Chapter 26.

Quinn rose, held out his hands and pulled Sarah to her feet. "Come, we are missing the wedding feast." He said gently. "We should get back to our guests, Sarah."

"Wait, Quinn." She held the naked hands holding hers. "Tell me what happened when you went to rescue…Jareth." When he stared at her, she exclaimed. "I want to know what happened."

"I was under the impression that our Father spoke to you on this matter." His voice cooled.

Sarah raised a brow, almost Faeishly so. "He explained what happens in theory."

Seeing her mimic a Fae, he snickered. "Don't do that, you look silly." He sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"Ryan told me what happened outside the mine, and what happened when they brought …you out…I want to know what happened in the mine." She stated gripping his hands so he could not turn away. "Only you can tell me."

"I've told no one." He said quietly.

"Tell me." She pleaded. "Beloved, tell me."

His lips parted, then he nodded, "Yes, beloved." He pulled her hands to his chest. "The chamber was dark, I drew a crystal from the air and commanded light….I saw Jareth, pale and motionless on the ground. All around, scattered though out the chamber was an item from the mortal world that could prove fatal to any high born Fae. Railroad spikes, iron railroad spikes. Some were very close to Jareth. Elise must have used trolls or some sub-level beastie to salt the mine….No high born Fae or Elf can touch iron. There was far more iron in the chamber than I knew…My powers were draining quickly, and I could not stand…I fell as close to Jareth as I dared…without touching one of the spikes."

Quinn's voice deepened racked with pain of the memory. "He spoke of you…of the plot against us. Elise meant to kill both Jareth and I, and then you. He wanted you safe, he told me that."

Sarah sobbed. "Was he…" she did not finished.

"Very nearly." Quinn closed his eyes; he had shared the memory with no one. "I had touched his face. When I moved my hand, I saw he was flushed where my hand had touched. I told him we had but one chance."

Sarah looked at the man before her, "Wait, if he was near death…how could he initiate the merge?"

"He didn't…I did." Quinn confessed. "I tore his glove off and gave him my strength, my body…He begged me not to leave him and I promised him I never would…" He thought of the last moments in the cavern chamber. He reached for his brother's gloved hand and began to tare at the leather.

"Quinn? What are you doing?" Jareth moaned.

"Be still," the darker brother ordered. "We are going to merge."

Mismatched eyes sought the azure blue ones. "Too risky. No reversal."

Quinn gripped his brother's hand. "Listen to me, brother. This is important. I do not know what will happen…what will remain…I need to say this while we are separate…. I never hated you! I've always loved you."

"I know…."

"Shut up and listen." Quinn ordered. "All the games, all the torments and antagonizing…it was all just that …games…you have always been my other half."

Jareth nodded. "Don't leave me Quinn…"

Quinn could feel the merge begin. "I won't, not ever…I'll be with you always…Brother."

The cavern bathed in an unnatural glow.

Quinn opened his eyes, "I promised him I would never leave."

"But when they pulled you out…you…look…" Sarah shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Only one body could survive…we absorbed into one another. Now there is one body, but the countenance is and must be that of the Goblin King." His hands still clasped hers, just over his heart. "The two…made…one."

"Who was in control when…"She trembled. "Who faced Elise?"

Mismatched eyes filled with soft pain. "We both faced Elise…Jareth's face, his voice, my will."

"You know his thoughts and his actions…" Sarah whispered. "He said he wanted to talk to me about something…was it about the kiss of marking?"

Quinn released her hands, and cupped her upturned face. "No, my sweet…well, not exactly… HE wanted to warn you that he had made a wager with me. A wager concerning you."

"He what?" Sarah's voice squeaked.

Quinn smirked, "Sarah," he crooned to her softly. "Surely you understand some of the nature of our ilk…you must have heard of our propensity of making wagers over almost anything that strikes our fancy."

"What did you two bet on?" She snapped.

