Immortal Cascade 01 Immortal Companion

by Carol Roi

  Still, Jim's response to Alex kept coming to mind. "This is nothing like that," he told himself. "I am not going there." There was no reason for Dee to bring that side of Jim to the fore, and yet…Jim had taken an instant dislike to her, much as he had with Alex. And then the thing with Alex had turned into that weird attraction/hate thing. Blair shuddered involuntarily. It had been terrifying to see his sentinel that out of control, acting in response to what Blair had believed were ancient biological drives.

  Enough of this, he told himself and went back to analyzing his own reasons for wanting Dee to teach him instead of his partner. Maybe having Dee work with him was just an excuse to spend time with an intelligent, attractive and available woman. Okay, so that was Jim talking again. He knew what his partner thought of him, that he was a skirt-chasing Romeo. Blair had to admit he hadn't done much to change Jim's opinion of him in that area. But Diandra was different. He felt a connection to her that went beyond the purely physical. He remembered holding her in his arms the night she'd saved his life, feeling her relax and finally sleep as his fingers had stroked her hair. Sitting on the sofa with her curled up next to him, he'd felt…a rightness, a calmness, a peace he'd never felt before. She had felt safe with him too, trusted him enough to allow him that close to her after knowing him for only a few short hours. Unlike Jim, who had thought he was a nutcase when he had first met him. He shook his head. Why did he keep comparing the two of them?

  His jumbled thoughts were interrupted by Dee's return. Stepping over to the counter, she stuck a bagel in the toaster and turned toward him. "You're sure you want to do this, Lobo?"

  Blair nodded. "Okay," she replied, "but you should know what you're getting into. The ethic I have always tried to drill into my students is 'If it is worth doing, it is worth doing well.' I won't say that I'm a perfectionist, but I have high expectations. After the first few days, you will probably hate me. But once you reach the point where everything becomes automatic, where the light goes on, and it all makes sense, then you will probably quit plotting to kill me." She gave him a grin, and began to butter her now toasted bagel. "As for what I'm going to teach you, well, I customize my teaching to the student, based on their physical ability, their body type, and their speed and agility. Just from looking at you," she said, circling him slowly, her blue eyes appraising him, "I would say you would do well at kick-boxing. You have strong legs and because of your size and weight, a kick is going to do more damage than a punch."

  Blair began to feel a little nervous. "I really don't want to hurt any one…"

  Dee smiled at him. "I know what you're feeling, Blair, and it's okay. It's difficult to think of using your skills on someone, but just remember, they are not going to be so sensitive to you. And I will be gearing your lessons toward disabling and subduing an attacker in the quickest way possible. That will be the biggest help you can give your sentinel."

  Blair suddenly realized he had told Dee when she had opened the door to him that he wanted to "protect my sentinel." "Um, Dee, about what I said…"

  "It's okay. I knew when I met you what you were. And I knew the moment I met Detective Ellison that he was your champion."

  Blair stared at her in shock. "How?" he finally managed to ask.

  Diandra sighed. "In new age jargon, it's called reading your aura."

  "You mean you're psychic along with being able to heal people?"

  "It's along story, Lobo, and I'm sure I'll be telling it to you soon, but I call my gift truth divination. I can see the inner truth about people; can't read minds, can't tell the future, but I can always tell when a salesman is trying to gyp me. Believe me, it's not as great as it sounds. Imagine you met this gorgeous girl and wanted to date her, but knew immediately she would dump you as soon as someone with more money came along."

  He pondered that for a moment, then said, "I can see where that can lead to loneliness."

  "Good thing I'm used to being alone," she laughed, a little bitterly

  "Dee," he said seriously, "I would never do that to you."

  Reaching out, she brushed the back of her fingers across his cheek. "I know you wouldn't, Lobo." Her dark blue eyes met his, and something intangible passed between them. For Blair, it felt like the soft click of a key turning in a lock, but which one of them was the key and which was the lock, he couldn't tell.

  Shaking off the strange sensation, Dee took her bagel and headed for the studio. "Let's see what you already know."

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  Three weeks passed quickly for Blair. Late June turned into July, and he found he was spending more time at the university, preparing for the fall semester. Diandra was naturally spending more hours there too, getting her office in order, and planning her lessons. She and Blair had offices in the same building, as Hargrove Hall was home to both the anthropology and the history departments, though they were on different floors.

  Blair had been spending most of his free time with her, when he wasn't working with Jim, soaking up her knowledge like a sponge. The training he was receiving had increased his self-confidence greatly, and he was no longer willing to stay in the truck when he and Jim were investigating a case. Jim had been irritated at first at Blair's refusal to obey him, but he sensed an indefinable change in him, a new strength and determination to be his partner in every sense of the word, not just when it was safe. So he hadn't protested too much when Blair became his shadow, always following a pace or two behind, watching his partner's back.

