Chapter Ten

Sarah

Don't leave me here trapped in the underworld

Don't leave me here

Don't let me go

- Cypress Co., Underworld

September 26th, 2002. Day 9 of the quarantine

"Sarah, come here."

She lifted her head, startled. Jareth stood in the doorway to her bedroom, dressed all in black—boots, pants, shirt, and gloves. He had put the gloves back on yesterday after the messenger box came, and hadn't removed them since. There were even dark streaks in his hair. Not many, but it reminded her of the dance so long ago. That memory, coupled with his stony expression, set her on edge. Her fingers gripped the sides of her book. "What's wrong?"

His tone was dry. "Aside from trying to fend off an impending attack on my kingdom while stuck in the Aboveground? Nothing."

Sarah put her book down and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She padded over to Jareth on bare feet, trying to ignore the pulse that crept up at the inscrutable look on his face. Ever since the declaration arrived yesterday afternoon, he had been withdrawn, consulting his crystals, and making inquiries into the Underground. She had left him alone, cooking a simple dinner of chicken, vegetables, and rice she never saw him eat, though the bowl was rinsed and in the sink this morning when she woke up. No coffee had been waiting for her, and Jareth had barely acknowledged her presence, so absorbed in whatever work he was doing.

He did not move as she approached, and so she stopped a good two feet from him, waiting while he looked her up and down. "We'll have to do something about the clothes," he muttered.

"What about my clothes?"

Jareth reached out and took her hand, the contact a shock. It had been over twenty-four hours since he had received the challenge. More than that since she felt his searing kiss and insistent hands. She knew he was preoccupied with the coming attack, but a part of her screamed out for this contact. Wanted it more than she had wanted anything else in her life.

His gloved fingers closed over hers. "You once wanted to be an actress. How far along did you get in your lessons?"

"That was a long time ago."

"Yet I have need of that skill," he said, pulling her close by their linked hands. She stumbled forward a step, and his other hand came to rest on her waist. "I have need of you."

There was something intense to his gaze, something she had never seen before, as he spoke those words. "What kind of need?"

"Oh, many and varied," he said, his voice quiet and his gaze softening as he looked at her. His next words sounded as though he had not meant to speak them out loud. "But how can I think with you so near?"

Sarah contained a smile, sliding a half a step closer. Now there was the heat of his body, and when her hand came to rest on his chest near the pendant, she could feel a soft growl emanate from him. "I've been worried about you." She rolled her eyes up to his. "Tell me how I can help."

The breath went out of him in a sigh, and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, those mismatched irises seemed to swim with intensity. "What I'm going to ask will not be easy," he murmured. "It may put you in some danger."

"Tell me what it is," she said.

The smell of him was strong in the air as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingering on the line of her jaw. "I need an emissary—someone to speak on my behalf in peace talks. My brother has opened up the lines to negotiation, though he's primed for battle from all I can glean. There may be no convincing him to turn his army away from the borders of the Goblin Kingdom, but I have to try."

"Why can't you be the one to talk to him?"

"Because this needs to be in person, and I am still bound to your domicile."

Sarah frowned. "But I thought you weren't able to send me to the Underground? Didn't you try the first night, with the crystal?"

"That is one way to transport someone Underground, and yes, that way is barred to me, but there are other ways. Costlier ways."

"Costlier?"

"It is a price I'm willing to pay. Only I need to know—will you do it? Will you be my emissary? Speak with my voice? Represent the Goblin Kingdom?"

Sarah wondered how much of this was Jareth trying to get her used to ruling, so she had fewer compunctions about moving to the Underground permanently. Yet there was no mistaking the need in his voice, or the desperation glinting in the edges of his eyes. "I don't even know what I would say," she demurred.

"I will coach you," he said. "And there is a spell I can work where I can listen in and still speak to you, mind to mind, while you're in the Underground. You won't be alone."

Sarah was nodding before he finished speaking. "Okay, just—the telepathic thing isn't permanent, is it?"

"No, precious."

She took a deep breath, trembling. There was a part of her that wanted to walk the Underground again, to smell the strange magic-scented air and run her fingers along glittering stone and tree branch. Yet, there had been countless nightmares of finding herself in the Labyrinth again and feeling his hot breath on her neck. Got you at last. Looking at Jareth now, there was only the faintest specter of the enemy she had feared all these years around the edges of his eyes. She still thought him dangerous, in more ways than one, but she felt she knew him well enough now.

But am I only fooling myself? She wondered. I essentially see a tamed Jareth, a domesticated Jareth. Who will he be once quarantine is over? Would he revert to the creature who had seemed to taunt and entice her in equal measure? A flutter in her stomach made her realize that the change would not necessarily be bad. Especially knowing what she knew now.

