Out of time

Jareth had watched the exchange between the girl and the Fates. Fate touched everyone, to be sure, but they had never comforted anyone before. He had followed the trail of her blood, careful not to touch it. Even if she was half-human, she could still carry the deadly iron toxin in her veins.

He watched as she stood and faced the city, the wind blowing her hair and over the cuts on her skin. She looked…magnificent. Alexia looked tall and proud with nothing more left to loose other than her life. Her eyes were done crying and looked as if no one could force another tear. His heart tripped in his chest as she jumped down from the small ledge to make her way to the goblin city. Jareth smiled, but first she had to pass his crystal dream. He caught a crystal out of the air and blew it after her. He sent three, just in case he missed, which he doubted.

Lexi’s stomach gave a rebellious growl as she headed down the hill. Damn, she thought, I so should have eaten breakfast. That’s when she felt something brush against the side of her foot. She looked down to see a peach. First she arched her eyebrow and then she made a face.

“Eww a peach. I hate those.” And she simply walked on. Pausing a second she swore she heard something rustling through the leaves behind her. Having learned not to take any sounds for granted, Lexi slipped behind into the brush and circled around.

Did the girl have none of her mother in her at all? Thought Jareth with a snort. She was ruder, less naïve; she seemed almost in her element when she was walking in the woods toward his city instead of out of place and lost. He glared at the peach dream that had failed him and looked to back up to where Alexia had stood. DAMN! She was gone! Jareth looked around franticly, where had she gone?

Lexi breathed in as power surged into her. She’d never felt so alive! It was as if every living thing around her had decided to lend her their will to live. She jumped into a tree, softly touching its bark with her fingertips. She’d always loved the forest, but she’d never been able to explain it to her father before.

She felt powerful, even arrogant as she jumped from tree to tree looking for the source of the rustling sound she’d heard. Something awakened in her while she was searching. It was like something feral, almost animal breathing inside her. Lexi became aware of everything; the way the wind shifted, bringing new scents to her ever-keener nose, the way the trees bent and broke showing the way something went. Trees were never good secret keepers. She smiled as she stood against the tree’s trunk amongst its boughs looking down at a very familiar form.

Jareth snapped his fingers. How could he have been such an idiot? It was still his labyrinth, still his game to play. He would simply use one of his crystals to see where she was. He stood and caught one in the air. “Show me Alexia.”

His orb did as its master commanded and showed Jareth Lexi, smiling down at a form that he couldn’t see. Something was different about her. Her wounds were already healed and she had a strange look about her. Dread started to creep under his skin. It was possible that Alexia had come into her succubus. Her human side should have been able to squelch the need to feed on desire. Who was that she had in her sights? He squinted into the crystal, making it focus on the form she was smiling at. His dread deepened. “Oh, dung. That’s me!”

He heard a soft thud behind him as he slowly turned around, putting on his arrogant, fearless, King face. He couldn’t afford to let her see how much trouble he had gotten himself into. “Why, Alexia, what are you up to?”

“I might ask you the same, Goblin King.” She said her voice thick and husky. “Didn’t you think I would suspect a peach? Especially one that followed me?”

“My, haven’t you changed, child?” He said, holding his ground. She started to saunter toward him, her hips swaying from side to side. Her dark royal blue eyes were vibrant and very aware of him.

“I’m hardly a child, Jareth.” She purred, running her hands up her sides, cupping her breasts.

“No wishes for toys or your freedom.” Unknowingly, he took a step back from her. Lexi’s hands went up and through her hair as she shook her head. His mouth went dry as he felt his pulse speed in his chest. “No wanting of things at all?”

“What use would I have for those?” She took another step forward, “I feel so alive here. So wonderful! Like the world has decided to share everything with me. To let me hunt in it.”

“Hunt? But you’re human. Humans don’t need to hunt”

“There are hunts, and then there are hunts.” She closed the distance between them, “I heard you step on a twig while you were wondering where I was. I watched you stretch forward while kneeling, looking for me.” She tossed her head back and laughed. “You didn’t even know I was behind you until you cheated and looked in your crystal ball. Makes a girl feel heady, and powerful.”

She gently touched Jareth’s arm, letting her fingers feel the taunt muscle beneath silk fabric. A smile teased her full lips as she let her hand go up and down his arm.

