Disclaimer: I don't own it, I don't profit from it. Really not fair.
A/N: Thank you, thank you for your reviews! I love them all, please keep them coming. The move is coming up in just over a week, I will try to update as much as quickly as possible during the transition. Thank you all again for following and reviewing my story. Much love!
"Were in the hell did she go?" Jareth shouted as he searched Sarah's empty apartment, growing more frantic by the moment. "Her signature led us directly here, we were moments behind her!" Dragging a hand through his hair, he looked around, trying to find any trace of his wayward wife.
"My Lord," Liam began, "Perhaps she has returned to the castle, she seemed quite distraught."
"If she had returned to the castle, I would know. I should be able to feel her, our souls are bonded, but I feel nothing." Jareth snarled in frustration. Clasping his hands behind his back he began to pace. Breathing deeply, he tried to calm himself and reach out to her mind once more. As he passed by the front door, he felt a vague tingle. Not Sarah, no, some other magical creature.
Siobhan saw him pause at the door and went to stand next to him, she placed a hand lightly on his arm and asked, "My Lord, have you found her?"
"No, not her." He said softly, "But something." He pulled a crystal into his palm and placed his other hand against the door. The clear light of the crystal shimmered and clouded to an angry, deep red rimmed with black.
Siobhan gasped in shock. "That is ancient dark magic, My Lord." She whispered, shuddering slightly.
Jareth glanced at her briefly, noting how her face had paled and her lips trembled.
"What do you know of this magic, child?" He asked.
She took a deep breath, staring at the crystal, then looked over to her brother, at his nod, she swallowed nervously and spoke lowly, "Before our parents were killed, they were studying crystals that had taken on this appearance when they were handled by some of the guards. They were concerned about the other assassinations that had taken place and were trying to understand how such powerful Fae were being cut down in their prime. No warning, no time to defend themselves or to call for help. They suspected that powerful dark magic was behind it and that someone trusted was wielding it."
Jareth turned his gaze back to the crystal, he too had seen this type of change happen, and always when death was about. What he didn't know, what was blocked from his gaze, was whose death it was foretelling.
"We must return to the Goblin Kingdom." Jareth said.
"My Lord," Liam protested. "What of the investigation into the mortal deaths that have occurred here?"
"I believe," Jareth mused, "That when we find my Queen, we will also find those responsible for not only the deaths of the mortals in this world, but also the Fae in ours."
Liam and Siobhan looked at each other silently, making a decision, they turned to their King. "We would like to stay here and keep at this." At Jareth's sound of protest, Liam raised his hand to stop him. "You have protected us well My Lord, however, Siobhan and I both feel that we can be of use here. How can we rule when we have been so coddled? How can our subjects be asked to trust our judgement if we have never been allowed to have any?"
Jareth looked at the pair, so fresh and eager to make their mark, neither knowing the danger they willingly placed themselves in.
"This is the decision you both make?" He asked.
"Yes, My Lord," they answered simultaneously.
"Very well." He sighed heavily. "Report back to Interpol and the FBI. They will know how best to make use of you." Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, he murmured, "Blessed Be."
With a wave of his hand his glamour disappeared and he stood in full Goblin King Armor, then, throwing a crystal, he was gone. With a last look around at the empty apartment, Liam and Siobhan disappeared as well.
JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS –JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS
Sarah felt a shiver of apprehension run down her spine at the sound of that low hissing voice in the darkness. She tried using her enhanced Fae vision to peer into the darkness surrounding her, but she could do no more than make out a shadowy cloaked figure.
"Show yourself you bastard!" She snarled, straining against the iron shackles that bound her.
A low amused chuckle sounded to her right, whipping her head toward it, she lashed out with her feet, as much as the shackles would let her, and gnashed her teeth.
"Tsk, tsk, Sarah, such violence." The voice hissed, almost in her ear. "Whatever would your Lord Husband think?"
"I am tired of this cat and mouse!" She shrieked. "Show yourself!"
"You are coming apart at the seams, my dear. Such a predicament, perhaps you are not the grand Champion after all? Could Jareth and his pet Labyrinth had made that big of a miscalculation?" The voice taunted in the darkness.
Sarah felt a surge of energy at is words. Apparently the Labyrinth had heard and wasn't amused.