A groan formed in the back of his throat, he lowered his face to hers capturing her lips under his. One hand slid from her chin to the back of her head, the other moved slowly down her throat over her shoulder and kept going until it reached the small of her back. His hand on her back moved her closer, even as his kiss drew from her an unwilling response. HE ended the kiss and smiled.

"You bastards bet who was going to kiss me first." She gasped.

"You know us so well." He teased. "In truth I believe I won that bet."

"You're crazy!" she turned her back on him.

Possessively Quinn slid his hands over her clasping them under her heart. "Sarah, describe the kisses you've shared with my other half." His voice was low, and his breath at her ear. "Then think of how I've just kissed you…even before the marking."

Sarah felt her throat freeze. "Quinn, can he hear us right now?"

"No, he rests." Quinn answered.

"You two share thoughts and feelings…always have, you said…" Sarah was feeling a moment of panic. She could feel Quinn nod as he kept his face close to her ear. "Did he know about…our…bargain?"

"No, my sweet, that is something I kept from him." Quinn murmured in her ear. "That it is betwixt thee, and me." He spun her to face him. "That is mine alone, beloved. My treasure."

"You are so twisted." She accused. "You were going to save him anyway, weren't you?"

"Yes." Quinn admitted freely. "I was."

"Then why the game, Quinn?"

"Just then," He teased. "I was still of the mind to break the bond you had beginning with Jareth. If truth be told, I wanted you. Little did I know what that would cost me." He breathed her scent in. "I've no regrets, Sarah. I would give my life for my brother a thousand times over. Being able to be with you is just an added benefit."

"Do you Fae ever play fair?" she asked in anguish.

"Never, my sweet." He tipped her face up to his. "You, Sarah Williams, know that better than any other."

"When…the merge is done…will …you…remember?" She flushed looking at him.

"The one will know all, remember all and be all." He promised. "And there will be no regrets, no recriminations, no judgements." The shattered soul stepped back, extended his arm and said clearly. "The Goblin King and his consort have been absent from the reception long enough. We must return."

Sarah placed a hand on his sleeve. "Yes, Sire."

Quinn placed a kiss on her brow. "He was right about you."

She smiled softly. "He was right about you too…He said you were sneaky, and you are."

Quinn laughed, then flicked his wrist and the gloves were back on his hands. "And the games go on."

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Giles and Robert kept a watch over the reception. There was much music and dancing, and most of the guests had not even noticed the absence of the King and his consort. Cairbre bowed to them and said softly. "My wife senses they are not done with the plot to sever the bond between the King and his consort."

Robert looked at Giles. "Can they do that?"

"I hope not Robert." Giles answered carefully. "But I'm not really sure of all the facts."

Robert looked at the Bard. "I am the father of the consort."

The Bard nodded, "I've been informed. Your daughter is remarkable."

"Thank you." Robert said.

Giles inclined his head. "The King has returned." He pointed to where the King was speaking to some guests.

Robert looked around. "Where's Sarah?"

Cairbre spotted the girl. "The consort is speaking to the Bride."

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Phineas took Millicent aside. "Now is your chance. The stupid Nephilim spawn is attending to the mortal scribe. Move swiftly! And he will be yours."

"Leave it to me, Healer." The Fae woman simpered.

Lord Hawthorne was moving through the crowd, he paused as he found his path blocked by Robert and Giles. Giles said something and Robert turned his attentions toward the man.

"You are Lord Hawthorne?" Robert addressed him.

Hawthorne looked as if he had been hit in the face with a dead fish. "You dare speak to me Nephilim?" the disgust and hate were not even hidden.

Robert looked the man over with an appraising eye. "Indeed I do."

Hawthorne was affronted, and distracted. "Step aside for your better, spawn."

Robert snorted. "What makes you my better? Your pure Fae blood? Hardly Hawthorne!"

"You are nothing…and once the issue of a true consort is settled I shall take great pleasure in seeing you and yours destroyed." The eyes of the Fae Lord burned with fires of hate.