With the memory of his body flush against hers fresh in her mind, Sarah felt her face go warm as she said, "Alright. I'll do it."

His smile was full and swift, a moment before he ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers in a quick, hard kiss. "Thank you."

Sarah wanted to chase him when he withdrew, to pull that mouth closer, so she could taste him properly, but she forced herself to swallow the impulse. She stepped back, away from his radiating heat. "What needs to be done?"

Jareth took her hand and led her out of the doorway of her bedroom and into a living room that was much transformed. Instead of the usual tidy clutter, Jareth had created a space much as he had the first night he had arrived. Only instead of a bedroom, this was a command center. Mirrors lined the walls, and inside each was a moving picture, shimmering slightly around the edges where the image met the frame. They were mirrors of every shape and size imaginable. Circular, triangular, crescent moons, and thin rectangles, some only the span of her hand, others large enough that she could see all of herself in them. They lined the walls and crawled up them until they touched the ceiling.

Each mirror showed a similar scene: the Labyrinth, so far as Sarah could tell, the soil glittering in the red sun. There was the Firey Forest, the bog, courtyards in the center of twisting passages, and the high walls that surrounded the enormous maze. But as her eyes continued to move across each mirror and the image it contained, the focus of that image shifted.

One side of the room was purely the Labyrinth—the goblin city at its heart—but the other showed what Sarah could only guess was a war camp. Hundreds of people filled those mirrors, tall and willowy, with armor that curved away from the body to create sharpened edges and points. As she watched, they sharpened weapons, fletched arrows, and sparred with one another.

Faintly, Sarah could hear the sounds of the Labyrinth and the camp. The cry of a lone eagle, the combined war chant of a dozen soldiers, and more, though the sounds never grew overwhelming. She stood with Jareth in the center of the living room—stripped bare, the walls and floors stone instead of hardwood and plaster—and tried not to gape. "Are these live?"

"Yes. This is the Underground—the goblin kingdom—and the forces readying to attack it." He still had hold of her hand, and he raised it to gesture toward an ornate, heavy gilded frame. "And that—that is my brother. Aldric." Sarah stepped toward the mirror, but he held her back. "Not yet, love. He knows when he's being observed. Best to leave the portal open but not use it unless we have to. We can spy on the rest of his troops, however."

She was having a lot of trouble keeping her eyes averted—and then his words struck her.

Love.

It's an affectation, she thought furiously. The British say it all the time.

But the Goblin King was not British.

She rid herself of that line of thought, instead focusing on her next question. "Do you have any other siblings?"

"None living. Two dead sisters."

Sarah gasped, and her free hand flew to her throat, her other hand tightening around his. "Both of them?"

Jareth looked away. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Faerie is not a forgiving place, Sarah."

"What is Faerie?" She had heard of it before, in her studies, but she wanted to hear it from him. Wanted to know firsthand what it was.

He made a small, frustrated sound and pulled her closer, grasping her head and pulling it toward his chest. She could feel as well as hear the thrum of his heart. Gloved hands wove into her hair as his other arm came up to encircle her waist, pinning her to him. The heat that radiated from him was enormous, just this side of too much, and yet she found herself sinking into it—sinking into him. "I will tell you everything," he said in a soft voice. "But I must ask it be later when there is time. Now, we are on the cusp of war, and I am near powerless to stop it."

She reached up and fisted her hands in his billowy shirt. "Okay. I withdraw my question." Swallowing on a dry throat, she pushed away from him, so she could look in his mismatched eyes. "But what do you need me to do? And how am I supposed to get there?"

"Through the mirrors," Jareth said. "My brother is expecting my delegate, though he does not know it will be you. I need you to do a little acting for me." He released her hands at last and ran both of them through his long hair, ruffling it further. "All Faerie knows of the mortal girl who conquered the Labyrinth and bested the Goblin King. You are well known as my adversary. If it is going to be believable that you are my emissary he must think—" he stopped, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. "He must believe that we have been together.."

"Been together?" Sarah asked, incredulous. "Are you serious?"

"It is more than that," Jareth said, his tone rushed. "It cannot seem I have conquered you. It is not a broken thing that could be presented to my adversary. No, for you to be taken seriously, you must be able to hold yourself with the bearing of the Goblin Queen. For this, I will be gifting you with some of my powers, to bolster you and help you shine."

Head spinning, Sarah took a half step back. "Wait a second. This is getting to be a little much, don't you think? The last time I acted was years ago, Jareth, I'm out of practice."

