by C. J. Anaya
“How did you guys finally stop that spell?” I asked.
“We didn’t,” Roderick said. “I swear we heard every bone in your body break right after you lost consciousness, but within moments the chains disappeared and Jareth got to work on healing you. Took a hundred years off my life to see you lying there choking on your own blood.”
Roderick lifted a shaky hand and grabbed mine again, squeezing it as if to reassure himself I was still alive and sitting right in front of him.
“Can you remember anything before your magic turned against you, Crysta?” Jareth asked. “Do you remember a possible intrusion within your mind…maybe a dark presence that didn’t belong within the depths of your core.”
I shook my head.
“I don’t have any dark magic within my core, but I did find threads of Summer magic leading me to the interlocking maze spell within my brain.”
Jareth stilled for a moment, his hand no longer moving against my back.
“Excuse me?” he said in a rough voice.
I didn’t like his tone. It seemed like I was about to get a lecture from a guy I’d only known a few days and I wasn’t down with that.
“I wanted to see if it was possible for me to take a look at the maze spell around my brain. So I pictured my core, found tendrils of Summer magic within my system, and followed it to the maze spell. It’s made up of some seriously intricate golden threads.”
“I know what it looks like. I’ve been studying it for the last two hours. What I want to know is what you did once you found it.”
Jareth’s tone was not inviting.
“I tried to find the way out,” I said, using what I thought was a very reasonable tone of voice.
“Oh, Crysta,” Roderick groaned.
“I’m beginning to think you’re more of a threat to yourself than King Moridan is,” Jareth hissed.
“What? What did I do wrong? I have magic too, and I want to help. I thought if I could see the spell, I might be able to figure out how to counter it.”
“You went through one of the doors, didn’t you?”
I hesitated, finally realizing where this was going.
“I take it those frozen chains were part of the interlocking maze spell’s consequences?”
“Yes.”
“Guess I won’t be trying that again.”
“Of all the idiotic, reckless, pigheaded—”
“I’m looking for solutions here, you dumb assassin. I don’t have two hundred years of faerie training under my belt like you do, so just shut it.”
“It’s your inexperience that makes you such a danger to yourself,” Jareth countered.
I huffed in anger and moved to get out of Jareth’s lap, but he wrestled me against his chest and cinched his arms tight around me. Chuck maneuvered out of the way, fluttered above us and gave us both an ugly talking to before zipping out of the room. Guess he wanted us to get our shiz together. I turned my head and glared at Jareth.
“It’s shocking you’re still single,” I muttered. “You’ve got a real way with women.”
“Who says I’m single, wife?”
“I’m not your wife, your fiancé, or your girlfriend. Considering the size of your ego, I doubt there would ever be enough room for a significant other to peacefully coexist with you.”
Jareth’s eyes glittered with anger and something a little intense just lurking under the surface. I think I’d just provoked him into giving me another one of those bone melting kisses, and it appalled me that I wasn’t necessarily opposed to the idea. Just before Jareth took action and made good on the promise held within his gaze, Roderick let out a short burst of laughter that caught us both by surprise.
I turned a questioning eye on him only to find him wearing a rueful grin.
“Flaming hobgoblins, Crysta, you remind me of your mother. She fought her attraction to me for so long. It’s amazing she ever let her guard down long enough for us to conceive you.”
My mouth dropped open and Jareth let out an amused snort.
Gross.
“Eek. Do we have to talk about that particular subject? I don’t need a mental picture of my parents getting frisky.”
Roderick threw back his head and howled with laughter while Jareth’s body shook with his own mirth, the gentle rumble of his chest along my side was oddly comforting.
“All right. You can both calm down now. I’ve learned my lesson. No more experimenting with magic I don’t understand.” I patted Jareth’s arm, hoping my attempt at a truce would get me out of his lap. “I do have to ask, though, why do the threads make musical sounds when you touch them?”
Jareth’s arms stilled around me while Roderick’s eyes went wide.
“That’s it then. It’s a musical lock. The end note will give us the starter thread,” Roderick said.
“What?” I asked.
Jareth shook his head. “We are still faced with the same problem. We can’t assume we have the actual starter thread unless we know the correct melody.”
“Excuse me? I need someone to explain this to me.”
“What you described is a magical key, Crysta.” Jareth brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes. “Kheelan has taken a measure of music, anywhere from eight to sixteen notes, and created a musical key. If we find the sequence of threads that play the correct melody then the last note of that melody is the starter thread.”
“Fabulous,” I said. “Our only hope of learning the correct melody is by asking Kheelan.”
“Highly unlikely he will give it to us.”
Roderick snapped his fingers. “Unless you have an idea of what his favorite songs are. Anything of significance that might mean something to him. Was there a specific lullaby your mother sang to you boys when you were younger?”
Jareth shook his head. “My brother and I have enjoyed thousands of songs over the last two hundred years. We’ll have to narrow things down to one song or narrow things down to the actual exit. It will entail lots of guesswork and lots of time. Time we really don’t have.”
