Disclaimer: See Chapter One...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All's Fair in Love and War"
Chapter Six: Shattered Dreams
By Ann Parker and Whiteowl
~~~~~
The opulence of the room was shocking. Everything shimmered in the light; the walls were covered in sheer drapes, except for a few bare places where mirrors served as the walls. The dancers' pastel clothing paled in comparison with the white theme of the ballroom. Jarod stood on the dais overlooking the people. So this was Jareth's court. The lords and ladies were as shallow as the men at the Centre were. Each one vied to out dress the other and competed for Jareth's attention, which no one received. Not that Jarod blamed him, he wouldn't want to be around them for long either, and with Jareth's short attention span it was a miracle he hadn't left yet.
Jarod weaved his way down through the crowds, feeling out of place. Well, more than he normally did in his everyday life. Not only was this dance, this place, completely out of his element, but he wasn't even dressed the same. His black ensemble made him stick out like a sore thumb, and his mask wasn't like the rest. It's simpl design of black material caught the light every so often, making it appear to sparkle. Those nearest him glared through the slits of their masks, daring him to take Jareth's attention for himself. They had seen the two enter together and speak quietly on the edge of the throng. Now each person condescendingly attempted to ignore him, while watching him like a hawk at the same time. With all the looks he was receiving, all he could think about was why he was here. Parker.
~~~~
Parker wandered around the huge room. There were wall to wall people, dancing, drinking, and sitting in the depressions in the floor, talking softly to each other. All of them watched her out of the corner of their eyes, masks barely concealing their smirks. She wore a dress of similar design to the other women, but sable in color, with a full skirt and sleeves that poofed slightly. The only difference between them and Parker was that she was not sporting one of the grotesque, goblin like masks. And the dulled gaze in her normally bright eyes.
The spell had already taken hold of Parker, making her feel lightheaded and disoriented. Parker moved away from the glassy wall, trying to escape the others. They looked at her as if they knew something she didn't, making her feel all the more uncomfortable and lost. She needed to find something, and then she would be safe from these people and their oppressive gaze. The problem was she didn't know what she was looking for. But she was sure that it was here, hidden among the nobles surrounding her. Which meant she would have to face them before she could escape. She waded into the crowd, aimlessly searching for her savior. Out of the corner of her eye, Parker saw a flash of black.
She turned quickly, almost feeling dizzy. The crowd of pastel stood in front of her. Blinking, Parker wondered if she had imagined the darker shade, or mistaken it for a shadow. In the back of her mind, Parker knew there was something wrong, something else she should be doing. But the thoughts dissipated as quickly as they formed. Her mind felt like it was wrapped in a thick fog, allowing for only one thought at a time. And right now, she was concentrating on getting away from these people.
~~~~
He couldn't believe how stunning she looked. Her dark dress and hair, clashing with her surroundings, accentuated her beauty even more. All he really wanted to do was reach out and hold her, but he knew that wasn't how to play this game. He had to hide from her in order to confuse her further. It would lower her many defenses. This would make it easier for him to get her to open up, which was really the goal of this charade. As she turned in his direction he moved behind a few of the ladies in pastel. He noted her increased uneasiness by glancing in her eyes. Her normally clear brown eyes were murky like muddy water, and he knew he would be able to make his move soon. He stopped dodging her and stood in one place, waiting for her to come to him.
She turned around and around, the black moving out of her eyesight every time she turned to face it. It was making her really dizzy and she just wanted to stop, but couldn't. Something about this black figure. She knew it had to be what she was looking for. She had to keep fighting to reach it. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw it once again. Closing her eyes and sighing, she turned once more, hoping that this time it wouldn't move. It didn't. Her eyes instantly met this figure's, which turned out to be a person, gaze. His stare, it pierced through her soul, sending a chill down her spine. He had to be what she was supposed to find.
