Immortal Cascade 03 Immortal Champion

by Carol Roi

  He shivered again. Damn it was cold. Blair poked at the fire, wondering again what he was doing sitting on the beach. Hell, Dee probably wouldn't show up until morning, though it was almost that now, and logic dictated that she would be coming from the opposite side of the lake, where he knew there was another canoe stashed. If she came at all... No, he wasn't going to think that. She'd promised she would come back, and he knew she wouldn't break that vow.

  The sound of something moving in the lake caught his attention. Peering into the darkness, Blair saw a tall, lithe form emerge from the black liquid, droplets of water sparkling like diamonds on her bare skin, blue eyes meeting his across the fire's flames. With a little sigh, she collapsed to the sand and was still.

  Blair was at her side in an instant, throwing the blanket over her, yelling for Jim, as he felt for a pulse at her throat. Oh, god, she was so cold, her skin icy to his touch. "Hang on, Dee, hang on," he pleaded with her. Where in the hell was Jim?

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  Ellison sat down on the couch with a sigh. The Immortal was nuts, plain nuts. Who in their right mind would take off all their clothes and swim across a lake in below freezing weather? He ran both hands through his hair and grimaced at the pain that shot through his left arm. Helping Sandburg carry her up from the beach hadn't helped that injury any. Stretching, he yawned, and checked on the trio in the next room with his hearing.

  Diandra was still out of it; she hadn't regained consciousness since she had collapsed in front of Blair, and that was, he glanced at his watch, over an hour ago. Christ, was it that late? He should have checked in with Simon hours ago. And just what was he going to tell his captain, he asked himself. He decided he would save checking in until he came up with a good story. He focused on the low voices in the other room again.

  Once they'd gotten Diandra to the cabin, they had to raise her body temperature, which Jim had estimated to be nearly ten degrees below normal, assuming Immortals were the same as mortals in that regard. Without hospital facilities, they'd had to resort to a more low-tech treatment: body heat. Blair and Megan had stripped down to their underwear and crawled in bed with her, and it seemed to be working, albeit slowly.

  Jim wasn't too worried by the fact she hadn't woken up yet, but Sandburg was. He seemed to think Dee was in a trance state, rather than simply unconscious. He and Megan were trying to reach her, though it sounded like they were running out of steam, if the slow, even breathing he was hearing was any indication. He tuned in on the Immortal's heartbeat, and was shocked to find both Blair's and Megan's hearts in sync with hers. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. It was times like these he knew how Simon felt.

  Still, he supposed there was no harm in it. It was just... weird.

  He must have dozed off, because he awoke to the sensation of something poking him in the chest. Opening his eyes, he found the tip of a sword poised directly above his heart. His gaze traveled up the blade to its wielder, a small, wiry redhead dressed in an impressive amount of leather and brass armor. A band of gold encircled her brow, and her blue eyes flashed dangerously. "What is the meaning of this, Sentinel?" she growled. "Why do you not aid your Guide in his fight?"

  At her words, Jim half rose from the couch, but the point of her weapon dug into his skin, and he thought better of it. "What are you talking about? Blair's fine, he's in the other room, asleep."

  She shook her head, her long braid bobbing with the motion. "The Guide walks in my world, along with the young one. They seek to save his lover, her would-be Champion, from death. Why do you not walk with them?"

  This is crazy, Jim thought. Who in the hell is this woman and what is she babbling about? "Immortals can't die unless you take their head. Dee's just unconscious; she'll be fine."

  "She's dying, Sentinel!" the woman warrior screamed at him. "Do you think I do not know death when I see it? I have seen more death than you can even begin to comprehend. Diandra's immortality is worthless if her soul is lost!"

  Jim simply blinked at her, confused.

  "Oh, Athena, grant me your patience and your wisdom," she prayed, rolling her eyes heavenward. Turning her gaze back to Jim, she began to speak in the tone grownups used with very small children. "Sentinel, if a Champion does not bond with a Companion within a certain amount of time after receiving Artemis' gifts, those gifts overwhelm her. Unable to control her senses, she retreats into herself, in Diandra's case, into the spirit world, and blocks out the physical world around her. Soon, no one will be able to reach her, to bring her back."

