The Glass Wall (Return of the Ancients Book 1) (23 page)

Once inside my room, I shook Marquis’ red tube out onto my bed. Recalling the tendrils coming out of the top, I couldn’t believe that I had been so foolish as to actually pick it up with my bare hands, or to steal it for that matter, but it was too late now.

I poked it with a pencil.

Nothing happened.

I pushed it around on the bed and stared at it closely. It just looked like a red fluorescent bulb of some kind. Maybe Betty had been right and the tendrils had just been light reflections. I wondered what it had to do with Marquis.

I stared at the tube for a while, wondering if I should tell Al I had it. I was torn. I wasn’t exactly sure he’d be all that understanding of me stealing it. He followed the law to the letter. And now that Rafael was a hero in his eyes, I definitely didn’t think Al would approve.

Deciding I should wait, I rolled the tube into a towel and stuffed it under my bed. I didn’t really like it there. Something about it made my flesh crawl, much in the same manner as Marquis, but I thought it was the best hiding place.

I was yawning in English class the next afternoon when I came up with the brilliant idea of dangling the tube in front of the alien detection kit, and the opportunity arrived soon after I got home.

Betty had sold a large shipment of her baskets and enlisted both Grace and me to load her truck. Since Grace had a few errands to run, they drove off together to the UPS store. They invited me to go with them, of course, but I was anxious to test the red tube. Finally satisfied that I was alone, I carried it into the kitchen and set the alien detection kit down in front of it.

Nothing happened.

Carefully, I rolled the tube out of the towel, grabbed a wooden spoon, and used it to push the tube against the device.

Nothing happened. The little green lights blinked steadily.

“Of course!” I sighed. What else could I expect from a senior janitor at an Arizona Air Force base?

I pushed the glowing tube back into the towel and put it back under my bed.

The next few days passed quickly, wrapping up school projects in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday and working for Samantha. Thanks to Jareth, her business had perked up and was growing by the day.

I worried off and on about the red tube, wondering if Marquis was going to find out that I’d taken it. I made up my mind to give it back to Rafael, only he never showed up to drive me to my job as he had suggested. In fact, I hadn’t seen him or his car for days. It seemed very unlike him to suggest something and then to simply disappear.

Every night, I continued my research on Avalon. I learned it was the legendary isle where King Arthur’s sword had been forged. There was some dispute as to where the isle was actually located, depending on who told the story, but pretty much all accounts claimed that it was the homeland of an immortal named Morgan le Fay. It was all very interesting in a historical or legendary sort of way, but I didn’t see what it had to do with iron or Ireland. I figured it was just like Jareth to send me on a wild goose chase. He probably found it terribly amusing.

The day before Thanksgiving, Neelu showed up for a visit. She offered to take me out somewhere for a chat, but I felt more comfortable in the kitchen with Betty around.

“Looks like your grades are improving.” Neelu smiled pleasantly. “Everything seems to be humming along just fine?”

“Yep.” I replied, smiling a little as she glanced at her watch for the fifth time.

“And you seem to be fitting in well here?”

“Yep.” I nodded.

“Everything is ok, then?” She looked at her watch again. “I hear you have a job now?”

“I’m really doing fine, Neelu.” I laughed at her. “You can go, you know. I’m fine. There is nothing to worry about.”

She looked a little embarrassed and said, “I’m just so busy, Sydney. I’ve got a court case to get ready for, oh—” she interrupted herself and slapped her hand on her forehead. The rows of bracelets on her arm jingled. “I forgot! Your mother has the evening out for Thanksgiving. She mentioned that you two are going to Denny’s?”

I had completely forgotten about that. I found myself frowning, surprised that I had only been thinking of Rafael on Thanksgiving.

“You can always invite your mother here,” Betty suggested and patted me on the arm. “The more the merrier! And if I do say so myself, my dinner will be much better than Denny’s!”

“I can invite her?” I brightened, sitting up a little. Nodding to Neelu, I said, “Fine, I’ll do that.”

“Ok, I’ll give her a ride here around 6:00 p.m.” Neelu glanced at her watch again and stood up to leave.

“You can stay too!” Betty invited, walking her to the door. They chatted a bit and then Betty returned to start rearranging and decorating the house.

The first order of business was to move the kitchen table into the family room. Al brought in the extra leaves, and pretty soon we had a huge table covered with an orange tablecloth. It looked very festive. We scrounged all of the chairs in the house, even a couple from the garage, and finally had enough for everyone. And then Betty sent me out to the greenbelt to find some leaves to use as decorations.

Sticking Jerry in my pocket, I trudged out into the late afternoon. It was chilly and everything smelled wet. I loved it. I found the smell of damp leaves comforting. I was discovering I liked the Seattle area more than the rest of the places Maya had moved us to over the years. The rainy days matched me.

I’d just finished picking up a nice selection of leaves and pine boughs, when I heard a growl behind me. Nervously, I whirled.

Ajax stood about ten feet behind me, his lips pulled back in a snarl and the black velvety fur along his spine bristled menacingly.

“Uh … hi, Ajax,” I rasped through dry lips.

For a brief moment, he quit growling and shifted his gaze to look at me. It was then that I realized he hadn’t been watching me at all. His wasn’t a friendly look, it was more of a condescending I-suppose-I-might-vaguely-know-who-you-are look, and then he refocused his eyes over my shoulder and resumed his growl.

Uncertainly, I pivoted and scanned the greenbelt behind me. I didn’t see anything.

Ajax kept growling. He moved to stand in front of me. I couldn’t see how his lips could be pulled back any more than they were; he showed every inch of gum as well as teeth.

He stopped abruptly.

“What is it?” I asked, my voice shaking. Nervously, I clutched Jerry close in my pocket.