She slowly stepped forward, feeling drawn to him even more with each step. Even though all she could see of his face were those beautiful eyes and his smile, the rest blocked by his black mask, she could sense he was her reason for being here. The man reached his hand out, silently asking for hers, and she took it without hesitation. He whisked her out on to the dance floor, and she felt like heaven. This was where she was destined to be, dancing in this masked man's arms. Her previous fears of the pastel people around her faded instantly. She was safe now; they could no longer hurt or oppress her. With this man she was finally free.
~~~~
Dark eyes turned away from the mirror quickly. Even at twenty-three the white gown made her feel like a princess. And if she kept looking at herself in it, she would start to believe she was a princess and succumb to the spell. Now she had to find a chair and break the mirror. That would free her and let her continue to search for Jarod. But first, where was Parker? Everywhere she looked there were masked dancers. A sea of light colors that blended together, shifting in front of her, laughing, inviting her to join the throng. Sarah took a step toward the others and saw some one sneer out of the corner of her eye, breaking the enchantment. She didn't belong with them, the fact she did not have a mask was proof enough of that.
"Even when nothing of your own is at stake you fight. Can you not give into your own dreams?" Sarah froze, the light voice sent shivers down her spine. Slowly, she turned around, confronted with Jareth and the sight of herself in the mirror. The clothing was the same, but something had changed.
"This isn't my dream."
Jareth frowned, "No it is not. This is Parker's. You and I are merely observers." He regarded her coolly, waiting for her reaction.
"Then why am I here?" Sarah glared at him and stepped closer. He smiled to himself. She truly wasn't the same girl he had been able intimidate so easily last time. Now she was challenging him. And in doing so, was falling right into his trap. This time there was no escape. He had made sure of that personally.
"You owe me something Sarah," he murmured lightly and gently picked up a stand of her hair in a gloved hand. "Eight years ago you left before then dance was done," mismatched eyes met brown ones, "now it is time to finish it."
~~~~
Jarod watched Miss Parker's eyes as they twinkled with delight. She seemed to be enjoying this dance more than him, but maybe that was because she didn't have the conflicting thoughts he did. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get her to open up. Even if he did, would it be real or just what she felt in her drug induced state? How could he ever be certain that what she would say would be the truth? Then again, he may never have another chance like this.
"Is something the matter?" Parker asked, concern in her voice. She could sense something was tormenting her dance partner and was willing to do anything to stop it.
Jarod stopped himself from retorting with something sarcastic like he normally would. This isn't the same woman, he reminded himself. "No, I was just thinking about how beautiful you were," he replied, slightly lying. Yes, she was breathtaking, but that wasn't what he was debating in his head.
Parker smiled and pulled him closer. "Why thank you," she whispered in his ear. She felt him shiver slightly and she rested her head on his shoulder. It felt so liberating to have his arms around her; she never wanted to let go.
Jarod forced himself to control his less than polite urges. As much as he wanted to do things he had only dreamed about before, he knew it wasn't right. When she snapped out of this state she would only hate him even more for taking advantage of her and that was something he couldn't handle. They had come so close on the island, alone by the fire. He was determined to get them back to that place, a place where they stopped hiding behind the walls the Centre had built up for them. Yet he knew that this wasn't the way to do it. If only she wasn't holding him so close.
~~~~
His arm encircled her waist as Jareth pulled Sarah into his embrace. She was in shock. He wanted to dance? After all of the mind games, the tricks, the suggestive glances, did he actually think she would just fall into his arms again like last time? A part of her mind reminded her how nice it had felt, how safe and warm his arms were. The rest of her that the spell couldn't affect was reminding her of the look in his eyes as she bit into the peach. His eyes had scared her then. They were cold and possessive. He had wanted her to come back to the ballroom, where she was the most defenseless and where he had, for a short time, had complete power over her. The nonenchanted part of her won the battle in her head. His eyes now held the same possessive gleam in them as he pulled her closer. The smile on his lips told her he believed he had won. And nothing he had ever done, not the cleaners, the bog, or his initial entrance that stormy night so many years ago, scared her more than his eyes now. Because if she continued to look into them she could believe that she did belong to him. His gaze was self assured. In his mind she was his. And that thought made her angrier than being left in the hole had.
