Shallow Play
Sarah opened her eyes, swallowing down the nausea swirling inside her. She remembered taking Jareth's hand, his magic swelling around them. She braced herself to be transported to the Goblin Kingdom. But then Lucian's scent filled her, and a harsh pull ripped her away, hurling her through time and space with such veracity it surprised her nausea seemed the only symptom. She expected to be without a limb, expected to be crushed by the sheer force of it.
Instead, she opened her eyes to find Lucian standing in front of her, a hand on either shoulder, steadying her. His face expressed an equal measure of concern and relief.
"Are you hurt?" He asked, his crimson eyes roving over her body, examining her for any signs of injury. Sarah blinked, looking past Lucian, attempting to make out where she was and what had happened. She recognized the color of the sky, the feel of the sand underneath her feet.
They were in the Outer Lands, near where she first escaped the Goblin Kingdom.
Neutral territory.
Sarah looked back at Lucian, tears now lacing her eyes. "You found me."
Lucian smiled down at her, squeezing her shoulders. "I'll always find you."
"What the fuck did you do?!"
Lucian looked past Sarah and immediately pivoted her behind him. Jareth, slumped over a few dozen feet away, attempted to gain some composure. When Lucian intercepted his teleportation, he'd managed to knock the wind from Jareth in the process.
Lucian took Sarah's hand and squeezed reassuringly. "Sarah, stay back. I won't let him touch you, but no matter what, stay back."
Sarah held tightly to Lucian's hand. "What are you going to do?"
Lucian kept his gaze fixed on Jareth. "What I should have done the moment Jareth took you all those weeks ago."
Without looking back at her, Lucian let go of her hand and prowled towards Jareth. Sarah wrapped her arms around her middle and stepped back, her eyes widening.
Shit.
Are the two most powerful Kings in the Underground about to battle it out, right here? Right now?
Jareth managed to catch his breath and rise to his full height by the time Lucian came within swinging distance. Lucian stopped mere inches in front of him, his eyes now a blood-red. "You and I have unfinished business."
Sarah never heard Lucian use that tone before. It sounded as if he was about to light the entire Underground on fire.
"Are you challenging me?" Jareth spat out. "Over this human girl? Are you sure you want to risk death over such a pathetic prize?"
Lucian stood still as stone, seething. "You and I have unfinished business."
In that moment, Sarah surmised if looks could kill, Jareth would be in ribbons.
Jareth took a step back, followed by another, his eyes fixed on Lucian, weighing, calculating his first move. After creating a few feet of distance between them, Jareth gave Lucian a twisted smile. "Very well. Your move."
Lucian surged forward, swiftly charging into Jareth, lifting him off the ground and bringing him back down with a thunderous explosion. The ground rocked like an earthquake, causing Sarah to lose her footing and fall backwards. Jareth immediately countered with an elbow to the side of Lucian's neck, knocking Lucian off him with a sickening thud. The two continued to brawl, and with each fist thrown and body hurled, the ground beneath them shook, the air vibrating with the intensity of their magic.
Lucian threw an uppercut, contacting Jareth's jaw, sending him dozens of feet into the air. As he came down, he landed on the same type of thorny tree Sarah sat next to when she first summoned Lucian; the thorns piercing Jareth's flesh.
"Fuck!" Jareth growled in pain as he summoned his magic to remove himself from the tree. He forced the many thorns out of his skin, then held them mid-air before launching them at Lucian like bullets. Lucian deflected most of the thorns with his magic, but several of them impaled his stomach and chest. Undeterred, Lucian rushed towards Jareth and collided with him, knocking him to the ground.
Straddling his chest, he landed punch after punch into the Goblin King's head. The sound of each blow reminded Sarah of the thunderstorms in the UnSeelie Kingdom. It was as though the fury of nature itself was channeling through Lucian's fists.
In desperation, Jareth summoned his magic to the palms of his hands and slammed them into Lucian's chest, sending him flying backwards like a ragdoll. Lucian landed on his feet just as Jareth stood up slowly, clearly in pain, shaking his head as if attempting to clear away the beating he just received. The two locked eyes for a heartbeat before Jareth charged towards Lucian.
