Your Eyes Can Be So Cruel

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Alright gentle readers, I have for you the next chapter!
I start my new job tomorrow though, and I have weird hours so please, please do not freak if it takes me a little longer to pop these chappies out. I'm also trying to make them longer with each one in order to tide you over for a bit.

Anyway, thanks again to Kit and all you lovely readers!

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For all her queenly type presence while sitting upon that throne, Sarah couldn’t help but to gawk at the man in front of her. She felt like once again this damn Labyrinth and its men had her at a disadvantage. Why was it that they always knew about her, but she never seemed to know about them? Unless of course you count believing that they are a part of a story world, and not real.

All through Sarah’s musings the man just continued to smile at her in that easy manner.
Like he knew her, but she would have remembered meeting him. She hadn’t been able to forget a single moment about this damn place. Where did he come from? What did he want from her to be more precise? Might help if I actually ask things aloud, she thought sarcastically.

“Do you people always make it a habit to just pop in with your balls in hand?” Though icy on the outside, Sarah was mentally freaking out. Where the hell did that come from? Am I possessed???

The man just chuckled.

“No not all of us.” His voice almost felt like honey to her ears, thick and sweet. He twisted the ball this way and that. “This isn’t mine at all, it’s yours actually.” He said tossing the crystal into the air.

Sarah caught it, almost wishing she hadn’t. She hated these things. Her dreams, her left foot, more like nightmares most of the time when he was in charge of them. Though once it was in her hands it was just a crystal. Nothing more. A little warmer than she had expected, but no snakes, no peaches. Just a crystal ball.

“And for the record Sarah,” he clasped his hands behind his back, putting one leg up on the step in order to lean a little closer to her, “I don’t play with my balls. I leave that for someone who is a little more charming than myself.”

He smiled at her in a way that was a little too much like the Goblin King. That look of, if you take your eyes off of me for a second I’ll eat you, kind of look. She shifted in her seat slightly. With him it had always felt like a threat, but with this new….person…it felt more like an invitation. Sarah thought perhaps she felt herself blushing at those thoughts, and the smirk on his face merely confirmed that she had. Not dark enough in here then she thought ruefully.

Dittle was vibrating at such a pitch that it almost sounded as if the little ball of fur were growling. Sarah looked down at the slightly orange and brown fluff that he had turned into. She ran her hands over its fur, feeling it slow the quaking at her touch. When she looked back up the man was a breaths width away from her face, looking at Dittle in a very funny way, and making her jump. She hadn’t heard him move at all.

“How in the Underground did you tame a Bo-Ru?” He made to reach for him, but the vibration that accompanied his attempt made the very stone that Sarah was sitting on tremble. The man pulled his hand back with a sour look on his face that didn’t suit his features.

Now it was Sarah’s turn to smirk. “I suppose he doesn’t like the way you smell.”

The man turned his face towards Sarah’s, his lips brushed against her cheek and sent a jolt to her stomach.

“I suppose not.” He moved away just enough to look in her eyes. “You didn’t seem to like me much either when we first met.”

Sarah pulled further away, or as much as she could without falling backwards. She searched his face over and over, but she did not know him. They had never met. Was this just another trick of Labyrinth, of the Goblin King? Was this him in some sort of disguise just to break her down?

The man took a step back, his hand flying over his heart as if it ached.

“Ah, you don’t remember,” both hands now clutching at his chest. “How you wound me still dearest Sarah.”

Sarah slowly stood from where she had been sitting in order to inch away further. This man was clearly insane for all of his good looks. Don’t think about that. Hormones are bad. Her hand tightened on the crystal he had handed her. She had nearly forgotten she had it.

He went from theatrical to serious in seconds. “In the Peach Dream Sarah. Don’t you remember?” He walked closer to her again making her take another step back, but her heel met the edge of the dais. “I tried so hard to get your attention, but you were totally transfixed on him.” He made that word into a snarl. “No matter what I did, all you wanted was to find the Goblin King. I don’t understand why, in all the revelry and dancing you would seek him out. What power does he have over you?”

Sarah glared angrily at whoever this was. “He has no power over me.” She snapped. “He never has and he never will.”

He took another step closer. “You don’t fear him?” That damn smirk was there again.

“No.” She answered as steady as she could, but even she could hear the slight tremor in her voice.

Another step. “You don’t love him?”

