Chapter 11
Elisa stepped up the castle stairs to the battlements, it was almost dawn and the clan should be back from their patrol soon. She hoped they would get back in enough time for her to fill them in on the information the RCMP had sent earlier in the day about Dominique Destine's kidnapping. The detective didn't know whether to interpret the information she had found out earlier as good or bad, the more details she heard about this kidnapping the less it made sense to her.
Reaching the top of the stairs, she wandered across the flagstones of the courtyard and leaned against the parapet, it had been another long night in a week of them and she was looking forward to getting home and getting some sleep. Matt and she were getting closer to the Quarrymen, to understanding their organizational structure, and to learning where exactly Jon Canmore aka John Castaway was getting his funding to supply them with weapons. With the information their investigation had recently uncovered it probably wouldn't be that long before she would need to bring out her alter ego Sally. The detective wasn't looking forward to the days and nights of undercover work with those gargoyle-hating fanatics, but with any luck, what she learned from the inside would break the case and get the Taskforce the information they needed to bring down the organization.
So deep was she within her thoughts, as she stared over the city, that she didn't immediately notice Hudson coming up the stairs behind her. It was Bronx bounding up the stairs behind the old gargoyle and running over to her that stirred Elisa out of her thoughts. "Hey boy how are you doing tonight," she asked as she rubbed his head and ears affectionately. She looked over and noticed Hudson standing a few feet away, "How are you this evening Hudson?" she asked.
He smiled, "I'm doing well, lass." He looked at her curiously, "What was dwelling in your thoughts so heavily that you didn't notice me when I came up the stairs?"
"The Quarrymen investigation, Matt and I are getting close to discovering where the money they are using to fund their organization is coming from," Elisa answered.
Hudson nodded, "That's good then," his tone made the statement more of a question.
"Very good," she affirmed, "with any luck we will be able to shut them down soon." The arrival of the rest of the clan winging over the battlements interrupted their conversation.
"Elisa," Goliath greeted her warmly, but there was concern in his eyes and she knew it was because of the kidnapping. The rest of the clan landed in a lose semi-circle behind him.
Elisa's eyes went to the feminine form standing behind the large clan leader. Angela appeared worried, and Broadway was regarding her with a concerned expression as he stood supportively beside her. The detective sighed; this entire situation was not going to get any easier, "The Royal Canadian Mounted Police informed us this afternoon that they found the missing plane, and that the storm that swept in from the Hudson Bay forced it down. The searchers found the bodies of the three kidnappers in the cockpit; all three men died instantly when the plane crashed." She continued quickly before anyone could interrupt after hearing that alarming news, "They didn't find Demona or Kendra Canmore, but they did find the cage they had been kept in and it was damaged enough in the crash for them to get out. The search team said that the plane had been thoroughly ransacked for supplies and that Demona and Kendra took survival gear and food rations with them as well as the kidnappers' weapons."
"So mother took Kendra Canmore with her?" Angela looked surprised.
"All the evidence points in that direction," Elisa admitted.
Hudson asked, "Do you think this was a real kidnapping or something Demona arranged that went bad?"
Elisa hesitated, there were things she was hearing from the Taskforce's Quarrymen investigation that caused her to suspect that the organization was linked with the kidnapping. Matt hadn't mentioned it to the detectives investigating the kidnapping yet, but he might have to soon, and that would bring up some uncomfortable questions about why the Quarrymen had targeted Dominique Destine who was not a known gargoyle sympathizer. "I think the kidnapping was real, and that Jon Canmore and his Quarrymen were behind it."
"But Kendra Canmore is his kin," Hudson protested, "Surely he wouldn't want to harm her."
"He blamed you guys for his shooting of his brother. I don't think he's that mentally stable right now and if she was with Demona…" her voice trailed off meaningfully.
Angela questioned, "So you think Kendra being with Demona would have been enough for him to forget that she is of his clan?"
Elisa said grimly, "There was one cage in that plane and the searchers found both red hair and black hair in it indicating that both women were imprisoned in it. So yes, I think it was enough."
The entire clan was silent for a moment as they considered that shocking idea.
"But I don't understand," Lexington spoke up going back to the first piece of information, "Demona hates humans, what so different about Kendra Canmore that Demona would take her with her?"
