Chapter 4
"Sarah, I'm sorry" Jareth said and reached for one of her hands, but as soon as the touch landed Sarah slapped it away and stood up angrily. "You should be sorry. You should have made the labyrinth harder. You should have made it impossible to solve. You should have won and turned him into a goblin. Better to be kicked around by you and live than to have his last moments spent in agony and screaming.
Silence fell after the tirade and in that soundless moment Sarah made her move. 'Use everything to your advantage' came Zail's voice in her head and she did. She bolted towards the door - and screamed in fury when hands grabbed her waist and pulled her back. Lashing out, she tried to scatch, bite and kick the Goblin King.
Jareth held the enraged woman back in a strong grip. Uncertain that he could retain his hold while she fought him with strength and intense emotion combined, he muttered a few words and Sarah felt limp in his arms. Picking the sleep enchanted Sarah he transported them to a bedroom where he laid her under the soft covers of the bed.
He studied her and could almost see the child that she once was. But she was no longer a child, the woman who he had conversed with tonight had been the Sarah he knew in name only. He was amazed at how she could use such an emotional moment to try and escape - had she become that cold? And how exactly had she come to the Underground? Jareth shook his head, it was late and the morning would bring a clearer head and hopefully calmer dispositions.
Brushing short dark stands from Sarah's eyes he leaned over and brushed his lips against her forehead. "Sleep well Sarah, we will talk more in the morning." He disappeared, leaving glitter in his wake - but no fool he, Jareth posted guards at Sarah's door and he had made sure her bedroom window was far from the ground below. She would not escape.
***
"YOU DID WHAT?!" shouted Zail and both Becay and Flick visibly cringed. The older elf stalked towards his son and looked down on him with eyes blazing with anger. "You will be confined to your room until I see fit to deal with you." He motioned to two men who promptly escorted Flick from the room.
Becay trembled as Zail gaze fell on her and wasn't sure if she should be relieved or terrified when his voice lowered. "I expected more from you Becay. I know my son is rather convincing when he wants to be, but you should have had more sense. As part of your punishment you will take Linka with you back to the Goblin King's castle tonight and find out where Sarah is being held.
Becay stared at the floor wishing it would swallow her up. No such luck. "Tonight, sir? Please don't yell at me and I'm not being disrespectful - but how can you be sure Sarah is even at the castle, she could be in an oubliette or something worse, something-"
"Becay," the Thief Lord cut the young fairy off. "Sarah will be in the castle, of that I can assure you. Now go."
Becay basically fled the room.
Zail let out a long sigh and gratefully sank down into a chair. How could Flick have been so stupid? Hadn't he taught his son better than that? Apparently not, well, he would learn. His brow creased as she thought of Sarah. A mere mortal girl when he had found her all those years ago, he knew of her past with the Goblin King whereas the others did not. Years ago there were rumors of a girl who defeated the labyrinth, and how surprised was he at the time to find that the rumors were true and that the girl was under his roof.
Zail knew instinctively that Jareth wouldn't hurt Sarah. Yet were the other rumors true also? Did the Goblin King fall in love with the girl who had beaten his labyrinth? Did he still love her? Sarah may be harder to get out of that castle than he originally thought.
Tomorrow, Zail promised himself, tomorrow when he had the information and a rested mind to deal with the problem.
***
Flick lay on his bed and cursed himself for getting Becay into such trouble, but most of all letting Sarah get captured. How could he have been so stupid? Before he had glorious visions of returning victorious form the castle and his father would praise him for being so daring and would throw a great party. No such luck now.
Getting his friends into trouble wasn't worth what he had got for it he thought as he pulled a smooth round crystal ball out from the pouch secreted away beneath his clothing. Something flickered inside the ball and Flick looked closer to examine it.
He quickly dropped the ball, as if burnt, and scrambled back when a swirling black and green smoke spread out from the crystal. Flick dropped into a defence stance but couldn't stop the mist as is flew towards him and he was unable to scream when it invaded his skin, sinking underneath and coiling around inside his body. The last of the mist vanished and Flick dropped to the floor, unconscious.
