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

mesmerized.
    But to my surprise, Samantha’s voice dropped
an octave itself. “What is that thing? Let me get the broom.”
    Astonished, I turned to see her reach back
into the coffee shop to grab the handle of a wide sweeper.
Brandishing it as a weapon, she began to walk toward me in her
usual no-nonsense-Samantha way.
    “My, my, what is that? Some kind of raccoon
with mange? This time of year?”
    Blondie’s eyes began to shine in the
darkness. “Hold still, human,” he whispered as he sidled out of the
shadows and into the light. I could see his hairless body, the
spiked scales, and dark, liquid, bottomless eyes. The magnetic
force coming from his eyes was impossible to resist.
    I choked. “Watch out, Samantha!” I managed to
warn, filling with a growing horror.
    Samantha paused, looking directly into his
eyes, long and hard. And then she pursed her lips and reaching
forward, pulled me back. “Strange looking beast. Out of my way,
Sydney. I’ll not have anyone under my charge harmed until I can get
Animal Control out here, and get this poor thing some help.”
    Blondie hissed and drew back.
    Stepping in front of me, Samantha wielded the
broom and with a reproving click of her tongue, ordered crisply,
“Shoo!”
    Blondie lunged forward.
    But Samantha’s aim was true. She hit him
straight on, sending his body flying over the dumpster.
    My mouth dropped open. I’d thought that the
Mesmer were impossible for anyone to resist.
    But then, Samantha wasn’t just anyone.
    “Strange.” She glared with an audible huff
and placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t think I’ve hurt it, but
it should be seen by a vet. I’ll take care of this, Sydney. You run
on home. I don’t want you around that thing.”
    I drew a shaky breath.
    “Be quick now,” Samantha ordered me as she
pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and punched in a number.
Turning to the side, I heard her say, “Yes, I need some traps over
here at once. I’ve some kind of armadillo. It looks diseased. It’s
a downright health hazard.”
    Slipping back into the shop, I grabbed my
backpack and peered out the backdoor where Samantha was still
talking, waving her hand.
    Through a side window, I could see the bus
approaching the bus stop.
    It was now or never.
    Dashing past Samantha, I waved a goodbye and
ran like mad to the approaching bus.
    But rounding the corner, I knew at once that
I’d made a horrible mistake.
    There was no denying it this time.
    In front of me, a shadow peeled from the
brick wall and formed the unnaturally tall man with the black top
hat dressed in a tuxedo.

Chapter Four – Microwave
Mind-Control

    I tripped and
fell against the bricks as the man in the tuxedo floated towards
me.
    “Run, Sydney!” I heard his voice. But it
sounded as if it came from a great distance. “Run!” He was pointing
up, and as he began to fade, I followed the direction of his finger
and saw dozens of glowing beady eyes lined along the rooftops.
    “It’s time,” dozens of Mesmer voices
whispered. “Time to open the portal.”
    I could feel their eyes zeroing in on me. In
my pocket, Jareth’s protection rune blazed to life, burning through
my sweatshirt and jeans to sear my skin.
    The rune wasn’t going to last much
longer.
    As dozens of gargoyle-like Mesmers slithered
down the walls towards me, I turned to run only to hear tires
squeal.
    I froze in the headlight beams of a car.
    The slam of a car door jolted me out of my
stupor. And then Rafael was there, shoving me into his Bentley.
Diving into the driver’s seat, he reversed the car, accelerating so
fast that my head slammed back against the headrest.
    And then we were zooming down the street.
    A wave of relief passed through me, followed
quickly by concern.
    “Samantha!” I said, whipping around in my
seat and peering through the back window.
    “They’re following us, not her,” Rafael
replied tersely.
    He was right.
    I could see them scuttling after us, a
macabre stampede of