Labyrinth Pt. II

18. The Magic Missed

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed and rushed towards me. Relief filled me at seeing her unharmed.

"Sarah. You are alright." I went to lift myself up from the ground but flinched. She reached me and put her hands on my shoulders.

"No, no. Stay down. You need to rest." She grabber the water bottle from my pack and had me drink. "Of course I'm okay. I can handle myself."

"I know. I still worry. I brought you here and you were put in danger. The guilt can't help but gnaw at me." I rested on the floor. Feeling much calmer now that Sarah was here. She took part of her sleeve and wiped the sweat off my forehead caused by my fever.

"Well there's no need. I've been treated kindly here."

She gave me more water. I mentally was shocked at how calm she was acting. There was a feeling in my stomach. I felt weird about all of this. Especially because she wasn't meeting my gaze. However, I ignored that feeling and focused on the pain. My whole body didn't feel right. The previous fight taxed my body. The poison that had already entered my blood was taking its toll.
Sarah seemed to take my silence as a chance to examine the rest of my injuries.

"My goodness. Whatever did this to you, did quiet a job. I..." She trailed off and I waited for her to finish. "I don't know if this will help, but it is supposed to heal."

She pulled out a medium sized, silver salve canister. I recognized the container as a magical healing agent that we used here in the Goblin City. She didn't wait for my answer or for me to question where she got it. Sarah opened it and got two fingers full of the purple glittering gel-like substance. When she placed it on my wounds, they immediately felt better. A cooling sensation burned my body. It gave me that euphoric feeling that I've missed.

Magic.

"There. That should do it." She was quick and worked in silence the entire time. She helped me get dressed since now I could move and my wounds were almost completely healed. I had to do without one of my layers, since I used it for my bleeding wounds.
Humanity was going to be the death of me.
As more seconds passed my aches and pains disappeared. I hugged Sarah to me, thankful for her safety and her help.

"You said you've been treated kindly, so he hasn't hurt you? No one here has done you harm?"

"Of course he hasn't. Nyx has been a gentleman."

I pull away at her response and hold her shoulders. Lowering my head, i force her to meet my gaze and I look in to her eyes. They were a dark blue. Not her eyes.

"He has kept me safe. Unlike you, who brought me here. Plus, he wants you dead. I have nothing to do with that."

"You're not her." I say that, and I know that, but those words still hurt.

It's because they are true.
But she insisted on coming with me. I wanted her to stay, or find somewhere safe.
Well she did find a safe place. With the fae brat.

My inner monologue was clouding my thoughts. I didn't notice the imposter leaning closer to me.

"But that's okay," it said. "I forgive you."

"What?" Her hands moved up my arms towards my shoulders. Despite the knowledge of this not being her, I still shivered. When I glanced at then, I noticed a green shimmer on them.

Magic, poisonous magic. The magic I don't  miss.

I pushed her back as she tried to snake them around my neck. I let out a silent curse I've heard in the human world.

"You aren't Sarah. You think I wouldn't notice your eyes?"

"Really, ancient one. Things would have been easy for you. The chance to drift off to your death as I suffocated you, is as merciful as I can get." The blue eyed Sarah shifted to a tall ice brat. His eyes growing lighter and back to his normal pale blue color.

"Of course it's you. Why pull the charade? Why heal me? Why not send one of your minions to kill me. You want me dead yet you save me from death, with your very hands." I'm irritated and confused. Which makes me more irritated. Actually, I'm now just angry.

"I need you in top shape. I will not let you die by the hands of my gnomes or anyone else. You deserve better. You deserve slower. Your death will go down in our history. In your history as a failure and in mine as a victory. If I had dispelled the life from your body with my own hands, it would have felt wonderful." His eyes get a far off look. "I would have been feared by all creatures. The mighty goblin king, killed by the fae king."

"You have no chance to kill me. Your games and your tricks are child's play. You call yourself a king, but you are merely a prince playing make-believe." I'm at my full strength. I feel a small tickle in my hands. It's so familiar that I don't have to guess what it is. Somehow I've regenerated a decent amount of magic.

Maybe from the salve...

"I am not a prince!" He roars. "I have a whole kingdom to my name! TWO whole kingdoms!"

"Not yet. You may have taken your poor father's place but you haven't taken mine. I won't let you have it. Not without a fight." The tickle grows until it feels like pins and needles under my skin. I don't want him to know that I have it, and I don't want to waste it on this moment. I need it. I need to feed it. I need it to grow. "You know nothing of ruling."

"I know how to rule." His eyes sparked and a smirk grew on his face. "Sarah certainly believes that."

"What do you mean?" My eyes narrow but I don't trust his words.

"She knows that I know how to rule." He shrugs with his smug look. "She trusts that fact enough to let me rule her."

"You're lying."

"If I'm correct that is something that even you could not do. Well, she would not allow you to."

"You know nothing of her."

"I know her more than you think. Perhaps in ways that even you do not. Tell me, have you heard all of the sounds she can make?" His eyes darkened and his smirk changed to a conniving grin. I lunged for him but he disappeared. Taking himself to who knows where, while I seethed at his allusions.

He was lying.
But he's not wrong.
Sarah doesn't need ruling. She doesn't trust him.
But she could. Would she trust him over me?

The thought I was afraid to admit I had, was the answer to my own question.

She might.

A/N: it's been a while since I've last updated this story. I apologize! I've had a bad block with this story. I know where I want to end up but I'm not sure how to get there sometimes. Hahaha.... ha....

Hope you enjoyed this update. It's gonna pick up back with Sarah in the next chapter and things may get heated! 0_o

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