Chapter 92

Somewhere on the streets of Paris

They'd been running for some ten or fifteen minutes when Duncan felt Alisaunne move on her own and take in a gasp of air. She struggled on his shoulder and began to beat at him… snarling and screaming.

Duncan pulled her down and slammed her against a wall in the alley. "Hush!" he ordered as he held her arms away from her body against the stones of the wall.

Her eyes widened. She smiled and began to lick her lips slowly. "You want him dead… You think then I'll turn to you."

Duncan blanched. She was right! Some part of him still wanted her. He'd once considered sending Ian into jeopardy… but he'd conquered that desire. "You're wrong. I want him back as much as you do."

Alisaunne laughed as she shifted her hips and raised one leg to wrap around one of his. Her face inched forward and her lips brushed his.

"That's enough of that!" Amanda said sharply.

Alisaunne giggled and returned her attention to the Highlander. She attempted to once more close the gap between them by arching her back and rubbing her hips against his.

Duncan simply stared as her lips inched closer. He finally closed his eyes and shuddered.

"I said… that's enough!" Amanda fired her weapon into Alisaunne's side. The soft report through the silencer nevertheless sounded loud to Duncan's ears.

The girl's eyes widened momentarily in confusion and then closed as she slumped.

"Whenever you're through…" Amanda said in a huff, "we need to go."

Duncan nodded numbly and tossed his student over his shoulder once more. "That meant nothing, Amanda."

"No… It never does. Every single time I let my defenses down… your eye starts to wander. Here we are fleeing for our lives and you want to stop and make love to another woman." She stormed ahead… her hands waving in the air as she muttered under her breath.

"Amanda!" Duncan begged as he followed her.

Cory smirked as Duncan passed him. "It sure looked like that to me, too, Mac."

Duncan glared. "You stay out of this." He hurried to catch up with Amanda.

They heard sirens and ducked into the shadows of the alley. They'd been trying to stay off the main streets since Duncan was carrying the dead Alisaunne.

"We need a vehicle," he said. "We're running out of side streets and alleys."

Amanda rounded on him… her eyes blazing. "I know that! I just haven't seen one I can steal, yet!"

Duncan shifted Alisaunne to his other shoulder. "Let me explain, Amanda."

"Not here and not now, MacLeod." Amanda turned and gazed out onto the street. "There's a Peugeot over there that might work. It would look innocuous." She handed her handgun to Cory with a smile. "Shoot her again if she wakes up." Amanda tossed her head and strolled onto the street confidently toward the Peugeot. She tried the driver's door and grinned when it opened. She waved at the others as they piled in. Cory climbed into the other bucket in the front while Duncan pushed Alisaunne's body into the small rear seat and climbed in.

"Where to?" asked Amanda as she hot-wired the car.

"Darius' church… St. Julien Le Pauvre," said Duncan.

Amanda shifted gears. "Why there? I thought you said Watchers were there according to Joe."

"We need to take the chance. Alisaunne and I both saw Ellie in that area and she'd told Joe she'd be there."

"So?"

Duncan sighed and brushed Alisaunne's tangled dark curls from her dead face. "Alisaunne said Ellie took her somewhere into the church… someplace hidden. If so… maybe we can find it."

Amanda hmmphhed! "Provided she doesn't kill us, seduce you and scream loud enough to bring the authorities when she wakes."

"Amanda that's not it. It's Nestor."

Amanda met his gaze in the rear view mirror. Her eyes widened.

"Who the hell is Nestor," Cory asked.

"Shut up, Cory!" Amanda and Duncan said together. Amanda applied the gas and drove swiftly through Paris.

This time… thankfully… Alisaunne took longer to come around.

Amanda had pulled up outside the church and parked the car… eyeing the church grounds. "I don't see anyone about," she said.

"Joe told me they were fairly obvious the day he was here," Duncan murmured and sighed. "Nothing ventured… nothing gained." He climbed out and pulled Alisaunne's body from the car… holding her in his arms as he hurriedly crossed the street and passed through the gate onto the church property.

Amanda gestured at Cory. "Come on!" and the two of them followed.

At the doors of the church… Duncan paused while Amanda opened them. The immortals entered the cool darkness of the church. Two parishioners who were apparently just leaving stared at them. "She needs sanctuary," Duncan muttered by way of explanation and brushed past them. He circled around searching for some place to put her, aware that Amanda was sweet-talking the two old women and ushering them out. Once they were alone… she picked up the great wooden bolt and barred the doors.

Duncan lay Alisaunne on the stone floor of one of side alcoves and sighed. With a start he saw the blackened stone on the floor and realized this was where Darius had died. Duncan ran one hand through the girl's hair and shook his head. "I don't think we'll ever know what his secret was." He rose and turned to Amanda and Cory. "Start searching."

"For what?" Cory asked.

"I don't know. An opening… a door… a secret passage… just search."

Cory walked off grumbling as he ran hands over the stones and pushed.

