The First Spell Weaver of Airendell: Book Two of the Airendell Chronicles (10 page)

“Morna, how are you doing?” Breena asks as they finish eating.  “I am worried about you.  You really look tired.”

“I’ll be honest, I am very tired.  I can barely keep my eyes open.  But more importantly I am very worried about Aideen and feeling frustrated because I can’t heal her nor can I go after the ones who hurt her.”  Morna scrubs her face hard with both of her hands before raking them through her hair.  “Do you mind if I go to bed?  Maybe I will be able to think more clearly with some rest.”

Breena gets up and hugs her sister and says, “Go rest.  I think I will do the same.  I have been trying to keep up with you today, and I am beat as well.”

Morna places a hand on Breena’s shoulder to stop her on the way out.  “Bree, you did a kick ass job today against those Trolls.  You continue to surprise me, big sis.”

Breena just chuckles and leaves the room.  Morna takes the robe off and crawls into the giant bed.  Completely forgetting that Ingrid said she had a nightgown for her.  Morna falls asleep quickly but is awakened two hours later because she feels nauseated.  She barely makes it to the bathroom, and is violently ill.  She is then too weak to go back to bed.  Luca finds her naked, and sleeping fitfully on the bathroom floor, four hours later.  He gently picks her up and carries her back to bed.  She asks after Aideen in a sleep thickened voice.

“She is the same Morna.  No change yet, but they didn’t expect any yet.  Will you be okay while I go get a healer to examine you?” Luca asks lovingly.

“No need.  I feel much better now that you are here with me.  Please lie with me for a little while.  I guess the meal did not agree with me.  But I just need some sleep now.”  Morna says as she snuggles into the bed.  Luca runs his hands over her body to evaluate her condition and finds no sign of infection or illness.  He then lies beside her and she snuggles up to him.

DAY 16, March 15

Morna sleeps soundly for the next six hours and Luca slips out to go check on their daughter.  After Luca is satisfied that Aideen is stable, Gullveig asks after Morna.

“Her meal did not agree with her and she is sleeping.  But she does not have a fever, or any illness that I can detect.  I suspect that she is just tired.  She has been sorely mistreated of late.”

Gullveig smiles, “It is nothing to be unduly concerned about,” The Vanir witch assures him with a radiant smile on her face.  “Morna is fine.”

“Gullveig, if you know something I need to know about my mate’s health, I must insist you tell me immediately.” says Luca forcefully.

“Lucian, I swear to you, your wife is healthy.  If she doesn’t figure it out on her own soon, I will tell you both.  But she needs to know what is happening before anyone else.” Gullveig says cryptically.

That is when Heimdall arrives to ask after Aideen and Morna.  After Luca tells him the same things that he had told Gullveig the Norseman just smiles and nods.  “Baby Girl is very strong.  She will be back to her full glory, very soon.  Your venom was a true blessing for Morna.  Never fear, Lucian.  Your mate is well and this change will turn out to be a very good thing.”

Luca isn’t feeling as confident as Gullveig and Heimdall so he goes back to check on his mate.  He finds that she is still sleeping, so he goes to check on George, Damian and Breena.  He finds them sitting at a small table off the main hall.  George and Breena have just finished a meal and Damian is keeping them company.  After he tells them about Aideen and Morna’s conditions they sit and talk quietly.

“Luca, there is something going on that these Norsemen are not telling us.”  Breena says quietly.  “I can sense it in them.  It’s not malicious, but they are concerned about something.”

“Bree, I am thinking the same thing.  Hopefully, when Morna awakens we will get those answers she was promised.”  Luca sighs and says, “I am going to check on my girls again.”

Thirty minutes later Luca lies beside his mate and watches her sleep.  He can’t help but be moved by her nearness.  There is always such a vast sea of emptiness in his life when she is not with him as his mate.  He is so grateful to have her back.  He smiles happily when she stirs in her sleep and snuggles into him after a few minutes she asks, “How’s Aideen?”

“The same.  How are you, baby?” Luca asks as he kisses her temple.

