A/N: Thanks goes to Greenchimes and FrancesOsgood of the LFFL for being my betas for this chapter. This has to be the most emotional chapter I have written yet.
Thank you to all who have reviewed, especially Jetredgirl, BowieQueen and various unnamed Guests! Knowing that this story is appreciated is a great motivator to keep going.
Moments of intimacy ahead, but it's fluffy.
Chapter 34: Reclaiming
Heading back to the tavern, Jareth held a discussion actually initiated by Mara. Not knowing what they were talking about, Sarah turned her attention to Phaedra. The red head was finally easing her body into Micah's touches as his one arm held her elbow and the fingers of his other lightly feathered her healed hand. Sarah couldn't help but to grin at them sharing sweet smiles as they spoke quietly.
Sarah observed where they were heading. The healer's hut had been up toward the mountain side, nearly one of the last homes of the settlement before nothing but wilderness began. Looking down on the settlement from this angle, Sarah could better grasp its size. Maybe sixty buildings were in view between them and the river below, inhabited by maybe two hundred people. The buildings were mostly made of stone and mortar with the tallest easily being the tavern; she could easily view the three storied building above the others from this distance. The only other building comparable in size looked to be a warehouse along the edge of the water at the docks. Being mid-morning, the fisherman and traders could be seen sailing up and down the river. The view was beautiful.
Unexpectedly, a black mass of fur started rubbing against Sarah's legs, actually nudging her to go down an overgrown stony path that seemed to lead up the mountain. Sarah was surprised to find Smyrna had found her; had the cat followed them all this way from the tavern? She stopped to pick up her cerulean eyed pet. When she brought her to her chest, the feline rubbed her nose against Sarah's chin. Sarah started walking to catch up with the group, but Smyrna wriggled out of her hold and jumped down, heading back to the stony path. She mewled, then started walking up the path before stopping again to sit, staring at Sarah.
"Mara, where does this path lead?" Sarah called out.
Jareth translated for the woman, then returned her answer to Sarah, "Nowhere. No one goes that way."
"Why?"
At hearing Mara's answer, Jareth laughed, "It leads to an old mine."
Sarah smiled and whispered to Smyrna, "Good kitty."
They bid Mara good day; she eyed them curiously but did not question them since she had to return to her duties at the tavern. Micah and Phaedra elected to stay with Jareth and Sarah as they ventured to the place they could experiment with magic.
"How did you even notice this path?" Phaedra asked as they traversed the rocky terrain.
"I didn't, Smyrna showed me." Sarah said, pointing to the cat ahead of them that no one else seemed to have noticed.
Micah scoffed, "How would that animal know we were looking for the mine?"
"Maybe she isn't an animal." Phaedra countered.
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
"Some with magic have the ability to change into animals. It isn't something learned and it can't be shared. They either have the ability or they don't." Phaedra said.
"Sometimes they can't change back or are cursed to that form." Micah added.
Sarah looked to Jareth to see what he thought; his expression was inquisitive. "It is possible. Smyrna is quite long lived for merely a cat. She was in the Labyrinth before I."
"You mean she's over a thousand years old?" Sarah asked.
"So it would seem. Most creatures in my Labyrinth are ancient."
Sarah blinked and focused on walking rather than try to fathom not only how old the cat was, but also how aged that made her husband. Her mind wanted to explode with questions, like: Would she herself have a normal human lifespan or now that she had magic, would she grow to be ancient too? Would she ever have wrinkles or gray hair? If she did grow old, would Jareth still want her? And, how could a cat be aware of them needing the mine unless she was not just a cat? And if she had been someone cursed to be a cat, was she cursed because she was being punished because she was evil or was she a victim of someone's plot?
Jareth taking her hand into his as they journeyed up the path snapped her back to the present. She grinned at him and squeezed her fingers around his.
He asked, "What do you think we should try first?"
Sarah shrugged, "You choose. To me, magic is magic. I don't know what it can and can't do. I'd rather you try what you know before I try something that gets us all killed."
Twenty minutes down the path, they finally came to the mouth of the mine. It wasn't exactly what Sarah was expecting. There was so much green. In her mind, a mine would be a vast expanse of open space where one could see where rubble had been cleared and there should be a wooden frame bracing a gaping hole with steel tracks for carts leading to the depths of the mountain. Here, the path was lined with trees that went straight to a cave on the side of the mountain. If it weren't for the stone covered path leading to it, one would have just thought it was a random natural cave opening.
