Chapter
Five
Sarah
froze, her eyes going wide. Was it ... possibly ...?
She
drew in a deep, shuddering breath and slowly turned. And there he
was, standing in the middle of the clearing with the moonlight
washing over him in a stream of white-gold brilliance. He was dressed
in mist and shadows, a flowing cloak drifting gracefully around his
tall form in an unfelt wind. His very essence seemed to draw in the
light and reflect it in the misty aura surrounding him. His pale face
was expressionless as he regarded her; through wisps of silvered
hair, his exotic eyes met and held her own, and she forgot to breathe
for a moment.
"Why—"
She stopped and swallowed against her suddenly dry throat. "Why
did you come here?" Her voice came out sounding much more husky
than she'd intended, holding a sort of low, seductive tone that she'd
never even realized she could make. Her cheeks flushed scarlet, and
she cleared her throat nervously to hide her embarrassment.
He
cocked his head at her, and his lips twitched briefly in amusement.
"I was given the impression that you wanted me here," he
replied, his voice carrying to her clearly even though a good
distance separated them. "Can it be that you've changed your
mind?" He tsked softly. "It seems you haven't changed much
in all these years."
Sarah
scowled at the subtle barb. "Well, neither have you!" she
retorted childishly. "Am I the only person whose dreams
you keep popping up in, or are you just so bored with your own
life that you decided to go dream-hopping all over the world to give
yourself some extra excitement?"
He
laughed at that, and sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight. "No.
Just you," he replied lightly, his voice an almost gentle
caress. "It does sound like a good idea, though. I may have to
try it sometime."
She
clenched her hands until her nails bit into her palms. "What ...
do ... you ... want?" she asked very slowly, barely managing to
control her annoyance.
He
was suddenly in front of her; she didn't remember even seeing him
move! Or maybe she was the one who had moved, but she didn't
remember that, either. She found it too awkward to look him directly
in the eye, so she contented herself to stare at the odd pendant he
wore instead, thinking how she could not remember ever seeing him
without it. She wondered vaguely what significance it held. Was it
some kind of a symbol of his nobility, or did it mean something more?
Or maybe it didn't mean anything at all, and he just really liked
necklaces—
"The
question is, Sarah," Jareth spoke up suddenly, startling her out
of her thoughts, "what is it that you want?"
Surprised,
she glanced up, and was instantly transfixed by an intent gaze. "I
... I just want—" She stopped in confusion. Just what did
she want, anyway? She had not yet made up her mind about that ...
although several ideas were currently running a game of tag inside
her head.
The
atmosphere felt strange; heavy and charged like the air just before a
lightning storm. Sarah shoved her hands into her coat pockets, as
much to warm them as to keep them from reaching up to touch the
Goblin King's face, which she was suddenly very strongly tempted to
do.
She
was startled to feel something smooth and round and cold against her
hand and looked down quickly as she drew it from her pocket,
clutching the object tightly. She found herself holding a perfectly
formed crystal, and her mouth dropped open. It was the golden
crystal. The golden crystal that she'd left in its box. Sitting on
the bed. Back in her room. How on earth had it gotten into
her pocket?
"I
see you've found my gift," Jareth murmured. "I do hope you
like it. I had it made especially for you."
Fear
filled her expression and she released the crystal like a burning
coal. Instead of falling, however, it rose into the air and hovered
before her face, spinning in place with a soft, golden glow. She
flinched away, lest it touch her. "What is it?"
she gasped.
He
cocked his head again, and a smile twitched at his lips. "It's a
crystal. Nothing more," he chanted, sing-song, and she glared at
him.
"You're
so full of it," she huffed. "Your magic tricks are always
more than nothing!"
"How
very true," he agreed calmly, and held out a white-gloved hand.
The crystal lighted gently on his hand, defying all laws of gravity
as it balanced itself upon the tips of his fingers. "This
crystal is more than nothing,” he told her, his voice
low and serious. “It will grant you anything your heart
desires. All you need do is look into it, wish for it, and it will
come to be."
She
stared at him suspiciously. "Oh, really. My dreams, huh?"
she snorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "So who do I have
to wish into the Labyrinth this time to get them? My
grandmother?"
He
actually grinned at that, reminding her rather of a wolf. "Of
course not. She's far too old," he deadpanned.
"Then
what do you expect me to do? Rob a bank? Kidnap my best friend?
Murder my family? What?"
He
sighed and shook his head with mock sadness. "I don't remember
you being so cynical," he mused. "Rude and self-centered,
yes, but not cynical. What has happened to you in three years to
make you so bitter?"
"I
am not bitter," she huffed, stamping her foot before she
could stop herself. "I happen to like
my life, thank-you-very-much, and I'd appreciate it if you'd keep
your nose out of it and go back to where you belong!"
"Is
that so?" He regarded her steadily. "You certainly don't
seem to be very happy. Watching you these three years, I was given
the impression that you were rather depressed with how your life is
going. The things that you dreamed of and wished for as a child seem
to no longer make you happy. Can it be that your dreams are not what
you thought they were, after all?"
She
was so furious now that she was shaking. "Where do you get off
saying you know anything about me?" she yelled. "You
know nothing! I'm happy! I'm satisfied! I love my
life!" And she threw her arms outward dramatically for added
affect.
Jareth
seemed unimpressed, and he stepped closer to her. "You seem to
be trying very hard to convince yourself,” he stated softly.
“Might you tell me why it is that you cry yourself to sleep at
night? Why have I watched you gaze into the distance when your
friends are gathered, as though you are searching for something that
can be seen by no mortal eye? Why is there such regret in your eyes
when there should be only contentment? But then, you never were
very content with anything you had, were you?"
Sarah
stared at him, speechless. She swallowed several times, trying to
find her voice. "Y-you've got some nerve," she stuttered.
"You're the most arrogant bastard I've ever met in my life.
Whatever your game is, I'm not playing anymore, got it? Don't make me
say the Words again. Don't think I won't!"
"The
Words have no power over me. Not this time," he murmured. "We
are not playing that game, and I need not leave until I choose
to do so." He sighed softly, holding out the crystal again. "A
gift," he whispered. "It is only a gift that I offer you.
No strings attached. Is this not your season for giving, after all?
Take it. Live your true dream, if only for this night. That's all I
ask."
The
golden sphere floated from his hand to once again hover before
Sarah's eyes. She gazed into it and within its depths an image
shimmered to life; a couple dancing, gazes locked to each other. A
tall, golden man and a dark-haired beauty in white satin, floating
about an empty ballroom, heedless of anything but their partner. Of
course Sarah knew who they were. Of course she knew that it was a
dangerous, reckless line she walked, but she could no longer help
herself.
For
once in her life, all she wanted was to be reckless.
Slowly,
as Sleeping Beauty had once upon a time touched her enchanted
spindle, so Sarah now reached to place her hand against the golden
crystal.
