The First Spell Weaver of Airendell: Book Two of the Airendell Chronicles (40 page)

Lou chuckles and says, “How long have you been communicating telepathically?”

“I learned how right before I met you again today.” 

Lou chuckles again and says, “I could tell you were pretty new at it.  I could feel it, but I couldn’t hear what you were communicating.  You are very good for someone who just learned how.  Work on your focus.”

Breena and Rinda both look astonished.  “You learned telepathy today?”  Breena demands.  “Busy day, sis.  Feed a small army breakfast, go into a blood thirsty frenzy, battle a creature from the Spirit Plane, nearly die, learn telepathy and meet up with an old lover.  What do you have planned for the evening?”

“Hopefully, a hot bath and a full night’s sleep.”  Morna admits.  And then she looks at Lou, suddenly curious, “What have you been doing for the last 11 months?  Luca would have noticed you hanging around watching me, so you must have gave up on that little chore.”

“Yep, once your man arrived you didn’t need me to cover your back.  I went back to Utgard and trained with my father.  He sends his regards, by the way.  He speaks very highly of you.  I am grateful that I didn’t tell him or my sister before we got here that you and I had been lovers.  I just wish my sister had not found out,” Lou admits, looking a little pale.

“Lou, I am sorry to be the cause of you feeling this shame,” Morna says softly.

“Mo… I am sorry.  I shouldn’t be carrying on like this.  Damn, I am an ass.  You had to face all of this with your husband and now your sister and best friend.  It’s not really shame I am feeling.  We didn’t really do anything wrong you know.  I just need for the memories to be gone.  For the feelings to be gone.  Does that make sense?”  Lou says sadly.

Morna nods and looks away to hide her reaction.  “Ingrid is here.”  They laugh when the knock sounds.  Morna gets up and helps Ingrid push the cart into the room.  “Ingrid, we can serve ourselves.”  She grabs the cup containing the blood and steps out into the hall.  She quickly downs it and says, “If we aren’t done in two hours, bring me another.  Okay?” 

Ingrid takes the empty cup and nods before saying, “Morna are you okay?  You are in a lot of pain.  Physically and emotionally.”

Morna hugs her new friend and says, “I am fine, or I will be when Luca gets back.  Don’t forget, more blood in two hours.”  Ingrid pats her shoulder and smiles before walking away.

Morna leans against the wall, closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath.  Then she calls out to Heimdall telepathically.  “Heimdall, can you hear me?”

“Of course Baby Girl. You are still shouting.”  Heimdall chuckles.

“Sorry.  Has Luca gone to Oklahoma yet?”

“Yes, he and Damian left here about ten minutes ago.”  Heimdall assures her.  “Is everything alright?”

“It will be.  Please, please keep an eye on them for me,” Morna pleads with her godfather.

“Baby Girl, you know that I will.  Go rest, you sound exhausted,” Heimdall says.

“Okay, thanks.”  With that Morna walks back into her sitting room.  Everyone has already gotten their food and beverage of their choice.  Morna picks up an icy coke in a can and a plate of food then sits on the sofa between Rinda and Breena.  “Heimdall says Luca is in Oklahoma.  I guess it’s safe to begin as soon as we finish eating.”

Morna feels ravenous but only eats half-heartedly.  She is really dreading what is to come.  Long forgotten detail after detail has been flooding into her mind.  And she is certain that once Lou starts talking about their time together, that she will remember even more.  As she looks back it is obvious that he had very intense feelings for her.  Morna is filled with shame that she didn’t reciprocate his feelings.  He was just a nice guy who was an excellent lover.  He was a friend, a convenience, nothing more.  Morna tries to carry on conversation with the little group while they eat, but has trouble following along. 

Finally she sets her tray on the cart and is startled when Breena grabs her hand and drags her into the bathroom, on the other end of the chamber.  “Snap out of it kiddo!”  Breena insists.  “He believed you, and besides he won’t remember anyway.  You can’t help it that your heart belonged to another.”

“I know that Breena.  But I used him.  I never treated him badly, but I never returned any of the feelings he had for me.  What kind of person does that make me?”  Morna asks sadly.

“Human,” Breena says flatly.  “Nothing more, nothing less.  For all your abilities, Morna you are indeed a human, with a human’s needs, wants and desires.  I know you never deceived him, so buck up.  Soon he won’t recall, and soon it will just be a dim, mildly disturbing memory for you again.” 

