The First Spell Weaver of Airendell: Book Two of the Airendell Chronicles (33 page)

“I really wish we had an orthopedic expert among our ranks.”  Says Brigid thoughtfully.

Valliant clears his throat and says, “I am not sure if this makes her an expert or not, but my legs were completely crushed by an avalanche one time and Gullveig patched me up as good as new.”

“Father, was she planning on coming with us?”  Morna asks.

“I had thought so, but I am not really sure, she was gone when I awoke this morning.”  Valliant admits with a look of disquiet creasing his forehead.

“Well, we would be grateful if she would come with us.”  Morna says honestly.  She watches her father a moment longer and asks, “Any particular reason you seem concerned?”

“Nothing specific.  Just an uneasy feeling.”  Valliant admits.  “I was planning on asking Heimdall to look for her.  I just want to make certain that she is well.”

“I think that should be a priority for us.  I am uneasy that she did not tell you where she was going.”  Morna says.

Valliant chuckles and says, “It’s not really that unusual.  She is, as I am sure you already suspect, very independent in nature.”

Heimdall stands and says, “I will go see if I can find her.  I know she was committed to remaining close to Morna and Breena until the babies come.  I just don’t see her up and disappearing like this.”

Rinda squeezes his hand and says, “I will stay here and help everyone prepare for the trip to Chicago.”  Heimdall smiles fondly at the diminutive Spell Weaver and exits the hall quickly.

Morna stands up and resumes clearing the tables.  “So I guess everyone wants to come?”  She isn’t surprised when she sees all of her friends nod.  “Thank you.  Well, let’s clean our mess up and rest a little before we head to Chicago.  Hopefully, we will hear something about Gullveig soon.” 

The group of Spell Weavers make short work of cleaning up and Morna goes to sit with her children.  Nora is drawing again and chatting happily with Sammy and her grandpas.  Aideen and Aiden have their heads together again on the sofa.  Kyle has gone with Elias, Micah, Bronwyn and Brian to the practice fields.  Morna has mixed feelings about him watching the warriors practice, but she is confident that none of them would allow Kyle to try his hand at anything truly dangerous without her or Luca being there.

Aideen and Maria have completely monopolized Aiden.  While Nora is working diligently to wrap her Grandpa Valliant even tighter around her finger.  Breena and Damian have gone to their quarters to “relax” before the journey to Chicago.  Rinda comes to sit by Morna and Luca on the second sofa.  While they are chatting, Morna shifts her position several times, and seems very uncomfortable.  “What’s wrong Morna?”  Luca asks solicitously. 

“My hips are killing me,” Morna admits ruefully, wondering if her recent activities in the bedroom with her mate are to blame.

Rinda chuckles and says, “I bet this fast moving pregnancy is putting a lot of strain on your soft tissues.  I bet you need a hot soak and to have your spine and hips realigned.”

Luca says, “You went through chiropractor training, right?”  When Rinda nods, he continues.  “Why don’t you go with Morna to our room and see if you can’t help her with those aches and pains.  I would like to get Damian to run out to Gullveig’s hall with me to check on everything there.  I have a bad feeling.”

“Oh no, I will go with you.”  Morna insists and starts to get up off the sofa. Suddenly she gasps and freezes in place.  “Or not!”  She groans.

Luca scoops her up into his arms and kisses her forehead.  “Stubborn woman.  Let Rinda work her magic on you, literally.”  He chuckles.  “Rinda, I will carry her to our bathroom.  You say a hot soak will help?”

“It should help some,” Says Rinda.  “I’ll come along and see what I can do for her.”

Luca deposits Morna gently on the padded bench seat in the bathroom a minute later.  Rinda who had followed quickly behind, goes over to the tub and starts running hot water.  “I’ll help her get into the tub Luca.”

“I am pregnant, not a damned invalid.” Mumbles Morna petulantly.

Luca bends down and kisses his wife soundly.  “Be good!” He admonishes gently.  “Try to remember that your best friend in the whole world is trying to help you.”

“I know.  I am sorry, but these damned mood swings really suck!” Morna pouts.

Rinda chuckles and Luca strokes his mate’s face and whispers, “I am sorry my love.  I truly am.  I will get back as soon as I can.”

“Now I feel like a jerk.  Luca, this isn’t your fault and you know it.  No rush, darling.  Do what you need to do, I am in good hands.”  Morna says as she tries to smile at her mate.

After Luca leaves Rinda helps Morna get undressed and ease into the hot bath.  Rinda sits on the bench seat after her friend settles into the water.  “So, how are you really doing with all of this?” She asks quietly.

