and stay disappeared.
“Sydney, your jacket is so cool!” Grace was practically drooling over it.
“You can have it,” I said shortly.
Grace squealed, and soon Ellison was squealing as well when Rafael gave the other leather jacket to him.
I snagged my sweatshirt from Betty and slipped it on, letting the fairy runes in my pocket run over my fingers.
Rafael held something small out to me. “You forgot this, Sydney.”
It was a small, round, metal-rimmed hand mirror. I’d never seen anything like it before in my life, but I recognized the fairy protection rune engraved on the back. I don’t know why I took it, but I did, and stuffed it into my pocket.
Rafael nodded at me and then bowed to all of us. “It was pleasant to see all of you. If you’ll excuse me, I must be going.”
To my surprise, Grace just waved at him absent-mindedly. She was too busy whispering with Ellison and comparing jackets.
I watched Rafael walk away feeling conflicting thoughts. I wanted him to go away, but I also wanted him to come back. I felt safe with him, even though he was kind of creepy. I wondered what I would do if Jareth suddenly showed up. Nervously, I clutched the fairy runes and mirror in my pocket.
Betty was watching me closely. “Are you ok, honey?”
I could tell she was worried. For a brief moment, I wanted to throw myself in her arms and wail that I felt trapped in some kind of alien plot to take over Earth, but I knew Rafael was probably right. Everyone would think I was on drugs, and I’d end up in rehab next to my mother.
“I’m tired.” I forced myself to yawn. “And I’m just worried about my first day at work tomorrow.”
“You’re right! Kids, get in the car.” Betty began to shoo us all to the truck. “We have to get home. Sydney has a big day tomorrow!”
Chapter Eleven - First Day on the Job
Samantha terrified me. After only the first hour at my job, I was convinced that I’d never make my new boss happy. She had given me a stack of black T-shirts with the “Bean There, Baked That” logo emblazoned on the front, had told me to put one on, and then had sent me out to clean tables, dump trashcans, and sweep floors. I worked hard, concentrating on doing my best, but each time I glanced in her direction, I’d see her watching me with that perpetual frown of hers. It made me increasingly paranoid that my first day on the job would also be my last.
Her very first words to me were orders that I couldn’t interact with her customers. She considered them royalty and allowed only certain baristas to talk to them. The rest of us could only smile, and if a customer wanted to ask a question, we had to escort them to one
of her preapproved baristas. It was a little odd, but I was fine with it. I really didn’t want to chit chat with every stranger that came through the door anyway. I preferred to mind my own business and wash cups and dishes in the back.
At two o’clock, she gave me a lunch break. She allowed her employees one free menu item a day, so I chose a tuna sandwich and sat down at a small table in the corner. I looked at my sandwich proudly. It was the first thing that I had ever earned. Smiling in satisfaction, I opened my mouth to take my first bite when a coin rolled across the table surface.
Startled, I looked up to see Jareth settling in a wooden chair opposite me, his intense eyes locked on mine.
I choked. My heart began to pound in my chest.
“Good afternoon, Sydney,” he said. His tone was sarcastic.
Again, he was dressed in black, wearing a T-shirt with his own face splashed across it, and a leather jacket embroidered with his name. He’d pulled his long, dark hair into a ponytail. Noting that he wore eye makeup yet again, I could almost believe he was Rafael’s cousin.
He obviously wasn’t attempting to hide his identity. The customers in the shop whispered and pointed at him. There was a man outside the window shamelessly snapping pictures of him through the glass.
I swallowed and turned my back to the camera.
“We need to talk about last night.” Jareth was smirking at me. His words reverberated through the shop, loud enough that everyone could hear. “And since I can’t come to your house, I’m forced to come here.”
I stared at him, my mouth open in disbelief.
Lowering his voice, he added, “I’ll wager that fool Rafael has told you nothing.”
Not knowing what to say, I found myself edging away.
The Glass Wall (Return of the Ancients Book 1) Page 9