The Glass Wall (Return of the Ancients Book 1)

by Madison Adler

  “This is the Glass Wall, Sydney,” Jareth announced in an unusually restrained tone.

  “It’s a … real wall!” I exclaimed in utter amazement.

  “No.” Rafael disagreed, still maintaining his distance. “It’s a representation of our protection of humanity for as long as no human rejects it. Though to you, it would appear to be a real wall.”

  I couldn’t believe it wasn’t real. The surface was shiny, mesmerizing. I wanted to reach out and touch it, but before I could even move, Jareth clamped his fingers on my arm.

  “Halt!” he warned. “I would kill you before you could touch it, Sydney.”

  I jerked. “You can read my mind!”

  Ignoring me, he continued, “Behind this wall is Earth, and the only way home for you is through this wall, but you will never touch it. The consequences would be far too disastrous for all.”

  The stark words tore through my heart.

  Rafael turned away, but not before I saw a deep expression of sorrow cross his face.

  My heart sank. If I was going to control my fear, this was exactly what I didn’t need to hear! “What … about Al and Betty … and Jerry?” I whispered. My eyes suddenly misted thinking about them. I couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing them again.

  “You are dead to them,” Jareth replied with his trademark shrug.

  “Then you are going to kill me, like you killed Jung?” I gulped, shivering uncontrollably.

  Jareth frowned at that. “I didn’t kill Jung. Marquis did, though I’m sure our Golden Child will refuse to believe that.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder to where Rafael was standing.

  I closed my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. There had to be some way out of this mess. Rafael seemed to think that there was. I willed my fear and sadness to turn into anger. Anger would give me the strength to act.

  Jareth was watching Rafael with a smirk. “You are unusually quiet, Rafael.”

  In a split second, I realized that this was my moment. I didn’t give it much thought. Taking advantage of Jareth’s distraction, I bolted, deciding that I wasn’t about to just shrivel up and die in this strange land. Maybe I could run through the wall and return to Earth. I didn’t even want to consider the consequences. I really had no choice. I knew that the consequences were horrible if I stayed.

  I’d only managed a few paces before I heard shouting, and my feet were instantly bonded to the ground. It was as if someone had super-glued my shoes to the dirt. I wavered and would have fallen if Jareth hadn’t grabbed my shoulders and tipped me upright.

  Rafael entered my field of vision, admiration glinting in his eyes, and Jareth looked down at me with a surprised smirk.

  “I always knew you were reckless, Sydney.” Jareth shook his head, astounded. “But you obviously don’t know how foolish that was.” He flipped his trion in the air and deftly caught it, before pointing it at me again.

  I screamed.

  Jareth chuckled, “No need to panic yet, Sydney. I’ve already rooted you.” He pointed to my feet.

  “Rooted?” I repeated, trying to lift them up, but finding I couldn’t.

  “You’re stuck until I release you. I suggest that you sit, as we will be here quite some time.” He shrugged and then turned to Rafael. “Shall we?”

  With a crisp nod, Rafael moved to stand in front of the wall. Taking a trion from his pocket, he raised his hand and waited until Jareth joined him to follow suit.

  Together, they spoke several harsh syllables.

  The Glass Wall shifted color and a sound emanated from it, like the sudden loud blast of a didgeridoo. Bands of color rippled across the surface, reminding me of the Northern Lights. Then, shafts of light radiated outwards to bathe both Rafael and Jareth in color.

  I watched them and clenched my hands to prevent them from shaking. Several times, I tried to move my feet, but whatever Jareth had done had really worked. I couldn’t even remove my shoes. It was as if I had become part of the ground.

  It was very claustrophobic.

  After a while, my feet began to hurt and I finally sat down. I huddled on the ground, hugging my knees, and watched them stand before the wall, fervently hoping that Rafael would find what he was looking for and knowing my return home depended upon it.

  Finally, they both stepped back.

  Rafael’s face had turned gray again, and my heart sank.

  It was obviously not good news.

  “There is nothing amiss with the Glass Wall,” Jareth announced.

