The Egg (Return of the Ancients Book 4) (26 page)

“So what now?” I asked, pausing before entering the house. “Are we really just … going to go back to our lives? That’s really it? It’s all over?” I was suddenly worried again that they would disappear off into the sunset and break my heart.

“Only if you were that lucky,” Jareth said with a sarcastic lift of his lip. “I’m going to be stuck here. Someone has to make sure Rafael doesn’t get sloppy and reveal too much.”

“You err,” Rafael responded, but with a gleam of humor in his gray eyes. “It is I who must watch over you. You’re improving, but you have very far to go. I can only hope that one day you’ll rise to meet my standards.”

“Well, I suppose I can stand your presence a bit more now. Now that I’ve corrupted you with sarcasm, you’re tolerable,” Jareth quipped sarcastically. “Barely.”

I smiled at them both. “You know, you guys don’t fool me anymore. You love each other.”

They both arched their brows in exactly the same way.

I just laughed and pushing the door open, stepped into the kitchen and into the welcoming fragrance of homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Exhaustion overtook me after that. I remember sitting at the table—dust and all— and swiping a couple of warm, gooey cookies from the plate, but I don’t remember actually eating them.

The next thing I knew, I woke up in my bed in my own room with the morning sun streaming through the window and Ajax blanketed over my legs. It took me a few minutes to recall the events of the past few days, and I just lay there for a bit, thinking about it all.

As the smell of Al’s coffee wafted into the room, I finally sat up and swung my legs out of bed. I stood there a moment, looking down at Ajax stretched out contentedly on my bed in the ultimate picture of comfort.

“Still trying to sleep, eh?” I teased him, jiggling him a little with my foot. “You’re only conscious for what, three hours a day? How can you possibly be tired?”

He just opened one eye a fraction before revealing a tooth of displeasure.

I laughed and fondly scratched his tummy.

Turning around, my eyes went immediately to Jerry’s empty cage. My heart tugged. I was going to miss him. And it was still hard to believe he was really the new Tree of life, but the fact that I was still covered in white dust stood as a testament that the events I’d experienced hadn’t been merely a dream.

Gathering an armful of clean clothing, I quickly showered, changed, and headed towards the kitchen.

I met Betty and Grace putting on their jackets by the front door.

“Good morning, honey,” Betty greeted me warmly. “We have to hurry. We’re a bit late for Grace’s lacrosse warm-ups.”

“Yeah, you’re coming to the game at two o’clock sharp, right?” Grace asked, picking up her equipment and slinging her lacrosse stick over her shoulder. “Ellison said he’d give you a ride to work afterwards. He’s working the same shift as you.”

I nodded, assuming the Brock-version of me had agreed to all of the plans. I wasn’t going to miss that. It was going to be nice to start living my own life again.

“And I’m not invited?” Jareth’s voice suddenly asked.

We jumped a little, surprised to see him coming in from the kitchen. He was wearing his full rocker’s regalia, and judging from his sarcastic expression, he was refreshed and in a good mood.

“I didn’t see you come in,” Betty said with a smile.

“Oh, please come!” Grace giggled at the same time.

Suddenly, Rafael was there, promising on our behalf, “We’ll see you there, Grace.”

As Grace skipped after Betty towards the truck, I just hung in the doorway for a bit, watching them with a goofy grin on my face and thinking it was nice to be part of their lives once more.

Finally, I closed the door and faced Rafael.

He looked drool-worthy in his long gray trench coat and designer-ripped jeans. I particularly liked his eyeliner-rimmed eyes. Oozing charisma with his white shirt unbuttoned at the collar, he made me feel a little plain in my sweatshirt and faded jeans. But I couldn’t be distracted with such thoughts for long, not when such a fine specimen of male beauty stood before me.

Jareth snorted and rolled his eyes, reminding me that he could still read my thoughts and, blushing a little, I pushed past him into the kitchen.

Jack and Al sat at the table in army fatigues as they ate waffles and drank their coffee. As we entered, they waved for us to join them.

It was a long, interesting conversation. Each of us discussed our Blue Threads, and when it was my turn, I shared most of what had happened but not quite all of the details. While I did tell them that Jerry’s seed had waited to open until I understood the value for self-love, I didn’t share my inner torture over it all. I guess I didn’t really have to. I could see that they all understood.