Morna lies her head back against the tub and sighs as she closes her eyes.  “I am okay Rinda.  It’s worth whatever I have to go through to have another child with Luca.

“Well, I know that, goofball.  But how are you doing?”  Rinda says softly.

“Well let’s see.  I drink blood, my body is changing, literally by the hour.  I need to pee all the time.  Apparently, despite my rapid healing, my ligaments are causing me severe pain in my pelvis and hips.  My hormones are obviously out of control because I alternate between wanting to make love with my beautiful mate and beat him for getting me in this condition.”  Morna chuckles at that.  “I am very grateful to have my children and my friends with me though.  I can’t tell you what it means to me to have you here with me right now.”  Morna motions her friend over to the tub and takes her hand in hers.  “I mean it, Rinda.  I am really glad you are here love.”

Rinda kneels by the tub.  “I know Morna.  I have missed you so much.”  Rinda says quietly.  “But despite everything, you do seem to be handling it with your usual grace.”

Morna snorts derisively and rolls her eyes.  “I don’t understand why people say things like that.”  Morna says softly.  “I am not handling any of this with grace.  I am just muddling through.”

Rinda laughs heartily.  “Well, you make muddling look graceful.  You ready to get out of that tub yet and let me see if I can’t get your hips and pelvis aligned?”

“In a minute.  I want to ask you a question, but it is personal, and I would understand if you did not want to answer.”

“Go ahead and ask.  There’s nothing too personal for me to share with you.  You should know that.”  Rinda says honestly.             

“I know that, but I still feel awkward asking this.”  When Rinda just smiles, Morna continues, “Are you in love with Heimdall?”

“I love Heimdall a great deal.  Is he my one true great love, like Luca is for you?  No, probably not.  I think you know who… Never mind.  Why do you ask?  Afraid I will hurt your godfather?”  Rinda says with a small smile.

“Not really.  I just want to see both of you happy.”  Morna says thoughtfully.

“I think that we are.  We probably won’t ever commit, in marriage or anything like that.  But we have our seasons.  But our callings take us away from each other.  He is destined to remain here as guardian of Asgard and watcher of Midgard, and I will always be drawn to my work in Middle-world.”  

“I understand that.  But you are happy with the arrangement?” Morna asks somewhat skeptically.

“Very much so.” Rinda assures her dearest friend as she stands and grabs a soft, dry bath sheet for her friend.  Morna takes the cue and stands up in the tub.  Rinda wraps the huge towel around her friend and strokes her cheek.  “You are happy right?  You have everything you want, right?”

“If you are asking if I am truly happy being with Luca, despite what I have become.  Then the answer is yes.  He’s everything I need in a mate.  You know he’s the one for me, right?” Morna meets Rinda’s eyes and places her hands on her friend’s shoulders.

“I know that kiddo.  But you… never mind.” Rinda steps away.

“A part of me misses what I had with you, love.  Is that is what you are wondering about?”  Morna reaches out to catch her former lover’s arm.  Morna gently strokes Rinda’s cheek.  “I am glad you are here with me.  But I feel like I am taking advantage of you.”

“Nonsense Morna.  That season for us has passed.  I have long known who truly had your heart.  You were born for Luca and we all three know it.  And I am content with that.  Honestly love, don’t feel like you take any sort of advantage, because you do not.”  Rinda assures Morna and kisses her softly.

Morna nods and kisses Rinda back, gently at first and then more earnestly.  She holds her best friend close and whispers, “You will always be my first love and my dearest friend.  You know that, right?”

Rinda meets Morna‘s eyes and kisses her again, more deeply and lingeringly this time.  “Of course I do, goofball.  Let’s get you on the bed so I can examine you and try to align your hips.”  Rinda gently strokes her growing belly and says, “Little-bitty man is putting a lot of stress on your body, already.”  Just then the baby flutters and Rinda gasps and looks at Morna with a look of awe on her face.  “Wow!  He’s strong already.  I can’t believe how much energy I can already sense from him.”

Morna chuckles.  “He is an active little bugger.  I can only imagine what it will be like in the last trimester.  I worry about Breena.  She doesn’t have a nearly indestructible body like I do.”

“True, it won‘t be easy for her, but we will take care of her.”  Rinda watches her friend as she goes into the closet and comes out wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts.  Morna goes to stretch out face down on her bed.  Rinda laughs happily, “I can’t get over watching you do things the way Luca does.  How cool is it to be that fast, graceful and strong?”

“Pretty cool, I gotta admit.” Says Morna with a chuckle.

