Disclaimer: The characters of Kate, Jin Ke, Duncan, Connor, and Kell all belong to Panzer/Davis. I don't own them, have only borrowed them for this little fanfiction jaunt. This story is purely for fun, no profit involved.
Rated PG13 for violence.
The Awakening Breath
by kyrdwynCDC

1715

She shuddered, air filling her lungs in a half inhaled scream, eyes snapping open in bewilderment and fear, body arching up upwards. Her hand went to her chest, feeling the wetness, her eyes sweeping down involuntarily to see the blood that soaked the front of her once pristine nightgown, ruby on white, her shock numbed mind trying to wrap itself around the knowledge that her husband had tried to kill her.

Why has he done this to me? Oh, God, Duncan, where’s Duncan?

He wasn’t in the bed beside her and she began to panic at the thought that he might come after her again when he discovered that he had failed to kill her. But then she saw him, sitting on the floor against the far wall, the dagger at his feet, blood dripping from his hands, covering his chest, his whole body trembling as his guilt filled eyes sought out hers. The realization of the truth hurt worse than the dagger had.

God, Duncan, no, why?

He reached toward her beseechingly and she whimpered, scooting away from him, off the side of the bed, her bridal bed, now baptized crimson with more than just her virginal blood.

"Kate, no, don’t be frightened! You’re immortal, we both are!"

The words made no sense to her and she wondered if had gone mad. He looked it, his eyes wild and wide, his body shaking as he stood.

"Kate."

She shook her head, staring at her own blood on her hands, then back to her husband.

"Kate!"

Her husband, whom she loved more than life itself. Her husband, who she had been sure had loved her just as much.

"Oh my God, what have I done?"

Her husband, who had tried to murder her on their wedding night.

"No, don’t worry!"

With an agonized cry, she turned away from him, fleeing their bedchamber, one fist clenched against her heart, pressing the coolness of the locket to her breast.

"Kate!"

She ran, closing her ears to the anguished plea in his voice, only knowing that she had to get away, to escape this nightmare she was sure she still hadn’t woken from. She ran, shoving the heavy doors open with the force of her momentum, stumbling out into the night, rain soaking through her thin gown to plaster it to her skin, chilling her flesh, water splashing up around her ankles.

"Oh, Duncan!" she sobbed quietly, her tears mingling with rain that dripped down her cheeks. She wondered briefly if he knew that he had succeeded, that he had managed to kill her after all. For surely there was a hole there now where her heart should be, for it to hurt that much.

She didn’t look back to see if he was following; something instinctive inside her knew that he wasn’t. And that hurt , too, that he could let her go so easily. She wondered if she would be able to do the same, to let him go, and she knew that she wouldn’t, that as long as that hole in her heart remained, she would always remember he who had put it there. So she did the only thing she could do.

She ran.


Exhaustion sent her to her knees, her hands breaking her fall on the cool wet earth. Trees loomed around her on all sides, gloomy silhouettes in the darkness. She lay on her side in the damp grass, curling into herself and crying, her tears mingling with the rain that splashed on her face, until finally, despite the elements, sleep claimed her.

She woke screaming, one hand clenched around the locket, the other pressed to her chest as if to deflect the descending dagger. The rain had stopped and pale sunlight wove through the tree limbs, warming her face. She sat up, the locket still clutched in her hand, and when she remembered what it signified and who had given it to her, she yanked it from around her throat in one painful tug, casting it away from her to land in the grass several feet away. Sunlight caught the metal, reflecting it in a tiny glare that caught her eye and held it. She shook her head, wanting no reminders of what should have been the happiest night of her life, getting to her feet and stretching to work the cramps out from laying on the ground.

Shaking out her still damp and muddied gown, she started to walk away when something made her stop. She turned and retraced her steps until she was standing over the locket, winking sunlight at her from its bed in the grass. Maybe she did need a reminder, something to keep her from ever making the same mistake again. And maybe she still wanted just a small part of him to keep with her, maybe she wasn’t ready to let go quite yet, despite everything. She knelt and picked it up, frowning over the broken chain. She had nowhere to put it, no pockets, no reticule , not even a corset to stuff it into. That was when it hit her how bad her situation was.

New tears threatened to spill from her eyes when she realized her predicament. No clothing but a thin nightdress, no money, no food. She couldn’t go back to the manor; Duncan was probably still there and nothing would make her give him the chance to plunge a knife into her again. And now that she had decided to keep it, she wouldn’t pawn the locket although it would bring a decent amount of coin. She would head to the nearest town, there would be sure to be someone who would take pity on her and take her in. She looked down at the locket lying in the palm of her hand, then draped it around her neck and tied a knot in the chain to keep it from coming loose. Resolutely squaring her shoulders, she started walking in the direction of the nearby town.