“I know.  I am just tired and still in pain.  I think it’s making me weak.”  Morna admits.

“I know I have been feeling it ever since I came to your suite.  What kind of pain?”  Breena demands.

“The wounds still ache, but mostly the venom is still in my bloodstream.  I can’t explain what it feels like.  I want to scream my head off.  Not that that would do any good.”  Morna laughs at her own foolishness.  And then she looks are her sister harshly, “Do not ever, and I mean not ever tell Luca that the pain stays with me this long.  Last time it lingered for three days.  But I successfully hid it from everyone but you.  I am afraid Kyle is going to rat me out this time.  He‘s bound to be feeling everything I am going through.  I need to find him and let him know I am okay, when this is all over.”

“Morna I can’t sense anything from you unless I am sitting right next to you.  Somehow you are shielding your emotions.”  Breena says thoughtfully.

“Oh yea, I forgot.  The dome.”  When Breena looks confused, Morna says lightly, “Another technique I tried out today.  I forgot it was on.  I can’t believe I have been able to maintain it without any conscious thought.  My brain is starting to function more and more like Luca’s does.”

“Fine, let’s go give Lover Boy a break.  He has a major case of the hots for you.”  Says Breena with a giggle.  “Sorry, but he is really, really making me miss my own mate.  He is a bit of a hunk and my hormones are making me nuts.”  Morna pats her sister on the shoulder and the women walk back into the sitting room.

It takes the trio three hours to walk Lou through all of his memories of making love and of being in love with Morna.  At times Morna had to help Lou recall specific events.  Morna’s heart is heavy that she remembers so much and is now stuck with the memories.  Despite what Breena said earlier, Morna is certain she will remember them always.  Morna’s only break during the whole ordeal was when Ingrid brought the second cup of blood to her.

When Lou is finally relieved of all of his troubling memories, Breena plants a false memory of him sharing information about his mother with Morna and Luca tonight.  Morna calls Ingrid and she shows Lou to his room.  As soon as they are gone Morna says, “I need to hunt.  I need something.  I don’t know what!  I just want to get rid of these feelings.”

“Call Luca and ask him to come back to you,” Rinda says quietly.

“I seriously doubt I have that kind of range,” Morna says sadly.

“You won’t know unless you try,” Rinda urges her friend.  “You need your man honey.  Your sister and I are sorry substitutes for the love of your existence.”

Morna sits down on the sofa.  She leans back and calms her thoughts and then closes her eyes and reaches out for Luca.  She stretches her senses over and over but can’t feel him.  She sighs, “It’s no use.  I can’t sense him anywhere nearby.”

Breena says, “Talk to him telepathically.  Aiden could hear you screaming from several miles away and he isn’t nearly as strong, physically, as you are.  Collingwood said he could her you when he was in Alfheim at times.  Try it.  What can it hurt?”

“What if someone else hears it and learns Luca is alone because I sent out uncontrolled telepathic messages to him?  I don’t know enough about how this stuff works to tinker around with it too much,” Morna insists worriedly.

Rinda sighs, “Well ask Heimdall to summon him.  What he does is just a form of telepathy.  Perhaps now that Luca is using it himself, he is more tuned in to it.”

“Good idea!” says Morna happily.  She leans back against the sofa and closes her eyes.  She reaches out to Heimdall, “Heimdall?”

“Yes Baby Girl?  Much better by the way, you are not shouting at me.”

“Would you summon Luca for me?” she asks.

“No need.  He’s back already.  Just got here, He said that he could feel you reaching out to him.  He was worried and called for a ride back.  He and Damian are leaving the gate area right now, on their way to you.  Is everything okay?”  Heimdall asks.

“Yes, I just wanted my mate home with me.  By the way, I feel like I should hunt again tonight.  We need to make sure the park is empty before I enter again.  What happened today terrified me.  I don‘t want to risk anything like that ever happening again.”

“Okay Baby Girl, just let me know when you are heading for the park.  I will make sure it’s empty.  You think this will be an every night event until the baby comes?”  Heimdall asks.

“I am not sure Heimdall.  I am in uncharted territory.”  Morna admits.  “Why?  Will it be a problem?”

