Hey, two chapters in one day! I hope you like? Warning: The following scenes contain physical and verbal violence.
To What May Come
Chapter 20
Everything was spinning as Jareth collapsed to the ground, watching in horror as the tent disappeared taking his love with it. He was too late, she had been taken from him and he was too late. A pain ripped through his heart as though someone had lodged a dagger deep into his chest. Eyes clenching closed, he willed himself to pull himself together. Sarah would not benefit from him breaking down, she needed him to be strong. He would be no good to himself or anyone if he allowed this to cripple him.
Lady Elizabeth stood in shock and horror as everything dawned on her, "Oh by all that is magic! Sarah…Fayla." She looked to her side as she felt Cunningham's hand squeeze her shoulder just before he ran towards the fallen King.
Both Lord Cunningham and Edward helped King Jareth up to his feet, both concerned for both Sarah and Fayla. The presence of that strange power that was in the air was no longer present and both finally understood why they felt disturbed by it. They should have been more cautious of it and now two innocent women were gone, vanished without a trace. They could only pray that they were all right and that no harm would befall them.
Edward looked to the King with concern, "Your majesty?"
Jareth jerked away from them as they were attempting to help him rise, "Who ever has done this will pay!" he seethed.
The dangerous look within the King's gaze made Edward step back slightly, he pitied that fool Varden, Jareth would not spare his life this time. "Majesty, before Fayla ran off to get to Sarah she had whispered…"
Jareth's gaze hardened, his eyes met with cruel dark green ones, he would recognize that Fae anywhere, "Varden!"
Varden laughed cruelly, "Oh, that expression is priceless your majesty! I wish I had some way of capturing it! I see you remember me."
Hands balled into tight fists, Jareth stepped forwards ready to strike, but stopped as Varden tisked, "Now, now, Goblin King, we wouldn't want anything bad to befall your betrothed now, do we?"
"What is it that you think that this will accomplish?" Jareth seethed, it was taking all of his will power not to rip the Fae before him limb from limb.
"That, dear King, is something you will have to figure out on your own…" Varden faded from the spot in which he stood, his mocking laughter surrounding them all.
Silence filled the Goblin City streets as all were shocked at what had just transpired. Jareth felt as if he could not breathe, his Sarah was in that Fae's possession and he had no way of knowing where they were or how to get to her. Lowly, he whispered, "If you touch her in anyway, so help me, you will wish that I had killed you quickly when I am done with you!"
Her body felt as if she had been slammed into a brick wall, as she started to awake from the darkness that surrounded her. Blinking her eyes opened in attempts to see what exactly had happened, she was startled when she saw Fayla passed out on the floor beside her. Quickly, she was at Fayla's side, a sigh of relief escaping her lips when she saw that she was still breathing. "Fayla!" she called, "Fayla, are you all right?" Sarah wanted to cry, as Fayla did not stir.
"She will be fine," answered a strangely familiar voice.
Turning, it took all of her strength not to gasp out in horror and fear. There, sitting in what looked like a throne, was that strange Fae that had appeared to her on the balcony before Jareth had proposed. A chill ran down her spine at the sight of him. He sat regally within his throne, his dark green eyes looking at her with an intensity that made her blood run cold. "What do you want?" she finally managed to choke out.
A wicked grin edged at the corners of his lips, "Jareth's downfall, to take what is mine, and to enjoy making his majesty suffer. Does that answer your question Lady?"
Sarah stood on shaky legs raising her chin high, "You won't get away with this!"
"Ah, but that is where you are wrong, my dear!" Rising from his throne, he stepped towards Sarah, not stopping until he was mere inches from her form.
Sarah wanted to back away from his approach, but forced herself to stand her ground. Lips pressed together in a thin line, she refused to allow him to see her fear.
Varden's grin widened as he saw her trying to be brave, her outward appearance was that of defiance and bravery, but he could sense her fear. This was going to prove most enjoyable. Taking a long strand of her dark hair he ran it between his fingers, "So brave, so beautiful, such a pity!"