  That made a kind of sense, Jim supposed. After all, when his heightened senses had returned, he'd thought he was going insane. Why would it be any different for a Champion? "Okay, that I understand, but what's the problem? Megan's agreed to be her companion."

  The woman shook her head. "The little one is afraid. She is having trouble accepting what Diandra is, accepting that part of the Champion's role is to protect her Companion, her lover, her family, by whatever means necessary, to be judge, jury and executioner, if that is what it takes to keep them safe."

  Jim clenched and unclenched his jaw. "So Megan has doubts about bonding with a killer. I don't blame her."

  The Amazon moved without warning, and Jim suddenly found her kneeling over him, her blade pressed tight against his throat. "What has she ever done to you, Sentinel?" Her face inches from his, Jim could clearly see the tears forming in her eyes. "Has she ever harmed you? Harmed someone you loved? What crime has she committed against you?"

  He realized it was a rhetorical question when the pressure on his neck increased as he opened his mouth to answer. Wisely, he let her continue.

  "Oh wait, I forgot, Diandra has committed the most deadly sin of all. She dared to love your Guide." Her eyes stared into his, their fire undiminished by the tears rolling down her face. "That is it, is it not? You hate her because your Guide loves her. What kind of man are you, what kind of Sentinel are you, that you would deny your soulmate that happiness? And what do you think will happen to him if she dies? And to you? The three of you are bound together, your life forces intertwined. She cannot return from the spirit world without your help; Megan cannot bond with her without your support." Jim could feel the edge of her sword cutting into his skin, a warm trickle of blood running slowly down his neck. "I will not let you do this to her, or to your Guide, or to hers. Put aside your own fear for once and just believe in the goodness of someone else's heart!"

  He hesitated, and that must have triggered something in the Companion, for she gestured with her hand, and the interior of MacLeod's cabin became a lush meadow. The first slivers of a golden dawn shone on the horizon, turning the scattered clouds cotton candy pink. The Amazon pushed against the Sentinel's back, and getting the hint, he began to walk toward the center of the field of flowers, his keen sight picking out the familiar form of his guide kneeling in the grass, Megan next to him, something large and black cradled in her lap.

  As they drew closer, Jim could see the two guides were seated on either side of the black mare's outstretched neck, her heavy head sprawled across the Aussie's legs. "Look at her," the Companion hissed. "Do you still believe she will be fine?" Jim shook his head slowly, listening to the mare's labored breathing, watching her exhausted muscles twitching under her sweat soaked hide.

  Megan glanced up, as if noticing the pair for the first time. "I can't help her, Jim," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I promised I would, and I can't."

  Blair turned his face toward the Sentinel then, his Shaman's face paint streaked and blurred by tears. "Jim, man, you have to help us. We can't let her die; I can't lose her, not like this."

  Stepping around Jim, the Companion knelt by her Champion, her hand stroking the quivering neck. "Please, Diandra," she pleaded, "please come back to us. It isn't your time yet. We need you, all of us need you."

  Her emphasis on "all of us" was not lost on Jim. Gazing once more into his guid
e's anguished eyes, he saw the small spark of hope within, the hope that his Sentinel could prevail where he had failed. Jim dropped to his knees next to Megan, winding his fingers through the mare's soft mane. "Diandra," he whispered, "we're all here now, waiting for you. You have to make a decision, you have to choose a Companion. Megan is here, she is willing to stand by your side, to watch your back, to be your friend, your partner, your soulmate. She's a good guide, Dee, she saved my ass more than once over the past few days. Yeah, she's young, and inexperienced, and she'll make mistakes, but she'll learn because she'll have the best teacher in the world, you."

  "Please, Dee," Blair pleaded, "you promised me you would come back to me. I love you so much, angel, please don't leave us."