Roderick didn’t seem a bit dissuaded by this, turning his gaze to me. “What about you, Crysta? You spent quite a few weeks with Kheelan.”
Jareth tightened his hold on me while Roderick lifted his hands to ward off an argument.
“I know it’s a sore subject, but we have to explore our options here. She might know something from all that time she spent with him.”
I quirked a brow. “We didn’t exactly spend a lot of time singing.”
“What did you spend your time on?” Jareth asked.
My eyebrows rose at his caustic tone, but I ignored his insinuation.
“Kheelan spent quite a bit of time helping me with the basics of various spells. Glamour spells. Defensive spells. He even taught me how to do that one offensive spell I used on you the first time you found me in the mines.” I batted my eyelashes at him. “Remember?”
“How could I forget? I assumed you’d come rushing into my arms and instead you froze my entire body solid for a few seconds.”
“Rushing into your arms,” I muttered. “I need to figure out how to make that offensive spell last longer.”
He brushed his lips against my ear and whispered, “I sincerely hope you do. Has it not occurred to you that your fighting spirit is one of the things I find most attractive about you.”
Roderick’s knowing smirk made my face heat with embarrassment.
Time to switch gears.
“Let’s get back to work then.”
I shifted a little to get to my feet, but Jareth’s arms only tightened further. Even in my own father’s presence this guy had no problems with displays of affection.
There was literally nowhere to escape when it came to Jareth’s amorous onslaught. He wasn’t interested in giving me space or time to regroup.
Clever faerie prince.
“We did learn something valuable about the way the maze spell reacts to someone attempting to dismantle it,” Jareth said. “I doubt ver
y highly Kheelan ever would have constructed something that would attack or hurt Crysta, which should have occurred to me before now, but I wasn’t sure how the spell would retaliate.”
“What are you saying?” Roderick asked.
I leaned my head back against Jareth’s shoulder, figuring I may as well get comfortable since he had no intention of allowing me to get up anytime soon. He let out a satisfied hum next to my ear like he’d just won this round and let one of his hands rest on my hip. I ignored the warmth of the contact through my clothing. I’d let him have this victory. He could think he was wearing me down all he wanted, but I knew the truth. In battle, sometimes you attacked, and sometimes you retreated.
Retreat seemed like a smart move at the moment. The more I pushed him away the more affectionate he got. I’d have to wait for another opportunity to fight back.
“I don’t think Kheelan ever contemplated the idea of Crysta attempting to dismantle her own maze spell. The fact she could visualize it and manipulate it is an advanced maneuver and might have worked if she had training, but Kheelan couldn’t possibly have foreseen her doing something that advanced…or that dangerous.”
I snorted, but kept my comments to myself.
Jareth chuckled and planted a soft kiss to the side of my neck before continuing.
Oh, the tingles.
Damn the man.
Hope he enjoyed the physical contact while he could because this was never happening again.
“We had no idea how the maze would retaliate or what kind of magic it would use, but it is obvious that Crysta’s magic will be the medium used as the spell’s defensive front, and it will be used to attack whoever is attempting to dismantle the spell.”
Roderick’s eyes gleamed in acknowledgment.
“We assumed Crysta might be hurt with our attempts, but her magic will only attack the one dismantling the spell. You’re right. With this knowledge we could actually narrow down the false exits and possible melodies and try them one-by-one. We would simply have to be prepared for however Crysta’s magic chooses to attack us.”
“That sounds like a terrible idea,” I said, finally speaking up. “I think you’re missing one very important point that this spell also revealed.”
“What’s that?” Roderick asked.
“The spell didn’t kill me, and I do believe the spell was meant to kill whoever attempted to dismantle the maze. Once it realized I was dying, it stopped using my magic to attack me. Kheelan put in a failsafe to make sure I didn’t die if someone tried to get rid of the maze spell.”
Jareth pulled back to look at me.
“What are you saying, Crysta?”
“You could take on my magic and hope it doesn’t kill you every time you try to eliminate a false exit or melody…oooor…I could go through every false exit and melody we find and take on my own magical assaults.”
“Never in a million years would I allow—” Jareth snarled.
“That cannot happen, Crysta,” Roderick chimed in.
“It’s the only way to make sure no one dies while we dismantle this thing. Kheelan’s spell isn’t going to let me die. I may get hurt in the process but the spell won’t allow my magic to kill me, otherwise I’d be dead right now.”
“No,” Jareth said. “I’m not risking you.”
“You wouldn’t be risking my life. I’ll be injured each time, but I won’t be killed. As long as you heal me in between each attempt I’ll be just fine.”
“I said no, Crysta. We’ll find another way to go about this.”
“You two need to listen to me,” I said in a low voice that brooked no argument. “I may not be trained to wield my magic very well, but the magic I hold is incredibly powerful, and under the influence of Kheelan’s maze spell it will most likely kill you both. I don’t care that you’re two of the most powerful faeries in existence. My magic under Kheelan’s influence will kill you, especially since I have three different elemental magics within my core. The only person capable of surviving attacks from my own magic is me, and you know it.”
