The Egg (Return of the Ancients Book 4)

by Carmen Caine

“Let’s talk to Al,” I said.

  He squeezed my hand and pulled me to the door and we walked across the street, hand-in-hand. I tried not to think of anything, only noting the crunch of our boots on the gravel. It was early afternoon. There was a biting chill on the wind that made me think it was going to snow soon.

  Al’s garage door was open.

  We’d just stepped around a stack of boxes piled up almost to the ceiling, when I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

  “Marquis!” Rafael grated, his gray eyes narrowing dangerously.

  Marquis slithered forward to greet his. He didn’t appear to be too interested in his son. His attention was fixed upon me.

  He didn’t waste any time asking, “How did you escape, human?”

  I just stared at him, surprised, even as I wondered if he honestly just thought that I would blurt out that I’d somehow used the mirror to escape. But then I winced. He didn’t need me to talk. He could simply read my thoughts forming in the Second Dimension. It was an unfair advantage.

  “Impossible!” Marquis’ mouth fixed in an arrogant sneer. “Humans are like blades of grass, swaying with the wind whichever way it blows. Human thoughts aren’t powerful enough to span dimensions.” He swaggered a couple of steps my way before making a sudden lunge.

  But he wasn’t quick enough.

  Rafael’s lips parted to speak a single word. I couldn’t understand what he said, it was unintelligible. I could only grasp his arm tightly as a wave of light rolled across the garage, scattering the boxes and knocking Marquis off his feet to fling him against the opposite wall. I hung onto Rafael as the wave of light receded and Marquis promptly slid to the floor.

  Marquis’ attention shifted to Rafael this time. “How?” he asked, his eyes bulging a little.

  “You forget,” Rafael informed him coolly. “I don’t need a trion.”

  Slowly, Marquis stood, distracted by Rafael and clearly impressed. “It is such a waste if you refuse to join us,” he said. “Soon, we will roam the Earth. Nothing can stop us now. A descendant of Cor would be the most valuable ally. Join us. Time is running short. Join us before it is too late.”

  “Never,” Rafael replied grimly.

  “Never is such a final word.” Marquis grinned, regaining his composure as he stood straighter. “You would do much to save Sydney’s life, I would think—”

  Before he even finished the sentence, Rafael was by his side, grabbing him by the collar and crumpling his shirt in a vice-like grip. “It’s dangerous to threaten me,” he warned as his lip curled in outright disdain.

  Marquis appeared to believe him, at least for the moment. Dropping his hands, he stepped sideways to lean against the wall, crossing his legs at the ankle.

  “It’s an honor to become one with the Brotherhood, my son,” he said with an emphatic wave of the hand. “By far beyond the greatest relationship you have ever experienced!”

  In a detached way, I dimly noted the distinctive golden-eyed snake ring circling his finger. It was the same ring that I had seen in the Hall of Mirrors as the white-cloaked Melody had plunged a needle into its owner’s neck, to make him the father of Jareth. I could still hardly believe that Rafael and Jareth were half-brothers. They were polar opposites.

  “There are legends that Cor could even dream and that his descendants—” Marquis was saying before he stopped in midsentence, his eyes smoldering in disbelief as his mouth dropped open in surprise. “Jareth? Jareth is my son?”

  My eyes widened in horror. My thoughts had, once again, betrayed me.

  “I should have watched your thoughtforms much sooner, Sydney.” Marquis chuckled in delight. “You are an overflowing fountain of information.”

  The vein on Rafael’s neck began to pulse.

  “Then Jareth’s blood holds the key.” Marquis’ mouth twisted darkly as he smoothed his brown wispy mustache. For a second, his pupils transformed into razor-thin reptilian slits. “And now, there is nothing that can stop us. We have the last piece. We have the secret of Jareth’s body, the body of kings, a body that can carry us out of the Second—”

  “I will not let you near Jareth,” Rafael interrupted sharply. “His body will never be yours.”

  Marquis’ eyes glinted and his smile deepened cruelly. “I only need his blood, willing or no. It makes little difference to me.”

  I felt sick.

