Chapter 9
This time AJ was prepared when they jumped from the window, it felt almost natural to him. They landed and he looked around.
"So, what now? How do we find this asshole?"
When Aradia didn't answer, he looked at her and stopped walking.
"Aradia?"
She held her hand up to silence him. "He's close...he's very close." She whispered.
AJ stared hard at her. "How do you know?"
She looked at him suddenly, a haunted expression on her delicate features. She said nothing but started walking. He blinked, walking quickly to catch up with her. Something was wrong, she was holding something back from him, he could feel it.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing my ass, what's wrong? What are you hiding?"
Still she said nothing, just continued to walk.
"Aradia, Aradia, come on...Stop!" He grabbed her arm and whirled her around.
"AJ!"
"What in the hell are you hiding? What's going on?"
"I told you nothing."
"You're lying."
"Oh? And how would you know that?"
"I can feel it." And he could.
She stared hard at him. "Stop asking questions and walk Alex, we don't have much time before the sun rises."
Realizing she wasn't going to tell him anything, he decided to drop it for now. "Why is that so important?"
"Come on Alex, sunlight, it's bad for us. He wants to try to do everything before the sun rises, we have to get to him before he can start. We have to stop him."
His head was spinning, so much to take in. He followed silently behind her, she seemed to know right where to go somehow, she had purpose. She kept looking around, as if she expected him to just pop out from nowhere. He was becoming antsy. She stopped suddenly, her heart pounding. She hadn't felt this kind of fear in so long. It was just like that day so long ago, when she had no idea why, but she knew something was gonna happen.
They were in the middle of the forest and suddenly it hit her. No wonder it seemed like this had happened before, in a way, it had. She looked around at the familiar surroundings. It was no surprise to her that he'd lead her here, so many memories. She felt AJ come up next to her and she took a breath.
"Aradia...do you know where we are? Cause it looks like we're lost again."
She said nothing, just continued to look around.
"Aradia? Shit I hate when you do that silence thing! Hello! Can you give me a sign here, a clue or something." AJ went on.
She was vaguely aware of AJ talking, she was scanning the forest for him, she inhaled deeply, trying to pick up his scent. Her eyes widened and she turned her head suddenly, looking out into the forest.
"I hate this, the not knowing. I wish I knew what he looked like, if..."
"He's here." Aradia whispered.
AJ stopped mid-sentence and stared at her. "You mean he's here as in, he's here? Right now?"
She turned to look at him. "Right now."
AJ cleared his throat, looking around. "Ok, let's do this. How do we get to him?"
"That won't be necessary."
She closed her eyes against the voice, after so long and his voice still had that effect on her. She turned to stare at him, her heart racing.
"Hello Aradia, we meet again." Jareth murmured.
AJ gasped. If Aradia thought she could handle him without AJ, she'd been wrong. The guy was massive. He looked to be in his mid thirties, long dark hair and piercing green eyes. He towered at an impressive six foot. AJ watched as he started toward Aradia and he felt the unease rise in him. He took a step forward and then stopped when Jareth pinned him with a stare.
"I see you've taken care of yourself since I last saw you, you were quite a mess if I remember right."
AJ pulled his gaze away and looked at Aradia. "What's he talking about? You've tried this before?"
Aradia continued to stare at him as Jareth's mouth lifted in a soft smile.
"Oh so he doesn't know?"
She took a calming breath.
"Doesn't know what? What's he talking about?"
"We've met before."
AJ stared at him.
"You see, I created her. I'm the one who gave her her eternal gift. I tried to get her to join my followers, but she refused and somehow managed to escape with her life, a mistake on my part, a mistake I'll remedy tonight. "
AJ looked at Aradia. "He's the one, he's the one who made you into..."
She looked at him. "Yes, he's the one."
"Whoa, why didn't you tell me?"
"It's not important."
"Not important? How do you figure?" AJ stared at her like she was crazy.
Jareth smiled. "Oh come now, it doesn't really make a difference does it? You won't last very long after I kill her anyway."
"Fuck off asshole." AJ muttered coldly.
Jareth glanced at him, and took a step towards him. Immediately Aradia stepped in front of him. Jareth raised an eyebrow.
"You leave him alone."
"Oh? And who's gonna stop me?"
"I will."
Jareth shook his head, is voice dangerously low. "I don't...think so." With mind blurring quickness, he reached out, his hand connecting with her head and flung her to the side. AJ started after her, when Jareth reached out, grabbing his shirt and pulling him against him.
"What? You think you're gonna save her? You think I can't break your sorry ass? Think again." Jareth grinned, his lips pulling back to reveal his canines.
AJ's eyes widened and he waited for the sharp stinging feeling. Suddenly he hit the ground, struggling to open his eyes, he watched as Aradia lunged at him, pinning him to the ground. He stumbled to his feet, looking around for something to arm himself with. He heard her scream and turned his head to see her flying across the field. She hit the ground hard, her body calling out against the pain. She looked up to see Jareth approaching her quickly.
"You think you can stop me? You and your pitiful society? Do you honestly think you can defeat me? My followers are out already, scattered around the world, killing and feeding. With them I'll create a larger army and soon world domination. I can't be stopped."