"So, do we go in?" Sarah asked.
"No, we can practice out here. We just needed a place of seclusion." Jareth answered.
Phaedra nodded, "Alright, then. While you two get started, I think we passed some berries a ways back. I can go pick some since I'm pretty sure we'll be missing lunch today. Micah, want to come?"
Micah wiggled his eyebrows at Sarah before turning to Phaedra, "Yes, of course."
Sarah laughed and had a good idea that they would not be spending their time picking berries.
Looking to Jareth, she saw that he was lowering himself to sit on the ground. He motioned for her to sit in front of him, with her back facing him as she nestled between his spread legs. Even though they were shaded from the sun by the canopy of the trees, it was a rather warm day, so she hiked up her skirt above her thighs to let her legs breathe a bit. She was appreciative that Jareth didn't lean against her; the added warmth of his chest on her back would have been rather stifling. He did, though, place one hand over her forehead, the other at the base of her throat, just over her heart. She felt his breath against her hair when he exhaled.
"When we are children, we rarely find our magic on our own. We have designated elders who ignite the power within us. I, however, learned on my own and was able to awaken the magic within others from a young age. My step-mother was furious that I had awoken my brother when he was a mere toddler. Those that young have no way of being taught how to control their magic and so their use of it is chaotic and unpredictable. Most parents wait until after a child's last baby tooth is lost, so about Toby's age."
Sarah nodded, "So, what must be done?"
Jareth felt the current of magic strongly pulsing through her and wondered how strong she would be once awakened. Despite only those with a strong connection to their magic being the ones to ignite the magical essence within another, the process was rather rudimentary.
"There may be discomfort, at first, as your body gets used to it. Or, nothing could happen at all since I no longer have magic on my own."
Sarah placed her hands over his on her heart, "Jareth, I believe in you. And if it doesn't work, I still believe in you; you can do magic through me, which is more than I can do by myself."
He leaned against the back of her head with his forehead a moment before leaning back, chuckling, "Thank you. But I value your independence. So."
A flash of light blinded Sarah and gave her a crippling headache. She felt like no air was coming into her lungs and she was drowning. Her ears were ringing and her heart started pounding at not knowing what was going on.
"Jareth!"
"I"m here. I've got you."
She leaned back against him, unable to hold herself up straight through the intense sensations. Power, creation, energy; there was such strength she felt at finally connecting to what was hers all along. She felt so warm, enveloped by it.
"Breathe."
Sarah didn't realize she had stopped taking air into her lungs. She almost felt as though she shouldn't need to; that is, until she actually inhaled and the burning reminded her that air was vitally necessary.
"Magic is elemental. It is attuned with the air, the ground, all of existence. Listen. Focus. Feel what is around you."
Sarah willed her heart to stop sending blood through her veins like a freight train. She willed the ringing in her ears to be silent.
There was an insect, or maybe a frog, trilling somewhere amongst the trees. The rustle of the leaves above, swaying to a breeze that didn't reach the ground. Two birds warbled back and forth as they defended their territory. Somewhere within the cave there was the echoing metronom of water dripping and whispers of living lichen growing on the walls of the cave as they searched their surroundings with their eyes. Smyrna was close enough for Sarah to hear the warm thrumming deep within the cat's throat as she lay nearby. Even closer to her, she could hear the rustle of a lizard as it scurried over twigs and leaves. She reached down her fingertips to feather over the dirt and pebbles, a sense of anchoring at feeling the strength of the land.
'So much life." Sarah whispered.
"Feel yourself sharing in that energy. Become a part of that dance."
Though she knew she wasn't moving, she started to feel as though her body was floating, a part of everything and nothing. Then, she felt a presence, weighty and warm, a being so enormous of which she was simultaneously terrified and in awe.
"Is magic...a person?" Sarah breathed out with no voice.
"It exists, has desires and ideas like a persona. But it is specific to you. It is in everything and is everything within you. Welcome it forward."
Confused as to if she should reach out her hand to shake or give a salutation, Sarah mentally projected to the entity: "Hello."
She felt the magic embrace her, envelope and meld with her soul, as if it had always been her first nature. It filled her with such joy, such completeness.
Jareth closed his eyes and listened to her breathing, how it changed with whatever she was experiencing. He wanted to join her, to feel the intimacy she was having of knowing magic for the first time; but this moment was hers and hers alone. His part was only to spark that flame.
Sarah stilled her mind after experiencing this awakening. She held out her right hand in front of her and willed the magic to appear. When she opened her eyes, a perfect crystal was in her hand.
