The Immortal Takes a Wife

by Pamela Labud

  The Druids conferred, small electrical sparks exchanging between them as they did so. The wind began whipping up around them, dust and moist dew spun through the air around them.

  Fiona squeezed Matty’s hand and he found joy in her connection. Her strength flowed through him. It wasn’t the first time, that he’d felt this connection to her, but this time, it was stronger than ever. They had to be together, he knew it as much as he knew his own identity.

  So, why had he been such a fool to not realize it before now?

  Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to dwell on it now, but if the time and fates allowed it, he was sure he’d spend an eternity kicking his own behind for not realizing it sooner.

  “We have come to a decision,” The gold robed Druid said, the other four of them stepping behind him. “The Immortal comes with us and we shall not return to this place, nor have any future dealings with this realm. The council has spoken.”

  It started as a low humming, a slight vibration around him, that grew stronger by the minute.

  “No,” Fiona said. “He’s not yours to take. He’s my husband and he belongs here.”

  “Our record show that he’d signed his contract with us previous to your contract. Therefore, we claim ownership.”

  “I’m not going,” Matty said, “My place is here, with my wife.”

  In spite of his declaration, Matty began to feel the effect of the vibration. It started with a mild unpleasantness and grew into a crescendo of discomfort. His muscles ached, his eyes burned, and a throbbing began at the base of his brain. It was growing worse by the minute.”

  “Leave him be,” Fiona growled beside him.

  He felt her presence turn, her wolf senses sharpen, her power strengthening, readying her for action.

  “Max,” Holly called from behind them. “Stop this! You’re hurting them.”

  The Druid’s voice reverberated around them. “It will continue and grow worse until the Immortal is relinquished to us, as ordered by our contractual agreement.”

  “Not a chance,” Matty ground out, walking toward them. “You obtained that contract illegally and therefor it has no standing.”

  “Then, by Druid law, you may contest it in court.”

  “How long will that take?” Fiona asked, fury spinning within her, so palpable that Matty was sure they could feel it all the way back to Nocturne Falls.

  “Fifty-two years, nine months.”

  “Oh, not happening,” Matty said. “I demand you release me, now.”

  When they didn’t answer his demands, Fiona went full on wolf-girl. He’d never realized the extent of her power until that moment. Even through his pain, he could see her, a creature of beauty and grace. She threw down her flowers, and as her size grew, her dress stretched at the seams.

  Suddenly, he knew he could not let this go on. Fiona, who’d always controlled her anger, kept herself in check, even when she could have ripped everyone to shreds, was now about to go into destruct-mode. He knew his girl and that she would carry the scars of this for the rest of her life. And, that, he could not allow.

  “Stop,” he called out, breaking his hold, he turned to her. “You have to stop this. It’s not who you are.”

  She pulled back from him, then, “I won’t let them take you.”

  “I know. We have to find another way. This will only hurt you, love.”

  She blinked, and her expression said it all. “What can we do?”

  Matty startled. The despair in her voice nearly crippled him. “I don’t know.”

  The energy field began to fade away, and the aching in his head ebbed, but it was nothing to the ache that was building in his heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It was the hardest thing she’d ever done, stepping away from Matty. In her heart, she knew he was right.

  “So, what’s your plan?”

  He shrugged in his typical Matty way, “Wear them out?”

  The humor in his voice pulled her back into the moment.

  “Keep arguing?”

  “You know me. I can’t ever shut up. How many times have you said that I continue to bleat long after the sheep have left the barn?”

  “Oh, Matty,” she sighed. “You do know how to turn a girl’s heart.”

  He smiled at her and the sight of it warmed her heart.

  “Let’s get this business done with, shall we? I’m tired and I want to start my honeymoon with my new wife.”

  Reaching out his hand for hers, she let him take hold and they turned together and faced the Druids.

  “You will come now?” The gold robed Druid asked.

  “No. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but as I’ve already said, I’m not going. The contract was obtained while I was purposefully impaired. You know to your souls that this is wrong.”

  Fiona watched them for a moment, and she realized something that she hadn’t seen before.

  Desperation.

  “Wait,” she said. Stepping toward the gold robed Druid, she started to really look at him and the others. ‘Your robe has seen better days.”

  The druid looked down at her. As ancient race, they rarely changed physically as it was the magic that kept them young. “You are avoiding the inevitable, young wolf. We came for our recruit. We will take him and go.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen a Druid up close. There are plenty of pictures of them, you know, Hollywood style, but up close, well, you look old.”

  “We have existed through the ages.”

  “So, have a lot of other races. But, you’re…” she struggled for the right word and when she realized it, it struck her heart, “fading.”

  “Nonsense,” the druid leader said. “You are mistaken.”

  Fiona shook her head. “No, I’m not. Matty, Max, Holly…Mr. Hawke, look at them. They’re aging.”

  “Most creatures do,” Holly said. “Even Immortals can fade over a millennium. Their regenerative powers do lessen as well.”

  “So, that’s why you’re really here.”

  “What are you talking about, Fi?” Matty asked, starting to step forward.