"Do you really think I want to dance with you anymore now that I did eight years ago?" She pushed herself away from him, the enchanted part of her screaming in protest as his arms slipped from her waist. It got louder the longer she was near him. If she wasn't careful it would get too loud to ignore and she would fall victim to the pastel dream he had conjured. "You're the one who's dreaming. I'm here to get Parker, not to finish what we started eight years ago. And once I have Parker we can go save Jarod." Sarah forced herself to back farther away from him. His eyes were boring into her, and there was a flash of emotions in them that she didn't want to see or try to decipher. He was too confusing. She turned away from him to run, anything to get away from his eyes and the sound of his voice.
"Leaving so soon, the night has hardly begun," his purr was right next to her ear. Quickly, strong arms wrapped around her waist pinning her back against his front. "There is no escaping me this time." In the mirror Sarah could see him holding her tightly. The sight of the two of them together was almost too much for her. The king and the princess. It would have looked so right if the fear in her eyes hadn't ruined the picture. "Why do you fight me Sarah? Are you afraid of what I would do, or are you afraid that you would enjoy yourself if you did not fight?"
"Enjoy what? Being controlled by you. You're insane Jareth. The only way I could ever enjoy being around you is if you put a spell on me. And even then I left you."
His grip on her tightened and Sarah's eyes widened. Maybe she had pushed him too far. Of course she felt things for him, but that look in his eyes reminded her of why she could never let him know. If she did she would loose herself to him entirely. In the mirror she saw Parker and Jarod behind her, dancing closely. Parker laid her head on his shoulder. Jareth's eyes followed hers. "Let them have their moment," his eyes reflected her anger as he looked at the seemingly happy couple. "I cannot allow you to interfere with them. If Parker wishes to flee then she may, if not then they continue until the dance is over. You, on the other hand, have no such choice. Until I release you, you are staying right here."
Sarah struggled against his iron grip, "I won't leave him trapped here with you."
"Trapped?" Jareth lifted an eyebrow, "I believe he rather likes it here. Besides do you really want to send him back to the world were he is constantly being hunted?"
Sarah looked at him in the mirror, her brow knit in confusion, "Hunted? What do you mean?"
He chuckled lightly. Sarah could feel his chest move against her back and suppressed a shiver. "You haven't asked Parker why she is so desperate to get him back? Why she wants him? Or could it be that you do not wish to know the truth about your newly acquired friend? Come now Sarah you heard her speak of the Centre, haven't you wondered what that is? They both lied to you about who they are. With your curiosity I would have thought that you had asked by now."
Sarah had ceased to listen to him and Jareth followed her gaze back to the dancing pair. Parker was looking into Jarod's eyes and leaning closer to him.
~~~~
Miss Parker stared into her companion's dark brown eyes. Deep down she felt like she knew him and had for years. Why couldn't she remember his name? If she knew him so well then she should know his name. She was afraid to ask, what if she hurt his feelings when he learned she had forgotten who he was? Not only did her amnesia bother her, but so did their location. Why where they at this strange place dancing? The questions began to fill her head, yet she felt drawn to him. Even with all the uncertainty, she couldn't control herself. Slowly, she leaned closer, closing the distance between their lips.
Jarod's brain screamed for him to stop, that this wasn't right, but he couldn't stop himself. Just as they were about to kiss he whispered her name. "Parker."
Miss Parker froze when he spoke. Blinking, she looked back into his eyes and something clicked. The look in his eyes, the emotion in his voice, it all clicked and so did the situation. All it took was one word and a glance to snap her back to reality. "Jarod," she hissed, ripping off his mask. As she tossed it to the ground, she pulled away from his warm embrace, her body temperature dropping drastically upon doing so. A part of her told her to leap back into his arms, but she ignored it. She crossed her arms and glared at the man before her.