Sarah braced herself for their contact, the two creating a shockwave that exploded outwards. They interlocked their arms as each tried to pin the other to the ground. Lucian gained the upper hand and forced Jareth down.
Sarah reeled from the ferocity, but couldn't look away. Lucian pinned Jareth underneath him, his knee on Jareth's neck, choking the life out of him. Jareth gagged violently, desperate for breath, looking up into Lucian's blood-red eyes.
Lucian lowered himself, increasing the pressure on Jareth's neck. "I hear asphyxiation gets you off. Let's see how you like it."
Jareth struggled to breathe, his lips turning blue, his eyes becoming glassy. Lucian smiled down at him, keeping his firm hold, watching with delight as Jareth slowed. He was so distracted by the look of desperation on Jareth's face; he failed to notice Jareth's right hand removing a sheathed black dagger hidden in his boot. Jareth slammed it into Lucian's ribs, twisting it deep before pulling out.
Sarah screamed.
Lucian roared in pain as blood gushed from the wound. Grasping his side, he slumped over, releasing his hold on Jareth, who gasped for breath, rolling over quickly to climb on top of Lucian.
Blood. There was so much blood pouring from Lucian. Sarah tried to go to him, help him, but was utterly rooted to the spot. She knew Lucian was keeping a magical hold on her, preventing her approach.
Jareth stood, hovering over Lucian, dagger in hand as he pressed his foot right into where his dagger went in. "You know the first thing I'm going to do when I take Sarah back to my Kingdom?" Jareth asked with a sadistic smile on his blood-covered face. "I'm going to tie her up and fuck her until she's raw and bleeding. I'll count the tears that fall from her face and have that number carved on your headstone."
Lucian briefly closed his eyes and let out a low whistle. Sarah listened, remembering that same whistle from that night on the balcony.
Jareth raised his dagger and brought it down towards Lucian's chest. Lucian summoned his magic to his palms and clasped the blade before it contacted his skin. The two struggled, each pouring their strength and magic towards the blade, Jareth pushing it down towards Lucian's chest and Lucian's bleeding palms pushing the blade away from him. Electricity poured out of both of their hands, expanding in all directions the more they struggled against one another. The electric arcs burned marks into their flesh, igniting one of the thorny trees directly behind them.
Sarah averted her gaze, the heat radiating from them so great she felt like she was staring into a blazing fire. Her skin burned; her hair singed.
Lucian was rapidly weakening, his wound draining his reserves quickly. He released his hold on Sarah, hoping she would recognize it and run as fast as her feet would allow. If he didn't survive this, if Jareth killed him, he knew he would make good on his threat.
Jareth, a satisfied smirk across his face, seemed to recognize what Lucian was thinking, and poured every ounce of force down into his dagger. The blade finally contacted Lucian's skin, pushing in.
Just a few more inches...
But Lucian's gaze moved from the dagger, from Jareth, up to the sky. A weak smile crossed his lips. Jareth bared his teeth at him. "What are you smiling abo..."
Suddenly, Jareth felt razor sharp talons plunge into his ribs, felt a violent jerk back followed by the sensation of being lifted. He screamed, his ribs a searing pain that felt as if he was being crushed.
He forced himself past the pain, forced himself to register his situation. He could smell the district odor of fish and UnSeelie magic, watched the ground beneath him whiz by. He was being carried, large claws digging into his side, keeping him locked in place.
Jareth attempted to manifest his magic in order to teleport away, only to find his strength completely spent, having poured it all into the dagger he nearly sunk into Lucian's chest. The pain swelled as the acelote banked, and Jareth succumbed to it, everything going black.
~.~.~.~.~.~
Sarah watched the acelote carry Jareth towards the horizon. She had no idea whether he was alive or dead, and she prayed it was the latter. She stood on shaky legs, willing herself steady, still in shock at the scene in front of her. The ground lay scorched from the battle. Grass fires burned around them, the smell of sulfur and smoke filling the air.
She ran to Lucian, still splayed out on the ground, his wound still bleeding, his energy utterly spent.
She knelt to his side and couldn't help the sob that exploded out of her at the sight of him. "Lucian, what can I do?"