  Megan stoked the black mare's velvety muzzle and said softly, "Dee, you have to give me a chance. I know I would be a good companion, if I only got the chance to try."

  The Amazon Queen leaned over and kissed the horse's broad cheek. "Go to her, my heart, my love. She is the one you have been searching for."

  At the Companion's words, the mare shimmered, her form blurring, then stabilizing, then blurring again. When the rippling stopped, the mare was gone, and in her place lay Diandra, dressed in a long white toga, her head resting in Megan's lap. Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was her companion smiling down at her. She reached up her hand, and Megan pulled her into a hug, the Immortal's tears wetting her shoulder. Reaching behind her, Diandra found Blair, and his arms encircled her from behind as he buried his face in her hair. Dee turned her head to the side, her eyes meeting the Sentinel's.

  She held out her hand to him, the gesture unexpected, but clearly understood. She was offering him a place in her family; all he had to do was accept it. Without hesitation, Jim's hand gripped hers, and he knew the tears on her face mirrored his own.

  The Companion rose to her feet, and bent over her Champion, planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. Leaping in the air, Lydia shifted into the red falcon, her strong wings carrying her rapidly aloft, her joyful cry heralding the dawn of a new day.

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  Sunlight was streaming through the cabin windows when Jim finally opened his eyes. It took him a moment to realize he wasn't at Simon's place, but at MacLeod's, and another few seconds to notice he was no longer on the sofa in the living area. Instead, he was lying on a small sliver of mattress in the bedroom, his guide snoring softly next to him.

  Blair lay on his back, the covers bunched around his waist, both arms around his lover. Diandra was sprawled over his right side, her head resting on his shoulder, her arm across his chest, and her hand somewhere in between the two men. Jim could make out the top of Megan's head over Dee's bare shoulder. She seemed to be spooned up behind the Amazon, her arm thrown over the other woman's hips. Jim felt a flush creeping across his face as his slowly awakening brain realized that he was the only one fully dressed.

  He started to sit up, and discovered his right hand was trapped. Glancing down, he found Dee's fingers still curved around his, and as he watched, they tightened briefly, then released his hand. He looked up to find her blue eyes regarding him tenderly. A small smile curved her lips, and she spoke, her voice pitched for his ears only. "Thank you."

  Uncomfortable with her gratitude, he shrugged, then said, "You would have done the same for me."

  Dee moved her hand to rest lightly on Blair's chest. "But it would not have cost me nearly as much." She yawned then, and laid her head back down on her human pillow. Her eyes slid closed, and she was asleep again almost immediately.

  Shaking his head slowly, Jim rose and headed for the kitchen. A glance at his watch showed it was nearly 10 am. Simon was probably worried sick. After stirring up the fire in the hearth, starting one in the stove, and putting on the coffeepot, Jim tracked down Blair's cell phone and dialed the Captain's number.

  A terse "Banks" greeted him.

  "Uh, Simon, it's Jim."

  "Ellison! Where in the hell are you? Are you and Connor all right?" The captain's bellow was so loud Jim had to hold the phone away from his ear.

  "Yeah, we're fine, just fine. We, uh, decided to hook up with Sandburg and Pallas last night... "

  Jim could hear Simon biting down on his cigar. "Was that before or after you blew up my cabin?"

  He feigned innocence. "Someone blew up your cabin? It was fine when we left, sir." That, at least, was the truth.

  "And where in the hell is Brown's truck?"

  "I don't have a clue, Simon," he said honestly. "We left it in the ditch about half a mile from the cabin, and didn't have a reason to go back and check on it. Since it was stuck, we didn't figure anyone would steal it." An unpleasant thought crossed his mind. "Uh, sir, where exactly are you?"

  "Same place I've been since about 8 am, Jim. Freezing my butt off while the Seacouver sheriff and the local fire department try to figure out what exactly happened to -my- cabin. Some hunter out on an early start called it in. Guess he smelled the smoking ruins and went to investigate. There are signs someone had a big bonfire up here too, about a mile from here. You don't happen to know anything about that either, do you?"