"Sarah, I'm sorry" Jareth said and reached for one of her hands, but as soon as the touch landed Sarah slapped it away and stood up angrily. "You should be sorry. You should have made the labyrinth harder. You should have made it impossible to solve. You should have won and turned him into a goblin. Better to be kicked around by you and live than to have his last moments spent in agony and screaming.
Silence fell after the tirade and in that soundless moment Sarah made her move. 'Use everything to your advantage' came Zail's voice in her head and she did. She bolted towards the door - and screamed in fury when hands grabbed her waist and pulled her back. Lashing out, she tried to scatch, bite and kick the Goblin King.
Jareth held the enraged woman back in a strong grip. Uncertain that he could retain his hold while she fought him with strength and intense emotion combined, he muttered a few words and Sarah felt limp in his arms. Picking the sleep enchanted Sarah he transported them to a bedroom where he laid her under the soft covers of the bed.
He studied her and could almost see the child that she once was. But she was no longer a child, the woman who he had conversed with tonight had been the Sarah he knew in name only. He was amazed at how she could use such an emotional moment to try and escape - had she become that cold? And how exactly had she come to the Underground? Jareth shook his head, it was late and the morning would bring a clearer head and hopefully calmer dispositions.
Brushing short dark stands from Sarah's eyes he leaned over and brushed his lips against her forehead. "Sleep well Sarah, we will talk more in the morning." He disappeared, leaving glitter in his wake - but no fool he, Jareth posted guards at Sarah's door and he had made sure her bedroom window was far from the ground below. She would not escape.
***
"YOU DID WHAT?!" shouted Zail and both Becay and Flick visibly cringed. The older elf stalked towards his son and looked down on him with eyes blazing with anger. "You will be confined to your room until I see fit to deal with you." He motioned to two men who promptly escorted Flick from the room.
Becay trembled as Zail gaze fell on her and wasn't sure if she should be relieved or terrified when his voice lowered. "I expected more from you Becay. I know my son is rather convincing when he wants to be, but you should have had more sense. As part of your punishment you will take Linka with you back to the Goblin King's castle tonight and find out where Sarah is being held.
Becay stared at the floor wishing it would swallow her up. No such luck. "Tonight, sir? Please don't yell at me and I'm not being disrespectful - but how can you be sure Sarah is even at the castle, she could be in an oubliette or something worse, something-"
"Becay," the Thief Lord cut the young fairy off. "Sarah will be in the castle, of that I can assure you. Now go."
Becay basically fled the room.
Zail let out a long sigh and gratefully sank down into a chair. How could Flick have been so stupid? Hadn't he taught his son better than that? Apparently not, well, he would learn. His brow creased as she thought of Sarah. A mere mortal girl when he had found her all those years ago, he knew of her past with the Goblin King whereas the others did not. Years ago there were rumors of a girl who defeated the labyrinth, and how surprised was he at the time to find that the rumors were true and that the girl was under his roof.
Zail knew instinctively that Jareth wouldn't hurt Sarah. Yet were the other rumors true also? Did the Goblin King fall in love with the girl who had beaten his labyrinth? Did he still love her? Sarah may be harder to get out of that castle than he originally thought.
Tomorrow, Zail promised himself, tomorrow when he had the information and a rested mind to deal with the problem.
***
Flick lay on his bed and cursed himself for getting Becay into such trouble, but most of all letting Sarah get captured. How could he have been so stupid? Before he had glorious visions of returning victorious form the castle and his father would praise him for being so daring and would throw a great party. No such luck now.
Getting his friends into trouble wasn't worth what he had got for it he thought as he pulled a smooth round crystal ball out from the pouch secreted away beneath his clothing. Something flickered inside the ball and Flick looked closer to examine it.
He quickly dropped the ball, as if burnt, and scrambled back when a swirling black and green smoke spread out from the crystal. Flick dropped into a defence stance but couldn't stop the mist as is flew towards him and he was unable to scream when it invaded his skin, sinking underneath and coiling around inside his body. The last of the mist vanished and Flick dropped to the floor, unconscious.