Chapter One

The Prince and the Princess

"Toby, shhh, you must hush, please! Toby, they'll find us!" Sarah cried in a whisper.

The eight-year-old boy sniffed and whispered, "'Kay, Sarah."

The two siblings were frightened, and in terrible danger. Toby knew Sarah wasn't sure how to save them this time. He didn't know how, he just did. He also knew there was someone out there who could help, who was always listening for him and Sarah.

As footsteps sounded outside the closet door, Toby cried in his mind, Help, help, helphelphelp!!!

Sarah closed her eyes, concentrating on the magic that was always so elusive. A gift from the Labyrinth, it was, or rather, a curse. She could hardly ever control it without doing herself damage, normally a migraine or a fainting spell. This time she couldn't afford such a luxury. She had to stay alert and mobile, to save her brother.

Concentrating, with a gentle mauve light glowing around her, her hand jerked as extra weight fell into it. Opening her eyes, a dagger rested in her palm, with a rowan handle and a blue steel blade, sharpened to a razor's edge. She clutched the handle tightly, her knuckles turning white.

The magic from defeating the Labyrinth had changed her subtly, giving her strength and courage when she needed it, giving her magic. She'd changed on the inside. But on the outside, there were changes too. Her eyes, once a lovely dark brown, were now a dark blue-violet, that had changed slowly over the last seven years, from constant use of magic. The oddest thing was, once they were completely changed, it was like they'd always been that ethereal, piercing blue. Her hair, once flat and limp, lifeless, was now thick, with a slight wave to it, and very soft. Sarah's appearance overall had changed in very small ways, and she'd noticed more and more guys watching her walk by.

Small ways or big ways, she had changed. Her presence of mind, to plan escaping the house and the beings that hunted within, proved how mature she'd become. She'd grown up a lot in seven years, and she'd grown up a helluva lot more in the last half hour.

"We have to get out of here. Please, let us make it." Sarah prayed. Toby tugged her pajamas softly. "Hmm?"

"Call him. The one you dream about." Sarah flushed, replying, "Who?" Toby answered, "The King, the one that kidnapped me, the one you dream about all the time. Jareth."

Call Jareth? Send Toby away to him? No. If she got out of this, Toby would be stuck in the Underground. Ask twice, you never get the child back. Not even if you solve the Labyrinth.

But, maybe he'd help them… maybe.

She reached with her mind for the Underground, using memories of the Faye King, his sardonic grin, his mismatched eyes, his wild blond hair, to reach his mind. She touched something like a wall of ice, or crystal, that breathed- if crystal could breathe- a soft breath of magic as if it recognized her.

Jareth? If you can hear me, help us, please. It's Sarah. Toby and I are in danger. Please, help me get him out of here.

They waited for a while, and when silence had reined through the house for almost fifteen minutes, Sarah decided it was safe enough to run.

"Toby, come on. Let's go, the coast is clear."

Sarah took her brother's hand and led him quietly down the steps. She prayed the stairs wouldn't creak.

Damn it, I jinxed it! She thought as the stair uttered a loud groan. Toby looked at Sarah, who mouthed, "Run!" Behind her, a door slammed open, and suddenly, neither mortal could move.

"Jareth's plaything. Jareth's whore. Caught in a trap." A cold, velvet voice assailed her ears like a violating caress. "Raven, can't we play with her?"

"After we kill the boy, Jazen."

"Our dear cousin won't like that. His heir apparent, and his object of affection, both killed mysteriously… he might go insane."

"All the easier for us to take his kingdom. Now, let us… commence with the games."

Sarah heard the footsteps approaching. Closing her eyes, she sought deep inside herself and found a well of gentle light.

Finite.

Something snapped, magic breaking like brittle glass, and she could move again. Picking Toby up, eyes flying open, she raced down the stairs, to the third flight, to the second, onto the second landing and starting down to the first floor… when in her haste she tripped.

Toby caught himself on the banister and watched in horror as his sister tumbled down to the floor.

"Sarah!" He slid down the banister and fell to his knees beside her.

She wasn't moving.

"Sarah, get up, Sarah!!!"

Oh, help, help, my sister, SarahSarahSarah!

"Sarah, wake up! Please, wake up!"

Something wet touched his ear. Turning, petrified, he was relieved to see Phoenix and Merlyn, their two dogs.

"Oh, it's you guys. Help me wake Sarah!" The larger dog, almost as big a eight-year-old Toby, shoved his nose under the fallen girl and shrugged her onto his back. Merlyn settled her feet on his back.

Will this work? The elderly, shaggy dog licked its nose.

"You bet. Thanks. Oh…" Footsteps on the stairs. "Come on, hurry!" Maybe he could try….

Jareth, it's Toby, HELP!!!

They made slow time, and Toby could hear the scary men walking slowly down the stairs, as if they knew the boy and his sister had nowhere to run and hide. The child called in his mind to Jareth- he wasn't sure if it was working, but he'd keep on trying- and kept on trying to coax his sister awake as the dogs slowly carried her down the hall.

"Sarah, come on, Sis, wake up… guys, don't drop her!" Toby admonished Merlin and Phoenix. "We'll lose time if you do, come on!"

The two dogs walked as fast as they dared, holding the girl steady on their backs. Toby looked over his shoulder at the top of the stairs when he heard a thud and a muffled curse. His sister was a flipping genius when it came to her magic. The two bad guys were trapped in box of soft, violet light that crackled with electric energy, a trap she'd set even as she'd hurtled down the stairs before tripping over her own feet. Sarah was so very cool… and so very unconscious.

"Sis, come on, wake up… Sarah?" As soon as her eyes opened, she sent a loud mental call, JARETH!, and fell off the dogs to land on her butt.

"Crap! What's the sitch… we are in deep sludge monkeys."

"Yep." The walls of light at the top of the stairs began to disintegrate, and Sarah grabbed Toby's hand, crying, "Run!"

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