Chapter 3 – Small Manipulations
Jareth felt the wind as it flowed over his massive wingspan; he had forgotten how much he enjoyed the feeling of flying above. The energy in the wind was simply not as pleasurable Underground; lowering his head, he changed the wind's flow over his powerful avian body as he descended to the dormitories at Stanford University.
He was surprised to find himself somewhere other than Sarah's home; however, he had followed her scent here. It was an aroma that could captivate him from world's away, the inhalation of it caused him to dream of her being in his arms again as he danced with her in the crystal ballroom. He thought of the distraught girl he had seen in his crystal; perhaps this time he would have another opportunity with her.
Jareth slowed his descent as he landed on a tree branch outside Sarah's dorm room. He had not thought this through; in fact, from the moment Adaiya had spoken of the 'girl' all he wanted to do was let her wallow in her suffering. Why was he here now? He chided himself for his weakness, Sarah was surely still the impulsive brat she was ten years ago. Her personality had been so deeply rooted; Jareth doubted any passage of time could change that. He would go to her, make himself vulnerable to her and then what? Would she reject him again? Would she break his heart and reopen old wounds?
Jareth contemplated leaving; returning underground and restoring Sarah to her rightful place—deeply tucked away in his memory. Curiosity, however, got the better of him as he discovered he was transforming from his owl form and materializing in Sarah's dorm room. Before he had a chance to stop himself, he was standing in front of the woman who had haunted him for ten years.
Sarah was glorious. Her beauty radiated off of her as though she were blessed by the gods, even in her despair she was the most beautiful woman Jareth had ever seen. The past ten years has seen Sarah grow from a girl into a woman. Although Jareth found her innocent features alluring then, the sultry curves she now possessed were demanding his attention as his body responded to his unfulfilled dreams.
Jareth exercised extreme self control as he locked away his heart, ensuring the woman would not succeed in wounding him again. "Hello Sarah," he said in his crisp accent.
Sarah gasped as she met the gaze of the Goblin King. What was he doing here? She had not made any careless wishes; Sarah looked at the king curiously for a moment and then she simply glared at him. Her thoughts had been completely preoccupied with getting back to Toby—the child who was now an orphan. Oh, God, Sarah thought, he wants to take Toby. It made sense, Jareth wanted Toby and now Toby was parentless. If ever Jareth would reclaim him it would be now.
"I won Toby back, you can't have him," Sarah said in the most assertive voice she could muster at that moment.
Jareth stood unresponsive to Sarah's declaration. How dare her, he thought, I came here to offer her comfort and she accuses me of….Jareth barely finished his own thought before his anger overtook him. He had been a man of extreme self-control; however, ten years of pent up frustrations were released at that moment. He had done everything in his power for the girl, he reordered time, he was fearsome, he gave her the adventure her heart desired and he pledged his undying love to her. He would be damned if he did one more thing for her, she deserved nothing from him. If she was suffering, let her suffer and if she wanted a villain, by the gods, he would be the villain.
"I will take what I want when I want it," he said brashly as his eyes roamed her body. He walked up to her, placing his body against hers, pressing his hips tightly to hers and hovering his mouth a few inches from her face, "And do you know what I want right now, Sarah?"
Sarah gasped again. A part of her body reacted to his touch, there was an attraction there and she could not deny that. The Goblin King whom she had found to be intriguing when she was fifteen was now an enticing, seductive and very attractive man. She felt her body desire his touch, his kiss and his arms around her. But she knew better for this was the man who had stolen her brother. She knew he had returned to torment her once more before taking her brother again and she had to stop him.
Sarah placed her hands on Jareth's chest, momentarily savoring the feeling of his chiseled muscles beneath her fingers as she shoved him away quickly. A part of her regretted her actions, she wanted to stay in his arms and perhaps even be comforted by him. Sarah regained her composure, Jareth was not there to comfort her, he was there to torment her.
Jareth only smirked as Sarah pushed him, he had not noticed how she had reacted to his closeness save for when she pushed him away. He lifted his hand in anger, ready to strike the girl. Finally, after ten long years of waiting, he would have his retribution. He would show Sarah Williams that nobody rejected the Goblin King!
Jareth began to lower his hand to slap the girl hard but he stopped himself before his hand reached her face. This is not who he was, he was beyond grudges, beyond retribution and beyond this type of behavior. Despite the pain and anger, he still loved her and could not bear to cause her pain; however, he could also not bear to allow her to see him so weakened either. "Another time, perhaps," he said as he quickly disappeared from the room.