Afterwards, we spoke for a time about the Tulpas, the new tree, and the fact that the Lizard People were truly imprisoned once again, after all these years. And that it was all, finally, truly over. It took us some time to really grapple with that fact. Or as much as we could. I knew it was going to take much more time to really settle back down to normal.

As early afternoon approached, Jack stood up, announcing he had to leave.

I hugged and thanked him for the last time. Jareth and Rafael both gave him Fae protection runes. He smiled and peered at them through his glasses as if he’d like to take them apart to see how they worked, and I have no doubt that he was going to, the first chance he got.

After the last round of hugs and claps on the back, Jack left, zooming away in one of those curtained Volkswagen vans that I half-expected Scooby Doo to pop out of.

As we returned to the kitchen, I eyed my watch and said, “We should be heading for Grace’s game soon.”

Rafael looked down at me with a smile in his eyes. “Soon,” he agreed. “But first, Jareth and I have something for Al.”

Al looked surprised at that. “Now, what have you boys cooked up?” he asked with a chuckle.

Jareth and Rafael exchanged a glance and then with a wave of a long, elegant finger, Rafael shifted a large cardboard box onto the center of the kitchen floor.

With a graceful bow, he said, “This is someone who is as eager to meet you as you will be to meet him.”

Jareth just laughed.

Al and I both frowned in curiosity, and I moved closer to peer over Al’s shoulder as he opened the box. He caught his breath in surprise, and the line between his brows disappeared in an instant.

It was a red brindle bloodhound puppy and the spitting image of Tigger.

“Aw, no way!” he said in a voice choked with emotion. His bright blue eyes filled with tears as he lifted the yawning tubby ball of fluff out of the box.

“This is Tigger’s great-great-great-great-great grandson,” Rafael explained quietly.

Al looked up at him in surprise. “I didn’t know Tigger had kids,” he said gruffly before adding with a hint of pride in his tone, “The sneaky rascal.”

It was obvious by the look on Al’s face that he’d instantly fallen in love. He kept laughing as he held the puppy, ruffling its fur and saying he was going to be a big ‘ol boy, just like his grandpa.

Al finally stood up, and handing the puppy to me, turned to hold his hand out to Rafael.

But as Rafael reached out to shake it, Al just pulled him into a great big hug instead and with a guffaw of laughter, pounded him on the back.

“This is the best thing. You don’t know how much joy you’ve brought to my heart,” he said, his voice cracking with feeling. He turned and hugged Jareth, too.

Bending down, I set the happy wriggling mass of fur onto his feet and asked Al, “So, what are you going to name him, Al?”

Al rubbed his jaw thoughtfully a moment, and with his firm lip twitching into a grin, he replied, “TiggerToo.”

We all laughed.

And as we watched, TiggerToo turned in circles in front of the refrigerator and gave a long happy puppy-version of a contented sigh.

I turned to Rafael and asked, “Did you tell him to do that?”

Rafael just smiled. “He’s a bloodhound, Sydney. He knows where the hotdogs are.”

Al burst into laughter. After that, he told us he’d meet us later, after he saw TiggerToo settled, and we left them both to head out to the game.

It was a bright day, and an unusually warm one for winter as we crossed the street to Rafael’s Bentley parked in the driveway.

Mrs. Patton stood outside, puffing on a cigarette in her purple housecoat and coke-bottle glasses. I waved at her. And as she waved back, I realized that for the first time, I wasn’t afraid of Mesmers hiding in her yard. Those days were over.

It was a great feeling.

I moved towards the passenger door but at the last second, Rafael maneuvered to block my way and I collided into his hard chest. I could tell by the way he dropped his lashes over his eyes that he’d done it on purpose and I can’t say that I minded in the least.

But then he dangled his keys in front of my nose and said with a dazzling smile, “You’re driving, little pixie. You haven’t been practicing.”

I was about to protest, but then Jareth let out a long groan. So I scowled at him instead and snatched the keys from Rafael’s hand.

“I’m not
that
bad, Jareth,” I said in my defense, marching to the driver’s seat.