“Yeah, I bet.  But anyway, Heimdall has been helping me expand my abilities.  He has given me a bit of empathic ability.  It has allowed me to develop a spell that alleviates pain.  Breena won’t suffer, I promise love.  Earlier, I was really asking if you are okay with all the changes in your life.  I mean you are, for all intents and purposes, a vampire right now, you have another child coming soon, and you probably have new responsibilities to the Guild now.  And Magdrid…”  Rinda lets her voice trail off and watches her friend’s face closely.

Morna rolls onto her side and meets her friend’s eyes.  “I know I didn’t have a choice about Mother, but I can’t understand why she hated me so badly.  Why does my half-sister hate me so badly?  I never did anything to either of them, that I am aware of, yet they both have sought to destroy me.”

“Now Kyera, I can understand her.  I killed her mate.  In her shoes, I would seek to destroy me too.  She’s sick and twisted, but I think the hatred for me has made her that way.  But I can still understand.  Because I feel the same way, I will make her suffer for what she has done to those I love.  She hurt my Luca and my children, she has to pay for that.  But Magdrid and Valgullveig, I don’t understand that.” Morna admits sadly.

“Morna, you don’t deserve any of it.  Not even the things that Kyera has done.  Her mate was killing yours.”  Rinda says intently.

“Oh I know that, but I can still understand her.  I would avenge Luca, no matter what he had done.  I totally get that.”

“Your mother was insane, and power hungry.  And Heimdall suspects Valgullveig is too.  He thinks someone powerful has corrupted her, because he says she used to be a wild thing but never the type to hurt someone.  But they all lost touch with her over six hundred years ago, so they really have no idea what has happened in her life during that time.  But, I don’t think you could have done anything to change things with Magdrid or Valgullveig.”  Rinda says softly.

“I know, I just hate it.”  Morna admits.

CHAPTER 9 - A NEW NATURE AND AN OLD ENEMY

“Well, let’s get this adjustment done, I want to get ready for our little trip today.  I really want to find out if anything can be done to heal my Aiden.”

“Well roll over big girl!” Rinda laughs.  “Luca must be in heaven knowing you won’t change bodies again.  I have always suspected that he especially loved making it with the bigger versions of you.”

“Huh?”  Morna grunts as Rinda begins to align her spine, and pops her left hip back into place.

“Your bigger versions like Nichole, Maria and Natalie.  Tall and meaty, like you are now.”  Rinda chuckles.

“But we didn’t… Holy cow!  I went to him in my sleep, didn’t I?”  Morna asks. 

Rinda chuckles, “As Nora too.  You never have been able to keep your hands off your man.”

“I cheated on Erik as Nichole? And poor Myles when I was Nora. I thought those were dreams.  Oh man, I was Luca’s true mate in all my incarnations where I reached adulthood, wasn’t I?  Damn.  I wonder how come he didn’t tell me.” 

“I don’t know.  Maybe he knew you would eventually remember on your own.”  Rinda says as she continues to examine and realign Morna’s spine.

Morna is quiet for a few minutes and then she says, “Oh man, how did he hold himself back when I was Natalie?  I remember it all now, I was a wild thing when I would come to him as Natalie.  When I was sleep walking, I guess I was compensating for not being able to touch him in my conscious state.  When awake, I would ‘vibrate’ painfully when he touched me.  It was pure sexual attraction, and my brain couldn’t process it.  Even after experiencing it personally I still find autism to be a mystery.”

“Apparently when I was sleep walking my sensory processing issues were neutralized.  Oh my goodness.  I remember touching him all over, every single inch.  Memorizing every millimeter of that perfect, ice cold body.”  Morna shivers at the memory, and has a dreamy look on her face.  “I would guide his hand, have him caress every inch of me, especially my face.  But I couldn’t speak.  It was my only incarnation where I didn’t talk in my sleep.  How weird, apparently I could either talk or touch, but not both at the same time.”  Morna is quiet as she remembers going to her mate in her sleep.  Rinda swallows painfully trying to dislodge the lump in her throat, and looks away because Morna looks intoxicated by the memories.

Morna stiffens and growls low in her throat.  She leaps off the bed causing Rinda to tumble out of the way.  Morna stands with her back to the wall and looks frantic.  Rinda starts to come to her, concerned for her friend.  “What’s wrong love?”

Morna snarls and bares her teeth.  “Stay back Rinda! Crap!  Again?” 

“What the hell is wrong, Morna?”  Rinda asks in exasperation.