By nightfall she had come to the conclusion that the nobility were nothing but elitist swine. Not that she hadn’t already known that, but it was different when you were one of the swine, instead of one of those you looked down upon. One thing for certain, she would never look down her nose at the poor and downtrodden ever again.

She sat on the stone steps of an inn, huddled miserably in a shabby cloak she had snagged off of some poor farmer's clothesline. Stealing didn’t set well with her, either, but she knew that if she didn’t want to be raped and left for dead, she had to get something to cover her nightdress and give her a semblance of modesty. Hunger clawed at her stomach and she had a vicious headache from lack of food. She had been too nervous the day before to eat anything more than some of her wedding cake and had now been without food for almost two days. As another spasm of pain through her innards had her doubled over, she felt a hand tap her timidly on the shoulder.

She inhaled deeply, fighting the urge to lash out like a shrew at this intrusion, and found herself staring into the hopeful face of a very skinny, very homely young man.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice tight with pain and frustration.

He seemed taken aback a moment, then recovered himself enough to ask quietly, "How much, ma‘am?"

She stared at him rudely, confused as to what he was asking. "How much what?"

He looked down at his feet, his cheeks reddening slightly before answering, "For your charms, ma’am. How much for you?"

It dawned on her then, what he was asking, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or start screaming in outrage.

He thinks I’m a whore! Of all things....

She shook her head, waving him away. "Go away, sirrah, I’m not what you think, I’m not for sale."

He looked crestfallen at her answer, but he backed away from her. "My apologies, ma’am, no insult intended."

She was about to tell him that no insult had been taken when a sharp pain seized her stomach again and a wave of dizziness almost sent her sideways off the step. She needed food badly, or she would end up finishing herself off for Duncan by starving in the street. She needed money for food. She stared after the retreating back of the homely young man, then closed her eyes and swallowed hard, making a decision that she knew would damn her, but then again, she was already damned for being married to an attempted murderer, wasn’t she? She stood up shakily and started off after the young man.

"Wait..."


1716

Kate stared at the ceiling in disgust as the man rolled off of her and pulled his breeches on from where he had discarded them earlier on the floor. She scooted up until she was leaning against the headboard of the sagging bed, pulling the sheet with her to cover her nakedness. She mustered a false smile when the man turned back to her and leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek that was accompanied by the sour odor of his breath, then he straightened up and tossed several coins her way, the money landing in a small heap in her lap. He gave her a grin and a tip of his hat, then the door was shutting behind him, leaving Kate in the stuffy little room, alone, again. The way she liked it.

She counted through the money, separating out the portion that went to the Madam, then slid off the bed, dragging the sheet with her, to place the money on the small dresser, turning to tuck her share of it away in a small locked box at the bottom of her closet. As she stood up she caught sight of herself in the mirror above the dresser and she frowned, not liking what she saw. But at least she was used to it now. The heavy eye and lip makeup of her profession had seemed shocking to her at first, but now, after a year, the shock had worn off, to be replaced by disdain and cynicism. After all, it didn’t matter if she looked like a whore, because she was a whore.

She fingered the locket where it lay against her throat. No new chain, despite the money she had saved up. No, she wanted it just the way it was, a reminder now of the hatred she bore for the man who had given it to her, along with his promise of a beautiful life. Instead he had given her betrayal. First, his own betrayal, and then her betrayal of herself when she was reduced to selling her body to survive. She lay the blame for that at his feet as well. One day they would meet again, and she wondered if he would even recognize the bitter and hardened woman she was now as the carefree, joyful girl he had married.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit her, an almost painful sensation playing through her head and she staggered slightly, reaching out for the dresser edge for support, just as there was a sharp knock on the door. That would be Madam Seraphine, coming to collect her coin, more than likely with another customer in tow. Kate steadied herself, the tickling feeling in her head still there although softer now, and strode over to the door, the sheet wrapped tightly around her body. The door opened before she got there and Madam Seraphine walked in, leaving a strange looking man standing in the doorway, staring at Kate in something akin to shock.

"You’ve got another one, Kate m’dear, a foreigner," Madam Seraphine said as she scooped the stack of coins off the corner of the dresser, counting them quickly before dropping them in the little reticule she always carried with her. She gave Kate a onceover glance and shrugged. "What you’re wearing will have to do, I guess. He doesn’t seem the picky sort." With that she swept out of the little room, leaving Kate to face the first real foreigner she had ever seen.

The man was shorter than she was. His skin was a smooth olive tone, and he had dark hair and dark eyes that tilted up at the corners. His frame was smaller than most of the men she was used to and her first thought was that for once she wouldn’t get squashed, her second that despite his unusual features he was a striking looking man. And clean. That went a long way in her book, cleanliness. Between the big brawny men she was used to and the fact that they didn’t bathe any too often, she was surprised she hadn’t died of asphyxiation by now. And the way that he was looking at her, like she was something more than just a cheap lay, she thought that maybe, for once, she wouldn’t mind it that much.