A smirk curved his lips, and for another heartbeat, she was reminded of the threatening creature she had met in the depths of the Labyrinth. You cowered before me. I was frightening. Those blue and brown eyes flicked down her body and back up. "I have the feeling, dear Sarah," he purred. "There were plenty of times your acting skills came in handy in recent years. Surely your dear Patrick was not privy to all the secrets of your heart?"

Heat suffused her face, and she crossed her arms over her chest. Jareth was right, damn him, but the intensity of his gaze made her confident he knew precisely where Patrick had been lacking. "Be that as it may, I need you to understand it's been a while since I've done something like this. I may not be who you need."

"You're who I need," Jareth said, his voice soft but intense. "Stand still for a moment."

The need to fidget arose in her at his words, but she swallowed the impulse and stayed still. Jareth muttered something under his breath and motioned toward her. There was the sensation of pins and needles across her skin, enough to make her shudder, and the Goblin King broke into a grin. "What did you do?" Sarah asked. She looked down at herself, blinked, and looked around for a mirror that could give her a better glimpse of the new outfit.

Jareth made another motion with his gloved hand, and one of the larger mirrors stopped broadcasting its live feed of the Labyrinth. "You look stunning, Sarah, as I knew you would."

She strode to the mirror and examined herself. The only part of her body that had been left alone was her hair, falling in a long sheet down her back. Kohl rimmed her green eyes, making them pop, and light makeup had been applied to the rest of her face, better than anything she could have done for herself. But what took her breath away were the clothes.

It was as though hundreds of thin, twisting black vines covered her from her left collarbone to her right hip, made of thin pieces of wire. Beneath the intricate latticework were panels of green silk so dark it was almost black. The fabric flared at her hips and fell to mid-thigh, parting in front to expose the softest pair of leather pants Sarah had ever felt. The pants plunged into knee-high boots with a slight heel. At her left shoulder, where the vines culminated, there hung a half-cape of shimmering black and green fabric. She wore no adornments save a light diadem encrusted in black diamonds and emeralds.

"Don't you think the crown is a little much?" She asked, unable to keep the breathiness from her voice.

He was behind her, and she had not even seen him move. Fingers traced down her bare arms as he held her gaze in the mirror. "You are a wonder. One need only catch a glimpse of you, and they would be ruined."

Red spread across her cheeks. "You've wanted to dress me up for a while, haven't you?"

"Oh, yes," he purred, lips falling to her neck. His eyes rolled up so he still held her gaze locked in their reflection. Seeing him like that made her pulse quicken. "Dress you. Undress you. I've lingered long in the halls of the imagination, picturing you." His hot breath coiled against her skin. "Tell me—have you not pictured me over the years? Over the last few days?"

Leaning back against him, she let out a sigh as his lips continued to work against her neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh there. "Yes, I've thought about you."

"How?" His hands gripped her hips, pulling her flush against him. "How have you pictured me, Sarah?"

"I don't think we have time for this," she gasped as his hand splayed across her stomach, spreading his incredible warmth. "My answer would take too long."

"Mm," he murmured. "Then, I withdraw my question. For now."

She let out a little sigh of relief, and then he bit down on the side of her neck. Hard. She sucked in a breath, and her back bowed, the pain riding an edge that was as enticing as it was frightening. "Jareth!" She gasped.

He released her, laying a feather of a kiss against the spot he had so abused. "A little additional protection, precious," he murmured. "Forgive me."

As Jareth stepped back, she took one forward and examined her neck in the reflection. There were the indents of his teeth, the red darkening as she watched. "What the hell?" She hissed.

"Even as my emissary, and even with a few gifted powers, you are still a mortal that will be up against one of the more dangerous fae there is. This mark will provide additional security to your position, providing you with much needed protection." He grimaced as she spun on him. "I apologize. I would have asked, I just—I need to make sure you come back safe. I need to know I did everything in my power to keep you out of harm's way." He took a step toward her. "If there were anyone else I trusted enough with this, I would have them go in your stead."

"Why don't you have someone else?" She snarled.

"Because I don't know who within my court has betrayed me," he said in a near-whisper, his voice holding a dangerous edge. The hands at his side balled into fists. "Once I do, they will pay dearly for what they have done."

Shaking her head, Sarah turned once more to look at the darkening mark on her neck. "I haven't had a hickey since college," she grumbled.

"I recall," he said, that dangerous edge still there.

Sarah turned back to the Goblin King. "What now?"

"Aldric is expecting you soon," Jareth said, and produced a crystal. "Here." Making the orb dance across his fingers for a moment, Jareth tossed it at her. "That will be our method of communication and will imbue you with some borrowed powers. Not much, but enough to make you seem formidable."

