Wicked Rage of the Moon: Book Three of the Airendell Chronicles (19 page)

“Good, then she will know the proper way to deal with cold hearted users who are also predatory parasites,” Morna says stiffly as she keeps walking toward the cell.  “Don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I want to, but I won’t.”

Morna stands in the shadows and watches Rolan pace in his cell.  “Rolan, I have known you for over twenty years, and I can’t believe that you are truly this much of a dullard.  You are undeniably selfish, a calculating user, even a rapist, but you are not this stupid.  Did she promise to rescue you?”  Rolan momentarily stops pacing when she says that.  “Okay,” Morna laughs, “maybe you are that stupid.  If you believe her, then you truly are clueless.  Whatever her reasons, her goal is to destroy me.  And she doesn’t care who goes down in the process.”

“Deidra, you think that I am stupid?  Well, at least I know why she wants to kill you.  She posed as a serving girl one time when you were a teenager and visiting Asgard.  She didn’t know you were her sister and tried to seduce you.  You knocked her on her ass for her troubles.”  Rolan laughs heartily at the thought. 

Morna recalls the incident, it had come immediately on the heels of Agnar’s blundering attempt to seduce her.  She was in a bad mood when the serving girl cupped her breast and stuck her tongue down her throat.  And she had literally knocked her on her ass and stormed off to bed.

When Rolan continues speaking Morna is drawn back to the present “And then you married that stud muffin that Mars planned to marry off to her.  She really, really hates your damned guts.  Tell that pretty dyke daughter of hers to watch her back, because those twins are on the psycho’s hit list too.”  Morna is silent for a moment as she takes that information in.

“Oh and Morna, I don’t know what all the damned fuss is about.  You really were a lousy piece of ass.” Rolan practically spits at Morna.  “And what is the deal with all you magical broads wanting to bury your faces in each other’s cunts?”

At this point Morna can’t help it, she starts laughing.  After a couple of minutes she is finally able to speak; “I am sure that you are right Rolan, I probably was a lousy piece of ass.  Hell, I was sleepwalking through an incarnation that I didn’t belong in.”  Morna chuckles again and says, “And to answer your question, I guess a cunt, as you called it, would be more enjoyable than tolerating a rutting mongrel dog, such as yourself, who doesn’t even know how to properly use what God endowed him with.”

Morna busts out laughing again when Rolan starts screaming obscenities at her.  But she can’t help getting one last dig in; “Hell, I know you really didn’t do anything for me, you were just convenient.  I wanted children.  Thank you for that by the way.  Lucian and I are very happy raising our three amazing, talented children.”  Morna laughs happily.  “Rest well tonight Rolan, and I hope for your sake that you really do not know anything, because I suspect that my sister will kill you inside that cell if you do.”  Having said that Morna turns on her heel and walks away.

When she rejoins Luca and the others he takes her into his arms.  He holds her close and kisses her gently.  “I can only assume that you enjoyed that?”  When Morna nods, he continues, “Well, at least you got three useful bits of information out of him.”

“What besides he hates me with a violent passion, thinks I am lousy piece of ass and doesn’t like women very much?”  Morna says with a smirk.  “Seriously though, what did we really learn?  Her grudge started because I didn’t want to have sex with her?  I doubt that.  There’s more to it than that, I am sure of it.  Even more than my marrying you when she had her sights set on you.”  Morna knows there is something that she is not seeing, not remembering.  “Luca, I need Rinda.  Maybe she can help me retrieve some buried memories.  Baby, I am convinced there is something that I am just not remembering… there’s a missing piece to this puzzle, it’s in my head, teasing me.  But I can’t remember.”

Morna shakes her head to drag herself back to the current problem; “Well, he does seem to truly believe that she will come get him.  That might prove useful, but I doubt it.  And the bit about Annie and Lou, we already expected that much.  But I think that I need to know who Matilda is.”  With that Morna looks directly at Annie.

“Morna, I am sorry.  I should have told you sooner.  I was hoping Mother would keep her out of it.  The poor thing is practically powerless.  Matilda is a child mother had when she turned to Agnar after you refused her.  I rather got the impression that they had both been rejected by prospective lovers in the same night.  They really didn’t have any fondness for each other, but they came together none the less.  Matilda is the product of that one time union,” Annie says quietly.