Fayla stirred in her spot, her whole body aching, eyes opening she looked up and was immediately on her feet, pushing herself between Varden and Sarah, "Leave her be!"
"Ah Fayla, awake I see and what pray tell, are you going to do to stop me?" he answered her in reply. Fayla was beautiful, her green eyes alighted with a fire of determination and protection towards her charge. His attention was distracted from Sarah for the moment.
Fayla looked coldly at him, careful not to look within his eyes, she had been foolish before, she would not be so again, "I will do all that is within my power to stop you!"
He chuckled in return, "So protective of this mortal! Foolish woman, you are no match for me!"
Fayla stepped forwards in attempts to drive him back, but he did not retreat as she had hoped and found herself within his arms. The power that emanated from his touch made her gasp out in surprise. She again felt weak in his arms, almost as if she were being drained.
He forced her to look up within his eyes, "You can not fight me Fayla, you belong to me as you have always have."
Sarah was terrified at the scene being played out before her, "Let her go!" she yelled, unable to move from her spot to help her friend. Something was preventing her from moving and she had a strong suspicion as to who was responsible. So there she stood, helpless and forced to watch.
Fayla whimpered, "No, please…" she wanted to beg for him to stop, but she forced herself not to give in. At least she was distracting him from Sarah for the mean time. She had to buy time for her King to find them.
He pulled her closer to him until his body was pressed intimately with hers. Savagely, with a hunger of long unfulfilled passion, he took her lips to his and kissed her deeply.
She wanted to struggle against his hold, to fight back but she felt so weak, so vulnerable. When he pulled away she wanted to wretch.
Gently, he stroked the side of her cheek, "I have waited so long for the right moment to take my revenge. Jareth had no right interfering in our personal lives and for that he will pay."
Looking her up and down Varden licked his lips in anticipation of taking full advantage of his power over her. As long as he kept her weak she would not be able to fight him. Pulling away, he moved passed her towards Sarah, "Now where were we?"
Sarah wanted to back away this time but found that her limbs would not obey her wishes. Tears bordered her eyes as she mentally screamed out Jareth's name. What was he planing on doing with her?
Standing before her he gently took her face in his hands forcing her eyes to meet with his. He had her now!
She felt drawn into his eyes, powerless to fight his hold. Sarah found herself drowning in his green orbs, her will fading with each passing second. Everything was plunged into darkness once again.
Sarah fell limp into his arms and he smiled at the easiness in which his plan was falling into place. Willing his dark power into being, he sent her to his bed. It would not take much to break her. Inwardly, Varden laughed, turning back towards Fayla as she was still frozen in her spot.
Fayla was trembling, her body feeling as if she were a puppet, she had no control over her limbs. Clenching her eyes closed, she waited for the inevitable.
Varden circled her still form, 'Awe, what to do, what to do?' Fayla was so beautiful, normally he would seek out his own kind, but this elf before him had caught his full attention. Stopping in front of her, he traced his fingers along her exposed skin just above her heaving chest, "I was so disappointed when you wed that elf Gaylon and even more so when you did not come to me after his unfortunate accident."
Fayla could hear the sarcasm in his voice as he referred to Gaylon's death, realization making her want to cry out in agony. She could only whisper, "It was no accident, you…oh please no!"
Softly he stroked her cheek, "Oh do not cry my sweet! I did it for your own good! You would have wasted your life, your talents, away. If I had not rescued you from it…"
Tears wanted to come as devastation overwhelmed her, "Damn you!" she seethed wanting to hit him, lash out in some way, but to weak to do so.
"Shush now, you will forget him in time, now sleep!" passing his hand over her eyes she fell limp into his arms. He breathed in the scent of her hair burying his face in her luxurious soft red locks, "Soon I will have everything that I have ever wanted, including you."
Crystal shattered against the castle wall, its fragments crashing to the floor then disappearing as they hit the ground. Thin lips were edged in a thin line, hands tightened into fists so hard that the sound of his gloves straining could be heard. He was alone within his throne room, as he had scared away any that would dare try to council him in any way. What did they know? He should have killed that Fae a long time ago when he had the chance. It had been so long since he had banished Varden from his kingdom, that he did not think that he would ever return. Jareth should have known better.