He stood there for several moments, just staring at her, before crossing the room to sit on the edge of the bed. He made no move to remove his clothing, or even indicate that he wished her to join him, so Kate moved to stand in front of him, taking a deep breath and dropping the sheet so that it pooled around her feet. She shook her head almost imperceptibly as the slightly itchy headache she had refused to go away.

The man continued to stare silently at her, his eyes leaving her face to travel slowly down the length of her naked body, then up again. He leaned forward, then reached down to grasp the edges of the sheet, standing up and bring the sheet with him, wrapping it around her until she was once again covered somewhat modestly.

Kate was confused by his actions. Why had the man come to a whorehouse if he wasn’t interested in sex? Or maybe he was and he had some strange fetish that she would soon learn about.

"What’s wrong?" she asked quietly, securing the sheet under her armpits. If he wanted her to wear it then she would.

He smiled at her then, somewhat between amusement and actual warmth, and Kate felt her heart leap in her chest. "You don’t understand what you are, do you?" he asked, bemused, his voice heavy with a strange accent.

Kate snorted, a wry smile curling her lip. "I know exactly what I am, mister, you don’t have to remind me."

"Do you , now?" Again that slightly amused expression. "Tell me then, Kate--that is what she called you--what are you?"

She scowled at him and backed away, almost tripping over the sheet ends. "Exactly what you see before you, mister, a whore, nothing else."

"Ah, but you’re wrong there." He gave a flick of his wrist and a dagger appeared in his hand. "Allow me to show you."

Kate gave a muffled scream at the sight of the dagger and tried to turn away. She only succeeded in tangling her legs in the sheet, tumbling backwards to land on her behind with a thump as the strange man approached her with the dagger. She could feel the hysteria rising up in her, and he must have seen it too, because he stopped suddenly and flipped the dagger around to offer it to her, hilt first, an apologetic smile on his face.

"I don’t think I need to ask you the cause of your first death, your reaction just now answers it."

First death? What did he mean by that? She gripped the hilt of the dagger tightly, wanting to be able to defend herself if he should choose to do her harm. She almost screamed again as his hand closed over hers, warm skin covering her icy cold flesh.

"No matter what happens, promise me not to scream or call for help. All I ask you to do is just wait and watch. Do you understand?"

Understand what? That he wanted to try to kill her and she wasn’t supposed to do anything about it? Not bloody likely!

"I will not harm you, Kate. I promise you that. Will you do as I ask?"

Something in his voice made her want to trust him, so she just nodded her head, feeling slightly relieved when he smiled warmly at her.

"I ask you one more thing. Remember my name, Jin Ke."

With that remark, his grip tightened on her hand and he forced her to drive the dagger into his chest, sinking it in to the hilt before her terrified reflexes released it. His eyes were wide, staring into hers, and he grasped the dagger with his own hands, pulling it from his body with a low moan to let it clatter to the floor, his face ashen, blood bubbling up into his mouth and spilling over his lips. He smiled, if you could call it that, before he made a choking noise deep in his throat and toppled over backwards, his eyes rolling back in his head, blood soaking the front of his once white shirt.

Kate sat there dumbfounded. She knew he was dead, knew that some strange man had just committed his own form of suicide in her room, with her as an accessory. She found herself reaching toward the dagger in fascination, then snatched her hand back as though it had been burnt. She shuddered, then stood up and crossed over to the bed, sitting on the edge and staring at the body on her floor.

Wait and watch, he had said. Wait and watch what? He was dead! She breathed a deep sigh, just about ready to leave the room to tell Madam Seraphine that there was a dead man in her room, when her attention was snagged by a gasping noise. She turned back toward the dead man...the dead man whose chest was now moving rhythmically up and down, whose fingers were twitching even as she looked, who rolled over and sat up, hand rubbing idly at his chest.

Kate gave a short shrill scream and promptly fainted.


Kate woke to the sound of voices arguing. She recognized one as Madam Seraphine’s, but it took a moment for the heavily accented male voice to register with her brain as the man who had come to her room--the dead man who had risen like Lazarus before her very eyes. They were arguing over her.

"She’s not going anywhere, mister!" This was from Madam Seraphine. "She has a contract with me, to work for me for another year! Why would you think that I would let a good source of income just waltz out my door on your say so?"

What? What the hell was going on, why would that man be interested in her? Kate cracked one eye open, trying not to move, to see Madam Seraphine glaring at someone Kate couldn’t see but presumed was the dead man--what did he say his name was, Jin Ke?

"One way or another, madam, she is going with me," Jin Ke told the woman, his voice calm. "I prefer not to leave a mess behind, so tell me, how much would you guess she would make for you in this next year--not her take, but what you get of it."