Sarah stood in shock as she had braced herself for the impact of Jareth's hand; although she was relieved that he had not hit her but had left, she worried for Toby as he may have taken him already. Sarah was glad that she had been able to book a red eye flight and would soon be with her brother; still it was not soon enough. She picked up the phone and did not breathe again until she heard Toby's voice on the other end.
"Well, that did not go at all as we had hoped," Verdandi said, "Why are they being so difficult?"
"They are being who they are," Skuld replied, "We can expect no less of them."
Verdandi sighed. When would they have another opportunity to unite the two lovers? She sighed again as she hoped it would not be another ten years.
The next several weeks were very hazy for Sarah. She felt like a fog had passed over her as she attended her father and Karen's funeral. Hundreds of people had come and each of them gave her their condolences; Sarah knew they were heartfelt and sincere, but she longed to be alone with Toby. They had very little time to talk to one another since from the moment she arrived at the airport she was completely surrounded by friends of the family as well as lawyers from the law firm Robert had worked for.
It wasn't until several days after the funeral that everyone had left—everyone except Carolyn. She stayed with Sarah and Toby for another week, seeing to their needs and to the household. And then the day arrived when they had to review Robert and Karen's last will and testament. Of course it was all-encompassing, Robert had been one of the best lawyers in the state and his will would have excluded nothing.
Robert and Karen had left everything to Sarah and Toby. Half of their estate was to be given directly to Sarah while the other half would be held in trust for Toby until he graduated from college. Sarah was also named legal guardian of Toby as she was his only surviving family member. She was given the opportunity to withdraw from Toby's trust to see to his education and other such matters; however, her portion was substantial enough she doubted she would have the need.
With the help of the Law Firm, Sarah had given Carolyn power of attorney over their land and assets as Sarah would soon be returning to California. Actually, she had been prepared to quit school, to put Toby as her focal point and live only for him; however, Toby refused to allow his sister to give up her dreams. He knew how long and hard she had been working for her PhD and he wanted her to finish. Furthermore, he had never been to California and had heard of the beauty of the west coast; at any rate, it would be better than living in a town full of wonderful memories that were now only causing him pain.
After everything had been squared away, Sarah and Toby boarded a plane to return to Palo Alto. Sarah had already spoken to the University about her situation and the school responded by moving her into one of their on-campus apartments for students with children. It was there that she and Toby would live as she completed her doctorate.
The long years of hard work and dedication had paid off as Sarah Williams walked across the stage to receive her degree. She thought of the miserable nights she had spent with Toby as she worked diligently to write her dissertation. Toby was understanding and supportive but he was entering adolescence and deserved her attention. Sarah smiled to herself; not only for her accomplishment but that she would now have the time to spend with her brother. She thought of taking him to the beach, touring San Francisco and the other exciting things they could do together.
At first she had planned to return home but Toby insisted on staying in California as he had no desire to leave his new home. Sarah's long list of internships, amazing references and her class rank provided her with many job offers and staying in California was a definite possibility. In fact, Sarah was ecstatic when she was offered a position at the Hoover Institution, a think tank located on the campus at Stanford University. Hoover Institution usually recruited those who were already well known in their respective fields; an offer such as this to a new graduate was nearly unheard of. Sarah was quick to accept the position.
Toby was pleased that they would not have to move as he was already in his freshman year at Palo Alto High School; he had a close group of friends, had made the football team and had met Cheryl. She was a sophomore and exquisite; she had long blond hair that fell in large waves around her face. Although he had never touched it, he imagined how it would feel against his skin. Her smile could take his breath away and her laugh caused his heart to skip a beat.
Toby was definitely in love with Cheryl; well as in love as a 14 year old boy could be. The only problem was that Cheryl didn't even know Toby Williams existed nor did she care to. Toby was very resilient though and took solace in the fact that he had captured the attentions of other young girls at school. Sarah tried to be supportive of her little brother but sometimes found difficulty distinguishing the lines between older sister and legal guardian.
"Sire, Lord Tevian Monzi from Ginna is here requesting an audience with you." Jareth looked up from his desk to view the goblin guard who was pulling him away from tending to his kingdom's needs. As Goblin King, he was responsible for the Goblin Nation and their survival hinged on his ability to govern with a firm hand. However, as keeper of the Labyrinth he had a much larger duty amongst the five kingdoms: he protected the veil that crossed into the above world and no one could cross without his authority.
Jareth stood up from his desk after neatly arranging his papers so he could quickly return to the needs of his kingdom. Although he knew the importance of guarding the veil, he felt he never had enough time to see to his own subjects' needs. There was always an emissary or two from one of the other kingdoms seeking an audience with him. Jareth sighed, "What do the Ginnese want this time?"
