Options


"What kind of choice is that?" Jareth's mother frowned deeply.

I stifled a sigh. "The one we currently have, as best as I can tell."

"These options are unacceptable. I demand others."

I gritted my teeth. "It's nice to want things, but reality doesn't always oblige."

"It does when we're in my realm."

"Well, we're not in your realm now, are we? We're in some little hellhole of an interdimensional reality that doesn't appear to be much of a 'shortcut', and whose fault is that?"

"You little harridan! How dare you blame—"

Jareth finally cut in. "Mother, please be civil to my wife."

I smirked at her over Jareth's shoulder, and she looked daggers back at me.

Jareth glanced meaningfully at me. "Sarah love, please don't antagonize my mother."

I bared my teeth in a semblance of a smile. "She's so easily antagonized."

"I am when I'm surrounded by imbeciles!"

"Mother-"

"Excepting you and the grandchildren, of course, Jareth dear."

I rolled my eyes. "And now that you've got that out of your system, can we go back to our current predicament? That demon spider thing is bearing down on us. Fight or flee?"

Jareth narrowed his eyes at it. "Flee."

I nodded. "Agreed."

His mother crossed her arms. "I am an empress. We do not flee."

"So we get devoured by interdimensional demon spiders, along with our long-suffering family?"

Her expression should have stopped an interdimensional demon spider in its tracks. Alas, it didn't.

I gave Jareth a pointed look. "Discretion?"

He nodded. "The better form of valor."

"I'll manage the children." I snaked my hands quickly through Feanor's hand and the handlebar of the triplets' stroller, and started preparing my mind for a very fast interdimensional leap.

He blew me a kiss and grabbed his mother's arm. "We're going, mother."

Her voice rang out in stentorian tones. "Unhand me—"

I smiled to myself as I winked out of existence with all the children in tow. Good luck, honey.