Morna shakes her head as the realization hits her.  Matilda would be a little less than seventeen years younger than herself.  Morna knows that she rejected Agnar and Valgullveig on the same night.  “Does Agnar know he has a child with Valgullveig?”  When Annie shakes her head no, Morna mutters; “Great!  Another prospective enemy that I can’t touch because they are part of my family.”  Morna shakes her head and wonders how she will be able to put up a proper defense and not hurt the innocents in this.  “How come Matilda is practically powerless?  If she is the product of Agnar and Valgullveig, she should be very strong.”

Annie shrugs, “I am not sure.  I have long suspected that Mother or her lover stole her powers away.”

Morna sighs and looks at Elias, “Godson, please put the warriors directly under your command protecting the village, especially the Elders.  And for heaven’s sake, keep yourself and your brother safe.”

“Okay Morna, I have already done that.  I will protect the village.  I know my duty.  We all do.  But Rinda and Micah are up for their rotations in the Airendell warriors in a couple of weeks.”  Elias says quietly.

Fear grips Morna’s heart as she thinks of poorly prepared warriors facing her sister and her warriors.  “Crap!  I should not have been hiding out in Asgard, I should have been down her doing my job training these warriors.”

“Morna, Luca and Bronwyn have shown up here six times a year, every year since 1438 to put each new rotation of warriors through their training.  They are not as poorly trained as you might think.”  Elias says somewhat huffily.

Morna starts laughing at herself.  “I really do have an overly inflated opinion of my importance don’t I?  Sorry, I just feel like I have let my Guild down.  Fortunately my mate and my chief training officer have performed their duties admirably.”

Luca laughs and takes her into his arms, “Love, I have been your second in command for centuries, did you really think I would take that duty lightly?  I just don’t understand how I never knew you were coming to the gateways and to Airendell when summoned.”

Elias looks very uncomfortable at this question.  “The Elders wouldn’t allow anyone to tell you.  We kept you apart.  They were afraid you would insist that she stay here, so that she would remain in her ascended form.  The Elders said that the curse, which Maggie Flynn was only able to modify slightly, had to run its full course so that we could someday have Morna back completely, permanently.  Luca I know it was wrong of us and I am truly sorry.”

Luca pats Elias on the back.  “I understand, and the Elders were right.  If I could have had my original Morna back, before I got this one, I would done everything in my power to get her to stay here.  And then she would not have reached her full power.  She would not have become this amazing, loving, nurturing, intelligent, wise and mature leader that she is now.”

Morna has only been listening to this last part with half an ear, she already knew all of that, it had largely been her decision that Luca not know she still served as Protector for all those centuries.  He probably would have gotten himself killed trying to watch out for her between her incarnations.  She has been considering what her next step should be.  Finally, she tells Luca.  “I am going to get Eurig.  I want to see if he will go back to Asgard with me.  It would be valuable to be able to fly with him between dimensions, and not have to depend on the Bi-frost or the Gateways.  If Val captures one of our babies, I want to be able to pursue immediately.”

“Good idea.  Let’s go,” Luca says.

Morna turns to Ingrid and Annie, and says; “Call Heimdall and have him send the Bi-frost for you.  I want you watching the children until I get there.”

Ingrid shakes her head no; “Morna, Ag and your eldest children are protecting the younger ones.  Our first duty is to protect you.”

Luca laughs and says, “Ingrid, I knew she made a wise decision in selecting you as her first.  Not many will disagree with her, even when it is in her own best interest.”

“Fine,” says Morna in frustration.  “Let’s go.  They arrive at the Airensaur plain, but Eurig is nowhere in sight.  “I can sense him, but faintly.  He must be in another dimension.”

“Call out to him Morna.”  Luca suggests.

“Eurig, I need your help.”  As soon as she finishes speaking the scaly, green dragon materializes in front of them, but he‘s not alone.  He is being attacked by two warriors with swords.

Annie pulls Morna back when she moves to engage one of the attackers while Ingrid and Luca quickly subdue them.  Luca is holding them in a binding spell when Morna looks at Eurig and asks, “Friends of yours?”