  Dee had been true to her word; she was a harsh taskmistress. In addition to self-defense, she insisted Blair needed to build his stamina, forcing him to rise with the sun three times a week and run with her. That had been followed by two hours of martial arts, and, on the days they didn't run, she coached him in weight training. It hadn't taken long for Blair to see and feel the changes in his body, and his mind. He had more energy, and more belief in himself. The first time he dumped Dee on her back on the mat, he felt on top of the world. Of course that was followed by three trips to the mat himself, but it couldn't dampen his feeling of accomplishment.

  Once she felt Blair was sufficiently far enough along in his training, Diandra began teaching him weapons. True to her promise, she didn't put a sword in his hand, but she started to teach him staff work, arguing that almost anything could be used as a staff. A broom or mop, a golf club, a bat, or a pool cue would serve just as well, and his ability to turn an ordinary object into a weapon would be an asset. She also worked on Blair's senses, teaching him to use them as a hunter would, to be aware of his surroundings and the potential dangers they held on a subliminal level. This way the chances of someone sneaking up on him were greatly reduced.

  Blair had worried about Jim's reaction if he found out about Blair working with Dee, but so far he hadn't shown any signs he suspected what was going on. He did know that Blair was running with Dee, but Blair thought he had chalked it up to him trying to make some romantic headway with her, and he was content to let Jim keep that opinion. Part of him did feel guilty for deceiving his partner about his actions, but he knew in his heart Jim really wouldn't understand why he had to do this. Jim had never been the underdog, the class geek, the kid the bullies picked on. Now Blair had a chance to change all that, and he was determined to take it.

  Working with Diandra had other benefits as well. She was a font of information about the Amazons' Champion and Companion, and he began to slowly integrate the knowledge he was picking up from her into his sentinel/guide relationship. Each night, when Jim came home from work, Blair would pick something he'd learned about the Champion and discuss it with Jim, asking for his opinion, trying to get him involved in the learning process along with him. To his surprise, some of the time Jim agreed to recreate some of the exercises Dee had told Blair about. While not all of them could be considered smashing successes, they did seem to draw the sentinel and guide closer together, slowly building a bridge across the gap Blair felt h
ad sometimes hindered them.

  As for Dee, the more she worked with Blair, the more she felt for him. He was becoming a good friend, one she knew she could trust with all the secrets of her complicated life. In fact, she thought he was beginning to suspect a great deal, especially about her knowledge of the Amazons, and the Champion. He'd asked her once about her opinion on reincarnation, and had smiled to himself when she told him she believed in it. But he never once actually pried, and for that she was grateful. The time was coming when she would have to tell him the truth, but she was glad not to have it hurried along.

  More and more she found herself having to fight her attraction for him. He was as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside, and his genuine caring and affection for her shone through in everything he did. She had her own rules for getting involved with her students, and she was determined not to let him see her feelings until he "graduated" from her tutelage. That time she knew was drawing near.

  She watched him sometimes with his sentinel, opening up her "other" sight when they were together, noting with pride how the link between them grew stronger with each passing day. Her relationship with Ellison was civil, they said "hello" when they met in the hallway, but that was as far as it went. She could tell her mere presence still bothered him, and in a way he bugged her too, but it was nothing as far as she was concerned. The compulsion to beat the hell out of him was a thousand times weaker than her need to play the Game, and that need had not been strong for many centuries.

  Much to her relief, it seemed as though she was the only Immortal in all of Cascade, or at least she had not run across any others of her kind yet, which was fine with her. And after that one appearance when she had been teaching Ellison a lesson, she had not seen the black mare again, either. Still, she couldn't help but feel the mare had been an omen, a portent of things to come. There was no use dwelling on it, though. When the fates were ready for her to know the next part of their plan for her, they would send a clear message. What bothered her most was the feeling that the next step involved danger, and Blair.

  Blair bounded down the steps outside Hargrove Hall, his mind and mouth going a million miles a minute. Dee was following along behind, laughing at his description of the antics that morning at the police station. Reaching the bottom of the stairs first, he turned to see what was keeping her.

  Diandra had stopped on the middle of the steps, her brow furrowed in concentration, or perhaps pain. Without warning, she clutched her hands to her head, doubling over and collapsing against the cement railing. When Blair reached her side, she was curled in a fetal position, her whole body telegraphing her agony. "Dee," he said in a frightened whisper, "Dee, what's wrong?" When he got no answer, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. After asking for an ambulance, and giving his location to the operator, he turned his attention back to her, pulling her into his arms and whispering quiet words of encouragement to her, terrified by her lack of response. He had come to depend on her, to care so deeply for her. What would he do if she died?

  Part 4

  Diandra had been following Blair out of Hargrove Hall, half listening to him, half wondering what she would have for lunch. So she was caught completely unaware by the Immortal buzz that hit her halfway down the steps. She paused, searching the commons for the source of the sensation. No one in sight seemed to be reacting to her presence. Beginning to compare the buzz to ones she had felt previously, she realized too late that the pain and nausea it caused were escalating far out of normal range. A thousand voices suddenly echoed inside her head, and the world became a blinding, whirling kaleidoscope of light and color. Clapping her hands over her ears, and squeezing her eyes shut, she slid to the ground, not even sure which way was up any longer.

