The Inner Circle (Return of the Ancients Book 3) by Carmen Caine, Madison Adler

he pushed back, forcing me to stop.
    Whipping out my cellphone, I stole a page from Samantha’s book and said sternly, “I’m calling Animal Control right now and telling them there’s a rabid Doberman trying to kill our chickens!”
    If dogs could roll their eyes, I believe he would have. He obviously didn’t believe me.
    But then he switched tactics and lying down in the snow, he began to whine.
    I hesitated.
    Maybe Rafael wanted to see me?
    I have to admit, my heart began to quicken at that, even though I knew full well it could be Melody, or even Marquis, hiding in the greenbelt.
    Knowing that he’d won, Ajax leapt to his feet and pranced to the edge of the yard.
    “Just a few feet,” I grumbled, letting curiosity get the better of me and added, “Just know I have my fork!” I knew that didn’t really matter. The Fae could disable me with their trions long before I could poke them with a fork.
    Figuring that I’d probably regret it, I stepped onto the path and ventured down the trail, my shoes slipping over the wet twigs and soggy leaves. The snow was partially melting, and it was slippery.
    I made a lot of noise.
    In the patches of the light ahead of me, I could see Ajax wincing, and he shot me more than one annoyed look. Finally, he returned, and I got the message that he wanted me to be quiet as he crouched low and slunk forward as silent as a cat.
    I slowed down and did my best to mimic him.
    “Are you taking me somewhere nasty?” I couldn’t resist asking in a hushed tone, suspicion creeping into my voice.
    I weighed the thought of dashing back home when he veered sharply to the right towards a park with a barbecue area and a few covered gazebos.
    It was eerily dark.
    I frowned, figuring it was just like Ajax to lead me out here and then desert me. I shuddered, wondering if the Mesmers were watching me even now. But Jareth’s stone was cool.
    A twig snapped behind me, and I whirled.
    Ajax was there in a flash, standing between me and the sound with his lips drawn back from his teeth in an inaudible growl.
    But it only turned out to be another dog. Ajax snarled in warning, and the other dog loped away. After that, the Doberman trotted closely by my side.
    Leaving the path, he crept through the dead ferns towards the gazebos. I hardly dared to breathe as I followed him.
    A branch swiped my cheek.
    We’d arrived at one of the gazebos. Hearing voices, I hugged the wall and inched forward slowly to peek around the corner.
    There were some bushes in my way, but through a gap between them, I could see several tall shapes moving about in the dim light of what looked like a fire.
    They were Fae.
    At my side, I could see Ajax’s dark eyes watching me, but he made no move to betray my presence. He clearly wanted me to witness something. I could only wonder why. Sending me a fierce look and showing his teeth, Ajax hurtled past me to join the Fae.
    He obviously didn’t want me to follow.
    Slowly, I crept a little closer.
    I recognized Melody first. She looked as menacingly evil as I’d always felt she was. I couldn’t suppress a shudder.
    And then I saw Rafael, clad in white and holding the white-feather mask emblazoned with intertwining circles in his hand.
    He looked downright dangerous.
    And incredibly handsome.
    Several other Fae stepped into the light. I didn’t recognize them. They were also dressed in white and had the intricate Inner Circle symbols painted on their hands. I’d seen those same symbols painted on a Fae before, the Fae that had helped us get into the Queens’ Castle in Avalon.
    So, Rafael had been controlling everything, even then.
    He stepped forward suddenly and held up his hand. “Soon, the bloodlines will be purified,” he announced as he surveyed those around him with a condescending smile.
    Goosebumps sprouted on my arms.
    “The Mesmers will soon outlive their usefulness,” Rafael continued in a cool tone. “We must not let their mutant tulpa divert us from our true purpose.