  Marquis gave a low growl and without warning, lunged at us once again. I really don’t know what he was planning on doing. I just reacted instinctively, grabbing the first thing I could. It happened to be the small can of Lysol in my pocket. Wielding it like pepper spray, I pressed down on the nozzle and sprayed Marquis as he attacked, attempting to aim it into his eyes.

  His reaction was the most violent response I’d ever seen. With a horrific screech I was certain the entire block would hear, he collapsed to the cement floor, gasping and clawing at his throat.

  “No!” he shrieked, wild-eyed. “No! Do not go.” He started scrabbling at the air in front of him, pleading, “You can’t leave me. Not after all of these years!”

  Rafael and I froze, stunned.

  “No!” Marquis continued to wail, melting into the floor in a way that kind of reminded me of the wicked witch in The Wizard of Oz. He clasped his hands together, begging this time. “Don’t leave me. Don’t go. I can’t live without you. I’ll die. Living would be more painful than dying. You can’t leave me!”

  Raising a brow, Rafael came up behind me and reaching over my shoulder, locked his hands over mine still aiming the Lysol can straight at Marquis.

  Fear flickered in Marquis’ eyes. Genuine, bona fide terror. “No more,” he gasped, spreading his hands in front of his face. “No more. He’ll go. You can’t sever the cord between us. I can’t live without him!”

  I stood there, uncertain of what I was hearing.

  Without warning, Rafael pressed his thumb over mine and forced the nozzle down.

  Chapter Five – The Secret of Lysol

  The fine Lysol mist sprayed into the air, and Marquis wept, rocking back and forth on the garage floor. He didn’t even attempt to get away. He just huddled there, hugging his knees with a bowed head, looking totally defeated.

  The spray fizzled out and in the shocked silence that followed, Rafael’s hand slowly fell away from mine and the Lysol dropped to the floor. The clang of the tiny can bouncing on the cement resonated throughout the garage, ringing louder than a bell.

  I don’t know how long we stood there watching Marquis gulp and shudder. I didn’t want to acknowledge that the Lysol had somehow affected the connection between Marquis and his Lizard Person. I was afraid that I’d jinx it somehow.

  After what felt like eons, Marquis began to whimper. “Gone,” he sobbed, covering his face with his hands. “I can’t live without him. I can’t. It’s unbearable. I can’t endure it.”

  Slowly, Rafael moved to stand over his father, his handsome face impassive and composed. “Your fate with him is no more,” he informed Marquis in a detached ominous tone. “He won’t be coming back to you. That fate line for you no longer exists.”

  I shivered. And not because of the nippy winter air.

  Marquis wept so hard that he choked. “I can’t live alone,” he moaned in a cracked voice. “Powerless. I’m powerless without him. I’ll die.”

  “You can’t die simply because you will it,” Rafael responded calmly, speaking as if one were speaking to a child.

  I felt a wave of sympathy for Rafael. I was getting better at reading the subtle signs of his emotions, and I could tell by the tenseness of his jaw that he was upset. Who wouldn’t be? And how do you even deal with this kind of situation? Marquis had tried to kill us more than once. Or the lizard part of him had, anyway. It was perplexing. Where did the real Marquis begin and end? As I watched him grovel on the garage floor, I wondered if we’d ever know.

  Rafael took a deep breath and murmured a few words.

  At once, two Fae Protectors shifted
into view behind Marquis to salute respectfully at Rafael before closing in on Marquis. Lifting him up by the arms, they disappeared in the mist, taking him with them, the sound of his hysterical shrieking reverberating through the rafters.

  It was actually pitiful. The Lizard Person didn’t seem to have left much of a functional mind behind. He’d used up Marquis’ body and soul, leaving only a shell of a being in his wake, incapable of functioning without the Lizard Person controlling him from the Second Dimension.

  It made me detest the Mesmers even more.

  The vein on Rafael’s neck began to pulse, betraying his stress. I didn’t know what to say. What could I really say in this situation? Nothing really seemed to cut it. So I didn’t say anything. I just walked up to him and slipped my hand into his.

  He squeezed my fingers tightly in response, and then taking me with him, walked over to the can of Lysol and picked it up.

  It was then the realization truly struck me.

  The Lysol really had worked.

