by Mary Auclair
“Want to try yourself at a little tree climbing?” Jareth turned to her. “With your slim body, you should be as good a climber as a rikit.”
“A rikit?” She stopped and stared at the tree with suspicion.
“A rikit is a small, furry creature that mostly lives in trees. It’s a precious, cute thing, just like you. And has an explosive temper, just like you.” Jareth stopped and laughed hard when she jerked her hand free. “Don’t be jealous of the rikit, my Ajena. I’ll show you how to climb.”
“You think I need climbing lessons from a bulky giant like you?” Tamsin laughed back at him and lifted an eyebrow in challenge. There might not be any trees left in the Vermont desert but she had done enough rock climbing to be confident she could nail his muscular, handsome ass to the ground. “The last one to grab an arcania fruit is a sacando fish.”
With this, she giggled and broke into a sprint in the direction of the tree. A few seconds later, Jareth’s heavy steps joined hers. She had already jumped on the first lower branch when he grabbed the tree trunk. She looked down on his surprised face and chuckled but had to turn and concentrate on her climbing. She grabbed branch after branch, swinging her short legs over the smooth pink wood in her ascension. Jareth’s own climb was slower and she stopped when she heard his voice calling her name.
She stared down on Jareth’s worried face, then looked around her. She was so high in the tree she was almost at the top. She could see the sky between the large leaves as they moved under a soft breeze. It was too high for Jareth, his greater weight too much for the small branches. Tamsin saw his concern as he looked up but the branch she was sitting on wasn’t about to give way. She smiled down at him and reached for an arcania fruit that dangled an inch from her face, biting down on the soft flesh when she captured her prize, not breaking eye contact with him.
“I’m the queen of the tree,” she boasted between two mouthfuls.
“You win, my little rikit.” Jareth forced a smile and a strong hand beckoned her down. “Now, come down before you fall to your death.”
Tamsin scoffed but obeyed. He was right, she wasn’t a rikit. With one last longing look at the sky, she trapped the arcania fruit between her teeth and climbed down carefully until she was back at a level where the branches were strong enough to support Jareth. She straddled the branch where Jareth was waiting for her and lifted her eyebrows, then bit down pointedly on the sweet, tart flesh. Jareth relaxed, then reached for a fruit near him. He ate, his amused gaze fastened on her.
“Looks like we found something I’m better at than you, Golden Boy.”
“Indeed, my little rikit.” Jareth chuckled. “And I think I’ve just found a good name for you. Little rikit suits you well.”
They ate arcania fruits and laughed, taunting each other until they were both sated. The fruit was filling and soon Tamsin was so full she couldn’t get another bite down. Jareth continued eating, wolfing down impressive quantities of food. She knew he was a big guy but couldn’t help but gape as he filled his mouth again and again. Finally, he sighed and looked around with a satisfied expression.
“Ready to go back to the waterfall?”
“What, you’re not going to eat that last one?” she joked, pointing to the lonely surviving arcania fruit dangling over his head. “Might get hungry when you go down.”
“You are right,” Jareth said and he slammed the orange globe between his teeth.
With a giggle, Tamsin followed him down the tree. They walked back to the edge of the cliff, hand-in-hand. The sun was hot on her skin and even with the light, silky dress, she felt sweat pearling on her forehead and dewing between her shoulder blades. They stopped at the edge of the rocks, with the river thundering its mighty flow only a few feet to their right. Emotions filled her again at the sight of the majestic landscape and she squeezed his hand between her fingers.
“Do you trust me, little rikit?” Jareth spoke close to her ears and she shivered at the contact of his lips on her hair.
“Yes, I do,” she said. She trusted him with her life. “I’m Bound to you.”
Suddenly, strong arms snaked around her body and her feet left the ground. Jareth turned her around so she faced him, his face alight with excitement.
“Hold on tight.”