The goblin guard did not respond nor did Jareth expect him to as it was not his place to do so. The guard only bowed to the King as he escorted him to the throne room. Jareth entered his throne room and graciously sat in his seat of power as he motioned to the guard to show the Ginnese ambassador in.
Lord Tevian walked in briskly; he approached the throne and lowered to one knee. Despite his respectful actions, he wore a tight scowl on his face which corrupted his otherwise handsome features and revealed his disdain for the Goblins and their King. His hair fell in wisps around his face, similar to Jareth's but not nearly as long and much darker as well. When Tevian lifted himself he glared at the king revealing eyes of an unnatural shade of violet though they were actually stunning and alluring. Jareth was sure that Tevian had no need for words when it came to women as he had heard of the Ginnese ability to seduce women with one look.
"Lord Tevian," Jareth said with an air of cordiality, "What can we do for Ginna today?"
"King Jareth, I have been sent by Queen Darula to beseech you, we are need of your assistance as a neutral party." Lord Tevian, lowered his eyes, he knew Jareth abhorred the role as mediator; however, as a neutral Kingdom he was often called to serve as one.
Jareth narrowed his eyes as he watched Lord Tevian closely for he had a reputation of being devious and underhanded in order to obtain his own desires, "Lord Tevian, for what reason does Darula require neutral assistance?"
"Your highness, the neighboring kingdoms have caused an uproar as both the Kingdoms of Vanir as well as Feira have refused to trade with us. Our supplies are low and we require your skills as mediator to reconcile our trade agreements." Lord Tevian then handed Jareth a scroll with the Queen's royal seal upon it.
Jareth sighed. As Goblin King, he was often called to mediate political disputes between the Kingdoms; although it was not inherently his duty to do so, it was better than the alternative. Jareth took the scroll and read it quickly, "Very well, Lord Tevian, we shall leave tomorrow at day break."
Jareth dismissed Lord Tevian as he returned to his office where he summoned Adaiya, informing her of his upcoming absence and asking her to oversee the kingdom while he was away. Adaiya was only too happy to assist the King as he updated her on the issues involving the Goblin Kingdom and then left to prepare for his journey to Ginna.
"Fifteen years! It has been fifteen years. We are immortal, the Goblin King is immortal but that girl is not and her body will soon grow too frail for the appetites of a Fae, I will not wait any longer!" Verdandi was angry, an emotion not common to the Norns for they had been graced with a certain degree of understanding, especially when it involved destiny. However, this was not a normal situation. Verdandi had respected Urd's wishes; understanding the necessity of not using their power unless there was no other choice. But it had been fifteen years and all of their attempted manipulations without becoming directly involved had failed. It was time to change tactics.
"I agree with Verdandi, Urd. Now is the time to act!" Skuld spoke with defiance, an attitude that was foreign to her as she, too, had grown tired of waiting.
Urd looked at her two sisters with understanding. How could this have gone so terribly wrong? The human, Sarah Williams, should have been united with the Goblin King many years ago, they should be celebrating the birth of their third child now and the Five Underground Kingdoms should be experiencing a millennium of peace rather than being on the verge of war. How could one decision affect so much? But would interfering to correct the mistake only cause more problems? Urd was not sure what their involvement would cause but she knew that the time had come to restore what had been denied.
"Aye, sisters, it is time for action," the three sisters walked slowly to the well in the center of the grand room. Urd placed her hand on the waters and whispered to it softly in her native tongue as the destinies of many mortals begun to reveal themselves. "We will have to alter the destiny of one mortal in order to restore the destiny of another, keep a watchful eye sisters, we must be ready to act."
"Dr. Williams I have been informed that we will be working together on the next research project," an older woman said as she sat herself next to Sarah in the cafeteria.
"Dr. Torres, I presume, I am honored to work with you, I have heard of your many accomplishments," Sarah spoke honestly as she shook the woman's hand. Indeed, Denise Torres was considered one of the best in the field; in fact, one of Dr. Torres' books was what had spurned Sarah's interest in Political Science. Sarah could not resist the smile that swept across her face, as she and Dr. Torres discussed the details of their project over lunch.
Denise Torres was a middle aged woman with graying hair that was cut very short and dark brown eyes that revealed nothing of the person she was beneath. One thing Denise prided herself on was her secrecy and she allowed nothing to reveal her true nature for that is how she managed to be as successful as she has become. She watched Sarah open up to her and Denise smiled as well, looking forward to the refreshing new ideas Sarah would bring to their project.