Where the sphere had been a moment before, Sarah now held a bracelet of black diamonds and small circular crystals like extreme miniatures of what Jareth had tossed toward her. She slipped it on, smelling ozone as she did. Prickles coursed up her arm, and she shook it as though to dispel water droplets. "That feels weird."

A sensual voice slid into her mind. But how does this feel?

Sarah jumped, eyes wide. "That was—you were—"

You can speak to me here. The point is moot if you always reply to me aloud. Jareth grinned at her.

Her gaze narrowed. Jackass.

There you go, precious, this won't be too hard. Aloud, he continued, "I won't be able to see what you see, but I will be watching from the mirrors."

"How will I get back?"

"The mirror will follow you at a discrete distance. Step through it, and you'll be here."

"If that's the case, couldn't your brother step through it as well? What if he comes here?"

"It's a portal only visible to you. Don't let him know where it is, though, or he may attempt to close it."

Chills overtook her, and Sarah gulped, her heart hammering. The scenes of the war camp were very real. Sarah had never been in a combat environment. The most adventurous thing she had done outside of the Labyrinth run was her two months backpacking in Europe, and though sometimes she had been afraid, she had not been in a war zone.

Jareth spent the next twenty minutes fussing over her appearance and giving her a rough rundown of her role as an emissary. The more he talked, the more Sarah's heart fluttered, and her palms sweated. The outfit, though spiffy, made her feel strange. When she reached to adjust the diadem, Jareth stopped her hand. "You're perfect. Don't touch."

She let out a frustrated huff of breath. "This is ridiculous, how am I supposed to do you any good? I don't know nearly enough about Faerie politics."

"I'll be right there, precious. I'll hear what you hear. Take your time answering questions, and I'll help you with your words." He ran gloved fingertips over the bruised mark on her neck. "This should help protect you."

"And I definitely can't get a sword?"

He grinned. "These are peace talks. Bringing a weapon would send the wrong message."

Taking a deep breath, Sarah squared her shoulders and stood facing the mirror Jareth had indicated. It had a heavy silver gilt frame, flaking a little to expose the intricate wood carving beneath. Through it, she could see the inside of an empty tent. A table had been set into the middle of it, with a map of what Sarah presumed to be the Goblin Kingdom spread atop it. Carpets littered the ground, and lanterns hung from the tent poles, filling the space with flickering orange light. It was near dusk on the other side of the mirror, so the light filtering through the canvas was a dim, dark blue.

I'm right here, precious.

Sarah did not look at him as the voice slid into her thoughts, sounding all the world like a radio had been tuned between her ears. Without giving herself the chance to hesitate a moment more, Sarah stepped through the mirror.

Though not sure what to expect, Sarah was unsurprised when what felt like liquid mercury closed over her skin and hair, pressing down on her mouth and eyes and ears until she slid another step forward and out the other side.

Immediately, the scent of loamy, fertile soil, woodsmoke, and the sound of hundreds if not thousands of soldiers overtook her senses. The tent itself was still and quiet, but beyond the canvas flaps were a battalion of soldiers gearing for a fight.

Aldric will have sensed you when you stepped through the portal. Be ready. He should be there in a moment.

Sarah did not respond, moving closer to the table, and the maps spread out upon it. It was the Goblin Kingdom as she had suspected, but the top map was doing something that made her heart clench. The wavering lines of the Labyrinth shifted, changed, disappeared, and rearranged themselves as she watched, the whole thing moving like a mass of writhing snakes.

Do you see this? She asked.

No, precious, describe it to me.

She did, and there was nothing but silence in response for a long couple of moments, and then the voice that rang in her head dripped with venom. There are only two such maps in existence, both of which were supposed to be in my possession.

Should I take it?

No! Do not take anything that isn't offered, and even then do not taste or wear anything he gives you.

Sarah was about to ask why when the flap to the tent smacked open, and a man strode into the room. Mismatched eyes of the same blue and brown found hers, but where Jareth's shone with cunning and warmth, here nothing emanated but a subarctic chill.

For a moment, the two stood and stared at one another. Aldric's eyes made a slow perusal of Sarah's appearance, and she did the same to him.

Nearly everywhere Jareth was light, Aldric was dark. There had been years this man had spent under the sun, as evident by the chestnut color of his skin. His hair was a dark copper color, falling in waves to brush his broad shoulders. There were the same upswept eyebrows, the same lean yet predatory physique, and the same gloves. As she focused on them, Aldric straightened the cuffs and took a few steps closer, coming to the other side of the table from her.

"Well, well," he said, his voice a purr so similar to Jareth's that Sarah felt chills erupt down her back. "Jareth's pet human."

