Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!

Author's Notes: Wow! I'm sorry guys, I have been crazy busy with work since the last update, on top of dealing with personal problems & a serious case of writer's block.I will have a few months off starting last Thursday, hopefully I can catch up with this!

Adonis ducked as the table in the great hall went sailing over his head & into the wall behind him. "I ask you to do one simple thing!" Eliora said as she paced around the great hall, seething. "I practically gift wrapped that silly girl for you!"

Adonis rounded on her. "Well! It's not like she was alone, what am I supposed to do, kill Jareth?"

Eliora's harsh features borne a smile equally as cold. "That's a stellar idea."

Adonis rolled his eyes. "There is one problem with this, we have tried it & it failed." Eliora's smile broadened as she wagged her finger at him.

"If we have the girl, he will be at our mercy."

"Again, already tried, & failed." Adonis replied, Elioria wagged a long, pale finger at him.

"You have little faith, my dear Adonis, you know what the earth dwellers say, if at first you don't succeed …" She trailed off with a maniacal laugh as she disappeared in a flurry of ice crystals.

"Sarah!" Jareth's voice broke through the haze of her daydream. "Huh? Oh … sorry, my mind must have drifted off." While that was partly true, it was mostly because for the last few weeks she had been plagued with nightmares almost every night & each night they grew more & more realistic.

"Sarah you seem tired, have you been sleeping well? I will warn you, dreams have more power in this world." He said as he placed his hand over hers.

Sarah gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I am ok, really. I was just thinking … how … I didn't really get a proper tour of your city the last time I was here." She said & was relieved when his face broke into a wide grin as he stood & offered his arm.

"This is … awesome!" Sarah said as she looked around her in awe, she was seeing the city in a whole different light. It was just like a human city, only smaller in scale. There were florists, bakers, a butcher, a market & many other equally charming proprietors.

The inhabitants were also much more welcoming this time around, every goblin she met either gave her a bow or a curtsy & persisted to address her as 'Her Majesty' no matter how many times she told them that wasn't necessary.

They ended their day walking in the same gardens where Sarah had the run in with Adonis the tiger. "Are you sure it's safe to be here?" Sarah asked, Jareth chuckled heartily.

"I do not intend to sound rude, Sarah, but as long as you are with me, you will be safe." He said as he flashed a toothy, smug grin at her, Sarah averted her gaze as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

"So, is that your way of telling me I can't go anywhere without you?" His grin widened.

"Yes."

Sarah blew out a sigh as she crossed her arms in front of her; she wanted to visit Hoggle & make amends with him, but not if Jareth was going to be hanging around, which certainly would not go over well.

She was suddenly aware of the goblin king's close proximity, she could feel his breath against her cheek.

"Do you grow tired of me, Sarah?" He hissed into her ear, causing her entire body to erupt in goose bumps & shivers. He cupped her chin with a gloved hand & tilted her face til her eyes met his.

The world fell away for Sarah as she gazed into his miss matched eyes with their mesmerizing gaze, the was vaguely aware of a silken gloved hand slipping behind the nape of her neck, drawing her closer.

The sudden flash of something whizzing past them made her jump back in fright, she looked behind her to see a small ball of fire dancing behind them, her heart sank as she heard the Firey's laughter dancing around them.

"Come Sarah, it's no longer safe here." He said as he gripped her hand, Sarah didn't protest, remembering her last encounter with the Firey's & with a snap of Jareth's fingers, they were standing in front of her chamber door.

"Good night Sarah, thank you for a most pleasant day." He said as he brought her hand to his lips, causing bolts of electricity to shoot through her body & her mind to go foggy. When she came to her senses, he was gone.

Sarah entered her room & collapsed onto her bed, feeling like a teenager in love for the first time. If she felt like this when he kissed her hand, she could only imagine what a kiss on the lips would feel like, her heart leapt at the thought.

Jareth on the other hand paced restlessly in his chambers, he couldn't shake the feeling that that … interruption had been deliberate. He was a breath away from kissing her. he had thought about that moment ever sense he had let her go all those years ago, & he had visited her, in his animal form many times after that to watch over her.

He knew who was trying to stop them but he could do nothing to stop her, Eliora lived on the fringes of their world, in the realm of Ice … a place Fey couldn't go. A fey's one weakness was cold temperatures, fey drew their power from the heat & the sun, the less heat there was, the less power they had, even he wasn't immune.

In order to protect Sarah he had to keep her here, inside the labyrinth & within the walls of his kingdom. But what concerned him was when she slept, because in her dreams was the one place he couldn't protect her.