  Chapter Twenty - Imprisoned

  “You are a fool!” Rafael exploded dangerously. “We’ve only confirmed that the Glass Wall is functioning as it has from the beginning. The flaw must have been there from the start!”

  Jareth rolled his eyes and spat. “You dare claim that the wall has been a sham for over a thousand years?”

  They stared at each other, eyes blazing passionately.

  Finally, Rafael broke the impasse. “Do not be foolish! We must continue searching. We have not yet found the truth!”

  “I should have stopped this long before now. This fate line should not even exist!” Jareth’s lip lifted in contempt. “Rafael, I order you to your tower while this matter is brought before the Queens. You will hand me your classification and trion, at once!”

  Rafael uttered a strangled oath. With his eyes sparking in irritation, he warned in a cutting tone, “You’re playing a dangerous game with a force I can’t yet identify, Jareth, and you’re losing to whoever is pulling the puppet strings. Don’t doubt that I’ll find out exactly who’s behind this. You can’t hide them from me!”

  Jareth jerked a little, as if he’d been slapped, but he recovered quickly to retort, “You can’t buy time with such drivel! This fate line will stop here. Do as I order. Now!”

  “You fool!” Rafael swore again, pivoting on his heel to stride toward me. Pointing his trion at my feet, he spoke a single word.

  Instantly, I regained control of my feet.

  Lifting me up, Rafael slammed his weapon onto the ground and then with a vicious flick of his wrist, pulled off what looked like a thin golden bracelet and hurled it next to the trion. Without looking in Jareth’s direction, he caught me to his chest, and we once again shifted.

  This time, the nausea was so intense that I blacked out.

  I woke up to the warmth of the sun on my face and a barking dog. For one brief moment, I was content, thinking I had merely fallen asleep and that Tigger was begging for something to eat, but reality soon invaded my thoughts.

  “Ajax!” Rafael whistled from nearby.

  Opening my eyes, I sat up slowly, filled with apprehension.

  I was lying on a red circular couch in the center of a large room. The carpet and walls were gray. An artful glass sculpture of red tulips covered the entire expanse of the wall to my side. Before me, a red shaggy rug stretched before a series of floor-to-ceiling windows. Several large gray pillows were scattered about the floor.

  The hair on the back of my neck rose. Sensing something behind me, I whipped around to find Ajax’s face planted an inch from mine.

  Screaming, I scrambled back.

  The Doberman’s lips split into a wide grin.

  Rafael whistled again and Ajax bounded off to flop on one of the gray cushions.

  It was then that I saw Rafael lounging against the far wall, watching me from under heavy-lidded eyes. He had changed into an outlandish black bodysuit, with several jagged cuts across the chest that revealed a shimmery, see-through cloth beneath. He had also renewed his make-up, completely covering an eye with black paint, a few feathers on his eyebrow, and sequins that matched a set embedded in his hair.

  Suddenly, I felt nervous. Turning back around, I asked, “How long have I been out?”

  I didn’t hear his response because I was immediately distracted by the bizarre landscape that I was seeing through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Gasping in awe, I ran to plaster my face against the glass.

  Clumps of fl
oating hills drifted lazily outside the window, covered with tall, wispy towers, trailing vines, and long white staircases circling down to end abruptly in mid-air. Looking down, I realized with shock that we were in a similar tower, floating on a similar airborne hill. The sun was shining brightly, but the two moons were still visible in the sky. Underneath us, I could see a vast city spanning in all directions as we glided above it.

  A creature that looked like a blue dragon with butterfly wings dove from somewhere up above and wrapped itself around a tower floating directly across from us. Several Fae suddenly appeared upon its back and the creature launched itself back into the sky, swooping close by our window for a second, long enough to give me a good look at the Fae that were riding it. They were dressed in the most peculiar combinations of feathers, scarves, and fine silver chains that I had ever seen. Their bizarre outfits made Rafael’s choice in attire suddenly seem tame.

  Another floating hill drifted by, one complete with a waterfall spilling over the edge into the city below, I gasped, “Where are we?”

  “The City of the Queens.” Rafael replied in my ear.

  I could feel his breath on my cheek, and I whirled around.