Kate almost choked when Madam Seraphine quoted a figure that was twice as much as what she had brought in in the last year. She was afraid she had given herself away, but the Madam didn’t even look her way. She waited for Jin Ke to argue against the sum the Madam had given him, but there was only a moments silence that was then broken by the sound of coins jingling, many coins, and a gasp on the part of the Madam.

"That should cover your losses, madam." His voice had gone cold now, and Kate knew that Madam Seraphine would get nothing more from him, whether in coin or in argument.

The Madam pocketed the coins. "Take her, then, she’s yours." Then she turned her back on Jin Ke and left the room.

Take her, then, she’s yours? Kate almost came up off the bed at that. What, was she some animal, to be bought and sold? And who did he think he was, buying her? The thought occurred to her then that he was a foreigner, and they had different ways, so maybe he thought he actually was buying her, that he would own her. Well, she would set him straight on that soon enough. Just let him try--

"You can quit pretending to be asleep now."

Kate squinched her eyes shut and lay perfectly still, determined to not let him get the upper hand. Oh, if he thought she was just going to docilely go with him, he had another think coming. Just who did he think he was, coming into her room, scaring the daylights out of her, killing himself in front of her, and then having the nerve to just come back to life like it was some everyday occurrence, and then to try and buy her, of all things, arrogant, pompous--

She felt the bed dip as he sat down next to her and leaned over her, one hand on either side of her head.

"Open your eyes, Kate, and quit acting like a child."

She sighed then, and opened them, staring up into his dark eyes as he gazed down at her, a half smile curling his lip. He was shirtless, and Kate found her eyes drawn to his chest, smooth and muscled despite his size. Well, maybe he was interested in sex after all if he was half unclothed, maybe he was just like all the others. She closed her eyes again briefly, half frowning in disappointment, but when she opened them again it was to see him shaking his head.

"No, Kate, that kind of relationship is not for you and I, not for the teacher and the student. You and I have a much stronger bond to form than that."

Teacher and student? What did he mean by that? But she felt a flicker of hope growing inside her now, that he was an honorable man--and then she remembered.

"You died." She whispered it softly, holding his gaze.

He nodded, leaning back so that he was sitting upright, elbows resting on his knees, hands steepled under his chin.

"So did you."

Her hand came up to her chest, to rest just above the edge of the sheet, where she could still remember feeling the dagger as it bit into her flesh, once again felt Duncan’s betrayal bite into her heart.

"No, he didn’t kill me, he missed," she said, but somehow she knew it wasn’t true. She remembered the blood, lots of blood, hers, on him, on her, soaking into her gown, staining the sheets, and she knew that he hadn’t missed, had struck true. She had been in so much shock that the realization that she had no evident wound the next morning had just been translated into the phrase, 'he missed'.

Jin Ke reached out to grasp the hand that lay on her chest, then drew her toward him and placed it against his own chest, skin warm and unmarred, heart beating strongly, no sign of the entry wound of the knife from earlier.

"And did you miss?" he asked quietly, eyes staring into hers, daring her to dispute what she had seen.

"No, and yet here you are, breathing and talking, and healed..." There was a certain amount of awe in her voice. And he was suggesting that the same thing had happened to her.

"Whoever it was who tried to kill you, he didn’t miss. You and I, we are the same. Immortal. We cannot die." He stood suddenly, pulling her up with him. "But come, this isn’t the place for a long and detailed discussion of either what we are, or the Game. Get whatever things you want to take with you so we can leave this place." His scanned the little room with his eyes, frowning in distaste. "It no longer holds the same appeal."

Kate just nodded, her mind so overwhelmed with questions that she wasn’t even sure she could think straight. She moved over to the dresser, rummaging through the drawers for a clean set of clothing to wear, pulling out other pieces to pack. She didn’t have much else except for the small money box in the closet. She mustn’t forget that, she reminded herself.

"Kate?"

She turned to see Jin Ke standing not far from her, a slightly embarrassed look on his face, a bloody ball of cloth in one hand.

"Yes?"

He hesitated a moment before answering, "You wouldn’t happen to have a shirt I could borrow, would you?"

For the first time in she didn’t know how long, a smile curled her lips and she chuckled slyly. "I’m sure I can find something in here that isn’t too frilly."


You died.

So did you.

No, he didn’t kill me, he missed.

And did you miss?

No.

You and I , we are the same. Immortal.

The words echoed in Kate’s head, chasing each other doggedly around until she sighed in frustration, turning to stare at the man who rode so quietly next to her She shifted uncomfortably in her saddle as she did so, unaccustomed to riding astride instead of sidesaddle, but Jin Ke had insisted that for the kind of life they would lead she would need to shed all ladylike restraints, so had purchased a regular saddle to go with the horse he had bought for her. When she had protested that she would be unable to ride in a dress, he had merely shrugged and bought her a pair of men’s pants.