“Alexia,” He warned, “You are not in the right frame of mind for such play.”

“Who’s playing?” she giggled letting her other hand slide along his middle. “You’ve got a six pack! And here I thought you were just an arrogant royal pervert.”

He shook her once. “Listen to me, Alexia! You’re coming you’re your succubus powers! The only reason you’re attracted to me is because I am the only male in the vicinity!”

“Egotist. I just happened to like the way your ridding pants are painted onto you.” Fire was on slow burn in her eyes as she watched him. She could feel his pulse on her shoulders under his hands. “I liked the way you handled me when I wished to come here.”

She leaned close, almost brushing his lips with her own. “Rough. Possessive. Arrogant.”

He gulped as she pressed herself against him. He groaned inwardly as he forced his hands to his sides. “I won’t allow this.”

“Aww.” She pouted. “I can feel how you want to touch me. You want to feel the curve of my breast in your hands. You want to kiss me along the curve of my neck and make me tremble under you.”

Then she closed her dark eyes and gave a light tremble that shook Jareth to his core. “But under it all you’re a gentleman, aren’t you.” She sighed and took a few steps away from him. “The Feared Goblin King, Tyrant of the Underground is nothing more than a gentleman in a clever disguise. Pity.” She turned and started to walk away when she bumped right into his chest, causing her to gasp slightly.

“I’ve been generous up to now, Alexia.” His eyes traveled down her form and smiled when he saw something flicker in her eyes. “Do not try my patience.”

“Have you?” she said, giving her best seductress sigh. “I must have been to busy to notice.”

“You truly are your mother’s daughter.” He laughed suddenly. “You are an actress just like her.” Jareth stepped close to her. “What would you do if I truly took you up on your offer?”

“I said nothing about an offer.” She pointed out, avoiding his eyes. Shit, he’d seen through her.

“You did a very nice job, I must admit.” His smile drew her eyes to his mouth and she felt her pulse speed. She told herself that it had to be fear. “I was completely fooled for a good while there. But I’ll tell you my dear.” Jareth leaned down, using his body to trap her between him and a tree. “Fae can taste lies on our tongues like sour candies. You don’t believe I am a gentleman at all. No in fact you believe the exact opposite. An arrogant, royal, pervert I believe your exact words were.” Their gazes finally met. His with dual-colored power and hers with smoky blue lust. “However you did say some of the truth. You can feel how much I want to touch you. How I want to take you and make you mine.”

Lexi’s mind was blank. She couldn’t think while she was looking in those eyes of his. It was like looking up at a huge wave at the beach. It was beautiful as it crests over itself, but it has a killing blow if it crashes over you too hard. Lexi found herself frozen, unable to move while in his gaze.

He brought his hand up between them, placing it against her bare stomach. “You are very beautiful, Alexia. You’ve made me curious as to what your pale skin feels like under my hands.” He raised his hand to her eye level and bit down on the velvet-covered edge of one of the fingers, gently pulling it off of his flawless hand. He did the same with his other hand until they were bare.

It was then that Lexi realized just how torn her shirt was. It was now only a snatch of cloth that covered her bra and some of her back. She felt the coarse bark against the small of her back as she backed up against the tree’s trunk. She had to clear her throat twice before trusting herself to speak. “A-a shame you won’t get the chance.”
He tilted his head, quizzically. “And why won’t I? You’ve placed yourself far to close to the snake to escape, little bird.”

She jumped into the tree, using the bough above her head like a set of uneven bars, swinging gracefully into the tree. She ran along its length and leapt to the next branch, effortlessly. “Snakes don’t talk so much.” She said to herself. “Damn I shouldn’t have tried that.” Lexi flipped to the next tree, her face flushed with embarrassment and something else she couldn’t identify. She hadn’t lied about liking the way he seemed to be poured into his pants, or the way he looked stretched out in the brush looking for her. She bit her lip confused with her own emotions. Wasn’t she supposed to hate his sorry ass? She almost ran into him again when he appeared in front of her. The only thing that had saved them from falling to the forest floor below was Lexi’s quick flip over his head.