Sarah swallowed the desire to whip around and leap back through the mirror portal. Instead, she lifted her chin and said the words Jareth had rehearsed with her. "I am Sarah Williams, official emissary of the Goblin King, here to strike a peace accord with you, Aldric of the Winter Court."

The smile he cast her was predatory in the extreme. "Well said, pet." He gave a stiff, shallow bow. "I, Aldric of the Winter Court, do welcome you to my encampment. Let us begin."

A good start, Jareth whispered in her head.

Aldric motioned for her to take a seat, and Sarah did, smoothing down the silk bunched around her hips. Her companion followed the motion of her hands, grinning lasciviously. "Tell me, Sarah Williams," the way he said her voice was like a brush of fur against her cheek. "Has my brother conquered you at long last? Has he plundered that delectable body of yours? I see his mark on your neck. Crude, that. Crude, but effective."

Sarah's throat tightened, and she could sense Jareth's rage at the back of her mind. It mirrored her own. Aldric had not taken his seat, and he loomed over her, presence more intimidating now that she had to lift her head so much to catch his gaze. He smiled at her as though he knew what she was thinking, too. "If that's the way you're going to talk to me, these peace talks will cease."

"Then, by all means, let them cease," Aldric purred, finally sliding into the seat across from her. He leaned back in his chair and kicked one booted foot upon the table, exposing a long, toned leg clad in tight pants that looked like they were a cross between linen and silk. He dressed like Jareth, and a metal crest hanging from his neck in the shape of a sickle. "You stare at my amulet," he said. "Perhaps you wish to switch allegiance? Tell me, do you desire a new master?"

Don't fall for—

"I have no master," Sarah snapped.

Jareth swore. Do you know what you just did?

Aldric's mouth widened in a delighted smile. "No master, sweet Sarah Williams? Then you are your own mistress, or are you in need of a protector?"

Sarah, listen to me—say nothing. Do not answer this line of questions. He wants to trap you into his service with implied intent. An unclaimed mortal presenting herself to a fae is considered to be petitioning for a master. It is a well-known custom in the Underground, and he will use that precedent against you.

Sarah swallowed and stayed silent. She still was not sure what was going on, but she knew she was on dangerous ground from the predatory gleam in Aldric's eyes. The map of the Labyrinth continued to shift and reform on the table between them. Her eyes kept catching on the movement.

"I see you enjoy my map," Aldric said in a soft voice. Sarah tried not to shiver. Whatever else this creature was, he knew how to use inflection to the greatest possible advantage. "Perhaps you would enjoy this," a goblet appeared in his hand, filled with a clear liquid. "It is made from fruit grown in the very Labyrinth you seem so enamored with. The one you conquered. You have never tasted anything so sweet." He placed it on the table between them and pushed it forward a few inches by the base of the stem. "Try it."

Don't.

Sarah was not that stupid. "No, thank you."

"Afraid?"

"Why don't we cut the games and get down to business," she countered. "Otherwise, all you're doing is wasting our time."

"Oh, I don't know about that," he whispered. Sarah could swear she could feel the brush of fingers on her neck as he spoke. "I am enjoying this immensely. Jareth's mortal obsession, here and in my power? What was he thinking, letting you come here to me? He can't come himself, can he?"

Sarah, get out of there. Jareth's voice was frantic. I'm sorry. Stand up and go through the mirror. Don't hesitate. Do it now. Please, Sarah.

But she was paralyzed, pinned to her seat by the unrelenting force of Aldric's gaze. Around her, the camp had gone quiet, and she realized she could hear the rushing of blood in her ears. "Did you agree to the peace talks to get me here?"

"Of course. I knew Jareth was trapped in the Aboveground, and there's only two reasons he would have been there. To steal a mewling infant, or to see you. I made a guess, and I was correct." He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers together over his stomach. "Now, you're in a position to bargain, for you realize that you have nothing."

Sarah made to stand, but Aldric raised a hand.

"If you rise from that chair, you'll find yourself with a crossbow bolt through the eye."

She dropped back down.

"Very good," Aldric purred, rising and padding over toward her. He leaned against the table, legs crossed at the ankle, and arms crossed over his chest. "What could Jareth possibly offer me that I do not possess or can easily acquire? Lands? I will seize all of his. His riches? They are in the castle, and the castle will soon be mine."

Sarah listened to Jareth in her mind and repeated his words. "You will not find the Labyrinth so easy to conquer. Even with the map, you are at the disadvantage of being invaders. The Labyrinth does not take kindly to such in its lands. It will rebuff you."

"Oh, will it?" Aldric leaned down, looking between Sarah's eyes. "He's in there, isn't he? Talking to you? Listening in?"