Now, as they rode out of town, she could only wonder at this new turn in her life, at the things Jin Ke had left unspoken back in her room, at the unbelievable miracle she had witnessed on both herself and him. One thing she knew for certain, though; at least she was no longer anyone’s whore.

Immortal.

The word was familiar, she had heard it once before, one rainy, disastrous night that would forever be etched into her memory.

You’re Immortal, we both are!

You and I, we are the same. Immortal.

"You know, Jin, he said the same thing, about being immortal," Kate said softly, casting Jin a speculative glance.

"Who did?"

"My husband."

Jin brought his horse to a stop, swinging around to face Kate in surprise. "The man who killed you?"

"Yes."

Jin nodded slowly. "I think I begin to understand."

Kate shook her head in confusion. "Understand what?"

"Your husband’s motivation." He held up a hand as her mouth dropped open in shock. "Understanding and condoning are not the same thing, Kate. Remember that."

She shut her mouth and gave him a tight nod, still not understanding anything herself.

"Did he explain any of it to you? About our Immortality, about the Game?" Jin asked.

"No. He said nothing to me, just drove a knife into me while I was sleeping." The bitterness in her voice surprised her. She hadn’t realized how badly Duncan had scarred her, until now, when it seemed she might get the answers, the reasons, that he had not seen to. "You told me you would explain it all, once we were gone from that place. Don’t make me wait any longer, Jin. I’ve been waiting too long without knowing why."

"All right."

A thought occurred to her then, a sudden desire to put to try and put to rest some of her ghosts, and her hand strayed to the locket, stroking it idly. "Can we do something, Jin? There’s a place I want to go to. You can tell me all about this immortality thing and that game you keep mentioning while we ride, okay?"

He shrugged in assent. "One direction is as good as any other. Where did you have in mind?"

Kate was silent for several long seconds, staring out through the trees and gathering her courage, before she finally answered him.

"Home."


It was not how she remembered it. On her wedding day, the manor had been bright and busy, full of life and light, radiating peace and welcome. What stood before her now was an empty shell of a place, unkempt, gray and dismal. Stay away, it warned, this is a place of unhappiness, of death. All life is gone from here.

Kate dismounted, groaning at the soreness in her thighs from riding, and tethered the horse to a nearby tree. The stables were still intact, but she didn’t feel like hauling the horse that far and there was no stableboy at her disposal to do it for her. She approached the manor slowly, fighting the urge to turn and run, sure that the visions that haunted her dreams were waiting for her inside. Only Jin’s silent presence behind her gave her the courage to continue on.

She stopped at the heavy doors, one hand resting on the wood. She felt Jin come up next to her, felt his eyes on her questioningly.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his eyes never leaving her face.

She didn’t look at him, just stared at the door, then she finally nodded and grasped the handle, pulling hard. The doors swung open , the squeal of rusty hinges loud in the stillness. She froze, unable to take that step over the threshold, the step back into a nightmare.

Jin moved past her into the foyer beyond, his feet scattering little puffs of dust. Pale sunlight filtered through the grimy windows, lending an eerie cast to the room. He turned in a circle, eyes taking in the paintings and tapestries that lined the walls, the crystal chandelier that dangled from the high ceiling, the furniture layered in filth from disuse. The manor had been abandoned for a long while now and Kate felt a grim satisfaction in knowing that Duncan’s guilt refused to let him live in this place any longer.

She took a deep breath, then moved forward, resolutely, ignoring the main room, her feet taking her unerringly to the stage of the last dramatic scene of her short marriage. She halted in the bedroom door, her eyes searching the room, not missing a single detail. Everything was the same as when she had left, as though both of them had ceased to exist from that point. The bed was a tangled and rotted mess, the bedding still stained with old dry blood. On the floor, near the corner of the room, lay the dagger, blade brown from more than rust. She stepped into the room, opened wardrobes and trunks. But it was all still here; her clothing, his clothing, as though he had picked up and left immediately after she had escaped him. She leaned down to pick up her wedding dress from where it had been discarded in such abandon on the floor, fisting her hands in the fragile material and sinking down to sit on the edge of the bed. She buried her face in the fabric, the smell of mildew heavy in her nostrils and swallowed back a sob.

"Why, Jin, why couldn’t he have just told me?"

Jin came into the room, knelt at her feet, pulled the dress out of her hands to lay it across the foot of the bed. "Maybe he thought you wouldn’t believe him."

"Maybe." She bent forward, resting her forehead against his, before whispering, "Or maybe he was just afraid I wouldn’t make the choice he wanted me to make."

"Men can sometime be very selfish when it comes to love."

Kate pulled back, her eye searching his. "You sound as if you know that from experience."