"Yea," Brooklyn added, "first she agrees to spar with her now this. What could Demona need Kendra Canmore for that she would go through so much trouble to keep her around?"
Elisa shifted uneasily, there had been one thing she had thought of, but the Angela had found out about Demona's scheme rendering that idea very unlikely.
"Elisa?" Goliath's inquired evidently having caught sight of her expression.
She shook her head, "Nothing really, I did think of a possible explanation, but then Demona pulled her scheme with the Assassin so…the idea I had doesn't make sense anymore."
A flash of pain crossed Angela's face at this reminder of her mother's betrayal; it quickly disappeared, replaced with resolve. "What explanation did you think of?" she asked determinedly.
"Well as I said it doesn't really make much sense now, but Kendra knows all of the Canmore family history. She knows about the hunters and the reasons behind why they've hunted Demona for all this time. Kendra's very passionate about the fact that the Canmore's are responsible for almost all of it, that they had no reasonable justification for going after Demona in the first place." Elisa looked back at Angela, "It crossed my mind that perhaps Demona was keeping Kendra around so she could tell this to you."
Angela's frowned angrily, "She was planning on using Kendra to persuade me to feel sympathetic towards her you mean, to believe that her hatred of humans is justified."
Elisa nodded, "But as I said that doesn't really make sense now, not with what happened."
Lexington commented, "So why did Demona take Kendra with her?"
Elisa shrugged, "I don't know," she said. "But knowing why isn't the most critical issue right now. The plane went down three hundred miles north of the nearest town. They've got three hundred miles of snow-covered, rough terrain to cross with very few supplies. Demona did Kendra no favors by taking her with her; they would have been rescued today if they had just stayed with the plane." The detective paused, gave a frustrated sigh, before she continued, "I can understand why they left though, they had no way of knowing rescue was coming." She shook her head, "Three hundred miles though, there's no guarantee that Kendra can make it that far even if Demona is actually trying to help her, much less if she doesn't really care."
"So how long before…" Broadway's voice trailed off for a moment as he glanced at Angela in concern, "how long do they think it will take them to travel that far?" he restated his question.
"The Mounties are hoping they will be able to find them with their search and rescue planes. If they can make it themselves the earliest their estimating their arrival is in six to seven more days." Elisa answered.
The clan stared at one another. Brooklyn shook his head sadly, "that's a lot of days." It was all he said, but everyone knew what he wasn't saying, it was a lot of days for Demona to decide that it wasn't worth it to continue helping a human.
"Yes, that's a lot of days," Elisa agreed worriedly.
Goliath stirred finally. The detective thought he looked as confused by this turn of events as she was. None of them had foreseen this, and it made her wonder what they didn't know about Kendra Canmore that Demona did. On the other hand, it was more likely there was nothing and Demona would walk out of the Canadian wilderness with a tale of how Kendra had suffered a tragic accident along the way, the detective thought with a flash of anger. She glanced toward the one gargoyle she expected to be having the most difficulty with this news. Angela was leaning against Broadway, the young female's wings were caped around her body and she looked miserable. Broadway had his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders.
"Then we will hope that they arrive safely," Goliath stated, drawing Elisa's attention away from the younger couple, "for there is little else we can do. In the meantime dawn is coming," he turned toward the lone human standing among them, "and you should sleep Elisa, you look tired."
"I'm going to do that now," the she agreed as she turned to leave. She wanted to stop and say something to Angela, but she didn't know what she could say to make this situation any better for the younger female.
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"Breakfast is ready," Dominique's voice woke Kendra. The black-haired woman stared disoriented for a moment at the shelter walls before she remembered waking early in the morning when Demona's painful dawn transformation had intruded upon their sleep. Afterwards they had moved the blankets and themselves back inside the shelter.
She grabbed her clothes and crawled out of the shelter, pausing to stretch out her neck and back which were protesting the lack of a mattress. "Morning," she greeted Dominique with a warm smile, her thoughts unerringly going to the night they had shared.
The redhead kneeling by the fire looked up, "good morning," she responded. The welcoming smile upon her face shaded into amusement as she regarded Kendra who was still as naked as she had been the night before.
