The Glass Wall (Return of the Ancients Book 1) (19 page)

“Doesn’t
, dear,” I chimed softly along with Betty under my breath.

To my surprise, Al heard me. He reached over to tousle my hair again and chuckled. “Well, Betty, she’s got your back now.”

Betty smiled. “She’s my girl.”

My eyes watered unexpectedly. I had to blink rapidly and pretend something got in them. When that didn’t work, I jumped to my feet and started putting the food away. I grabbed the handful of unused chopsticks to toss them away when Betty stopped me, saying that Al enjoyed eating the leftovers with them. She stuck them in the corner of the silverware drawer.

Once the kitchen was tidy, Betty and Al settled in front of the TV and Grace disappeared into her room to text friends. I glanced through the window across the street. Both sports cars were in the driveway of Rafael’s house. Deciding now was as good a time as any, I stuffed a fork in one pocket, my cell phone in the other, and headed across the street.

It was dark and a little chilly outside. I hugged my sweatshirt close and walked up the driveway. They were obviously home. I could see lights were on inside the house.

My heart began to pound as I gingerly stepped onto the porch and tiptoed to the door. Feeling a little nervous, I pressed the doorbell.

The buzzer sounded, ringing through the house.

I waited for what seemed like a very long time and pushed the doorbell again.

When no one responded, I cupped my hands around my face and peered through a long narrow window next to the door. The light was on in the hall and the curtain was sheer, so I could see right through it and into an elegantly decorated living room. I recognized the modern black leather couch that Betty had drooled over when they had moved in. A glass coffee table stood in front of it. There was a thick, fuzzy white rug covering the hardwood floor, and several large paintings of flowers hung on the walls.

Right next to the couch, I saw a wheelchair and a neon pink lap quilt. I frowned at the wheelchair. The neon pink lap quilt looked vaguely familiar.

Suddenly, I heard a growl.

Startled, I whirled to see Ajax strutting onto the porch. His lips peeled back to reveal sharp, shiny teeth.

“Good boy, Ajax.” My voice shook as I held out my hand. “How are you doing?”

His growl deepened.

I rolled my eyes. Why should I even attempt to be nice to this dog? He had never liked me. “Alright, Ajax.” I snorted. “I get it. I know you hate me. Well, I don’t really like you either, so we are even.”

He kept growling.

“Fine! I’ll leave!” I snapped, edging off the porch. “You can tell your two-timing owner that I dropped by to talk to him, but I guess he’s too busy with his latest girlfriend.”

“Latest girlfriend?” Rafael repeated from the door.

I must have jumped several feet.

I whirled to find him framed in the hall, light streaming out of the open doorway. He was wearing sweats and a black tank top with his hair pulled back from his face with some kind of a hairband. He would have looked almost normal if not for the green glitter streaked under his eyebrows.

Embarrassed, I cleared my throat. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Rafael frowned, appearing faintly insulted. “You must be referring to Reese. I assure you, it was a matter of business only.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled again, but added defensively, “
She
thought she was your girlfriend, and I only said you were two-timing because you’re engaged and still took her out. In my books, that’s very close to cheating.” I’d seen my mother devastated several times over less.

The muscle of his jaw visibly tightened. “It’s very complicated, Sydney.”

“Life usually is.” I shrugged my shoulders. I stuffed my hand in my pocket and gripped the handle of the fork.

“Would you care to come in?” He stood to the side, waving his hand in an intricate gesture of invitation.

“Only if you really want to talk and answer questions,” I countered, deciding to get directly to the point. “I don’t want to hear how Jareth is on drugs, because I don’t believe for a second that he is anymore.”

Rafael knit his brows, the streaks of green glitter giving him an almost wicked appearance as he peered down at me. With a slight bow, he repeated, “Please come in.”

Clutching my fork tightly, I stepped inside.

“I’m flattered by your faith in me, Sydney,” Jareth’s snide voice drawled from the shadows.

Rafael switched the living room lights on, and I could see Jareth reclining on a leather chair in the corner.

Surprised, I looked at them both. “I thought you were enemies?”

“’
Enemies’…” Jareth drew the word out in a mocking tone. “That’s such a
strong
word.”

Rafael tilted his head to the side and tapped his long fingers on the back of the leather couch before offering a clipped explanation. “Jareth and I adhere to different belief systems.”

There was a stilted silence. They obviously didn’t want to talk about their relationship. I leaned against a stuffed chair and watched as they both glared at each other. Taking advantage of their distraction, I glanced around the living room, looking for evidence to prove that they were not human. It looked like a normal room. There was nothing alien about it at all.

It took some time before I noticed that their attention had shifted to me.

“What is it, Sydney?” Rafael folded his arms, perplexed. “Are you searching for something?”

I jerked and then promptly blushed. With a nervous titter, I replied, “Hey, you were the one who wanted to talk to me!”

I clearly made a horrible spy. It was obvious that I’d been up to something. They apparently thought so too. Jareth frowned as Rafael leaned against the wall to observe me from under half-lowered eyelashes.

After a few moments, Jareth prodded impatiently, “Well, Rafael? What did you want to speak to her about?”

Rafael didn’t reply. He appeared unusually tense. Every line of his body was taut, even his jaw.

With a humph of laughter, Jareth took a coin out of his pocket and began his infernal flipping.

I waited, not knowing what else to do and then Jareth chuckled again.

He rubbed me the wrong way. “What is so funny?” I asked, frowning a little.

But Jareth wasn’t looking at me. He was smirking at Rafael. “You should tell Marquis you won’t go through with it. Why don’t you throw out all those rules you adore and just follow where your heart leads you?”

Rafael shifted and cleared his throat. “I don’t understand what you speak of.”

