Dark Realizations

Disclaimers: You know I should really learn not to apologize about lateness of updating and promise to be quicker when I can never accomplish it.

The room had grown tensely quiet in only seconds. Livia was exhausted from her spell. Part of her hoped that what she had just heard was only in her imagination. Yet the longer that she stared at Sarah the more the awful truth set in. They had been tricked. Mortiana had placed a failsafe on the spell. She had made sure that if anyone tampered with it, that it would cause an adverse reaction. Well at least adverse for her and her brothers. She chided herself mentally. "Foolish fae, you should have seen that there was more than one spell there, you are too out of practice. Your mistake will cost us all."

"Tristan," Livia spoke quietly, "Sarah, did you say Tristan?"

Sarah looked at Livia with a quizzical expression. "Of course, I did," she replied as she began to push herself up and off of the bed. "Where is he?"

Bartlby looked at Livia with a lost expression. He spoke to her in her mind. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Livia replied to him. "Find Jareth now," she said sternly.

Bartlby started to head for the door when at that moment, there was a bright flash of light in the room and all three turned to see what had occurred. Sarah's expression rose in mere seconds. "Tristan," she exclaimed, "there you are love."

He stood there in the corner looking every bit the regal son. His hair was pulled back to the base of his neck and he was clad in black boots, pants, blood red poet's shirt and black leather vest. Bartlby and Livia both gave him and cold glare. Tristan returned that with a harsh look with a wicked grin. He then turned to Sarah and his expression changed completely. "I'm sorry that I kept you dear, come let us go into the countryside for a leisurely ride."

"What are you doing here?" barked Bartlby.

Tristan's smile widened even further. "None of your concern, I'm simply here to ask my wife to join me for a day of outdoor enjoyment."

Livia reached out to grab Sarah's arm as she moved toward him. "No, Sarah, this is a trick. Do not do this."

Bartlby stalked toward Tristan anger filling his face. He stopped just inches from Tristan and glared hard into Tristan's very much amused eyes. "I don't know what you or that witch of a mother of yours has done, but you will pay dearly for it."

Tristan laughed lightly as he leaned in even closer to Bartlby. "My, my Bartlby, I thought that Jareth was the only hot-head in your family." Tristan then swept past Bartlby and advance toward Sarah.

Sarah pulled back from Livia's hand. "Livia, what are you talking about, this is my husband. I want to go with him." She continued to get off of the bed until she was standing rather unsteadily on the floor. Tristan bypassed Bartlby quickly and took Sarah's arm. "Come, darling, the country awaits us." With this both he and Sarah disappeared into a cloud of light.

Livia turned to Bartlby. "We must find Jareth, things had become dangerously out of control. Bartbly I will go to the High Council and ask to be heard at the next meeting in two days. You go and find Jareth wherever he is and keep him from doing something foolish."

"Take care, sister," Bartlby said before she disappeared into a cloud of light and glitter.

"Right now, I would rather face the council," Bartlby mused as he ran his fingers through his hair and walked toward the door. It was at this point that he realized the healer was still in the room. He turned to her. "Go home old woman, thank you for your service." He walked out the door and headed to Jareth's study.