The next second, Jareth lurched into a sprint toward the edge of the cliff where the river threw itself in the air in a fury of elemental power. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms clasped in a vise around his neck. He didn’t give her time to answer, or even to think about what he was about to do next. His arms closed around her body as he jumped, leaving the solid ground, with Tamsin held tightly to him.
Tamsin heard a faint shrill sound, and realized it was her, screaming her lungs out as they fell toward the crisp waters below.
Jareth’s legs wrapped around her own just before they breached the water’s surface. Her scream was swallowed by a wall of water as they dove in, feetfirst. Jareth released his hold on her body and Tamsin opened her eyes to a new underwater world. They were in the middle of a vast expanse of water, so deep she couldn’t see the bottom. Jareth’s face emerged in front of hers and he smiled. Panic gripped her at the realization that she was way too far from the surface. She jerked her arms and kicked with her feet but it was no use. She didn’t know how to swim.
Jareth’s hand closed around her wrist and she instantly stopped her struggle. He swam toward the surface in large, graceful movements of his long limbs, dragging her behind him, and soon she was imitating the motion of his legs to hasten their climb to the surface.
Tamsin gulped in air in large, greedy mouthfuls as soon as her head broke the surface. Jareth wrapped one powerful arm around her, pulling her into the safety of his body. They were in the lake, a short distance from the waterfall, but still far from the shore. She looked around, amazed at the sensation of floating in the water. It was like flying. Then a cold hand gripped her stomach.
“The monsters!” Tamsin’s voice was shrilled and laden with fear. She just remembered the creatures lurking in the ocean. This lake, although not nearly as vast, could still contain creatures capable of eating them in one mouthful.
“There are no fish large enough to harm us in the lake. It’s perfectly safe,” Jareth said softly in her ear.
With barely a ripple, Jareth turned to swim them toward the shore. She relaxed in his arms, comforted by his knowledge and confidence. Within minutes, Jareth was walking on the now-shallow rocky bottom of the lake bed. He paused as she stared, wide-eyed, at a score of tiny creatures swimming around their legs. They were so swift it was impossible to distinguish them clearly. Tamsin had the impression of small, vividly colored shadows, shaped like snakes, but with wide wings, gliding in the water.
“What are those?”
“Ishviny fish,” Jareth said. “They come to reproduce in the lake and swim to the sea once they’re bigger.”
“They’re amazing. So beautiful.”
She trailed her hand lower in the water and spread her finger as a tiny creature came to explore her finger tip. It darted around her hand, allowing its long wings to brush her skin as it danced around her fingers.
“Teach me,” she said, excitement making her voice small and childlike. “Teach me how to swim.”
Jareth laughed, and nodded. He flipped her body in a horizontal position and supported it with a hand so large it covered her whole stomach. He took his time, explaining to her how to use her legs to kick the water, unperturbed at Tamsin leaving an ungraceful splash in her wake. He was patient and relaxed as he showed her again how to use her arms and legs, supporting her body, letting her float then paddle in small circles around him. Time passed and Tamsin gained more confidence, enough for Jareth to withdraw his hand from time to time, until she sank and he would push her up to the surface again.
“We have to stop,” Jareth said, steadying her in the water. “You are cold.”
“You’re right,” she said through chattering teeth. “I was
so focused, I hadn’t noticed.”
Jareth pulled her to him and her legs wrapped around his waist. She raised her eyebrows as she pressed the cradle of her hips against the hot, hard pressure of his cock. He was aroused and his warm erection created a striking contrast with the cold water. Her wet, cold skin slid on his warm body and suddenly all she could look at was Jareth’s full dark-gold lips. Moisture pearled on them and her tongue flicked over the beads of water. His hands gripped her hips and pulled her closer, rubbing her most sensitive place against his cock. His lips closed on her neck and a warm tongue flicked between them. It was all it took to make her wild with desire.