  "No, sir, I don't," Jim answered, squeezing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, trying to ward off a headache. "But look on the bright side, sir, at least Connor and I weren't there."

  His friend was silent for a moment, then said in a more somber tone, "Yeah, thank god for that. You don't suppose this was Cristo's work?"

  "Hard to tell, sir. I'm just glad Sandburg and Connor's ordeal is almost over."

  "Speaking of Sandburg, what in the world made you decide the four of you needed to be together? Friday you were dead set on staying apart."

  Shit. Jim had been hoping Simon wouldn't pick up on that little inconsistency. "I'm not sure you really want to hear the answer to that, Captain. It was a, uh, Sentinel/Guide crisis kind of thing."

  He could hear the wheels turning in his friend's mind. "Is it resolved?" he finally asked.

  "Yes, Simon, it's resolved."

  "Then I don't want to hear about it." He changed the subject. "You need any help getting back in time for the grand jury tomorrow?"

  "Thanks, but no thanks, Simon. I think that's covered. I'll let you know if we need anything, but right now I think it's going to be smooth sailing from here on out."

  "All right, Jim, you take care. And I'll ask around about H's truck. Maybe some over zealous ranger had it towed. See you on Monday."

  Jim disconnected the call and turned off the phone. He stared at it for a moment, letting out a small sigh. He hated lying to his captain, but if he ever found out what had really happened... Blair's voice from the doorway startled him.

  "Thanks, Jim." At his puzzled look, Blair explained. "For not telling Simon about what Dee did to Cristo and his men. I owe you big time."

  Jim shook his head. "You don't owe me anything, Chief. Coffee?" Blair nodded, his gaze thoughtful as he watched Jim pour the steaming caffeine into two mugs. "You've got that look, Sandburg. What's on your mind?"

  Blair accepted the cup he handed him, and headed for the living room, Jim following. "We need to talk, Jim, really talk, about where we go from here." He took a seat in the overstuffed armchair cattycornered from the couch.

  Feeling his stomach knot at his guide's words, Jim sank heavily onto the sofa. "Okay, Chief, go ahead."

  Blair sipped his coffee for a few minutes, attempting to gather his jumbled thoughts and emotions into some kind of presentable form. Finally he quit trying to find a gentle way to put it, and said simply, "I love Dee." Jim opened his mouth to reply, and Blair cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Please, Jim, just listen to what I have to say before jumping to any conclusions."

  Taking a deep breath, he fingered a loose thread on the knee of his sweatpants, then spoke. "You've known me for, what, almost five years now?" At Jim's hesitant nod, Blair continued. "And in all that
time, I think it's safe to say my longest relationship with a woman lasted about two weeks... well, I'm not counting Maya, that was... a mistake." He stared into his coffee mug for a moment. "When I met Dee, all that changed. I haven't looked at or thought about another woman for nearly six months. I haven't dated, hell, I haven't flirted with anyone but her. I haven't wanted to, I haven't needed to. For the first time in my life, I know what real love is."

  He sat his coffee down on the table and ran both hands through his tousled curls. "She makes me a better person, Jim. Somehow she sees inside of me, sees only the good things, sees all my potential, all my pluses and none of my minuses. She makes me feel... god, it's so hard to describe... valuable, I guess. You'll have to admit there've been times this past year when I felt pretty useless, to you and to myself."

  "Chief... "

  The guide shook his head. "I don't feel that way anymore, and I know it's because when I look in her eyes, I wanna be the man she sees inside me. I know you must think I'm crazy. I mean, she's nearly 3,000 years old, and I'm barely thirty, and the nature of our lives is such that each time we walk out the door, we don't know if either of us is going to come back. The amazing thing is, I can live with that, I want to live with that, if it means she'll be in my life. I know things aren't going to last forever, that in a couple years, she'll have to move on, and I won't go with her, but I want to be with her for as long as the fates allow."