  He was standing close behind me, his face level with mine, peering over my shoulder and out of the window with a glint of amusement in his eye. “I suppose it’s overwhelming to see this for the first time,” he said softly.

  “Uh, yeah … a bit,” I muttered.

  He straightened and moved back a little, watching me closely.

  Suddenly, I remembered our dire situation, and I lost interest in the alien landscape before me. “What … do we do now?” I asked, my voice shaking a little.

  “We wait.” Rafael shrugged coolly.

  As if on cue, a soft chime filtered through the room and Rafael moved to the wall. Touching it briefly, a small hole appeared to widen into a door, and Harmony stepped through.

  My heart began to pound.

  She was dressed in a silver jumper with crystal buttons, and she had pulled her blonde hair back into a sleek ponytail. Glitter and bold swirly patterns of blue paint covered her face, making her look as if she wore a masquerade mask.

  Without a word, she threw her arms about Rafael and hugged him close. There was a lengthy silence as he patted her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

  Finally, she stepped back, and her blue eyes pooled with unshed tears. “Why, Rafael? How did it come to this?”

  “To what?” Rafael went rigid, all at once.

  “I’ve spent my entire life protecting you, and now there is nothing I can do!” Harmony caught her breath in a sob. “I dandled you on my knee when you were a babe, Rafael. I couldn’t love you more if you were my own child, and I daresay I love you more than your own mother. I won’t let this happen!”

  Rafael sucked in a deep breath as his eyes widened in alarm. “What happened, Harmony? Are the Queens refusing to see me?”

  Harmony turned away from him, but paused as she saw me.

  I winced, expecting her to skewer me alive with a vicious look or word, but she just shook her head in deep sorrow.

  “Harmony!” Rafael raised his voice. “Tell me at once!”

  Blanching, she whispered, “Rafael, you can’t save her. You can’t love a human!”

  I started to tremble, feeling my fear rising again.

  “What of the Tulpa?” Rafael roared, grabbing her arm and whirling her around. “What did the Queens say of the Tulpa?”

  “Tulpa?” Harmony repeated, startled. “Jareth never mentioned a Tulpa! He said only that he caught you at the Glass Wall with Sydney!”

  A look of pure outrage flashed across Rafael’s face, and a cry tore from his lips as he struck out, pounding his fist savagely against the tulip sculpture hanging on the wall.

  The glass shattered into a shower of tiny pieces.

  I didn’t know exactly what they were talking about, but it sounded like Jareth had been actively sealing our doom. Tears threatened as I watched Rafael’s stunned face of disbelief.

  After a time, he took a deep breath and explained woodenly, “Sydney was caught in the claws of a Tulpa, Harmony. It was a refined Tulpa, one bred from mass hysteria and many years of human pain. I have no doubt that the Brotherhood created it. Yes, I brought her here to save her life, but also to gain time in finding how the Tulpa gained access to Earth. Jareth voluntarily went with us to the Glass Wall, to look for flaws. Surely, the Queens can’t act so quickly on a matter as weighty as this!”

  “Jareth never said a word of any of this!” Harmony closed her eyes, and it took her several long minutes before she added, “Could you not be mistaken? You know very well that the Glass Wall protects humans from the Brotherhood! The Tulpas can’t get through.”

  Rafael stooped and picked up a shard of glass from the carpet, ignoring the scratches on his hands. “The wall must not be what we have been taught it is, Harmony. Perhaps the Queens know this and fear what I will say.” He drew his lips in a thin line.

  “Rafael …” Harmony whispered. “You can’t imply the Queens would engage in such treachery!”

  “Why not?” He challenged. “We seemed to have stumbled upon insidious lies, perpetuated throughout the centuries, and Jareth is spreading even more!”

  She obviously wanted to believe him, but he was apparently straining her credulity. Looking at him with a mixture of horror and compassion, she approached him as one would a severely ill loved one. “We all make mistakes, Rafael, and love is … forgivable. If we end this now … it won’t be a disaster.”

  I tensed at that. “End this now” didn’t sound so good for me.

  Rafael waited, obviously expecting her to continue. When it became evident that she had finished, he frowned, clearly perplexed. “What are you speaking of, Harmony?”