Say nothing.

The silence around them was deafening, and Sarah knew he had the tent surrounded by soldiers. Could feel their eagerness on the other side of the tent walls. How many were waiting in the twilight even now, poised to strike?

Gloved fingertips grazed her cheek, and Sarah jerked her head back, narrowing her eyes. Aldric grinned, and his gaze began to move down her figure once more. "I see why he's so enamored with you. You conquered his Labyrinth, and you are a stunning beauty."

He does not know about the brand, Jareth said. Please say nothing.

That's all I seem to be doing, Sarah thought back, frantic. I told you this was a terrible idea. What the hell am I supposed to do here?

Sarah, as soon as you can go through the portal. Remember he cannot kill you. Not as an official envoy.

What about one of his soldiers? Can they kill me?

No, but you mustn't—

Whatever else he might have said was lost as Aldric yanked the bracelet off.

"Ow!" Sarah cried, jerking back in her chair and rubbing her wrist. She could scent magic, sharp and sudden in the air, and the bracelet dangling from Aldric's fingers turned to ash.

"There," he said. "No more interruptions. Now it's only the two of us." His sensual laugh made the air inside the tent feel heavy. "Whatever shall we do now?"

Whatever power Jareth had lent her through the bracelet was gone now, reduced to dust on the wind. But Sarah had never relied on him or his power. She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"

"There we are," Aldric said, chucking her under the chin with his knuckles. "I must thank my brother next time I see him for delivering you to me."

Sarah glared at him.

"Tell me, Sarah Williams, how well do you know my brother? It has been years which, for a mortal, might as well be forever. Silly things. Tell me, do you love him? Cling to him?" Aldric leaned forward, bending at the waist, so he loomed over her. "Does he tell you he'll protect you?"

Sarah clenched her hands into fists. She wanted to burst from the chair or slap him, but most of all, she wanted to go back through the mirror she could see out of the corner of her eye. But the image of a crossbow bolt through her neck kept her still, even as Aldric grew closer. "I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to talk about peace. What will make you stop the invasion?"

"Nothing," Aldric said, sounding bored. "It will happen. Unless..."

Sarah waited, breath held, but Aldric didn't continue, a sly smile curling his lips. "Unless what?" she asked.

"Unless you agree to stay here with me."

A laugh burst from her before she could stop it, and she slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound. Aldric pulled back, frowning. "I'm sorry," Sarah gasped, when she had stopped enough to speak. "It's just, if you knew the history between Jareth and me, you'd be laughing, too." Shaking her head, she continued, "Why do you want me to stay with you? What purpose will that serve?"

"It would drive my brother to madness."

Sarah cocked her head. "Aren't you doing that by attempting to invade the Goblin Kingdom?"

"I have the feeling this would be worse," Aldric whispered, leaning forward once more. "You smell fantastic."

Sarah drew back. "I'm not going to stay here with you, and I have the feeling you can't keep me here unless we strike a bargain."

His smile was sharp. "Jareth taught you little, but enough."

Licking her lips, Sarah tried to project a casualness she did not feel. "Your starting offer is nothing short of absurd. What else do you want?"

"You in my bed," he purred, trailing a finger down the front of her neck and her breastbone. "Become my mistress, and I will stay my forces."

"For what? A day?"

"For as long as you remain mine," he growled. "And I will feed you from the tree that grows in the heart of the Seelie Court, to ensure your days stretch further than an Aboveground mortal."

Sarah swallowed hard. Warm puffs of Aldric's breath caressed her cheeks, and she could smell him. Cedarwood and vanilla brandy, he smelled like decadent evenings under a spreading canopy of stars. "I'm not for sale," she said. "I won't trade my life for the Goblin Kingdom, and I don't know you well enough to invite you into my bed." She lifted her chin again, despite the pulse she knew showed pounding in her throat. "I propose a stay in the invasion. Jareth is bound by fae laws to my world. Let him return here, and then strike, but allow him the ability to defend his lands."

"No. This was going to happen regardless of his presence, but this is too golden an opportunity to ignore. You're asking me, a hunter, to release prey I have lawfully caught, and without offering anything up in its place."

"I'm not going to become your mistress."

"Perhaps not," his knees nudged hers, and she could feel he burned as hot as Jareth. "Tell me, how long did it take for my brother to worm his way into your bed? An hour? A day?" His gaze was intense, and he pushed off from the table, standing with his knees touching hers. Then he bent down, and his face was next to hers, radiating heat like a furnace. There was a deep inhale, and Aldric jerked back. "He hasn't yet, has he?"

Sarah stayed silent.