He just made a sour face and slid into the back of the car.

With genuine mirth lighting his expressive eyes, Rafael took his place in the front passenger seat. I clicked my seatbelt and just looked at him for a moment. He seemed more relaxed than usual. Happier. And the way he was looking at me made my heart double in speed.

It was going to be hard to concentrate on driving.

The car started easily and I inched out of the driveway. And as I pressed on the gas pedal, the car leapt in response, zooming us out of the cul-de-sac at such speed that I instinctively slammed the brakes.

This time, Rafael was prepared. He didn’t fly into the windshield like before.

Jareth, however, wasn’t so lucky. As his cheek collided with the back of Rafael’s seat, he let loose a string of unrecognizable words.

“Are you swearing in Fae?” I teased, looking at him in the rearview mirror.

Jareth sent me a dark scowl.

Rafael just grinned.

Smiling a little myself, I took a deep breath and internally vowed to do better. But it was hard. I really was out of practice and the car was way too sensitive. I kept pumping the brakes and lurching forward.

The fifth time Jareth was slammed against Rafael’s seat, he exploded. “I’m getting seasick back here,” he snapped.

In a puff of mist, he was gone.

It was a much more pleasant ride after that. Rafael took his time coaching me. Several times, we pulled over and he snuck in a kiss or two while giving me pointers. When we finally made it to the game, it had already started.

Jareth was lounging on the bleachers next to Betty. He took up three entire rows in a manner that just begged for attention. Since leaving the car, he’d changed into a red-leather jacket, black-studded pants and aviator sunglasses as well as spiking his hair.

With eyes only for Grace, Betty didn’t really pay him much attention. But I think she was the only one in the bleachers paying attention to the game. Everyone else was snapping photos of the rock star on their cellphones.

“She’s gotten to play for two whole minutes so far!” Betty greeted us in excitement as we arrived.

She pointed to where Grace stood on the field. She’d apparently forgotten her jersey and had borrowed someone else’s. Her number was duct-taped over theirs.

“Is two minutes considered long?” Rafael asked pleasantly as we took our seats.

I knew it was a sincere question because he didn’t have a clue about the game of Lacrosse. But everyone else took it as a witty comment on Grace’s playing history.

“I know,” Betty responded with a rueful laugh. “But it’s a record for her. She’s a … fierce player.”

“Yeah, everyone usually scatters when they see her coming,” Ellison said, coming up behind us.

I glanced over my shoulder to see him walking with Harmony, both with their hands in big bags of potato chips.

“These are unusually tasty,” Harmony whispered as she joined us.

“The blueberry muffins are better,” Jareth commented, looking at the chips in disgust from over the top of his sunglasses.

As they began bickering about the different types of human snack food, Rafael slipped his hand over mine and gave it a squeeze.

I smiled and inched closer.

And then one of the players on the opposing team kicked a girl on Grace’s team on the shin. The girl went down. As a few parents charged onto the field to fight with the referee, the offending player snuck towards the girl again.

But Grace cut the opposing player off. In a flash, she grabbed the girl by the back of the jersey and with her lacrosse stick, flipped her over like a pancake. The offender wasn’t harmed, she just stood there, stunned and a bit humiliated as the crowd began to snicker.

The referee rounded up Grace then and the entire affair ended with both the offending player and Grace getting kicked out of the game. But Grace was high-fived by her team members and more than one parent as she knelt on the sidelines, submitting to her punishment.

“She’ll make a good cop,” Ellison said with a laugh.

“Is that what she wants to do?” I asked, surprised.

As Ellison nodded, Betty supplied, “Grace has always been one for justice.” But her comment ended with a small sigh.

The game ended quickly after that, with Grace’s team losing, but they didn’t really seem to mind. They wore their reputation as
the worst lacrosse team in the league
with pride.

I stood up and stretched.

It was time to go. Promising to see them shortly, I left Rafael and Harmony there to babysit Jareth still splayed out on the bleachers and followed Ellison to his car squeezed next to Betty’s truck.

A few minutes later, Grace and Betty joined us.

“Competitive freakin’ sports,” Grace complained, rolling her eyes.

“Honey, you should let the referee handle it in the future, don’t you think?” Betty asked mildly.