A shadow of pain crossed his features, so fleeting that Kate wasn’t sure if she had imagined it or not. His voice, when he answered her, had such an overtone of regret to it that she knew she had seen that flicker of anguish after all.

"Maybe I do."

She reached out to caress his cheek with her hand, wanting to offer comfort, knowing that he probably wouldn’t let her. She was right. He caught her hand in his own, briefly pressed a kiss to her palm before letting it go and standing up.

"Well, Kate, are you ready to go? There is much for me to teach you if you are to survive in this world."

"Yes. There are too many ghosts here. I’ll leave them for some other time and place. The Kate that lived here once is dead now." She fingered the wedding gown one last time, then got to her feet. "This Kate has a new life, and it’s time to move on."


“No, I don’t want one.”

Jin just stared at her across the fire as if she had gone mad. But if there was one thing she knew, it was that she now had a strong aversion to edged weapons and there was nothing he could say or do that was going to put a sword in her hand.

“And how do you expect to defend yourself without one? How do you plan to win a fight when you’re challenged one day?”

Kate shook her head. “Maybe I don’t expect to ever be in a situation to get challenged, and I certainly don’t find the thought of lopping someone’s head off very pleasant at all.”

“Pleasant has nothing to do with it. It’s about survival--your survival, not your opponent’s.”

“Well, I can survive without cutting off anyone’s head, thank you very much. There has got to be some other way, something that will just let me get away from whoever is unchivalrous enough to challenge a woman.”

Jin was quiet for several long seconds, considering her, the firelight dancing in his dark eyes, before he finally gave her a brief nod. “There is. If you won’t use a blade for a weapon, then I can teach you how to use your hands and feet.”

Kate smiled in relief. She had been sure he was going to press the issue of using a sword, and she really did not want to anger this man who had been so kind to her. But the memory of that dagger in her breast was still as sharp as the blade had been.

“Show me.”


1727

Kate sipped the ale, pursing her lips at the bitter aftertaste, then set the mug back on the battered table and stared around the small tavern in boredom. Eleven years of wandering had led them to France, to the marvelous city of Paris, which she would once have delighted in, but now, after having been here for the last two years, she was more than ready to pack up and leave.

“Let’s get out of here, Jin, leave Paris.”

“And where would you have us go, Kate?”

“I don’t know, anywhere. Somewhere different.”

“You become bored too easily.”

She snorted. “Character flaw, you should know that by now.”

“Character flaws can get you killed.”

Kate sighed. “I know, but you love me anyway.”

Something flashed in his eyes at her comment, too quick for Kate to read, but too slow for her to miss, and she wondered what it was that she had said that affected him. She was just getting ready to ask him when she was hit with a sudden dizziness accompanied by a headache that left her gasping slightly.

“What the hell...”

Jin gestured toward the doorway of the tavern, where a tall blonde man had entered. He was dressed in the fine clothing of the upper class, a rapier hanging in its scabbard from the belt around his waist He froze for a moment before his eyes finally settled on Kate and Jin and he began to make his way slowly toward them.

Now Kate remembered where she had had that feeling before, the day she had met Jin, and that Jin had explained to her how they could sense each other, so she leaned to whisper to him, “Is he another one of us, an Immortal?”

Jin nodded, looking up at the other man as he came to a stop next to their table. Kate could tell from the expression on the man’s face that he was looking for trouble, and had decided he had found it in her and Jin. Jin just stared back at the man calmly.

“I’m challenging you, monsieur,” the stranger said, his voice filled with the arrogance that comes with feelings of superiority. He didn’t bother to sit down, or introduce himself, just stood there with one hand casually resting on the hilt of his rapier.

Jin gave the man a tired smile. “You don’t want to challenge me. Go find someone else to take your aggressions out on.”

The man did not look happy at the rebuff. He sniffed haughtily, his face reddening in anger, then turned his attention to Kate. “Fine. Then I challenge you, mademoiselle.”

Kate gasped. Of all the nerve! First to challenge Jin, and then when Jin wouldn’t cooperate, simply because Jin knew he could kill the man easily, to then challenge a woman!

“No.”

“You cannot answer for her, monsieur. The challenge was to her.”

Jin’s features hardened in anger, the first time Kate had ever seen him show that emotion, and he pushed away from the table to face the arrogant man, his hand on the hilt of his own sword.

“But your first challenge was to me...and I’ve changed my mind, I accept.”

“Jin, no!” Kate reached out to grab his arm, to stop him, but he shrugged her hand away.

“This is our life, Kate. It has to happen some time.”

Kate watched dumbfounded as the two men strode out of the tavern, knowing that one of them was going to die. She knew Jin was a swordmaster, knew that he had been around long enough to beat just about anyone in a fight, but there was that small chance that he could lose, whether by accident or being outclassed, and it was this that had her on her feet and running out the door behind them.

