Chapter 12.
Sarah's eyes focused, and to her chagrin she found herself standing on the steps that would lead to the Escher like room. She could hear her companions behind her assuring her they were there for her…should she need them. With an unenthusiastic grunt she walked up the stairs and though the archway.
Jareth was lounging on the stairs, "Let me guess…" He looked at her dolefully. "You made yet another unguarded wish."
Sarah nodded.
Jareth smirked then patted the stair he was seated upon. "Come here, sit down, and let's see what kind of mess you've gotten us into this time."
"I'm having my vocal cords removed as soon as I get back home." She said as she sat beside the Goblin King.
Lazily Jareth draped his arm over her shoulder. "Now that would be a waste of a fine voice." He teased, "And I should miss hearing you extol how unfair life is."
Sarah turned to snap at him, but instead broke out laughing. "Touché."
Jareth warmed to her laugh, "So my precious thing, what did you wish this time?"
"To do things differently, if I'm not mistaken." She looked at him with his arm draped over her shoulder so casually. "What's this?" She tugged on his arm.
"Something different," he suggested with a wink. He left he arm shrouding her shoulder. "I find it fascinating that your wishes are so…capricious. I'd have thought you'd have learned the value of being a bit less impulsive."
"I thought you said you were going to take back that power." Her voice shook as she spoke.
"Yes, well…." He leaned back on the stairs. "The end of our last little walk down memory lane left me with an impression that it would be more entertaining to leave you with the power. After all, it was a gift, and one does appreciate seeing his gifts put to use."
"In other words you're hoping you'll get lucky again because of my inability to control my mouth." She quipped.
"More or less." He mused. "And I was right, for lo! Here you are again."
Sarah covered her face, "There's got to be more to it than just me wishing." She groaned.
"Now, Sarah, let us look at your wishes to date."
"To date there've only been two." She said quickly.
"Two spoken," he challenged. "How many unspoken wishes?" He raised a wicked brow and smirked. "Care to discuss unspoken wishes, precious?"
"Don't you think I'm in enough hot water here?" She asked looking at him with sad eyes.
"Not quiet yet." He teased, and then returned to the subject of wishes. "Sarah the first wish that brought you back into the Labyrinth was one of wanting me to kiss you, and it escaladed from there…nicely…." He smiled thinking of how they'd ended up. "Now you want to do things differently. Since we are here, I take it your mind is focused on some aspect of your choice." The hand that was draped over her pulled her back toward his reclined body. "So shall we discuss terms of surrender?"
"That's not funny." She didn't resist his luring her to his side. When her back touched his chest she turned and wrapped her arms about him. "Don't tease me about this, Jareth. Please don't tease."
Taken about by her capitulation he looked at the young woman, holding on to the one person who she'd seen as her enemy. "Admit defeat, lay down your arms and relinquish your fate to me." He suggested softly.
"Jareth," she looked at him with eyes full of questions. "You said you didn't reordered time before… have you now?"
"No." He said.
"What happens to Toby?" she asked.
"You forfeit him, and then I will have to reorder time to set things to rights." The Goblin King watched her carefully.
Sarah released her grip on him, and stood up to walk near the edge. She peered over the side, her hand to her lips in reflective thought.
"Don't jump." He whispered in anguish and torture, watching her contemplate what to do.
"I don't want to jump…I didn't want to jump then…You left me no choice…not then…not now." She teetered on the edge.
"You said you wanted to do things differently." He reminded her sharply.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder, "I think you and I are fated to repeating the same mistakes over an over. I want to do things differently, but you still demand the price I can not pay." She looked back at the abyss before her.
"Sarah." Jareth watched as she stepped off the ledge. "Damn you!" He watched the room fall apart once more. "Damn that stubborn woman!"
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Sarah had expected to fall to the broken remains, the ruins that had captured her when she fell the first time. It came as a shock when she fell instead into the shambles of the crystal ball room. The beautiful gown was now shredded into rags, and she lay on the broken remains of what had been the cushion pit under the great staircase of crystal chandeliers. She looked around everything was covered in layers of dust and grime. She stood up shakily and wondered why she was back here.
"Why is it you can not obey?" Jareth stood glaring down at her from the same place he'd stood that night when she entered the ballroom. "Why?" He railed.
"Because to obey that command would cost Karen her son," Sarah said shaking her head. "And she does not deserve that."
Jareth wore the same splendid evening garment he'd worn then, and like then they were in perfect condition in broad contrast to Sarah and the rest of the room. He came down the stairs, looking every inch as Regal as his title commanded. "You didn't think about that when you wished the tyke away."
Sarah wiped the grime of the pillows off her hands on to the shredding skirt. "No I didn't, and I've had to pay for it every day since with a guilty conscious and nightmares every night."
"You expect me to believe that a mere thirteen hours in my Labyrinth was enough to work such a change in you?" He stood over her like a monolith.
Sarah walked passed him and flippantly replied, "It wasn't thirteen…you took two hours from me."
"You bitch!" He spat at her.
