Wicked Rage of the Moon: Book Three of the Airendell Chronicles (20 page)

Kyle is sitting quietly, looking at his hands.  Morna goes over and sits beside him again.  She takes his hands into her own and kisses them.  He looks up and meets her eyes.  “Thank you sweetheart.  I know how hard doing that was.  But I thank you for protecting Nora and Aiden.”

“Mom, I would do it again, to protect them.  But I hate it!”  Kyle admits.  The torment that Morna hears so plainly in her son’s voice is like a knife to her heart.

“Of course you do darling.  Even when unavoidable, taking a life is horrible.  I am sorry that it fell to you to do this thing,” Morna says gently.  Morna wraps her arm around her son and pulls him closer to her.  Mother and son sit in silence for several minutes.

Finally Kyle speaks up; “Mom, how many lives have you taken?” Kyle asks quietly.

Morna is quiet for a long time.  Kyle is one of the few people that Morna would tolerate such a question from.  “I don’t know son.  I have been in many, many battles in my long life.”  Morna says softly.  “It’s not something I like to dwell on.  It’s also not something that I take lightly.  I pray I have never taken a life when I could have found another solution.  I take prisoners or just incapacitate opponents, when I can.”

“How old were you when you first killed someone?” Kyle asks with a tremulous voice.

“Ten,” Morna says and looks away as a lone tear rolls down her cheek.

“I am not a strong as you Mom,” Kyle says plaintively.

“Son, you are stronger than me.  Don’t kid yourself.”  Morna can tell that Kyle isn’t buying it, so she adds; “Being able to kill doesn’t make you strong.  In a lot of ways, I am no more than a guard dog that protects those I feel responsible for.  You will be much more than guard dog.”

Morna pulls her son close to her and whispers, “Baby, I know you are hurting.  If you were not, you would not be the good person that you are.  But we have to keep moving forward.  We have to get up and go the Healer’s Hall.  I have to do the second part of the healing rite for Rodrigo.  I can’t leave you and your younger siblings behind.  So I need you to help me out.  Help Nora and Aiden get ready.  I am going outside to check on everyone out there.  I haven’t seen Aideen or Kylor since I heard Nora scream.”

Kyle tries to smile reassuringly at his mom.  “I know Mom.  I will be fine.”

Morna kisses his forehead and rises to go outside.  By now Breena and Damian have come back inside.  Morna goes to Breena and says, “Next time, stick with the younger kids.  I almost got blindsided trying to watch out for you.”

“Morna, I can take care of myself.  You trained me centuries ago, and I am undergoing Stone Breaker training as well.  I am not defenseless,” Breena says feeling mildly irritated.

“True, babe, but you aren’t just caring for yourself now.”  Damian says softly, persuasively as he caresses the small bump in her belly. 

Morna smiles and says, “Yes you can take care of yourself, but please humor me in this.”  Breena knows Morna is just placating her but decides that she has enough on her plate without having to worry about her non-warrior sister taking up arms, so Breena just nods.  “Please keep an eye on Kyle.  Let me know if he starts shielding from you.”

“He is doing so right now, Morna,” Breena says quietly.

Morna nods, and looks at her son again before going outside to check on her other children.  She prays for wisdom in helping her child deal with the repercussions of doing what had to be done.

When she arrives outside, Luca is back and talking with Kylor, Aideen and Agnar.  Luca meets his mate’s eyes, and asks how Kyle is doing.  “He is taking it hard, but I think he will be alright, eventually.  As alright as one can be after taking a life for the first time.”  She looks at her two oldest children and wonders if this was the first time for them also.  Aideen fell two warriors and Kylor killed one, and captured one.  “How about you two?”

Aideen shrugs and says, “Mama, we only did what we had to do.”

Kylor takes his mother’s hand and says, “We are fine.  Let’s look out for the young ones.  Do you want me to heal the memory for Kyle?”

Morna shakes her head no.  “He has to remember it.  If it makes him decide he is suited for a life as a warrior, so be it.  If not, all the better.  But since this horrible thing has happened, he has to keep the memory and all the horrible feelings that come with it.”

