Chapter 21

Butterfly Sword

Sarah didn't let Satire's confidence shatter her own. She passed through the hallways towards Jareth's study with her head held high. Indeed she had no reason to be ashamed, she was human and mortal but had made it all the way to finals in a warrior's contest. She had proved herself in the Underground to the people and to its royals.

Jareth's study doors loomed up ahead and two guards saluted as she neared. That was new and Sarah nodded her head with a smile of acknowledgement. The doors opened for her and she slipped inside letting them close behind her.

Jareth sat in his comfortable leather chair behind his desk deep in thought. His gloved hand tapped a rhythm on the desk and he gave her a distracted smile.

"What news?" Sarah asked as she flopped down in the chair opposite his desk.

"Jezebel claims she was framed." Jareth replied shifting back in his chair his eyes focusing on her.

"As we suspected she would."

Jareth nodded "I will question her again later." He changed the subject. "Will you be okay fighting Satire with the Soulmate bond?"

Sarah opened her mouth to respond then closed it again giving the question serious thought. Slowly she nodded her head and Jareth's eyes pierced into her. "I should be." She said with more confidence than she felt. "He is not above using it to win, I will be careful to block him."

"My concern is not him using it to win but our enemies finding a way to block us again while you are fighting. I won't be able to help."

"You're not supposed to help anyway." Sarah smiled in an attempt to hide her irritation at his insinuation that she needed his help. Jareth's eyes grew intense and he didn't smile back.

"I don't think you understand what I am saying, Sarah. If someone manages to block us again then Satire will be your only Soulmate and his bond will grow stronger, solidify and the sliver you have right now could turn into a bond as strong as ours."

"Oh fuck." She said with feeling

"Exactly," Jareth's eyes flashed briefly with humour then chilled, "It may amaze you to know that I don't intentionally interfere with your matches. You nearly die in every single one so forgive me if I don't want to see my mortal future wife die."

"Yeah," Sarah ran a hand through her hair and glared at him, "Not funny."

Unable to sit still she stood and started to pace on the stone floor. "How do we stop it? There must be a way." She turned to look at Jareth when he didn't respond. His face was a mask of restraint. She stopped and looked at him fully. "What?"

"There is a way," he started hesitantly, "But you won't like it."

"What is it?" She threw herself back into her chair. "Tell me."

"We could get married and consummate it and then the bond with Satire would severe and nothing could separate us."

Sarah let out her breath and struggled to hold onto her annoyance. "Seriously? That's the only way?" She glared at him, "Not just the one you want?"

Jareth's face froze, anger lit in his eyes a muscle moved in his jaw. "And why not? It is the simplest and most enjoyable way for us, or don't you want to marry me?"

"Don't be stupid! Of course I want to marry you, but I want to marry you after the tournament when I have won or lost fairly."

"I know that!" Jareth snapped back exasperated, his face rigid. "I understand everything you want, Sarah. I know it is important to you to gain the respect, in fact I endorse it and support you. I just see a way to get their earlier and I want to take it. I want to be with you the way I should be, as your husband and lover."

He stood suddenly jerking his chair backward and strode around the desk. He grabbed Sarah out of her chair ignoring her startled squeak, pulled her close and kissed her. Sarah was ready and wrapped her arms around his neck kissing him back desperately. Their bond warmed pleasantly between them. They pulled back laughing. Sarah rested her head on his shoulder and he held her tight.

"You make me wonder sometimes." He said softly into her hair.

"Wonder what?"

"If you sincere in your feelings for me." Sarah pulled back and looked at him denial on her lips. "Sometimes I wonder if you gave in purely because it was easier."

"No!" She said forcefully and touched his face, "I love you! Don't doubt me, I may seem a little occupied with this tournament but I love you desperately and I want to be your wife. I want to be joined with you forever."

"And yet you will still finish the tournament first?"

"You want me to forever have the reputation of someone that sleeps her way to the top? It is not appropriate for us to be together until I am not fighting for title in the Underground." She pushed away from him but he held her caged against him.

"Do not run from me!" He hissed holding her firmly. Softening his voice he said "We do not need to have a huge ceremony. We can get married quietly and then complete the tournament and then have a formal wedding."

Sarah stilled against him, "Can we do that?"

"Why not? I am High King and it will keep you safe."

"I fight Satire tomorrow would we be able to get married tonight?"

"We should be able to. I need to get hold of a few witnesses and someone to marry us."

"Alice can witness."

