The Inner Circle, Book 3 of the Glass Wall ( A YA Urban Fantasy Romance ) (17 page)

And with that, he disappeared in the
back.

Reluctantly, I approached the cash
register.

And of course, it was then that Raven decided
she wanted something. Keenly aware that we were all watching her,
she swayed up to the counter. She was hauntingly beautiful. And she
knew it. With a superior smile dancing on her lips, she tapped a
long fingernail on top of the pastry case.

“We’ll be leaving soon,” she said. “I can’t
say that I’ll miss this …” She paused and looked around before
continuing, “… this primitive civilization.”

“Have fun,” I replied, wanting to be rid of
her as soon as possible. “Would you care for something to
drink?”

She looked at me as if I were stupid and then
explained slowly, “We’re leaving. Permanently. After tonight, you
won’t be seeing Rafael again.”

I’d like to pretend I didn’t fall for her
trap and that I instead shot her a look of disdain. But I didn’t.
My lips parted in surprise, and my mouth went dry. The thought of
never seeing Rafael again was a devastating one.

Surely, he would have told me himself.

Wouldn’t he have?

“Don’t worry.” Raven smiled and lowered her
impossibly long lashes. “I’ll take good care of him. I always have,
you know. We were together for quite some time. It’s destiny. We’re
meant for each other.”

I couldn’t think of a clever comeback. I
desperately wanted to. I could have pretended not to care, or I
could have said something about my mom was getting out of rehab and
leaving soon, too, and that I’d probably go with her.

But I didn’t.

I just stood there in my jeans and T-shirt,
feeling awkward in the presence of an elegantly dressed femme
fatale. Self-consciously smoothing the creases of my apron, the
only thing I could think to do was ask, “Did you want hot
chocolates?”

Raven just watched me with a secret smile,
pleased as punch that she’d upset me. And then she said, “Bring the
drinks to the table.”

I just turned away.

I heard her heels click back across the
floor, and from the corner of my eye, I watched her cuddle up to
Rafael and rest her cheek against his shoulder.

I scowled, and thinking of Pikachu, I
imagined him zapping her a few times. And Rafael, too, for going
along with whatever she was scheming.

I dragged my feet as long as possible in
making those hot chocolates. I kept waiting for Ellison to return
so I could make him deliver them, but he didn’t show up. Finally, I
decided I shouldn’t be such a wimp and carried them over
myself.

Raven’s arms were draped around Rafael’s
neck, and she was resting her chin on the top of his head.

As I approached, she began to run her hands
over his chest.

I pretended not to notice even though I was
furious that he was letting her do it. Avoiding eye contact with
any of them, I set the hot chocolates on their table and turned to
go.

“Wait,” Melody said, reaching out to lay a
light finger on my arm.

My flesh crawled at her touch, but I glanced
over and gave her a fake smile.

But she returned it. “I’ll be working closely
with you now,” she announced with relish.

“Yes, working closely,” Raven parroted.

I twisted my mouth into a grim line. “I don’t
think so,” I said as I walked away.

I wasn’t about to kiss up to Melody. I just
couldn’t do it.

And Rafael. I wasn’t sure what game he was
playing right now, but it didn’t matter. I was mad at him for
playing it.

I passed by Jareth’s table and caught him
grinning at me, but I didn’t reciprocate. I wasn’t finding the
situation the slightest bit humorous.

“Two more hot chocolates, please,” Jareth
called out.

Actually grateful to keep busy, I set about
making them. Where
was
Ellison? I was going to give him
about two more minutes before I charged back there and demanded
that he come up front.

Reese and her friends were still giggling in
the corner. I could tell by the tones of their voices that they
were convinced they were the center of attention. It was actually
kind of pitiful because I knew that neither Jareth nor Rafael had
even noticed them.

Dolloping on the whipped cream, I carried the
hot chocolates over to Jareth.

“Sit,” he said, shoving the seat opposite him
with his booted foot.

“I’m working,” I snapped irritably.

His dark eyes moved in a rapid circuit of the
room. “There’s no one here,” he said.

I smiled a little but shook my head.

As I turned to leave, he reached for my hand.
I batted him away, but he grabbed my wrist anyway.

