Read Online The Inner Circle, Book 3 of the Glass Wall ( A YA Urban Fantasy Romance ) by Carmen Caine, Madison Adler - Free Book Online Page A

around out there. He wants to make sure you’re safe.”
    A thrill ran down my spine at that.
    And then Jareth turned on me suddenly, and I
jumped, accidentally hitting Jerry’s cage with my elbow. It struck
the mirror hanging on the wall and knocked it off its nail.
    It would have smashed if Jareth hadn’t
instinctively caught it as it fell.
    “Good catch,” I said with an uneasy laugh.
“Now you won’t have seven years bad luck for breaking a mirror. Or
I won’t.” I added, as I’d been the root cause.
    But Jareth didn’t laugh at my pitiful attempt
of a joke. His face was pale and strained.
    “Breaking my mirror would be like dying,” he
finally said. “It would be like giving up my soul, what I really
am, everything I’ve ever had and all of my dreams.”
    It sounded worse than bad luck. “Sorry,” I
said, “Bad joke.”
    He shuddered.
    There was a stilted silence.
    And then he suddenly said, “I’m hungry.”
    And with that, he strode out of my room and
headed for the kitchen.
    I followed.
    Jareth began to hum as he rifled through the
kitchen cabinets in search of a snack.
    I decided to get directly to the point. “So,
what are you going to do next?” I asked him. “What are you going to
do about Rafael and the Inner Circle?”
    He scowled a little but helped himself to a
couple of potato chips. Deciding he didn’t like them, he moved to
the refrigerator.
    “And what about all of those Mesmers? There
must’ve been a couple of dozen of them tonight,” I continued,
closing the potato chip bag and putting it away. “What if they all
come here at once?”
    Jareth took out some milk and opening it up,
sniffed it before drinking it right out of the carton.
    “And do you know what they’re all up to—” I
began.
    “Just drink,” he scowled, thrusting the milk
carton into my face. “You’re noisy tonight. You’re giving me a
headache.”
    I scowled at him.
    He gave me a crooked grin in response. “I
guess I’m not good company right now,” he said.
    “Are you ever?” I couldn’t resist asking, but
I wasn’t really mad at him.
    With a mocking lift of his brow, he laughed.
“You called me, didn’t you? I came.”
    “True enough,” I admitted. “But I just wanted
to get some ideas before you left me in the lurch again.”
    Jareth swung his leg over a stool and sat
down heavily. “This is a matter for the Fae, Sydney,” he said in a
sincere tone. “They have to know the truth. And they have to know
what the Inner Circle is up to. I’ve already informed the Fae that
should know. There are others working on these problems right now.
Not something for you to worry about.”
    “And just what is the Inner Circle up to?” I
asked stubbornly, leaning against the countertop.
    He sent me an exasperated look.
    But then, we heard Al’s truck pull into the
driveway.
    “I’ll take you to work tomorrow,” Jareth
offered. “We can talk more then.”
    And before I could even respond, he
disappeared.
    I heaved a sigh, wishing I could
disappear any time I felt like it.
    Betty and Al arrived and after bidding me
goodnight, went straight to bed.
    A few minutes later, Grace came in. I watched
her stumble tiredly down the hall.
    And then I knew there was no way to avoid it.
I had to go back to my room. With a deep breath, I trudged down the
hall.
    Tigger was still snoring.
    Looking out my bedroom window with the
night-vision goggles, I could still see Rafael standing there with
Ajax on the edge of the greenbelt.
    And even though it wasn’t supposed to, it
made me feel safer. But then after crawling into bed, I still
covered my head with the blankets.
    The night passed, again in fits and starts.
And I rose at dawn, relieved the ordeal was finally over.
    Al was already in the kitchen. I could hear
him singing as he helped Betty make some toast and coffee. And as I
stumbled to the table rubbing my tired eyes, I heard Betty say,
“And why would the government care about my doings?”
    “Maybe it