"Naturally," Jareth smiled and thought for a moment. "Hoggle, ludo and Sir Didymus can act as the other witnesses. I have to plan and organise. Can you return to your room or to the afternoon's entertainments and I will talk to you later?"

"I can't be part of it?"

Jareth laughed and kissed her again quickly, "Not this part, there are going to be a lot of irritated people and it might tip our enemies off that we are up to something if you spend the entire day with me away from everyone."

"True. Okay then, send me a message through the bond when you want me."

"That will be every moment you are away from me." He drew her close again and they shared a slow lingering kiss.

"Sweet, I will never leave if you keep kissing me and making flowery statements." Sarah laughed when they broke apart.

He held her a little tighter and laughed dipping his head to kiss her again. "You are my delight, Sarah. I cannot wait for tonight." He nipped her lips wickedly and Sarah grinned up at him.

"Neither can I." She pulled away from him and headed for the door. "I will be in the training room for a while to concentrate on something else." She winked at him and opened the door letting herself out with a long lingering glance over her shoulder.

The door shut behind her and the guards again saluted when they saw her.

Minx Jareth said though the bond, now how am I going to work?

Quickly she replied with a mental wink though the bond and made her way to her room to get the map of the palace. She knew there was an Asian style dojo in here somewhere and she wanted to train on mats instead of sand for once.

000

When she got to her room she changed into her clean gi pulled her hair into a pony tail and located the dojo on her map. It wasn't far from her room, she grinned probably Jareth's doing.

The dojo was beautiful and sparse. The mirrors on the walls were huge and the mats good quality, along one side of the wall all manner of weapons hung and she went over to take a look. Swords, daggers, pole arms, staffs, soft weapons including a chain whip and rope darts, even a morning star. The sword collection ranged from Chinese and Japanese weapons to the European claymore and Roman gladius. Sarah took her time selecting and chose a Chinese butterfly sword. Deceptively clever this sword is actually two clipped together in one sheath. It can be used as one sword or as two. She pulled it out of its sheath and pulled them apart. They sat perfectly weighted in her hands. Her sensei had once told her that they were the most versatile weapons and more of an extension of hand to hand combat. She walked to the centre of the room and moved into a sword kata letting the rhythm and swish of the blades pull her thoughts back into herself and shut down the world around her. There was nothing but the movement of her hands, feet and blades.

She came back into the centre of the room completing the kata and a quiet clapping started behind her startling her out of her focus.

Satire had come into the training room and had watched her perform the difficult kata standing unobtrusively out of the way of the fast moving blades and feet.

"How long were you watching?" Sarah asked her heart thumped irregularly when she saw him.

"Long enough." Satire grinned and moved away from the wall walking towards her, "You are very graceful."

"Thank you," Sarah ducked her head embarrassed.

Satire conjured a bottle of water out of the air and held it out to her. Sarah wasn't remotely tired or out of breath from the kata but the water looked cold and the condensation dripping down the sides made her thirsty.

"Thanks," She took the water and took a sip. It was wonderful! The water had the unique taste of unpolluted spring water directly from a waterfall. "Wow, this is delicious." She said and drank more, Satire just shrugged modestly and smiled.

Water dripped off the bottle and down her neck, Sarah didn't notice Satire's hungry eyes follow the drop as it slid down her neck into the gi. He moved forward and the bottle disappeared leaving a drop of water at the corner of Sarah's mouth. She moved her hand to wipe it but Satire got there first. His finger deftly smoothed the drop away from the corner of her lips, making it into a caress, and put the drop into his own mouth. Sarah was suddenly very aware of how close they were. His magical green eyes filled her vision as he moved to kiss her.

"Don't!" She said and jerked away from him. "Satire, I'm telling you this right now so you get it straight." She snapped angrily at him moving towards the weapons wall to put the sword away so she could get away from him. "There will never be something between us because I love Jareth and I am going to marry him."

"I am your Soul Mate!" Satire exploded behind her and she carefully kept a steady pace.

"Jareth is my Soul Mate. You are an anomaly and should not have happened."

She placed the butterfly knife back where it was originally and stepped back.

Satire grabbed her from behind and pulled her against his body locking her arms. She threw her head back to hit his but he was ready for it and moved it down and started to kiss her neck.

"Stop it, Satire!" Sarah said furiously struggling but not getting far, he was holding her too tight and was full Fae, able to lift a car easily.