Jareth kissed the top of her head, "It is done."
Only the wonderment of motherhood had caused Sarah's heart to swell as much. She felt a fierce feeling of possession. Just as Brendon was her creation, so was this first manifestation of the power within her.
Yet, magic wasn't finished with her.
The rush of what Sarah felt next was ten thousand times stronger. She dropped the crystal and clutched her hand to her chest; her heart seized as though it had been stabbed. Into her mind came concepts of time, fury, memories, feelings, future, past, anger, relief, admiration, existence; things that were not her own. Everything converged and her finite corporeal form couldn't comprehend it all. Sarah felt as though she was burning from the inside. She couldn't feel her limbs, couldn't open her mouth to tell Jareth something was wrong. She knew it was too much for her; she would not survive. Even with that thought, it was too late. She struggled to take one last shallow breath.
Confusion racked Jareth as he heard Sarah's wrasp of breath and her head rolled to the side as she fell lax against him. Her chest was still. She didn't take another breath. He grasped her arms, desperately saying her name; there was no response.
A moment later, Sarah's body began to convulse uncontrollably and the mountain around them began to shake, just as the Labyrinth had done when she was a child. Back then, it had been his touch that had caused it. Now, he had no idea how it was triggered or how to stop it. He placed both hands over her forehead as he tried to feel the magic attacking her. If it wasn't for his terror, he would have been exuberant that he could actually feel what was happening within her. This wasn't just her magic that had awakened, but also the magic the Labyrinth had entrusted to her. He recognized it, achingly missed the familiarity of it, longed for it to be a part of him again; but it was hers now. And more, he couldn't fathom how it was possible the Labyrinth was even able to reach her without her being on its soil.
The Labyrinth's soul didn't perceive right or wrong or consequence. It only knew what it wanted. And it wanted to reclaim Sarah's magic now that it had been awakened. The bond of their marriage allowed Jareth to communicate with his former marrer. Being connected through Sarah, Jareth magically pushed on the Labyrinth and it recoiled in confusion on how he was able to touch it. He felt its defiance; it didn't want to be ruled by him again. Sarah ruled his heart, so through her it thought it could rule him. In his mind, he projected the memories and feelings he had of Sarah's kindness, of the partnership they shared, the ebb and flow of existing together, neither controlling but each of them giving and taking; a marriage where equally they were slave and master.
He could feel Sarahs' body still shaking in his arms. It wasn't in his nature to plead, but for her life, he would risk anything. He asked the Labyrinth what it wanted; how could hurting Sarah help it? Freedom. Completion. Infinity. Unleashed. Seperation. And then Jareth knew. He understood. The Council had made him bond to the Labyrinth to get it to bend to his will-their will. It had freed itself from him when it had transferred the magic to Sarah as a child. It saw her as a weaker being it could control. Now it wanted to be completely unbound and take back what it had given. To it, that meant removing Sarah of all magic, and thus, her life.
With all his might, he beseeched the Labyrinth from the depth of his soul: She means you no harm. I meant you no harm. Don't hurt us this way. I promise, we will find a way. Give us time.
He projected images of the moments he and the Labyrinth bonded over through the centuries they had been together. Building a city out of nothing, making homes for the once unruly goblins. How he made sure the hedges were trimmed and the creatures that the Labyrinth had taken in were cared for. He never ruled it, he just sometimes reminded it that it was more powerful than it realized. It had, after all, forced the task of monitoring the humans entering its walls onto him. They were a symbiotic alliance.
Sarah's body went still and took a large gasp of air. The Labyrinth had conceded, for now.
Jareth moved Sarah around so that she faced him. Her eyes were staring straight forward, unseeing. Her complexion was deprived of color, skin pale and lips a faint blue. If it wasn't for her weak breathing, he would have thought her dead. He caressed her cheek, calling her name softly, but still she did not move.
Micah and Phaedra came running up the path to see what had happened. Phaedra called out Sarah's name when she saw her lifeless. Jareth shook his head for them to not come closer as he tried to mentally connect with Sarah. For all his probing, he couldn't find her.
Jareth couldn't keep the tears from forming in his eyes as he felt so useless. Was there nothing he could do? Had the Labyrinth damaged her too much?
"Your majesty?"
A roar ripped from Jareth's throat at the distraction. He placed his forehead against Sarah's, his tears escaping onto her cheeks as he pulled her to him, whispering, "Come back to me."
