half-smile on his lips. “Could you?” he asked, indicating the iron bands with an elegant gesture.
They watched as I stepped up to release the clasps. “It’s a good thing I came,” I couldn’t resist pointing out.
Zelphie actually smiled at me before turning her attention to Jareth. Several small sparks shot out from her bracelet, and then he was sitting up groggily, his eyes going in and out of focus.
Swinging his legs off the bed, his brown eyes finally settled on Rafael. “What took you so long, brother?” he asked in a gruff, gravelly voice.
The corner of Rafael’s eyes crinkled at that and his voice softened as he replied, “You weren’t that easy to find, brother.”
Jareth snorted and tried to stand, but his legs were wobbly and he pitched forward. Rafael caught him as he fell.
I hurried to help.
Jareth was a lot heavier than he looked, and we didn’t speak as we headed for the door.
As we slowly made our way up the spiraled steps, I couldn’t help but ask, “Why can’t we just shift?”
“There’s no light here,” Rafael’s voice sounded unnaturally loud in the dark.
I glanced at the eerie ball of light tracking our progress.
“That light is trapped,” Rafael explained.
Or I guess he thought it explained it. It didn’t really mean much to me. But I didn’t pursue it. My attention was diverted to Zelphie and Raven behind us.
“You made the right choice, Raven,” Zelphie was saying.
“I know,” she said, her voice sounding much more normal now that she’d stopped crying so much. “But it will provide little benefit to me.”
I figured she was talking about Rafael loving her.
Zelphie confirmed my suspicions. “The heart can’t be ordered to feel what it doesn’t wish to feel,” she said in soft, dulcet tones. “But you can be at peace, knowing you made the right choice.”
“Saving Earth is little consolation,” Raven replied petulantly.
I figured she didn’t really mean it. I guess she was more of a brat than evil.
Jareth gave a loud groan as we reached the last step, and again, I felt the sucking sensation as I was transported to the other side of the portal.
But this time, we weren’t alone as we arrived at the mini Stonehenge.
In front of us stood the Queens of Avalon. The blonde-haired Queen of the Light clad in black and the raven-haired Queen of the Dark dressed in white. Jewels glinted in their elaborately-braided hair and blue lipstick sparkled on their lips.
Fierce looking Protectors surrounded us all. Their white-spotted leopards graced with sharp, pointed horns crouched by their sides. I didn’t like the way the leopards were looking at us, as though we were tasty two-legged snacks.
Not yet fully conscious, Jareth still managed to stagger a step forward, patting his pants as if searching for something. “Where’s my trion?” he asked, his words slightly slurred. “I’ll root them while you run, Rafael.”
Rafael just shook his head, amusement flashing in his eyes. “You can’t even stand,” he muttered under his breath, catching Jareth as he tripped.
Suddenly, the Light Queen raised a hand.
“ Dare you come here, Rafael? ” she thundered in a voice that made my heart stand still. “What words can you possibly utter that will stay my lips from ordering your execution on this very spot? You have shown nothing but disrespect for us and you have desecrated the Hall of Mirrors!”
I froze.
Slowly, Rafael stood to his full height. And then he said the last thing I ever would’ve expected him to say. “I order you to take me to your Hall of Mirrors. At once!”
Chapter Six - Fear
Jareth’s dark head snapped back and with a sardonic twist of his lip, he said, “Irony becomes you, Rafael.” His voice sounded unusually weak.
The Queens were anything but amused. Their blue-sparkled lips opened in shocked outrage to accuse in unison, “You speak as a traitor, Rafael.”
I wasn’t exactly fond of the Queens. The last time we’d
They watched as I stepped up to release the clasps. “It’s a good thing I came,” I couldn’t resist pointing out.
Zelphie actually smiled at me before turning her attention to Jareth. Several small sparks shot out from her bracelet, and then he was sitting up groggily, his eyes going in and out of focus.
Swinging his legs off the bed, his brown eyes finally settled on Rafael. “What took you so long, brother?” he asked in a gruff, gravelly voice.
The corner of Rafael’s eyes crinkled at that and his voice softened as he replied, “You weren’t that easy to find, brother.”
Jareth snorted and tried to stand, but his legs were wobbly and he pitched forward. Rafael caught him as he fell.
I hurried to help.
Jareth was a lot heavier than he looked, and we didn’t speak as we headed for the door.
As we slowly made our way up the spiraled steps, I couldn’t help but ask, “Why can’t we just shift?”
“There’s no light here,” Rafael’s voice sounded unnaturally loud in the dark.
I glanced at the eerie ball of light tracking our progress.
“That light is trapped,” Rafael explained.
Or I guess he thought it explained it. It didn’t really mean much to me. But I didn’t pursue it. My attention was diverted to Zelphie and Raven behind us.
“You made the right choice, Raven,” Zelphie was saying.
“I know,” she said, her voice sounding much more normal now that she’d stopped crying so much. “But it will provide little benefit to me.”
I figured she was talking about Rafael loving her.
Zelphie confirmed my suspicions. “The heart can’t be ordered to feel what it doesn’t wish to feel,” she said in soft, dulcet tones. “But you can be at peace, knowing you made the right choice.”
“Saving Earth is little consolation,” Raven replied petulantly.
I figured she didn’t really mean it. I guess she was more of a brat than evil.
Jareth gave a loud groan as we reached the last step, and again, I felt the sucking sensation as I was transported to the other side of the portal.
But this time, we weren’t alone as we arrived at the mini Stonehenge.
In front of us stood the Queens of Avalon. The blonde-haired Queen of the Light clad in black and the raven-haired Queen of the Dark dressed in white. Jewels glinted in their elaborately-braided hair and blue lipstick sparkled on their lips.
Fierce looking Protectors surrounded us all. Their white-spotted leopards graced with sharp, pointed horns crouched by their sides. I didn’t like the way the leopards were looking at us, as though we were tasty two-legged snacks.
Not yet fully conscious, Jareth still managed to stagger a step forward, patting his pants as if searching for something. “Where’s my trion?” he asked, his words slightly slurred. “I’ll root them while you run, Rafael.”
Rafael just shook his head, amusement flashing in his eyes. “You can’t even stand,” he muttered under his breath, catching Jareth as he tripped.
Suddenly, the Light Queen raised a hand.
“ Dare you come here, Rafael? ” she thundered in a voice that made my heart stand still. “What words can you possibly utter that will stay my lips from ordering your execution on this very spot? You have shown nothing but disrespect for us and you have desecrated the Hall of Mirrors!”
I froze.
Slowly, Rafael stood to his full height. And then he said the last thing I ever would’ve expected him to say. “I order you to take me to your Hall of Mirrors. At once!”
Chapter Six - Fear
Jareth’s dark head snapped back and with a sardonic twist of his lip, he said, “Irony becomes you, Rafael.” His voice sounded unusually weak.
The Queens were anything but amused. Their blue-sparkled lips opened in shocked outrage to accuse in unison, “You speak as a traitor, Rafael.”
I wasn’t exactly fond of the Queens. The last time we’d
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