“I need to hunt again!  I think!  OH hell!  I need to get out into Heimdall’s park… something… Oh hell, I gotta go!”  Morna growls.  “Damn, but this is inconvenient!  Please watch my kids for me.  And if Luca comes back before I return, tell him where I have gone.  Thanks.”  Morna is gone before Rinda can say anything else.  Rinda chuckles as she walks back to the hall to go check on Morna’s kids. 

Meanwhile, Morna is racing to Heimdall’s park.  The need to feed is growing by the second.  The intense burn in her throat nearly chases all conscious thought from her mind.  In the back of her mind, she keeps reminding herself to avoid all sentient beings as she hunts.

Once she arrives at the park she immediately heads for the deepest woods.  She has completely turned herself over to instinct and is searching for scent.  She picks up a boar’s scent, but it is old.  She keeps going until she picks up a fresh scent trail of a stag.  Need gnaws at her as she trails the stag, and then suddenly other, much more appetizing scents catch her attention and she immediately starts tracking those instead.  The burn in her throat is now an intense, searing pain.  Her thirst chases all rational thought from her mind.  The new scents are so mouthwatering that she is overly eager as she flies through the woods without conscious thought.  She bursts out of the deep woods into a small clearing.  Her fervor to feed on the delicious scents is powerful because she knows her prey is now within her reach. 

As she clears the trees she stops immediately, falls to her knees, and screams in rage and agony.  The delicious scents are from humans…

Kyle, Micah and Elias had decided to go hiking in Heimdall’s park.  They had been having a wonderful time hanging out and getting to know each other.  Elias has just been teaching Kyle how to levitate and push objects away from him.  Both of the Spell Weavers are amazed at what a natural talent Kyle is turning out to be.  But when they hear the horrible scream, they push the teen behind them and both Spell Weavers immediately weave the iron-lion spell, then turn to confront the threat.

When Kyle recognizes his mother, he races out from behind his would be protectors to go to her.  By now Morna is back on her feet and races towards her son, the instinct to feed is overwhelming.  She stops herself short and bares her teeth in a snarl, and drops to her knees again.  “RUN!  Dammit, Kyle RUN!” she screams wildly at him.  Kyle looks confused.  The emotions coming from his mother are all consuming, and incomprehensible to him.  He tries to take another step towards his mother when two strong hands grab each arm and whisk him away.

“Let me go!”  Kyle yells at Elias and Micah.

“No way kid!”  Grunts Elias.  “She’d never forgive us.”

“Something is wrong with Mom!  She needs us! Go back!”  Kyle insists as he tries to escape the iron grip his friends have on his arms.  He is getting motion sick from being propelled through the forest at such a high rate of speed.

“She’s hunting kid!  I can’t believe she controlled herself enough to stop and tell us to run.  Micah, get him out of here.  I am going to weave a hiding spell and go check on her.”  Elias says as he slows.

“No way bro!  She’ll hunt you!”  Micah says as he throws Kyle over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.  “Get the hell out of here.  We can go find Luca or Damian.”

“I’m going back.  Get Kyle out of here!  She may not be able to control herself again.”  Elias insists.  “She needs someone to watch her back, keep her from doing something she will regret.  Try to find Damian or Luca and send them here to help.”

“Fine!  Be careful.  I’ll try to find Luca.”  Says Micah as he races off with the struggling Kyle over his shoulder.  “You better not get dead, little bro!” he shouts over his shoulder in frustration.

Elias takes a deep breath and weaves the hiding spell just in time.  He hears Morna thrashing through the woods.  She is panting “RUN!” every few steps.  When she clears the trees and enters the low spot Elias is occupying he prays she can’t detect him.  He wonders if he can truly outrun her, because he is certain he can’t outfight her if it comes to that.  When he sees her he is doubting the wisdom of his decision to stay behind.  Her face, grossly contorted with rage and pain, barely looks human.  It is obvious that she is struggling mightily with herself. 

She finally comes to a stop in the low clearing.  Elias hears her growl, “Please God, get them out of my reach!” She leans over and rests her hands on her thighs and pants hoarsely.  “Control Morna!  Get some control!  This is not you!  Control!” 

She sniffs the air and starts toward the direction Micah carried Kyle away.  She stops and turns to go the other way… then turns back toward the fading scent trails of her son and godson.  She stops and sniffs and moves toward Elias.  He stiffens, he knows she can’t see him and should not be able to smell him, but she is coming right towards him.

When she is about five feet from Elias, Morna throws her head back and screams in rage and animalistic need.  Then she looks directly at the spot where Elias is standing and growls; “Elias, I will kick your ass if you are still here!”  She races around the clearing for a few more seconds as though undecided about what to do next, and then suddenly she darts out of the clearing, obviously on the trail of another scent. 

