Chapter 14. Quirky dreams
Anise was surprised to find the door of the fencing school unlocked. She stepped in with a grim look on her face, hearing the sounds in the work room; the grim look became almost murderous. She stood in the doorway, arms akimbo, and glared at the pair facing each other. "What are you two doing here? We're closed!" she barked.
Sarah and Toby stopped; she pulled up her mask and looked away toward someone standing in a shadow. "You want to take care of this?" she asked.
Moving out of the shadow, the figure in the lean uniform moved toward the woman in the door way purposefully. "Miss Cortland, you are interrupting my class."
Torn between backing down and pugnacious hostility, the young woman chose the latter. "There is no class," she snarled at the man. "Clearly," she waved at the empty work room.
Looking over his shoulder, the man said in a tone that didn't allow for discussion; "I see two dedicated students, don't you? If I had even just one, there would be a class…"
Anise pursed her lips, her blue eyes glaring with fire, more and more she disliked this man and his odious ways. "I wonder if my Uncle would agree with you…" she asked in a snippety voice. "You're just an employee…. Remember?"
Sarah felt the rush of anger coming from the pretty girl with dark hair, and placed a protective hand on her brother's shoulder, ready to place her self between him and any danger.
Jareth had caught the movement in the corner of his eye; even through the mask he was keeping an eye on Sarah and her reactions. 'Valiant and heroic to the end,' he thought to himself before addressing the young woman trying to be more than she was. "I am not an employee," he said crossing his arms and standing before her, unmoved. "I am a guest of this establishment…. Here as a favor to your employer."
A voice behind the young woman startled her and silenced her as she opened her mouth to retort; "Is there a problem here?"
Anise turned to find her uncle and her cousin entering the lobby. Both were carrying equipment bags. "This man is holding class…." She complained. "ON a day that we are closed…."
"Who says we're closed?" David challenged her.
"It's a holiday weekend," she snapped at him. "No one else is here," she pointed to the workroom where Sarah was standing with Toby, still in a defensive stance. "It's like he's giving them a private lesson!"
"Hardly," Talbot sighed, giving his niece a dark look. "Toby and Sarah Williams are here for their regular lesson, hardly private."
Unable to let it go, Anise complained. "Do you see anyone else here?"
David shook his head, huffed and moved past the angry girl. "Let it go," he warned.
"He's an employee!" she complained bitterly to her uncle whose face changed at the uttered words.
"Anise, you forget yourself!" Talbot Cortland growled darkly. "Master Dé Danann is our guest, an honored guest and you are treating him very poorly."
"AS an employee… he is expected to follow guidelines…" Anise was hell-bent.
Cortland took hold of the girl's forearm roughly and pulled her into the lobby. "He is not an employee," he repeated with growing irritation and annoyance. "Master Dé Danann is here at his own expense… as a favor…He is a guest, not an employee… And if he wants to dance naked in the middle of the work room while he conducts his class it is none of your concern!"
Jareth smirked to himself at Sarah's reaction to the erotic suggestion. She had given a slight excited little gasp at the thought and covered he mouth with one hand swiftly. He bowed to the owner of the school and returned to his students. "Return to your positions," he ordered calmly.
Anise grabbed the arm of her Uncle. "He's costing us money!" she growled.
"It would be me he'd be costing, if that accusation were true." Cortland slapped the hand that was no on his sleeve, "you forget yourself!" He turned and moved toward the men's locker room where David was already suiting up.
The girl stood in the lobby, fuming. She moved once more toward the door, to watch with a sulky face as the girl in the work room engaged the younger student under the tutelage of the man in red and black. "Your day is coming," she said under her breath.
The Master called a halt and ordered the boy to sit and watch; he faced Sarah and saluted her. "Toby, when you are lunging; make sure you extend from the center," skillfully he demonstrated, the tip of his foil within inches of Sarah's breastplate. "From the center," he repeated.
Toby sat on the bench, his mask raised. "I thought I had." He panted.
