Edited: 12 March 2013
Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Plot Thickens
It had taken more time and effort than he wanted to expend, especially with all the protective guards Jareth had placed, but he had finally narrowed the actual location down. Now, he sat on his throne assessing the situation. He needed more information. Unlike his fellow lords and princes, he knew that was where the true power lay. So he had sent several underlings to garner what he required.
Their findings were curious but insufficient. She was young, even by Mortal standards, and apparently an aspiring scholar of some sort living among other young Mortals of the same ilk. Additionally, she appeared to be a leader among those she lived with. A mentor in the very least, though some informants indicated she was in command. All the Mortals there, those who lived there as well as those who came and went at will, were preparing for some final event. It was all everyone was speaking about and a frantic energy fueled every action. But no one could inform him of any reason for it beyond that, whatever it was, it was indeed final. None, however, could give him any measure of the woman herself. What kind of person was she? What made her unique enough to catch the eye of Jareth, the unmovable King of the Goblins?
He brought himself back to the present and the minor Fae lord standing before him. Finally, he spoke. "Discretion is key, you understand. She will be difficult to reach, difficult to get to. But I want an assessment of her character. Do not disappoint me."
"Woah. That guy is totally checking you out, Wills," Agnes muttered over the lid of her mocha.
"Who?" Herb immediately surveyed the other people in the courtyard in front of the steps at the side entrance to the dorm.
Edmund leaned forward and smacked Herb on the back of the head. "Dude. Don't be so obvious."
"What did I do?"
Sarah giggled at Herb's bewildered expression. "You have to be casual, aloof."
"What?"
"Show him how it's done, Williams," Agnes advised.
"Alright. Where is he?"
"Seven o'clock to you."
They were sitting on the steps having coffee. Sarah was one step below the other three, her back to the courtyard. She took a sip from her cup before switching it to her left hand then setting it just behind her on the step below her. "First thing to remember is to keep the conversation going." She told Herb as she pulled her hair out of her ponytail and massaged her scalp. "That way it doesn't look suspicious. Now say something clever, Eddie."
Edmund snorted. "I don't care what you say about it, the Yankees will never win the Super Bowl."
Herb looked at his friend as though he had grown a second head. "Are you out of your mind?"
Agnes laughed. "Exactly, Herb, you're catching on. But pay attention to Williams here."
When Herb turned around, Sarah was running her fingers through her hair. "Then, you give yourself a perfectly logical reason for looking in another direction, but make sure to stop talking in case whoever it is can read lips."
"Paranoid," Edmund muttered over his own cup before taking a drink.
Sarah then ran the fingers on her left hand through her hair. Catching it on a tangle, she looked over her shoulder to seemingly inspect the ends. Pulling her hand free, she then turned around. "The redhead?"
"No," said Agnes. "Blonde. Leather jacket. Behind the guy next to a bicycle."
Sarah then felt the step next to her. She looked down to her right. "Where did my coffee go?"
Herb pointed. "Um, you put it on the other side."
"Oh! Thanks!" she said brightly. She turned around completely at the waist, picking up her coffee cup. As she lifted it to her lips, she scanned the crowd, laughing showily at Agnes' commentary behind her about how they practiced this in high school. Then she saw him. She made eye contact for the briefest of second and had to force herself to look away. Alarms were going off in her head. She kept a smile plastered to her face and turned back around. "Ok." She looked agnes in the eye. "Whether or not he is, as you say, checking me out is now moot. That guy, something about him gives me the creeps."
"That was awesome!" Herb said. "Did you really practice that?" He sounded very impressed.
"Sure, as though it was an art form. We had far too much free time for our own good. But seriously, even my toes are creeped out by that guy."
Edmund disregarded all pretense of subtlety and leaned to peer around Sarah. "Yeah, that goes beyond checking out. He's not even leering or ogling. Just staring. And directly at the back of your head."
Herb saw Edmund look obviously and did so as well. "You want me to go deck him or something?"
"Yes," Agnes said.
"Agnes!" Sarah rolled her eyes in mock disbelief. "Herb, surely you don't think you can just go around punching people for no reason."
"Not no reason. We're all in agreement that he's creepy. Besides, what will anyone do? They can't suspend me from classes or anything. I graduated, remember?" Sarah smacked him on the leg as Edmund hit the back of his head again. "Hey! I was kidding, geez."