With a growl, he forced his mind not to dwell on the past and concentrate on finding Sarah and Fayla. He feared for them both. Eyes clenching shut he attempted to form some kind of connection to Sarah. If she were asleep he might be able to venture into her dreams and be able to find out where she is, and if she was unharmed, which she better be.
Fearfully, Sarah backed up into the corner of her bedroom, her father approaching her, his voice laced with venom, "I loathe you, you look just like your mother. Everything is about you, isn't it! Why else would you wish your brother away?"
Sarah staggered against the wall, her back pressing painfully against the wall as tears streamed down her cheeks, "I…I solved the Labyrinth and brought him back! I didn't think that the words would work, it wasn't supposed to work. I love him, I would never really want any harm to come to him."
Her head jerked to the side as her father struck her hard across her cheek, "Bitch! You worthless bitch! I wish that I never participated in your birth. You and your mother were nothing but a mistake."
Holding her stinging cheek Sarah slid down the wall into a sobbing heap on the floor. Why was he doing this to her? Why did he hate her so much? Why?
Sarah's mother crouched down beside her weeping daughter, her hand reaching under Sarah's chin to make her look at her. She shook her head, a disappointed look on her face, "I am so sorry. I should have never married your father. You, like my marriage, were a mistake!"
Sarah felt sick inside, her insides turning and twisting with nausea and pain. They hated her, they all hated her. She was nothing but a mistake. It explained a lot. Clenching her eyes shut, she rocked herself back and forth on the floor whispering, "Go away, please go away! Make it stop!"
A hand gently touched her shoulder and then she felt herself drawn into strong arms. Whoever was holding her smelt of magic. He rocked her in his arms whispering soothing words, "It will be all right. I will protect you."
Something felt wrong, she knew this stranger holding her. Sarah concentrated on the voice searching her mind for who it belonged to. Looking up she was met with intense green eyes, pale face and dark hair. She knew him from somewhere but her mind felt clouded. His eyes held such…
Gently, he stroked her cheek drawing her near, "You have nothing to fear, not anymore."
Eyes closing she felt his lips pressed against hers, this felt wrong. A face of another flashed into her mind, mismatched eyes looked to her with such love. Eyes opening, she felt his hands caressing against her skin, roaming all over her. She was in a strange bed. This felt wrong. Panic swept through her being as memories swam to the surface, 'No, Jareth!' Frantically she pushed against Varden's intrusive hands.
Varden stopped, sensing that his spell had been broken, so, she was stronger that he had thought. Grinning he pinned her hands over her head, "Now Sarah, don't fight me."
Sarah felt her heart sink into her stomach, "Let me go! No!" Her words were brought short as his lips crushed up against hers, his hands groping her. She would not stop fighting, she could not allow this to happen. Summoning all the strength that she had she brought up her knees hitting him hard in the side.
Varden gasped, breaking away from her lips, "You!" his hand slapped harshly against her cheek, "I'll teach you!"
Sarah reeled back from the impact of his hand against the side of her face, the faint taste of blood invading her mouth. She refused to cry out but was feeling as if her struggles were useless. Her chest felt hot all of the sudden.
Varden felt something strange coming from Sarah and just as he noticed it, a burst of magic stung him against his chest. He felt his body thrown back, his back hitting hard against the table beside his bed, breaking it as he hit it. The impact of the fall knocked the breath out of him.
Sarah bolted up from the bed, not knowing what happened, but knowing she had to get away, she made a mad dash for the tent's entrance. Sunlight assaulted her eyes as she broke free from the tent's confines. Quickly, her eyes scanned her surroundings as she found that she was in a thick forest, where, she did not know.
The sound of Varden's angry yell came from behind, forcing her to move. A horse caught her attention, she was on it in seconds, thankful of her knowledge of riding horses. Jabbing her heels into the horse's side, the horse reared up just before taking off into the woods. The wind slapping her against her face as she rode on, her heart racing, her mind swept in confusion. 'Oh God! Fayla! I can't leave her there!'