Chapter Twelve: The Animal in Her, Part I

"She is in her Castle" Cassandra practically shouted. "Now we don't have any chance to kill her!"

The queen was passing restlessly though a dark room, King Altair watching her patiently. He was a very calm Fae, whereas Cassandra was exactly the opposite.

"Don't you just stand up… Say something! Do something!" she demanded, fuming. Her temperament was almost a match for Jareth and Sarah's temperament… Almost, that is.

"We still got a chance, Cassandra. He can't lock himself with that human in his castle forever. He will have to leave eventually and then… She will be ours"

The Fae woman stopped walking and, slowly, an evil grin spread across her face.

"You are brilliant! You are right! We will post a spy in Jareth's Castle and, when he leaves, we kill the bloody woman and get her out of our minds forever!"

Queen Cassandra of the unicorn Realm laughed wickedly. Altair was a little taken aback. Sometimes only sometimes, Cassandra could be even more terrifying than the notorious King of the Labyrinth. Just sometimes.



Since SHE had arrived all his Royal duties had gone to Hell. He hadn't taken care of his precious Kingdom since he had laid eyes upon her after so many years. She was like intoxicating… a drug that made him forget about everything and everyone else. That wouldn't do, of course.

"Dreyl, you've got to help me! I am tearing myself apart! That human witch is killing me!" Jareth explode one day, his head in his hands, and sighing deeply.

"What do you want me to do for you, Your Highness? I know no remedy for your pain" the Healer replied mockingly. Jareth threw him a menacing look and Dreyl took a step back and gulped.

"Get me out of here! Make me leave this damned place, because I always seem to find a stupid excuse to stay here!" the Monarch pleaded. Dreyl realized that it was probably a wise thing to do.

"Okay. Tomorrow I'm dragging you out of here, to patrol your Kingdom. We will place a shield around Lady Sarah's room so she won't be harmed by Cassandra or Altair while we are away and that's it" he firmly. The Goblin King nodded weakly and so it was all settled.



"Oh, I was expecting that" was all she said when he announced her he was going to leave her for the day. JUST that. No 'Oh… do you really have to go?' No disappointment… NOTHING!

"You will not be allowed to leave your room, Sarah. It's for your own good. Nothing remotely human will enter nor leave this place. So Cassandra's soldier or Cassandra will not be able to reach you here" Jareth replied emotionless. Sarah wanted to protest, but he disappeared conveniently before she could utter a word. When she tried to step out of her room to look after him, she found that she couldn't pass through the door. She punched the invisible wall and even tried magic to shatter it, but nothing worked.

"The Healer must have helped him. Oh, I wish to say it's not fair like in old times!" she screamed in the empty room before collapsing in her large bed.

"What am I supposed to do all alone, Jareth?" she whispered painfully to herself "Everything without you is so dull…"

"The Underground has been unusually beautiful these past days…" Dreyl remarked casually to start a conversation as they flew over the so called 'Natura Labyrinth', a part of the labyrinth entirely made of plants. Jareth nodded absently and the healer rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yes and, by the way, I've always wanted to tell you that you use way too much glitter and make-up" he continued. Jareth nodded again.

"You are not paying me any attention!" he complained "I've just made fun of your appearance and you didn't even try to tip me in the Bog, for crying out loud! What's wrong with you?!"

The usually Calm Fae Healer was surprisingly unsettled. The Monarch finally came out of his reverie and looked at Dreyl slightly amazed and angry.

"What's wrong with me? I am loosing my mind, my power and my will to a mere human! That's what's happening to me! I am going crazy!!!" he thundered, breathing heavily. The old Fae shook his head and tried to help his Highness.

"You know, Jareth, Fae are very pessimistic people… They are always thinking the worst of everything… even the worst of a few words scribbled in a piece of parchment. Don't let yourself be ruled by legends… Think with your head, then send all your thoughts to Hell feel with your heart… and finally act as you FEEL it's correct. Because the Heart, my dear boy, is unusually incorrect"

While they were speaking something was being plotted in a Kingdom far away. And while Sarah was silently sleeping, the trap was settled and destiny written. Or, well, at least that was what Cassandra and Altair thought…



It was almost midnight and the crystal ball where Jareth and Dreyl were shimmered with the gentle rays of the moon. Jareth had been busy all day and he felt better. Dreyl was happy for all the improvement, but also a bit worried. There was a strange feeling that kept bothering him. But he couldn't place his finger on what it was.

"Time to go, Your Highness. A bit of rest will do you a world of good" the Healer suggested. Jareth snorted, remembering his disturbing and confusing dreams.

"I doubt it" he replied dryly. And he really did.

Suddenly something hit the Healer, a mental pang, and he dropped to his knees, pain flowing through his veins.

"What is it, Dreyl? What' going on?" Jareth asked hurriedly.

"I placed a warning spell of security around the barrier we created around Lady Sarah's room… and I think it's just been broken… From the outside. Something or someone with Fae entered in her room"

Before the old man could even blink he was alone on the big crystal ball and a huge and white owl flew like a flash towards the castle.

"Oh, sure leave me here, I will be all right in a couple of centuries!" he yelled at the bird before sighing.



Sarah was trying not to actually bore herself to death by counting the stars of her ceiling (desperate measure, I assure you). She was also counting the seconds till HE would return and make time and life interesting again.

"I've grown too attached to HIM" she mused aloud "Sarah, tomorrow you will leave this dammed place and at least get a life that doesn't revolve around His Royal Evilness" she decided firmly, yet she wasn't sure she could actually fulfill that self promise.

The noise was at first too faint to pay any real attention to it, but when it grew louder and louder Sarah started worrying. She had a bad feeling about all that.

"They are coming… for me" she whispered, her eyes glowing with a deep red light. She backed up a little till her back hit the wall opposite to the door.

"I'm trapped… Damn it! Jareth!!!"

She knew he was too far away to be reached or to reach the Castle on time. They were here for her and she was the only one there to help herself.

"The magic wall won't let anyone not human shapes enter… But two powerful Fae could destroy it with a little help of their army… I have to find a way other than to break the wall to escape"

She nearly panicked and when she did so she suddenly gave up.

"Magic, if you are there, this would be a nice moment to help me!"

Nothing happened, and she found herself cursing in some rare Underground dialect she had learnt recently with books and a little help of Dreyl.

"Jareth will help me…" she told herself aloud. But… what is the Enemy threaten him or harmed him in any way? Why would she do if he was seriously injured or weaken… all because of her? That thought made her feel desperate and angered at the same time. She felt like if her ears suddenly heard more and her legs were able to jump higher. And she felt too that the world suddenly was bigger… And, at top of all, when she tried to speak, a low meow came from her throat instead.

She didn't care though, because suddenly she was able to pass the magic wall without problems. She ran through the dark corridors like a flash of black. The Goblins that saw her were utterly puzzled… Since when there was a black cat with ruby eyes in the castle? They all wondered.



Authors Note: I have finally found the time to actually finish this chapter. I am astonished! Well, don't expect the Part II anytime soon (give me at least five days or a weak, dear readers). You have to admit I update sooner than most authors and I do the best I can! I swear it on Jareth's Tights! (Hope he isn't reading this).

Anyway, you know, review (I am not begging, I am just reminding you of a nice thing to do for Yours Truly), be patient and enjoy cause: La vida es bella (Life is beautiful).

Hugs and peaches….

Sabina (Insert some sarcastic remark here)