  Not looking at me, she whispered, “Jareth swore you brought Sydney here out of love. No lasting harm has been done yet. The Glass Wall still stands. It’s not too late to admit your mistake.”

  Rafael’s lashes fluttered in surprise as he focused on the shard of glass in his fingers. He flipped it repeatedly for some time before meeting Harmony’s gaze once more. “I will not sacrifice Sydney. I will find the truth! That will be the only way that she can live. Return to Earth and see if you can find any trace of the Tulpa. It was last in Sydney’s room.”

  “No! You should return to Earth and hide where they can’t find you! They will be coming for you soon!” Harmony disagreed. Looking at me, her lip pulled down. “Sydney … you must stay. I’m sorry. I really am.”

  “No!” I said desperately. “I don’t belong here! This isn’t right!” I knew that staying meant that I wasn’t going to be living long. “And aren’t you an advanced society? Why do you have to kill me, anyway?” I was close to tears.

  “The danger is simply too great,” Harmony replied in a hoarse voice. “Even if you meant no harm, there are others here that would use you to accomplish a great evil!”

  “Enough!” Rafael held up his hand. “If we prove the wall is not protecting humanity, the Queens will wait on Sydney’s judgment! Harmony, we must solve this mystery while we can. Sydney clearly saw Marquis using the Tulpa in the same manner as the Brotherhood: in the nose and eyes. This isn’t something she could have known.”

  Harmony staggered back in disbelief. “This … simply can’t be!”

  “I’m at a loss myself, but for now, focus only on the Tulpa. If we can find it, the Queens will be forced to hear me.” Rafael said, clutching the glass shard tightly. “Take Ajax with you. He can see behind the Glass Wall. He should be able to track it.”

  At the mention of his name, Ajax leapt up from the cushion on full alert and loped across the room to join Harmony.

  Laying her hand on the Doberman’s head, Harmony nodded. “I will look at once. Wait here.”

  With that, they both disappeared.

  Obviously, witnessing Marquis and the Tulpa had far greater implications than I had realized. It had apparen
tly just swayed Harmony to our side. Still, I was threatening to panic once again. “This isn’t looking good, is it?” I asked, moving a little closer. I felt safer nearer him.

  Rafael’s penetrating eyes shifted toward me. “We must find the truth. That is our only way out of this.”

  I nodded, biting my lip to keep it from trembling. “What can I do?”

  “At the moment, you and I still must wait,” he replied softly. “It’s not our time to act yet.”

  I was too upset and anxious to wait. I thought I was going to burst. “How can we just sit here and wait?” I exploded. “Jareth is prancing around sealing your doom ... my doom! The last thing we should do is just sit while he ties all the loose ends with a bow! How does he have so much power? Why won’t they listen to your side of the story? That—”

  “Hush, Sydney.” Rafael interrupted with a chuckle. “All is not lost.”

  “How can you say that? I keep being told that I’m going to die!” I was losing grip on containing my fear. “How is Jareth getting away with this? He’s lying!”

  Clasping my fingers lightly in his, Rafael pulled me to the wall. Touching it again, another door formed, and he pushed me through into a small sunny room filled with potted trees and trailing vines. In the corner stood a tall table made of glass with several matching stools perched on glass stems that didn’t look strong enough to hold anyone.

  “Take a seat.” He pointed to one of the chairs. Settling opposite me, he continued, “There are a thousand reasons why Jareth might have said what he did. He’s a Dark Fae, and I am a Light.’

  “Then how can they listen to your enemy?” I shook my head, astounded.

  “We are not enemies,” Rafael explained patiently. “We are counterparts, a matching pair.”

  I stared at him, dumbfounded. “Uh … a pair … like … married?” I asked.

  He threw back his head and laughed outright. “Absolutely not! We are, or should be, like brothers working side-by-side in the perfect balance of strength and weakness. Our present Queens are true counterparts as well—the Queen of the Dark and the Queen of the Light. True counterparts aren’t common here, and they may show up in any profession. Together, Jareth and I should have accomplished great things.”