“Don’t you get it, Alexia? This is my place. It bends to my very will. See you are no closer to my city then you were when you snuck up on me.” He smiled at her, his arrogance firmly in place. He was very close to her now, running his hands softly over her shoulders. “You have such soft flesh. How very different from your façade. And the flush on your cheeks has little to do with that physical display of power you used to run from me.”

“I was only acting, as you yourself pointed out, Goblin King. I have no desire for you.” She backed up and found herself against another tree trunk.

“Only partially acting, Alexia. You desire me far more than you are willing to accept.” He looked dangerous now, but Lexi seemed powerless against this type of danger. “Have you ever been touched this way before by a man?” She found herself shaking her head as he rested his arm over her one shoulder. “You are a fantastic actress then, little bird.” She was drowning in his eyes as she felt his hand slide around her waist. “But, your acting has gotten you in trouble now hasn’t it.” He pulled her tight against him, her body flush with his own.

She tried to pull away but the Goblin King’s grip was too strong. Her eyes looked up at him, and the challenge in them drained away as he stared into her eyes. She began to feel light-headed. “What are you doing to me?”

“I will give you your dreams, your finest desires.” His hand slid up to touch the soft exposed skin where her shirt had once been. She was indeed softer than she appeared. Jareth could feel her heart pound under her skin. Pulling her closer, he let his hands roam over her back, sliding higher under that little swatch of cloth. Her eyes caught his attention. He felt like drowning in their deep blue depths as he leaned down and captured her lips with his own. She moaned softly before returning his kiss with a passionate one of her own. Her arms encircled his neck as her inquisitive tongue slipped into his mouth.

His hands tightened around her as a shudder passed through his frame. Then he let his hands roam higher until he encountered a different type of fabric. He pulled back looking at her questioningly, “And what’s this, Alexia?” He felt around the smooth cloth and found it latched between her shoulder blades.

She blushed heavily and tried to pull back, “It’s called a bra.”

Wanting to see this ‘bra’ Jareth pulled off the rest of what had been her shirt, causing Lexi to squeak and try to cover herself. It was black, soft fabric that clung to the curves of her breasts holding them in place. He forced her hands away from her breasts and let his eyes feast on their beauty.

Her arms crossed her chest again as a blush flared on her cheeks. “Royal pervert.” She took two steps back. When he stepped forward to claim her again, she started to circle. “You’ve no right, none at all!”

“And you think you have the right to tease me? I who am King of all you see around you?”

“Dork.”

“Trollop.”

Lexi rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “Enough of this. You’re just slowing me down again. I can see your castle from here. See ya!” With that she flipped into the tree above her head, its branches hiding her movements. She leapt from branch to branch.

“You don’t have much time left, Alexia.” He said, suddenly on her heels. “Only an hour and a half left of your ten.”

“Oh cool, so you can keep up. That’s pretty good for an old man.” She laughed as she leapt. “I mean you have to be, what, several hundred or even a thousand years old. Tsk tsk, cradle robber.”

“Are you trying to make me angry?” He was finding that he actually had to put some effort into keeping up with her. “I’m not so generous when I’m displeased.”

“Prepare to be frugal.” She stopped short as she came to the abrupt end of the forest and was introduced to the sheer cliff that led into the city.

“You’ve run out of places to run.” He whispered in her ear. Jareth ran his hands down from her shoulders to her arms. “Just give up, Alexia. It’s impossible with the limitations you’ve put on yourself.”

“She never gave up, so why should I?” she lowered herself to the ledge and slowly went over. Jareth only had time for a quick intake of breath before she put her foot on the first small ledge.

“Don’t be stupid! You could kill yourself!”

“That’s sort of part of being mortal. I’ll risk it.” She edged her way slowly along the side as he walked along the edge.

“You’ll never make it at this rate.” He pointed out.

“Point. Time to go faster.” Then she leapt away from the rock wall and arched her body down toward the ground. He let out a cry of shock. Did she hate him so much that she would end her life? Alexia then did something really unexpected. She twisted in the air until her face was facing up and, while cupping her hands to her mouth, she called into the air.

‘Impossible.’ He thought his mouth agape, ‘How would she know how to do that?’ His Alexia had made a distress call to the Pegasus. Her face was triumphant as one of the mystical flying horses caught her out of her death spiral.

“Just to the bottom please.” She wondered how her father had managed to teach her anything useful in between his numerous dates and functions. Lexi had only been a child but she remembered how her father had her call to the heavens. Nothing had ever come before, but she figured in this place she had a fifty-fifty chance in this place.

