Chapter 5

Sarah's nervousness and fear were finally abating some, allowing her guard to drop. As she traveled, following Jareth's directions as best as she could, she felt like they'd finally made progress. They seemed to have put whatever or whoever that person was behind them. They had even moved past almost the last of the golems when the noise began.

She and Jareth both froze before slowly back the way they had come.

It had started as a crumble of shifting boulders, easily dismissed by the average ear. Then the crumble turned to a crashing, crackling, grinding sound that plucked cruelly at the senses. Like nails on a chalkboard.

That's when it swung, a horrible nightmarish noise escaping its razor sharp maw.

Sarah screamed and staggered back into another gollum, the magic also waking this one.

She turned and bolted, clutching Jareth to her.

The golems were changing. That was obvious to Jareth. The once sacred protectors were succumbing to something very, very dark. They had a nightmarish quality now. Never before had they been so bloodthirsty. This changed only served to highlight how much control he had lost when he lost the Heart.

Jareth had a hard time thinking with Sarah's heart pounding in his ear as she ran. His distraction was so great that they almost missed the unseen entrance to the secret area that would keep them safe for a little while. He trilled loudly when he realized where they were, activating the magical barrier that was for him and him alone. There was a loud pop as it pulled them into the little bubble of safety.

The odd feel of a magic that was him in its purest form wrapped around them as they slid into the confines of his private chambers. When Jareth had bonded with the Labyrinth, the ancient magic had required him to create a place that existed as nothing but his magical energy. It had been a monumental task, but one that he had considered well worth the time and effort. Once he had succeeded in creating this place, the Labyrinth had incorporated it into its foundation. Growing around it and burying it deeply within her defenses and magic.

The last time Jareth had been here was right after Sarah had beaten the Labyrinth and rejected him. Needless to say, he had not been in the best mood at that time. As a result, there were pillows all over the place and it was more than a little bit of a mess. Embarrassed, Jareth hid his face and hoped Sarah wouldn't notice that Lancelot was in the center of the nest of pillows that dominated the room. All tucked up as though someone had been sleeping curled up around him.

Sarah tripped over a pillow as soon as they fell into the safe room. The sound of the golem pounding against the outside of the entrance faded into the distance; the savage frustration of the blows muted by the magical barrier that protected them for the time being.

"Don't worry, they can't get in." A soft baritone voice whispered near her ear.

Sarah jerked her gaze up and found Jareth's face a mere few inches from hers. She swallowed nervously and studied him for a moment, feeling her face heat, then scrambled back a few feet.

"You're...back..." She started lamely then let her eyes wander. She blinked, her eyes spotting Lancelot before glancing back at him.

He stood and straightened his clothes, seemingly ignoring her odd stare. "Come," he said, starting to walk towards a shelf against the far wall.

Outwardly, Jareth maintained a stoic mask, but inside he was a chaotic mess of emotions. He tried his best to push them all aside and focus on the task at hand. He adjusted his leather vest again, feeling the goosebumps all over as Sarah's magic leaked out into his own. Never before had even a trace of anyone else, or any other magic but his own, entered this place. Lancelot didn't count, as far as Jareth was concerned. The bear had been Sarah's happy place until she ran the Labyrinth. When she had rejected him, he had sought some way of remaining close to her.

He let a little smile cross his face as he thought back on Sarah's expression when he finally shifted back. He'd only had a moment to watch her but he had taken full advantage of even that little bit of time. His heart had contracted at the sight of her. She was even more beautiful than she had been the last time she was underground. Jareth had allowed himself a brief moment to admire her before he noted her tired but determined expression.

As much as he felt for her, now was not the time to indulge in those feelings. Her determination and bravery in coming to help him were far more important at the moment. Jareth bit his lower lip and made a gesture over the shelf before him, watching it reveal what had been hidden for so long. He reverently lifted the book from its resting place before turning back to Sarah with a drawn and serious expression.

"The Heart of the Labyrinth is in the hands of another. It's...vitally important we return it. I fear, Sarah, that our foe wants your heart as well. If he manages to get both..." he trailed off, not wanting to frighten her more than he already had, hearing her sharp intake of breath as he spoke.

He held the book in his arms and moved toward her, stopping to look closely at her. She seemed almost ready to bolt so he grabbed one of her shoulders to steady her.

"Sarah," he spoke firmly but gently, giving her time to look back at him. He forced his feelings down deep inside him, hiding them from view, keeping his gaze strong. "I won't let that happen."

She swayed briefly on her feet but nodded, looking down at the tome in his hands. "What's that?"

She reached out and touched the cover of the ancient book. The feel of her magic as it coursed through the book jolted up his arm made him stiffen to avoid shivering. Despite the goosebumps that were spreading across his skin anew, he schooled his expression and retained his perfectly calm demeanor.

"When the first king of the Goblin Kingdom came here and sought to gain control over the Labyrinth, he found it to be a complex and changeable place. To help himself, and those who would come after him, he began to write down his experiences. Over time, it became a sort of guide to the Labyrinth." He stepped forward and slide his hand across her back, gently turning and guiding her to the nest of pillows on the bed at the center of the room. She still looked uncertain and he had to fight with himself to remove his hands.

Surreptitiously pushing Lancelot under the pillows, he continued to speak. "After the first King passed, the next king continued to add to the guide, and then the next did the same."

Sarah's eyes darted toward the pillow that now hid Lancelot. Jareth remained silent. She would make her own assumptions, regardless of what he said about it. He would not mention it, although he resolved to tell her the truth if she asked. He eyes eventually came to rest on the tome in his lap. "How many have written in it?"

"I am the thirteenth King to write in this book," he told her. "Until now, however, there has never been a Champion."

She looked quizzically at him. "What does that have to do with the book?"

Jareth took a deep breath. "There is a part of this book that is only for the Champion of the Labyrinth to read, should there ever be one. It was written by the first ever king. It has passed from ruler to ruler, finally coming into my possession. Now, I can share this with you and only you, Sarah. For all these years, no one has set eyes on the contents of that section."

He watched her expression carefully, hoping that she would be able to process what he was telling her. If she ran now, all would be lost. Her gaze was steady and Jareth let out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. "Are you ready to learn what you need to know to be the Champion of the Labyrinth in truth and not just in name?"

He kept his voice soft and questioning as he asked that final question. He wanted to push her into giving him the answer he needed, but he also couldn't afford to push too hard and scare her off. He needed her. Saving the Labyrinth was something he could no longer do on his own.