Elias trails her for about five minutes.  Fear grips his heart when she stops suddenly and snarls again.  But she isn’t looking toward him, she has turned to her right and has assumed a defensive crouch.  She is hissing quietly and looks very confused and indecisive.  Suddenly a giant creature crashes out of the woods at Morna.  The pallid gray figure is taller than Valliant and is covered in scales.  It has bright crimson eyes, two ragged horns on its head, eight inch long, deadly looking claws on each hand, vicious looking fangs, and evil yellow eyes.  The creature is roaring its fury as it charges at Morna.

Morna yells, “Run Elias!” and then snarls something in a language that Elias doesn’t understand and leaps into the air barely in time to avoid the attack.  She comes down the creature’s back and starts biting its massive shoulder.  She spits out a putrid smelling hunk of flesh.  The beast reaches back with one mighty hand and flings her off.  Morna crashes into an ancient oak tree, shattering branches and screaming in rage at being thwarted by the beast. 

Once she has leapt back onto her feet, Elias can see that her left arm is contorted in a very unnatural way.  It is obviously broken.  She quickly straightens the deformed arm with a screech of agony.  She wipes her blood from a head wound out of her eyes and jumps on the creature again as it races towards her.  He flings her away again and then dives at her.  She rolls out of the way just in time.  The creature crashes head first into a boulder and is momentarily stunned. 

Morna again wipes blood out of her eyes and compulsively stops to sniff it on her hand.  She growls, and screams in the guttural language again as she bends down to pick up a rock.  Morna takes a deep breath and attacks the creature again as it tries to stand.  She bashes the beast repeatedly in the head.  The beast screams and tosses her off of him.  Morna hits another tree and bounces onto the ground hard with an “Umph” as the breath is knocked out of her lungs.

The beast takes the advantage and dives into her again.  Morna picks up a fallen limb and struggles back to her feet where she starts battering the creature in the head as it slashes at her with its treacherous claws.  She screams in rage and pain when blood starts pouring from a deep gash on her right thigh.  She flits out of its reach and skitters up a massive tree.  The beast roars in rage and then speaks in the same guttural language Morna had been using.  Morna replies from the tree’s massive branches.  Elias can hear wood splintering and sees leaves, branches, and other wooden debris falling from the upper branches.  He wonders what Morna is up to.

The beast and Morna continue to exchange barbs in the unfamiliar language.  It’s obvious by the tone that Morna is taunting the beast and that it is quickly losing control.  Suddenly the beast starts slashing at the tree trunk with its mighty claws.  Chunks of wood fly off the mighty trunk with each blow.  Elias is amazed that the creature is trying to fell the huge tree to get at her.  Suddenly he realizes that the claws on the beast’s hands are too long to allow it to climb the tree.  He hears Morna laughing wickedly in the tree branches and hissing at the beast. 

The beast redoubles its efforts to bring the tree down, the trunk starts to splinter and the massive tree shudders like it is about to tumble over, when suddenly Morna drops from the tree onto the beast’s shoulders.  She has a three feet long section of limb in her hands, but one end has been sharpened to a deadly looking point.  She drives the sharpened point into the beast’s neck.  The stake is half buried in the beast’s body, but it doesn’t even slow the monster down.  The creature screams in rage and reaches up to grab Morna and slings her off of his back.

Elias sees blood spurt from Morna’s back when the creature throws her off of him.  She lands on her feet and wavers for a millisecond before she turns and attacks the beast again.  She runs at the beast and hits it with a flying kick that sends it reeling.  The beast strikes it’s head on another massive tree trunk and seems to be momentarily stunned. 

Morna had crashed into another boulder after she hit the beast with a flying kick.  She too is stunned and gasping for air.  She is obviously weakened and Elias fears she will lose the battle if the beast can get up before she can.  He silently walks over to the beast.  It is starting to stir.  Elias looks over to Morna, she still seems dazed.  He picks up a big rock and smashes it viciously into the head of the beast.  He hears the sickening crack as the beast’s skull splits spraying its fetid blood all over him, but amazingly it starts to get up again. 

Out of nowhere, Morna pushes Elias out of the way and growls, “Get out of here!”  She pulls the makeshift stake out of the neck of the monster and plunges it into its chest.  The screech that is torn from the beast is more horrible than anything Elias has ever heard.  He backs away, out of Morna’s and the monster’s reach and watches in horror as the creature gets up with the stake coming out of its chest and backhands Morna across the clearing.  She, amazingly lands on her feet.  Elias is horrified to see blood running from her slashed chest and abdomen.  His fear for her life is overwhelming.