"You should be mine." He said into her neck and let his teeth graze the soft skin. Sarah yelped and pulled away violently. He held her easily and laughed softly in her ear. "I will have you, Sarah." His hand moved into the gap of the gi and onto her skin. The touch of his skin on hers brought their bond too life with heat and lust and Sarah tried to force it down but a small sound escaped anyway.

"Your body wants mine as much as I want you." Satire said again biting her neck but the bond made it pleasurable and sent shockwaves down her body, knocking her defences down. She could barely fight him, her body was weak from need and desire for the man holding her. She used her will to fight the desire to turn in his embrace and kiss him. His hand was warm on her stomach and he moved it up. Her knees buckled underneath her and Satire rode her to the floor lying on top of her. She could feel him pressing against her and her body squirmed against him.

Jareth! Help me she screamed in her head over and over trying to stop her body's wonton behaviour.

Satire somehow managed to get her belt untied and unwound her gi fell open and he pulled her onto her back so he could see her. She lay vulnerable and half naked under him with her body craving his touch and her mind screaming out to Jareth.

Satire leant forward and kissed her letting his hands wonder over her.

"Jareth" Sarah gasped out as her back bowed from pleasure.

"He can't hear you, Sarah. I blocked your bond."

She moaned helpless under his hands and mouth.

Jareth, Jareth, Jareth, Jareth… help me!

"How?" She got out between another moan which he swallowed with another kiss.

"The cookies the first time, when I came to visit remember? And the water I gave you now was the second time. You are too trusting."

Sarah reached for the bond with Jareth and found only echoing silence where it should have been. Satire's bond was glowing with heat and life and growing larger by the second.

"No." Sarah tried to push him but ended up clenching onto his shirt when he moved against her.

"Your body is saying something completely different." He hissed into her face and kissed her again. Sarah moved her head away and broke the kiss. In retaliation he moved again at the same time holding her face and kissing her in a deep probing kiss.

Sarah was losing herself. She wasn't getting through to Jareth, she had no one coming to help her. Either she gave into Satire or she gathered every inch of will and tried to get away. Her thoughts fractured as he moved his hand between them playing with the soft sensitive flesh below her navel and ran his fingers teasingly just inside her waistband.

She gathered her will and closed her eyes not trying hard to feign passion it was already there in spades. She moved her hips to met his and moaned with him he lowered his head to kiss her again and she waited then head butted him as hard as she could. Satire yelled and jerked back rolling off her holding his nose and stars exploded in her vision. She rolled away and pulled herself to her knees. She was so weak.

Satire's nose gushed blood and as she watched he cracked it back into place and glared at her. She struggled to her feet and ran for a weapon. Satire was faster he grabbed her just as she lifted a blade without a sheath. He lifted her and the weapon and pulled them away from the wall. Sarah swung with the short sword she recognised vaguely as a dagger of some kind. Satire calmly avoided the blade and threw her across the room. His Fae strength not an issue against her dead weight.

Sarah screamed as she hit the floor and searing pain lit up her side. Sarah rolled onto her back gasping for breath and fighting back panic. The dagger was stuck up to the hilt in her side. Tears flowed from the corners of her eyes and rolled into her hair and fell onto the mat beneath her.

Satire stood at the other side of the dojo breathing heavily. He made no move to help her and as she hovered at the edge of unconsciousness she wondered if he would go get help or let her die. He should just leave her, she had fallen on her own blade. How stupid, how mortal, how Sarah….

Blackness engulfed her.

Love it? Hate it? Let me know. Thank you to Blue Symphony for sending me pointed review and delivering a much needed kick to get this chapter out. I am betting you are all had no idea that was going to happen ;p I feel its good to keep you all on your toes.

Thank you to all my readers and reviewers; Blue Symphony, Aranamar, Asko, starxchanny, TinkLuvr16, lonely 27, writertron, Rocky181, HarlyX5-657, Saissister, kms5665, notwritten, Momo Shiro-chan, DestinChild, hazlgrnLizzy, MyraValhallah.

You are all wonderful and definitely help the writing process. Seriously don't feel its nagging if you pm me and yell at me to write the next chapter. Often I want to do it and am trying to fit it into my work schedule and sleep schedule but I end up watching a movie instead so yeah message me. Also if there are any people from Melbourne reading this; you may or may not know about the Arcadiance Ball which is a Labyrinth themed ball on the 3rd of Oct. PM me if you want the details and links. I went in 2008 and it was amazing! They didnt have one last year due to the economy but this year its bigger than ever with a banquet and ball.

Thanks for your support!

Cassee