Definitely, she thought to herself, admiring the strong, limber lines of her lover,
she does not have a strong nudity taboo. Then she caught the faintly repulsed look on the black-haired woman's face as she regarded the clothing in her hands. "I'm hoping that supplies includes clothing," Dominique commented, referring to the eagle owl spirits promise that one of her chosen was bringing them supplies today.
"One can hope," Kendra replied, as she resignedly put on the same clothes she had been wearing for the past four days. She had rinsed them in the river, but still it wasn't the same as actually washing them. "Thanks," she said as she accepted the plate of stewed meat, she eyed it without much appreciation, she liked meat, but four days of nothing but meat and ration bars was about two days too many. "I wonder if he or she will bring some food," she looked at the forest, "or maybe they know enough about this area to tell us if there's edible roots or something that we can add to our meals."
"Are you telling me you don't like my stew?" asked Dominique sounding piqued.
Kendra stared at her uncertainly, "No, of course not," she added apologetically, "I really appreciate that you got up this morning and cooked it for us. I just meant that…" her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the redhead's sly grin. "Aww, very funny Demona, you can't tell me you don't want something to eat besides caribou meat and ration bars too."
Dominique stared at Kendra for a moment; then she chuckled, remarking, "You know that's the first time you've called me by my true name during the day when you weren't calling it out in pleasure," she ended smugly.
The black-haired woman blushed, she asked shyly, "Would you rather I called you Demona?"
These odd moments of shy uncertainty always caught the immortal gargoyle by surprise; Kendra was usually so self-confident and bold with everyone. She realized she had never seen Kendra act shyly around anyone else, only she, and she found that rather endearing. "When we are alone, yes I would actually," the redhead answered.
Kendra nodded, "Alright then," she replied and turned her attention to the stew.
Dominique regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to the cook pot and for her own breakfast. She frowned at the brown soup, Kendra was right a meat only diet was not that appetizing, but then again she knew from bitter personal experience that it definitely beat starving. She sat down with her plate and eyed Kendra curiously, "So, partial shapeshifting?" she asked.
The black-haired woman nodded, pausing to clear her mouth before answering, "Apparently those with the jaguar spirit are very skilled in controlling their bodies and their shapeshifting ability. It has something to do with the jaguar's chosen being warrior centric and solely focused on physical abilities."
"Apparently?" commented Dominique surprised, "You don't know? I thought you said the priestess taught you everything she knew?" she frowned, concerned.
Kendra got a faraway look in her eye, "I thought she had, but the more I think about what I learned the less I'm certain that she did. I'm really starting to get the impression that jaguars are expected to be self-starters and she gave me the equivalent of basic swimming lessons and then threw me into the pool to see what I did with them."
Dominique stared for a moment, "So you're just supposed to figure it out for yourself now?" She asked, her voice betraying her incredulity.
"She did give me a lot of information," Kendra responded her tone slightly defensive, "like how to increase my metabolism to ignore the cold, how to control my healing ability if I get hospitalized and need to hide it, how to heal faster, how to be stronger, faster and quicker than I have been in my human form." Kendra paused to take a breath, "In short she gave me a lot of information about how to modify my human body to have most of the same abilities I do when I'm in my jaguar form." After a short pause for that information to sink in Kendra continued, "In regards to shapeshifting though, she gave me the basics and I think the rest of it is up to me to explore depending on whether or not I feel like experimenting with it."
"Experimenting how," the redhead asked, more intrigued now than annoyed on Kendra's behalf.
Kendra pursed her lips thoughtfully, "Well…I know I have to stay within the basic jaguar body shape, no going around looking like a lion or tiger, but outside of that…" she trailed off and shrugged. "I managed to only change my teeth last night which confirms that I can do partial body changes. I suspect that I can also choose other jaguar coat colors, it's just that black," she pointed to her black hair, "will always be the one most natural to me. I suspect if I had been born a blonde my natural jaguar form coat would be yellow with dark brown spots."
The green eyes were a bit wider now, "Anything else?" Dominique asked her eyes intent on Kendra's blue ones.
"Well…" Kendra hesitated uncertainly, "after the incident in the temple I did a lot of research into jaguars in general and Olmec and Mayan mythology about jaguars and jaguar deities. I did some more research once the dreams began and when I actually transformed. What I keep thinking about are the Olmec statues archeologists found of were-jaguars. They depict shamans in various stages between human and jaguar."