Jarod slightly gulped as he felt her gaze. He knew the spell was gone as soon as she spoke. The friendly tone from before was quickly replaced with venom. "Parker..." he started, unsure of what to say. How could he really explain this to her?
"Spare me the details, Jarod. I just want out of here," she spat out. She looked around, trying to find something, anything, to throw. Finally her eyes landed on her stiletto shoe she had lost in the confusion earlier. Smirking, she grabbed it and hurled it towards the wall. The mirrored walls seemed to freeze for a moment before shattering. Everyone in the ballroom froze as the world began to dissolve around them. Parker looked behind her to see Jarod. She could see the regret in his eyes, almost as if he was sorry about the drugged dance. Or maybe sorry about the way it had to end. Then a pillar fell between them and Parker couldn't see him anymore.
She was falling and the ground was coming up at her slowly. She was heading towards a portion of the maze that was made of obsidian stone. The black surface shining at her, twinkling in the light of the afternoon sun. She frowned, she didn't remember seeing this when she had been on the hill. Sarah hadn't mentioned this either when she had been debriefing her on what they might come across. Then the ground was beneath her feet and Parker fought to keep her balance as the last strain of ballroom music faded away. As a shadow fell across her Parker turned around, hoping to see Sarah, and froze.
"I don't think this was how the spell was supposed to work," the amused voice was distinctly male and far too familiar.
~~~~
Sarah swayed on her feet, the black stone making her feel momentarily disoriented. Only the arm around her waist kept her from falling. The arm around her waist... oh shit. Sarah wrenched herself away and turned around to a most amusing sight. Jareth looked confused. Moments before Parker's shoe had hit the wall, she had seen surprise cross his features and he had held her tighter. Now he wasn't even paying attention to her. Instead he kept making circular motions with his wrist, and the look of confusion continued to increase, until it became something Sarah had never thought she would ever see. Jareth was afraid.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*evil laugh* We're leaving it here, have fun. And now that school's over there shouldn't be months between postings. We feel pretty bad about that. Sorry.
But I think we made up for it with this. Hope this chapter made everything worth the wait.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All's Fair in Love and War"
Chapter Six: Shattered Dreams
By Ann Parker and Whiteowl
~~~~~
The opulence of the room was shocking. Everything shimmered in the light; the walls were covered in sheer drapes, except for a few bare places where mirrors served as the walls. The dancers' pastel clothing paled in comparison with the white theme of the ballroom. Jarod stood on the dais overlooking the people. So this was Jareth's court. The lords and ladies were as shallow as the men at the Centre were. Each one vied to out dress the other and competed for Jareth's attention, which no one received. Not that Jarod blamed him, he wouldn't want to be around them for long either, and with Jareth's short attention span it was a miracle he hadn't left yet.
Jarod weaved his way down through the crowds, feeling out of place. Well, more than he normally did in his everyday life. Not only was this dance, this place, completely out of his element, but he wasn't even dressed the same. His black ensemble made him stick out like a sore thumb, and his mask wasn't like the rest. It's simpl design of black material caught the light every so often, making it appear to sparkle. Those nearest him glared through the slits of their masks, daring him to take Jareth's attention for himself. They had seen the two enter together and speak quietly on the edge of the throng. Now each person condescendingly attempted to ignore him, while watching him like a hawk at the same time. With all the looks he was receiving, all he could think about was why he was here. Parker.
~~~~
Parker wandered around the huge room. There were wall to wall people, dancing, drinking, and sitting in the depressions in the floor, talking softly to each other. All of them watched her out of the corner of their eyes, masks barely concealing their smirks. She wore a dress of similar design to the other women, but sable in color, with a full skirt and sleeves that poofed slightly. The only difference between them and Parker was that she was not sporting one of the grotesque, goblin like masks. And the dulled gaze in her normally bright eyes.