"Is that so?" Robert was now amuse, and gladdened that he had spent time reading the law covering Nephilim. "Care to wager on that?" He chortled.

Shock registered on the face of the Fae Lord.

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Millicent stealthily sought out the King. She watched as he was left unguarded. He turned and saw her, "Jareth, Goblin King…I claim thee." She said as her hands reached out to grasp his arms. Her face twisted in pain, she cried out pulling back her hands. The hands covered in painful blisters, looking as if they had been stuck within the heart of a fire. She screamed as she saw her beautiful hands marred.

The King looked down on her with a stony gaze, as the High Court Healer rushed to the aid of the Fae woman. The Bride and Groom along with the other champions came to the side of the King surrounding him.

Hawthorne shoved his way past Robert hearing his daughter cry out in anguish. "What has happened?" He looked at the girl's hands now in the hands of the Healer who was examining her wounds. "What have you done to my daughter?" He shouted at the King.

"I did nothing." The Fae King said calmly. "She on the other hand, laid hands on my person…claiming me."

Millicent whimpered, "You said he was unmarked!"

Phineas looked up at the King with a glare. "He was unmarked. I'd swear to that."

Sarah moved forward, coldly looking down at the trio. "Lady Millicent I warned you before…twice. This tears it! Get out of my house, you are not welcome here any longer." She looked at the girls Father and the Healer. "I suggest you two go with her!"

Phineas pulled himself up to his full height, "I am the Healer of the High Court…I am here by the order of the High King."

"Oh don't think he's not going to hear about this." Sarah poked her index finger into the shoulder of the healer. "I intend to see to it that he hears exactly what you were up to, you snake oil charlatan."

Quinn and Jareth both witnessed the actions of the consort, and both chuckled at the same time. 'Go Sarah.' They cheered.

Sarah then turned on Hawthorne. "Get out of my house." As she turned, the diamonds and crystals in the spider pin on her shoulder sparkled and caught the light.

Healer Phineas grabbed at Sarah. "Where did you get this girl? Did you steal it?"

"I gave that to her, Phineas." Quinn said placing both hands over Sarah. "A gift to my beloved." He drew her possessively back from the grasp of the Healer.

"You gave a Nephilim spawn the Tarsi Spider?" The healer stood with his mouth agape.

Quinn raised Sarah's face with a gloved hand beneath her chin tenderly. "Of course I did. She is ours and we are hers." He gazed down at her with passion. "Any who try to sever us will suffer the same fate as Millicent or worse."

The Fae woman was still whimpering her father had a protective arm over her. "I shall report is affront!" Hawthorne declared.

"Do that." Quinn said looking down with satisfaction into the face of the girl his brother had brought into their lives. "Now…do leave…our lady has asked for you to be gone. You are not welcome in our house."

The High Court Healer glared at the pair. "I will be back…you can not order an official of the High Courts about, Nephilim spawn."

Sarah waved a hand at him, "Yeah, yeah…"

Ryan looked at Anne, "What the hell is going on?"

Anne shrugged. "Damned if I know." She looked at Giles.

"Long story." The Archer said as he looked at King and consort. "For now, leave it. There'll be time enough for explanations later."

Quinn winked at Sarah. "So, Nephilim spawn, care to dance?"

"I'd be delighted, you two faced bastard." She teased back.

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Solea held out a hand to her husband. "I think you had better come with me."

The Bard sighed. "That sounds serious."

"It is..." she sighed. "There's something I think you need to see." They wandered out to the gardens, to a shallow pool of water. "Reveal." She held her hands over the waters.

Images formed, and the scene played out for the Bard. He looked at his wife. "This is what you witnessed?"

She nodded. "It is time you knew…you need to have this part of the information for the battles that are about to begin."

The Bard blinked. "Battles?"

"Battles for the Shattered Soul." Solea whispered. "It is not over…and until the two are truly made one…It won't be."

Cairbre looked from image to his wife. "Is there more?"

"There is always more." She said softly, taking a seat beside him on the garden bench.