Kylor looks a little surprised but Aideen is nodding slightly, and looking off over her mother’s shoulder.  “When I was in medical school.  I came home one night to my apartment and found a man viciously attacking my roommate.  I had to kill him to save her life and probably mine, as well.  It went against everything that I thought my life was about.  I believed that I was about preserving life, not taking it.  I finally realized that by killing that vile man, I did preserve life.  But I had to learn to accept it, to accept what my willingness to do in the first place said about me.  Eventually, I came to believe that it meant I was strong enough to do whatever it took to preserve life.  But I regularly pray that I will have wisdom, and good judgment, along with that strength.”

Morna reaches out and touches her daughter’s face.  “It was much the same for me when I was ten and had to kill the traveler that was trying to steal the Guild’s talismans.  Had he succeeded in stealing them he could have controlled us or destroyed us.  I truly had no choice.  I too pray for wisdom, and judgment.  I worry that I tend to take the easy way out far too often.  Well, easy for me.  Ladybug, I don’t know how you feel about this, but I think we are much alike in this.”

Aideen hugs her mother and says sincerely, “I am more than content to be like you, mother.”

Agnar smiles and says, “Sorry Mo.  I raised hell with you too soon.  I should have been patient and let nature take its course.”  Agnar tilts Morna’s face up to his face and says, “I believe Kyle is much like you too.  But he will be more resourceful than you have been in the past.”

“From you lips to God’s ear Ag.”  Morna pulls away from Agnar’s hand and looks at her mate.  “I have Kyle getting the children ready to go to the Healer’s Hall with me.”

“No, Morna, I will stay here with them.  They need to rest and feel safe for a bit.  No one will harm them.  Go do what you are obliged to do.  Your family will be waiting for you when you return.” Luca promises as he leans in to chastely kiss his mate.

Morna nods and turns her attention to Kylor.  “What were you able to learn from that warrior you captured?”

“Nothing Mother.  He jumped dimensions before I could walk through his memories,” Kylor says, obviously worried about this development.  Morna is troubled by it too.  Obviously these warriors have abilities that most of them have never encountered before.  Morna only knows of one group of humans that can jump dimensions like that.  She also suspects that the warrior who got inside, jumped from another dimension to get there.  She’s wondering how they can defend against dimensional jumpers.  Oh shit!  This day just keeps getting better and better.

Morna looks at Luca and asks, “Do you think I should weave a finding spell and go see if these were Tarvish’s people that attacked us tonight?”

“You might be walking into a trap if you do.”  He runs his hands through his hair and says, “It’s too risky to track down someone we haven’t seen in centuries.  He might be in league with Valgullveig.

Agnar looks at her and says; “Morna, we had to deal with a band of renegade dimension jumpers about fifty-five years ago.  They weren’t part of Tarvish’s clan, I suspect this lot is part of those renegades.  I heard rumors they had aligned themselves with Kieran Gregory’s Clan of outlaws and misfits.”

“Shape shifters?  Oh man, we don’t need that.  They are virtually impossible to kill in their wolf forms.”

“Only if that is their spirit animal… not all Shape Shifters automatically shift into a wolf,” Luca reminds Morna.  “We should send someone to Laird MacGregor, he might be able to give us some insight into what’s going on.  Some of the sources I have been tapping for information about Valgullveig tell me that Ewan and Val were best friends back in the day.”

Something occurs to Morna and she asks Agnar, “How come I wasn’t there when you dealt with renegade dimensional jumpers?  If it was fifty-five years ago I should have been there, in the Gateways defending them. I have no memory of that time.”

“Mo, I have no idea where you were,” Agnar says.  “None of us knew where you got off to.”

“Damn, I really gotta get Rinda to hypnotize me and try to get those memories from that time… something… grrrr.”  She rubs her temples to ease the mild headache she has and says; “Can we trust him?  Ewan MacGregor, I mean.  If he‘s friends with my sister, would he be willing to help us?”

“Absolutely.  Even if he is friends with Val, he wouldn’t tolerate what she is doing against you, our children and our clan.  His clan’s mission is much the same as ours; protect their Gateway and humanity,” Luca reminds her.

Morna looks at Agnar and asks; “Do you know the Laird MacGregor?”

“I do.  He’s a good man, Morna.”

“Well, ask Heimdall to transport you to him.  Find out what you can about Val from him and get back with me.  I would really like it if he would come back with you and talk to me face to face.”  Morna puts her hand on Agnar’s shoulder and says, “I have some news I have to share with you.  It’s personal, I learned something tonight after confronting Rolan that you need to know.”