“Better now, I think.  I do need the necessary though.  And then I need to go get some food.”  She slips out of bed and ambles off to the bathroom.  Luca cannot help but smile because she has again become comfortable walking around without her clothes.  All the months that he kept an eye on her in her little house after the crash that nearly killed her, she never stepped foot out the bathroom or her bedroom without clothes.  She seemed to hate the very sight of her own reflection.  She is more herself now… Luca pulls the rope and asks the servant who answers to bring some food for his mate. 

When Morna comes out of the bathroom she has brushed her teeth and washed her face.  She still looks tired, but not as pale.  Luca can’t help himself, he scoops her up into arms and sets her gently on the bed, “Woman, you are so glorious walking around here without a stitch.  I wish you never had to wear clothes again.”

Morna laughs and says, “I could easily say the same of you.  But I suspect we would eventually get tired of each other’s bodies, in a few thousand years or so.”

There is a knock on the door.  That will be your food.”  Luca says.  He quickly bends down and suckles on her left nipple gently before getting up to go answer the door.  Morna rubs the nipple absently after Luca leaves the room.  It’s very tender.  In fact, both of her breasts are very tender.  Morna cups her breasts absently and then runs her hands down over her belly.  “Is that possible?” she whispers to herself.

“Is what possible?” Luca asks as he brings her food to her.

“Oh nothing.  Idle musings I suspect.”  Morna says evasively.  She walks over to the bed and grabs the robe to cover up before eating.  Morna enjoys her meal thoroughly and then laughs when she drinks her milk.  I haven’t tasted this since I was a child.  It’s the same milk that nursed the giants and God’s at the beginning of time, according to Norse legend anyway.  It is from a supernatural being called Audumla, the milk is very rich and delicious.”

After Morna eats she is looking at her mate speculatively.  “What are you thinking about Morna?” Luca asks her quietly.

Morna laughs at herself and says, “I am thinking that I wish we could stay here all day and love.  But I am going to dress and go check on our daughter and find out what these Norsemen are not telling us.”

“I too think they are keeping something from us.” Luca says quietly.

Morna looks at the dishes on the table somewhat distastefully.  “Funny that food tasted wonderful and I was starving before I ate, but now the smell is somewhat nauseating.”

“I will take the dishes back to the kitchen while you dress my love and then we can go check on Aideen together.” Luca says as he starts to gather the remnants of her meal.

Morna nods and thanks him and then she heads into the bathroom to shower quickly.  If she were being honest with herself she would admit that she would like to crawl back into the bed and sleep the day away.  She hasn’t been this sleepy all the time since she was… That thought stops her dead in her tracks.  She reaches down and tentatively touches her breasts, yes they are very tender, she’s been nauseated, exhausted… She quickly exit’s the shower and brushes her teeth before she dresses to go and find the healers caring for her daughter.

Meanwhile Luca has returned her plates to the kitchen and comes across Thor.   Thor asks how Baby Girl is doing.  After Luca tells him he asks, “Can I ask why everyone here calls her Baby Girl?” Luca asks.

Thor laughs uproariously, and then says, “It started out with me teasing her because she was so tiny.  She was thirteen when Valliant first brought her to meet us.  She was already a fully vested Warrior of Airendell by then, and the First Protector of your Gateways and Guild‘s Talismans, but she wasn’t even four feet tall and might have weighed eighty or ninety pounds, but she was a perfect miniature version of an adult woman.  Valliant brought her to me for training.  I was skeptical, even rude about it, I derisively called her a baby girl.   She was angered so much by my rudeness that she slipped into her warrior persona, catching me by surprise, she took me down in a second.  She stole the hammer from my belt.   She should not have been able to lift it, but she did.”  Thor looks contemplative at the memory.  “She had me straddled and could have easily crushed my skull with my own Mjollnir.  I have never understood how she could do it.  Father says it is just because she was worthy.” 

Thor shrugs and says, “But I digress. She leaned down and kissed my forehead and said, ‘Brother, this ‘Baby-Girl’ just spared your life!’  Then she hopped off my chest and offered her hand to help me up.  I have been completely enamored of her ever since.  Calling her Baby Girl was a habit everyone picked up as a jab at me.  But now we all use the name as an endearment for her.  She is very special to us.”