“No, I was just going to put out a standing order to for everyone to vacate the park by a certain time of the night so that you could feel free to hunt without posing a risk to anyone,”  Heimdall assures her.  “Your man should be there any minute.”

“Yes, I can sense him now.  Bye Godfather!”

Morna shifts her focus to Luca.  “I’m fine love, I just missed you.”

Luca charges through the door at that instant.  “Then how come I could feel the pain your body is in when you reached out for me?”  He demands.  He scoops her up and takes her to their bed.  “What is the pain from Morna?”

Morna smiles and says, “I am fine love.  I just wanted you to come back.”

“Don’t deny it.  I could feel it.  It was so intense, I was knocked to my knees.  And I know it was coming from you, it felt like you.  What is the pain from?”  He demands again. 

He turns to go ask Breena when Morna grabs him in an iron grip.  “Leave them out of this.  I will tell you.  But first let’s go tell our guests good night like civilized people.”

Luca nods his agreement and helps her up from the bed.  “I am sorry, my love.  I behaved badly, but I was very frightened for you.”

Morna squeezes his hand.  “I understand.”  She turns and leads him back to the sitting room.  She had seen Mac with Damian and she wants to go check on the girl.  She has really missed her the last couple of weeks or so.

When they enter the sitting room Morna walks over to Mac slowly.  Mac smiles as she looks at a spot above Morna’s head and says, “Hi Miss Morna.  It’s nice to see you again.”  Suddenly the young girl throws her arms around Morna and hugs her hard before abruptly letting go and turning to Damian and saying, “I want to go to my room.”

“In a minute, Mac.  Ingrid is getting it ready for you sis.  Be patient.”  Damian says soothingly.

Breena looks at her brother in law and her sister after the exchange with and says, “She clammed up, didn’t she?”  Luca nods.  Breena looks at her younger sister and says, “Tell him or I will.  Do it now.  He needs to know.”

“Crap!  Really?  You two are going to gang up on me?”  Morna demands in frustration.  She looks at Rinda and Damian and they look they expect an answer too.  “It’s the venom.  It stays in my body for about three days.  It burns every cell in my body like hell fire.  It will pass.  I want to go to the kitchen and get another drink and then I want to check on my children and go hunt.  Does anyone object to that?”  Morna flies out of the sitting room and into the hall before anyone can react.

Luca collapses on the sofa, and then looks at Breena.  “Do you realize how much it hurts her?”

“Not really, she is getting really good at shielding from me.”  Breena admits.

“It was so intense and so startling, it knocked me to my knees.  It feels as bad as when I was changed into a vampire.”  Damian shudders at that.  “I can’t believe she is up walking around like she doesn’t have a care in the world.”

Rinda walks over to Luca and tilts his face up to look at her.  “You caught her off guard.  That is why she became so angry.  She desperately needs you right now.  Go get her, take her hunting.  She says she needs to feed again, even though she has had two cups of that blood.  I think she probably needs human blood.  I suspect it would satisfy her better.” 

Damian groans at that and looks at Breena.  “Baby, let’s go.  I don’t want to think about Morna feeding on a human.”

Breena elbows him, “Silly, she wouldn’t feed on a human.”

“I know that, I just don’t want to think about it, period.  It still freaks me out that she has to hunt.  I hate it for her.  I worry about you when your cravings hit you.  I know you can’t hunt.  I just want to get Mac settled and go back to our room and chill with you baby,” Damian admits quietly.   At that moment Ingrid pops in and tells them Mac’s room is ready.  Damian sighs in relief and the three of them follow the blonde out of the room.

“Yes, and that is exactly what Morna needs too.  To chill with her man.  Go get her, dumb ass!”  Rinda says before she delivers a hard kick to Luca’s shin.  She smiles happily when he says “Ow!”  “I wove the iron-lion and I am more than willing to kick your ass if you don’t move, now!”

Luca jumps up and kisses his friend.  “Rinda, you are aces little girl!”  And then he runs out of the room.

“You are damn straight I am aces!”  Rinda announces to the empty room, and then decides to go check on her best friend’s kids before she goes back to Heimdall’s and jumps his bones.  All that talk about Morna and that yummy Lou really got her revved up.