  Dumbfounded, I met Rafael’s mirroring stunned expression. “What’s in that stuff?” I asked.

  “I’m guessing it’s the pine oil,” Al’s voice sounded from behind us. “It’s toxic to snakes.”

  We both whirled to see Al framed in the doorway leading into the kitchen. Dressed in a gray t-shirt under his olive-colored army fatigues, he stood there with his booted feet planted wide apart and scowling so hard that his brows met to form a line.

  Glancing behind him, I understood why.

  Sydney.

  I looked at myself standing behind Al, dressed in jeans and a “Bean There, Baked That” t-shirt. Strangely, all I could think was the fact that I really hoped Brock hadn’t gone to work as me yet. He’d caused me enough problems the last time.

  As I watched, the other Sydney stepped around Al to pick her way over the scattered boxes on the floor to join us. She’d almost reached us when a shimmer of sparkles passed over her body and her image melted away into Brock’s familiar form.

  Al hardly blinked.

  Instead, he approached me with an appraising look. “Where have you been, kiddo?” he asked with a shrewd gleam in his eye. “You can tell me if you want to leave. You don’t have to hide. You’ve been gone two days this time, right?”

  This time.

  So, Al had noticed I was gone. And he’d known about the first time all along. I don’t know why but tears burnt my lashes. It meant the world to me that he’d known me well enough to never have been fooled.

  We all opened our mouths to explain at once.

  “Be quiet!” Al barked, holding up a finger for silence.

  We clamped our mouths shut. Even Rafael.

  Al nodded once and then pointed to me. “I want to hear from you first, kiddo,” he said.

  I swallowed my emotions back and explained in a hurried rush that I hadn’t wanted to leave at all and how I’d apparently been taken to the Second Dimension by Marquis.

  Al’s frown returned as he listened to me, and when I was done, he fixed a deadly gaze upon Rafael. “You have some explaining to do, young man,” he said in a stern voice. “Come with me.”

  Brock and I watched as Al led Rafael to the end of the driveway by the mailbox. Apparently, he wanted to ensure a measure of privacy. I don’t know what they said. They both spoke in low, calm voices, but it was clear that Al was taking Rafael to task. And Rafael was undoubtedly apologetic.

  “I have to admit, this is a brilliant sight to see,” Brock said with a chuckle.

  I looked up into his pleasant face, a bit surprised. “Brilliant?” I asked, not following his thoughts.

  His eyes filled with mirth. “To witness Rafael, the royally renowned descendent of Cor, being disciplined by Al, the human ...” He clucked, shaking his head.

  I knew what he meant, even though I felt slightly insulted on Al’s behalf.

  He must have read my face. “I truly didn’t mean to offend you, Sydney,” he quickly corrected as his smile returned. “It’s just amusing to see Rafael cringing because of a girl.”

  I still frowned. But I have to admit, I was actually impressed at Al’s tenacity and by the end of their discussion, Rafael was actually squirming—a sight I’d never imagined to witness. The fact that Al was so concerned about my safety and welfare combined with Rafael’s respectful response to him made me feel … loved.

  Finally, Al reached over and clasped Rafael upon the shoulder in a fatherly gesture and they both returned.

  “Remind me never to misled Al again,” Rafael whispered in my ear with a repentant nod of his head in Al’s direction.

  “We both agree it’s best you suit up as Sydney for a bit,” Al said to Brock as he entered the garage and then turned to me. “You need a bit of extra protection, and Rafael’s the best man for the job right now, kiddo. At least until Jareth gets back and things calm down a bit.”

  I knew he was right and gave a hesitant nod. But I couldn’t resist rounding on Brock. “Don’t do anything crazy,” I warned. “No more special projects and fancy lattes.”

  He just gave me a wide grin that I figured didn’t bode too well for either my job or schoolwork.

  “I’ve got something for you, before you go,” Al said then, and crooking his finger for us to follow, he made his way into the kitchen.

  Stepping over Tigger snoring in the kitchen, he opened the cupboard under the sink and squatted down to inspect the various cans and bottles. Selecting a large can of Lysol, he rose to his feet and tossed it at me. “Won’t hurt to take some of this with you, Sydney. Just in case pine oil really does work. I’m going to have to call Jack.”