“Not exactly.  Look Morna, we need to leave.  I have been spying on the Dark One’s forces.  They will soon be heading for Asgard.  A small force plans a full scale assault on your hall,” Eurig roars.  “Move it, little girl!”

Morna scrambles up on his back and holds her hand out to Luca.  He quickly climbs on behind her.  Morna tells her warriors to hand over the prisoners to Archer and to hurry to Asgard and put Heimdall and everyone else on alert.  And then Eurig transports them to her hall in Asgard.  “How did you find this place so easily Eurig?” Luca asks.

“I just transported us to the children,” Eurig says simply.  “I followed their scent.  Go inside and check with Nora.  We need to know exactly where those warriors are.” 

Morna hears Ingrid, Annie and Thor coming their way and wonders how they got here so fast.  Luca leaps off Eurig first and says, “Morna I will see to defenses around our perimeter.  You go see to the children.”  Morna nods and leaps off to run into the house.

Kylor meets her at the door.  “Nora says a force is enroute from Valgullveig.”

“I know love.  Where are Valliant and Vali?”

“In here, Baby Girl.  We are arming everyone and heading outside,” Valliant calls from the main hall.

Morna and Kylor join everyone in the hall.  Morna embraces all of her children and starts ordering everyone to arm themselves and assigning them posts.  Nora screams, “Mom, they are here!”

Morna turns towards Collingwood and Bellona.  “Keep a barrier around the children!”  She grabs two swords and runs out of the hall.  The forces have already advanced on Morna’s property and the battle is raging.  Morna tosses a sword to her mate who had been defending himself with a wrought iron post that had previously held a torch, and jumps into the fray, bringing down a warrior that was attacking Aideen’s back.  The two women stand shoulder to shoulder and face all comers.  Morna looks over and realizes that Kylor and Luca have assumed a similar posture.  The battle rages for nearly forty minutes.  Finally, the last three warriors run off and are pursued by Thor, Valliant and Eurig.  Morna is checking on everyone that helped defend the perimeter of her home when suddenly she hears a scream from inside the house.

Luca and Morna arrive inside at the same time from different entrances.  Bellona is holding a hysterical Nora, Aiden is trying to comfort her.  Collingwood is lying on the floor, seriously wounded, and there is blood everywhere. Morna gulps convulsively to control her thirst. 

She tears her eyes away from Collingwood and the sight of the tempting blood and looks at Kyle, he is standing over a decapitated warrior from the attacking force.  He is still holding the bloody sword and is looking in disbelief at the dead warrior at his feet.  Morna glances at Nora and sees that Aiden has her calmed down. 

Morna goes to Kyle quickly and takes the sword out of his hands.  He is obviously in shock and doesn’t recognize his mother at first and struggles against her.  Quickly he realizes who she is and wraps his arms around her and starts sobbing.  “He said that he just wanted the little girl.  I couldn’t let him take Nora.  Mom, I just couldn’t do it.” He gulps and then sobs loudly, “I couldn’t let him take Nora.”

Luca has gone to check on Collingwood.  “Morna, I need to take him to the Healer’s Hall, will you be alright here without me?”

“Go, Darling, we are fine.  Take care of Collingwood.”  Morna assures her mate.  Kyle stops sobbing and goes to reassure his little sister and younger brother.  Morna checks with Ingrid to find out if they suffered any casualties.  Annie has a broken arm and Lou received a flesh wound trying to protect his sister.  None others were injured.  Morna orders Aideen to heal them.   She then contacts Luca telepathically to check on him and Collingwood.  Everything is fine at the Healer’s Hall.  Morna then contacts Elias, fills him in quickly and warns him to be ready.  She suspects they will be the next target since the foray into Asgard was repelled so easily.

Morna is greatly relieved when Thor and Valliant walk into the hall.  But the sense of relief doesn’t last long.  The remaining three warriors that they had chased off, had jumped dimensions before they could catch them.  They are discussing this development.  Morna has been watching her youngest children to see how they are coping.  Nora is calmly talking with Bellona and Aiden.  Aiden assures his mother telepathically that he is fine, and Nora’s emotions are calm.