Her mouth closed hungrily on his. Tamsin took control of the kiss, pushing her tongue past his lips and inside his mouth. She rubbed her tongue on Jareth’s, enjoying his taste. It seemed to push him over the edge and his hands ran over her body in a feverish, hungry possession. Soon, one took hold of her breast, squeezing it gently. Tamsin’s hands were wild as well, suspended in the half-gravity of the water. She ran one down between their stomachs and pushed the belt of his pants down, freeing a cock so hot against the cold of her palm that she gasped. Jareth answered by spreading her thighs wider and exploring her folds with his fingers. Finding them sleek and warm, he eased the tip of his sex into her pussy, just past the entrance. His hands reached up and he grabbed her face, forcing her to stare into his eyes. This brought back the memory of their first time and desire ricocheted through Tamsin. It seemed so far off, yet it was only a day ago.
Jareth was so aroused, his cock throbbing hot and threatening the tip of her entrance that she expected him to storm his way in with passion, violence even, but he controlled it and slid inside her walls in one long, steady push. The sensation of being filled made her bend her neck backward and an involuntary moan leave her lips. Jareth thrust his long, rock-hard cock inside her, all the way to the hilt, then slammed it out almost completely before forcing in again. With the combination of the cold water’s embrace and the warmth of Jareth’s body, pleasure built fast inside her core. In no time she was panting and pushing against him, taking him deeper inside than before. Her walls contracted, trying to suck him in and keep him there.
Jareth’s hand slid down and his thumb found her clit, to start a soft, rubbing motion that had had her crying out, the sensation shoving her over the edge of ecstasy as she came, swift and hard. The next second, Jareth threw back his head and roared his pleasure. She felt each one of his hot jets of semen deep inside her.
It took a long time for Jareth to stop and when he finally did, he cradled her close to his chest, so gently and so tenderly her eyes welled up with tears. It was the first time her heart was so full of joy that it overflowed.
“I love you,” she whispered in his ear.
“I’m Bound to you,” Jareth answered, “in this life and the next.”
“I could just stay with you here forever.” Tamsin kissed his neck and a shiver of pleasure passed through him. “Your world is so wonderful.”
Jareth pulled her so he could stare into her eyes but before he could say anything, the tall ferns in the forest around the lake started to move. In an instant, four tall male figures emerged from the cover of the vegetation, their grim faces set on Tamsin and Jareth.
In deadly silence, Jareth pushed Tamsin behind him, shielding her with his body. This wasn’t going to go down easy, she could see it in the dangerous glint in the males’ eyes as they approached.
Chapter Eleven
“King Jareth,” the taller of the three males said in a dry, heavy voice charged with thinly veiled hatred, “we have no interest in fighting you. Just hand over the female and we will leave you unharmed.”
Jareth didn’t dignify the male with an answer. He simply growled, the sound more feral than any answer he might have given. Tamsin felt her skin prickle with icy spikes of fear that had nothing to do with the cold of the water. Those men wanted her and even though they said they had no intention of harming Jareth, their attitude left little doubt as to their intentions. They would fight to the death to get to her and wouldn’t blink twice at harming or even killing her Ajeno.
“You know perfectly well this is impossible,” Jareth finally answered, his shoulders rippling with anticipation. “You will all forfeit your lives for merely suggesting it. But first, you will tell me who you are working for. Name the traitor and your deaths will be quick and painless. Refuse and your suffering will be long.”
“You talk too much, my King.” The tall male’s mouth stretched into an ugly smirk. “It will be a pleasure to see you finally silenced.”
Without another word, the tall male nodded to his companions. They fanned out, unsheathing their swords and spreading out to cover a wider area of the beach. Jareth took a step closer to the tall male, ignoring the other three. He stood at the edge of the water, the small waves licking his feet. He was unarmed but the deadliness of his strongly muscled body made him look almost as threatening as his adversaries. Almost.
Tamsin’s face numbed as fear took hold of her body. She was alone, standing a few paces behind Jareth, all too aware of her weakness. She was only a liability and it made her feel sick.
She didn’t have any more time to think of her own uselessness when the violent confrontation started. With a mind-bending speed Jareth leaped directly for the tall male.