"Why don't you come closer and find out?" She taunted back, panting from the exertion of trying to break her chains. "Come on, what are you afraid of? Certainly not little old me?"
"I fear nothing, wench!" The figure bellowed. "Least of all a pitiful human woman!"
Oh, Sarah thought, hit a nerve there.
Champion, Sarah heard in her mind.
I am here, do not fear.
Sarah stilled at the sound of the Labyrinth in her head. If she could hear the maze, perhaps she could reach out to Jareth.
The irons weaken your magic my Queen. You have become Fae and are therefore are subject to the strengths and weaknesses of them.
Sarah snarled in frustration and strained against the shackles.
"My, my, Sarah. Are the rumors true?" Her tormentor asked. "Is the power of the Labyrinth too much for you? Are you truly going mad?"
Suddenly a flicker of light flamed in the darkness and a single candle illuminated a small circle in the otherwise pitch black room. A movement to her right caught Sarah's eye and she turned to see a figure in a deeply hooded black cloak.
"Still hiding?" She taunted.
Sarah gasped in shock as the figure removed the hood. "Aldric?"
Aldric sneered at her as he unsheathed an iron sword from under his cloak.
"You were not they prize I was hoping to snare in my little trap." He said casually, studying the blade on the broadsword. "But you will do nicely."
Let me in, my Queen, use my power.
How is that going to work? I am chained in iron, didn't you just say that it weakens Fae magic?
But I am not Fae….
JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS
Jareth appeared in the library of his castle, frantically he called out, "Aldric!"
Fiona appeared from behind a stack of books, looking at him askance, "He is not here My Lord," she said.
"Where is he?" Jareth demanded, "I have to find Sarah."
"Find Sarah? What has happened? Where are Liam and Siobhan?" Fiona demanded.
Jareth took a moment to calm himself as he saw the worry and fatigue on her face. "Safe." He said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "They have elected to stay above and help in the investigations."
Fiona took a deep breath and nodded her head, saying, "I suppose we had to let them grow up eventually."
"Now I need to find Aldric, there is dark magic afoot and I must discover the meaning of this crystal." He said, holding it out to her.
Fiona looked at the angry red of the crystal and gasped. "Where did you get that?" She asked, taking a step back from it.
"At Sarah's apartment," he responded. "Do you know the meaning of it?"
"There was a crystal like that found with the body of every murdered Fae, I don't know what it means, but I do know that whenever one of those crystals appeared, someone died." She said sadly.
Jareth began pulling books from shelves, large massive tomes that he hoped would give him some insight. He tried reaching out with his mind to Sarah, only to be met with the same silence he had been experiencing for the last hour or so. Gods, he thought to himself, has it only been an hour? The Labyrinth was strangely silent as well. He had never needed that bond more and he didn't even have that available to him, it would seem.
"Find Aldric." He bit out at Fiona. "I need to know what he knows about this sort of magic."
"Why don't you know anything about it?" Fiona questioned.
"Ancient though I may be, there are still things that are out of even my realm of knowledge." Jareth admitted. "Aldric has studied every book in this library, memorized every line on every page. If there is anyone who knows, it is he." Jareth stopped and looked at the crystal in his hand. "Every line, every page, he would know," he murmured to himself.
Sitting heavily on the chair at his desk he thought back to something Siobhan had said, her parents had thought all of the assassinations were inside jobs. They suspected the guards, what if it had been someone else? Someone who would have unquestioned access to every Fae monarch? A trusted advisor to one of their own?
"LABYRINTH!" Jareth roared, "YOUR KING HAS NEED OF YOU!"
Fiona started in surprise at his sudden outburst, confused as to what had caused it. "My Lord, what is it?" She asked shakily.
"I believe I now know who is behind everything. If I am correct, Sarah is in serious danger."
"Sarah? Why? Wouldn't she have magic of her own to defend herself?" She asked, more and more confused.
"Sarah's magic is unstable right now. She hasn't had time to learn to control it, or her emotions." He said, standing to pace in front of the desk.
"Where is the Labyrinth?" He snarled. "Never has that blasted maze remained silent for this long."
Reaching out with his mind, he attempted to connect with the being and with Sarah. Finally he was rewarded when he felt the faintest glimmer from Sarah. Seizing on that thin thread, he waved a hand to clad himself in armor and sheathed a broadsword at his side.