"It's a lung," the master demonstrated once more, "Not a topple; you extend too far, and one day it will cost you a match." He stood back, "Show him a proper lung," he commanded and the girl repeated the move for her brother to see. "See how Sarah is centered?" He moved behind the girl, placed his hand at the small of her back, then to where her hip. His fingers skimmed along the rounded hip as if he had always touched her thus. He felt the quiver of muscle as his hand moved. "See how her hip is placed?"
Looking at the hand on her, she turned her covered face, grateful the mask hid her blushing cheeks. "Watch the hand," she whispered a terse warning.
"Quiet you," he whispered back teasingly. "Your sister's body does as she tells it to…" He said to the boy.
Toby put down his foil, took off his mask, stood up and stepped closer. "But she's a girl…"
"Yes, she is…" murmured the masked instructor, his hand still on the taunt muscles of her hip and too close to her buttocks for the girl's comfort zone. "Are you saying you can't do this move because you're not a girl?" asked the master as he dropped into a mirror of Sarah right beside her. "I can, you can," he said with firmness.
Toby looked at the pair, in the lung position. "I'll work on it," he promised.
Jareth rose up; as he did he placed his hand on the small of Sarah's back. "See that you do, you are excused…Toby."
Sarah kept still until the child had moved to the locker room, "Am I also excused?" she whispered.
The hand had not moved, but the fingers flexed. "No," he said quietly. Sarah stayed as she was, controlling her breathing as best as she could, and praying for a speedy death. Jareth admired the control she was exhibiting, something she'd not had when she was fifteen. "Mademoiselle," he purred as he leaned closer, as if to give instruction. "C'est bien!" The strong fingers flexed again as he experienced a deepening of the tingling sensation that appeared each time he came into contact with her. He moved his hand up her back, and untied the ribbon deftly; removing it before she was aware it was gone. "C'est Si Bon," he purred in pleasure as he turned with the ribbon and walked away. As he reached the safety of the coach's door he called over his shoulder; "Dismissed."
Sarah pulled out of the lung, before she nearly toppled. She spun round, but he was gone. "Blast him," she muttered. "If he weren't the best damn teacher…I'd…" she continued to mutter as she walked to the woman's locker room. It was there she discovered that he had captured yet another of her hair ribbons. At first she was miffed, then coyly she giggled and covered her blushing cheeks, finding this flirtatious game intriguing.
--
He removed his mask as he entered the area off limits to students. He looked at the green ribbon that was sister to the one he had tucked into the pocket of the shirt he wore under the protective fencing jacket. He wore a pleased grin, and dangled the ribbon in triumph.
Cortland looked up as he strapped on the protective covers for his legs. "What do you have there?"
"A trophy," Jareth said good naturedly, dangling the ribbon for Cortland to see.
Talbot snickered, "You have taken a fancy to the Williams girl, have you not?"
Jareth didn't deny it, "She's a delightful little diversion."
The smile on Cortland's face faded just slightly. "I do hope she's not just a dalliance."
"Sarah Williams could never be just a dalliance," Jareth reassured the man. "I have no desire to just dally away my time, Cortland…"
"That's good to hear," the man relaxed. "Does she have any idea of your… intentions?"
"Not as yet," the man in red dangled the green ribbon playfully. "We are but at the toying and teasing stage."
"Ah to be young again," Cortland sighed as he picked up his mask, "Well David is waiting…"
Jareth looked at the ribbon, "Don't let me keep you." He called softly to his host.
--
Toby was waiting in the lobby, under the glaring eyes of the girl at the reception desk. He breathed a sigh of relief as his sister appeared. Both girls glared at each other, but one, the one with green eyes knew something that gave her an edge. Sarah knew that in the hands of the handsome man in the coach's room was a green ribbon. "Come on Toby," she said holding the door open. After the boy had made his exit, Sarah looked at Anise with cold fury. Again she fought the urge to address the woman knowing it would do little good. So she gave her a last glance, and exited the building herself.