  She didn't know how long she lay there, but finally the voices began to fade, a steady, rhythmic thumping taking their place. The sound calmed her, giving her a focus, a reality to cling to. Light, soothing touches on her back further grounded her, and she could now hear a quiet, familiar voice calling her name, giving her instructions, something about dials, turning down the dials. She struggled to follow the voice's advice, and slowly the world righted itself. She could feel the cool cement under her legs, and her upper body rested against something solid and warm. Fingers trailed slowly across her scalp, and the mingling smells of shampoo, sweat and the essence that was uniquely Blair filled her nostrils. Slowly she opened her eyes, and found herself gazing into Blair's worried blue eyes.

  "You okay, Dee?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

  Nodding, she sat up, gingerly testing her voice. "Yeah, I think so. What happened?"

  Blair rubbed her cheek gently, wiping away a smudge of dirt. "Total sensory overload. I've never seen that happen before, not even with Jim. You scared the shit out of me."

  "Sorry," she said, then winced in pain, covering her ears once more.

  A few seconds later, Blair heard the ambulance's siren also. Leaning closer to her, he whispered, "Turn the hearing dial down a couple more notches, until the sound doesn't hurt anymore."

  Dee did as she was told, then sat quietly on the steps, content to let Blair deal with the EMTs. Resting her aching head in her hands, she pondered this strange turn of events. It hadn't been entirely unexpected. The black mare had been a signpost; she'd just chosen to conveniently ignore it. Now she would have to deal with this change, and the possibility that Blair would feel she'd lied to him. Lifting her head to gaze at him, she watched as he sent the ambulance crew on their way, then turned toward her, his face reflecting not anger, but confusion. Dee flipped her braid back over her shoulder. Now was the time for the truth.

  Grabbing her hand as she held it out to him, Blair helped her up. "So where do we go from here, Dee?" he said quietly, the slightest tone of hurt coloring his words.

  His pain cut her deeply, and she pulled him into a hug, trying to say with actions what she couldn't quite manage with words at the moment. She backed up a step, but didn't completely let him go. "I'm sorry, Lobo. I can't really explain what happened here, though I'm beginning to form a theory. But it's time for you to know the truth about me. What you do with that information will then be up to you." Releasing him, she headed down the steps and across the commons to the bench they usually sat on to eat lunch. Picking up his backpack, Blair followed her, beginning to wonder if he knew her at all.

  After stopping at the student union for sandwiches and bottles of iced tea, Dee settled herself on "their" bench, removing her trench coat and tossing it on the back of the seat beside her. Drawing her feet up, she sat cross-legged, popping the top on her tea and taking a long swig before she turned to meet Blair's steady gaze.

  He sat next to her on the bench, his backpack between his feet, his sandwich and tea untouched. "Why Dee?" he asked her. "Why didn't you tell me you were a sentinel?"

  She closed her eyes, letting memories of her years as a champion flow to the surface. Opening her eyes, she said, "I haven't been a champion for a very long time, not since my companion died." She paused for a beat, while Blair digested that information, then said, "That was 2,680 years ago."

  Blair's eyes widened, and he flinched away from her involuntarily. That small motion hurt her more than any of his words ever could. She gazed up at the sky for a long time, willing the tears back. Finally she looked at him. "I am Immortal, Blair. I was born on summer solstice 2,800 years ago, in Delphi, Greece. I was raised in the temple of Apollo, trained from birth to take my place as Apollo's highest priestess, the Oracle. At the age of 25 I died my first death, at the hands of another Immortal. When I awoke, my God gave me over to his sisters, to learn the skills I would need to survive in the Game." She could see the question forming on Blair's lips, and she pressed her fingertips to them. "Patience, Lobo. I will answer all your questions, but let me finish."

  Nodding, Blair settled back in his seat, and unwrapped his sandwich, taking a bite as she continued. "I lived among the Amazons for nearly a hundred years, learning from Artem
is and Athena the art of war, of weapons and combat. When she deemed I was ready, Artemis sent me to fetch the new queen of the Amazons, a girl she had handpicked to lead them. Little did I know she was a head-strong, 17 year-old princess in a far off land, betrothed to a neighboring prince and having no desire to leave her comfortable life." Dee smiled at the memory. "She was a tiny, red-headed spitfire, and objected quite strenuously to being thrown over my saddle and spirited off into the night. But over the long trip back to Amazon territory, we came to depend on each other, especially after Artemis 'gifted' me with the heightened senses of a champion. Lydia became my companion, my best friend, my Queen, and my lover. We were together for 20 years, until she was killed in battle." Dee paused, sipping at her tea, trying to get past the memory of her soulmate dying in her arms.