We'll here is another chapter and thanks for your reviews. I'm glad everyone is still enjoying this. Here for your reading pleasure I give you ch.24:
To What May Come
Chapter 24
Darkness surrounded her, chilling her to her very core. How long had she been within this place? When would she be forced to awaken and be faced with Varden's presence?
It was so cold here. Fayla wrapped her arms around herself, trying to bring some kind of comfort to herself. Stiffening, she looked frantically around herself as she felt a presence, she was not alone.
Arms wrapped around her, bringing her back against a warm chest. Fayla's heart sank into the pit of her stomach, as she knew whom it was that held her. She wanted to fight him, to struggle free, but her limbs would not obey her mental pleas. The blackness gave way as a warm red light started to grow within their surroundings. She shivered as she saw the bed standing not too far away from them.
He chuckled as his lips were pressed within her luxurious red locks, "It is useless to fight me. You are mine now, you belong to me."
Eyes clenching shut, she pursed her lips tightly together. Why must he invade her dreams? Was it not enough that her thoughts were open for him to read? She felt violated by his intrusions. Straightening, she reached for the little strength that she did have left from within and forced her fear away. "I will never belong to you Varden. You can invade my thoughts, my dreams, and force me into your bed but you will NEVER have my heart, my soul."
He spun her within his arms to face him, "Oh, give it time my dear! I will break you if it takes me an eternity. In time you will learn to submit every part of yourself to me." His hands snaked over the smooth skin of her arms, his lips moving to embrace hers in a fierce and hungry kiss. Pulling away slightly he looked to her darkly, "I have all I need for now."
Fayla jerked out of her sleep, pushing herself up and quickly backing into the headboard of the bed. Wide green eyes searching the room for him, she could not help but tremble. He was toying with her, trying to break her will to fight. She had to calm herself and not allow his ploy to work.
The magic that surrounded her was tinged with blackness, making her sick to her stomach. She wanted to reach out with her power to find out where she was but was afraid of what might happen. If she allowed a fragment of that dark magic into her it would do her more harm than she was already in. Fayla knew that she had to do something.
Gaylon's face came to mind; his image broke through her thoughts cause her to cry fresh tears, "Oh Gaylon! It's all my fault! If you only had never met me, you would still be alive."
Fayla threw herself down onto the bed burying her face into the soft pillows as the sobs ran anew. She felt sick inside, as if she was being slowly ripped in to by the despair that consumed her. It was bad enough to lose him, but to find out that because he loved her and married her was the cause of his death tore her apart from the inside out. Despair, anger, rage consumed her, a gut wrenching cry left lips, "Damn you! Why? Why did you have to fall in love with me? He killed you… I killed you!"
"No Fayla, do not allow him to win. You have to keep strong, my love."
Her sobs stopped, her anger and rage leaving her like water flowing from a busted damn. Quickly she propped herself up on her hands, eyes searching hopefully for the source of that familiar voice, "Gaylon?!"
A gentle caress against her cheek made her closer her eyes, his words a gentle whisper, "Be strong, my love, be strong…"
"Wait!" she gasped as his presence left her. Rolling off of the bed she stumbled to the center of the room turning in search for him, the room spinning in a blur. He was there; he had come to her from beyond the grave but was gone so quickly. Fayla crumbled to her knees spent. He was gone…
A strange calm washed over her and she straightened, eyes focused forwards. Head clearing she stood slowly as she concentrated on her power calling that magic around her that was not yet tainted by darkness.
As the Fae spirit disappeared, Jareth looked about the dimly lit cave. Before him lied a great room of crystal and ice, the far corner holding two doorways. Deciding that the two doorways were the only way out of the room and towards the Dragon's Scepter, Jareth strode to the two openings only to step back quickly.
The heat that burst from the doorway on his right was a fierce heat; it's crackling echoed within the cave. A different type of crackling sound was heard and he looked to see that the other doorway was being obscured by ice as it grew within the entryway, intertwining and melding blocking his way.
Floor began to tremble, a loud gurgling and crumbling noise flooding out all the other sounds, as the floor shifted and trembled beneath Jareth's feet. He bravely stood his ground as the floor rose up in front of him forming a large column standing between the two doorways.
As the floor stopped its violent shake, Jareth's brow's rose at the scene before him. One doorway was obscured by ice while an intense wall of fire obscured the other. Mismatched eyes studying the scene before him he noticed words being scribed onto the column:
There before you lay two paths, one of ice and the other of fire. Which shall you choose? There is no right nor is there a wrong. But choose wisely for they judge your heart.
Jareth read over the words twice, his mind working to make sense of the meaning behind them. The two paths judged his heart but why tell him to choose when both were neither right nor wrong?