“Raven is vile,” he said with a shrug. “She’s
not even worth thinking about, Sydney. Perhaps if we quit
acknowledging her, she’ll cease to exist. I’ve been trying to get
rid of her for years.”

I looked at him, knowing he was trying to
make me feel better. It really wasn’t a surprise. I already knew
Jareth was a nice guy, underneath all of the obnoxiousness.

His lip crooked into a smile as he caught the
nature of my thoughts. “I know,” he said with an arrogant toss of
his head. “I’m perfect.”

Way
underneath all of the
obnoxiousness, I amended.

“I liked that little yellow ball fellow
earlier,” he said, still holding onto my hand. “The one that was
trying to zap them.”

“You saw that?” I asked, astonished.

“It was sickly looking, and it only had one
foot, but it wasn’t too bad as far as tulpas go,” he answered. “It
didn’t last long though.”

A tulpa. I’d really created a tulpa. I didn’t
let myself think of the ramifications. I had to save that later for
when I was back in the chicken coop.

“You know, it’s easy enough to get even with
Rafael,” Jareth murmured in a low tone. “Watch this.”

He yanked my wrist and losing my balance, I
fell straight into his lap.

Holding onto my arm, he anchored me there and
said, “I don’t even have to look at him to know he’s getting
upset.”

I have to admit that I stole a glance in
Rafael’s direction. He was watching us, but he looked quite
calm.

I was flooded with disappointment.

Laughing as if he were deeply smitten with
me, Jareth pulled my head close and whispered, “Rafael always taps
his thumb when he’s upset.”

I stole another quick look.

Rafael finished his drink in one gulp. And
then banging the cup down, he began to tap his thumb lightly on the
table.

Jareth glanced at me in silent victory, but
it didn’t feel very victorious to me.

I stood up. I didn’t want to play games with
Rafael anymore. And even though I knew that I should be letting him
go, I didn’t want to. I wanted to tell him straight out that I
didn’t like what he was doing.

“I have to go back to work,” I said.

“You’re like an active volcano,” Jareth
replied as a wide grin spread across his face. He picked up a hot
chocolate and then pressed the other into my hand. “First, a toast,
Sydney.”

I watched as he clinked his hot chocolate
against mine, or they would have clinked if they hadn’t been
Styrofoam cups.

“A toast,” he said with a laugh. “Let’s wish
he finds misfortune soon."

I hesitated and then said, “It depends on
what kind of misfortune.”

He gave a dark laugh, “Don’t ask for my
opinion. I’d be harsh. But maybe we could agree on at least enough
misfortune to cause annoyance. A lot of annoyance.”

I looked into Jareth’s dark eyes and smiled.
“A lot of annoyance,” I agreed.

The smile he flashed me in return was a
genuine one.

“I think you’re just trying to make me feel
better,” I said.

He lounged back in his chair with a low
chuckle. “It’s working.”

“Can I get some service over here?” Reese’s
shrill voice interrupted.

I hurried back to the register. Strangely, I
did feel a bit better.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working instead of
flirting with the customers?” Reese asked, her nostrils flaring
wide again.

I opened my mouth to protest, but then
thought better of it. With an apologetic smile, I took her
order.

It was just water with ice.

She walked by Jareth’s table at least three
times, getting straws and napkins.

He didn’t even look up at her.

And then Ellison emerged from the back with
the window squeegee and a bottle of solution.

“I’ll take over after cleaning the windows,”
he promised.

“Hurry up,” I said. I’d never meant it more,
especially since I heard Raven’s heels clicking back towards the
counter.

Suppressing a groan, I plastered a smile on
my face. “More hot chocolate?” I asked.

“Honestly, I just don’t want you to concern
yourself with Rafael’s well-being,” she said, matching my fake
smile with one of her own. “Most likely, we’ll be wed soon, and I
will take good care of him.”

Someone snorted behind me, and I turned to
see Jareth had joined me behind the counter.

“You shouldn’t be back here, Jareth,” I said,
shoving him a little.

But he completely ignored me. Leaning forward
to rest his elbows on the counter, his dark lashes dropped to veil
his eyes. “Are you really that foolish to believe he’s simply going
to leave because you want him to?” he asked Raven in a voice rife
with amusement.