Toby stood at the car awaiting her, "That woman gives me the creeps."
"Me too," Sarah said unlocking the door, leaning over the open door she smiled. "How about stopping for a few things on our Christmas lists?"
"You're on," he said tossing his bag in the back seat.
--
Sarah told Toby to leave the packages in the trunk; she'd bring them in to the house when their parents were out at church the next morning. She carried both the equipment bags, asking Toby to get the front door for her. As they entered the house they could hear the earthy and sexy tones of a female voice singing in French. Sarah stowed the equipment bags in the front hall closet, "We're home," she called to the woman in the parlor.
"That's nice, dear." Karen sighed happily as she lounged on the couch.
Sarah entered the room as an upbeat number began; it was the first words sung by the sexy voice that caught girl's attention. "What is that?" she pointed to the record.
Karen looked at her with an incredulous look, "Sarah, that's your father's Eartha Kitt album… we've had this conversation."
"NO, that song, what is that?"
"C'est si bon?" Karen looked at the girl as if she had lobsters in her ears.
Something in Sarah rung like a bell, like Big Ben was inside her head. "What does that mean?" she asked in a hoarse whisper, fearful of the answer, and yet needing desperately to know.
"It means…" Karen gave it a moment's thought, finding it hard to translate into English. "It means … it feels so good…but it's more personal…it's more romantic … like its good to touch you…"
Feeling the blood rush to her cheeks, Sarah swallowed the gathering lump. "oh," she felt her heart pound so violently she feared it would break her chest.
Karen closed her eyes and rested back against the couch. "It's very intimate," she murmured.
"Yes, it is…" Sarah agreed. "I'm going up to my room." She didn't race up the stairs although she'd have liked to. She had no desire to draw anymore attention to herself. Once she was in the safety of her room she rested against the closed door and took a long ragged breath. "C'est si bon?" She repeated the phrase that was now stuck in her head. "Oh my God," she gasped. "He's flirting with me!" she took a few steps into the room and stopped dead. "OH GOD!" she squeaked. "He thinks I'm flirting back," she was now struggling to breathe normally. "Well of course he does you dunce… you practically challenged him today!" She paced her floor. "This is not good…."
--
He had drawn an orb from the air, sat quietly in the comfort of his throne room. He went to the throne room more and more often, it was full of life and movement, and he could feel her there. He understood it was a gift from the Labyrinth for his obedience to its will, and didn't question why. His eyes danced with mischief as he watched the girl panic at the sound of the song playing. He laughed with mirth as she raced up the steps to her room, and watched with unbridled pleasure as the truth dawned bright as day. "Precious, you have no idea of how good it is, nor how good it is going to be," he muttered the dark promise to the orb.
--
Dinner would have been leftovers had Sarah not insisted on doing the cooking. She had a need to keep busy, and the thought of turkey so soon left her cold. She could feel the watchful eyes of Karen as she busied her self in the well stocked and organized kitchen.
"I had no idea you were so accomplished," Karen mused taking a seat at the kitchen table. "When you were a teen, it was all I could do to get you to open a can of soup…"
Pouring the ingredients into the stock pot on the stove, Sarah mused as mused as well. "Well back then I was… childish…being on your own in the big city teaches hard lessons." She smiled as the aromatics gave off an aroma that filled the kitchen. "Besides, I like to cook, its sort of relaxing."
"Indeed," Karen nodded. "I feel that way about hand washing some of the dishes…" She felt the coziness in the kitchen that no other room had. "I love this kitchen," she sighed. "I say we should have supper in here tonight."
"I agree," Sarah stated. "It's only a nice light supper… this soup lends itself well to kitchen suppers."
"Where did you learn to cook?" Karen asked enjoying the rare comradery that had developed between them.
"Some from you, believe it or not," Sarah added more ingredients as she spoke; "Some from mom… and a lot from working in a dinner." She poured the heavy cream into the stock pot after the stock, adding the last of the ingredients as they were called for. "This soup is the house special."