Micah approached after a few moments and placed a hand on Jareth's shoulder, "Let's take her back. We can find help. Maybe Ragin can search her mind."
Putting on a stoic face, Jareth nodded once and gathered Sarah into his arms. He held her tightly against his chest as he walked down the path, ignoring the pair as he passed them. Smyrna tried to rub against his calves as she followed him; he paid her no mind. She meowed a few times before falling into place behind him.
Micah looked to where Jareth had risen and saw the perfectly formed crystal that had been abandoned. He picked it up and looked within. It wasn't a vision crystal, it had no spells attached. It was simply pure magic. He put it in his vest for safe keeping. He would return it to its owner once she was recovered.
Phaedra looked to Micah in all worry, wanting to understand what could have gone wrong; he merely grabbed her hand and silently pulled her to follow Jareth.
The wind started picking up and the sky began to darken with the formation of clouds above them. There were flashes of lightning, but no thunder. One bolt struck a tree near them, causing Phaedra to shriek. Out in this wilderness, there was no place to escape the elements. Trees started uprooting around them, some falling over the path in front of them, their trunks thin enough to climb over. Loose leaves and debris were blowing around, obstructing their vision. Micah looked ahead to see how Jareth was faring carrying Sarah through this storm; not once did the king's feet falter nor slow-down. And there was no evidence that the storm was before him. It was then that Micah realized this storm was Jareth's doing.
Micah ran ahead of Jareth, blocking his path, "That's enough!"
The king stopped but did not look him in the eye, staring straight ahead as a tear escaped down his cheek.
"I know you fear for her, but enough." Micah said more gently, "Save your strength for when you get to a healer. You will be needed."
Jareth didn't acknowledge him but again began walking, curling Sarah's body closer to him. Though the wind ended and no more bursts of lightning were seen, the clouds remained.
Micah felt Phaedra wrap her fingers around his hand and grasp his elbow, holding him close for protection. She had never before felt fear of Jareth, but this reminded her that he was a king, a disquieted king that was not to be trifled with or underestimated.
On the edge of the settlement, they found the aftermath of what must have been chaos. The mountain had been shaken by the magic of the Labyrinth, loosening boulders that had threatened to collide with the town. But they never reached the buildings as Ludo had stopped the rocks. Now, the once feared beast was working alongside strong men to clear the stones from the path that led to the settlement. It was a large task and it looked as though every able body of the settlement-man, woman, and child-was working to clear the path. Boin, Arch, Sul and Ragin were among those helping, as well as Orin's followers Gannon and Vieata. Some boulders were two men tall; those were the ones Ludo used his song to relocate. Children were gathering the small debris into baskets to be dumped elsewhere. It would take a day, maybe more, to remove it all.
With the path not yet clear, Jareth did not feel confident he could climb over the piles of stones safely with Sarah in his arms. They would have to wait, unless…
"Ludo."
The beast looked up from his task to see his monarch. Joyous recognition came over the creature's expression, "King! Jarweth, Jarweth, Jarweth."
Jareth cringed at having everyone hear the beast state his title, but he reminded himself, everyone within earshot, save perhaps Boin, knew. Before he could stop him, the beast engulfed Jareth, holding Sarah, in a hearty embrace. His face buried in the rock caller's fur, Jareth tried to shout the beast's name so he would release him and not smash Sarah. Stepping back, Ludo looked down to the woman in his king's arms.
"Sarah?" He seemed to not understand why she wasn't moving. He tried again, poking her arm, "Sarah."
"Sarah's hurt, Ludo. I need to get her into the town. Move the rocks."
The beast's eyes moved from Sarah, to the blocked path, then back to Sarah again. "Sarah hurt?"
Jareth swallowed back his frustration and own worry and tried to sound calm as he said, "Yes, which is why I need you to move the rocks."
Ludo looked into Jareth's eyes and shook his head. "No. Sarah, wake."
Anger filled Jareth's heart at the beast's refusal and he nearly jerked back as Ludo brought his large paw over Sarah's head. He held his ground. He wasn't the only one who cared about Sarah. He wasn't the only one grieving. Ludo just didn't understand.
It turns out, Jareth was the one who did not understand. As the beast placed his hand over Sarah, he gave a howl, much like the one he used to call the rocks into motion. Jareth could feel the vibration of the call in his bones. He knew the beast communicated with earthly elements, but he was not aware Ludo had his own magic.
Sarah was startled awake and moved to hold on to Jareth for dear life in fear of being dropped. Jareth was the one to fall, careful to make sure he landed so as to not crush Sarah.
