The Amulet - Book 1 of The Immortals Trilogy

Chapter 10 - At Peace

Jareth heard voices in the distance. They sounded sad and concerned, but they were muffled and impossible to understand. However, it made little different to him what might be wrong, he was happy the pain in his chest was subsiding. For the first time in two hundred years, he felt at peace, and his magic wasn't trying to tear him apart.

He couldn't tell how many seconds, minutes, or even hours passed before he opened his eyes. When he did, he found himself in darkness, and even though he could feel nothing beneath him, he sensed he was lying down.

At some point, the voices had faded into silence. Curious, but not worried, he stood and gazed around, looking for something to give him an idea of where he was.

'You won't find anything,' said a soft, gentle voice behind him. Turning, he saw the woman he saw in the courtyard after killing Eelios. Her hair was as black as the darkness around her, and her oval face was pale. Her large, watchful eyes were as green as the flowing silk dress she wore.

She smiled.

'Who are you?' Jareth asked.

'I'm your mother, Zahra.' Her smile faltered. 'You must listen to me, Jareth. We don't have a lot of time. You're wounded and...you're dying. You need to heal yourself and go back.'

Jareth studied Zahra, and found he felt nothing for the woman who just claimed to be his blood mother. Maybe it was because Hamlin already told him the truth of who he was, so long ago.

Hamlin led Jareth into his chambers and closed the door. 'There's a wall at the back of the library at Baldorne,' Hamlin said, barely able to conceal his excitement, 'and on it is a prophecy about the last God.'

'And what does that have to do with me?' He'd just buried his wife and unborn child, and the last thing he cared about was a stupid prophecy.

Hamlin looked up at Jareth, his face eager with the news he had. 'The prophecy is about you.'

Jareth laughed. 'I think you've had a knock to the head.'

'No, listen to me,' Hamlin pleaded. 'The prophecy says, 'When darkness walks the earth in human form, friends, lovers, and enemies will cower before them. Souls will be won and lost, and the last God will be found.'

'And how did you associate that rambling nonsense with me, it's so vague it could refer to anyone.'

'Who else uses dark magic?' asked Hamlin.

'They're just words,' Jareth insisted.

Hamlin turned to the table next to them, and rummaged through the piles of papers, and stacks of books until he found the book he was looking for and leafed through it.

'Here, look. This is Zahra the Goddess of Flora. This woman,' said Hamlin, pointing to the drawing, 'fits the description Lady Gwyn gave of the woman who handed you to her. When I saw the drawing, I thought it was a coincidence, but after today, after seeing with my own eyes what you can do with your magic, there is no doubt in my mind who you are. You're the last God.'

Zahra spoke again, breaking into his thoughts. 'You're the only one who can defeat Eelios, but be warned, the spell you used to kill him last time won't work again.'

'What does it matter? You said yourself I'm dying, and no-one can stop death.' He looked around disappointed. What happened to the beautiful world of Aneedi they were taught about as fledglings? A world of peace and happiness, of warm days and cool nights spent with the loved ones who waited for them. Where was Danica?

'But you can, Jareth,' insisted Zahra. 'It's only your reluctance to use your magic that's holding you back. I've given you the opportunity to go back and finish what's been started. I've been able to stop you passing into the Underworld...'