  Catching the can, I asked, “It’s only a few days, right?” My voice unexpectedly wobbled on the last word and I was strangely misty-eyed.

  Al walked up to me and chucked me under the chin. “And maybe not even for that long. You’re not going far. Just across the street.”

  “Yeah,” I smiled brightly and gave a vigorous nod. “Well, let me get a few things and tell Jerry good-bye.”

  Armed with the Lysol, I snagged a fork from the silverware drawer as an afterthought and headed to my room. Yeah, I was only supposedly going across the street for a bit, but that didn’t mean much. If I ended up in Avalon, the fork might be handy and if I ended up in the Second Dimension, well, I patted the can of Lysol, I just might get to see if pine oil really did work.

  Rafael followed and waited patiently as I stuffed my backpack with a few clothes and whispered my goodbyes to Jerry, sleeping in his cage. I’d never seen him sleep so much before. I guess maybe he might be hibernating.

  Leaving Brock to impersonate me, I hugged Al goodbye one more time and then trudged back across the street with Rafael. It seemed much colder and bleaker on the return trip, and I shivered again.

  Rafael apparently noticed. Reaching down, he threaded his long elegant fingers through mine as we stepped onto the porch.

  He was very quiet. A lot had happened. He’d gone back to clenching his teeth, but this time I was a bit distracted by his strong jawline which naturally drew my eyes to his collarbone, broad shoulders, and muscled arms.

  Evidently, he’d been watching me from the corner of his eye because he raised a brow then and turned to face me, making me realize that I’d been openly ogling him.

  Suddenly, I felt shy.

  But the awkwardness didn’t last long. The front door flew open to reveal Raven standing there with mascara running down the side of her cheek. Her eyes were red and swollen.

  She didn’t waste time. “I’ll help you save Jareth, Rafael,” she announced with a hiccup. “He’s in trouble.”

  Rafael didn’t say anything, but sliding an arm around my shoulders, he half-lifted me into the house.

  Raven followed.

  Lifting his hand, Rafael ordered the Fae in the Command Center to leave at once. And as soon as they’d gone, he turned to ask Raven tersely, “What happened?”

  She stood there, twisting her hands and refusing t
o make eye contact before finally answering, “It’s Melody. She’s doing something to him, something awful. And she says she’s going to finish it today.”

  Rafael’s brows shot up sharply and the expression on his face turned grim.

  Raven hiccupped again and swallowed a sob. “How … how did everything become so confusing?” she asked no one in particular.

  He watched her a moment and then pulled me aside. “You should stay here—” he began.

  “I’m going,” I interrupted him firmly.

  His gray eyes searched mine, and I guess he knew I wasn’t going to change my mind because he just nodded.

  “Do you really trust her?” I asked then.

  “She’s shallow and vain. She’s not a killer,” he replied softly.

  We both glanced over to where she stood a short distance away. She looked miserable. Her face was pinched, her eyes red-rimmed, and she was crying so hard that a snot bubble formed on the tip of her nose. It was that snot bubble that made me trust his judgment. If Raven were playing some kind of game, I didn’t think she’d stoop so low as to appear unattractive while doing it.

  “Ok,” I said, dropping my backpack on the floor. I patted my sweatshirt pocket to make sure I still had my trusty fork and a can of Lysol. Clamping my fingers down on his arm, I added, “Let’s do this.”

  “Then let’s go,” Rafael said almost under his breath.

  It only took a second. I was getting used to shifting now. And only a moment later, we stood in the City of Queens.

  Avalon.

  I didn’t really like the place. Mostly because each time I was there, I was always afraid I’d never get back home. I was always visiting under stressful circumstances. Otherwise, I believe I would have been awestruck by its beauty.

  The air was warm like a pleasant summer day. We’d arrived inside the castle grounds this time, behind the white wall that ran the perimeter of the Queens’ estate in the city center. The complex purple crystalline structure of their castle rose behind us. And from where I stood, I could see the rooftop of the sacred Hall of Mirrors. I knew the Queens still wanted our heads for ever daring to set foot in the place. It was a good thing they didn’t have a clue we were back.