Sarah paced the floor, trying to put all the pieces together. She'd taken Jordana's journal out of her room and tucked it into her robe and now she took it out and stared at it, willing it to tell her what was happening.
"Felecia is up to something big," she said, opening the journal. "I just wish I knew what it was."
"There's more," Hoggle said, rubbing his head. "There was a woman with 'im said she was gonna kill Lithos. Something 'bout the rest of a prophecy. That you and Lithos can't marry Above Ground royalty or you'll be too powerful to destroy."
Sarah frowned and a look of understanding came over her face.
"That must be what that prophecy meant - if Lithos and I marry UnderGround royals, the four of us do join the kingdoms and - that would destroy Carman's hold on us all somehow."
"So what is the plan, fair Lady?" Didymus asked, pulling his sword.
"Hoggle, you aren't well enough to go to the Labyrinth so I'm going in your place. I'll be safest there since Talon is in the castle. Ludo will come with me."
"Ludo protect Sawa," he said proudly. She smiled at him, nodding.
"Yes, Ludo," she said then turned to Sir Didymus. "You have a very important mission. You are to find Jareth's brothers and bring them back here to this room so Hoggle can tell them everything he heard. But only his brothers or Queen Alyssa. I don't want to let Felecia know we are on to her. Can you do that?"
"I will find them with the greatest speed and bring them all here, my Lady," he vowed, running from the room. She gave Hoggle's hand a squeeze.
"I'll stay with you until we can summon Herbert," she said. "Then I have to go help Jareth." Hoggle nodded slowly and closed his eyes.
A quick knock on the door brought Aberdon and Annie into the room. Annie ran over to Hoggle and held his other hand.
"Are you hurt badly? Didymus was not making a lot of sense," she said, worried. Hoggle laughed softly.
"Does the fool ever? It takes more than a little bump to make me slow down," he said proudly.
"Herbert is on his way to see Annie, we'll all just wait for him here," Aberdon said, taking a seat nearby. Sarah glanced at Annie, eyes wide.
"Why?" She saw the bright glow behind Annie's eyes and stared. "What in the world happened to you?"
"Sex," Aberdon said smugly. "With quite a handsome king I might add."
"Aberdon!" Annie blurted out, shocked, then laughed. "Aberdon thinks that I'm changing because I still have part of black and white magic inside of me."
"I'm not sure I get it," Sarah said, confused.
"She's got the dark from Jordana's mischief and the light magic from when the Elders brought her back to her human form," Hoggle said wisely.
"Now, now," Herbert said, coming into the room with a large medical bag. "Patients can't go about diagnosing each other - it'll render me useless."
Sarah gave Herbert a quick hug and he smiled at her. "Good to see you again too my dear. Still planning to marry the ninny?"
"If you mean Jareth, then yes," she grinned. He nodded approvingly and took a look at Hoggle. After a few moments he stood up to give his verdict.
"He'll be fine, but he has to have some rest for a few hours." He looked down at the dwarf. "And when I say rest, I mean just that Hoggle Aloysius Grumpster."
"Grumpster?" Sarah laughed as the dwarf glared at her.
"I'll have you know it is an honorable name," he said loftily.
"I'm sure it is," she soothed. She turned back to Herbert. "Annie's eyes are glowing."
"So they are," he said, somewhat surprised. After asking a few questions and trying not to laugh at Annie's blush, he nodded thoughtfully.
"Well the soul mate part is right, I suppose. You might want a real wedding though just for your mother's sake," he said pointedly to Aberdon who had the grace to look a bit sheepish.
"Done," Aberdon agreed. "But what of the change?"
"Well she's not turning Fae, she's going to become a Grey Lady. It's not been seen for well over a thousand years." He looked at Annie. "You have a long road ahead of you, my dear."
"How long?" Annie asked, concerned. Herbert paused.
"A few thousand years, I'd guess. Same as your new husband here."
"Few - thousand?" Annie sank onto a chair and Aberdon knelt down beside her to hold her hand.
"Sleep with Fae, you run the risk of immortality, my dear," Herbert said kindly. "I for one welcome you as my newest niece."
