Labyrinth Pt. II

27. Completely

Sarah's POV

Sleep overtook my body as soon as my head settled on the pillow. The unease that has developed in my stomach disappeared when the clearing appeared as it did the night before. All the foreign creatures came in to focus as my presence was more and more real in this memory space.
An arm reached from around me and offered me a hand. I took it and spun around to find the owner of the limb.

"In need of a walk along the water, love?" Jareth stood there with a relaxed smirk and his normal, confident posture.

"A walk would be lovely." I agreed but removed my hand from his. I felt weird that my initial reaction to him warm hand was comfort.

"What ails your mind?" He asked as we slowly perused our way aside the stream.

"Why would you think that something ails my mind?" I answer his question with a question.

"I sensed your stress before we met here again. I'm still not sure how but our minds are connected in and out of this space." He mused. "Your eyes also betray your feelings. At least to me they do."

His side glance towards me during his last statement cause my cheeks to heat up. I look down to hide them but his soft chuckle tells me he saw.

"Well yes, I am troubled." I say, with my gaze still averted. "Nyth, he has changed."

"He has always been a conniving bastard. I believe he hasn't changed, your eyes are just starting to open." He replies.

"Possibly." After a moment of deliberating, I reveal what happened. "He kissed me."

Jareth stops walking and turns to me. His face is neutral but his eyes are raging. I meet his eyes, ready for his next words.

"He kissed you?" It was a question that sounded like a statement.

"Yes. I stopped it. He... also proposed that, for my safety, I become his mate." I sigh. "He says the only way for me to go back home is to marry him."

"Did he now?" He stood a step away from me like a stone. "What did you say?"

"I didn't answer." I sigh and look up at the sky. "I want to go home, and I want to stay safe, but this change in him... It unsettles me."
I meet his gaze and step closer to him. His eyebrows raise slightly but otherwise his face is blank. "I think his touch hurts me. I feel pain and needles poking me when he makes contact. What's worse is that, at times, I can't break free. He draws me in, takes hold of me."

"Love-." Jareth interrupts me.

"No, wait. When I can break out of it, it's your voice I hear. You bring me back." My eyes sting from not blinking. I wait to see any reaction from him. "Why?"

"Because I will do what I can to keep you safe." Jareth answers with a type of passion I can't place and he steps closer to me. I don't move. "I feel your fear. I can feel it like it's my own. It kills me to know that you are afraid because I know it's my fault you are here. I brought you in to this."

"You didn't force me-" I try to interrupt.

"You don't think I now know that I didn't need to bring you here? I went to you out of a stupid misconception that the fae bastard wouldn't change a thing here. I'm running out of power and you are in so much danger. I can't even keep myself safe!" He grabs my shoulders and lowers his face to level his gaze with mine. "So when I feel your fear, I am going to comfort you. If I can't really keep you safe, I can at least console your mind."

The distress in his eyes made my heart tighten. He gave my shoulders a small shake while he was speaking to emphasize his words.

"I should be afraid of both of you." I start. He falls to his knees, putting his hands on my waist and hanging his head. "You kidnapped my step-brother. You tried to trick my mind. You abused your power as king."
Now my eyes were stinging from tears. My chest hurt so much, but I couldn't stop my mouth. "Jareth, your right, I'm scared. I'm scared because I'm in a mess of a situation that puts my life at risk. I'm scared because there's a fae just outside my bedroom door that hurts me. Most of all, I'm scared because I trust you completely, and I shouldn't."

He raises his head at my final statement with eyes shining from unshed tears of his own.
"You trust me? Completely?"

"Yes. I believe that we will get out of this, with my whole being. We can't let him win." I try to smile and he returns one. "I know you think we can't succeed but I hope we can."

"And hope is a powerful thing." Jareth says. He wraps his arms around my waist and hugs my midsection. Slowly I return the hug, placing a hand on his shoulders and threading my fingers through his hair. "Please, keep hoping in me, Sarah."