Persephone: The Sequel to The Labyrinth

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Jareth leaned against a rock deep inside the Labyrinth, where few entered. He held a crystal in one of his gloved hands. Inside he watched Sarah leave the balcony and pull the cord to call Agatha. He could see she was thinking, but he didn't know what about. Agatha entered the room and after a few words she quickly left. Sarah was once again alone in the chamber.

Jareth sighed. Oh, he knew his grandfather was right. She loved him. He had just not seen it. But he refused to admit that he loved her. Oh, he did care for her, but that was all. Yes, he desired her of course. You had to be dead not to, well maybe not. He did not believe that love and desire went together for him.

He didn't want to be what his mother had become. He didn't want to be dependent on anyone, but himself. He could not appear weak to anyone. Achilles would use it against him. He's fear for Sarah was that Achilles would realize how truly powerful she was. How much control she had over him.

If he discovered how powerful she really was, then Sarah would be in danger of him or his son coming after her. He could not allow them to harm her. She had no idea what she could do. Of course, Jareth didn't know everything she could do.

Jareth sighed and flicked his wrist making the crystal disappear. Achilles was still sending messengers demanding he come to Court. Jareth of course had a very good idea that if he did go to Court, Achilles would have him imprisoned. He would do anything to be rid of the Goblin King. Jareth knew Achilles hated him, as did his younger half brother. And he could say the feeling was mutual.

The one benefit was that they refused to come to his kingdom. Most did not want to come to the land between the Underground and the mortal world. Achilles had spread rumors that the mortals were gaining power and could one day invade their world. Not everyone believed it, but they acted liked it. Jareth knew the truth. Either mortals didn't know about this world, or they didn't believe it could exist.

Jareth pushed off the wall and began to walk along the path. Sarah was getting in him. He wanted to spend all his time with her or watching her. She was in his mind. He couldn't get her out. To him it was not love, but desire or at least infatuation. He did not love her. She was just the perfect woman to be his queen. Sarah filled the places he didn't. Already the kingdom would fight to protect her even though she wasn't yet their queen.

Jareth stopped near the beginning of the forest. He was tired of hearing his grandparents tell him that he was in love. Even Agatha was telling how good Sarah was for him. He was about to tell them all to go to Hades. He couldn't take it much longer. At least Sarah didn't bring this up.

Gods, how long had he been thinking about her? See he couldn't get her out of his head. Part of him wanted her gone, while the other wanted her. Jareth was lost. Oh, he knew the story of his grandparents, who didn't?

But that wasn't going to help him? No one had told him the story of his parents. How did his mother met his father? That was the one he wanted to know. He wanted to know why he could control and create dreams. Those were more important than if he did or did not love Sarah.

Damn, there she was again. It didn't matter what he tried to do, there Sarah was. She was haunting him. Jareth stopped and sighed. What was wrong with him? No woman had ever gotten to him like she had. Just maybe, now that's maybe he did love her, but he couldn't admit it. It would put Sarah in danger. There he admitted it to himself, but no one else would know. Not even Sarah. She would be safer that way.

Jareth conjured a crystal and peered inside. Sarah sat curled up in the library with a book. She seemed to be paying close attention to it. He couldn't see what book it was. He wondered what she could be reading. Well he could find out, but he had to deal with yet another messenger from his stepfather. Sighing, Jareth flicked his wrist making the crystal disappeared. Then he took to the sky in his owl flying back to the castle.