Part 14
Jareth looked toward his bedroom door with a sigh. He was tired, but he knew Sarah and Kyra were probably waiting for him to fall asleep so they could continue to work on him. He was still annoyed with his sister for turning his own plot against him, and for encouraging Sarah's attempts to influence his dreams. He wasn't angry with either of them…the truth was he didn't have it in him to be truly angry with his sister, and any animosity he'd felt towards Sarah had disappeared during the time they'd spent together the past month. He'd come to realize that Sarah had not rejected him 10 years ago because she did not want him, but because she had put Toby's needs before her own.
So why hadn't he been able to resolve his regrets? He'd wished he'd never granted Sarah's wish because he'd thought that would make his pain over her rejection pass. Knowing why she had rejected him had eased his pain somewhat, but then he had decided she was better off without him…even though his heart told him otherwise his head stubbornly refused to come to the same realization. He wasn't worried though. Sarah had resolved her regrets within the month allotted; he had plenty of time since Kyra had just told him about his wish 1 week before. He still had three weeks before his time ran out.
"That's not exactly correct."
Jareth groaned as his sister's voice filled his ears. He remained where he stood on the balcony, his gaze fixed on what used to be Sarah's garden below, even though it had gone back to is old sorry state with her departure he still liked to picture her there. He did not look at his sister as she stepped up beside him; he knew she probably had not come with good news.
"I told you not to read my thoughts." Jareth said mildly.
"I may have made a mistake." Kyra said, her voice low as she too looked down at the ruined garden.
"You're telling me." Jareth said with a sigh.
"No, you don't understand." Kyra said carefully. "You don't have a month from a week ago, Jareth. You have a month from the day you made the wish."
Kyra held her breath as she waited for his reply, releasing it in a rush when he turned his mismatched gaze upon her. Her mouth went dry at the flatness she saw there, it was as if someone had stamped the life out of her brother. She reached out to lay her hand on his arm only to draw it back when he took a deliberate step back away from her.
"That would have been yesterday."
"Yes." Kyra said in a voice choked with emotion as she raised a pleading gaze to his. "Jareth—"
"So I have no chance of ever getting Sarah back. Not because she doesn't want me, but because you made a 'mistake'."
Kyra couldn't speak past the lump in her throat so she nodded instead, wincing at the anger that flared in his eyes. He turned back to stare unseeingly at the garden below, his mind picturing Sarah there knowing that he would never see her but in his memory again.
"You'd better leave." He said quietly.
"Jareth—"
"GO!" He roared, whirling to face her.
She disappeared, knowing that for all her work, all her meddling…the plan had backfired, and Jareth would never forgive her for it.
Now she had to tell Sarah.
Aboveground…
Sarah sat in the center of her bed staring sightlessly at the wall in front of her as Kyra's words echoed in her ears. Jareth hadn't resolved his regrets, which meant she would never see him again. She could hear Kyra still talking but she did not hear what she said as the last sentence continued to run through her head. She hoped she was dreaming, that she was in a nightmare she would soon awaken from and Kyra would appear to tell her it was all over, and she could return to the Underground. As the fog began to clear from her brain the realization struck that this was real, that she was not going to be able to return to Jareth and be at his side.
"How did this happen?" She asked, her voice sounding faint to her own ears as she struggled to focus on what Kyra was saying.
"I made a mistake."
"Really." Sarah said, surprising herself with how calm she sounded as she pinned Kyra with her gaze. "Is that what you call it?"
Kyra looked down at her folded hands in shame as Sarah's words hit her like bullets.
"Jareth said you had a habit of getting it wrong." Sarah continued, her voice chilly as she began to pace. "I didn't believe him."
"I will fix this." Kyra said fiercely.
"How?" Sarah asked with a laugh that bordered on hysteria. "Perhaps if I make another wish, you'll grant it? And probably get that one wrong as well?"
"I deserve your anger." Kyra said softly as she stood. "I promise, Sarah, that I will find a way to make this up to you. I will find a way to fix it if it takes all my life."
"That's easy for you to say." Sarah said bitterly. "You live forever. I don't."
Kyra stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the mortal woman, her eyes closing as Sarah collapsed into the comfort of her embrace, sobbing out her sorrow into the silk of her dress. She silently vowed that no matter what happened, no matter the consequences, she would find a way to reverse what she had done.
If I tell you I have a sequel in mind will you promise not to hate me?????