Page 70 of First Snow

“They would’ve gone with or without me, so what was I supposed to do?”

“Do you know this guy, Tuulia?” Arttu asks. Jareth notes with some satisfaction that he hasn’t lowered the rifle.

“This is Loki. He’s a witch, and he isn’t a threat,” Tuulia assures.

The witch snorts indignantly at her statement.

Arttu doesn’t seem convinced. He briefly makes eye contact with Jareth, asking for nonverbal confirmation that the witch is indeed harmless. Jareth tilts his head in a barely-there nod. Arttu lowers the rifle.

“My invitation stands,” Jareth says. He feels rather amused after his initial shock has worn off. “You can come into the kitchen with us and have some breakfast.”

The three intruders exchange quick looks. Emily shakes off her indecisiveness first.

“Okay, fine.” She steps close to Arttu, not leaving Jareth out of her sight. “Are you okay?” she asks, looking down at the golden cuff with one eyebrow raised. She doesn’t care that Jareth can hear her.

Arttu pulls her into a crushing hug. “I’m fine, Emmy.”

Tuulia’s features light up with relief and she steps into Arttu’s embrace too.

“Oh, thank fuck you’re okay,” Tuulia mumbles against Arttu’s neck.

The kitchen ofRhosyn Keephasn’t seen this much life in decades. The Lords of the castle have certainly never had dinner here. Now the large space is filled with the clattering of cutlery, laughter, and the buzz of voices.

Jareth has to make a second batch of pancakes, because once his guests get over their initial reluctance, they’re laughing and talking and enjoying his food. He likes watching Arttu chat with Emily and Tuulia, telling them what happened, but graciously leaving out the part where Jareth locked him in his bedroom for over a week.

Jareth will have to check at some point how much time has passed in the human realm. He has a feeling that the time on their side of the veil has been running faster. He’s pretty sure that in the human realm only two or three days have passed. He therefore appreciates it even more that the girls noticed Arttu’s absence and were willing to come to his rescue. Hearing Tuulia talk, Jareth suspects that at leastsheknew what kind of threat she was up against when she decided to stand up to a Fae to save her friend.

Jareth would’ve never expected that he’d enjoy having Arttu’s friends around, but he could get used to this.

Sidling up next to Jareth, Loki makes himself useful by preparing another pot of coffee while Jareth makes more pancakes.

“You realize how lucky you are, don’t you?” Loki says. He speaks so softly that the others can’t hear them.

“How so?” Jareth raises an eyebrow at the witch.

Loki chuckles. “Your boyfriend. I could’ve sworn you had him under your thrall the way he’s acting. But it’s just good, old-fashioned love, isn’t it?”

Jareth feels heat creep over his face. He wishes the witch were right. But Loki must be mistaken, because Arttu might be smitten with Jareth, but he’s not in love with him. Jareth isn’t that lucky.

“If you say so,” Jareth says evasively.

Loki laughs at him, the bastard. “I don’t know Arttu, but I’m a good friend of Tuulia’s. I wanted to lecture you about not playing with the feelings of the man who’s obviously in love with you, but you got it bad too. I didn’t know the Fae were capable of such depth of emotion.”

Jareth wants to be angry at the patronizing way the witch talks to him. Inconveniently, his words please Jareth more than he likes to admit. He can’t bring himself to get truly upset.

“Mind your tongue, witch,” Jareth grumbles. “You’re still trespassing on my land. You should be glad that I’m letting you get away with this insolence.”

Loki chuckles and waves it off. “Yes, yes, I’m very sorry about that.” He shovels ground coffee beans into the filter. “But I respect that you don’t want to talk about your feelings with a virtual stranger. So, what’s up with this sorcerer you and Arttu are after?”

“Lord Briar.” Jareth decides to indulge him. The more magical folk know about the Lord’s machinations, the less harm he can do.

“Never heard of him.”

“He compiled a grimoire combining forbidden spells and distributed it among his acolytes."

Loki’s eyes widen. “Wow, the magical equivalent of a get rich quick scam.”

“Yes, but this one really delivers what it promises before it kills you.”