“Oh, I think we can
all
see
that
is a lie.” Jareth snickered. “If not now, it will be soon. Very soon.”

At that, Rafael turned his full attention upon Jareth. His gray eyes were furious.

It only took a second for Jareth’s mouth to twist in a responding anger. “Emotion isn’t something you can contain, you fool! All those years of human studies should have taught you that. Why else do you think your engagement was rushed—”

“I haven’t formed any perilous ties!” Rafael thundered, stepping away from the wall to face Jareth fully. “That’s a dangerous lie!”

“Look at yourself in the mirror and then come back to tell me that.” Jareth’s eyes roiled with emotion.

They continued to glare at each other.

In my pocket, I held tightly onto my trusty fork. I was a little nervous, but mostly fascinated with their exchange. I couldn’t begin to understand their relationship. I really didn’t think they were enemies. They certainly fought like relatives. Maybe they really
were
cousins.

With a belligerent yawn, Jareth rearranged himself to dangle his foot over the chair. Adopting a flippant tone, he said, “You’re headed for a rude awakening, and it’ll be over the most ancient of things. Emotion. Friendship. Love.”

Rafael took a deep breath and turned pale.

“Yes, O Blue-Threaded Rafael, the Golden Child. Soon, everyone will know that you have turned Blue and will wonder why.” A wicked glint of humor flashed in Jareth’s eyes. “Though I think I’m close to answering that.”

Rafael remained silent, no longer appearing angry. Instead, he looked ill.

Jareth’s gaze shifted to me. “I find it fascinating that Sydney is still Blue and an even deeper shade than before, don’t you, Rafael?” It really wasn’t a question, and I wasn’t sure what he was implying.

“Blue?” I repeated.

“If you were to leave, Sydney would be White soon enough.” Rafael’s voice hardened. “I’ve completed our mission. You should return.”

I might as well have asked the wall. They could only hear each other.

“Oh, I think not.” Jareth disagreed with an arrogant toss of his head. “The mystery here has only deepened and it’s you, my dear Rafael, who appears to be the wild card. I can see your fate as easily as you can see mine. Your choice is soon.”

Rafael was so tense that I thought he was going to burst. I wondered why he just stood there, listening to Jareth’s continual provocations instead of saying something back.

“I’m curious…” Jareth fell silent, watching us both for a time before his face clouded and he sprang to his feet. “I see it now! The path you walk will break the Glass Wall!” He lifted his hand and pointed his finger at me.

Rafael’s response was startling. Launching himself between Jareth and me, he grabbed my arm and shoved me behind him. “Silence, Jareth! Your lips are far too loose! How dare you accuse me of such treason?!”

Jareth’s voice was angry. “If that is the path, then I can’t risk it. I should end this all now! Here! You know what is at stake!”

Ignoring him, Rafael slid his arm about my waist and half carried, half pushed me to the door, saying, “Forgive me, Sydney. You must go. We can’t speak now.”

“Ah, yes, let’s keep her ignorant, shall we?” Jareth shouted after us. “After all, why does
she
need to know about the Glass Wall?”

I craned my head around Rafael to catch a glimpse of Jareth. With his dark brows drawn in a mask of anger, he still pointed his finger at me. For a brief moment, I thought I saw a flash of silver in his hand.

“Go, Sydney!” Rafael ordered, catching me by the crook of the arm and propelling me out to the porch. He seemed angry, sad, and a little frightened as he slammed the door shut, practically in my face.

I blinked, a little unsure of what had just happened. But one thing disturbed me. If I was right and Rafael was frightened, then I was pretty sure that I should be utterly terrified. But over what?

Suddenly I realized that I was shaking.

Wondering what I’d just witnessed, I ran across the street and back home.

Betty and Al waved from the couch as I passed by. Grace was still in her room. Grateful to be alone, I closed my bedroom door and leaned against it, breathing heavily for a few moments.

Now that I was safe in my room, the whole situation seemed adventurous and exciting. My heart was pounding and I had never felt so alive. I’d always wanted to have an adventure—like in the movies. Now, I actually was!

Enthusiastically, I scrambled for my science notebook. Thumbing through the pages, I found a blank space and wrote the words
The Glass Wall
.

Why had Rafael become so upset when Jareth had mentioned it, and what did it have to do with me?

I scribbled down a few more notes that Rafael and Jareth held opposite beliefs but that they didn’t really fit the classic definition of enemies. After all, Jareth was sitting quite comfortably in Rafael’s living room, and they had obviously been on some kind of mission together.

That brought another thought that arrived with an unexpected pang of loss. Rafael had mentioned their mission was complete. Did that mean they were leaving soon?

I leapt up from the bed and found myself pacing a little.

I didn’t want them to go. I was just starting to get into the whole thing, and I wanted to figure out what was happening. They were far too interesting to disappear from my life. Yes, I supposed, in theory that they could be dangerous, but they didn’t seem out to harm me.

My life would be incredibly boring if they all just left.

Jerry’s wheel began to squeak, and I watched his little feet zooming over the bars as he ran in circles.

Then my eyes fell upon the mirror and the stones. I stared at them. I already had my evidence. Harmony had used the mirror to contact Rafael, and I already knew the stones weren’t normal.

I quickly retrieved them and sat on the bed to inspect the mirror first. I turned it around. One side was the mirror, the other a kind of metal with an engraved protection symbol. I peered into it, looking at my reflection, and turning it round and round, looking for something special. It looked like a regular mirror to me. I frowned, confused why Rafael had given me a mirror and looked at the stones.

They seemed a bit faded, not nearly as white as before, but I figured it was because they had been sitting in Jerry’s cage. I let them run through my fingers and decided to put them all back in my pocket. I had missed their sense of comfort.