Dominique drew in a sharp breath, her eyes thoughtful, "And now you think the statues depict real shamans, that this is something you can do as well."
Kendra nodded, "I've been thinking of my transformations as either or, either human or jaguar. Perhaps I need to start thinking of the process as a gradient instead, a sliding scale so to speak between human and jaguar."
"Like the mutates," the redhead commented softly more to herself than Kendra.
The black-haired woman frowned, puzzled, "Mutates?"
Dominique sighed and began what was a rather lengthy explanation.
"So David Xantos hired Sevarius to develop these mutates as gargoyle like mercenaries. Sevarius made them by combining their DNA with various large cat species, and they look like were-forms of the species they were combined with." Kendra summarized the redhead's explanation.
Dominique added, "With bat-like wings, the ability to fly and the ability to store and discharge electrical energy in the form of electric bolts."
"Right, electric eel DNA as well," Kendra corrected herself thoughtfully remembering that detail.
"Sevarius worked for me at Nightstone for a period of time. I asked him about it once and he told me he had added the eel DNA so the mutates would have the necessary energy to allow them to glide like gargoyles. His hypothesis was that gargoyles stored the sun's energy during their stone sleep to allow them to glide at night, otherwise he couldn't account for the amount of energy we would require." Dominique commented.
Kendra looked thoughtfully at her, "And yet you don't do that and you manage to glide just fine," she reminded the gargoyle in human form.
Dominique looked surprised; she stared at the black-haired woman bemused for a few moments. Apparently, she hadn't thought about how her own lack of stone sleep might disprove Sevarius's idea. "Perhaps Puck's enchantment compensates for that?" she proposed uncertainly.
Kendra shrugged, "I just brought it up because maybe Sevarius isn't completely right about the energy requirements." She continued, "As for the mutates, it might be nice to see what they looked like, but otherwise I won't be really like them at all. I'm not blending my DNA just blending my two forms." Kendra stopped abruptly and frowned, "Actually I don't really know that, I've never looked into what my DNA is like when I'm in jaguar form. I don't know if it's still human or jaguar or what. Without knowing that I guess I really can't say whether or not my DNA might be a blend if I'm in a form in between the two."
Dominique smiled, "That will be easy enough to determine once we get back to the city. Nightstone has all the necessary equipment."
Kendra nodded thoughtfully, "I'm not sure if the information will be that important to know in regards to my shapeshifting abilities, but I'm curious to know the answer now that I've thought about it."
"Then we will find the answer for you," Dominique promised and Kendra gave her a warm smile in response. The redhead returned her attention to the last of her now cold food. A few minutes later she placed the plate by the fire, she would wash it and the plates in the stream later. Her attention returned to her lover who was now staring into the forest with a thoughtful look on her face. "So how are you going to go about exploring your shapeshifting abilities?" the redhead asked drawing Kendra's attention back to her.
A deep sigh answered her, "I'm not sure, that's what I was just trying to figure out," Kendra admitted. "Maybe I'm over analyzing it, I mean I don't have to think about how my insides change when I become a jaguar I just think about which 'I' is predominant and draw that to the outside."
Dominique spent a moment trying to understand that idea, it was so different from how she viewed her own transformation. Of course, her change wasn't voluntary, it was triggered by the sun and she didn't think much of anything at all during the process except for the pain it caused her. The first few weeks after Puck placed his enchantment on her she had viewed her day form as almost alien, refusing to look at herself during the day. Over time she had come to accept that she was still Demona, still a gargoyle no matter what she looked like on the outside, and she had definitely come to appreciate the advantages her human day form gave her no matter how physically weak she found it. Kendra's explanation though hinted that the black-haired woman saw herself as having a dual personality, the jaguar personality and the human, and at the same time it was clear that she saw both personalities as being her, that they were unified in some manner.
Kendra mused, "Of course the priestess did say the human and jaguar were becoming more integrated. I hadn't really thought about it recently, but she's right the two parts of me have become merged in a way they weren't when I first began my transformations."
Maybe Kendra was thinking too much about it, Dominique thought, after all she had already managed a partial shift once. "What did you do last night?" the redhead asked.
Kendra turned a thoughtful gaze her way, "I just imagined myself with fangs instead of eye teeth and pulled that on top of my human form, but that's not quite the type of form change I'm looking for it didn't really give me any extra physical abilities just the two teeth."