The spell had already taken hold of Parker, making her feel lightheaded and disoriented. Parker moved away from the glassy wall, trying to escape the others. They looked at her as if they knew something she didn't, making her feel all the more uncomfortable and lost. She needed to find something, and then she would be safe from these people and their oppressive gaze. The problem was she didn't know what she was looking for. But she was sure that it was here, hidden among the nobles surrounding her. Which meant she would have to face them before she could escape. She waded into the crowd, aimlessly searching for her savior. Out of the corner of her eye, Parker saw a flash of black.
She turned quickly, almost feeling dizzy. The crowd of pastel stood in front of her. Blinking, Parker wondered if she had imagined the darker shade, or mistaken it for a shadow. In the back of her mind, Parker knew there was something wrong, something else she should be doing. But the thoughts dissipated as quickly as they formed. Her mind felt like it was wrapped in a thick fog, allowing for only one thought at a time. And right now, she was concentrating on getting away from these people.
~~~~
He couldn't believe how stunning she looked. Her dark dress and hair, clashing with her surroundings, accentuated her beauty even more. All he really wanted to do was reach out and hold her, but he knew that wasn't how to play this game. He had to hide from her in order to confuse her further. It would lower her many defenses. This would make it easier for him to get her to open up, which was really the goal of this charade. As she turned in his direction he moved behind a few of the ladies in pastel. He noted her increased uneasiness by glancing in her eyes. Her normally clear brown eyes were murky like muddy water, and he knew he would be able to make his move soon. He stopped dodging her and stood in one place, waiting for her to come to him.
She turned around and around, the black moving out of her eyesight every time she turned to face it. It was making her really dizzy and she just wanted to stop, but couldn't. Something about this black figure. She knew it had to be what she was looking for. She had to keep fighting to reach it. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw it once again. Closing her eyes and sighing, she turned once more, hoping that this time it wouldn't move. It didn't. Her eyes instantly met this figure's, which turned out to be a person, gaze. His stare, it pierced through her soul, sending a chill down her spine. He had to be what she was supposed to find.
She slowly stepped forward, feeling drawn to him even more with each step. Even though all she could see of his face were those beautiful eyes and his smile, the rest blocked by his black mask, she could sense he was her reason for being here. The man reached his hand out, silently asking for hers, and she took it without hesitation. He whisked her out on to the dance floor, and she felt like heaven. This was where she was destined to be, dancing in this masked man's arms. Her previous fears of the pastel people around her faded instantly. She was safe now; they could no longer hurt or oppress her. With this man she was finally free.
~~~~
Dark eyes turned away from the mirror quickly. Even at twenty-three the white gown made her feel like a princess. And if she kept looking at herself in it, she would start to believe she was a princess and succumb to the spell. Now she had to find a chair and break the mirror. That would free her and let her continue to search for Jarod. But first, where was Parker? Everywhere she looked there were masked dancers. A sea of light colors that blended together, shifting in front of her, laughing, inviting her to join the throng. Sarah took a step toward the others and saw some one sneer out of the corner of her eye, breaking the enchantment. She didn't belong with them, the fact she did not have a mask was proof enough of that.
"Even when nothing of your own is at stake you fight. Can you not give into your own dreams?" Sarah froze, the light voice sent shivers down her spine. Slowly, she turned around, confronted with Jareth and the sight of herself in the mirror. The clothing was the same, but something had changed.
"This isn't my dream."
Jareth frowned, "No it is not. This is Parker's. You and I are merely observers." He regarded her coolly, waiting for her reaction.
"Then why am I here?" Sarah glared at him and stepped closer. He smiled to himself. She truly wasn't the same girl he had been able intimidate so easily last time. Now she was challenging him. And in doing so, was falling right into his trap. This time there was no escape. He had made sure of that personally.
"You owe me something Sarah," he murmured lightly and gently picked up a stand of her hair in a gloved hand. "Eight years ago you left before then dance was done," mismatched eyes met brown ones, "now it is time to finish it."
~~~~
Jarod watched Miss Parker's eyes as they twinkled with delight. She seemed to be enjoying this dance more than him, but maybe that was because she didn't have the conflicting thoughts he did. He wasn't sure if he would be able to get her to open up. Even if he did, would it be real or just what she felt in her drug induced state? How could he ever be certain that what she would say would be the truth? Then again, he may never have another chance like this.
