Chapter 25

Tessa and those closest to her were gathered at the edge of the swamp that bordered the Gedde plantation. Each wore ceremonial garments, and fetishes. The Voodouin's head was covered in a large dark clothe that was tightly wrapped. Her lips were pursed, her eyes swept over the terrain while she motioned everyone else to keep as still as possible. Tessa knew that Jareth was on his way and would expect a full report. She had known even before the girls had been abducted that trouble was afoot. Gyles had arrived with a few of his most trusted henchmen, and began to prepare. Tessa watched, knowing that the dark one was upset by something that had not gone according to his plans. That was over an hour ago, and now he was beyond upset and shooting past furious.

"Where in the blazes could she have gone?" Gyles demanded of one of his men. "She knew how important this is…"

"We can't find her," the man said while talking to someone on a cell phone. "She never showed up at Deveron, and no one has seen her car in hours."

The dark master closed his eyes, feeling for that thread that connected him to his twin. "Where are you sister dear," he muttered as he sought to prevail. He hit a brick wall, one that had never been up betwixt him and the girl. "Bitch!" he cursed. "She's deserted me… and has sought the protection of one whom I cannot move against for now…. Well, feel safe for now sister dear, when the Dark Loa returns and I am master of the Magix of N'Orleans… you too shall pay for your abandonment."

The men with Gyles feared his anger, and backed slowly away from him.

Tessa watched and listened, "So," she whispered lighter than air, "The dark one's sister comes to the side of the righteous."

"Mama," a reedy bodied girl touched the shoulder of the Queen. "He comes," her voice was urgent.

"I know child," Tessa nodded still keeping an eye on Gyles. "I felt the fabric move too."

"He comes," the girl turned to look where the Goblin King and his entourage were forming. She made a protective sign, and backed away, eyes lowered.

Jareth didn't speak, but moved silently to where Tessa kept vigil. His eyes went instantly to where the dark skinned woman's eyes were watching. He placed a hand on her arm and nodded.

--

Jingle and the little sprite kept out of sight, but were close enough to keep a magical connection to the girl the Goblin King had sent them to watch over. Jingle felt her jaw hinge lock as she kept the growl that was forming in her goblin throat from escaping her clamped lips. Polygala held tight to the goblin that was her means of transportation. All through the streets of the town, and now into the outskirts, the pair had clung to the bumper of the dark car, knowing mundane mortals would choose not to see them.

Sarah, bound and gagged and blindfolded, sensed the tingle that she always felt when a goblin was near. She knew it was most likely some little spy that Jareth had given the dubious task of guarding his "precious". Had it not been for the gag in her mouth the captors would have seen a slow smirk form on her lips. She was quietly relieved that Jareth was still possessive, and she counted on his knowing her situation. 'You promised,' she thought to herself, 'that you'd be there even as my world fell down. I sure hope you intend to keep that promise.'

--

Jareth closed his eyes, the delicate thread that existed between him and the mortal girl who had beaten his Labyrinth flexed, moved and deepened. His smile widened, and he chuckled softly to himself. The girl had taken a bold step in reaching out mentally toward him. Jareth opened his eyes to find Mama Tessa looking at him with an almost reptilian expression on her dark face. Her eyes were flashing fire.

"Now not the time to be makin' time, Char!" she warned urgently.

"Danger is a strange catalyst," he admitted darkly in a voice that purred with contentment. "However I'll take what I can get." He looked over his shoulder, and saw that Beau was crouched down in the high weeds with Tessa's followers and Hoggle. "For as long as I can," he whispered with remorse.

Tessa saw the car pulling into the long drive of the plantation. "She comes."

Jareth's head snapped round and he looked to where the car was parking.

Gyles stood on the steps of the plantation house, looking like the master of the estate, dressed in white garments of the olde Southern gentry. The smile faded from his face when the three girls were pulled from the car. "I said to bring her," he pointed to Sarah, his voice growled darkly at the men who were given the task of delivering the sacrifice.

"They wouldn't let her go alone," one of the men smirked as he ripped the blindfold off Sarah. "What's two more?"

"Trouble," spat Gyles as the two other girls blindfolds were also removed. He moved closer and glared at Kristy. "This one is the niece of that bitch Hattie!" His hand shot out, his fist connected with the side of the head of the man who was smirking. "Fool," he bellowed. Kristy glared back at Gyles, her eyes showed no fear, only abhorrence. Gyles seemed amused by the show of backbone. "So you've decided to accept your legacy little one," he teased the girl darkly. "Perhaps I'll save you to last… I could use a member of your line… you'd even make a half way decent queen…" slowly he reached out to touch the girl.