She needn’t have worried. The fight was over before she got to them, the other man’s headless body laying on the ground at Jin’s feet, the head several feet away, face down in the dirt. It was then that it hit home, what Jin was, what they both were. To see her Jin, gentle, honorable, never quick to anger Jin, standing there with the lust of battle still burning in his eyes, sword clenched in one hand, fresh blood dripping off the blade, the frenzy of the fight making his face a grim mask as he stood over his defeated foe. She shuddered to think that this deadly man was someone she trusted with her very life.

A flash of light brought a short scream out of her. Jin had explained about Quickenings, but she had never witnessed one. Now, as lightning crackled and exploded around him, striking through him with a violent fury, his body spasming as electricity coursed along his nerves, his mouth open in a rictus of pain, she was sure she would never want to see another one, let alone experience one herself. She watched as the Quickening played itself out, fading finally to leave Jin on his knees, his head bowed down to the ground, shudders wracking his body in the aftermath. She approached him cautiously, kneeling down next to him. A small jolt of blue light leapt from him to her fingers as she reached out for him, causing her to hiss at the shock, but she didn’t draw away. She put her arms around him, stroking his back, and he collapsed into her, still trembling. Gradually, he stilled, his breathing returning to normal, his heartbeat slowing, and he pulled away, giving her a weak smile.

“You’re right, Kate, maybe we should leave this place.”


1871

Kate looked across at her dinner companion and smiled. The man, while certainly not handsome, did have a captivating way about him that had entranced Kate from the very beginning. And after the last hundred and fifty years of watching her mortal lovers die from old age and disease, it was nice to finally find another Immortal who was interested in her for more than just her head.

Oh, there had been Jin of course. But he had made it clear from the start what their relationship was to be, and after their parting almost a year earlier she had been lonelier than ever. But she was determined to prove to him that she could survive on her own, that she didn’t need him to fight her battles for her, so there was no way in hell she was going back to him...yet. Especially since Jacob was proving to be such charming company.

He was a little strange in his own way, with a darkness about him that seemed to call to her. She knew that he had been a priest, before his first death, and that he had never quite shed the role, still dressing in semi-clerical attire, and with a slightly holier than thou attitude. He was staring at her now, his gaze caught on something just below her chin, and she realized that he was looking at her locket.

“What does it say, your locket?” Jacob asked in curiousity.

Out of habit, her hand came up to rest on it, unconsciously stroking the metal between her thumb and forefinger. “Forever,” she told him, a small catch in her voice even after all these years.

“Ah. A gift from a former lover?”

“My husband.”

He must have caught the sad tone to her voice because he nodded in sympathy. “It can be so hard when they die, when you lose them.”

“Oh, no,” Kate was quick to reassure, “he’s not dead, at least not to my knowledge. He’s an Immortal, like us.”

“Really? You must tell me his name. Who knows, maybe I’ve run across him in my travels.”

She hesitated the barest moment, unsure of whether or not she wanted to divulge that part of her past, but the earnest look he gave her, coupled with the desire to not alienate this new companion, had her answering. “Duncan, Duncan MacLeod.”

The strangest look crossed his face at that, and she immediately regretted having told him. He smiled at her, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I knew a Connor MacLeod once. Any relation?”

She felt some small bit of relief that he had known Connor, and even though instinct told her not to answer him, she did anyway. “Yes, his cousin. When did you know Connor?”

He took a long drink of his wine, watching her through half closed eyes, before replying. “Oh, some three hundred years ago.”

She could only stare at him, feeling slightly stunned. Three hundred years? Which meant that Connor was an Immortal as well. She cleared her throat, fingers playing idly with the cloth napkin. “I didn’t know that Connor was an Immortal too. I guess it makes sense though.”

“Yes. Connor always did have an affinity for his kin.”

He was starting to unnerve her a bit and she pushed away from the table. “Well, I couldn’t eat any more, what about you?”

“Kate, dear, I can’t eat another thing either. There’s a little theater down the street, why don’t we walk down that way and check it out?”

She nodded, standing and walking toward the door, anything to get away from the subject of the MacLeod family and her part of it. Jacob caught up with her, opening the door for her and guiding her out, one hand resting against the small of her back. The hand moved to grasp her elbow as they began strolling down the side of the street, and she was just about to protest the liberties he seemed to be taking when he gripped her arm hard and ducked down an alleyway, dragging her along with him. Instinct took over at that point and she pulled back, bringing her foot around to sweep his legs out from under him. She turned to run, but she had underestimated him. He was quick, very quick, and his hand latched around her ankle, jerking her off balance to send her tumbling to the ground belly first. He was up and had his sword to the back of her neck in an instant.

“Why?” she asked, her voice high and breathy, turning her head to see Jacob staring down at her with a burning hatred glowing in his eyes.

