The Brotherhood of the Snake (Return of the Ancients Book 2) by Carmen Caine, Madison Adler

was impossible to ignore.
    I don’t know how long we stood there, eyes locked, before he took a deep breath and abruptly said, “I must go, little green-eyed pixie. I’ll send Ajax shortly.”
    Before I could say anything, he disappeared in a cloud of mist.
    “Pixie?” Jareth’s sarcastic tones rippled through the kitchen. “He’s calling you ‘pixie’ now? And he’s shifting?”
    I whirled to find Jareth sizing me up and down with a critical eye, his brows furrowed in an angry line. He was still holding the Cokes.
    Apparently, he hadn’t followed my orders after all.
    “What’s wrong with ‘pixie’?” I asked defensively.
    Rolling his eyes, Jareth stalked into the kitchen and slammed the glasses onto the counter. “Oh, ‘pixie’ isn’t a term that’s used lightly, and you know as well as I do that he shouldn’t shift. The Queens could have activated traps for him by now. And if not, they’ll definitely pick him up if he goes to Avalon and then tries to return to Earth. As things stand now, he’ll likely spend the rest of his life in prison … or worse.”
    That made me scared, but angry as well. “And that’s your fault, Jareth! You’re the one that landed him in this mess by lying!”
    “I never lied, you little fool!” Dark emotions played over Jareth’s face. “You don’t have the faintest clue of what’s really happening here, do you!’
    I blinked, taken aback.
    Ignoring me, he rolled back his sleeve to reveal a golden bracelet identical to mine. A spark of light leapt from its surface to melt into his skin. His brown eyes flashed angrily, and he pounded his fist on the counter. With a growl of frustration, he shouted, “The fool went to his mirror! Why would he do that? He knows it’s far too dangerous!”
    He stood there with his feet planted widely apart, looking very dangerous himself.
    I think that was the first time I truly internalized that Jareth was something much more than a petulant rock star. He played the part so well that I’d come to think of him as more of a troubled celebrity than a Fate Tracker playing a human role. The guy standing in front of me now was tall, dark, and powerful, reminding me more of a Navy SEAL commando than a singer specializing in onstage moves designed to make girls swoon.
    Still, as intimidated as I was, I snuck an accusing glare his way. I still didn’t trust him one bit. As far as I was concerned, the jury was still out on whether he’d tried to kill me or not.
    And as sneaky as I thought I’d been, he caught my look. Tossing his dark hair over his shoulder, he moved to hover over me in a threatening manner. “Oh, I know quite well that you’ve convinced yourself that this entire mess is all my fault!”
    I swallowed but stood my ground.
    But he wasn’t done. “Never forget that you’re playing a role in this drama too, Sydney. Rafael’s Blue-Threaded because of you. And now—”
    Suddenly, he stopped and looked over his shoulder towards the window.
    I knew he was sensing something about the Mesmers. I balled my hands into fists. I didn’t know what to do. I was a little scared of Jareth, but I was terrified of the Mesmers.
    An incredulous expression flashed across his face. “What are you up to, Sydney? Now, you’ve got the Mesmers yammering as well!”
    Pushing me aside, he strode over to the window and peered out into the darkness.
    And then I suddenly knew.
    When the first Mesmer had screamed, Jareth had collapsed in the parking lot. He’d just asked me if I could hear them. And he kept staring in the direction of Mrs. Patton’s lawn menagerie. “You hear them, don’t you,” I said. It wasn’t a question.
    Jareth’s shoulders tensed. He didn’t have to say it.
    I shivered. “How?” I didn’t think he was going to tell me.
    But after a moment, he turned slightly to one side. I could see the outline of his jaw. It was tight, clenched. “Perhaps it was the Tulpa," he offered. "It seems to have changed everything.