Chapter 2

Jareth arrived in Sarah's room, knowing that he was outnumbered and magically over-matched. Even for him, the Shadow People were a serious threat. He steeled himself as they turned to face him, powerful with the magic and the life they had stolen from Sarah.

He glanced briefly at Sarah, relieved that they had left off draining her when he arrived. Her eyelids fluttered as she started to regain consciousness.

That brief glance was all he had time for before the Shadows converged on him.

Sarah had sagged against the weight of the onslaught, only slightly registering a change in the room. It wasn't until she was able to breathe that she noticed him, flickering her eyes open as the creatures turned, snarling and swirling around him with chaotic energy.

Relief and horror warred within her, somehow knowing instinctively that Jareth- despite being powerful and undeniably real - was also in very serious danger. Amanda's warning words once more rang in her head. She tried to warn him but struggled to find the words. "J-Jareth...n-no..."

She shouldn't have said the words. She tried to stand but her legs trembled as she attempted to move, only crawling a few steps along the floor.

The Shadows in the room drew themselves together, the very air vibrating with the fury of their interrupted victory. A slow hiss skirted over her senses and Sarah shuddered as Jareth's gaze registered the power within them. Briefly, he exchanged a look with her, moving his lips urgently. Despite not saying anything, she understood what it meant. 'Run!'

Sobbing, she dragged herself from the room, feeling the house quake as she finally forced control of her limbs and began to run down the stairs. A dull roar and a howl of pain echoed down the stairs as she flung the door open, running down the road as fast as her feet would carry her.

Jareth resisted, gritting his teeth against the pain as the black mass of Shadow Men swirled around him, robbing him of power. He realized quickly, as he struggled to summon a crystal, he'd need help. Having the perfect person in mind, he closed his eyes and hoped Sarah's survival instincts would keep her alive until he was able to return with reinforcements.

Crashing the crystal on the ground, a bright light briefly threw off the Shadows, long enough for him to limp through the portal and slam the barrier closed.

Goblins scattered, terrified at seeing their master covered in blood. He staggered, calling out a name, then fell to the stone floor of the Throne Room.

Moments later, a lone figure walked up, studying Jareth as it crouched over him, reaching out with a clawed hand to swivel his head towards its field of vision. Waving a hand, Jareth's wounds instantly healed.

A slow hiss had the cloaked figure turning, reaching out sharply and grasping the dark mass of the Shadow Man that had slipped in past Jareth. It nicked sharply, trying to fight the grip of the figure, but failed.

Sharp teeth smiled from under the hood as its claws drew tighter. Whistling, a pair of skeletal dogs appeared, snapping their jaws and biting at the Shadow Man.

Wrestling against the skeletal servants, the Shadow Man eventually lost and was sucked into the floor, vanishing from sight with the hounds dragging it to some dark place.

Jareth gasped, struggling to sit up, air roughly sucking into his windpipe. He winced when he saw who had appeared. "Ankou. You came."

The King chuckled, pulling his hood back to reveal a creature half fae, half something else. So beautiful, he outshone Jareth. The only thing marring his features being his sharp jagged teeth and dark eyes, he was frightening to even the Goblin King.

"Jareth. I'm so glad you decided to finally accept my little wager. Tell me, what are the stakes?"

"No stakes. Sarah's life and safety from these Shadow People in exchange for my soul, to do with as you wish. I cannot defeat them alone." He paused before continuing, "Her life means more to me than my own."

Jareth looked Ankou dead square in the eye. He'd meant every word.

Ankou chuckled and then it turned into a full belly laugh.

"I don't need your life Goblin King! But, perhaps your kingdom..."

"I'll give whatever you want to get rid of them! I cannot watch them torment her any longer! My magic is too weak in her realm. I need your help." Jareth was humble for once in his life.

"Whatever I want, you say?" Ankou grinned. "Now that IS an interesting offer from the Goblin King." The King of the Dead cocked his head and regarded Jareth with interest. Jareth flinched but did not look away.

A goblin ran across the room, tripping on a chicken and barreling into Ankou as he gazed at Jareth. The half fae looked down at the little creature in disgust, glaring angrily at it. As he did so, his true nature rose within him and he lost the fae veneer that had covered his features. It was only a momentary interruption, a blip in the magic that kept Ankou looking mostly fae. But it was enough to scare the little goblin out of his bladder control. With a squeak of fear, the little goblin imp fled as quickly as his little legs could carry him, leaving a wet trail as he did so.

Ankou turned back to Jareth, his face a bland mask once more. "Perhaps I don't need your kingdom after all," he commented, ignoring Jareth's unhappy stare at the other's treatment of his subject.

"Then what do you want?" Jareth scowled, becoming irritated. His offer had been more than generous, after all.

Ankou smiled with curiosity. "She must be some woman, my friend." His voice was light but Jareth wasn't fooled by Ankou's seemingly blasé comment.

"What do you want in exchange for helping me?" Jareth repeated, his voice betraying none of the panic that lurked just below the surface.