Sarah seemed bewildered by all the concerned faces around her, "What's going on? Where are we? Ludo?!"
Jareth couldn't help but to laugh and hug his wife to him in joy. He whispered to her, "You've come back to me."
She hugged him back, "I didn't know I was gone."
Rising, Sarah went to her shaggy companion and gave him a hug.
"Thank you...friend." Jareth said to the beast.
Micah stayed behind to help Ludo and his men clear the pathway while Jareth took Sarah back to the tavern with Phaedra for food and rest. Jareth insisted that she stay in bed to rest while he went to the kitchen to bring her back something. At his request, Phaedra stayed with Sarah until his return.
"Okay, what happened?" Sarah asked her overly honest friend.
"I wasn't there when Jareth was teaching you to find your magic. Micah and I were…" She blushed, "getting to know each other better, but then the ground started shaking. Both of us had no doubt it was because of you. When we got to you, it was like you were the living dead. Jareth couldn't wake you."
"Ludo did." Sarah slowly let out a breath before stating, "I don't know what happened. I don't remember anything after we reached the mine."
"How do you feel?" Phaedra asked.
"Fine. Normal. Better than normal. Watch." Without even having tried before, Sarah just knew she would be able to make a normal sized crystal, and she did. She smiled, "No Jareth needed."
Smyrna jumped up on the bed with Sarah and rubbed her cheek against Sarah's arm. Phaedra reached out her hand to see if the cat would accept affection from her. The cat sniffed her finger, then rubbed her forehead against it. Phaedra took that as a sign she could pet more of her head, which the cat allowed.
"I still think she is someone. Micah doubts it." Phaedra said absentmindedly.
"Maybe that is something I can do with my magic, learn who she is. If she is somebody, maybe I can free her."
Smyrna seemed to purr in agreement.
Phaedra excused herself when Jareth returned with food. He shooed Smyrna out the door as well. He was determined that Sarah was not to leave the room until at least sunrise the next morning. Sarah didn't mind as it gave them time to have a repeat of the previous night. Her nearly dying made for one delightfully eager husband enthusiastically attuned to her needs.
If she had thought the sex was good when he feared he would be the one dying, it was nothing compared to him responding to almost losing her. He worshiped every part of her, at length. So much so that she didn't mind that they missed dinner all together. And now that her magic was fully awakened, there were new things too, like she could feel what he was feeling; she couldn't blame him for wanting to be within her. Some moments, he would just rest, unmoving, simply relishing the intimacy.
Jareth was overjoyed that they could share part of the marriage bond that had been dormant without the presence of her magic. He wasn't sure if it was something they would ever achieve, but as was prone to happen to those with magic during sex, they shared magic and memories.
Everything came back to him. Watching her from a distance throughout her life before her wish. Watching her run his Labyrinth and defeating him. Their meeting in a dream when he was trapped in his owl form, then being freed and seeing her vulnerable and disappointed with her life. He was frustrated with himself for loving her when she had defeated him and caused him to be trapped in his animal form for months. But her tears had killed his hate and he had clung to the promise of her being his queen. That is until in their love making he felt his magic in her. How dare she have stolen it and then profess her love for him. He didn't see the innocence in her eyes, he was blinded in that moment with getting what belonged to him back. But then the memory of the night Brendon was conceived was seen by Jareth through Sarah's perspective; she truly had no idea of what she had taken and fell victim to his rage.
All he could do now was murmur unending apologies into her skin above her scar. She also asked for forgiveness for wishing him to lose his memories of her and magic. She poured wishes from her lips to counteract all she had done, hoping her new wishes would be granted.
In the end, Jareth regained all his memories but still could not do magic without touching her. It was a disappointment, yet he found he might not mind so much the prospect of constantly being near her.
After, as they slept, a poignant memory was both returned to him and was shared with Sarah. It was a moment from during her time running the Labyrinth where he had to tell his superior, the Empress of the Underground, that a wisher was challenging his Labyrinth. When this powerful woman learned it was the same girl who had made the Underground shake thirteen years earlier, she became furious.
"Do not allow her to win. Don't give her equal power to you. Stop her at all cost. Drain her blood, if you have to."
"Malora, if she is to be my bride, I do not understand."
"I told you before, you cannot let her have power over you. We do not know what she is capable of. You didn't keep her for us to guide her in our ways. If she loses your challenge, you've said the magic allows the wisher to remember as punishment for their wish, but the rest of the world forgets the existence of the child wished. It would be best if she forgot. She can't be allowed to remember. Make her stay. Make her not remember any of it. Let us mold her before she finds her own power."