“Well, whatever it is, it can wait until the dust settles around here.  It may take a while to find MacGregor.  He is mated to a mortal… he is estranged from her, but they have a child together, so he’s probably watching out for them.  He divides his time between Oklahoma and the Realm of Cocidius.  But Heimdall should be able to find him easily enough for me.”  Agnar turns to Aideen and says, “You want to meet a Shape Shifter?”

Aideen chuckles, “I was with Daddy when Gregory attacked the MacGregor clan and killed the old Laird.  I stayed on for a week as a healer.  That was a hard battle for them, it was a sneak attack and it really put a dent in their fighters.”  She looks to her Mom, “Do you mind if I go with Agnar or do you have other plans for me?”

“Actually, I was planning on your being with me tonight. I want you handy if the kids need their family.”

Agnar kisses Aideen passionately, and growls, “Later, baby!” And teleports away to Heimdall’s.

Morna chuckles, kisses Luca quickly and pats Kylor’s face before turning to his sister; “Aideen, you are with me.  Ingrid, Annie let’s go.”  Morna takes off running for the healer’s hall. Aideen smiles happily and falls into step behind Annie.  Oddly enough, she is perfectly content to bring up the rear, knowing her mother respects her abilities and her judgment.

When Morna arrives at the Healer’s Hall she goes first to check on Collingwood.  He is recovering nicely and begs Morna’s forgiveness for failing to protect the children.  “Morna, I do not know how that warrior got inside my protective spell.”

“Collingwood, we believe he jumped from another dimension.  Kylor captured one, but he disappeared before Kylor could get any information from him.  Kylor is confident that the warrior jumped to another dimension and did not just teleport.  I don’t think you could have done anything differently to protect the children.” Morna informs the Light Elf.

“The only ones I know of that are capable of jumping dimensions are Tarvish’s Highlander Jumpers, the MacQuahae clan, near Sutherland.  That ability to jump dimensions is the only way they survived when the English were wiping out Scotland’s defenders.  There were originally only three families that have the ability.  They are not magical beings, except for their ability to jump dimensions, the gene that enables that also makes them immortal.  Surely Tarvish would not send his warriors out in service to Valgullveig,” Collingwood says with certainty.

“Not unless he believed my family was a threat to him in some way or in revenge for some wrong he imagined I committed against his clan. Luca and I spent a few years with them sometime around 1312 or 1313, during the reign of Robert the Bruce.  They are a tightly knit clan, and mostly kept to themselves.  At least that is how it was with them at that time.  I have not come into contact with any of them since I was a young woman.”  Morna says thoughtfully.  “We went to them hoping to learn how they do it.  But it is not an ability that can be taught.  One must be born with the ability.  I didn’t recognize any of the warriors that attacked us tonight, and Luca didn‘t mention that he recognized any of them.”

“We Elves do not keep close tabs on their clan.  Perhaps someone with other magical abilities married into the clan?  Do you even know if Tarvish is still alive?  Does he still head the clan?”  Collingwood asks.  Morna shrugs.

“I might be able to help with that question,” says Rodrigo from the doorway.  “Morna, I heard what happened at your home tonight, is your son faring well?” Morna looks up and sees Rodrigo with his mother and son.

“I don’t know for sure Rodrigo.  He’s confused and hurting.  It’s a horrible thing to take a life when one is so young.  But he is strong and has a lot of support.  I am hopeful that he will be fine.  Tell me what you know about the state of the Highland Jumpers.” Morna says as she nods to Valla who has come to start extracting antibodies.

“I too dwelt among them for a time.  But this was during the mid-nineteenth century.  I don’t remember exactly when.  But Tarvish was wanting to incorporate bloodlines of other immortal, magical beings into their clan.  He was very interested in marrying me off to one of his nieces until he learned of the curse on my life.  He feared the curse being transmitted to the offspring, so he abandoned his plan and actually politely asked me to leave his realm.  But I suspect he sought others for the purpose of strengthening their bloodlines.  What if Valgullveig discovered this and wormed her way into the clan?  She is powerful enough to force Tarvish out of power, especially if she birthed enough offspring to support her in a bid for control of the clan,” Rodrigo speculates.