Jareth turned me a little in his arms to face him.
“Then I have the perfect solution to our problem. One that would ensure I would be powerful enough to withstand any offensive spell your magic might throw at me.”
I warily studied him, not liking the triumphant gleam in his eyes.
“What are you talking about.”
“Right before we came to the Fae realm we attempted to finalize our union and marry each other, but the binding spell prevented your core magic from bonding to mine. If we perform the marriage ceremony today, our core magics will bond together, you’ll receive the last seasonal element to make your core whole, and I will receive all of the other elements that are already within your core. We will be equally powerful, but I’ll have the edge of two hundred years worth of magical training on my side.” He gave me a superior smile and shrugged his shoulders. “Problem solved.”
My mouth must have been hanging open because he lifted his finger and closed it for me.
“Are you out of your damn mind?” I croaked. “I’m not marrying a guy I just met.”
He quirked an eyebrow at me.
“Would it help if I told you I enjoy long walks on the beach, romantic candlelit dinners, and admitted that I have a secret addiction to coffee and the TV show Pretty Little Liars, courtesy of you and your cursed television?”
“I understood that…not at all,” I said feeling completely confused.
“Well, now you’re beginning to sound like Graul.”
Roderick let out a low chuckle and got to his feet.
“I think this discussion is best handled without an audience. Let me know what you two have decided. I’ll be in my study should you need me.”
“Roderick, I think you’d better stay,” I said in a warning tone.
“Nonsense.” His eyes flickered between Jareth and me in amusement. “A father knows when his presence is not required.”
I watched him leave the room, feeling like everyone was against me today.
First Graul and Lily, now my own father. Did everyone think Jareth and I were a sure thing?
Because I was one hundred percent unsure about everything.
“I’m not marrying you,” I said the minute Roderick left the room.
Jareth’s arms tightened around me, but I wasn’t altogether certain he was aware of his reaction to my declaration.
“I assure you, before you lost your memory, you couldn’t wait to be my wife,” his tone was playful, but I detected the underlying edge to it.
“And Kheelan assured me that before I lost my memory, I was head over heels in love with him.”
“I must admit to feeling utterly confused with this particular turn of phrase. Technically, isn’t an individual’s head already positioned above the heels? It is located at the very pinnacle of one’s body. And furthermore, what the hell does the position of one’s head over one’s heels have anything to do with matters of the heart?”
I glared at him, knowing full well he was trying to distract me from any and all things Kheelan. When he realized I wasn’t about to get drawn into a discussion about the intricacies of human slang, especially since I had no memory of being human or learning slang in the first place, he let out a weighty sigh and rested his forehead against mine.
“What are you afraid of, Crysta?”
“Everything,” I whispered. “The way I see it, you and Kheelan aren’t interested in whether or not I love you. You’re only interested in throwing out your own ultimatums.”
“Kheelan’s interests aren’t really pertinent to this conversation, but I’m going to stand up for myself here and state that while I understand why you think that, it doesn’t mean that’s what I’m trying to do here,” Jareth said. “I don’t want to force your hand. I don’t want to force anything, but I have been putting up a fight every time you try to push me away. I’m holding you in my arms like I’ve dreamed about for weeks, but you couldn’t
be further away from me emotionally, and that kind of scenario makes a person desperate. I’m desperate to get my brother out of your head and your heart so you’ll only see me.”
I swallowed hard, unable to vocalize how deep his words penetrated the very center of my own tumultuous emotions. There was no doubt in my mind he was being sincere, but I couldn’t help wanting to stay grounded in something other than emotions which had a tendency to overrule my own logic and blind me to hard truths and even harder realities.
“You were so willing to believe Kheelan’s lies, and yet you’re fighting me and what you feel for me every moment we’re together,” he continued, letting out a rueful chuckle. “Much like you did when we were first getting to know each other.”
“You mean I didn’t fall into your arms and declare my undying love for you the first day we met?” I couldn’t stop the teasing smile playing across my lips.
Jareth snorted. “Hardly. We went from me explaining the conditions surrounding your assassination, to an interesting phenomenon occurring.”
My eyebrows drew into a quizzical frown.
“What phenomenon?”
“This,” he said. He lifted my hand and interlocked his fingers with mine, bringing it up to eye-level between us.
I stared at the strange luminescence, the glow signifying I was tied to him in some way that managed to negate my own inner denial on the matter.
“This light we create. The moment our skin came into contact our bodies reacted to each other in a way I never dreamed possible. I’d heard the tales of fated mates, of the signs and…symptoms I guess you might say, for determining your connection to a fated mate. This light we created gave me more joy than you could possibly imagine while simultaneously confusing me to no end.”
I stared at the glowing light surrounding our interlocking hands and had to admit that it was beautiful. I also had to admit I’d never created anything like that with Kheelan, not that I needed to be convinced any further of the fact that he wasn’t the man I’d believed him to be.