Her heart started racing in her chest. “No.” She answered a little calmer.

Another step. He was so close to her now she could feel the heat off of his body. His warm mismatched eyes looked deeply into hers. “Do you do as he says?”

Her heart was pounding so loudly it was a dull thud in her ears, though she couldn’t help a little snort at that question. “No.”

He smiled at her. “Good. Then you won’t mind if I do this.”

Dittle burst into a brilliant display of red through the green gloom as the fey’s arms wrapped around her, crushing her against his body. Before she could so much as squeak in protest his mouth was over hers, his lips warm and soft. She moved to push him away her hands on his chest, but instead her eyes fluttered closed. One palm was flat over his shoulder while the other still clutched the crystal between them.

She had to admit she had never been kissed like this. Teenage boys were sloppy and clumsy. They claimed to love kissing but in the end you just wound up with a tongue in your mouth that didn’t move. This was different though. He knew what he was doing, her stomach had tightened at the feel of his tongue sliding against hers and her whole body had started to tingle. She had lost hope that she would ever feel this.

Sarah was violently brought back to what was happening by the burning in her hand. She cried out in pain as the crystal dropped and shattered against the stone floor. The stone began trembling and grinding in what seemed to be out right anger. She glanced at Dittle who was now shaking in fear and in his normal white color, so it wasn’t him. Sarah eyes darted back to the man holding her. He was looking completely smug, and not looking at her at all. Not the expression she had been expecting.

His arms slid from around her down to her hand which he grabbed and then proceeded to drag her from the temple which seemed to be crumbling even more than it had been before. Sarah jumped as one of the pillars crashed across the entrance right as they hurriedly through it. He stopped pulling her a few feet away from the almost pile of rubble that the temple had become.

He smiled at her, raising her hand to his lips he left a quick chaste kiss.

“If ever you need anything, just call for Marek.” His green and gold eyes sparkled in the sunlight. He winked at her and then was gone in the next moment.

Dittle was sounding much like a trembling bell as he flew into the side of her bodice.

“Hey!” She shouted as the little ball of fur settled against her chest under the leather.

He only trembled harder as the world began spinning. Sarah put her hand to head and shut her eyes as tight as she could in hopes that the spinning would stop. Though it only made the spinning faster and faster until she felt as if she were falling. She soon found out by the thump and the pain that radiated through her hip that she had been falling, and now she had fallen. Quite hard in fact. Dittle seemed all right though still shaking like mad. Which she really hoped he’d stopped because it was starting to tickle.

Clearing her head with a few good shakes, she opened her eyes slowly. Everything was a bit blurry though. She rubbed her eyes trying to get them to clear faster. Shadows and light seemed to blur together to the point that she could find nothing to focus on. And by everything that was holy or not, she really wished it had stayed that way. However, she had found in the recent past that she was never that lucky. The first thing she saw was a boot. Rather nice one, leather and all that. Though the yellow and blue flowers around it were making it a little less intimidating. Her eyes traveled up the lovely light blue leggings. Eyes, I would appreciate it if you skip the part at the top of those legs…..please…please…. Oh she was a fine mess, pleading with her own body parts to not look at something…that she really didn’t want look at….
Just to make sure she wouldn’t betray herself, she rolled onto her back just slightly. The sun was behind him, so she couldn’t make anything out besides the outline of his shoulders and face. Which was probably a good thing with all things considered.

Though again luck did not seem to follow her in the Underground. In order to stall as much as possible from whatever was about to come, or perhaps she hoped ignoring him would make him go away, Sarah began looking around.

Well perhaps the fact that she was lying in field filled with those yellow and blue flowers was a good sign. She hoped desperately it was, though the hand now gripping her arm at a vice like pressure would say otherwise. Sarah winced as the Goblin King pulled her to her feet. Ripping her around hard so she was facing him.

“Always the bully.” She muttered.

She had to admit the look in his eyes made her want to forget any courage she had. With everything they had gone through years ago he had never looked at her like this.
As if she were something disgusting, and it actually bothered her.

“Yes Sarah.” He answered coldly. “Always the bully, at least in your eyes it seems. Is that why you’re always so quick to make the deepest cut? You make it a point to tell me how generous I’m not, but I have never seen a kind act from you.”

Sarah winced as his grip tightened on her arm. She was fairly sure there would be marks by the time he let her go.

