Lost Wanderer Awakened - Book One of the Airendell Chronicles (56 page)

Luca is gratified by Ari’s confidence in him.
And he is glad to know where his magic comes from. He knew he was
not of the same heritage as the other Spell Weavers. He had been
raised at an orphanage somewhere in Italy until his twelfth year.
Then Father Michael recognized the magic in the boy and urged him
to flee the orphanage before some of the narrow minded and
superstitious clergy there recognized his magic and started to fear
he was evil. Luca had known his name was Lucian but he also assumed
the surname Michaels as an homage his mentor and savior.

He had wandered Europe as Lucian Michaels for
seven years when he stumbled through the gateway at Airendell.
Morna had challenged him, but recognized his magic and his pure
heart. She had allowed him to remain and fought for him with her
mother and the Elders. Eventually, she took on the role as his lore
mother and ascension guide. They fell in love. Luca was an
excellent student and ascended ten years later at age 29. He served
as warrior under Morna in the Airendell Warriors, as they protected
the gateway and their Guild. Soon he became her second in command.
He and Morna married forty-six years later after a very passionate
romance. It had taken decades to gain the consent of the Guild
Elders for them to marry.

Ari says, “Luca, I tell you this so that you
can understand that you are indeed a fitting and equal mate to
Morna.”

Morna squeezes Luca’s hand, “Indeed! I have
always known that,” she breathes.

Ari looks at Morna and says, “You know that
his goodness and compassion actually surpass your own, but you are
the leader in the battle ahead because you do not temper your sense
of duty and devotion to accomplish your duty with considerations
for your loved ones. Luca would put your wellbeing first in all
decisions he made, and that is not what is needed now.”

Morna is stricken when she realizes the truth
of Ari’s words. “Morna, do not feel bad about that. You are older
than Luca; you have lived with your sense of duty longer than Luca
has even been alive. Your sense of duty is one of the dominant
foundations of whom and what you are.”

Morna and Luca are digesting Ari’s words when
there is another knock at the door. Almeda looks at Luca and Morna
and asks, “May I?” The both nod their assent. Almeda opens the door
to Brigid. She embraces the tiny Spell Weaver. “Brigid, it is so
good to see you dear one. Welcome. Please sit here by me.”

Once everyone is seated again Almeda speaks
to Brigid. “Morna has undergone a transformation of sorts. I want
you to take her to your practice and do a full work up on her. Do
not share any of your findings with Aideen. Do you understand?”

“I think I know what this is about,” says
Brigid. “I will do as you ask. Do you want us to go now?” At
Almeda’s nod she stands and looks at Morna.

Morna rises and says, “Let me get my bag.”
She looks to Luca to ask him wordlessly to follow her into the
other room. He follows her through the door. She leads the way to
the bathroom and shuts the door behind them. They look at each
other. Both are concerned that everything is changing so rapidly
around them. They clasp each other in a desperate embrace. They
find each other’s mouths in a passionate, eager kiss. When they
finally part, Morna’s heart is racing, her body is trembling, and
every inch of her is on fire for her mate. She desperately wishes
they did not have sitting room full of guests.

Luca chuckles and gently sets her away from
him. “It is very hard, is it not?” She looks at him questioningly.
“To have such heightened senses that the merest contact from the
object of your passion engulfs you totally in a vast sea of want
and need.”

She looks deeply into his eyes, gulps and
nods wordlessly. Then she takes a deep breath and asks, “You have
felt this way ever since you were changed into a vampire?” He
smiles. “How do you find any balance when you are around me? All I
have wanted to do since I awoke is… well, you know. How do you do
it?”

Luca laughs, “Practice love. Balance will
come,” he assures her.

She looks at him very seriously and says,
“Don’t ever let me hear you say that your control is tenuous again?
Do you hear me? I certainly know better now.” They laugh and
embrace again.

Luca nuzzles her neck and nibbles her earlobe
gently with his teeth. He revels in her reaction to him and
whispers into her ear, “Just wait until we can finally come
together as physical equals. I suspect it will be more than
amazing.” He runs his hands down her back over her butt and pulls
her to him tightly. He chuckles when she quickly wraps her body
around his in a reflexive response, stiffens and shudders. He
laughs richly, and says, “Okay, now I am flattered! Amazing! Did
you just…? She looks away shyly and nods, bright crimson blush
coloring her cheeks. He kisses her softly on the forehead. “You are
amazing, my mate, my life,” he whispers, “But now we duties to
attend to.” Morna can only nod and smile wryly at herself.

