Insufficient Sacrifice

Chapter 3

"JARETH!" Sarah's panicked scream reached the Goblin King's ears, and without wasting a single second, he vanished in a whorl of shimmers. He saw the young girl passed out on the stone floor with a hairless demon standing over her limp form. Blood dripped off its claws.

"You will step away from her," the fae growled lowly, and his own voice chilled him to the core. With his glowing mismatched eyes and midnight-black armor, he looked like the very epitome of danger and death.

"Thanatos...?" the creature screeched, backing away fearfully.

"I should send you to the deepest, darkest oubliette in the Labyrinth," Jareth rumbled dangerously.

"Please, Lord! I promise, this one will not be harmed!" it shrilled in terror, flinching away from the furious Goblin King. Jareth noticed blood pooling out of Sarah's leg and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm disinclined to show you mercy," the king snarled hatefully. "Did you not recognize the scent of my magic, of the Labyrinth's power?" The monster realized its mistake and tried to skitter away. Jareth slammed down his boot on its bony webbed toes, eliciting a pained scream. "You will never touch her. Should I find you anywhere near her, I will not be as generous. I will kill you.

"Well?" Jareth hissed when it did not respond.

"I promise I will stay away!" it cried out. He lifted the crushing weight of his boot, and without wasting a single second, the thing fled from the furious king. It took him only a moment to scoop the unconscious girl off the ground.

Jareth sighed in irritated relief. "What have you gotten yourself into? More trouble than any of my goblins."

...

"Where was she?" Lerios inquired once the king returned with Sarah in his arms. "For that matter, why did she leave?"

"She was frightened by the changes, as you said," Jareth excused, shrugging slightly. Lerios gave him a suspicious look, though his cousin ignored the gesture. Waving aside the lord's protests, Jareth carried Sarah to her assigned room. He laid the unconscious teen down on the plush bed. When he lifted his hands from under her, he noticed them slick with blood. "Polaris!" A silver-haired fae materialized next to him.

"Yes, my liege?" the fae said respectfully, bowing.

"Take care of her," Jareth demanded. Noticing the curious look in Polaris' eyes, he amended his prior statement. "I won't have my guests falling ill or becoming infected." The herbalist nodded, clearly not entirely convinced, but accepting his ruler's explanation.

"I wasn't aware we had a mortal in the castle," Polaris mentioned conversationally, uncomfortable under the Goblin King's gaze. He poured a golden liquid into Sarah's mouth to numb her senses when she awoke.

"She traded herself for the babe," Jareth replied. "This one was the most recent runner."

"I see." Polaris gently cleaned out Sarah's wound. It was small, but deep. He carefully wrapped a stretch of cotton around her leg and stood up. "That's all I can do for now. A pleasure to serve you, sire." He strode out of the chamber, leaving Jareth to study Sarah. A drop of the golden elixir remained on her lip, and he wiped it away with his thumb. She stirred, and he mentally berated himself. Don't do this.

Without another glance at the girl, the Goblin King vanished from the room.

...

"What was that?" Lerios growled.

"She ran into one of the Chakbr."

"Why are you so concerned about her?"

The king conjured a crystal. "I'm not," he answered. "It would look poorly on my kingdom. Ouranos would have my head on a silver platter." Lerios raised his brows in disbelief.