  “Stay back.” She held out her hand. “Your distance from them is keeping you safe. They have power, but it’s not strong enough to reach you over there.” She turned back to the druids. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “You will allow the Immortal to leave with us. Now.”

  Fiona shook her head. “Oh no.”

  “We are all powerful…”

  “You are desperate.”

  A silence fell over them. “You are correct. Our numbers are dwindling by the year. We need our legion to in order to maintain our holdings. Our castles, our lands, those that depend on us.”

  “That explains a lot,” Matty said behind her. “That makes it acceptable to literally kidnap people and enslave them to fight your wars?”

  “There are no wars, any longer. We cling to only a few properties, most of our shrines are gone. The same change that has claimed this world is now overwhelming ours. There are those who take advantage of our charges, who want to use their magic for criminal purposes and for conquering races weaker than they are. We are the last defenders of our kind.”

  “Oh,” Fiona said. “I’m sorry for you, I truly am, but Matty has a life here. We have a life, too.”

  Matty walked up behind her and put his arms around her. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you. I’m no longer a warrior. Those days are in my past. All is not lost. Perhaps we could set up a recruitment center for your cause. It would take some time, but perhaps we could find help for you.”

  The druid dropped his gaze. “It’s already too late. We were hoping an Immortal would take up our cause and help us to discover how to increase the longevity of our soldiers…”

  “That bad, is it?” Matty said. “Well, I am a champion of lost causes.”

  Fiona couldn’t believe her ears, “You’re not going with them!”


  “No, but who says it’s not a problem we could work on here. You know, set up our own research facility.” He turned to Max. “What do you think brother? You and the missus game to go in on a little business venture?”

  Max and Holly exchanged a quick glance. “We’re game,” he said at last. “We’ve been thinking on branching out the family business, in light of recent events.”

  “What?” Fiona asked.

  Holly held up her hand. “We’ll go into detail later. I agree with Max. It sounds like a perfect investment to me.”

  “That settles it,” Matty said. “Why don’t you come to Branson House with us for a few nights while we figure out the business plan?”

  The gold druid turned to his staff. “We cannot. Our powers are waning even now.”

  “Then, we will meet again in a week. Can you manage that?”

  “Yes,” he said at last. “We can still travel back and forth between the dimensions.”

  “Good. Then, go and rest, friends. We shall meet again.”

  Matty walked up to them and put out his hand. “It’s called a handshake.”

  The gold robed druid put out his hand as well and the Immortal took it. Fiona watched as their agreement was sealed with a handshake.

  Meaning to say good bye and get back to their life, finally, Fiona stepped forward as well. “Good luck to you, ancient one.”

  The Druids bowed low and went to turn around.

  “Wait,” Hawke called out.

  He’d been so quiet that Fiona had almost forgotten his presence.

  “What are you doing, man?” Matty asked.

  “What I should have done a long time ago.” He turned to the Druids. “Take me with you.”

  “What the devil?” Matty moved to block him. “Are you insane?”

  But Hawke shook his head. “No. For the first time in my life, I’m perfectly sane.” He turned to the druids. “You need someone with strong magic. I’m a werewolf-warlock hybrid. I can smoke the Immortal in the magical powers department.”

  “Hey,” Matty said.

  Hawke laughed. “Face it, Immortal-boy, not dying is your only power. While I’m a superior being in every other way.”

  “I thought you were my friend.”

  Fiona watched their interchange, back and forth, only half kidding, she was sure. Still, it was a delight after the stress of the last few hours.

  “I am, Matty, and Fiona.” He turned to the others, “And you, Max and Holly.”

  “As we are yours,” Fiona said.

  “Thank you for that.” He turned to Matty. “You shouldn’t feel too bad, after all. You’ve got the girl.”

  Matty grinned and pulled the bounty hunter close. “Well, then we’re both winners, the way I see it. Go on. Save the Druids.”

  Fiona reached for Matty’s hand this time, and he took it. They walked back together, turned and watched Hawke take his place with the Druids.

  “What do you know. He turned out to be a good guy, after all.”

  “He did. What about this Remmington guy?”

  “Oh, I reported him to the sheriff’s office. Hawke and I made a full report before coming here. He should be getting arrested right about now.”

  “You think that a guy as smarmy as that one can’t get away from the law?”

  Matty shrugged. “If he does, it won’t be for long. That is, if the Goblins and Hobgoblins have anything to say about it. If I were him, I’d turn myself in and hope the prison they send him to doesn’t house them as well.”

  “Right.”

  They made it back to the road. “So, my lovely bride. We never made plans for a honeymoon.”

  She grinned, “What did you have in mind?”

  “I rather like Branson House. I have to admit, the place kinda grows on you. Only I insist this time we get a room together.”

  Fiona pulled him into her arms and kissed him, a hint of what waited for them when their honeymoon actually began.

  “Oh,” Matty breathed. “I can’t wait for the honeymoon.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Fiona couldn’t believe that things had finally settled down. A week with her new husband, just enjoying each other had been complete bliss. But now, it was time to begin their lives together. There were decisions to be made and they had to deal with them before they moved forward.

