CHAPTER 3
A/N Sorry Guys! Here is the (hopefully) fixed version. Not my toys, I'm just borrowing etc etc.
The next morning dawned early for Sarah. Who woke with the sun and dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a practical red boat neck top. She pulled her sandals onto her feet and started towards the winding hallway that led to her room. She ran her hands over the stone walls as she traversed the corridors towards the throne room. The faint purple smudges under her eyes that signaled a lack of sleep seemed deeper now, and Sarah's eyes ached with tiredness.
She tried to put her mind to the task at hand, deciding which business to attend to first, but her mind was playing games this morning. Showing her flashes of the dream that had caused her lack of sleep these many nights since returning to the castle beyond the Goblin City. Pale, smooth skin against her hands, a throaty whisper in her ear, and the phantom sensation of fingers whispering over her back were all she could remember. Yet she woke drenched in sweat, and sometimes panting with an unnamable need that settled in the pit of her stomach. She pushed the fragments of the dream away with a weary shake of her head. She didn't have time to entertain such dreams.
You might guess that a woman like Sarah would have no lack of attention from either sex, and indeed she did not lack for attention. What she seemed to lack was interest. Aside from a brief fling in her senior year of high school, Sarah had never dated. Her stepfather and her mother had both tried speaking with her, cajoling her, and both were rebuffed. She pushed away thoughts of carnal desire with such force that one would think that the thoughts caused her physical pain. These dreams, these nightmares, were pleasurable, but terrible for Sarah to think on and her mind denied her even a glimpse of the face of the man haunting her dreams.
Sarah arrived at the throne room and pushed the door open, hoping for a quiet moment before the Goblin King arrived to escort her Aboveground. Unfortunately, there would be no quiet moment. Already the Castle was bustling with life. Sarah narrowly ducked a chicken that went flying towards her head as she entered the throne room. Goblins of all shapes lounged about the throne room floor, some counting money, some kicking chickens about the floor as if it were a game. The chickens, used to this treatment, and seeming to be a hearty breed, simply allowed themselves to sail through the air and flap back to the ground with indignant clucking noises. In the midst of the chaos sat the Goblin King, dressed not in black armor and with no cape. Instead he wore a pair of black trousers, slim fit, but not as tightly fit as his usual clothing, much to Sarah's relief. He sported a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbow, exposing pale forearms. The black gloves remained, and on his feet were, much to Sarah's surprise, a plain pair of black converse high top sneakers. The amulet about his neck remained, though all Sarah could see was its chain disappearing into his shirt. The markings around his eyes were gone, she assumed by magic. He lounged across his throne, legs perched on one armrest while he spoke to a Goblin who would have been around waist high to Sarah.
"See to it that nothing is out of order, I will be gone only for the day. I want the restoration and expansion of the eastern forest to continue as planned. I will be at the site tomorrow to inspect the work." The Goblin King spoke in a voice that managed to be both bored and authoritative. The Goblin nodded his head sharply and moved swiftly out of the throne room now that his audience with the king had concluded.
"Precious, are you prepared for the day? Would you like something to eat before we leave?" The Goblin King asked, beckoning her to approach his throne. Sarah moved towards him and climbed the dais, standing at his right side.
"I ate on my way this morning; can we get going? I bet Toby is beside himself" Sarah asked anxiously, pushing away the last remnants of her dream and focusing on the task at hand.
"As you wish" The Goblin King stood from his chair and offered her his arm. She took it with a moment of hesitation and noted how soft the skin of his forearm was under her hand. Unbidden, she wondered if his hands were as soft under their leather gloves. Before the thought could fully articulate itself the Goblin King dropped a crystal at their feet, and she abruptly felt as though the ground beneath them had shifted, which she guessed it had. She fell to the ground and landed flat on her back, dizzied and slightly nauseated by the disorienting feeling of traveling via crystal. The Goblin King, for his part, looked chagrined.
"I am unused to traveling with mortals, I forget how sensitive they are to magic if they are not used to it, my apologies" He said, offering her his hand, which she gratefully took and allowed him to easily pull her to her feet. His hand was warm in hers, and she wondered why he wore the gloves. He kept hold of her hand to steady her on her feet for a moment before letting go. Sarah took a moment to recognize where she was. A street just a block down from her parent's home. "I don't know how I'm going to explain you to them" Sarah said, torn between wanting to assuage her families concern and having no idea what to tell them.
"Tell them anything you like, I will follow your lead in matters today" He replied, keeping pace with her as they neared the house. Before they were 3 houses down the door flew open and a 6-foot blur streaked towards them wearing jeans and a gray t shirt. Toby grasped his sister by the arms and pulled her into a crushing hug.