Jareth could see the Empress was mad in her worry. Reason would not be possible with her. And her will was one he must obey. "What do you propose I do?"
"Give her this."
A crystal appeared, floating before his eyes. He reached for it and as it burst, a peach appeared in his hand. He could feel the enchantment placed upon it.
"What will this do?"
"When she eats it, she will succumb to blissful ignorance. It will erase all memory. She won't even know her name. Make her afraid. Make her cling to you and obey your every whim. Weave a new life for her. Do not let her have power over you, or she will have power over all of us."
Jareth had no choice but to do the Empress's bidding. Again, her fear of this girl baffled him, as it had when Sarah had been wished away as a child. Then, Malora had been angered that he let Sarah go, even though it had been in his rights to keep her. Had she stayed, who knows how Malora would have molded her, all to keep her from fulfilling some prophecy the Empress wouldn't share with him. To him, his own prophecy of Sarah being his queen trumped that of the one in which Sarah came to harm. But he had to obey. Maybe there was a way to both keep Sarah for himself and honor the whims of his incensed superior.
Of course, knowing Sarah would never take anything he offered since she didn't trust him, he called upon Hoggle to give her the enchanted peach. To aid in her entrapment, Jareth weaved different scenarios into crystal prisons, just strong enough to hold her while the rest of her thirteen hours ticked by.
On a whim, he allowed his heart to create the ballroom, a place of beauty and seduction to entice Sarah to stay, never really intending for it to be the crystal that found her, nor intending for himself to be pulled within. But it was; she forgot about Toby and started looking for him. When she found him, he could not refuse her innocent eyes. Knowing she was his destined queen, he felt compelled to be near her, study her. But also knowing the Empress wanted him to control her, destroy her spirit; he didn't feel that he could do it. Would it be fair for him to steal her soul? Something in his glances must have stirred awareness in Sarah, for her eyes showed confusion and distrust when she pulled away from him. He didn't know how she broke the enchantment but in no way would he inform Malora that he was unable to stop her.
Sarah understood, now, why he had attempted to take her life. He had been coerced into believing Sarah would destroy him because that woman had poisoned his mind. And Jareth knew through their marriage bond that Sarah's heart was true and pure and wanted nothing to do with ruling the Underground. Malora's prophecy was wrong.
Some things, you just don't tell your parents. Joey learned that the hard way the first time he'd come across an X-rated movie when he was 11 and saw more flesh than his young eyes understood. He snuck out of his room to watch these movies on Cinemax on Friday nights as that seemed to be the only time such movies were shown. It was fascinating. There was kissing and touching and activities he'd never seen people do before; why would a woman want to kiss a man's pecker or lick it like a lollipop?
His dad had been the one to discover his night time tryst. Surprisingly, Roy did not make a noise. He simply grabbed the remote, turned off the TV, and told Joey to meet him in his room. He didn't give a 'birds and the bees' speech, but he did tell him how upsetting it would be for his mom to find out and that they would be cancelling the access to that channel. Also, he was grounded for a month. When his mother asked why, Roy just said, "He knows."
Joey didn't want the book taken away from him, so when it started describing Sarah and Jareth's love making, in detail, he did his best to skip ahead. He had to skip ahead a few pages; Jareth was sure happy Sarah didn't die. They were at it for hours. He didn't need to know that about his cousin anyway. Gross. He would definitely not be sharing that with anyone. He was glad it only happened at night when no one expected him to read out loud what the pages shared.
But in the morning, his parents asked if the book showed anything new. He panicked as his mind went straight to the things he knew he couldn't say. And if he told them the Labyrinth had tried to kill Sarah, that would just worry them about the portal that was still wide open in his parent's bedroom. Hell, he himself had panicked and nearly screamed for his parents when it said Sarah had died. But as the story kept on flowing, he kept reading. With Ludo's help, she seemed to be fine now.
So he was brief and tried to summarize something decent, "Toby and Brendon are safe with Jareth's brother. Jareth and Sarah were going to leave tonight to meet them. And Sarah has magic now."
This news excited everyone. It was the first time they had heard the boys were safe.
Robert had gone home to sleep, so Irene called him with the update. Linda was relieved and decided with the good news, she could take her leave and return to her career in Australia. This, of course, pissed off Irene to no end, but that was Linda.