Dominique raised one eyebrow, "So you want to shapeshift just enough to gain all of your jaguar abilities," she asked, "but not actually transform fully into your jaguar form?"
"Something like that," Kendra answered absently. Her gaze focused on the redhead, "I suspect I haven't explored the limits of my abilities in either form, what she taught me about modifying this body," the black-haired woman waved a hand up and down herself, "can also apply to my jaguar form." She added after half a second, "I think."
The red-haired woman's jade green eyes widened at the statement. "Then I guess you do have a few things to figure out don't you," she said after a moment.
Kendra nodded; she came over to the fire and picked up the pot and plate there, adding them to her own. "I'll go wash these since you cooked."
"I'll go with you," Dominique offered, the morning wasn't that cold and the sun was shining brightly through the trees. Underneath the dark green needles of the pines were thick patches of white snow that brilliantly sparkled where the gleaming spears of sunlight shot thru the thick canopy. The redhead glanced at her companion as they strode through the forest, she wasn't certain what was bothering her, just that it had to do with what Kendra had said by the fire. Finally, as they reached the edge of the forest, she understood what was troubling her; Kendra found her strength as a gargoyle attractive, what would happen now that the black-haired woman would be able to be stronger than Demona?
Trying to distract herself, the redhead looked around the open area that bordered the wide stream on both sides as Kendra cleaned the pot and plates. The sun had kept the snow from piling up along its banks, and though the grass was brown right now, Dominique could tell that it would be lush and green during the summer months. The air was crisp and clean, so unlike the air of Manhattan, and everything around her reminded her just a little of Scotland so long ago, pristine and untamed.
"It's beautiful isn't it," Kendra commented softly. "I'd love to come up here in summer and see what it looks like then."
Dominique watched her for a moment, Kendra's eyes were closed her head tilted toward the sun and she had the barest hint of a pleased smile upon her face. She felt and echoing smile upon her own face as she watched the swiftly moving stream. "I don't see why we can't," she offered hesitantly, and a pang of uncertainty caused the smile to slip away as if it had never been.
The sapphire blue eyes opened and focused upon her keenly, "That would be nice," Kendra responded. She turned her head slightly and regarded the redhead with a slight frown, "What's wrong Demona?"
If she had wings, she would be caping them about herself protectively about now Dominique knew. She wasn't particularly happy with the fact that she was having these feelings of insecurity at all. "I guess I can't expect to win anymore of our sparring matches," she blurted then cursed herself for being so obvious.
"I wouldn't do that," Kendra grinned, "I want to beat you on my own." She frowned puzzled when all she got in return for her jest was a weak smile from the redhead. She couldn't fathom why the prospect of her being stronger was upsetting the other woman so; she took in the slump to Dominique's posture the almost defeated way the redhead stood as she stared at the stream. A fleeting remembrance of their lovemaking last night caused her blue eyes to narrow, surely that wasn't it? She glanced at Dominique once again, perhaps it was, and even if it wasn't the redhead deserved to know for how long she had been fascinated with her, "I've waited for an opportunity to meet you ever since you tried that takeover of Murton Electronics over a year ago." The redhead turned surprised green eyes her way, "Learning that Dominique Destine, the woman that had all the old boy CEO's shaking in their shoes after Nightstone's meteoritic rise from obscurity after only a year of existence, was also Demona just gave me the impetus I needed to travel down to Manhattan and actually arrange a meeting."
"I remember that, I didn't know that you had a financial interest in Murton Electronics though," Dominique commented intrigued.
"Old business partner of my father's, I left the investment there when dad died," Kendra explained.
Dominique smirked, "Good work in keeping the share prices stable."
"It wasn't easy, and quite frankly luck was with us. You had it well planned out; you should have been able to force a buyout." The black-haired woman admitted frankly.
The redhead nodded, "I was surprised when the share prices didn't drop," she acknowledged. "So that's when you first became interested in me," Dominique said, she had never suspected that Kendra's interest in her predated the woman finding out her true identity.
Kendra nodded, "That's when I started keeping track of you and your company, both for self-preservation of my own investments and also because I was interested in you. If you hadn't suspected already I have a thing for redheads, and after my first look at a picture of you I was well…" she blushed, "definitely interested."