Aldric grinned, his eyes dancing as he pushed off the chair and circled her, hand sliding up her right shoulder and then grasping a lock of her hair, twisting it through his fingers. "Untasted," he murmured. "That mark—he should not have given it to you. Not yet. Isn't that right?"

Not knowing what he was talking about, Sarah swallowed again and kept her eyes forward, though her skin itched and prickled from his presence at her back. "None of this matters. We're talking about—"

"A cease-fire, yes. I know." He growled the last. "Be quiet while I look at you."

Heat flamed in her face, but before she could retort, she found her mouth sealed shut. The fresh tang of ozone reached her nose a moment later, and Sarah knew he had performed some magic on her.

Fingers ran through her hair, then trailed over her shoulder and arm. He fingered the wire vines and ran the half cape through his cupped hand. He took his time, and silence stretched until Aldric stood before her once more. Grasping her hands in each of his own, he pulled her to a stand. "I've told the guards to leave," he said in a soft voice. "I pledge no harm will come to you while you remain in my company."

Sarah did not find a great deal of comfort in those words, but Aldric was still looking at her with a hunger in his gaze that had not been there a while ago. A sort of panged possessiveness, so similar to how Jareth used to treat her that something tightened in her chest. What the hell is with these two? Is this a fae thing?

"You're touched," he said with a degree of awe in his tone. "That's how you beat his Labyrinth." His grip tightened on her hands. "No wonder he wants you. It must be driving him mad, to be so near you without possessing you."

Without meaning to, she shivered, and Aldric's eyes caught the motion.

His smile widened. "You're not immune to his charms. Nor, it seems, are you immune to mine." His expression grew thoughtful, and he tilted his head, studying her. They were too close for her comfort, but he held her tight. Immovable. "Be my mistress, and I will never set my sights on the Goblin Kingdom or my brother ever again. How's that for reasonable?"

"No," Sarah cried before she could recognize her lips had become unsealed. Her heart was pounding and had been for too long, adrenaline coursing through her system as half her mind screamed at her to flee, or fight, or do something, anything to get out of there. "I don't want to live in the Underground. I don't want to be queen. I don't care what it means that I'm touched, or he has that mark—"

"What?" Aldric yanked her closer, so she crashed against his chest, his grip bruising. "What did you say? What mark?"

Sarah pressed her lips together. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she chastised herself.

"I could make you tell me," he growled. "I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel."

The words sent a cold wash of fear down her spine, and Sarah yanked back on his hold. "Let me go!"

"Not until you tell me about this mark." He shook her once, hard. "Tell me!"

Teeth clacking together, Sarah gritted out the old words that had saved her once before. "You have no power over me, you son of a bitch."

Aldric released her so suddenly she stumbled back, falling over the chair behind her legs. She quickly put it between them as he began to laugh. "So, that's how you keep him at bay. How delicious." He licked his lips and grinned. "Say it again."

Hesitating for only a moment, Sarah repeated the phrase that had won her brother back all those years ago. "You have no power over me."

He shuddered, closing his eyes, and when he opened them again, she took another step back. There was nothing but heat there. Heat and desire. "You have a portal nearby, don't you?"

It took everything in her not to glance over her shoulder to where the mirror hovered, some six feet behind her. She lifted her chin in answer.

"I will make you another. My brother was never very good at portals. I want one to stay open between us." His voice lowered to a purr at the end, and warmth coiled through her middle. "You will return to me."

"Will I?"

"Oh, yes." Aldric straightened his glove. "I have a deal to propose. I will do as you ask. I will stay my hand and keep my troops in line so long as Jareth remains trapped in your world. In exchange, you will spend half of each day with me."

"I told you I wouldn't be your mistress."

"Not as my mistress," Aldric said in a soothing voice. "But you will accept me as a suitor. I wish to court you."

I wish to court you. Jareth had said, only a few days ago. "Time works differently between the Underground and my world," Sarah said, thinking over things while she spoke. "What would be twelve hours in my world might take days here. I won't do that."

"Fine. Eight hours in the Underground each day. Eight of our hours will be less in your world."

She did not know how much time had passed since she had come through the mirror, but she thought it had been about an hour. The thought of spending eight hours a day with Aldric was—too much, especially if he focused on courting her the entire time.

I am only human.

"That's too much," she said. "Two hours."

A gleam entered his gaze. Sarah had seen the same look in Jareth's when she had struck the bargain with him on their question and answer sessions. The terms were agreed upon, now all that was left were the details. "Six."

"Three."

He frowned a little and studied her for a moment before saying, "Four. Final offer. Four hours of your time each day."

"Each day until Jareth returns to his castle," Sarah stipulated. "I won't be doing this for the rest of my life."