Rinda finds that the kids are fine and Morna has already checked on them.  Ingrid informs her that she will put the two younger ones to bed when the time comes and that Morna has gone for a ‘walk’ and that Luca was hard on her heels.  Rinda smiles happily when Brynhold offers to drive her back to Heimdall’s in the chariot.

Meanwhile, Luca has caught up with his mate on the sparring fields.  She has the stave and is beating the practice dummies into tiny pieces.  She turns when she catches a whiff of his scent.  She raises the stave in a menacing manner and says, “Don’t you dare start lecturing me or I will use this damn thing on you and we both know I could do some damage.  So please baby, don’t make me that angry.”

“Okay Morna.  Calm down, love.  But please tell me why you aren’t resting?”  Luca asks her in his most soothing voice.

“Because resting doesn’t help, sleeping doesn’t help, even sex only distracts me for a short time.  But don’t drive yourself crazy over it.  It will start letting up in 24 to 36 hours.  At least that is what happened last time.  I am sorry you found out.  There was no reason for you to know,” Morna says angrily.  “I am sorry that I am so damned mad right now, but the last few days have just been too damned much for anyone to take gracefully.”

“I know they have, Morna.  I want to help you shoulder all of your burdens.  Even pain we can’t relieve.  Don’t you understand that?”  Luca asks in exasperation.

“Sure I do Luca.  But if you were in pain and I couldn’t help, would you really want me to be burdened with that knowledge?”  Morna whispers.

“No my love, I probably would not.  But I know now, so you can at least allow me to get near you,” he coaxes gently.

Morna looks at him in consternation and then she realizes what he is referring to and drops the stave.  He comes to her and takes her into his arms.  “There has to be something we can do to at least distract you.  How about hunting?  Breena seemed to think you needed to go hunt.”

“Yes, I probably do.  My throat is burning.  I feel like the venom is burning up all the blood I ingest as well as my own blood.  Maybe I am just imagining things.”  Morna clings to her mate and says, “You want to spar?  Just for the hell of it?”

“Not really, but I will if you think it will help,” Luca says quietly.

“Probably not.  I am just agitated and not thinking very clearly.  Sorry.  Let’s go hunt.  My throat is really burning now.  I don’t want to lose it on some hapless passerby on the way there.  We can tell Heimdall we are coming when we get closer.”  Morna says quietly.

“I already have love.  Let’s go.”  He takes her hand and they take off running hand in hand.  Morna enjoys the wind in her face and the intense feelings moving this fast always stirs in her body.  Despite everything she finds great joy in running with her mate.  When they arrive at the entrance to Heimdall’s park, he meets them there.  “I have sentries posted at every entrance Morna.  No one is in there or will get in there until you come out.  Take as long as you want.  I found out that Thor inadvertently cut your trip short the other night.  That will not happen tonight.”

Morna kisses her godfather’s cheek.  “Thank you, Heimdall.”

“Anytime Baby Girl.  Rinda told me that you are in pain.  How come you hid it from us?”  Heimdall asks.

“Because it just has to run its course.  It won’t last long,” Morna says with a shrug.

Morna and Luca walk leisurely into the park.  Morna turns to Luca and says, “I wonder if I smell like a predator to these animals in here?”

“Probably love.  You smell a little like me.  Even more so now that you have been drinking blood.  Personally, I think you smell great.  But I am just the husband, what do I know.”

Morna laughs and kisses him passionately.  “You are definitely the husband, the lover, the protector, the provider, the everything!  In my book at least.”

“Baby, your book is the only one that counts as far as I am concerned,” Luca growls and kisses her again.  He pulls her body tighter to his own and caresses her backside firmly.  He smiles when he feels her wrap herself around him like she does when she’s starting to get excited.  “Good,” he thinks, “at least I can distract her a little bit.”  And then another thought hits him.  “Morna, I just had an idea.  I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before now.  Have you noticed that you can compartmentalize your thinking now?  I mean give equal attention to many things at once?”

“Yes, I have.  Why?”

“Because you might be able to use those compartments to help you isolate the pain and shut yourself off from it a little bit.  You did this before you were exposed to my venom.  I felt you do it that night you linked with me.  I felt you push pain into a dark corner of your mind.  Now with more control over your mind and your thought processes, you should be able to stuff that pain in a compartment and close the door on it.  It probably won’t make it go away, but it would help.  Can you visualize what I am talking about?” Luca asks as he wonders if he is grasping at straws.