After their impromptu meal, Sarah excused herself as she had to finish the project summary from her last project before the end of the day, and on Monday she would begin working with Dr. Torres. Sarah smiled in anticipation as she made her way back to Hoover Tower, where her office was located. After the last report was typed, Sarah tiredly trekked to her car which was parked quite a distance from her office. She normally didn't mind the walk; however, the reports had taken longer to write than she anticipated and it was now dark out.
"Hello, Sarah," a man's voice whispered from behind her as she began to open her car door.
Startled, Sarah gasped as she turned around. The man behind her was about her height, average build and moderately attractive. She could not make out his features well in the dimly lit parking lot but she knew him well enough, "Good evening Mr. Bower," she managed to say to the man.
"Please, call me Brian," he said as he examined the beauty in front of him. Brian worked in the think tank as well, although not as a researcher or analyst as he had not continued his post-graduate studies. He was more of an assistant and he had desperately admired the lovely Dr. Williams since her first day at the Think Tank over a year ago.
Sarah did not like the way that man looked at her, she watched as his eyes mentally undressed her and she could nearly feel his hands on her as he stared directly at her chest before she drew his attention, "Is there something you need?" Sarah almost regretted her words as she could imagine any number of profane responses.
"Merely to bid you good night," Brian said as he opened the door for Sarah. She smiled nervously as she entered her car.
"Thank you."
"It was my pleasure," Brian said as he grabbed her hand and kissed it gently, "Good night, Sarah."
"Good night Brian," Sarah said as she closed the car door, started her car and quickly drove away.
Sarah arrived home to an empty apartment. Toby had a football game and had made plans to stay over with one of his friends. Sarah envied the boy as she wanted to relive some parts of her youth, but now with so many responsibilities, she barely found time to think, let alone do anything else.
Sarah had rented a movie for her night alone and had just sat down with a bowl of popcorn when she heard a knock on the door. Slightly frustrated that she would have to get off the couch after having just gotten comfortable, Sarah made her way to the door.
"Hi, Sarah," the younger woman smiled.
Sarah half-heartedly smiled back as she was not fond of the girl, "Hello, Eva."
Eva was barely twenty-two and Sarah was not certain she had that many brain cells, as the bubbly blond girl wandered into her apartment, "I'm looking for Keira, I saw her walk towards your apartment, is she here?"
"No, I'm by myself," Sarah said with concern. Keira was only six years old and it was not very safe for her to be wandering around alone at night, even if the complex was gated and well lit.
Eva frowned with worry; she had been sure Keira would have gone to the Williams' apartment as the child had a bit of a crush on Toby. Eva thanked Sarah as she turned to go back out the door, Sarah grabbed her coat and was ready to assist Eva search for her sister when they stepped out of the apartment and were accosted by a six year old girl who had been waiting for the perfect moment.
Eva screamed loudly and Sarah only laughed at the child's cleverness.
"This is it," Urd said, "She is the one."
The three sisters reached into the well and grabbed the destiny of Eva Santos. Skuld created a small adornment and hung it upon the essence they held, Verdandi whispered an incantation and Urd sealed their magic with a wave of her free hand. Together, they lowered the modified destiny back into the well.
"It is done," Urd said, "Let us hope it is enough."
"Eva? Eva, are you alright?" Sarah was worried as Eva had first appeared scared but then she simply drifted away as if she fell into a deep sleep. Sarah reached out her hand to awaken the motionless girl when she stirred to life on her own.
"Keira, what is the matter with you!" Eva was clearly furious and by the looks of the child, she was not expecting anger as a reaction to her prank.
"I'm sorry Eva, I was just playing," Keira said with remorse. She had never seen Eva so mad before and it was scaring her.
Eva didn't say anything at first, but in another moment she looked at her bratty sister with fury in her eyes, "Keira, I'm sick of your games and I'm sick of you! I just wish the Goblins would take you away right now!"
Sarah could hardly believe her ears as Eva had said the words she had spoken to Toby fifteen years ago. She cringed as a loud thunderclap echoed in the night sky and young Keira disappeared; Sarah knew what to expect next. It had only been five years since her last encounter with the Goblin King; he had not taken Toby then, as she feared he would but this time he was here for Keira and Sarah knew that Eva would have to challenge him if she wanted her sister back. She took a deep breath as she anxiously looked to the sky and awaited the arrival of the Goblin King.
A/N: My apologies to those who wanted more J/S action in this chapter. I promise you, it is coming...but I had to get Sarah to a certain point in her life for the rest of the story to play out properly. Now we are there so let the fun begin :-)
Also, thank you for all the reviews, as I have said so many times, I really do appreciate them and they keep the fire of my imagination burning - so, please, keep them coming!