"Well it smells wonderful," Karen cooed.
"Soup, bread and a glass of wine, and I'm in heaven." Sarah said setting the table for four.
"Would be nice if there was a young man in there too," Karen said hopefully.
"No," Sarah said, "There was only one young man for me…and I refused him."
"You did?" Karen looked not only disappointed but down right upset. "Why on Earth would you do that?"
"Bad timing," Sarah said closing the subject. "I'll call Dad and Toby in, you just sit there and enjoy."
Karen worried; she had no recollection of Sarah having a young man. She fretted that things would go so much easier if Sarah had a strong shoulder to lean on. "I wish that young man would come back for you Sarah." Karen sighed under her breath.
Little unseen eyes were watching and little ears had heard, and they gasped in unison.
--
Because the room seemed stuffy, Sarah opened her window just a bit, allowing fresh air to enter. She sat at her vanity, brush in hand; she worked at the long waves of hair now out of the braid. She placed the brush down and turned off the lights one by one. Then she stood for a moment in the window, silhouetted, a romantic portrait of a young woman. Leaving the window open, she moved to her bed and slipped in unaware of the eyes watching from the branch, or the words used by her step mother earlier that evening.
--
She drifted into the mists of sleep, the soft pale clouds that awaited her. She could hear the familiar sounds of music, yet it seemed so out of place. She was once more in the glade, and this time it was filled with music and darkness. Sarah backed up against the obelisk that stood there, bracing for whatever was about to happen. Her heart raced, as she looked about in the darkness. The light wind rose and the garment she wore fluttered about on the gentle breeze. She looked down and gasped. She was covered in nothing but thousands upon thousands of green ribbons. Her hands clutched the ribbons that were floating up and giving a glimpse of skin beneath.
The stone monument that she'd been standing against seemed to morph into something else entirely. It growled in the back of a long throat, before intoning a pleased sounding phrase. "C'est Si Bon," as hands that were skillful and powerful came down on her shoulders.
Sarah could not stop the shiver that coursed like fire through her veins. Nor could she prevent the deep intake of breath, and the soft moan that formed.
"C'est Si Bon," he repeated enfolding her in powerful arms.
"No," she whimpered weakly. "No, you can't do this…"
"Can't I?" he asked at her ear. "You have given me your favor… and you still owe me a kiss, mon cheri."
"Don't…" she pleaded softly, confused by her own reactions.
"Why should I not?" He asked sounding suddenly distant.
Sarah looked ahead in the darkness, and for a moment she thought she spotted a white bird in the night sky. She felt the arms holding her fast melt away, and she was free to flee. She moved away from the spot that should have held an obelisk. Swiftly she ran, the ribbons fluttering like wings. "I didn't know," she called out as the path shifted and became stairs. "I didn't know." Her steps halted as she came to the end of a platform.
From beneath a figure rose, and stepped toward her, his eyes were pained. "Everything, everything…" he murmured. "I did, I did for you…."
"I know," she looked down, embarrassed and humiliated and feeling guilty.
The man moved closer, the room was now a mass of broken blocks. He was dressed as she'd last seen him, and in his hand a crystal orb, being held out to her. "I asked so little," he bleated softly.
"I didn't know," she looked up to find herself alone.
The room shifted again, and the wind fluttered her ribbons. The man in red and the sad figure of the Goblin King both faced her. "You have to make a choice…." A voice that seemed disconnected filled the air.
Sarah sat up, her body covered in sweat, and her heart pounding. "Make a choice?" she asked aloud. "What choice?" She laid her head back on her pillow. "How do I choose? One I destroyed, the other… is a mystery…." She rolled to her side. "Stop being foolish, Sarah… you have to live in this world…. And he's only playing games… just flirting… it means nothing…" she scolded herself.
--
The owl listened quietly to the words spoken. He sat keeping his own counsel, knowing that the girl was torn. It pleased in that she was drawn to him, no matter what form he was taking. He hoped he'd remember that truth when not in owl form.