Chapter 18

The sudden roar from the awful creature, clutching her arm startled the terrified Sarah.

What? I'm not doing anything!

Sarah looked up at the creature that was still roaring furiously and gasped at the sight of a white owl, flinging its razor sharp claws in the creatures face.

"I won't let go!" the creature snarled to the owl in a raspy, hissing voice that Sarah would late forget. She thought she could see the fury in the owl's eyes.

That fury could only belong to one. Sarah's heart skipped a few beats as she looked, eyes wide, at the owl whose feathers seemed to glow in the orange sunset behind it. A scream of pain escaped Sarah's lips as the creature flung her forward in its fight against the barn owl. She could feel her own blood stream down her side, coloring her clothes red. There was a sudden, unpleasant sound and her screams was joined by the creature's, whose grip of her arm began to slip. The next thing she knew, she was falling freely through the air towards the ocean. The wind screamed in her ears, tuning out everything else around her.

An arm suddenly wrapped itself tightly around her waist and Sarah looked up only to stare into the mismatched eyes of the Goblin King. He looked angry. His blonde hair whipped around his face and over his shoulders as he put his other arm under her legs, as if carrying her.

"Jareth..." she breathed, forgetting about the fast coming ocean beneath them both and put her arms around his neck, hiding her face in the warmth of his chest.

Everything was suddenly dead quiet. The wind had stopped its loud, never ending screaming and been replaced by the soft beating of a heart. Sarah looked up when she felt Jareth's grip around her loosen a little. Her heart sank as she took her surroundings. They were back in the throne room.

"I was so close..." she whispered sadly before her face turned red. She turned her face to Jareth, realizing that she was still in the safety of his arms, her own still around his neck.

He looked back at her coldly, yet there was something amused secretly hidden in his eyes.

"Um... You can let me go now," said Sarah embarrassed after releasing his neck.

Jareth smirked and put her down before crossing his arms over his chest.
He said nothing, but the amusement in his eyes started to get to her as they made her feel like he knew one of her deepest secrets.

"What?" she finally asked as he didn't show any signs of speaking anytime soon. But then she became surprised. "You're not mad at me?"

"Is that what you wanted to achieve by running away," he finally asked. His voice too made the impression of hiding something amusing. "Getting me angry?"

"No," she answered in a short tone. "But I did think that you would punish me or something. Don't get me wrong!" she quickly added. "I don't want to be punished. I just don't know what you do to those who- What?!"

While she was talking she noticed that the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was trying his hardest not to laugh or, if she was unlucky, trying his hardest to control his anger.

"Relax, Sarah," he said in a restrained voice. "I won't punish you just yet. You've been punished enough as it is."

"What?" she asked uncomprehending as his words made no sense what so ever according to her.

"I think your own stupidity is punishment enough." he answered, now laughing a little.

The words hit Sarah in the face, making her mouth hang open.

"My... stupidity?" she repeated. The insult made her blood boil of anger.

"Ah, dear Sarah," he chuckled, putting his hands at his sides and tilted his head. "My dear, dear Sarah. You came to the very best place for those who are trying to cross my labyrinth... and you didn't even wish your way home. I actually thought I had lost you there but yet, here you are."

Jareth threw his head back in laughter, and goblins hiding in the room roared of laughter together with him. Feeling her cheeks burn of embarrassment against her will, Sarah turned her back to him, crossing her arms.

"I would have preferred it if you where mad," she muttered.

"Sarah- QUIET!" yelled Jareth over the roaring laughter from his goblins and immediately, the room fell dead quiet.

"I'm not too happy about you breaking our agreement, Sarah," Jareth said coldly from behind her. She felt his hands grab a hold of her shoulders before he turned her to him. "But more of that later," he pulled up the sleeve of the wounded arm. "First we must see to this."

Sarah had completely forgotten about her wound and gasped as she felt the sharp, thumping pain once again.

"Go to your room and you'll be seen to in a moment." Said Jareth and released her arm.

Still feeling very embarrassed, Sarah went upstairs without saying anything more.