Chapter 4.
Jareth awoke with foggy memory; he sat up in the bed and looked around. The last thing he remembered was being with Sarah, looking at the baby wearing a striped sleeper. He had spoken of Merlin the dog, and then it all went foggy. He had gone to Sarah to warn her. Now he could not be sure he had been able to. In fact he was not sure he would ever be able to.
Quinn watched from his vantage point.
"Quinn?" Jareth whispered aloud.
'Yes, brother?' the dark one answered.
"What did you do?" he was worried now.
'Nothing…yet.' He said in truth.
"Leave her alone." Jareth warned.
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Solea looked at her husband. "I thought the merger was to join the shattered soul?"
"It should have." Cairbre said looking into the waters they were using to scry. "It appears it has not been completed."
The Water Sprite frowned. "No wonder the High King is disconcerted."
The Bard nodded. "There's more to this then meets the eye, I am sure."
Solea held out her hand to her Bond-mate. "Best get your scrolls out, my love. I've a feeling more of your favorite subject's story is about to be unfolded."
Waving a hand, the Bard set the scrolls in a pile next to the seat he had created for himself. "Wise words, wife."
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Ryan was at the Wyrn waiting when Jareth arrived for the morning ride. "Sire." He greeted the King.
"Ryan." The greeting was returned in kind.
Ryan mounted his dragon, "How was Sarah?"
Jareth blinked. "Fine."
"Not upset that you showed up?" Questioned the Paladin.
The King shrugged. "Is Anne joining us?" he changed the subject. "Giles is eager to show off his bridge." Anne and Giles were both coming into the Wyrn just then. "Ah, here they come now. Good morning Lady Anne."
"Jareth." Anne mounted her Red Dragon. "Good morning for a ride."
Jareth nodded. "To the bridge."
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Sarah looked at the pouring rain outside, and took a deep breath. Meep looked at the storm over her shoulder. "We'll have to keep them occupied inside today, Meep." She said quietly. "Think you can come up with a game?"
Meep looked at Sarah, "Have you ever known me not to?"
"Meep…tell me about…Quinn." Sarah said quietly.
The Pixie turned from the storm outside to the one inside.
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The King dismounted and turned to Ryan, "A word, if you please." He drew the younger man aside. "What can you tell me about Robert Williams?"
"What do you need to know, Sire?" Ryan smiled.
The face smiled back. "Everything you've got. I want to know how that man thinks, and why he'd frown on Sarah being the object of affection of an slightly older man."
Ryan nodded. "Well right off the bat, he'd be put off by an older man because his little princess is still only seventeen. He's very protective of her, has been since his first wife ran off with the actor."
The King nodded, "Understandable."
Ryan looked agitated; "I don't think so. He treats Sarah weird. Like he is afraid to get close, but he never lets her go too far. It is as if he's holding on to her mother by keeping control of Sarah."
"That could well be." The voice said sadly. "Sarah said last night her father has canceled her trip to Scotland, Ryan. I have to make it possible for Sarah to return to our Kingdom. There fore I must cross verbal swords with the father."
Ryan scoffed. "Lot's of luck Jareth! He's a lawyer! Twisting words is his business." He handed his reigns to a groom.
"Go to breakfast…I've much to think over, and thank you, Ryan." The man said.
"Sure, anytime, Jareth." Ryan ran to catch up to Anne.
"Did you learn what you needed to?" Angus asked putting his great head over the shoulder of the Fae standing and pondering.
"Yes, I think I have." He looked at the dragon and winked. "Have a good day, Angus."
"You too…Quinn." The dragon snickered.
The Fae turned and placed a finger to his lips, but smiled.
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Solea looked at her husband. "Quinn is in control? How is that possible?"
"I don't know." Cairbre stated hotly. "I wish I had training in the medical arts, then I could give you more information, my wife."
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The telephone rang; Sarah picked it up quickly. "Hello?"
"Sarah, it's Dad." His voice sounded even sterner.
"Hi, Daddy, how's Karen's father?"
"He's taken a turn for the worse." Her father said darkly. "It looks like we will be here for a few days…we're working on arrangements should the worst happen."
Sarah grimaced. Her father always expected the worst it seemed to her. "I'm sorry for Karen."
The voice on the other ended softened. "Yes, I know you are. How are the tykes?"
"Fine…but it's really storming here, and we're stuck indoors. I'm afraid of a power outage, Daddy…I've got the candles and everything ready." Sarah looked at a flash of lightening. "They closed Sandal Road this morning, and the creek is rising."
"Well, at least you're on high ground." Her father commented.
"Yes, there is that. I've got all the emergency numbers here by the phone, just in case." She said. "And I'm keeping Merlin in the garage."
"Good. Look I've got to go, here's the doctor again. I'll call this evening." Her father said.
"Ok, tell Karen I …I'm thinking of her." Sarah said as she heard the line go dead. "Daddy…Daddy?"
The lights flickered, and then the house was plunged into darkness. Meep stopped playing his flute and listened. "That can't be good." The Pixie began to shake and gasp.
Sarah felt as if the air was being sucked from her. "It's not." She turned her back so the little ones could not see what she was doing. She drew a crystal from the air, drew back and released it. "Defendo." She ordered. The orb went out of the wall and she could feel the shield cover the house.
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The King was sitting at his desk, going over the plans for the next building project with Giles. "This looks very good."
"It will help with keeping the Labyrinth from spilling out of our boarders." Giles agreed.
Something like a bolt shot though the King, he stood up. She was in danger. "Sarah!" the voice groaned. "Giles I've got to go." He vanished.
Ryan and Anne witnessed the departure. "Where's he off to?"
Giles moved to one of the mirrors, he touched it and it revealed the storms ravaging their hometown. "He's gone to be sure Sarah and her siblings are safe."
Anne looked at the mirror. "Good Lord! What the hell is going on?"
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Even with the protection of the shield, Sarah was terrified. She gathered Toby and Kerry and rushed them to the basement. She felt bad she could not take time to get Merlin as well. Meep huddled with them. The storm sounded like it was trying to tear apart the shield she'd put up.
Sarah saw the image as it formed. "Jareth?" she looked then saw the dark one was there. "Quinn." She sounded downhearted as he pulled the little one in her arms closer.
Swiftly the Fae moved toward the huddled bodies. "We have to get you all out of here, and now."
"It's just a storm." Sarah tried to say with conviction.
Meep put himself between the Fae and Sarah. "It's a storm, go away, we can handle this!"
Quinn was amused and touched by the devotion of the little Pixie. "Meep, it's a storm alright, but it's too powerful to be just old Mother Nature on her own. Sarah and the children will be safer on the other side of the portal. In the Underground I can protect them." He turned to Sarah as he took Toby into his arms. "Think of it as free pass number three, Sarah." He stood up, "Come on! The sooner you're out of her, the sooner the storms with pass."
"Who's playing target practice with me now?" She demanded as she followed him to the portal.
He shrugged. "It's not us…that much I can tell you."
"Now that's just creepy." She said. She looked at the house. "Merlin's in the garage…will he be safe?"
The Fae paused, snapped his fingers and the hound came bounding toward them. "Sit!" He ordered and Merlin dropped. "Good, now come, Merlin." He whistled and the hairy beast followed them thought the portal.