Lucian opened his eyes, taking her in. His breathing was labored, his face wincing in pain. "I don't have the energy to transport us back to my Kingdom. I've lost too much blood." Lucian took his hand to Sarah's face, caressing her.
"Are you alright?"
Sarah couldn't help but let out a choked laugh. "I should be the one asking you that question. You need a healer."
Lucian's face softened. "As long as you're safe. That's more important than anything."
Sarah ran her fingers through his sweat drenched hair. "Thank you for saving me."
Lucian leaned into her touch. "I love you."
Lucian closed his eyes and fell back, the blood loss enough to render him unconscious. Sarah paled and tore off her sweater, holding it to his side to stop the bleeding.
"Rasmina!"
Sarah screamed the name of her friend, hoping she might hear her call. She didn't know if that ability lay only with the Kings, or if any Immortal could be called in such a way.
"Rasmina!"
A moment later, Rasmina materialized to Sarah's side, taking in the sight of her King. "My Lady?! By the Gods, what happened?"
"Rasmina, please, the King is injured. We need to get him to a healer. Can you transport us to the UnSeelie Kingdom?" Sarah pleaded through her tears.
Rasmina knelt down, placing a hand on either of them. "I'm not used to carrying such weight, so please bear with me."
Rasmina closed her eyes and summoned as much of her magic as she could as she transported them to the outskirts of the UnSeelie Kingdom and then collapsed, exhausted.
Sarah took a breath before gathering Rasmina in her arms. "Thank you!"
Rasmina smiled. "We're within our borders so at least we're safe." She then summoned a crystal and threw it in the air before it disappeared into a cloud of glittery dust.
"I've sent word to the castle. The guards should be here within moments."
They did indeed, carrying Lucian before transporting the lot of them to the King's chambers.
Sarah called for a healer, and the same dark elf who helped her heal her own tongue entered the Kings chambers. He took his time inspecting the King's condition. "I can heal his wounds, but the loss of blood mixed with his low magical reserve will make for slow healing. He will be weak for many days."
The healer used his own magic to close Lucian's wound before conjuring a series of elixirs. "These will help keep any pain at bay and hopefully speed up his healing. I'll arrange my schedule in order to stay with the King until he is fully himself again."
"No." Sarah said, determination in her eyes. "I'll stay with the King. I owe him my life, it's the least I can do."
~.~.~.~.~
Over the following days, Sarah stayed at Lucian's side, refusing to leave unless to bathe or ride her desmirium, which Rasmina all but demanded of her, so she could get some fresh air. Sarah only agreed, knowing Rasmina would be by Lucian's side in her absence. Sarah slept in bed next to him, made sure he took his elixirs and kept a close watch over his progress.
"You're a bit of a mother hen. Did anyone ever tell you that?" Lucian teased her one afternoon.
Sarah playfully swatted his arm as she laid next to him on the bed, propped up on her forearm. "Whenever Toby had a fever, I would sleep in the rocking chair in his room, so I could monitor his breathing. After wishing him away, everything I endured to get him back, I became a bit... overprotective. I suppose that trait has stayed with me."
Lucian smiled, his eyes sparkling. "I enjoy seeing this side of you. You'll make a wonderful mother someday."
Sarah's cheeks heated as Lucian casually took a lock of her hair and began twirling it around his fingers. "How are you feeling?"
Though his side had fully healed, Lucian still felt weak. The blood loss came close to killing him. Another hour in the Outer Lands and it would have. Lucian made a mental note to buy his cousin, Rasmina, a present for coming when Sarah called to her. Perhaps an estate of her own.
"Another day or two of rest and I'll be back in fighting shape."
Sarah winced. "Please don't mention fighting. I can't stand to even think about that day."
Sarah closed her eyes as the vision of Jareth standing over Lucian filled her mind; how close the blade came to piercing his heart.
Lucian cupped her cheek, using his thumb to brush away the tear that fell. Sarah opened her eyes; unaware she began crying.
"I'm so sorry, Sarah. I'm sorry for everything. For marking you, forcing you here. Forcing you to call to him..."