Luca laughs happily.  “I knew there had to be a good story behind it.  Thor, I really want to get back to her.  She is very worried about our daughter and she is utterly exhausted and perhaps not well, but she won’t admit it to me.”

“She’s stubborn lass.  You have had your hands full over the centuries haven’t you?  But I bet you wouldn’t trade one second of it.  Not even the times her actions, or rather fate caused you such pain.”  Luca nods.  “If that is true, you should tell her.  She needs to know.  She tortures herself for hurting you.  She and I became quite close when she would dwell among us between her incarnations as a mortal.  You know that you truly are her life.”  Thor tells Luca.

Luca shakes Thor’s hand and says, “I know my mate’s heart.  No man deserves to be loved as she loves me.  You are a good Uncle, Brother, whatever to her.  I will take your advice.”  Then he turns on his heel and walks quickly back to his wife.

When Luca returns, Morna is gone and the chamber has been put to rights.  He wonders what has gotten into her and decides to go check on Aideen.  He thinks that is probably where she’s gotten off to.  Once he arrives at the chamber where Aideen and Ari are in stasis, Morna is not there.  Gullveig, however, is there reading a book.  Luca chuckles because it’s one of those novels by Charlaine Harris about vampires.  He nods politely and checks on his daughter.  “Is there any change?”

“Not really.  She is stubborn lass, your little flame.”  Gullveig says with a chuckle.  “She will come around soon.  Ari is guilt ridden and his body was weakened horribly.  I honestly don’t know if he will recover.  If he does, he may not ever be the same.  But I can tell you from my time with him that he had no desire to hurt your child, or anyone for that matter.  He truly was being controlled, used like a puppet.  Heimdall can read someone’s memories and he says that Ari was resisting and gaining the upper hand and that is why he was struck down.”

Luca nods taking all of this information in, but not commenting on it.  Gullveig looks thoughtfully at the powerful vampire before her and asks, “You are worried about your mate, are you not?”

“I am.”  Luca says stonily.  “Are you reading my mind Gullveig?”

“No.  I can, but I am not doing that.  It is rude to read the mind of anyone but an enemy without their permission.  But I am empathic, a very sensitive empathic.  I know how much you love your wife and your child.  I know you are good man who would do anything to protect those he loves.  But you don’t need to worry about Morna’s health.  She is practically impervious since you exposed her to your venom.  She will be feeling much better very, very soon.”

“How can you possibly know that?  What do you know about my wife’s health?”  Luca demands.

“Lucian, she is fine.  She is in with a healer right now, she will tell you herself.”  Gullveig says. 

Luca only nods and paces the chamber.  After several long minutes of watching him pace, Gullveig asks; “Did Morna talk you into trying to turn her?”

“No!” Growls Luca.

“Ah!” Gullveig smiles, not at all bothered by his terse attitude.  “It was an accident!  Well, it was a happy accident.  But not truly an accident.  It was meant to be.  Prophesies actually foretold it, just not plainly enough that we realized what exactly would happen.  But that is the way of prophesies….”

Morna walks in from an adjoining room with the healer called Mordir at that moment.  She is smiling and looks absolutely radiant.  She rushes to Luca and he wraps her into his arms.  She is laughing and crying at the same time.  “What baby?  What is wrong?” He asks breathlessly.

“Nothing is wrong.  I have some news.”  Morna says with a smile.

Gullveig and Mordir quietly leave.  “Morna, what is going on?” Luca asks in frustration.

“Sit! Sit! This is big!”  Morna says with a smile.  Morna sits beside her mate on a settee.  “When Brigid examined me she told me that my body had essentially been restored to the same state it had been in my twenties.  Better actually, stronger, faster, all that…. With everything that has been going on, I simply forgot to tell you that.  But Darling, what we did that night in our hotel room in Chicago changed me forever.  I am pregnant, love!  We are going to have another baby!”

Luca looks absolutely shocked and then he smiles hugely, “A baby?  We can have a baby?  It’s truly possible?”  He takes Morna into his arms and is kissing her face and holding her close.  “Is that why you have been so tired and nauseated?  But you should not be having symptoms yet.  You can’t possibly be far enough along, it’s only been six days since we first made love after the venom exposure.” Luca says uncertainly.  “I don’t understand.”