Dominique raised an eyebrow amused, "So it's just the hair is it?" Her earlier uncertainty, if not gone, was at least being overshadowed by her interest in the current conversation.
The blue eyed woman took a step closer, her gaze filled with warm appreciation, "No it's not just the hair," her voice was husky almost a purr as she spoke. "When I first saw you in your office doorway in your perfect business suit with that white high-collared shirt, your flame red hair tied back and tamed…you looked so regal, so beautiful and elegant, and so very, very sexy."
Dominique was starting to feel slightly hot under the combined effects of Kendra's searing blue gaze and sultry voice. "So it's the tailored suits then," she teased.
Kendra grinned roguishly, "They certainly make me want to muss up them, and the woman wearing them, but no, it's not just the suits."
So that had been what was in those blue eyes when they raked her up and down that day and left her in no doubt that the rumors in the report she had received about Kendra Canmore being interested in women were true, Dominique thought. "So if it's not just the hair or the suits what is it?" she asked flirtatiously.
"Most people react in one way when it's the full moon and I'm feeling very jaguar. Almost everyone is scared, and they react to that fear by either retreating or being aggressive. Very few people don't react that way, and you were one of them." Kendra stated seriously.
The change in tone caught Dominique by surprise, as did the words. "I sensed a subtle threat from you, and it surprised me, but no, I wasn't afraid of you."
"No, you were within your domain, your territory, and in so many ways you let me know that you were the undisputed ruler of it and that I was the interloper and expected to behave unless I wanted to be summarily driven away." Kendra smiled, "Mind you I didn't consciously interpret it that way, it was only later that I had time to analyze your reactions and my responses that I recognized what had been going on."
Respect, Dominique recognized something else unique about how Kendra interacted with her besides the odd bout of shyness; she had never seen the black-haired woman look at anyone with the open respect that Kendra gave her. "Nightstone is my company; I don't let anyone forget that fact," she finally responded.
"I know," Kendra whispered, "I was just letting you know that the strength that I see in you isn't your physical strength. The strength in you that turns me on so much, that makes me want to surrender to you is the strength you have inside you." Her voice turned sultry once again, "Its why even now you could push me to the ground, and claim me for your own."
It took a second for Dominique to process what Kendra had just said, for a few seconds she wondered how the black-haired woman had known what was troubling her, and then she decided that it really didn't matter. She took a step forward, crossing the small distance between them and pulled Kendra's lips down to meet her own.
It was a few minutes before either of them paid attention to the sound of an engine in the distance. Kendra was the first to pull away, staring southward with an intent expression, "I hear an engine," she said, she turned her head toward the sound, "a fairly small one and on the ground not in the sky."
"Let's go back into the trees," Dominique pulled on Kendra's hand to get the woman to follow her, "see who it is before we reveal ourselves just in case it isn't who we are expecting." Kendra stared towards the south for a few seconds before nodding and following the redhead to the tree line.
In a few minutes, a dark green ATV with a small trailer hitched to it approached from the south traveling alongside the stream. Kendra couldn't tell the sex of the rider underneath the thick winter clothes and the full helmet, but there was something familiar about the figure, something that caused her to be certain this was who they were expecting. She rose and stepped out of the wood line.
"What are you doing?" hissed Dominique angrily from behind her.
Kendra paused, "Stay there just in case, but I'm pretty sure this is who we were expecting," she said without looking at the redhead, she didn't want to give away Dominique's location if this wasn't the right person. The ATV slowed as it approached her and Kendra was able to get a better look at the items in the trailer behind it. A tent, three propane tanks and what looked like more camping gear reassured her. The rider of the ATV pulled off their helmet revealing the weathered face of an older woman. Darker skin than her own, braided dark hair, wise dark eyes that studied her keenly, a slightly rounded, square-jawed face, to Kendra's eyes she looked decidedly Native American.
"Kendra Canmore, Jaguar's chosen," the woman greeted her calmly.
Kendra chuckled, "I'm guessing you're the one the Eagle Owl told us to expect then." She heard a rustle behind her and guessed that Dominique was coming forward.
"Demona," the older woman greeted the redhead politely. "I am Rachael Wabagano, senior among the Owl's chosen," she introduced herself.
Continued...