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Corinna Santiago stepped off the elevator onto the sixth floor of the Cascade Police Department, uncertain if she was doing the right thing. For the first time in her experience as a Priestess of Oshun, she questioned the wisdom of her goddess in setting her to this task. It was a failing that she was unused to experiencing and one that left her unsettled to her core. She squared her shoulders and headed for the entrance to Major Crime, heels clicking on the floor with an assurance she wished she felt.
She strode into the busy bullpen and stopped before Detective Ellison's desk. Unfortunately neither the Detective, nor his partner, was seated behind it. Corinna glanced around the room and sighed. Now that she was there she wanted to get what she had come to do over with, but it seemed that the universe was not cooperating. For a moment she thought she could hear a ghostly, tinkling laugh.
The door to Captain Banks' office was closed, but she could see through his windows that he was seated at his desk. Resolutely she knocked on his door.
"Come." The order was barked out, the tone impatient.
Corinna opened the door and waited in the doorway for him to look up and acknowledge her presence. When the Captain finally raised his head and glanced irritably at her, an expression of surprise crossed his face. He stood and extended his hand.
"Miss Santiago? Please come in. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He smiled slightly as he gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Is this a formal call?"
"Actually, Captain, I'm here on a personal matter. I was hoping to speak with Mr. Sandburg."
Banks leaned against the front of his desk and frowned. "You know that Sandburg is only an observer with Major Crime, right? He doesn't actually work here. He's a grad student and Teaching Fellow at Rainier."
"Yes, I'm aware of that Captain." Corinna smiled. "I'm also aware that Blair is more than just an observer. However, I did try his office at Rainier first. He wasn't there and the Department secretary mentioned that since he spends most of his free time with Detective Ellison that I'd be more likely to find him here than there." She watched the expression that crossed the Captain's face with interest. Was it regret? Guilt? Something else entirely? She wasn't sure.
Banks busied himself with his coffeepot. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"No, thank you, Captain. Do you have any idea when Blair and Detective Ellison will return?"
He sighed and turned back to her. "Actually, they're here now, just not in the bullpen. They're in the operations room working on a case with an exchange officer from Australia."
Corinna hesitated and then asked, "Would it be possible to speak with Blair for a few moments in private?"
He regarded her steadily. "I suppose that could be arranged." He lifted the receiver and pressed a button on the phone. "Rhonda, would you do me a favor and go down to the operations room and ask Sandburg to come to my office? Yes, that's right, just Blair. I don't care what Ellison says, he's to stay there and continue going through the files. Yes. All right. Thank you."
"I take it that Detective Ellison will not be happy about this summons?"
Banks chuckled softly. "Probably not."
A few minutes later, Blair Sandburg knocked once on the door and let himself into the office.
"You wanted to see me, Captain? Oh, hey, Corinna, um, I mean Miss Santiago. How are you?" He smiled.
"I'm fine, Blair." She smiled back at him. There was something about him that made it impossible not to respond to his genuine delight at seeing her again. Her doubt about the wisdom of her goddess began to wane.
"Was there something you needed me for, Captain? Because we're just getting started on those files and I'm not sure I should leave Jim and Megan alone together for very long."
"Still at each other's throats?" Banks sighed.
"Not exactly. They've reached the stage of chilly formality. Problem is, they're only talking to me. I'm afraid if I'm not there that they'll just not say anything and then maybe something'll get missed, you know?"
"Unfortunately, yes." He glanced at Corinna. "If this won't take long, then you can use my office. I'll just step out for a little break."
"Thank you, Captain. I won't need more than a few minutes." Corinna stood and shook his hand. She waited until he'd closed the door behind him before she turned to Blair.
"Corinna? I don't understand. Is there something I can do for you?" Blair cocked his head and watched her with a curious expression on his face.
Now that the time had come for her to actually tell him what she'd come to tell him, Corinna found herself inexplicably nervous. She sat back down in her chair and folded her hands in her lap and waited while Blair sat down next to her.
"I have something to tell you."
When she didn't continue, Blair raised his eyebrows. "All right. Whatever it is, take your time. I'm not going anywhere."
She smiled slightly. "You have to understand that this is very unusual. It's never happened to me in all of the times that I've attended the bembe as a priestess. When you helped me before, you made a great impression on Oshun. What I have to say to you comes from Her."
"A message from Oshun?" Blair asked, doubt in his voice.
"I know what it sounds like, Blair, but that is exactly what it is." Corinna looked deep into his eyes. "I don't understand what it means, but perhaps you will."
"What is it?"
"Oshun wants you to know that there is great danger and darkness ahead of you. That you must take care to remember who you are and why you are here. She cannot watch over you, Blair. You are not one of Hers, but you saved my life, the life of Her priestess, and in doing so, you earned Her regard."
Blair took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Was there anything else that She wanted me to know?"
Corinna nodded. "This, also, Oshun would have you know -- that She is the goddess of love in all of its manifestations and She knows what the heart knows. You must believe beyond the pain that will come and know that if you are true that your place will be secure. That light will be cast upon the darkness and your heart will know true joy. That's all I can tell you."
He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "I thank Oshun for Her warning." He opened his eyes and gazed at her, a small smile on his lips.
She was disturbed by what she thought she saw in his eyes. "This is not an easy thing, Blair. To have the regard of a goddess like Oshun does not happen every day. That Oshun would seek to give you a warning, even one as cryptic as that, troubles me. It tells me that something truly bad is going to happen and I don't know what it is. I'm so sorry, Blair."
"Hey, it's not your fault," he said softly. "I don't believe in blaming the messenger."
She smiled slightly. "You are a remarkable young man. Please remember that even though it was a warning, it was also a message of hope. That you can get through whatever it is that's coming and that things may be better than before."
"I'll hold onto that, Corinna. Thank you."
She glanced out the window to the bullpen and saw Captain Banks speaking with one of the other detectives. "If I can be of any help, please call on me." She stood and allowed him to take her hand in both of his for a moment.
"I'll remember that." He opened the door for her and stepped out into the bullpen behind her.
"Goodbye, Blair. Take care of yourself." She nodded at Banks as she walked past him. "Goodbye, Captain."
"Miss Santiago."
As she rode down in the elevator, she silently beseeched Oshun to give Blair strength. She truly didn't know what was about to befall him, but she had a terrible feeling that he was going to need all of the help that he could get.