CHAPTER 286

If not for the fact that they were planning on escaping without bringing the attention of the guards, Jareth would have beaten him blue black by now.

He still recalled what had happened this morning and the conversation he was having with Heave knows who.

Due to the situation he met when he came back, he could not leave Astrid to look for him and confront him on the issue.

What was more was that, it just dawned on Jareth that Cari did not go hunting with them.

'If he did not go hunting, then where was he when Astrid was about to be raped? Do not tell me he is in on this as well.' Jareth could not place his thoughts well as a certain rage began to build up in him.

Although she could not see him, she could feel his rage nonetheless.

"I want in."

Cari's voice broke Jareth from his train of thought and he narrowed his eyes at the merman.

"You want in? Where were you when Astrid was in danger?"

Cari paused and lowered his gaze. He was not around as well when the whole fiasco happened. Unlike Jareth, he arrived late and only found out that a fight happened because of her between Jareth and Clive.

"Just like you, I was sent out of the village as well. I only returned after your duel with Clive. I know nothing about her being in danger."

Cari held Jareth's stare as he was equally innocent and never intended to put her in harm's way.

"I still do not trust you. Ypu cannot follow us," Jareth said to Cari after sometime.

"Pff, you think I want to stay in this village? Nuh huh… No way, I am coming with you."

"Prepare your own escape plan if you want to. You are not going anywhere with us."

"Are you sure?" Cari asked him with a sinister smile dancing on his lips.

Jareth's brows furrowed deeply as he watched Cari take several steps backwards. 'What the heck is he planning?' Jareth thought to himself.

"Choose, Jareth. What would it be? Would you let me follow you or would you forfeit your escape plan, altogether?"

"Cari what do you think you are doing?' Astrid voiced out her concern when it dawned on her that he was going to give them away.

Jareth could not believe what Cari was doing. 'This scoundrel should be glad I haven't beaten him to a pulp just yet and now he wants to create more trouble for us! Never trust a human, never trust a merman.' He mentally noted and tried approaching Cari.

The moment he took a step forward, Cari raised his hand to stop him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, elf boy. You have your options opened to you. What is it going to be? Me or them?" Cari gestured with his other hand to the side to further buttress his point as he awaited for Jareth to make his decision.

"Jareth, let us take him with us," Astrid said in a whisper, trying her best to convince Jareth before something terrible happened.

"I am not saying we should bring him with us because I cherish or want him, no. Kindly please do it get me wrong. I am only saying this as you cannot afford to engage in another duel against so many men. Please reconsider."

Astrid did not need anyone to lecture her on how dire the consequences would be if they were caught. The parole would be tighter and more eyes would be on them.

There would virtually be no escape anymore. Rather than risk such nonsense from happening, left for Astrid just take him along and after wards they could go their separate ways.

That was her thinking, but left for Jareth, he preferred none. He did not want ti stay, neither did he want the untrusted Cari to go with them.

Needless to say, he had little or no choice right now. He needed to do this for Astrid and he needed to make the decision now.

It was a hard choice to make as he had hoped to drop the leech of a merman behind and free Astrid from the shackles of all these conspiracies.

He took in a deep breath and clenched both hands by his side before exhaling softly. "Fine. You can come with us."

"You see, it wasn't so hard. Now let us go. The guards would be passing over this area soon. Follow me."

Following his lead, they all went through another route. And just as he predicted, immediately they left that spot, two guards walked passed there and began to smoke.

"Why are we waiting? Shouldn't we be on our way?" Jareth asked from behind Clive as he tried to look over his shoulder to peep at what the men were doing.

"Calm down. They always come here to get high. It would only take five minutes and they would leave back to their duty post."

"Fine!"

Astrid could see how frustrated he was just from his tone of voice. She reached for his hand and gently pressed on his skin and gave him a reassuring smile.

True to what Cari had said, after the men got high on whatever it was they were smoking, they left the place.

Cari took thew firat step out and checked to make sure they were gone before beckoning on the others.

"Remind me again why we had to hide? You said you knew a different route. Turns out that you only stalled us. Are you sure you want to leave this village?"

Jareth was beginning to doubt his sincerity even in the escape mission and did not fail to let him know either.

"Can you keep your jealousy at one corner first and think with your head?"

"How…"

"Let it be, please. Cari, go straight to the point," Astrid intervened before the two of them went at it again.

"Fine. "