“I don’t understand.” It was almost a whine, but not quite. She let out a breath of relief when his hand released her arm only to gasp in surprise as he once more had her by her hair.

“Maybe you haven’t grown up Sarah.” He snarled. All of his dark brooding finesse was gone, and was replaced by pure anger. “Whenever you don’t want to be responsible you claim ignorance.”

He turned walking briskly away, her hair still in his hand. She had to nearly jog to keep up him, and as it was her foot slipped twice to where she gave herself a nasty pull of her hair. He didn’t go far. Apparently he only went far enough to reach a tree she had not noticed before, and that proved to be very solid as her shoulder discovered when it was smashed against it.

“ I have given you everything Sarah.” His hands were on either side of her head now pinning her against the trunk. “You wanted the baby taken, I took him. You wanted him back, and I reorder time so that you could reach him. You faced me in all your teenage bravado and defeated me.” Sarah watched transfixed as pain and anger seemed to battle themselves out across his face. “You were wished away to me and yet I have not touched you or taken advantage of you in anyway, even though that is my right.”

He leaned closer to her his body now holding her in place. Her breath quickened and she hoped to whatever higher being there was it was because she was afraid. She twisted a bit in an attempt to break free from him, but it only made it all too clear exactly how close he was to her. His hand brushed her cheek and she couldn’t help but shiver at the feel of the leather.

“You exhaust me Sarah.” He truly did sound tired at that moment. “And even with all I have done for you, you still seek to destroy me.”

“I have done nothing…” She began, but his anger had flared again.

“Nothing? Nothing!” He raged. “You dare to kiss him while in my kingdom, and while holding the gift I sent you, and say you have done nothing?”

Sarah’s eyes widened in alarm. He had seen that? He had been watching her? Had he been watching her the whole time since he had left her in the spring? Her cheeks started to stain a slight pink at the thought of it.

“But I didn’t kiss him.” She whispered, not sure why she was defending herself.

It was not as if he had any claim over her. Or does he? A nasty little voice in her mind whispered.

Jareth just smiled at her. In a way that made her wish she were Hoggle and able to run away. That it would be alright for her to claim she was a coward and hide away from that look. He shifted his weight, leaning a little harder into her. She gasped at the crushing feeling of being between him and the tree. His one brown and one blue eye held hers like a snake hypnotizing its prey.

“Then that would lead me to believe that you like being taken advantage of Sarah.” His face was so close to her own now that she could feel his breath on her lips.

Her temper flared at the insinuation but she never had the chance to tell him what for, because then he was kissing her. This kiss was nothing like Marek’s. There was no sweet torture, and slow longing. This was hard, demanding, and crushing. It took her breath away. It made her feel so many things like anger, resentment….longing. Her eyes snapped open at that thought. When had she closed them? His hands were tangled in her hair and at some point she had actually started kissing him back. Or at least she must have, that was the only way to explain why her hands gripped his waist tightly. She felt him smile as he pulled away from her, his finger lightly running down the side of her neck. He looked a little too smug she might add. It must be part of being a fey male. They have the right to look smug whenever they kiss an unsuspecting female.

“Perhaps I have been too generous with you Sarah.” He held his chin still smiling at her. “You seem to respond so much better to force.”

Sarah’s cheek burned with embarrassment. Why is it he could always do this to her? A part of her hated him so much for it. She hated feeling helpless, especially to him, and he always twisted everything around so that she did feel that way. A clock suddenly appeared next to her head. She jumped back in alarm at the ugly little goblin that looked like the coo coo of the clock. The hands started spinning around the clock at an unnatural speed.

“Since you like a challenge Sarah, I will give you five hours to reach the castle once more.” The hands stopped with a click over the twelve. “If you reach it in time I will allow you to have free will for as long as you remain in the Underground.”

“Allow me?” She sputtered. “Being generous again I see.” She glared at him in hopes that it would turn him into a pile of dust. Unfortunately it didn’t.

He smiled in a wolfish manner. “Quite generous in fact.” He took a few more steps back. She turned back to the clock as it began to tick. “But if you don’t reach the castle Sarah, you are going to be my slave….forever.”

Sarah’s head snapped back around, but once again the Goblin King was gone. She screamed. She was tempted to stomp her feet as well and shout that it wasn’t fair. There was no use though since she had learned already that nothing was ever fair here.