"Thank you," Annie said softly. Aberdon rubbed her hand gently.
"What happens now?" Annie asked.
"Well, we have not had a Grey Lady in our world for centuries. You will most likely have to train with Alyssa and Sylvia. They are the holders of our legends, the keepers of our history."
"Really? How did they get that responsibility?" Sarah asked, curious.
"By virtue of their status as High Queens. It is the job of each High Queen to learn the entire history of their world and the magic that goes along with their realm. It takes many centuries to be proficient but they are both well versed. They will be pleased to share their knowledge."
"I don't know what to think," Annie said, trying to absorb it all.
"The High Queens have much old magic to pass on to their heirs, you being a Grey Lady and the soul mate of a King of the UnderGround – you will be entrusted with many secrets. But for right now, you just need to plan your wedding and trust in all of us to watch over you." He sighed. "You have gone through many hardships to find yourself in your present position. You will appreciate it all the more for the struggles. You need not worry. We are all here for you."
Sarah took Ludo by the hand. "We have to get to Jareth, he has a wound from an iron knife and he looked a little off balance when he left. Hoggle is no condition to help him."
"How can you get to the Labyrinth without Jareth?" Annie asked.
"I'm technically a ruler of the Labyrinth because of the Challenges, even though I'm not officially the Goblin Queen. This will be my first time trying to get there so I hope we don't end up in the Bog."
"Smell bad," Ludo reminded her. She patted his arm.
"I know, smells very bad," she said grinning.
With a wave of her hand, she and Ludo were gone. Annie stared at where they had been moments earlier.
"Will I ever get used to that?" she wondered aloud as the others smiled.
JSJSJSJSJS
Jareth appeared to his latest runner in full armor, looking regal and imposing. He hoped she didn't see him flinch from pain. Damn iron knife, they should be outlawed.
"And who exactly did you wish away, my dear?" he asked the cloaked figure in front of him. The person pulled back their cloak and Jareth froze, staring into dark soulless eyes. The old woman smiled at him and he saw death in her gaze.
"Magda," he hissed. "What trickery is this?"
"Jareth, so good to see you again. I see the years have been kinder to you than to myself." She looked at him with a cold, calculating gaze.
"You are supposed to be dead. Lithos mourned you, his poor misunderstood mother, blinded by her desire to raise her son to a greater purpose."
"Did he? Was that before or after I gave him the herbs to transform him? He is a weak fool. He should have died a goblin that night, but Jordana found a use for him. He was to be my sacrifice to Carman and she took him from me as a servant. I was to have everlasting life as a black witch. But Jordana was chosen by Carman."
"Jordana gave up her life for that foul deal," Jareth reminded her, eyes narrowing. "You do not look dead - yet."
"Jordana gave up someone else's life as well, someone truly innocent." She laughed and it was a dark sound. "Someone who could have made Jordana turn back to the light."
"What are you talking about, what lies do you waste my time with?" Jareth said, circling the witch, looking for weakness. He felt a little light headed but he would stand firm.
"Did Aberdon not tell you he got the fool girl with child? A child she willingly destroyed in the womb as tribute to Carman. Your little niece or nephew. Quite sad, actually."
"You lie," he hissed. "What exactly do you plan for this night?"
"I wished Talon here to kill you far from the others," she said smugly. "When you die, Sarah will choose Talon and I will control the Above Ground. Then we will finish what was started by Jordana years ago. We will welcome Carman back and the Darkness will rule once again."
"What makes you think I will not kill you now, witch?"
"Your own rules, Goblin King. You may not harm a runner. But pay me no heed. I shall be nearby, but you will be the runner. Somewhere in your precious Labyrinth, he is waiting. If you manage to kill him, you will have my magic to deal with. But honestly, his hate for you burns deeply. Even here in your own realm, nothing is as it seems."
She raised her hands and disappeared into a burst of orange light.
When he was certain she was gone, he held his arm and groaned in pain. There was no time to coddle himself. He needed to find Talon and Magda before they found a way to destroy everything he was sworn to protect. He would die before they could harm anyone he loved.
Sarah, he breathed her name into the breeze, I will keep you safe.