  The first thing they needed to do was meet with Matt and Holly to set up the plans for the Druid Recruitment Center. Hawke had sent them a letter that he’d be scheduling a visit in a month and bringing the funds to set up the center. While the Druid population was dwindling, they’d been shrewd at business and had amassed a veritable fortune.

  “Matty, are you ready to go down to dinner?”

  “Almost,” he called from the other room of their suite. He’d been particularly easy going, these last few weeks. He’d been almost boring, in fact. That was one of the things she’d wanted to mention with him tonight after dinner. Truth was, she missed her old boyfriend.

  He appeared at the bedroom door, dressed in his usual distressed jeans, white t-shirt and leather jacket. It was the bad-boy fashions that she’d fallen in love with.

  “Oh, wow,” she breathed. “Um, we need to get downstairs.”

  He grinned wide. “After you, love.”

  They went to the inn’s private dining room where Max and Holly we’re already waiting.

  “You guys look rested,” Max said, standing up until Matty had seated her.

  Fiona was not a woman who blushed easily, but since her marriage to Matty, she’d completely come to understand the term ‘blushing bride.’

  “Thank you. It’s so good to see you both.” They ordered their meal and the waitress brought out their drinks. Three glasses of wine and one of…iced tea.”

  “Tea?” Fiona asked.

  Holly grinned. “That would be mine.”

  “Oh.”

  “Working tonight?” Matty asked. “Do they have a rule against Reapers drinking on the job, too?”

  Fiona instantly knew there was more to this story. “Matty. It’s no big deal,” she turned to Max and Holly, “unless it is?”

  The two exchanged glances and then turned to Fiona and Matty. Max cleared his throat. “Holly and I do have an announcement to make. There will be a change in family dynamics, and as such all of us will have to adjust. This means, Matty, that you can no longer garner all of our attentions and efforts. It’s time for you to become a responsible husband and brother…”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Max,” Holly grabbed his hand. “What my husband is trying to say is that we are having a baby.”

  “I was, too, saying that. We’re going to bring a new little Immortal,” he sent a sideways look to Holly, “or reaper.”

  “Oh, wow,” Fiona was the first to react. “Congratulations.”

  “How did that happen?”

  The room went quiet. “Really, Matty?” Fiona asked, more embarrassed than she was surprised at his statement.

  “No, I mean, of course, I know how that happened. I meant, how would two so vastly different magical beings be able to do…that?”

  Holly took Max’s hand, “I guess, our magic just complements each other’s magic. Of course, we won’t know whether the baby will be Immortal, or not. Either way, we’re starting our family.”

  “Which is awesome,” Fiona said. “I’m so happy for you.”

  Max grinned. “Thank you, both of you. We want you to be in our child’s life, too. So, Matty, no disappearing into heaven knows were.”

  “Don’t worry,” Fiona said, “He’s not going anywhere.”

  “Which brings us to the other part of our discussion. I have sold my diner in Underworld City, and Matty and I are working with a realtor to find a place here.”

  “Fantastic,” Holly said. “What are you going to do?”

  “Well, I think we’re both going to work on the recruitment center. I’m pretty good a
t running a business, so setting up a non-profit should be right in my skillset.”

  “And, Matty?” Max asked, sending his brother a pointed look.

  “I’ve been in contact with Hawke, and I will be handling the recruitment part of it. Interviewing potential soldiers for them. I’ve also obtained a lawyer to work out the terms of their service. One of the negotiating points is a system of limited service, so we can get rid of this, lifetime service. I also will be reviewing their current forces and determined who might be eligible for discharge, health, and retirement benefits.”

  “Wow, brother.” Max said. “I am impressed.”

  “Then, let’s lift our glasses and celebrate.”

  After dinner, when Fiona and Matty were walking the Inn’s long hallway on the way to their room.

  “I never would have thought that we would be here,” Fiona confessed. “I mean, the odds were against us, Matty.”

  He nodded. “I agree. I’ve learned something valuable. The true magic we have is not ones we’ve inherited by our power from our heritage or species, but rather from our heart. It manifests not in spells or lightening or anything other than the strongest of all magic. Love.

  “Oh,” Fiona said. “I never have known you to wax poetic. I like this Matty. As crazy as it seems, you and I have changed, haven’t we?”

  He grinned and pulled her into his arms. “That, my dear, is what happens when two people fall in love. Besides, it’s always a bit crazy whenever an Immortal takes a wife.”

  “You are too much,” Fiona laughed. “Now we need to get to work.”

  “Work? Dear, we have to wait until Hawke gets back.”

  Fiona shook her head. “I’m not talking about that sort of work.”

  He looked at her with a puzzled expression. “I don’t understand.”

  “My dear, Max and Holly can’t be the only ones to start a family, now, can they?”

  “Oh, you mean, make a…” His smile grew wider. “What do you say, want to start a family of our own?”

  All of it had been worth it, all the back and forth, the waiting, the power of their emotions swallowing them up. Fiona would later reflect that perhaps that had been the path they’d been meant to travel all along which ensured they would end up right where they were.