"Sarah! Where have you been? I've been calling and Dad went to your apartment and said you weren't there!" the words rushed from Toby's mouth as she grasped him back hard, almost sobbing with relief. Yesterday she hadn't known if she would ever see him again.
"I'm sorry Tobes, I got called away for work and I haven't..haven't had cell reception" The excuse sounded lame to her own ears, but Toby's eyes betrayed no suspicion when he pulled away from her and began tugging her towards the house. "Mom and Dad have been going mental, they were totally about to call the police and report you missing!" It was now that Toby stopped, seeming to notice the man dressed all in black at his sister's side.
"Who is this?" He asked Sarah, looking pointedly at the man, recognition flaring in his eyes before uncertainty took over. The man looked so familiar, like someone he remembered seeing a long time ago. But that was silly, he probably only looked like some old musician or something.
"This is...Jordan, Jordan is a..client. A Client of mine, I've been helping him develop his book, that's where I've been" Sarah knew the lie sounded weak, but Toby only shrugged his shoulders and resumed his attempt to pull her into the house. The Goblin King raised his eyebrow at Sarah, but gave a surreptitious nod and kept pace with the two of them.
The door of the house opened again and Robert and Karen welcomed their daughter home. Sarah tried to hide the tears that welled in her eyes at the sight of them, and their warm embrace. She was so glad to see them, so happy to be able to let them know she was alright.
"Dad, Karen, I'm sorry I kind of dropped off the grid there for a second, but I've been with...Jordan, he's-"
"Don't tell me you've gone and eloped! Without even introducing us to your young man!" Karen exclaimed, causing the Goblin King to stifle a choked sound and Sarah to blush from head to toe.
"No, NO! Karen, no. Jordan is a client, I'm helping him put his novel together. We were in the neighborhood to...retrieve some of my stuff. I'm going to be staying near him in...Europe for a few weeks, maybe longer to help him with the publishing process. I wanted to drop by and let you know so that you don't worry. I'll come visit as often as I can" Sarah's face was still hot and she avoided the Goblin King's gaze. Her step mothers face fell a little, and Sarah knew she was hoping Sarah would have ended what Karen referred to as her 'stubbornness' about men.
"Are you sure that's wise sweetie, Europe is an awfully long ways away" Her father said, eyeing the Goblin King with a suspicious gaze.
"I assure you sir, I am finding your daughters help with my...novel...invaluable. I very much appreciate her assistance, and she is being well paid for her time." The Goblin King broke in. He held out his hand to Robert "Allow me to introduce myself properly, my name is Ja..Jordan King. I regret that I needed Sarah's assistance so urgently a few weeks past, but I found myself with little option, and she is the best publishing agent of whom I am aware." Robert eyed his gloved hand for a moment, until Karen elbowed him in the ribs and he stretched his own hand to the strange man and gave his hand a firm shake.
A huge furry mass decided at that point in the conversation to launch itself towards Sarah, twining itself around her legs with a deep purr rising in its throat. The big orange tom cat placed its paws on Sarah's knees and she picked him up, swinging him into her arms and burying her face in her fur. "Ludo!" She cried "What are you doing here?"
"I brought him back when I went to your apartment and found him almost out of food, really Sarah, you ought to have made arrangements for him before you left" Robert admonished, scratching the large cat behind its tufted ears.
"I'm taking him back with me dad, don't worry" Sarah said, kissing the big cats forehead and tucking his bulk into the crook of her arm.
"Well Mr. King, I hope you won't steal her away from us for too long!" Karen chirped, clearly charmed by the young man her step daughter found herself in the company of.. With any luck, she may yet have grandchildren from Sarah yet. The thought made her grin a little.
"So what is your book about?" Toby asked, still eyeing the Goblin King speculatively, unable to shake the feeling that he had seen this man before.
"Why...It's about Goblins." The Goblin King answered smoothly, watching carefully as Toby frowned and went silent. Inwardly, he wondered that the boy showed him any recognition at all.
For several more minutes, Sarah endured good natured questions from her father and step mother before finally moving back to the door in preparation for her departure.
"I promise I will call when I can, and I will visit as soon as I can." Sarah said, wrapping her arms around her brother one more time before she as in the Underground for who knew how long.
"If we don't hear from you at least once a week imma be mad at you" Toby said, squeezing her one last time before letting go.
Sarah looked sidelong at the Goblin King who nodded at Sarah. "I'll be sure to remind your sister to call, we can't have you angry with her now can we?" he responded.
The two of them took their leave, Sarah with Ludo, the big orange tom still tucked under her arm, occasionally squirming uncomfortably from being held for so long.