Deep in the Underground, Jareth's head snapped up from where he was bent over a pile of zoning documents.
"Your Majesty?" Squeaker was startled, though more because his King was suddenly staring off into space than because of the sudden movement.
Jareth held up one hand, forestalling further inquiry. He focused on Sarah and her sudden surge of fear. He closed his eyes. Turn around, beloved, he thought. Look again.
It was like lasers were pointed at the back of her head. "Is he still there?"
"Yup. I'm not sure if he knows we are watching him, he's so intent on you," Edmund said.
"Dude, maybe I will go over there. I'm sure your boy Jareth would approve."
At the mention of his name, Sarah's thoughts turned inward. She reached up to touch the tiny pendant hanging around her neck, a miniature version of the one he always wore, hers a delicate blend of silver and gold. As always when she focused on him, Sarah felt his presence in the back of her mind. He exuded safety and calm and, for the first time, it was almost as though she could hear his thoughts. Shrugging and feeling her confidence renewed, she pivoted where she sat and looked the stranger directly in the face.
"Woah," Agnes and Herb said in unison.
Sarah barely heard them as she etched his features into her mind.
Jareth saw the face of the minor Fae lord who was spying on his Queen. Though they had yet to complete the steps and ritual required to make it so officially, it had been some time since he started thinking of her thusly. And since the Labyrinth itself seemed to agree, he would not let formality stand in the way. It was only a matter of time, after all.
He saw the face of the man who studied her, who dared come near her without permission. But is he a threat? And to what extent?
Fortunately for him, whoever he was, Jareth had rules to follow. There were endless consequences for rash action at this point. And he knew something like this was bound to happen eventually. Oberon and Titania both had reminded him that the others would seek to test her, and him, until she was formally presented to the Council and the High Court. Which was something he refused to discuss until she had finished with her schooling. Something he was not sure he would be willing to discuss until after he met her family. At this moment, he considered changing the plan.
In the meantime, as there was no evidence of a need for immediate action, he would follow some measure of protocol. He turned to the Goblin standing next to him, looking at him with concern. "We will finish this later," he said. Jareth conjured up a crystal and held it out to Squeaker. The image of the Fae Sarah was looking at floated inside. "Right now, find out what you can about this one."
Squeaker bowed and, taking the crystal, hurried to comply. It was not often he heard such ice and danger in his King's voice.
As the Goblin left, his King returned his thoughts to Sarah.
Sarah continued to hold the stranger's gaze. Jareth's thoughts were no longer clearly verbalized, but his emotions lingered more vibrantly than ever before. She considered her options, then reached into her bag, pulled something out if it, and squared her shoulders. Standing, she said, "Hey, wait here."
"Um, kay," Edmund answered.
"Holler if you need backup," Agnes added.
Sarah nodded and strode purposefully toward the stranger, whose eyes widened marginally when he realized what she was doing and, after casting about the crowded courtyard, realized there was no easy escape. Sarah stopped in front of him, inches from his face. Her eyes narrowed, voice quiet. "Who are you and what do you want?"
He straightened and looked down his nose at her. "I do not answer to you, Mortal."
Sarah snorted, unimpressed. Jareth would have me made believe him. But this guy... "You are behaving like a petulant child." She jabbed a finger into his chest. "And you have come to my lands, my home." She advanced on him and, miraculously, he backed away from her, faltering. "Uninvited. Unwelcome. Now state your business."
His jaw dropped and he stared at her in stunned disbelief.
Sarah arched an eyebrow pointedly, giving him time to gather his wits and formulate a response. When he took longer than twenty seconds, she rolled her eyes and smirked, mockingly. "Very well. If that is how you choose to play it." She then raised the cell phone she had taken out of her bag and pushed a button. Looking at the picture briefly, she then tossed it in the air once, caught it, and tucked it into her pocket. "I would be wary of showing your face here again." She then turned on her heel and stalked away, leaving him sputtering behind her.
When Sarah returned to her friends, she shook her head at their inquisitive looks. "I'll tell you inside. Let's go up."
They gathered their things and went inside. The last through the door, Sarah looked once more over her shoulder. Whoever he was, the stranger was gone.