Chapter 1
“Sarah!”
The young brunette turned in the direction that her name was called, long hair whipping around and falling onto her shoulders. She squinted in the sunlight to see who was calling her name and raised one hand to her brow to shield her face from the bright light. Then she smiled in recognition and waved to her red haired friend.
“Briana! Hey! How was Keller’s test?”
The other girl groaned, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “Oh, you know… One of Killer Keller’s. It’s like he expects us to have the whole chapter memorized. There was a lot on reactivity though, so if you know all that, then you should be fine.”
“Thanks for the advice! I’ve got to run, my English 201 class starts in five minutes. Study session Thursday?”
“Same as always. See you then, Sarah!”
“Bye!”
The two girls parted ways, headed in opposite directions across the college campus. Sarah shifted her books in her arm and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she walked, wearing the smile of someone who had just had a pleasant encounter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jareth stared wistfully into his gazing crystal, watching the young woman who captivated him still. She was as lovely as ever…
“Little brother, let it be said that I’ve never doubted your excellent taste in women.”
Jareth sat upright, waving his hand over the crystal so that Sarah’s face disappeared and was replaced with clear, blank space. He scowled in the direction of the voice. “Mab. And just what do I owe the pleasure?”
Mab the Faerie Queen sat on the tall, round windowsill, wearing a smirk on her face that would have put a satisfied cat to shame. The fae woman in question looked nearly identical to the Goblin King; although her hair was longer and her features more feminine. She was even dressed like him, although that might have been more in mockery than in tribute. The floaty white shirt she wore revealed ample cleavage beneath it and the black vest that fit her more like a corset. Tight gray riding pants hugged her thighs, tucked into black boots that hit her just below the knee.
‘Definitely a mockery,’ Jareth decided, although everything was identical, down to the makeup.
His twin slid down the wall until her boots touched the floor. “I just came by to check up on you. It’s been so long since I heard from my darling little brother. I was worried.” Mab’s bright red lower lip stuck out in a pout, and her tone was not one of a concerned sister. It was sarcastic, teasing.
Jareth turned away from her, not in the mood for her games or fake concern. Her heels clicked on the stone, announcing her presence as she drew closer to him. She waved a hand over Jareth’s crystal and it picked up where it left off; watching Sarah. She was alone now, walking by herself.
“Time has only made her lovelier, hasn’t it?” Mab crooned in his ear. “Her beauty could almost be described as… fae.”
“She chose her brother, and her world.” Jareth tried to sound impassive, even though the words held his heart in a vice grip.
“Maybe she regrets her choices. Perhaps all dear Sarah needs is a second chance.” Mab couldn’t be bothered to keep the look of delight off of her face, and Jareth suddenly knew what direction this conversation was headed. He did not like it one little bit.
The crystal containing Sarah’s image rolled across the floor as the Goblin King stood up suddenly, whirling to face his twin. She was standing so close that he could feel her breath on his face, but neither of them touched each other. “… I do not believe she would choose differently.” He was quiet, unusually quiet, as though he were whispering a terrible secret.
Mab looked almost sorry for him, but it did not stop her from uttering, “Let us find out, brother. A wager, shall we? One last chance to see if you can steal the maiden’s heart.”
Jareth eyed her cautiously. He was slow to speak, as all of his feelings seemed to be caught in his throat. “What are your terms?”
“Nothing extreme. If you fail in making Sarah fall in love with you, then I get control of the Labyrinth for one day of the year. If you succeed, then you get…”
“The Queen’s Garden’s,” Jareth said automatically. He knew the one place that was as important to his twin as the Labyrinth was to him. “For the same period of time.”
Mab scowled at the idea of having to surrender her extensive personal garden for any length of time to her twin brother. “… Fine,” she finally agreed after a moment of thought.
The fae woman held out her hand to strike their deal. Jareth accepted it, but Mab’s grip held him tightly so he couldn’t pull away as she added. “And your competitor in this wager is me.”
Once she let go, Jareth jerked his hand back as though her touch burned. He stared at Mab as she watched him with no small amount of satisfaction on her face. She would try and steal Sarah - his Sarah – away. He wished he had the power to banish her to the Bog of Eternal Stench forever… but that ability was something else she had won in a bet, when they were both much younger fae.
Knowing she had one, Mab turned on her heel. “Good luck brother,” she called out over her shoulder as she strutted from his throne room. “See you on the battlefield.”
Jareth gaped after her, wondering what Mab could possibly stand to gain from attempting to humiliate him this time. He waited until the doors slammed shut behind her, and he was alone, before retrieving his crystal from the floor. Sarah smiled at him from his glassy surface, blissfully unaware of the fae who were about to meddle in her life again.