"Of course," Aldric said. "I'm not unreasonable." His grin widened. "Though if you decide to stay, I will grab that opportunity with both hands."

"I won't."

"You might."

Sarah backed up another step. "Then it's a deal. Four hours each day, and you will stop the invasion until Jareth returns."

"You have my word," he gave a shallow bow. "Until tomorrow."

Turning on her heel without another word, Sarah strode for the portal mirror.

Jareth's hands were on her the moment she stepped through, and his frantic gaze eased something tight within her chest. He looked her over. "You're not hurt?" He asked, his voice sounding hoarse. As though he had been screaming.

"I'm okay," she said, pulling him in for an embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her nose to his skin, breathing in. That was when the shaking started. "I'm okay," she said again, closing her eyes.

Jareth held her until the shaking stopped, his hands never ceasing their gentle assurances that she was unharmed. Her limbs felt heavy, and she wanted nothing more than to pull Jareth into bed with her and let his warmth envelop her while she slept, but she had to talk to him. "What happened?" He asked, his voice gentler than she had ever heard it.

Sarah sighed against his neck and pulled out of his arms. She motioned down at herself. "Could you do something about these clothes? I want to be comfortable." Jareth motioned toward her, and the intricate outfit he had armored her in disappeared, replaced with lounge pants and a tunic-style shirt that fell to mid-thigh. "Thanks," she breathed. Then she told him everything, starting with the moment the bracelet had turned to ash in Aldric's hands.

Jareth began to pace a quarter of the way through her telling, and though he made occasional noises that sounded like snarls or growls, he did not interrupt her. When she got to the bargain, however, he strode over to her, taking her by the shoulders. "Word for word," he said. "Tell me what you promised word for word."

"Four hours of Underground time each day in exchange for him stopping the invasion until after you return to your castle," she said. "It was the best I could do."

He leaned forward and kissed her on each cheek, the touches lingering. "You did an incredible job, Sarah."

"You're not mad?" She asked. "He does want to court me, like you."

Jareth's smile was a quick cut across his face. "Aldric is excellent at many things, but in this, he miscalculated. He does not know you as I do." He bowed over her hand like a courtier, grazing a kiss across her knuckles. "Champion of the Labyrinth. You have gifted me the time I need. How can I thank you?"

Sarah could think of several things. Her body hummed after the attentions of Aldric, but it was his brother she craved. Yet overriding all those desires was the need for sleep. "Put my living room back in order," she said. "And let me go to bed. I have the feeling tomorrow is going to be just as long a day as this."

Jareth released her and stepped away, the living room shimmering back into existence as he did so. "As you wish. And Sarah?"

She had taken a few steps toward her room, but she stopped and turned her head toward him. "Yes?"

"Thank you. I am in your debt." He rested a hand over his chest. "I believe you understand the significance of such a thing between a mortal and fae."

"No," Sarah yawned. "But you can tell me in the morning. Goodnight, Jareth."

"Goodnight, precious."

She smiled at the nickname and padded into her room. Sliding onto the bed without bothering with the covers, she clutched a pillow to her chest and closed her eyes, but as soon as she did, she could see the mismatched eyes of Aldric in her vision. She could tell it was him, even though the colors were the same. There was something in Jareth his brother was missing.

You will be mine, a voice seemed to whisper through her mind, but Sarah was falling into an exhausted slumber and did not hear.

###

In the Underground, Aldric raised a glass of wine toward a portrait of two fine looking women. "We have him at last."

Author's Note:

Hey, folks. Happy 4th to those of you who are in the States. I had a whopper of a chapter for you today. At this rate I've signed up for some kind of quarantine epic. I really need to throw some shorter chapters in here, but I think those will come soon. You'll see what I mean by the end.

This chapter was much later coming out than I wanted it to be considering how quickly it came to mind, but I was battling off a kidney stone and all the vomiting that comes with it for several long, long days. I tell you what—I would not wish a kidney stone upon my worst enemy. Those things are no joke.

Once again I will be taking a short break from another chapter because I have to work on my original fiction, but I'm really hoping to stick to uploading every few weeks. No more than four weeks apart, hopefully.

As always, thank you so much to those of you who review. Reviews really help keep me going on this story. I read them over and over, especially when the story is making me miserable (which isn't often, this is a pretty fun story to write).

Oh! I bought a statue recently, so now I have a 1:6 replica of Jareth sitting on my bookshelf. I bought it as a divorce present to myself. As replacement men go… well, you can't go wrong with the Goblin King in my book.

For the three of you that are still reading this author note—hi. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. You rock.

xoxo,

CrimsonSympathy