Lost Wanderer Awakened - Book One of the Airendell Chronicles (33 page)

“I am going to hang up now and start
contacting everyone here in North America. And Luca… We need
supernatural beings too, like your kind, I think. Do you know any
that would be willing to stand up for Morna?”

Morna interrupts, “Breena, were we joined,
our power I mean last night. Is that why I was so strong?”

“No way kiddo! That was all you! You are the
First Warrior of the First Order of Airendell, and all of Ireland,
Wales, and apparently of all the New World too. Oh Morna! You were
and are so amazing, so awesome! I could feel your power! It nearly
overwhelmed me, I think you might have been holding back to protect
Luca. Can you believe that?”

“No, not really,” breathes Morna in a tiny,
frightened voice.

“And by the way sister, I must confess to
being a little jealous. I certainly hope you know what you have in
that man there with you! He is just as awesome and just as amazing
as you are. WOW! Sorry, I digress. But seriously, I am totally
jazzed!!”

Morna laughs, “Gee sis, I couldn’t tell.” She
rolls her eyes at Luca.

Luca interrupts, “Breena, how did your vision
get through my buffer spell?”

“Luca, I think Morna got out of it, not the
other way around. I don’t know. But I know your magic is sound
brother. You are protecting her, don’t worry. You have never and
will never let her down.”

“Okay Morna, I know you have teacher things
to do today. By the way, you rock at that too! I have been getting
random visions of you for years, but couldn’t pin down your
location, or see your face clearly. Gee lady, don’t you ever look
in a mirror?” Morna shakes her head at her sister’s silliness, and
Breena continues; “But anyway, I will call back tonight. We need to
make plans. Don’t break any more furniture little sister! Or your
man!” She laughs heartily. “I am so glad to have you back little
sister! I love you! Bye.” And then she hangs up before Morna or
Luca can say anything else.

Morna and Luca just sit there staring dumbly
at the phone in her hands for a minute. Then Morna says, “Did that
really happen? Did my sister, whom I haven’t spoken to in over 500
years just telephone me and tell that she saw me and you… did she
really say that?” Morna knows she is blushing bright red because
her face feels very hot.

Luca laughs, “I am afraid so darling, afraid
so! She has always been such a wild little spirit. But she’s
fiercely protective of you. She said that she would never give up
searching for a way to free you, to free us from this curse. She’s
a tenacious and loyal little thing, isn’t she?” He laughs,
“Enthusiastic too!”

“Seriously though, are you okay?” He asks.
“Last night was physically very, very… shall we say strenuous? No
pain?”

Morna smiles brightly and shakes her head no.
“I feel amazing Luca. I think all that physical and emotional
outpouring was very healing for me. And then that last time we came
together. It was so beautiful, I want to weep with joy just
thinking about it. I feel like my soul has been completely melded
to yours. And it’s an amazing feeling. Do you know what I
mean?”

“Beyond a doubt, baby!” he replies huskily.
He unwraps the quilt from around her body and drinks in the sight
of her. Every inch of her is so very, very precious to him. She
reaches up and touches his face, his neck, his chest as though she
is trying to memorize every tiny part of him. They come together in
a deeply passionate kiss that rekindles their fires of lust and
longing. As Luca is trailing his hard cold mouth toward her breast,
he murmurs, “I sure hope your sister isn’t watching now!” And they
both chuckle, then continue to celebrate each other’s bodies.

It is nearly 7:45 before Morna says, “Oh gosh
Luca. I wonder how the kids are doing downstairs.”

“They are fine,” he assures her. “Damian came
back two hours ago, and I am thinking Mac was drawing all night. I
could hear paper rustling and pencils scratching on paper all night
long. She repeated that same line from the Wizard of Oz all through
the night. But she did tell Damian that she was hungry a minute
ago. I was going to go call them up and cook something for her to
eat.”

Amazement shows on her face. “I know you can
pay attention to many different things at once. But how did you
keep up with them after the night we have had?”

“Honestly, I didn’t really keep tight tabs on
her all night. For instance, when you went all warrior goddess on
me last night.” He grins at the memory. “You had my full attention
most of the night. As you said, we had a pretty intense night.”

“Well I better get dressed,” she says, rising
out the bed, fluidly and stretching, feeling strong and pain free.
“What are we going to do with them while we are out?”