He considered her, cocking his head to one side, one corner of his mouth quirking up into a cruel smile. “Because I have a score to settle with Connor MacLeod, because I’ve vowed to rid him of everything he holds dear. He values his loved ones, his family, above all else, and you, my dear, are a MacLeod."

She couldn’t fight back the almost hysterical laugh that bubbled up out of her throat. “And you think that you are the only one that bears any ill will toward the MacLeod’s?”

She could see the uncertainty that registered in his eyes, felt the press of the blade against her neck ease up some. He looked as though he were about to say something, but the sudden pressure in her head, the itch and tingle that signaled the presence of another of their kind, had them both looking toward the mouth of the alley.

Kate almost collapsed in relief when she recognized Jin, until she realized that no matter how good he was, no matter how fast, Jacob would still have her head before Jin could reach them. But at least she would die knowing that her killer would be soon to follow her.

“Well, well, Jin Ke! It’s been a long time.” Jacob moved to stand on the other side of Kate, his blade never leaving her neck, to better face Jin.

“Kell.” Jin gave him a tight nod, his eyes on Kate, and she saw something in them that she had never before seen from Jin. Fear. Fear for her. “I see you’re still as dishonorable as ever.”

“Some people never change. I can see you haven’t, either. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m in the middle of something right now. You can stay and watch if you like.”

Jin shook his head, taking a couple of steps toward them, stopping when Kate winced as Jacob’s sword bore down harder on her neck. “You will not take her head, Kell.”

“Jin...” Kate began, trailing off when Jin gave her a stern look.

“I’ll take care of it, Kate, don’t worry.”

“So, you two know each other?” Jacob seemed amused. He gazed craftily at Jin and Kate realized that Jacob had the upper hand in this situation and he knew it. “What’s her life worth to you, Jin? What could you offer me that would be more valuable than her Quickening?”

Jin went perfectly still, eyes cold, and Kate knew with a sickening feeling that Kell had placed him in a position that he didn’t want to be in, but because of her he felt honor bound to stay there.

“I asked you once, years ago, to join me, Jin. I needed someone I could count on, someone I could trust to do things properly. You refused me.” Jacob’s voice was softly sinister. “Now, I offer you this. Her life for yours. Yours to be in service to me.”

He slid the blade back and forth along her neck and Kate could feel the sticky wetness of blood as her skin broke and bled. Jin was silent, his gaze going from Kate to Jacob, the inner struggle visible in his dark eyes.

“It’s an easy choice, Jin,” Jacob cajoled, voice oily smooth. “You either join me, or you watch me take her head. I’d advise you to hurry, I’m growing impatient.”

Jin closed his eyes, head bowing for a moment, before visibly coming to a decision. He drew his sword and approached Jacob slowly, his eyes on Kate. When he came within a few feet of them, he dropped to his knees, flipping his sword around to offer it to Jacob hilt first, once again dipping his head in obeisance. Kate heard Jacob laugh, a cold, heartless laugh, and the blade was lifted from her neck. She pushed herself up with her hands and threw herself at Jin, feeling his arms come around her as she sobbed onto his shoulder.

“Oh, Jin, I’m so sorry...”


2002

The loft was a mess. Kate picked her way carefully through the debris, glass crunching delicately under her feet. For the millionth time she asked herself what she was doing here, but she knew that she had to face him, had to try and lay her ghosts to rest, had to have a face to go with her hatred. She felt the now familiar sensation of a nearby Immortal as she approached the open double doors to Connor’s inner sanctum and she paused there in the doorway, waiting for him to face her, waiting to see his reaction to her.

He turned and she caught her breath. Still as handsome as ever, but with his once long hair shorn short. He looked different, he looked the same. But it was Duncan before her either way, and the settling of old scores would soon be taken out of her hands.

“Who are you?”

It almost saddened her that he didn’t recognize her immediately, but she didn’t let it show, just moved forward, out of the direct light, where he could see her better.

“A friend....or lover, or wife.” She made her voice cold, distant.

“Kate.”

“Atta boy. Except it’s Faith now. Part of the makeover.” She stepped closer to him, enjoying the confusion she saw in his eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“Do you remember our wedding day, Duncan? I do.” She closed her eyes, swaying toward him, moving to the silence of the music in her head. “The way we danced...it felt like we were flying, and that we’d never come down.” She stopped and her eyes snapped open, her stare hard and cold. “Of course, we did come down, didn’t we?" She lashed out with her foot, catching him in the face and knocking him backwards, out of the inner room where he came to a rolling stop, spitting blood. "Crashing.”

In the single stroke of a dagger, her life had been forever changed, forever scarred. And now, as the hate burned bright inside her, she knew it was time for retribution...

finis

Copyright 2000 by kyrdwynCDC

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