"No." Sarah shook her head softly. "Don't apologize. I've made my peace with it, Lucian. And despite everything, how I came to be here, the one thing I'm certain of is I would rather have you in my life than not at all."
Coming so close to losing him made Sarah realize how much she valued Lucian. The time they spent together as he healed cemented that bond. She felt the same stirrings of love she had before, when he first showed her the conservatory. This time, however, it felt so much deeper. It felt rooted and stable. A foundation solid enough to produce a future. A future she could very well see for herself.
Lucian's eyes widened slightly, as if realizing the thoughts swirling inside her. She watched his crimson eyes brighten, and there it was. She recognized it immediately. Hope. There was hope in his eyes. Hope for a future with her. Hope that she loved him as fervently as he loved her. Lucian loved her so deeply he nearly died to save her. He wanted her so badly he would have sacrificed everything to save her from an eternity of cruelty with Jareth.
He wanted her so badly he bit through her tongue. He wanted to mark her, bite her, make her bleed...
The way Jareth made Lucian bleed...
Sarah felt her stomach twist, suddenly needing to put distance between them.
"I'll let you sleep."
She ignored the glimmer of disappointment in his face as she rose from the bed, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek before walking out of his chambers.
~.~.~.~.~.~
It had been two days since their conversation in Lucian's bed. She stayed away, needing space to determine what she wanted next. She tasked Rasmina with keeping an eye on him, making sure she kept her up to date on his condition regularly.
"He wants to see you. He insists he's fully healed and no longer in need of a babysitter." Rasmina chuckled, sitting next to Sarah in her conservatory.
Sarah smiled. "If he's fully healed, then why doesn't he come to me?"
Rasmina lifted a brow. "I suspect he's giving you space. He knows when you're ready, you'll call to him."
Sarah met her gaze and waited. She knew what Rasmina would say next.
"What are you waiting for?"
~.~.~.~.~.~
After Rasmina departed, Sarah meandered through her conservatory, picking wildflowers as she mulled over Rasmina's words.
What are you waiting for?
Sarah assumed her conservatory would make her homesick for the Above, but her thoughts always fell to Lucian when she felt the warmth of the false Sun. All this he created because he loved her.
What are you waiting for?
Sarah stopped at the stony creek that snaked through her garden. Closing her eyes, she took in the sound of running water and felt a warm breeze on her skin, allowing herself a moment of peace and reflection.
What exactly am I afraid of? Will he overwhelm me? Will he hurt me again? Will I be enough for him?
Looking down, Sarah noticed a patch of small white flowers with red centers growing next to the creek bed. She recognized them immediately. Symbilnum.
How is it possible the flower grows here? It only exists next to the pond in the woods.
Sarah knelt down and plucked one of the small flowers, twirling it in her fingers the same way Lucian had done when he first brought to that magical pond. She remembered his words then.
To put beauty on show is to take advantage of it. I prefer to keep mine safe and guarded. That way I know it won't be taken for granted.
Jareth took her for granted. He enjoyed torturing her, terrifying and imprisoning her. Lucian wanted to protect her and love her. He just had extremely intense ways of showing his passion.
She thought about what Rasmina told her that night.
"The King loves you. He will learn how to be with you if you help show him."
Yes, Lucian hurt her. Yes, he scared her. But he was also incredibly apologetic, and she was unwilling to be patient with him. She was unwilling to try.
Instead, Sarah had been a coward, insisting Lucian send her home, to the Above, where Jareth set a trap she fell right into.
A deep ache rose inside her. Lucian almost lost his life saving her from Jareth. He was willing to give up everything for her. Sarah wrapped her arms around her middle, feeling like a coward. She gave up on them before they even had the chance to be something.
And yet, here it was. Another chance, another opening. Still, she shied away from it.
What are you waiting for?
Sarah closed her eyes, still holding the symbilnum in her hands. She wanted him, wanted to show him how much he meant to her, how much she loved him. She did love him. She loved him so much she felt her heart might burst from her chest.
She was done being afraid. She was done waiting.
"Lucian."
She knew he would come.
Authors Note:
Song:
Shallow Play by The New Division
You can find the Marked playlist on my Spotify account: EastOfGatewood
Hope to see you next Friday!
XOXO