“Damian doesn’t need a babysitter Morna. He
has been taking care of Mac for a long time.”

“I know, but we bring them home with us, and
then we are leaving Sunday night. I just feel like I am letting
them down,” she admits.

“Nonsense. Besides, I was thinking of sending
them shopping today. It is overcast and drizzly today, so Damian
can safely go out. She wants to paint her room purple. She will
probably want bed sheets and curtains that match. Maybe special
towels. And I bet she needs another ream of plain white paper and
more pencils,” he chuckles. “That should keep them busy most of the
day, don’t you think?” he asks.

“Sounds like a solid plan to me,” she agrees.
“Well, I better go put on my ‘Professional Face.’ I have teacher
things to do today.” She giggles at the memory of her sister’s
enthusiasm for Morna’s teaching career.

She walks back over to the wardrobe and
cringes at the sight of the destroyed door. Then on impulse, she
reaches out and effortlessly breaks off a piece of the wood that
hadn‘t been destroyed. She’s staring at it in her hand, speechless,
when she realizes Luca is standing beside her with a similar
bemused expression on his face. “Morna, did you weave and an
iron-lion, or was that all you?” he whispers.

“Me… I guess. What is going on?” she
squeaks.

He spins her around to face him, and orders,
“Morna, knock me down!”

“Like hell!” she sputters.

“Do it!” he commands. She reaches out and
shoves him pretty hard, but still holding back. He flies backwards
and slams into the opposite wall. She is so shocked, she just sits
down on the floor. He gets up and comes to sit beside her. He takes
her hands into his own to reassure her.

“How the hell did that happen?” she asks
breathlessly.

“I don’t know, but you are definitely
stronger than I have ever, ever seen you!” He replies. They just
stare at each other for several seconds, and then her cell phone
rings.

Luca goes to get it off the bedside table,
it’s the same number as earlier. “It’s Breena. I’ll put her on
speaker phone.” he says.

“Morna! I told you not to break your man!
Hey, can you two chill out with all the lovey-dovey stuff until I
can figure out how to interrupt this connection? Seriously, give
the terminally single lady a break, Okay?”

“Breena! You are still watching us?” Morna
demands.

“No, not watching, I told you I am
experiencing and seeing, hearing everything that you do. It’s like
I am in your skin. So please, please give me a break. I may never
be able to look Luca in the eyes again as it is. Okay?”

Morna and Luca look at each other
mortified.

“Oh, and Luca, of course I would welcome you
to come see me anytime. I can’t believe you have spent all these
centuries thinking that I didn’t want to see you. You are my
brother, dumb ass! I meant to tell you that when I called earlier.”
All three laugh weakly. Then Breena says, “Well get up and get
moving you two. Just chill with lovey stuff till I call you and
tell you that you are alone. Okay?”

“Sure Breena. No problem. Bye.” mutters
Morna.

“This sooo weird,” breathes Morna. “I must be
drawing strength from her or something.” She stands up gracefully
and goes into the bathroom to get ready. She takes some more Advil
because her head is still pounding miserably. “Can you make me some
coffee?” she calls over her shoulder. Maybe the caffeine will help.
She rubs her temples gingerly, praying the headache will let up a
little so she can function.

“Yeah, no problem,” comes Luca’s reply. He
dresses quickly then goes to the kitchen to make her coffee. While
he’s pouring the water into the pot, his cell phone rings. He looks
at the number then answers. “Brigid, everything okay?”

“That is what I was going to ask you,” she
says. “Morna is reaching out to Aideen. She’s ecstatic because she
can feel Morna’s essence. What is going on?”

“I really don’t know, Brigid. Right now,
she’s hard wired to Breena. Breena sees and hears, even feels
everything Morna does. Please tell me that’s not the case with
Aideen.”

“No, no. Nothing like that,” she assures
him.

Luca exhales loudly at this welcome
information. “You have no idea what a relief that is,” he
breathes.

Brigid laughs and says, “I know you two from
way back, remember? I can imagine what you are referring to.” She
chuckles wickedly.

Luca is silent for a minute. “Brigid, I am
really overwhelmed at all that is happening. You don’t know what’s
going on with Morna. She’s nearly as strong as me without the
iron-lion. She’s been pulling spells out of thin air for days. She
just remembers disjointed bits and pieces of our lives in
Airendell. Oh yes, she did remember Kylor the Eldest. Apparently
she recalls nothing after we left the glen three weeks after my
changing, nothing about... It is so bizarre!”

