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 B

was those Alarming Clocks you
bought, Mom,” Grace snorted from the hallway. “The ones that fly
off the dresser when they go off? Maybe they were really spy
devices.”
    Betty just sent her a fond smile, but Al’s
expression was deadly serious as he eyed the microwave hanging over
the stove.
    “But microwaves are dangerous, Betty,”
he insisted. “Jack swears they can be used as mind-control devices.
It might explain your missing time.”
    “I can explain my missing time, honey,” she
said, reaching up to give him a pat on the cheek. “I was tired and
I simply fell asleep.”
    Taking a seat next to Al’s chair, I waited
until he sat down and then seized the opportunity. Leaning close so
only he could hear, I suggested, “Maybe we should build some
Faraday cages. They would prevent microwave mind-control, wouldn’t
they?”
    Al frowned at me a moment, as if trying to
recall something, and then his blue eyes brightened. “Faraday
cages,” he repeated, stroking his chin. “Now that’s a brilliant
idea, kiddo. You’ve been doing some research, haven’t you?”
    “Yeah,” I said, shrugging and trying my best
to appear casual.
    To my relief, I heard the slam of a car door.
Glad to escape Al’s shrewd gaze, I headed for the door, but Grace
beat me to it.
    And as Al began to sing aloud one of Jareth’s
more popular songs—a sign that I had come to learn to mean that he
was spinning up some eccentric scheme—Jareth himself strutted
through the doorway, wearing an outlandish black outfit of shredded
leather and chains that suited him well.
    He paused at the door, listening to Al sing,
and then recognizing his own song, he began to grin.
    Al was halfway finished before he noticed the
rock star slouching against the door. With a wink, he stopped
singing.
    Jareth began to clap. “Maybe we should do a
duet,” he drawled by way of greeting.
    Al gave a great guffaw. “Just have your agent
call mine, Jareth,” he said, pointing to Betty and then kissing her
on the cheek.
    “Oh, I’m your agent now?” Betty laughed, but
her gaze had zeroed in on Jareth. “Your black eye really healed
fast there.”
    For the briefest of moments, Jareth appeared
puzzled, but then he pointed to his face and with a theatrical
whisper uttered one word, “Makeup.”
    Betty’s eyes lit with understanding, and she
laughed.
    Grabbing my Bean There, Baked That T-shirt, I gave everyone a hurried goodbye and shoved Jareth
through the front door. And if Betty and Al thought it strange for
a rock star to be driving me to work, they didn’t give any hint of
it.
    “Ashamed of me?” Jareth asked with an openly
cynical smile as he escorted me to Rafael’s Bentley.
    “Al’s pretty sharp,” I said, sliding into the
car’s leather passenger seat. “He just might figure out who you
really are, and as your friend, it’s my duty to protect you.”
    “What’s this?” Jareth asked in mock
astonishment. “Friend? Am I growing on you, Sydney?”
    “Don’t get too cocky,” was all I said.
    But a slow smile curled his lip all the
same.
    “Do you always have to work at this grueling
hour?” he asked as he pulled out into the street. “It’s almost ten
o’ clock.”
    “You’re lazy,” I said with a long yawn.
    He eyed me then, openly cynical, but he
didn’t say anything. And then he was flying down the road, zooming
through cars, causing road rage, and offending pedestrians.
    Through a break in the trees, I could see the
distant white peak of Mount Rainier. And then I watched the houses
race by. Jareth was an insane driver. I wondered how many tickets
he had racked up.
    Suddenly, an image flashed through my mind.
“Marquis’ ring,” I said, abruptly recalling it.
    Jareth gave a noncommittal grunt. “Ring?”
    “Is it unique?” I asked.
    He grew silent and seemed annoyed. “You
noticed that in the Hall of Mirrors, did you?”
    I raised a brow and turned on him. “So, you
knew it was Marquis the whole time?”
    “No,” he