"Is something the matter?" Parker asked, concern in her voice. She could sense something was tormenting her dance partner and was willing to do anything to stop it.
Jarod stopped himself from retorting with something sarcastic like he normally would. This isn't the same woman, he reminded himself. "No, I was just thinking about how beautiful you were," he replied, slightly lying. Yes, she was breathtaking, but that wasn't what he was debating in his head.
Parker smiled and pulled him closer. "Why thank you," she whispered in his ear. She felt him shiver slightly and she rested her head on his shoulder. It felt so liberating to have his arms around her; she never wanted to let go.
Jarod forced himself to control his less than polite urges. As much as he wanted to do things he had only dreamed about before, he knew it wasn't right. When she snapped out of this state she would only hate him even more for taking advantage of her and that was something he couldn't handle. They had come so close on the island, alone by the fire. He was determined to get them back to that place, a place where they stopped hiding behind the walls the Centre had built up for them. Yet he knew that this wasn't the way to do it. If only she wasn't holding him so close.
~~~~
His arm encircled her waist as Jareth pulled Sarah into his embrace. She was in shock. He wanted to dance? After all of the mind games, the tricks, the suggestive glances, did he actually think she would just fall into his arms again like last time? A part of her mind reminded her how nice it had felt, how safe and warm his arms were. The rest of her that the spell couldn't affect was reminding her of the look in his eyes as she bit into the peach. His eyes had scared her then. They were cold and possessive. He had wanted her to come back to the ballroom, where she was the most defenseless and where he had, for a short time, had complete power over her. The nonenchanted part of her won the battle in her head. His eyes now held the same possessive gleam in them as he pulled her closer. The smile on his lips told her he believed he had won. And nothing he had ever done, not the cleaners, the bog, or his initial entrance that stormy night so many years ago, scared her more than his eyes now. Because if she continued to look into them she could believe that she did belong to him. His gaze was self assured. In his mind she was his. And that thought made her angrier than being left in the hole had.
"Do you really think I want to dance with you anymore now that I did eight years ago?" She pushed herself away from him, the enchanted part of her screaming in protest as his arms slipped from her waist. It got louder the longer she was near him. If she wasn't careful it would get too loud to ignore and she would fall victim to the pastel dream he had conjured. "You're the one who's dreaming. I'm here to get Parker, not to finish what we started eight years ago. And once I have Parker we can go save Jarod." Sarah forced herself to back farther away from him. His eyes were boring into her, and there was a flash of emotions in them that she didn't want to see or try to decipher. He was too confusing. She turned away from him to run, anything to get away from his eyes and the sound of his voice.
"Leaving so soon, the night has hardly begun," his purr was right next to her ear. Quickly, strong arms wrapped around her waist pinning her back against his front. "There is no escaping me this time." In the mirror Sarah could see him holding her tightly. The sight of the two of them together was almost too much for her. The king and the princess. It would have looked so right if the fear in her eyes hadn't ruined the picture. "Why do you fight me Sarah? Are you afraid of what I would do, or are you afraid that you would enjoy yourself if you did not fight?"
"Enjoy what? Being controlled by you. You're insane Jareth. The only way I could ever enjoy being around you is if you put a spell on me. And even then I left you."
His grip on her tightened and Sarah's eyes widened. Maybe she had pushed him too far. Of course she felt things for him, but that look in his eyes reminded her of why she could never let him know. If she did she would loose herself to him entirely. In the mirror she saw Parker and Jarod behind her, dancing closely. Parker laid her head on his shoulder. Jareth's eyes followed hers. "Let them have their moment," his eyes reflected her anger as he looked at the seemingly happy couple. "I cannot allow you to interfere with them. If Parker wishes to flee then she may, if not then they continue until the dance is over. You, on the other hand, have no such choice. Until I release you, you are staying right here."
Sarah struggled against his iron grip, "I won't leave him trapped here with you."