Sarah closed her eyes, focused and the gag that had been between her teeth dissolved like mist. "Take your hand from her," Sarah ordered in a voice that held more authority than Gyles had ever heard. The rope binding her hands also vanished, as did the gags and bounds on her friends.

Gyles looked at Sarah in mild surprise, then at the girl who he'd been reaching for. "So you know something of magic, do you little vixen?" he lowered his hand. "Too bad you've so little practice." He snapped his fingers and guards grabbed the arms of the women thinking it would hold them tight. "You're no match for me," he remarked snidely.

"Mistake," Jareth whispered in an amused tone from his hiding place.

Hearing the words that Jareth had spoken a few years earlier, Sarah raised one perfectly shaped brow and retorted, "You think not?"

Gyles, far too full of himself to notice that dark clouds were gathering overhead, and too cocky to care, moved toward Sarah. "I am Gyles Gedde!" he boasted. "Master of dark Magix and the most powerful man in New Orleans."

"Big whoop," Sarah sarcastically tossed back.

"Woman," he growled threateningly in a sinister manner he felt should frighten the little Northerner. "You have no idea of whom you are dealing with."

Instead of quaking or begging for mercy, Sarah remained calm and arrogant, "The same could be said of you." Gyles was taken aback, and Sarah chuckled, "You really don't know who I am, do you?"

"You," he quipped sarcastically. "You are nothing, just an ordinary girl…"

One gloved hand went swiftly to the mouth of the Goblin King as he forced the laugh to remain within him. His eyes stung as he watched his "precious".

Sarah scoffed at the man the moment he had denounced her. "Ordinary girl," she questioned. "Can an ordinary girl out riddle a ruse, turn a coward to a hero, renew the spirit of an old knight, or gentle a beast? Can an ordinary girl find her way to the center of the Labyrinth, win back the wished away and live to tell the tale?" She felt magic tingle as it surged through her veins. "Can an ordinary girl boast that she is the Champion of the Goblin Realm?"

"Goblin Realm," one of the men who held Sarah's arms whispered. "She's demented."

Gyles' eyes widened. "So you are protected by goblins are you," he questioned mockingly. "Where are your protectors now?" Sudden movement, dark bodies in shadows, and little shrikes sounded. Gyles looked about, and snapped his fingers. "Take them to the grove!" he ordered the men holding the three women. "We've no time to waste."

Tessa looked at Jareth; he was watching the girl who had spoken so boldly. His face was a mask of pride and admiration. "She was never an ordinary girl," she assured the Goblin King.

"No," he whispered profoundly, "I know that now," he admitted. "I only hope I didn't learn it too late." He motioned for the goblin gathering to move closer. Goblins and Tessa's followers moved closer, Beau moved closer as well. "We go in," he said quietly, "Give Sarah room to work, but keep an eye on her and the other girls, in case they need us."

"Don't you think we should just over power Gyles," Beau asked urgently.

"No," Jareth advised. "Gyles will be handled, and the girl will be safe," he tried to sound assuredly. "Have faith, my boy."

Gyles looked to where the three bound women had stood only a moment ago. "If anything happens to her…"

Jareth placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I promise you, she will be safe." He pointed to where Jingle and the sprite were moving swiftly after Sarah. "She is not alone, my boy."

--

Jingle could feel the others gathering and more reinforcements coming by way of water. She grabbed Poly by the scruff and pulled her up off her feet, knowing she could move much faster than even the winged sprite. She held the tiny creature in an easy grip as she raced in shadows, following the King's girl. The little goblin female didn't halt until she reached the strange marble pillars that were in the center of a grove of cypress trees. The trees looked unhealthy.

Poly dug her tiny fingers into Jingle, pained and in agony. "Death," she gasped. "They mean to kill here again." She looked with misery at the ailing trees. "It has already begun," she warned her goblin friend.

Jingle nodded, and pulled a small vial from her garment, "Drink this," she handed the uncorked flask to her sprite cohort. "It will strengthen you."

Trusting the other, the sprite took a long deep gulp. Instantly the little creature felt better. "Thank you," she handed the bottle back to the goblin. "There are no garden sprites here," she said in a stronger voice. "No gnomes, no dyad… this place is magically dead."

"That has not escaped me," Jingle assured her companion. "He uses negative energies." She looked for the best place to stay hidden. "We can see better there," she pointed to a dark snag of a tree. "Ready?"

--

Sarah allowed the man whose hands were gripping her to think he had the upper hand. It was to her advantage to not over play and get ahead of herself. She could feel the goblins coming closer. An unmistakable scent was now in the air, too light for most to sense. Gyles seemed unaware of it, but Sarah knew the scent, she'd smelled it so often in the Labyrinth that it now haunted her. Jareth was near, and that was all Sarah needed to know.

