The Brotherhood of the Snake (Return of the Ancients Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

shoulder startled me.
    Rafael had moved closer to me.
    “I won’t leave you alone,” he promised in a soft murmur. “I’ll be there.”
    His gray eyes were beautiful, his lashes dark, and the eye makeup made him even more mysteriously attractive, even if it was half smeared over his face at the moment.
    My stomach rolled a little, and I found that unsettling. Stepping away, I forced my attention back on the Tulpa.
    “But what am I going to do?” I asked. “You can’t be with me 24/7.”
    Rafael paused at that and hesitated, visibly puzzled. “24/7?”
    In spite of it all, I couldn’t help a small smile. For fairies, they were actually pretty good at understanding slang, but they still tripped up occasionally. “Twenty-four hours, seven days a week,” I explained, my voice shaking only a little.
    Understanding dawned in his eyes, and he nodded crisply. “Ah, yes.”
    Barely hesitating, he gently placed a long finger on Ajax’s head.
    Ajax tensed.
    I knew what Rafael was going to say, even before he said it.
    Apparently, Ajax did too, because he began to whimper.
    “Until we find a better solution, Ajax will remain by your side at all times,” Rafael announced. “He’ll be able to sense if the Tulpa is nearby or if the Mesmers appear. He can notify us immediately.”
    The Doberman flattened his ears, and his whimpering turned into an actual whine, one that reeked of torture and pain.
    Jareth laughed.
    Rafael’s eyes narrowed in faint disapproval, but he bowed at me, insisting, “Ajax is greatly honored to be of assistance.”
    “That’s not what I heard him say!” Jareth chortled.
    I expelled a breath.
    I really didn’t want Ajax near me either, but I was desperate, and I certainly didn’t want to face the Tulpa alone again.
    “Thank you, Ajax,” I said reluctantly even as a part of me wondered how I could get him to like me. “I hope you don’t mind too much.”
    “Oh, he minds,” Jareth delighted in telling me and then began translating merrily. “He said he’d much rather chew off his—”
    “Ajax is young, still a pup.” Rafael cut him short. “His childish reaction to such an unexpected request must be understood and forgiven.”
    Looking at the massively muscled Doberman standing next to me with his superior and aloof attitude, I didn’t see how anyone could think he was still a puppy, but I smiled and nodded all the same.
    Ajax lifted his lip a fraction of an inch, and we eyed each other guardedly.
    “If you need us, Sydney, simply wish us to come.” Rafael’s hand lightly touched the golden Fae bracelet still circling my wrist.
    As his fingers brushed against my skin, I jerked back instinctively.
    To my horror, I felt my cheeks flaming a bright red.
    What was wrong with me? Why was I so hypersensitive?
    “The bracelet will sense your thoughts and call us.” Rafael was still talking. “We’ll come immediately.”
    I took a deep breath, desperately thinking of the Tulpa to calm my churning emotions. It worked. I felt scared again. I wasn’t sure that was better.
    Meanwhile, Ajax had apparently decided that I wasn’t worth his time. Stretching himself out on the floor, he settled in as if preparing to take a nap and gave a long, loud yawn.
    I looked down his throat at his rows of teeth, wondering if he was truly yawning or giving me some subtle hint, but then a new, Tulpa-related thought popped in my head.
    “What if we’re both asleep when it comes back?” I asked with a sense of growing alarm. “What if we can’t call you in time?”
    Jareth rolled his eyes and laughed a distinctly unpleasant, mocking sound. “Do you think we’re relying on you to find this thing, Sydney?”
    I was exhausted, and my temper flared. “Why are you such an unhappy jerk, Jareth?” I retorted defensively.
    His head snapped back.
    Continuing to vent, I fished in my pocket for the protection rune Rafael had given me and thrust it into Jareth’s face. “And just for the record, I still