Chapter 31.
Sarah used the path to the tower from the garden. Sir Didymus walked with her to keep her company. "Should you need me, my Lady…I shall be in the gardens for a bit longer." He bowed with a flourish and kissed her hand.
"Thank you, Sir Didymus." She parted with him at the hidden door of the tower.
She had not been in the tower much in the last two years. Not since the tourney really. She had been here with Quinn, that one time for the "private talk". It amazed her how spotless the tower always was.
She used the hidden elevator to go up. Once on the upper floor, she looked at the tools and instruments that had been left scattered here the last time she had been in the tower. Her eyes noticed the book lying on the podium, and she walked over to look at it. Jareth and Quinn had created the spell-book as children. The thought of the two boys playing in this tower and this book brought a bittersweet smile to Sarah's lips. There was a little ribbon in one page of the book, and she read it once more. It was the levitation spell. Slowly she read the spell aloud, not really thinking about what she was doing. She turned to move away from the stand the book was resting on, and noticed something was very wrong. "Oh no, not again!" She gasped.
As if she were a dandelion seed, or a feather on the wind, Sarah began to rise. Headed toward the rafters and cross-joints in the upper reaches just beneath the roof of the tower she struggled against the spell. It did little good, and she began to shout. "Help!" She knew no one in the war-room would hear her, yet she hoped that Sir Didymus in the garden would be altered and go for help.
The little Knight sitting alone in the garden did hear the cries. He knew of the enchantment on the tower. That none but a magic user could enter. He went in search of the King.
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Angus landed smoothly, and Quinn dismounted with grace. "Thank you Angus." He said quietly.
"Remember what I said. Just be yourself." The Dragon Lord said with confidence.
Before Quinn could reply they were interrupted by the cries of the little knight. Quinn looked at the animated little figure rushing toward him. "Sir Didymus, what is it?"
Lady Sarah…She's in the wizard's tower…." The little knight panted.
A long silent inner voice groaned. 'We didn't secure the tower.'
Quinn closed his eyes and growled. "I told her I didn't want her it the tower! Does that woman ever do as she's told?" He began to stalk off toward the castle.
"No female does!" The old Dragon laughed and taunted.
Quinn dismissed the little knight on the way to the tower. "I can handle this, and thank you for coming to get me." He opened the door, and heard the pitiful and now hoarse peals for aid. Taking his time, he climbed the stairs and pushed open the door. The room seemed empty. He knew she was still in the room. He could smell the sweet fragrance she was fond of wearing. It hung in the air as a veil hung over a bride's head and face. He drew in a breath, then looked up. Clinging to the rafter once more was the lady in question. He suppressed the urge to smile, and laugh. "Having a bit of trouble there, are you Mystic?" He asked as he leaned on the doorway.
Sarah looked down carefully. "Oh for the love of God, help me! I thought you said you two were going to fix things in here…."
Quinn strolled at a leisurely pace into the tower room, his face a mask of disinterest. "What I said was I didn't want you in my tower, if you recall." He crossed his arms and looked at the girl hanging. "Now why should I help you?"
"Quinn, please…I'm losing my grasp here." She shifted and felt the rafter tear into her hands. She whimpered as the pain hit.
"Fine." He sighed, waved a hand and floated up to where she hung helplessly. He slid one hand about her, the other under her knees. "You can let go now." He said tersely. "Just place your arms over my shoulders." She put one arm over the back of his shoulder, and defiantly refused to put the other arm around him. He pretended to let go of her and the arm she had refused to place on him went over his shoulder like a shot. She held tight, and her face whipped around to his. Quinn remembered the words of the Dragon. 'Be yer self Quinnie me lad…Be yer self.' He looked at her, not the way his other half did, and instead he let himself shine though. "Strange little creature." He mused, much as he had the first time he found her hanging in the tower. His feral eyes danced with mischief and hunger. Cradling her as they floated on air, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her surprised mouth. The soft protest died before it really started, and she mewed softly.
Quinn watched as her eyes closed almost automatically. He could feel the sweet mouth beneath his part in anticipation of his kiss. Gently he teased her with the tip of his tongue. Slowly he traced her lips as he held her suspending against gravity. He kept the kiss moderate and persuasive, not wishing to over power the girl, not just yet. He needed her to hunger.
Sarah opened her eyes and looked at him when he ended the kiss. "Thank you for saving me again." She whispered.
"Seems to be my calling in life, doesn't it?" He teased as his feet landed softly on the stone tiles of the tower floor. HE held her in his arms, "What were you doing?"
She motioned to the book. "I thought you'd said you were going to fix that thing."
Quinn snickered. "I'm afraid with everything else that has happened…we didn't think of it."
"Oh yeah," she moaned. "Very funny, Quinn…Have you any idea of how scary it is to hang from that rafter?" Looking back at the man, she felt her breath freeze, her lips parted and she stared at him. "Please, put me down." She mewed.
Quinn lowered her to her feet, but did not relinquish his hold on her. "As you wish, my…lady." He drank her in with his eyes.