The stranger swung his sword high above his head. The blade went down, headed straight for Jareth’s chest. A strident sound filled the air and Tamsin realized it was her scream. Inches from the blade’s deadly path, Jareth spun in the air, evading the steel and putting his body at the back of his aggressor. He landed just behind the unknown male’s shoulder and, without even pausing to regain his balance, punched him straight in the side of the head with his left fist.
The power of Jareth’s punch made the man’s head crack with a sickening sound and his body fell to the ground. Tamsin hadn’t seen a lot of deaths but the limp way the tall male fell gave her little doubt. He was dead before he touched the beach’s rocky shore.
In one graceful motion, Jareth bent and snatched up the nameless male’s sword, then turned to face the three remaining warriors.
The strangers’ faces exhibited fear and surprise and they held their ground on unsteady legs. Jareth towered in the middle of them, magnificent with his dominating height and lethally well-trained body. He was clearly the superior warrior and it was all too obvious the others knew it as well. Nevertheless, they took a simultaneous step closer to Jareth, relying on their numbers to overpower him.
Jareth turned his borrowed sword in a wide semicircle, making sure his three attackers were in check. In a flash of metal and moving flesh, the fight began. Jareth was magnificent, blocking each attack and keeping the three males at a safe distance.
Still, even with his superior skills, Tamsin wasn’t fool enough to believe he had the upper hand. She knew she had to do something to help, or she risked losing Jareth to those thugs.
Thinking fast, Tamsin returned to her old habits and grasped in the water for rocks. She wasn’t going to be of any use if she threw herself in the battle but she could still distract their opponents for Jareth.
“Take that, shitheads!” Tamsin yelled at the males and threw two rocks at the male on the right of Jareth. “Motherfuckers!”
The first rock fell in the water far short of the male but the second hit his shoulder with a satisfying thud. The male cursed loudly and turned his head her way for a fraction of a second. It wasn’t long, but it was enough for Jareth to swing his sword up in a wonderful display of strength and skill and bring it down, embedding it deep in the male’s neck, cutting his head free of his shoulders in one clean movement.
There was a moment of complete immobility after the male’s head fell to the ground. The rest of his body fell forward in a shocking pool of blood. The remaining two attackers watched it fall, then flashed their gazes to Tamsin. There was so much hatred in those eyes Tamsin felt her hands seize on the rocks s
he still held.
“Tamsin, stay back!” Jareth yelled, his back turned to her. “Do not involve yourself into the fight. Obey me!”
Jareth’s voice was laden with anger and it made Tamsin pause. She watched his turned back, incredulously. Was he angry that she aided him?
“I’m trying to help you!” Tamsin threw a rock at one of the remaining men and was satisfied to see it landing on the male’s face. “I’m not going to simply wait and watch you get killed!”
Jareth answered with a roar as another rock bounced off an opponent’s shoulder. He didn’t say another word to her, just slashed and twirled with his sword. The assailants had no choice but to retreat under the fury of his attack.
In a few masterful arcs of Jareth’s blade, another male fell down in a pool of blood and mangled limbs. There was only one opponent left and his face was all but wiped out of color in the face of his imminent death. Jareth took two steps in his direction, his sword high in his hands.
“Who sent you?” Jareth demanded. “Tell me who!”
“House Sikosh will lose everything,” was all the male answered. “That bitch is only the first thing to be taken away.”
His words seemed to give him resolve and he threw himself at Jareth, his sword raised in a deadly angle. Jareth had no choice but to engage him and his blade cut through the male’s torso.
“Tell me!” Jareth yelled as he dropped his sword and knelt in front of the dying male. “Tell me who betrayed House Sikosh.”
The dying male’s lips stretched in a long, bloodstained smile and then his chest heaved one last time before steadying. Tamsin brought her hands over her mouth to stifle the scream she felt inflating her throat. The male was dead, that much was clear.
Jareth’s back was still turned to her but Tamsin could see the heaving of his shoulders. He was frustrated and when he turned around, dropping the sword to the ground to order his transport to come closer, his face was contorted with fury.