Kristy and Lizzie both took their cues from the dark haired girl, allowing their captors to think they had the upper hand.

Gyles struggled into the dark blood red robes that had been handed down to him. The last True Gedde, he felt he had every right to wear them. He moved ahead of the procession and began the chant, "By the dark of night and the light of day," his voice was full of rage. "I renounce the name that has been placed upon me. No more will there be a Norichace." He moved to what looked like an altar and took into his hand a very shape knife. He slipped the blade over the palm of his hand, and a stream of blood began to flow, becoming thicker and redder as he clenched his hand into a tight fist. The blood began to drop on the top of the altar and then as he moved his hand away it fell to the very ground the altar sat upon. "By all that is unholy I take back that which was stolen from me!" he shouted. "My name and my power!" more blood slipped on the forest floor. "I am the last of the Gedde Lords, and I my fathers and forefathers will be avenged." From out of the shadows shapes appeared, tortured and agonized; dark shapes filling the circle that formed within the pillars. Cries filled the grove, sheiks of pain and the smell of death accompanied the cries.

Sarah watched Gyles, knowing he was conjuring up souls that should have been left to the darkness that enclosed them. "Don't do this, Norichace," she warned using the name the family had adopted.

"I am Gyles Gedde," he spat at her. "And I will have what is mine." He flung the athame back to the stone altar. "Light the eternal flames," he shouted. The candles and the bale fires that were surrounding the space that was to be used for the sacrifices sputtered and then burst into flames. The demented wild eyed man chuckled, it was an ugly sound. "I call upon the spirits of darkness, on the dark Loa and the blood of my forefathers." He chanted.

"Don't do this," Sarah said, still not struggling, and feeling the grip of her guard tighten on her arms. "You can still end this."

"Blood will be spilled," Gyles stated; "In celebration of the return of the Gedde. The strongest users of magic this city has ever known."

Kristy was the first to notice the change, then Lizzie. Even the guard holding onto Sarah didn't seem to be aware of the change at first. It started as a humming sound, then a vibration in the ground surrounding the champion of the Goblin Realm. Blue flames, not unlike St. Elmo's fire shot up out of the ground. The guard startled released Sarah from his grip as he jumped back out of the way.

Sarah's eyes had changed, no longer just their beautiful green, now green light glowed out of the sockets that seemed to have enlarged. "If blood be spilt, it will be your own," she warned as her hands rose slowly, gracefully upward. The words that next issued forth were in a strange tongue and a different timber than that of the girl who was speaking them. Gyles halted, and stared at her. The guards holding Lizzie and Kristy backed away, still holding their prisoners, muttering that the devil had gotten into the other girl.

"You care call upon Mother Earth," Gyles glowered. "You think you can take me on," he was nearly screaming at the girl with glowing eyes. "I am The Gedde! I am the most powerful Voodouin ever born."

Sarah, or rather the spirit that was channeling in her, leveled her gaze and spoke in a thickly accented voice. "Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit; I ask thee to Cleanse my body of all negative energies.
Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit; I ask thee to Free and heal my body from all negative forces. Blessed be!!"

"Marie," whispered Tessa reverently from her hiding place. "She houses Marie."

"She's channeling the Laveau," Jareth corrected; "Just as Marie channeled more powerful spirits."

Gyles, not to be out chanted, extended his arms out from the side of his body and extolled, "King Notus of the south wind, by the powers of fire,
I call you to carry my wish to the southern quarter,
and by the powers of Salamanders, I ask that you bring me success". The Loa quaked, but refused to come forth. "I command thee!" Still no answer as the man began to feel the tremors in the ground below him. His eyes darkened as he cursed the creature before him. "Thou shalt be turned into a stone,
And that all thy wits shall be turned front to back,
And that over thy face the loathsomeness shall creep,
And that as in a coffin thy limbs shall be bound,
And that light shall be withheld from thine eyes,
And that thy house and lands shall be impoverished and spoiled,
And that all the nourishment shall taste to thy tongue as wormwood,
And that thou shalt be held alien from thy fellow man,
And that these things shall be so until I release thee,
I spread this table and mark this stone
And spit upon it and conceal it,
And light these candles and apply these poisons,
And fix this curse upon thee
In the names of the Four Fires
Whose names are RIL, YUT, SAR, and LOD,
Who shall consume thee as they are consumed." Both his hands now extended in the direction of the girl and flames of deep red appeared, not unlike the blue flames that surrounded Sarah. The flames shot forward, encompassing the figure that stood before the dark master of magic, but the spell failed. Gyles staggered back as if hit by a thunderous blow.