Ankou sighed, obviously disappointed that the Goblin King had not risen to the bait he had dangled. "Since you are anxious to have my help as soon as possible, lets just say that you will owe me, yes? We can work out the details later."

He offered his hand to Jareth, obviously intending to seal the deal. Jareth did not immediately take the offered hand. Instead, he eyed Ankou warily.

"I feel as though I'm dealing with Satan himself..." Jareth scowled.

Ankou laughed. "No, my friend, I'm certainly not Satan. He drives far harder bargains."

Jareth did not join in the laughter. "How can I tell, since we are not to talk terms until later?" He crossed his arms over his chest and looked pointedly at his guest.

Ankou laughed even harder at Jareth. " Oh, the dramatics with you! I just saved your life! Be grateful! I could've taken it myself at any time! But, I am curious about this woman. Why would you risk anything for this mere Mortal? And even dare ask for my help?"

***Aboveground***

Sarah ran until her feet felt like they were shattering at the ankle. Darting into a health store, gathering a few startled glances on her way, Sarah ignored them and forced herself to calm her nerves, sucking in large gulps of air through her lungs until the pounding of her heart slowed. Looking up at the aisle names and descriptions, she hurriedly darted down each until she found the cooking aisle, scanning labels and grabbing several bottles with trembling fingers.

"Miss? Can I help you? Do we need to call someone?" A soft voice asked from behind her, making her whirl and almost drop the handful of bottles she held in her hand. Shaking her head rapidly, she ignored the store manager's concerned stare.

"No, no. I just need...I'm...cooking..." She stuttered, used to giving random excuses for why she was unable to sleep or collected odd things. She saw the man pinch his lips together in concern and try to step forward, but she turned and hurried towards the cash register, dumping the bottles for the cashier to ring up.

The cashier gave her a curious stare but began to process her order. Sarah kept one eye on the store manager, who'd since moved to the head cash register and was picking up a phone, staring at her oddly. Reaching into her pocket, fumbling for her money, she glared at the cashier who finished her order. Throwing down enough money to cover the bill, she darted out the door before the manager could call for her to stop.

Finding an abandoned area in the park nearby, she hurriedly dumped her sac, ignoring the wailing she heard coming up from behind her. They were close.

Quickly, she assembled what Amanda taught her: A circle of anise, amaranth, basil, cacao, cayenne, chamomile, clove, cumin, dill, and fennel. Reaching into her pocket, she tried calling Amanda on her cell phone and simply got voicemail. Leaving a quick message, she whimpered as she heard the Shadow Men circling her but unable to pass the barrier she'd made.

Pressing her face to her knees, she settled in and hoped Jareth or Amanda would find her soon.

Sarah risked a quick glance through the milling throng of Shadow People, hoping to see some sign of another person who could help her. No one was there. This section of the park had been dark when she entered, but now that the Shadow People had arrived, shorting out what few street lights had been on, it was a pitch black patch in the brightness of the city.

She shivered. Sitting on the wet ground was soaking her. The wind picked up, sending bits of her barrier skittering against her. The herbs stuck to her wet leg and Sarah shivered, but this time it had nothing to do with the cold. A few drops of rain hit her and she cried out in fear and despair. Her barrier wouldn't last long if the weather turned.

Frantically, Sarah pulled out her phone and punched the button, calling Amanda again. As the phone rang through, Sarah thoughts whirled, punctuated by each ring of the phone on the other end.

-What happened to Jareth? What if they killed him?

::Ring::

No, they couldn't, could they?

::Ring::

Where are you Amanda!?

::Ring::

Somebody, please help me!

::Ring::

Please, please pick up the phone!

::Ring::

Jareth...

The phone clicked over to voicemail and Sarah once more ended the call with a whimper. The wind gusted again, a rumble of thunder sounding in the distance, and more of her barrier blew away into the park. Sensing that it wouldn't be long, the Shadow People pressed ever closer to the edge, their faces turned toward her hungrily.

Sarah was starting to panic when her phone rang shrilly. Her hands shook as she struggled to answer. "Amanda!"

"Sarah?" Amanda's voice sounded groggy. "What the hell, Sarah? Do you know what time it is?"

"Amanda!" Sarah gasped in relief. "I'm in trouble, Amanda. I need help!"

Her friends tone immediately changed, becoming sharper and more focused. "What's going on, Sarah? Where are you?"

"At the park, the one off of fourth street. They're everywhere, Amanda. My barrier won't last!" Another gust of wind whistled through the park and Sarah's barrier weakened even further.

With growls of triumph, the Shadow People threw themselves against the ever thinner wall that kept them from her. "Leave me alone!" Sarah screamed.

"Sarah!" Amanda's voice sounded far away as tendrils of inky blackness oozed through the widening cracks in her Sarah's defenses. "Sarah?"

With a guttural cry of triumph, the Shadow People burst through her defensive wall and closed in around her. Sarah screamed, her phone falling to the ground. Amanda's voice came through the speaker, unheard.

"I'll be there soon Sarah."