Chapter 8: A Strange Encounter Seen by One
The night spell, which was cast over Goblin city to relieve the residents from the sunny disposition of the Labyrinth long enough to avoid grumpy riots, fell over the castle long before Jareth got back from the wall. The sun glowed white from behind the dark translucent blanket in the sky as the Goblin King passed wearily through the gates. The eastern wall was sealed again and all the Moraine soldiers had been rounded up and dealt with. He sagged down into his throne exhausted. He felt her enter the room and opened one eye suspiciously.
"What are you doing down here?"
She stared at him and quietly said, "I saw you return so I just…" She trailed off looking behind her at the door. He was too tired to try and figure out her nonsense right now.
"What is it you want?" His face was in his hands fighting off sleep. A light touch brushed back his hair and he looked up startled. Her face was solemn and twisted in worry. She kneeled down and put a cold hand underneath his sharp chin. A foreign feeling went through him and was gone before he could try to understand it.
"What happened today? And don't brush the question aside. It was something to do with the people of Moraine again….and there was fighting…"
She drifted off and scrunched up her brow trying to remember something. Just like in the Trynris lair, her eyes were unfocused and glazed with the white glow of the Labyrinth's sun. Had she felt the pain of the injured? He took the hand under his chin into his to try and snap her out of her trance. She looked back at him, but her eyes remained the same. Frowning, he looked at his hands realizing how cold her hand really was. It felt like all the warmth had been sucked out of it and no matter how much warmth traveled from him to her, they never grew warmer. Jareth looked at her other hand and then down to notice she was barefoot on the freezing stone floor. Jareth stood up and picked her up before his cloak had a chance to settle on the ground. She looked at him in confusion, but didn't say anything. Bringing Nell to her bed, he laid her down gently.