The men holding the other two women saw movement, heard sounds that were unmistakably inhuman. "Master," one of them cried out as strange looking beings began to emerge from the swamp waters. "Tell us what to do…"

Gyles saw the first of the hideous creatures, and mistakenly thought it was a dark loa. Upon closer inspection, he saw it was not a spirit, but rather a dark greasy bodied goblin. "Take those women into the pavilion!" he shouted moving toward the woman surrounded in blue flames. Ignoring the powerful field surrounding her, he latched on to Sarah's arm and yanked her. "We can finish this inside the house of Gedde!" His voice was now a snarl. "What better place to spill your blood and avenge my forefathers?" He asked as he pulled the entranced woman along.

Tessa motioned her followers, her hand went up in the air, and she made a wide circle with her hand. Jareth snapped his fingers and goblins poured into what had moments ago been a sacrificial grove. The pillars were torn down, and the altar overturned; where Gedde blood had been spilled the goblins poured salt and sulfur. The dead snags were obliterated by the thundering herd of goblins and the gator's they rode in on.

The pavilion was a glass room the last Gedde had built as a renovation and annexation to the house, shaped like a hexagon almost Victorian solarium. The tiles on the floor of the room were garishly shaped and if one didn't know that they were spells, they would have just thought the room tastelessly designed.

Gyles shoved Sarah into the room and bared the door, thinking to keep out what had invaded his grove. Sarah, still under the enchantment of the trance laughed at him and taunted. "You think to keep out what you've brought in, foolish boychild." Turning on her like a madman, Gyles hand came up and then connected with a force that should have rendered Sarah unconscious. Instead she stood taunting him with glowing eyes and strength that seemed to be entering her from the tiles upon which she stood. "IS that all you good for?" she asked boldly. "Slapping around women? You Gedde be more stupid now than ever."

Gyles pulled the blade he wore in his belt, a different blade than the consecrated one that he'd used to slit his palm open. "Kill them," he ordered violently. If the men had expected Kristy and Lizzie to just stand there while they were strangled, they had another thing coming. The two girls dressed in white turned like tigresses upon their attackers. Gyles thinking they were dying laughed, as he advanced toward Sarah. "The last blood spilt here was the blood of my family. Your blood and that of your friends will cleanse my house."

The spirit that had taken hold of Sarah looked upon the foolish man; "Mercy was shown," she reminded him. "She who bore the seed that grew into thee was allowed to leave here." Suddenly the tiles began to break up, monolithic shards of stone shot up, forming a bizarre sculpture surrounding Sarah.

"Mercy," spat the enraged deranged man. "What would you or the rest know about mercy? We asked for nothing, and expected less. We take what we need!" He slashed at her with the blade, missing her by only inches. "Ham Dam Sam Nam Jam Pin Chu," he chanted as the blade flashed closer.

"Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit; I ask thee to Cleanse my body of all negative energies.
Mother Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Spirit; I ask thee to Free and heal my body from all negative forces. Blessed be!!" The spirit chanted peacefully as she began to levitate above the ground that was not becoming a mass of rubble. "Turn back Norichace; this is your last warning."

The pavilion was surrounded outside now, and the creatures in the darkness were visible. The chants of hundreds of practitioners of magic began to fill the air. The soft humming was not a ear-piercing high-pitched earsplitting shriek. The two henchmen, still battling the Amazonian women cried out in pain. Gyles heard the cries of his followers as they were torn to shreds by something outside the pavilion. "Kill them, spill their worthless blood," he ordered the men who were unable to keep hold on the prisoners. "Kill the filthy bitches, end their lines!" The blade in his hand seemed to begin to glow blood red, elevated above his head, his eyes wide and wild he rushed forward.

The glass windows of the pavilion imploded, sending a shower of glass shards everywhere. The force that had caused the implosion sent the inhabitants of the glass room flying about like leaves on the winds of a hurricane. Blood rushed and pounded in the ears of the men whose hands were struggling to keep hold on what should have been fragile necks. Screams of anguish were the last sounds that issued in the throats of the henchmen. The two women hit by the force of the blast fell by the wayside, trying to focus eyes that refused to clear.

Sarah stood glowing, as if nothing had taken place, serene and nearly in ecstasy. From the twisted remains of the door a figure emerged and entered the room. A storm had gathered, thunder roared and lightening flashed. The air was full of unearthly energy, as the being dressed in dark armor entered the pavilion. He was not alone; creatures of every nightmarish description surged forward. Behind him stood stone like the communion of magic; Hattie, Artemis and others had arrived, all stood dressed in the robes of their stations and their service. Jareth glared at Gyles Gedde. "Face me, pretender," he ordered in a roar. "Face judgment."