Straightening he approached both doors, the one with ice he could easily break through but there was something within himself that was telling him that he was going about this wrong. They would judge his heart…A calm passed over his features as the answer to this dilemma came to mind. His heart burned for the love he held for Sarah and his heart froze with the anger and rage he felt towards Varden.
He did admit to himself that he would gladly go through Hell if he knew it would get Sarah back. Guess he was going to get to prove his admission to be true. Decision made he leapt into the burning entrance the heat from the entrance burning against his skin.
Stumbling forwards, he fell to his knees, the heat of the fire intense in its temperature. Looking down at himself he was taken slightly back by the fact that he was neither burnt nor nicked by the flames. His clothing of midnight blue tights, breastplate and creamy white undershirt were all intact and looked as clean as before he had leaped into the flames.
He could feel his power course through him once again, and as to test out this fact he conjured one of his crystals. Light brow's arching up at this, he wondered what exactly would have happened if he would have chosen the other door.
"Jareth!" Sarah's voice whispered in his mind, she sounded as if she were in deep turmoil.
His eyes closed as she called for him pleadingly, he had only heard her call out his name, but it was filled with enough anguish and distress to make his heart constrict. Fist tightening, he stepped forward only to have himself stop suddenly as he hit an invisible barrier. Hands lifting, he felt against the invisible barrier, seeking out whatever was behind its making, its power.
Reaching out with his Fae senses, he could feel and intense power beyond the barrier, it had to be the Dragon's Scepter. The power beyond the barrier was so great that it was hindering his ability to ascertain the power behind the barrier that was keeping him from his journey.
Slowly, a mist of white grew about his feet, swirling and drifting along the floor. Soft chimes of crystal echoed about the room drawing him from his concentration of the barrier before him. Turning he stepped forward immediately as he saw Sarah standing before him but stopped. Something about this was not right.
Just as he saw her, the cave around him shimmered and he found himself in a very familiar setting. Lady and Nobleman gathered within the room, all wearing distorted looking masks. They were dressed provocatively each throwing themselves at the other as they laughed and flaunted their bodies.
Strangely it was a lot like the ball that he had given Sarah on her first visit to his kingdom, yet this scene was so much darker. Her image met his vision once again and he held his breath at the sight of her.
She was nothing like the others within the room, her dark silken hair pulled back and up away from her face and neck in stacked curls, some dangling loosely around her face and neck. The dress she wore was stunning; color silver, much like the same color of dress that she wore so long ago but the style totally different.
The dress was sleeveless, leaving her creamy white arms and chest bare, the bodice cutting daringly low. The skirt was form fitting gently hugging her curves, making Jareth feel envious of its closeness to her skin. Wrapped around her upper waist and tucked within her arms was a shimmering see through afghan.
'Sarah,' he mentally called, wishing with all his heart that he could hold her within his arms. Jareth needed, hungered to hold her and have her near. Heart thundering within his chest, he stopped within the room's center.
A hand gently pressed against his shoulder, making him turn and a feeling of relief flooded through his being. Sarah stood there, a sweet smile edging her ruby lips, her blue eyes looking within his mismatched ones.
Though there was no music within the room, he took her within his arms and led her into a dance. She felt warm against his chest her hair smelling of flowers and rain. She smiled up at him but stopped, forcing him to do the same.
A laugh escaped her lips and she pushed herself gently away as if mocking him. Sarah turned from him taking another man's hand, forcing his mask to fall. What Jareth saw made his heart shatter like crystal and glass.
Varden smirked to Jareth, his intense green eyes cold and mocking, "Your too late, Goblin King. I'm glad to see that you've had a chance to dance with my new Queen."
Jareth stood there stunned, Varden's laughter a crushing blow to his heart, his soul. Quickly, he broke from his stunned and reached for Sarah and his heart literally stopped as she pulled away.
Her eyes were no longer the warm inviting blue but were as cold as ice as she smirked at him. She willingly pressed herself against Varden, her hand resting against his face, with her other hand she pulled his face gently down to hers, kissing Varden passionately.
Hurt, angered, shocked, and crushed Jareth stepped back, bumping into the crowd around him. They then started to mass around him pushing him away from Sarah and Varden as they continued their passionate embrace. Jareth had not the strength to fight against the mass of bodies around him, laughing and pushing up against him.
'Jareth!' Sarah's voice came to his mind causing him to flinch. Suddenly everything clicked into place as he remembered his quest, remembered that he was within the cavern. That was not Sarah; she was depending on him to rescue her from Varden and whatever he had planed for her.
"NO!" he cried out making the people around him back away, all with a startled and horrified expression on their faces.
Forming a crystal effortlessly in hand; he threw it at the gaping crowd. A cry left their lips before all vanished, a shattering of glass echoing within the cave, as the barrier was broken. Expression hardened, he made his way towards where he knew the Dragon's Scepter waited.