"The hell you won't." She darted then, barreling into his legs causing him to stumble. Jareth toppled back but was quickly on his feet again.
"Bitch!" He spat, he flipped, catching her by her hair and shoving her to the ground, staring menacingly at her. "Where are they? Where's the rest of your people? Leave you to die alone?"
She struggled to breathe. "They're...coming..." even to her own ears her words sounded feeble.
"But they'll be too late." He twisted her head hard, and Aradia called out in pain.
She squirmed as towered over her again.
"How does it feel to know I'll have killed you twice? Once a mortal life and then your immortal life? Pity, and you thought you were going to save the world." He smiled coldly and pulled her up roughly, lifting her over his head.
She steeled herself, ready for the impact, when suddenly she felt herself slowly drop to the ground. She bounded up to see AJ sprawled over Jareth, apparently he'd taken him off guard and knocked him down. She watched in horror as Jareth threw him off and called out as AJ hit a tree, slumping against it.
With no time spared, Jareth was upon him, pinning him to the tree. She looked around frantically, her heart pounding. She looked up, daylight was quickly approaching, in a few minutes the sun would rise, she had to act quickly. Looking to her left, she found what she sought and grabbed it, jumping up and starting towards Jareth.
He couldn't breathe and he felt like his throat was breaking, gasping, he fought weakly.
"Go ahead you bastard, fight. It's useless, it'll be over soon and soon I'll have your blood running through my veins in my triumph."
His head was spinning, he felt his vision starting to go from lack of air, his body weak.
"Jareth."
AJ looked over and saw Aradia standing there, looking just as beautiful and proud as the night he'd met her in that alley two years ago.
"He doesn't matter Jareth, it's just you and me. Just us."
AJ felt Jareth's grip on him loosen and suddenly he slumped against the tree as Jareth turned to look at her.
"You're right, it doesn't matter. You'll loose and he'll end up like the others." He started towards her.
Aradia looked down at the branch in her hand and broke it over her leg. She tossed one of the branches at him. "You win, and you take over the world. I win and I send you to the depths of hell where you belong you son of a bitch." She murmured.
Jareth stared harshly at her, grabbing the branch and starting towards her.
She swung out, catching him with her leg, causing him to fall to the ground, she scrambled out of the way as he stood again, catching her by her arm and bringing his one hand down towards her chest. Quickly she reached out, shoving his hand to the side and pushing him back. She only had one chance to get him in the heart, she wanted to make it good.
She jumped back as he pounced on her, pinning her down with his massive body.
"You loose." He whispered, lifting his arm.
She managed to bring her leg up and make contact with his chest and push him away quickly. Grabbing the branch in her hand, she stood. She started at him when, her body weak with exertion, she stumbled, falling to her back. She gasped as Jareth raised his arm and was about to drop it when he was jarred from behind.
Knowing she had to work fast, she jumped up, and driving forward, driving the branch into his chest and hitting her target. She heard AJ call out and dropped her guard for only a moment when Jareth moved his hand, plunging the branch into her heart before dropping to the ground.
"Aradia!!" AJ screamed.
The pain was unbearable and she dropped to the ground. She looked over, the sun was starting to rise over the horizon. She'd done it in time. Suddenly AJ was there, cradling her in his arms.
"Aradia, baby hold on! God I'm sorry, this is my fault."
She smiled weakly. "You just couldn't keep your big mouth shut could ya?"
"What do I do? How do I stop the bleeding??"
"Pull the...the...branch out...pull it out Alex."
"What?!"
"Just do it."
AJ looked down at her and grabbed the branch in his hands, it moved as her heart beat. He pulled hard on the branch and lifted it from her chest, he heard her cry out and tossed it to the ground, covering the gaping hole in her chest with his hand, the blood starting to seep through.
"Aradia! Stop it, make it stop!"
"It's ok Alex, it doesn't matter now. Jareth's dead that's the important thing." She whispered.
"Screw Jareth! How do I stop the bleeding? How!?"
"You can't Alex, it's too late. I've lost too much blood and I'm not strong enough to save myself, the sun is just about to rise. Th-thank you f-for your...help."
It was becoming increasingly harder and harder for her to talk. Her skin felt on fire. She turned her head, Jareth's body already starting to decompose, that would be her in a few minutes. A sudden fear swept over her suddenly.
"A-Alex, you...I want to thank you for all you've done for me. I never thought that...that..." She lifted her hand up to his face, she could see the sun's rays starting to poke through the forest.
"Aradia shh...don't move. I'll get help."
She shook her head weakly. "Late...too...late." She could feel the blood oozing from the wound, it took too much energy to speak, but she had to say it, say what she'd been meaning to say ever since she'd left him that night two years ago. "A-Alex..."
"Aradia..."
"I love you."
He stared at her, his eyes widening. "Oh...god. Aradia please, don't do this, don't go."
"I love you Alex, I think I've loved you from the moment I met you in the alley. You got to me and when I tried to kill you, I couldn't. You'll always have my blood running through your veins, that small part of me that's still human."
Tears were streaming down her face. She looked down, her skin starting to burn as the sun rose high in the sky.
"Goodbye Alex." She whispered, her eyes drifting closed.