Amanda grabbed Duncan's arm. "You really think that it's Nestor?"

"She's been having dreams for some time. She says she hears his voice. But she's never been quite this bad before."

Amanda blanched. "Nick! Something must have happened to Nick! We need to contact Phillip on Niebos."

"Niebos?" Duncan glanced at her. "Oh… that's the name of Phillip's island?"

Amanda nodded.

In the alcove… Alisaunne began to stir. She rolled over and drew up her legs. One hand stretched out so that the back of it rested on the blackened stone.

At that moment Amanda gasped. "Look!"

Blue electricity began to crackle as it rose along the walls, surrounded the pillars and met in the high arched ceiling of the old church. It throbbed and crackled, as it seemed to become a whirlwind. Cory retreated from one of the walls and covered his ears. The sound of a thousand voices keening in horror filled the church.

The whirlwind descended like a tornado onto Alisaunne's body, lifting her into the air where the blue power surrounded her… flashing outward and then into her as it buffeted her still unconscious body. Bolts of red and green seemed to fuse with the overall blue power of the quickening. Then the explosion happened. Duncan, Amanda and Cory ducked down as the glass in the windows shattered and the floor began to heave. The flagstones began to buckle and a loud roar filled the church.

"What's happening?" Amanda yelled.

Duncan shook his head. "I don't know," he replied… yelling in return.

As suddenly as the maelstrom began… it ended. The power coalesced around Alisaunne, throbbed and then faded into her. He body softly floated back to the floor and all was silence as dust sprinkled from the rafters.

Duncan knelt beside her, aware of the peaceful expression on her face. Her eyes opened. They were as blue as the power had been and sparkled before fading to gray once more.

Slowly she looked around… lifted one hand into the air… gazed at it wonderingly… and then lifted the other. She clenched her fists and then spread her fingers. A beauteous smile of wonder crossed her face. She sat up and looked around.

"Alisaunne?" Duncan whispered.

She looked at him curiously, tilting her head as she stared at him.

Then she gazed around at the interior of the church. She smiled. Looking at Duncan she said. "We have to rescue Ian! He has to know! He needs to know."

With a sigh, Duncan gave thanks that she'd seemed to return to herself… that she was all right.

"Whoa!" Cory said suddenly and stepped to one side.

Duncan stared at the tall young man appearing from the shadows of the church. He walked slowly forward staring at Alisaunne. He crouched beside her and smiled.

"You're all right now."

Alisaunne nodded.

The young man rose.

"Derrick?" Duncan said.

He nodded. "Come on all of you. Ellie wants to see Alisaunne." He headed for the barred door.

"How did you get in here?"

The boy turned and shrugged. "There are lots of entrances."

Duncan pulled Alisaunne to her feet. She nodded her thanks and crossed the nave to help Derrick unbar the door.

"We need to get out of this area," Amanda whispered as she clutched Duncan's arm. "That explosion will bring others. We need to find a place to hide."

Duncan nodded. "Derrick, lead the way!"

They followed the young man out of the church and into the street where a crowd was gathering. Everyone seemed so concerned with the church building… that no one seemed to see any of them… or note their passing. They passed through the crowd as if invisible.

Derrick crossed the street and led them up about half a block and through a covered archway. At the back of the passage he called through an iron gate. Grace Chandel appeared and unlocked the gate… allowing them to enter a garden… a wild grove of trees and small plants hidden within the walls of the building.

The three new immortals gazed around and up open-mouthed.

"I know," Grace said. "It had that effect on me as well."

"Grace?" Duncan asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help." She gestured toward a pale Ellie seated on the stones surrounding a spring of water that burbled merrily in the center of the grove.

Alisaunne approached her and knelt down, laying her head in Ellie's lap where the tiny immortal stroked her dark hair and leaned to kiss her.

"Ellie?" Duncan said. "What's going on?"

Ellie smiled at him and shrugged. "Faerie magic, I guess. The Ancients' combined quickening has found a new home."

Alisaunne raised her head and nodded with a sad smile. "I'm home… I'm complete. But… I have to find Ian."

Ellie nodded. "We will. I can find them now. Methos and I are so closely connected that I can sense him. I can follow to where he is."

Alisaunne shook her head. "Is Ian there?"

"He doesn't know… He's trapped within the dream. He sent me back to bring help." She looked up at Duncan and smiled, biting her lip. "He needs your help."

Duncan nodded. "I know."

"You two are also tied together by the double quickening. If he dies… I may die as well… and you will feel us go."

"No!" yelled Derrick, taking a step forward. "I won't let that happen."

"Then we are agreed," Eleanor said. "We need to lay our plans."

"We need to let Joe know," nodded Duncan. "He had some plans..."

"Joe? Joe Dawson?" Grace held her breath as Duncan nodded. "I think I need to tell you something about Joe," she said, aware that the other immortals silently waited.

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NOTE: I'll be out of town for a few days. More when I return. --elle