Sarah disentangled herself from him, shaking as she did. "Stop that!"
Quinn smiled, " Why? You enjoy being cuddled and petted, don't you?"
Sarah began to back away from him. "You don't have the right, Quinn."
"Don't I?" he taunted as he stepped closer with cat like movements.
"No." she squeaked backing up until she was against a wall.
Quinn placed a hand on either side of her, trapping her within the span of his arms. "Still fighting the attraction, Sarah?"
"You look like him, you sound like him, but you are not him!" She hoarsely rasped.
Quinn blinked. "You are so right." The image that the world saw melted away, and hovering over her like a bird of prey stood Quinn of Tarsi. "Now, you were saying?"
Sarah gasped, she had not thought it possible for him to transform back to the darker half of the souls image. "Quinn." She gasped.
"Yes, Sarah." He leaned forward; his cheek touched hers as he whispered in her ear. "Quinn."
Her fingertips dug into the wall behind her, she panicked. "If anyone see you…"
"No one will see me," he assured her as he began to explore her long slender neck with his lips. "Only magic users allowed, remember?" He looked down at her hands digging into the wall. Deliberately he reached down and pulled on of her hands off the wall. He felt her resist, "Now, now, Sarah." He growled in the back of his throat. "There's no escape." He pulled her hand forward, placing it on his waist. "You may as well resign yourself to the fact that we are going to have to bond."
"You marked me," she said in a tone that hinted anger as well as accusation. "Isn't that enough?"
"No, sweet, it's not." He teased as his mouth moved down her throat.
"What more do I have to do?" she moaned, feeling like a traitor, her body was already responding with excitement to Quinn's ministrations. As his mouth landed on the hollow of her throat, she gasped loudly.
Quinn chuckled softly, sensually. "Yes, I remember you liking that." He teased as he continued his assault.
"Quinn, I beg you…stop." She felt her pulse race and her breathing was becoming more than difficult.
"Sarah." He said pulling her closer, his lips breathing her name against her skin as he continued to kiss the soft tender area of the young woman's throat. His hand moved up her back, caressing every disc of her spine as it traveled upward. HE murmured her name again as his lips move over her shoulder.
Sarah felt her other hand gently removed from the wall. He placed it over his shoulder without even looking at it. Sarah fought and lost the battle; she looked down at the man whose kisses were like worship on her skin. "Quinn please, I can't."
"You can." His lips moved to her ear. "Ma petite."
Sarah shivered involuntarily. "Please, let me go."
"Ne me quitte pas
Il faut oublier
Tout peut s'oublier
Qui s'enfuit déjà
Oublier le temps
Des malentendus
Et le temps perdu
A savoir comment
Oublier ces heures
Qui tuaient parfois
A coups de pourquoi
Le cœur du bonheur
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas" Quinn whispered reverently, his lips at her ear. His fingers making slow circles at the small of her back. Sarah arched and mewed. "I don't understand…what did you just say? I don't speak French!" Quinn traced the line of her jaw with his lips. "We must rectify that." He said softly . "I said…Do not leave me
It is necessary to forget
All can be forgotten
Who flees already
To forget time
Misunderstandings
And wasted time
Namely how
To forget these hours
Who killed sometimes
With blows of why
The heart of happiness
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me" He pulled her closer again, before she could protest placed his lips on hers with a masterful show of ownership. One hand held her back; the other cradled the back of her head. His tongue moved over, past the gentle parting of her lips, and into the warm inner mouth. This time there was no war, no battles, only sweet surrender. This time when the kiss ended, Sarah clung to him. "Now, really Sarah," He murmured low. "Is old Quinnie really all that bad?""No." She mewed back. "But I feel like such a…traitor."
Quinn cupped her face. "Let me court you." He pleaded. "It was and is my brother's wish."
Sarah placed her head against his shoulder. "But it feels so…wrong."
"Sarah," He stroked her hair, "let me court you."
"I'll try…" she promised.
Quinn raised her head, softly speaking again in the romance language.
"Moi je t'offrirai
Des perles de pluie
Venues de pays
Où il ne pleut pas
Je creuserai la terre
Jusqu'après ma mort
Pour couvrir ton corps
D'or et de lumière
Je ferai un domaine
Où l'amour sera roi
Où l'amour sera loi
Où tu seras reine
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pas
Ne me quitte pasMe I will offer to you
Pearls of rain
Arrivals of country
Where it does not rain
I will dig the ground
Until after my death
To cover your body
Of gold and light
I will make a field
Where the love will be a king
Where the love will be law
Where you will be queen
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me
Do not leave me"
"Whose words?" She asked slowly.
"A French poet, Jacques Brel." Quinn answered. "Do you like it? There is more."
Sarah placed light fingertips to his lips. "Enough…for now, Quinn."
He nodded. "Come, my dear." He turned toward the door. "I'm sure lunch is being served and your parents most likely wonder where we are." He pulled her into his arm and guided her out of the tower. "Ma petite."