Read Online The Egg (Return of the Ancients Book 4) by Carmen Caine - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carmen Caine
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replied, quickly heading off my concern about Al and Betty. “I had to find you, Sydney. I wasn’t going to give up.”
I smiled and burrowed my nose into his shoulder once again even as I wondered if Al had fallen for Brock’s version of Sydney this time. But I didn’t think about it long. Rafael was still talking.
“Ajax told us about Marquis,” he informed, sliding his hand down the length of my arm to thread his fingers through mine. “He said when he woke up, you were gone. I even asked Jerry what had happened. He …” He paused, his voice trailing away.
I searched Rafael’s face. “What did Jerry say?” I asked, curious.
He hesitated a moment, and then answered with a slightly mystified shrug, “He just said you were closer to where you were supposed to be.”
I frowned. It was a strange answer. But then, Jerry had most likely been asleep the entire time and he was a mouse, after all.
A movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention and I glanced over to see Raven standing close by, her cold gaze riveted upon my hand locked in Rafael’s. She lifted her eyes. The expression in them left no doubt that she wanted to claw me to death.
There were a few other Fae in the Command Center, but they were a bit distracted. Their attention was split between me and a particularly large glowing orange crystal near the stairs.
“Where were you?” Rafael asked again, pulling me a little closer as if to make sure I was really there.
I turned back to face him. Where had I been? Had I really been to the Second Dimension? I suppressed a shudder and laid my head against his shoulder. I could feel his muscles tighten beneath my cheek.
“I don’t know,” I finally admitted. “I just woke up in a white room and I couldn’t find a way out. I had the hand mirror …” My voice trailed away as I realized that it was gone. Somehow, I’d lost it.
“The mirror?” Rafael’s brows jerked upwards in surprise.
“I … guess I lost it,” I said, clearing my throat.
He was looking down at me with a half-smile on his lips. “You used the mirror to get back?” he asked. “You’re a dangerously quick study, little human.”
The Fae by the stairs—even Raven—looked suitably impressed, but I was too confused to enjoy it much. “I don’t get it,” I said with a frown.
But any explanation I might have gotten was lost as all of the crystals around us lit up like neon lights, and almost immediately, feather-masked Fae popped into view to ring us, all dressed in white robes. Each of them bore an intricate Celtic circle prominently emblazoned on their clothing, masks, and even hands.
There was no doubt who they were. They were the high-ranking members of the Inner Circle. The other Fae in the room—with the exception of Raven—confirmed it with gasps and three-fingered salutes and then immediately shifted away. But whether they left out of respect or fear, I couldn’t tell.
Rafael stood where he was, appearing confident and in command, but under my fingers, I could feel his muscles tense.
After the mist cleared, one of the white-robed figures swept off her mask and stepped forward, her movements elegant like a dancer. It was Zelphie. Rafael’s mother.
Rafael eyed her curiously.
Zelphie pursed her lips, as if considering her words she finally announced in dulcet tones, “I’m here … to save you, Rafael. Look at you…” She stared at his disheveled state in some kind of horror. “You need help.”
Rafael raised an elegantly shaped brow.
Clearly, when a Fae didn’t dress up and put on makeup, it was a sign in Avalon that they needed an intervention of some kind. I have to admit, in spite of the situation, I thought it a little amusing, especially when the rest of the Inner Circle members merely nodded.
But my amusement didn’t last long.
One of the masked forms moved to join Zelphie and my throat constricted.
Instinct told me that it was Melody. Waving a graceful hand in front of her mask
I smiled and burrowed my nose into his shoulder once again even as I wondered if Al had fallen for Brock’s version of Sydney this time. But I didn’t think about it long. Rafael was still talking.
“Ajax told us about Marquis,” he informed, sliding his hand down the length of my arm to thread his fingers through mine. “He said when he woke up, you were gone. I even asked Jerry what had happened. He …” He paused, his voice trailing away.
I searched Rafael’s face. “What did Jerry say?” I asked, curious.
He hesitated a moment, and then answered with a slightly mystified shrug, “He just said you were closer to where you were supposed to be.”
I frowned. It was a strange answer. But then, Jerry had most likely been asleep the entire time and he was a mouse, after all.
A movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention and I glanced over to see Raven standing close by, her cold gaze riveted upon my hand locked in Rafael’s. She lifted her eyes. The expression in them left no doubt that she wanted to claw me to death.
There were a few other Fae in the Command Center, but they were a bit distracted. Their attention was split between me and a particularly large glowing orange crystal near the stairs.
“Where were you?” Rafael asked again, pulling me a little closer as if to make sure I was really there.
I turned back to face him. Where had I been? Had I really been to the Second Dimension? I suppressed a shudder and laid my head against his shoulder. I could feel his muscles tighten beneath my cheek.
“I don’t know,” I finally admitted. “I just woke up in a white room and I couldn’t find a way out. I had the hand mirror …” My voice trailed away as I realized that it was gone. Somehow, I’d lost it.
“The mirror?” Rafael’s brows jerked upwards in surprise.
“I … guess I lost it,” I said, clearing my throat.
He was looking down at me with a half-smile on his lips. “You used the mirror to get back?” he asked. “You’re a dangerously quick study, little human.”
The Fae by the stairs—even Raven—looked suitably impressed, but I was too confused to enjoy it much. “I don’t get it,” I said with a frown.
But any explanation I might have gotten was lost as all of the crystals around us lit up like neon lights, and almost immediately, feather-masked Fae popped into view to ring us, all dressed in white robes. Each of them bore an intricate Celtic circle prominently emblazoned on their clothing, masks, and even hands.
There was no doubt who they were. They were the high-ranking members of the Inner Circle. The other Fae in the room—with the exception of Raven—confirmed it with gasps and three-fingered salutes and then immediately shifted away. But whether they left out of respect or fear, I couldn’t tell.
Rafael stood where he was, appearing confident and in command, but under my fingers, I could feel his muscles tense.
After the mist cleared, one of the white-robed figures swept off her mask and stepped forward, her movements elegant like a dancer. It was Zelphie. Rafael’s mother.
Rafael eyed her curiously.
Zelphie pursed her lips, as if considering her words she finally announced in dulcet tones, “I’m here … to save you, Rafael. Look at you…” She stared at his disheveled state in some kind of horror. “You need help.”
Rafael raised an elegantly shaped brow.
Clearly, when a Fae didn’t dress up and put on makeup, it was a sign in Avalon that they needed an intervention of some kind. I have to admit, in spite of the situation, I thought it a little amusing, especially when the rest of the Inner Circle members merely nodded.
But my amusement didn’t last long.
One of the masked forms moved to join Zelphie and my throat constricted.
Instinct told me that it was Melody. Waving a graceful hand in front of her mask
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