“Maybe you guys shouldn’t wait till Monday to
come here,” Brigid suggests.

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Let me
talk to Morna and get back to you, okay?”

“Sure Lucian. Let me know. I will let Aideen
know what is going on there. Call me back soon, okay?

“I will. Bye.”

Luca hangs up, then makes a couple of quick
calls to clear his schedule for the day and next week. When Luca
turns around from the coffee maker, Morna is watching him intently.
He is clearly surprised to see her standing there. “Morna, I think
you are becoming half vampire. I didn’t hear you come up.”

“You may have something there. I could hear
you on the phone while I was in the bathroom and getting dressed in
the bedroom. What is going on in Chicago?” she demands softly.

“I am honestly not sure. Brigid said that
some of the folks from Airendell that she has gathered there can
sense your presence. It’s like your mind is reaching out to them or
something. Maybe, we should go ahead and fly out there tonight. I
am really in the dark right now and I don’t like it,” he
admits.

“Me too,” she admits. Luca takes her into his
arms and holds her tenderly. Then he kisses her gently. Morna feels
the fires in her body reignite. She chuckles and whispers, “Sorry
sis.” She reluctantly pulls out of Luca’s embrace. “How about I go
downstairs and get the kids?”

“Fine,” he agrees and reluctantly releases
her. He turns to start some breakfast for the humans, but stops
long enough to fish out his phone when he is sure Morna is on the
other side of the buffer spell. He quickly dials Breena. “Did you
hear?” he asks. “She’s reaching out to Aideen too.”

“Yes, I really don’t know what to make of all
this. Oh, Mac is a sweety. And that teenage vamp you guys adopted
is absolutely beautiful. You think he might wanna fool around? Gee,
sorry. You guys have me all muddled,” Breena admits.

Luca laughs. “Welcome to my world with your
sister!” he smirks. “Do you think we should contact Magdrid?” he
asks.

“NO!” Breena snaps. “I don’t think she will
have Morna’s best interests at heart, she never has. Magdrid will
be irate when she learns about Aideen. Morna needs to be up to
speed with all of her memories before she deals with Magdrid. I
think I may contact Alberich, Elf Lord of Alfheim though. I am
thinking this is bigger than just Spell Weaver magic. Hey, she’s
coming back. Hang up before she can hear you.” Click! Luca quickly
drops his phone in his pocket as he scoops scrambled eggs onto two
plates. Then he turns to pull the toast of the toaster.

Mac is very, very happy to see her Shining
Man. She sits down with Morna to eat her breakfast. Morna looks up
at Luca and Damian. “Okay boys, I know you don’t have to eat as
often as we do, but you can still sit down with us.” The men comply
and Morna watches Mac thoughtfully as she eats. “Mac are you tired?
Did you sleep any last night?”

“Miss Morna, I am not tired, I don’t always
sleep at night,” she replies without looking up from
single-mindedly shoveling her eggs into her mouth.

“Damian, Mac… we may have to go out of town
tonight or tomorrow, definitely by Sunday night. I am not sure how
long we will be gone. You guys will be okay on your own?” Morna
asks.

Phil shrugs, “Yeah, don’t see why not. You
guys really gonna be okay with leaving us here in your house while
you are gone?”

Luca laughs and says, “Why not? You plan on
wrecking the joint?”

“No, I am just not used to people trusting
me,” Damian answers honestly.

“We will always trust you unless you give us
a reason not to,” Luca assures him. Luca considers the matter
closed and moves on the next order of business. “Damian, do you
drive?” At his nod, Luca continues, “Can you take your sister
shopping today? I think she might want to get her rooms painted
soon. Maybe get matching sheets and towels, drawing supplies, any
clothes she might need, and the like.”

“I’d love to,” Damian says. “But…”

Luca hands Damian a pre-paid debit card. “PIN
4393. There’s $1500.00 on that. It should be enough to get
everything you guys need today, clothing, etc. And you can use it
for expenses while we are gone to Chicago. You won’t have access to
the upstairs to cook, so you can bring in whatever takeout food you
need for Mac. There is a fridge in my office downstairs. I
sometimes store bagged blood in there for emergencies. You can
store food and drinks in there for Mac for daylight hours when you
can’t go outside.”