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-Chapter Eight-
Somewhere in between desire and passion, Sarah pulled herself out of his embrace, startled.
Gone. Out to traverse the labyrinth, no doubt, a so-called 'gift' from his highness. How else could they return home?
Her stomach hurt.
Then long fingers curved possessively against her skin, and sharp teeth grazed her collarbone.
They were gone, out to face dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. Vulnerable.
And she and her brother were still here.
Jareth had gotten exactly what he wanted - her. She had gotten exactly what she wanted - him.
Fairytale ending?
She glanced over in the darkness. Long pale hair glimmering on his shoulders, odd eyes sparkling devilishly, a cruel, cruel smile on his face.
Not quite.
Darkness like crushed velvet, power like lightning, mischief and horror and devotion.
No, not a hero. A villain in every sense of the word.
Beautiful.
Flawed.
Evil.
Perfect.
Her every dream made flesh.
He was waiting for her answer, wasn't he?
So she smiled.
Jareth grinned. Savagely.
Then they were lost again in a tangle of limbs and frantic kisses.
Wrong?
Oh yes.
But so right.
* * *
{One}
They wandered, lost.
Dark things lurked in the shadows, darted through the underbrush, and they were afraid.
But they pressed on.
And on.
* * *
Soft whimpering cries as he coaxed her down into silken sheets, ebony and gold, urgent caresses as she embraced that delicious darkness.
* * *
{Two}
Bloodied and bruised, she pulling him free from a tree that would have crushed his spine.
Staggering on because they didn't have a choice.
* * *
Waking up to find herself wrapped in his arms, blinking sleepily as he murmured his affection against her throat.
Melting into him again.
* * *
{Three}
Laughing in triumph - another obstacle down, and if they weren't entirely unscratched, at least they were making headway.
* * *
A snack - strawberries and cream and sugar, a glass of wine, the sly-eyed offering of a crystal.
Horrible, wasn't he?
Sarah giggled in delight.
* * *
{Four}
Dizziness - they'd plunged for what seemed like forever, landed in a dank little hole that smelled rank and was filled with little... things.
* * *
Terrifying intensity, all the more frightening for its inherent beauty.
A song.
A wonderful, wrenching, breathtaking song.
* * *
(Five}
They tumbled out, gasping for air, overjoyed to see daylight.
But the horizons stretched on forever, and the castle was nowhere in sight.
They turned to one another in confusion.
Which way now?
* * *
Another embrace, too sensual to resist.
Need and passion and power.
Oh yes, this was her desire.
* * *
{Six}
The uneven ground rough under their feet as they fled, trying their best not to look back.
A bloodcurdling roar - and he pulled her behind a large stone block just in time.
* * *
Lips on her throat, gloved hands at her waist.
Startled laughter as Toby awoke and stared curiously at them.
Amazing, that he would love their child.
Theirs, not the son of Karen and Robert Williams.
* * *
{Seven}
Caught in the throes of seperate nightmares, each reached out for the other - and found a hand waiting for them in their hell.
* * *
Toby did not have Jareth's eyes! How could he even think such a thing?
God, the man was confusing! Wonderful - but bewildering.
* * *
{Eight}
Blinking in dazed amazement - they were alive?
And a kiss, exchanged in jubliation, before something else tried to eat them.
In the midst of their flight, the memory gave them pause.
* * *
The goblin's name was Charmalta, and she would be tending to Toby when the king and her ladyship could not.
Her stomach abruptly did a flip.
Goblin Queen?
* * *
{Nine}
Now they were just lost, cautiously making their way through a hedge maze that seemed intent on biting them.
What looked like a juniper bush had devoured part of one of Karen's sleeves. It was cold, and they unconciously drew together against the chill.
Neither realized they were holding hands.
* * *
It seemed silly to go to school if she were going to live in the Goblin King's castle.
But she didn't really want to leave her home.
The police and child protective services would be up in arms about it - her father was a rather prominant lawyer in the state, after all.
And how could an uneducated fool be queen?
* * *
{Ten}
Sheer exhaustion forced them to nap, if only for a little while.
* * *
She peered over his shoulder, wanting to slap both of them awake.
After all, he was being very generous, giving them a chance to return. Any others in their position would be chasing chickens by now.
Fools.
They should know better by now.
* * *
{Eleven}
They were getting closer.
They were soaking wet, but they were getting closer.
At least, it looked that way.
Maybe they weren't.
Who knew?
* * *
He handed her a peach to snack on as they watched the proceedings.
She smacked him with it.
* * *
{Twelve}
The castle was in sight.
They clung to one another, half-terrified out of their wits.
Unfortunately, in front of the castle was a very large, very furry creature, with very many sharp teeth.
This was bad.
* * *
He sprawled lazily out on the throne, dressed in regal sapphire and striking ebony.
She, dressed as usual, watched the battle from a large window, gnawing thoughtfully on her thumbnail.
It was quiet above, but from below-
A scream, a crash, and silence.
* * *
{Thirteen}
Finally, finally.
They staggered, barefoot and battered, until their legs gave out, and both collapsed in the middle of an empty room.
Not quite thirteen hours had passed since last they were here.
Soft footfalls from the stairs.
They looked up, weary and wary - what to do now?
And Sarah stepped down into the throne room, her baby brother in her arms.
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