Before he transported himself he said at Fiona, "Call to Liam and Siobhan, let them know I will send up a signal of my location, tell them to bring all able bodied persons who are not essential above. This ends now!" With that he disappeared.
Fiona watched the cloud of glitter in shock for a moment. "What just happened?" She mused softly.
Shaking her head she set about to do the Kings bidding. Hating that everyone was in danger yet again, but hoping that this time would be the end.
JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS – JS
Sarah tried reaching out again for Jareth, she sagged in relief when she felt a tenuous connection, hoping it was enough, she pushed it with all her might.
"You won't win, you know." She said conversationally to Aldric.
He paused in his study of the sword and looked at her. "Oh, I think I have an advantage or two."
"No, you have nothing. You can't beat us together." Sarah said.
"My dear lady," he sneered at her. "You are here alone. I do not see the Goblin King in the vicinity." He chuckled, turning to look around the room. "You are utterly alone."
"Who said I was talking about Jareth?" She asked sweetly.
"There is a prophecy about you, did you know?" He asked, walking toward her, dragging the sword along the ground and creating sparks in its wake. "Would you like to know what it says?"
"Why would I be interested in any prophecy you have possession of?" Sarah was stalling, hoping that Jareth would arrive quickly. As much as she appreciated that the Labyrinth had her back, she was afraid to draw on that power again.
"Oh, but I think you will find this most interesting. You see, it has more to do with your child than you, really." He grinned sickeningly at her. "The child that you will, sadly, not bear. Tsk , tsk, such a pity."
My Queen, I really must insist that you allow me to aid you.
Don't we want to know what this lunatic knows?
He knows nothing that I haven't known for a millennia, my Queen.
Do I have a choice?
There is always a choice, I would hope, that in this instance, you would choose life.
Do I need to say a spell, do something special?
Only relax and open yourself to me.
Ok, do it.
Sarah relaxed and opened her mind and felt a presence fill her like before, unlike the last time, she felt oddly in control and not all at the same time. There was no wild singing in her veins, no bloodlust, only a steady rise in energy and the feeling of incredible strength and calm. An unseen wind blew her hair and her eyes glowed golden. Aldric stared at her in disbelief as the iron shackles fell away.
Jareth exploded into the room, momentarily distracting Sarah as she and the Labyrinth faced Aldric, turning to face him, he felt a moment of panic when he realized what was happening. Deciding to trust her and the Labyrinth, he stood beside her, drawing his own sword.
"Aldric!" Jareth snarled. "I've put it together, it has been you all along. Why?"
"Stupid fool!" Aldric shouted. "Why did you have to piece out the underground? You could have ruled it all. Had unlimited power, had the world in your hand." Raising the sword he made a swipe at Jareth. "And I along with you."
Sarah waved her hand and Aldric was swept back against the stone wall, pinned there by an unseen force.
"Do I kill him my king?" Although the voice came out of Sarah's mouth, it clearly did not belong to her. Jareth glanced over and wondered just how much of his beloved Sarah would be left after this.
"No, Labyrinth, we will not kill him this night. We must find out what he knows, we must find out who is helping him. He will get a fair trial before his execution."
"As you wish." As the Labyrinth spoke, iron chains appeared and wrapped themselves around Aldric.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll talk. Perhaps you can live out eternity in an oubliette instead of being executed." Jareth said, looking at the man who had been his trusted advisor for his entire reign in disgust.
"You'll never know the scope." Aldric spat. "There are those who would pay a handsome price to see you fall, Jareth."
"Let them come." He said wearily. "I'll be ready, as I always have been."
A dense red fog bean to weave through the oubliette, obscuring Aldric from Sarah and Jareth's view, they heard maniacal laughter ring out around them and when the smoke cleared Aldric was gone and in his place a sinister cloudy red crystal, glowing sickly.
"What the holy, fucking, hell!" Sarah grated.
"Not to fear, my love," Jareth said, an oddly chipper note in his voice. "We know who, we know how and we have a way to find out where they've gone off too, it'll be fun."
Sarah rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "You and I need to have a serious discussion about the definition of fun." In the back of her mind, she heard the Labyrinth wholeheartedly agree.