Raven’s icy blue eyes turned angry in an
instant. “Why are
you
even here still, Jareth?” she asked.
“Melody will handle the Blue Threads now. She’s far more
experienced.”

I felt a ripple of alarm at that. No doubt,
Melody was itching to take over. She’d probably already planned how
to get rid of me as soon as possible.

“Raven, you should really keep your mouth
shut,” Jareth drawled. “A wise human once said, it’s better to keep
your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all
doubt.”

“
You
are the fool,” Raven retorted
angrily. “You’ll soon see.”

“Oh, some secret Inner Circle plan?” Jareth
gave a loud laugh, and then he lowered his head and said, “Do you
really want to see what makes Rafael run?”

She looked at him, flustered for a second but
soon recovered. “I simply have to call,” she answered.

“Oh?” Jareth chuckled. “Then call him.”

Raven hesitated, her eyes burning with
restrained anger.

I didn’t understand why she was so upset. She
had nothing to fear. She was stunningly beautiful.

“Not all that confident, are you?” Jareth
prodded.

“Confident?” Raven smiled at me as if
terribly amused. “I can have any male that I want.”

Jareth’s snort was disdainful. “Right.”

Raven’s eyes zeroed in on Jareth, and looking
extremely put out, she turned and waved her hand at Rafael. “Come,”
she ordered in a condescending tone.

One of Rafael’s brows shot up in curiosity,
but he made no move to join her and turned his attention to
Melody.

I found his response secretly gratifying.

“Watch this,” Jareth told Raven.

And then with a dramatic sigh and a devilish
grin, he tilted my chin up, and before I could respond, planted a
kiss full on my lips.

The first thing that crossed my mind was the
fact that kissing Jareth was still like kissing a fish.

He smiled, and I knew he’d caught the
thought.

But then, I thought of Samantha and how upset
she’d be over such antics, and I abruptly pulled away.

“Stop it.” I scowled at Jareth. “I’m working.
Go sit down.”

But he was looking over my shoulder. “As
expected,” he said smugly.

I glanced over to see Rafael approaching.

Behind him, Ellison was outside cleaning the
windows but watching the events unfolding inside. He caught my eye
and drew a question mark on the window with the squeegee.

I turned back to Jareth. “Sit down,” I said.
“You’re messing with my job here.”

But my words fell on deaf ears.

Jareth was grinning at Raven.

And Raven was furious. She looked like she
wanted to roast Jareth alive. But the moment Rafael stepped up to
her side, she slid her arm around his waist and slipped her hand
into his pocket.

Rafael didn’t move away.

“Rafael has me now,” Raven purred with a
sickening smile. “He’ll soon forget this place and … everyone in
it.”

“There’s nothing to forget,” I replied
acidly, refusing to look at him.

But Raven had apparently decided to wax
philosophical. “The Fae do not love as humans do,” she announced.
“We get bored easily.”

She stood there, smirking and running her
hands along Rafael’s well-muscled arm. And I decided that no matter
what game he was playing, that I’d had enough. Looking right at
him, I said, “Then you clearly don’t know humans very well. We get
bored easily, too. And we have no problems moving on.”

Rafael’s brows rose a fraction of an inch.
Without breaking my gaze, he removed Raven’s hands and ordered in
an arch tone, “Raven, go sit with Melody.”

Raven drew back. “It’s time for us to
go—”

“Now.” He cut her short.

Looking like she’d much rather pull her own
teeth out than leave him alone with me, she turned in a cloud of
perfume and retreated to Melody’s table. They both watched with
venomous expressions.

Draping an arm around my shoulders, Jareth
asked Rafael, “Why did you bring them along? I wanted to speak with
you alone.”

“It’s too late,” Rafael replied
cryptically.

“Then you’re leaving,” I stated, torn between
anger and confusion.

“Melody is escorting me back,” he answered.
“We’re leaving shortly.”

I couldn’t bear to look at him.

And then Rafael leaned close to Jareth and
kept his voice low. “Melody has a weapon she’s planning to unleash
on the Brotherhood soon. It’s related to you in some way, though I
can’t determine how. Be wary.”