Chapter Fourteen
The confidence of the King
Sarah leaned on the door for a moment. Without removing her cloak she quietly rushed up the sitars to her room. When she was in the room, she locked the door and called out softly. "Jareth, are you there?"
"You have need of me?" The answer was instantaneous, and lacked sarcasm.
Sarah turned, saw the royal standing just feet away and dove to his arms. "Oh God." She said holding to him as if he were her only lifeline.
"Sarah, darling, you're trembling." There was true concern in his voice.
"Something just happened that shouldn't have." she whispered hoarsely. "Someone just kissed me."
Jareth looked down at the distraught young woman. "That's my line," he teased. When she didn't rise to the occasion, he held her at arms' length. "What happened?"
Sarah told him of the evening, of how she'd anticipated the Opera, and of the surprised gift at her seat. She poured out her tale. Only omitting the subject discussed between her and Miles on the ride home. "When I told him I didn't know how to thank him for bringing me home…he kissed me." She looked up at Jareth.
"It was not the sort of kiss you expected, eh?" He surmised what had taken place. "The man tasted you?" She nodded and looked stricken by the memory and thought.
"Miles said he wouldn't take liberties, but this was!" She shivered. "This was."
She was still clinging to the Goblin King as if he were the only thing keeping her from exploding.
Jareth didn't really mind, although he was angry with the person of Fairchild. He sighed. "Sarah there is just one thing to do." Strong gloved fingers tipped her face up to his. "We must erase the memory." Slowly, deliberately he lowered his face to hers. His lips took possession and his jaw forced her mouth to open to him. His tongue moved against hers, pushing it aside as his hands tightened their grip on her. Her arms snaked up his back as she responded to his attack. Moments later he withdrew his tongue. "Better?"
She nodded.
"What's mine, stays mine," he said with authority. "And you, Sarah Williams are mine." He stepped back, "Go to bed, sleep and don't dream."
Sarah watched him fade. "Easy for you to say." She sat on the bed and collapsed