Gyles, enraged, roared back, "Seek me and this bitch in hell…" he turned to slash out at Sarah one more time, just as the blade should have connected, the girl ducked and his hand slashed thin air. Sarah, or the being within her, genuflected, and she was out of harm's way.

The force of the energy bolt that hit the surprised master of dark magic filled the space with blinding light, heat, and sound. What remained of the framework of the once grand pavilion twisted. The sound of metal and stone scraping and shattering deafened what was left of the henchmen. Those left ran screaming into the storm and the swamp, only to be surrounded by angry goblins and hungry gators.

Gyles, impaled on a sharp outcropping of the monolith that he'd been cast against gasped his last breaths. "I curse you all…" he struggled for breath and wheezed. "Ham Dam Sam Nam Jam Pin Chu," the dark one coughed as the blade fell from his hand and life drained out of him.

Jareth witnessed the glow recede from Sarah's eyes and watched girl sway. "Beau," he motioned his god son to enter thinking he'd come to Sarah's aid as he moved forward to turn the remains of the last Gedde to ash and stone.

Beau moved past the Goblin King, and then past Sarah who was not clinging to an oddly shaped monolith. "Darling," he moaned as he sought the blond woman. "Elizabeth, dearest," he pulled her up and cradled her in his arms after showering her face with tender kisses.

"Elizabeth," Jareth's head turned, he was still in the middle of his last task, but could not have been more surprised.

"Elizabeth," Hattie asked in a stunned tone as Artemis aided her entry into the ruins of the room.

"But I thought," Jareth sputtered, and pointed to Sarah.

"You thought what," Sarah asked in a soft chuckle, "didn't you know that Beau and Lizzie were in love?"

"No," Jareth admitted as he moved toward the champion of his realm. "I didn't… I thought it was you he wanted…"

Mockingly Sarah raised a brow, "OH and you were just going to give me up without a fight?"

Guiltily the Goblin King shrugged, "I wanted to do what was best for you…"

"Since when," she taunted, feeling kitten weak.

Hattie and Artemis were both now helping the wounded Kristy to her feet. "I suggest we continue this discussion outside," Artemis recommended strongly. "This room is about to collapse." He swept the injured girl up into his arms and gallantly carried her out of the rubble followed by Hattie. Likewise Beau swept Lizzie up into his arms, and out of the twisted room leaving the Goblin King and the Girl alone.

Jareth looked at Sarah, "So you're not disappointed," he asked motioning to his godson and the woman that was in his arms.

"No," Sarah answered peacefully. "Why should I be?"

"Sarah," Jareth closed his eyes, and before he could say another world a hand reached forward. Soft finger tips hushed him.

"Don't go looking a gift horse in the mouth, Jareth… just accept what I've come to accept." She whispered softly.

Removing her hand gently, and holding it tenderly he smiled, "What would that be, Char?"

"Some things are fated," she resigned herself.

Nodding the King of the Goblins moved forward and picked her up in tender arms. "Really," he teased as he strode out of the rubble before the room collapsed to bury the remains of the henchmen. "You must tell me how that is sometime."

Tired, and emotionally wrung out, Sarah rested her head on the shoulder of the arms holding her. "Sometime," she promised. "Right now, I feel as if I walked a marathon."

Outside the room, Goblins, Voodouins, and partakers of magic from the communion gathered. Jareth, once a head count was taken and everyone accounted for, turned and gave one last look at what had been the Gedde plantation house. Great billows of smoke, flames and explosions erupted. "Ashes to ashes," he said with conviction. He looked at the assembled communion. "Tessa, take your people into the swamp and begin the healing. Dr. John, Papa, see to the healing of our community. Artemis and I will accompany Hattie and guests home." He called out. "Goblins, stand guard, harm on mortal, but keep that flame burning until the remains are gone."

Squee strutted forward, "You heard the king," he shouted. "Burn that building!"

Jingle and her sprite were standing in the shadows, content to allow the little male strut. In the distance the sounds of sirens could be hears. Just before Tessa moved into the swamp a strange gust of wind rushed forward, and dark shapes surrounded the remains of the burning building. Tessa nodded, "Loa return…" she confirmed. "Land will heal itself, good and bad now be balanced." She entered the swamp like the Queen she truly was.

Jareth, still holding Sarah in his arms transported Hattie, Artemis and her guests and son back to the Jolie Bodine house knowing that no matter how much water was poured, the house of Gedde would be no more.