The landing was easy, and Lexi dismounted and hugged the equine’s neck. “Thank you so much. If there is anything you need, let me know and I’ll do my best.” Then she turned and faced the gates to the Goblin City.

Jareth’s foot swung like a cat’s annoyed tail. So Dominic had managed to each the girl something useful. He scowled. He didn’t like the feeling that clutched his chest as she jumped off of the ledge. It confused him. Why would she do something like that? Why would he care if she lived or died? Why didn't she? She was the product of Sarah’s womb but of Dominic’s seed.

That still rubbed raw on his ego. The facts that an incubus had his prize before him annoyed him greatly. He would soon remedy the situation by taking it out on his daughter. Revenge is a delicacy, one he would enjoy greatly upon his plate. Jareth waved his hand in the air, setting off one of the many traps in the labyrinth. Though, seeing how his luck was going with this girl, she’d most likely doge it.

“Aren’t you being rash, your majesty?” chuckled an old voice. “And your right, she leapt over the opening just as it appeared. The girl has wonderful agility.”

“You don’t usually comfort lowly mortals, Morea. Why is this one different?”

“Oh we have our reasons, Jareth.” Said the middle-aged voice as the three women who shared one body stepped into the light. “Believe it or not, we don’t want you unhappy. “

The face on the body changed abruptly. “Just wish you weren’t such a brat. You’ve had your own way around this place for over five hundred years since your father left it to you.”

“And how have I been ‘a brat’?” He placed his gloved hands on his hips. “A king has a right to have things his way when he is ruling.”

“But not to the point of causing other’s unhappiness. The goblins themselves don’t know better, but what of the others? What of your gnomes and Firerys, your wall-snails and your rock callers?” asked the old woman poking a finger into his chest. “Did you know you only have one or two of the rock callers left in existence? Shame on you, Fae King, you’re letting your world fall to pieces because you can’t have your way.”

The woman again changed her face as she strode to a tree and plucked a fruit from it. “And you know she is coming into her power. She hasn’t even broken a sweat yet and she’s leapt over walls, scaled trees, and has been leading your foolish self along on a merry chase that ultimately got her closer to your castle.”

She smiled knowingly as she heard the shatter of a crystal behind her. It would be right soon. She felt bad about not telling the girl she wasn’t fated to leave this underground world, but a fate had to do what a fate had to do.

Lexi looked up at the metal doors of the Goblin city. “Too high to jump.” She thought aloud. “Most likely guards or something.” She opened the door as quietly as she could, although she wondered when it had last been oiled. Lexi remembered something as the door shut behind her.

This was the part of the story where the giant metal robot came into play. But seeing how Jareth and the other creatures in this place where dressed, Lexi severely doubted the existence of such a robot. She strode toward the archway that lead into the city when it suddenly slammed shut in the cookie cutter shape of a robot.

“Shit, what a time to NOT believe something Momma said.” She backed up sharply. “A freaking robot! How did she stop it before?” Lexi searched her memory. Hoggle. Hoggle had jumped on the machine’s head and had pulled out the driver. It was too big for Lexi to jump up there herself. A friend. It had all come down on depending on someone else instead of depending on herself. She shook her head hard and blinked back tears. Damnit nothing was hopeless.

Lexi looked around franticly for some way to get into the head area. The giant started to swing his axe and slammed it down next to her sending sparks into the air. She smiled and dodged the blow easily. The axe! As it fell again next to her, Lexi made her move and leapt onto it, wrapping her legs around it and sliding down to its arm. Once on the arm she ran to the shoulder and kicked off the head cover.

“Gottcha you little-!”She gasped as she looked down into the empty pilot’s seat. Lexi’s jaw dropped as she spun around in time to see the large hand of the robot come around and grab her, pinning her arms to her sides.

Slow clapping drifted up from below as Lexi struggled to free herself. “Good try, Alexia, a very good try.” He was suddenly up on the shoulder with her. “Didn’t you think I would learn from my previous endeavors? Never send a goblin to handle something as important as you.” A clock with only ten hours on it appeared behind him, the minute hand five minutes past the ten. “Your last hour has run out, and now you are mine for eternity.”