"Yes, and you can take credit for some of that." She said turning to face him. "Yes, you Jareth, great King of the Goblins are responsible for me being a bitch."
"You, Sarah Williams were a bitch long before I ever caught your scent on the winds!" He accused. "I should never have been so impulsive. Mortals can not control themselves; it's not in their nature. I should have known that gracing you with power was a depraved decision."
Sarah ignored his harsh words. "Well this is different than me falling into the ruins and saying those words." She looked down at her gown. "Pity the dress didn't survive, it was pretty and I do thank you for it."
"It was spun out of your innocents." Jareth said crossing his arms. "It reflects the state of your innocence." He looked down at her gown and snipped. "I'd say your inexperience and purity are not quite what they use to be."
"No they are not." She admitted. "And that's my fault. Just as making careless wishes is my fault."
Jareth placed on hand on his him, the other to his nose and asked. "Sarah, where were you when you made this latest wish?" she turned away from him. "Who were you with?" Again she refused to answer his query; walking swiftly to her he yanked her round to face him. "You were with that Master person, don't deny it." His eyes burned with rage as his fingers bit into her arms.
Sarah's face didn't look upset, she looked relived. When he ceased shaking her, she gasped as his mouth came down on hers. Sarah's heart pounded as if it would break free of her chest.
Jareth picked her up. "Why must you be so difficult?"
She placed her head in his shoulder. "Because my will is as strong as yours."
He was still angry, or so he wanted her to think. "Don't start that up with me now, my girl." He warned carrying her back into the pillows that made up the seating area. As he stepped into the pit the grime disappeared as if it had never been there. "You've got some explaining to do woman." He settled himself pulling her near. "No speak, and don't lie, for I will read it in your eyes."
Sarah smiled softly. "I believe you." She looked down at the gown that no longer reflected her innocence. "I'm sorry about the dress."
"Forget the dress, what were you doing in the company of that man again?" Jareth placed a gloved hand to her throat, in a show of authority.
"I went to tell him I wasn't going to see him ever again." She thought about it, and then laughed. "God that sounds so stupid."
"Thank you for pointing that out, and saving me the trouble." Jareth said harshly.
Placing a hand over the one at her throat, Sarah looked boldly up into the eyes of the Goblin King. "Why should it matter to you?"
Jareth felt his jaw chinch. "I'll do the asking of questions here." But his hand was moving on her throat as if it had a will of its own. "What reason would you have for going there?"
"I wanted to tell him I had not interest in being his salve." She said gazing at him.
"That a man would desire you for his slave, I can understand." He cautioned. "I'm a man, Sarah."
"You offered to be my slave." She whispered in a husky voice.
Jareth heard her tone, and felt her pulse jump under his fingers. "Did I?" He asked noting the changes in her breathing and her eyes. She was becoming aware of him, truly aware. "I remember I had stipulations attached to that offer, Sarah. Stipulations you ignored and toss to the wayside." He brought his other hand up to stroke her cheek. "Was I yet again the topic of conversation betwixt you and this man?"
"I'm afraid so, Majesty." She simpered under his gentle stroking.
"Now how did I get embroiled in a conversation about you being this man's slave?" He brought his face close to hers.
"My refusal to be his slave." She corrected.
"My mistake." He leaned closer and kissed her eyes. "You were saying?"
"He challenged me, asked if slavery was the cost you'd asked for my dreams and I told him it was quiet the opposite. That you offered to be my slave." She shivered deliciously under his kiss of her eyes.
"Was he impressed?" He murmured as he pressed his lips to her brow.
"I refused to discuss the …intimate details of our relationship with him." She could almost taste his scent in the air.
Jareth smiled as he kissed her temple. "We have a intimate relationship?" Sarah nodded to his pleasure. "Go on."
"He didn't like being defied." She pouted.
"No man does." He kept kissing her temple and worked his way over to her ear. "And as I recall, you are very good at defying a man."
Sarah looked at him, "Not as good as I once was." She then looked at the dress. "I accused him of taking what belonged to you."
Jareth considered her words, "Sarah," he tipped her face upward.
Tears were brimming in her eyes. "You say my name like a dark secret. Like a promise of Valentine evenings…" She whispered.
"He may have led your body down the path to pleasure…" He kissed her cheek and moved to her lips. "But I, my sweet, I took your innocence long before he ever dreamed of bedding you." He twisted and they tumbled into the pillows beneath them. "Like the Labyrinth Sarah, I can not be escaped."
"I don't want to escape you," she pulled his face to hers, her lips hungry for his.
Jareth answered her hunger, with a hunger of his own. "But you don't want to obey me yet, do you?" His hand moved to the cords that held the back of the rag gown together, one swift pull and it fell away.
Sarah lay back as he pulled the rag off her. "Is this just in my mind?"
"No." he admitted as he removed his garments as well.
Reaching out her hands she beseeched him, "Take me, my King."
Jareth hesitated but only for one briefest second. He kissed the mortal girl, the girl who troubled his life in more ways than any goblin had ever dreamed of. "If only you could obey me." He whispered as he made love to the mortal he cherished and hated at once.
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