"Trapped?" Jareth lifted an eyebrow, "I believe he rather likes it here. Besides do you really want to send him back to the world were he is constantly being hunted?"
Sarah looked at him in the mirror, her brow knit in confusion, "Hunted? What do you mean?"
He chuckled lightly. Sarah could feel his chest move against her back and suppressed a shiver. "You haven't asked Parker why she is so desperate to get him back? Why she wants him? Or could it be that you do not wish to know the truth about your newly acquired friend? Come now Sarah you heard her speak of the Centre, haven't you wondered what that is? They both lied to you about who they are. With your curiosity I would have thought that you had asked by now."
Sarah had ceased to listen to him and Jareth followed her gaze back to the dancing pair. Parker was looking into Jarod's eyes and leaning closer to him.
~~~~
Miss Parker stared into her companion's dark brown eyes. Deep down she felt like she knew him and had for years. Why couldn't she remember his name? If she knew him so well then she should know his name. She was afraid to ask, what if she hurt his feelings when he learned she had forgotten who he was? Not only did her amnesia bother her, but so did their location. Why where they at this strange place dancing? The questions began to fill her head, yet she felt drawn to him. Even with all the uncertainty, she couldn't control herself. Slowly, she leaned closer, closing the distance between their lips.
Jarod's brain screamed for him to stop, that this wasn't right, but he couldn't stop himself. Just as they were about to kiss he whispered her name. "Parker."
Miss Parker froze when he spoke. Blinking, she looked back into his eyes and something clicked. The look in his eyes, the emotion in his voice, it all clicked and so did the situation. All it took was one word and a glance to snap her back to reality. "Jarod," she hissed, ripping off his mask. As she tossed it to the ground, she pulled away from his warm embrace, her body temperature dropping drastically upon doing so. A part of her told her to leap back into his arms, but she ignored it. She crossed her arms and glared at the man before her.
Jarod slightly gulped as he felt her gaze. He knew the spell was gone as soon as she spoke. The friendly tone from before was quickly replaced with venom. "Parker..." he started, unsure of what to say. How could he really explain this to her?
"Spare me the details, Jarod. I just want out of here," she spat out. She looked around, trying to find something, anything, to throw. Finally her eyes landed on her stiletto shoe she had lost in the confusion earlier. Smirking, she grabbed it and hurled it towards the wall. The mirrored walls seemed to freeze for a moment before shattering. Everyone in the ballroom froze as the world began to dissolve around them. Parker looked behind her to see Jarod. She could see the regret in his eyes, almost as if he was sorry about the drugged dance. Or maybe sorry about the way it had to end. Then a pillar fell between them and Parker couldn't see him anymore.
She was falling and the ground was coming up at her slowly. She was heading towards a portion of the maze that was made of obsidian stone. The black surface shining at her, twinkling in the light of the afternoon sun. She frowned, she didn't remember seeing this when she had been on the hill. Sarah hadn't mentioned this either when she had been debriefing her on what they might come across. Then the ground was beneath her feet and Parker fought to keep her balance as the last strain of ballroom music faded away. As a shadow fell across her Parker turned around, hoping to see Sarah, and froze.
"I don't think this was how the spell was supposed to work," the amused voice was distinctly male and far too familiar.
~~~~
Sarah swayed on her feet, the black stone making her feel momentarily disoriented. Only the arm around her waist kept her from falling. The arm around her waist... oh shit. Sarah wrenched herself away and turned around to a most amusing sight. Jareth looked confused. Moments before Parker's shoe had hit the wall, she had seen surprise cross his features and he had held her tighter. Now he wasn't even paying attention to her. Instead he kept making circular motions with his wrist, and the look of confusion continued to increase, until it became something Sarah had never thought she would ever see. Jareth was afraid.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*evil laugh* We're leaving it here, have fun. And now that school's over there shouldn't be months between postings. We feel pretty bad about that. Sorry.
But I think we made up for it with this. Hope this chapter made everything worth the wait.