“Maybe.  But right now I am just thinking about sex and hunting,” Morna admits.  She chuckles and then says, “And in that exact order, too!”

Luca chuckles.  “Well, I am not surprised.  You are essentially a newborn vampire, who happens to have been exposed to massive amounts of venom, who also happens to be pregnant.  It is no small wonder you are having trouble focusing.”

Morna laughs and says, “I am perfectly focused on sex and hunting.  I can barely feel the pain.”  She laughs happily and says; “Let’s get the hunting out of the way and then focus on the good part.” She growls playfully and takes off running into the woods.

Luca weaves an iron-lion spell on her body because he fears she won’t be able to concentrate enough to do it herself and trails behind to keep the spell intact.  He is pleasantly surprised that he can easily maintain both spells on her body with no strain on his concentration. 

He is pleased that she is tracking a stag and didn’t opt for the harder to hunt boar.  He admires her technique.  She is quite skilled for new hunter, and doesn‘t rely solely on instinct alone.  He watches her down the massive stag and drain its body in minutes.  He finds her magnificent when she straightens up and looks around for more prey.  She drops the lifeless body and sets out on another scent trail.  He maintains a comfortable distance for about ten minutes and watches her strike down two does, almost simultaneously.  She quickly drains both of those bodies and turns towards her mate. 

Morna smiles happily and leisurely walks towards him.  She wraps her arms around her mate and says, “Thank you for the iron-lion spell, but we don’t need it anymore.”

Luca chuckles and allows the spell to drop.  “I was afraid you might be angry.”

“Not at all love.  I can’t concentrate enough to weave a spell that complicated tonight.  I was counting on you to protect me.”  Morna admits.  “Now I am counting on you to do something else for me.” And starts kissing him passionately. 

Luca scoops her up into his arms and carries her to a nearby clearing.  “Damn, I should have grabbed a blanket for you to lie on.”  Morna starts laughing almost hysterically.  “What’s so funny about that?  I know the rocks and sticks won’t hurt you, but after what you have been through lately, I want to take care of you.  You deserve it!  I deserve the chance to do it.”

“I know love, I wasn’t laughing at you.  I was laughing because I was thinking the same thing.  I will probably have to go home soon because I can feel the chill in the air.  I was wishing for a blanket too.  Luca what is wrong?”

“I am sorry Morna.  I am useless.  I was gone this morning when you really needed me.  I couldn’t defend you against your mother when she was killing you.  You had to defend yourself.  What the hell am I good for?” Luca demands in utter frustration.

“Lucian Michaels, don’t you ever let me hear you talk like that again!  We both know I would have self-destructed many times over during the last several centuries without you taking care of me.  We are two halves of the same whole.  You know that.  We have a symbiotic relationship.  We sort of take turns taking the lead, and being the caretaker.  At least you don’t create disasters left and right like I do.”  Morna laughs at herself.  “Darling, you make me happy.  Every day, without fail.  No matter what happens to us, I can count on you to love me.”

“Do I really Morna?  Really make you happy I mean.  Today I felt like I made you live in fear of disappointing me.  Tonight I find out you have been hiding this horrible pain from me and it is not the first time you have hid it from me.  I thought you wouldn’t hide anything from me.  Not something big like this.  Oh Morna, I just realized why I didn’t figure it out last time.  That’s when I left you.  I am so sorry baby.  I was a real bastard.”

“No Luca.  You needed time to cool off.  I kind of deserved it.  I think we are too hard on ourselves.  Let’s just trust in the sure knowledge that we are both doing the best we can.  Because that is a sure thing.  Let’s go home and check on the kids and call it a night.  I am suddenly very sleepy.  By the way, I tried your idea.  It is working quite nicely.” Morna assures him.

Luca looks at her skeptically and says, “Morna, reach out and search for me with your senses like you did tonight.”

“Why?  You are sitting right in front of me.” Morna asks in utter confusion.

“Just do it, please,” He asks feeling frustration with her stubbornness.

“Fine.”  Morna closes her eyes and stretches her senses out like she is searching for him.  She smiles because he has moved and she has to actually feel around for him.  She quickly finds him and locks onto him with her mind.  And laughs, “Satisfied?  What is this supposed to prove?”