Relaxing, Ajax moved off and began to sniff in the leaves, not even attempting to acknowledge my presence.

Unnerved and piqued, I shot him a poisonous look as I hurried back to the house.

As soon as I started moving, he fell into step beside me and escorted me all the way home, keeping close by my side until I reached the edge of the lawn before he bounded away to disappear back into the greenbelt. I couldn’t help but feel that he had guarded me from something threatening, even though he had done it with tremendous reluctance.

Shaking off my anxiety, I returned to the cheerful holiday preparations. It was midnight when we finished and finally went to bed. It had been very fun. I’d never experienced such a cozy evening.

Chapter Seventeen - Thanksgiving

We all woke up late the next morning and began to cook, blaring music through the house as we made pumpkin pies, salads, yams, and the turkey. Al was in a great mood and sang loudly with every song we played. We tried all kinds of music out on him from country to opera, and even some of Jareth’s latest hits, though that was Grace’s choice, not mine. Al did a surprisingly good rendition of each song. He really did enjoy singing.

The day flew by with lightning speed, and it was already almost 6:00 p.m. when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” I offered, thinking it was Maya.

I was almost at the door when the bell rang again, followed by pounding. Obviously, my mother would never behave like that. Curiously, I opened the door.

Jareth leaned lazily against the doorframe, decked out in his full rocker regalia: black leather pants, gloves, makeup, chains, wild hair, and all.

The white pigeon perched on his shoulder eyed me with a baleful glare.

“Uh … what are you doing here?” I frowned, annoyance rising to squelch all other emotions. Glancing over his shoulder, I saw a couple of news vans parked on the edge of the road. A few guys with cameras were snapping pictures of us.

“I’m here for the Thanksgiving!” Jareth smirked at me.

“I don’t remember inviting you,” I retorted.

“How cruel!” Jareth grabbed my fingers and pressed them against his heart.

Irritated, I jerked my hand away.

“It’s your fault, my dear Sydney.” He indicated the news vans with his chin. “Ever since you placed that ridiculous charity order, they’ve been following me everywhere. And even though I thought it entirely impossible, you’ve only made me more popular, alluring, and attractive.”

“You forgot egotistical.” I added sourly.

Jareth responded with a howl of laughter. Maneuvering to stand beside me, he slid his arm about my shoulder. Pressing his cheek against the top of my head, he waved to the cameras.

Aggravated, I stepped back, and he used that opportunity to step into the house.

“Good … evening?” I heard Al’s puzzled voice.

Jareth coolly turned to survey him and shrugged. “I’m sure you know who I am.” He lifted his hand, and the pigeon fluttered from his shoulder to land gracefully on his gloved hand. “But allow me to introduce Galahad.”

“Galahad … the pigeon?” I snorted.

Again, the bird shot me a menacing glare that strangely reminded me of Ajax.

“Galahad is even more vicious than a Doberman.” Jareth eyed me aloofly. “Do not let appearances deceive you.”

I blinked, a little taken aback at the coincidence.

Murmuring to Galahad, Jareth lifted his hand and the bird fluttered to roost on the living room curtain rod. “He won’t bother anyone.”

Betty arrived, along with a squealing Grace.

“I can’t believe it! Jareth is here!
Here
!” she gasped and whipped out her cell phone. “I’ve got to tell Ellison to hurry up!”

“I’m staying for Thanksgiving,” Jareth announced, placing his arm around my shoulders.

I shrugged his arm off. “And who invited you? Do you think you can just show up and barge into people’s houses and eat their food—”

“Jareth is welcome to stay!” Grace interrupted, practically dancing around him.

“See? I was invited.” Jareth shrugged, pointing to Grace. “She’s such a nice kid. Why can’t
you
be more like her?”

I rolled my eyes and rejoined, “Why can’t
you
be more like Rafael?”

At that, Jareth’s countenance shifted in a manner that I’d never seen before, and suddenly, the mountain of Betty’s boxes behind me collapsed. I whirled just in time to see a pair of scissors embed themselves into the carpet. I blinked, surprised, as Grace and Al ran into the room to investigate.

Swallowing apprehensively, I peeked at Jareth from the corner of my eye.

For a brief moment, I thought he struggled to regain his composure, but then he was smiling at me with his usual smart-aleck expression, and I figured that I had imagined it.

“What was that?” I asked anyway, and pointed to the scissors sticking into the carpet.

“Looks like a bad stacking job.” Jareth shrugged nonchalantly.

I took a deep breath. I probably was being too suspicious.

“I’m hurt, Sydney. You said I was just barging in here and eating your food without a care. How could you think I’m so selfish? Didn’t I just feed the homeless and cheer up little imps in a hospital?” With a melodramatic sniff, he lifted a black-gloved finger. “I didn’t come empty-handed. What is that I hear?”

I strained to listen. I was about to say “nothing” when there was a knock on the back door.

“I told them to use the back,” Jareth explained with another shrug. “There aren’t any cameras back there.”

Suspiciously, I threaded my way through Betty’s boxes to the back door. I was convinced that Jareth had just conjured up whatever he needed.

I was right.

On the back porch, there was a sizeable cloud of mist swirling around an elegant woman dressed in a white velvet evening dress and a glittery silver cape. Beside her on the ground were several large boxes.

“That’s sufficient, Princessa,” Jareth said from over my shoulder. “We’ll take it from here. You may go.”

Princessa didn’t even look at me as she nodded crisply and then strode away on her six-inch spike heels, across the backyard and into the darkness toward the greenbelt.

“Well, let’s get these in!” Jareth picked up two of the boxes and headed to the kitchen.

I followed with the third.

Plopping his boxes down on the counter, he withdrew a wicked-looking knife from his boot, twirled it, and slit the cardboard open.