He walks out of the bathroom. “Did you want
to take “monster purse” or the clutch you used the other night?

“I better take “monster purse. I may need my
laptop and planner. I need to contact Sharon and tell her I need an
extended leave of absence due to health issues. She knows I am here
in Chicago to see a neurosurgeon. Hopefully she will accept my
explanation without being too nosy, I don‘t really want to have to
be rude with her, but I just don‘t have time for any of that. But I
think I will need more freedom, and not to be distracted by IEPs
and meetings, and portfolios. I am sure I will have time to kill
between tests and what not at Brigid’s clinic.”

“I will send some emails, call to check on
the kids back home, and try to remember some things. I think all my
memories are there, just waiting for me to pick them up and look at
them. It just takes something to prod me in the right direction. I
think talking with Brigid will spark some memories too.” She slings
her purse over her shoulder, then giggles, because she is still
barefooted. She grabs a pair of brown leather pumps out of the
suitcase and slides into them. She turns to Luca and asks, “Am I
presentable?”

“Lusciously so,” he favors her with the
lopsided grin she loves. She kisses him quickly, shivers at the
delicious fire the quick kiss ignites. Then she looks him the eyes
and says sincerely, “I know I am being silly. I will only be gone a
few hours, but I will miss you horribly,” she confesses.

“It’s not silly love, I feel the same way,”
he admits and kisses her again. Then they turn and walk as one back
to the sitting room to join their guests.

Breena raises an eyebrow at them when they
return. Then says, “Almeda and Ari have already given me my
instructions. Basically, I am to give you a crash course in Spell
Weaver lore. In two days’ time, the other weavers in this area will
meet us at your home so we can perform the ascension rite.”

Morna gasps, “Two days to prepare to
ascend?”

Almeda says, “Morna, it is basically a
formality. You only need be reminded of the lore. We believe
Brigid’s exam will reveal you are already fully immortal. You were
probably immortal before… Well anyway, you are surely one of the
strongest immortals to ever be a Spell Weaver. Oh yes, and we think
Damian, should be there for the teachings. He cannot ascend, but he
will be better prepared for what may be ahead if he has the
knowledge of the lore.”

Morna nods her agreement. That thought had
occurred to her also. “What about Aideen?” she asks, “Where will
she be?”

Ari speaks now, “We think we should take her
to Alfheim. She needs to know what is at stake. She is too immature
right now. Perhaps we can prepare her better in the home world.
Fear not, she will be there for your ascension rite. We will
personally see to her transport.”

Morna wonders what will happen to Aideen at
Alfheim. Elvish magic is a mysterious thing, even to Spell Weavers
and other immortals. But she trusts Almeda and Ari to look after
her daughter. She looks at Luca and suspects his thoughts are much
the same.

Ari continues, “Now Luca will escort you,
Brigid and Breena to the clinic.”

“Escort?” asks Morna.

“Yes,” answers Ari. “Since they can no longer
attack you from afar, we suspect they may attack you physically.
Breena has already placed a buffer spell on the rental car Luca has
procured. Luca and Breena will weave a buffer spell around the
clinic to protect you while Brigid does her examinations. When you
are finished, call Luca and he will escort you back here.”

“I can just wait there,” offers Luca. “I need
to arrange flights and such anyway; I can do that on my cell phone
while Brigid is working.”

“No Luca, you need to come back here and talk
to your daughter with us,” says Almeda gently.

“Yes, right.” Luca says. “Will Breena stay
with Morna or come back with me? I think she may be helpful with
Aideen, she was her lore mother after all.”

“Good point,” agrees Almeda. She looks at her
son, he nods. “Yes, she should come back here with you.”

Morna is anxious to get this separation from
Luca over with. She really doesn’t see the point of the physical
exam, but she is sure the Elves have their reasons. “Well, are we
ready?” she asks.

Brigid and Morna have been at the clinic for
hours. Morna is frustrated because her cell phone doesn’t have a
strong enough signal in the building; she is starving and overly
eager to get back to Luca. “I hate to whine like a child, but are
you finished yet?” she asks Brigid.

Brigid chuckles, “Yes, I was just organizing
my notes before we go back to your hotel suite. Why don’t you call
Luca and tell him to meet us out front in 20 minutes.

Morna picks up the phone on Brigid’s desk and
calls Luca. “Darling, Brigid is finally finished. She says to meet
us out front in 20 minutes. …. I know love, me too. … See you soon.
I love you. Good bye.” She hangs he phone up and sighs.

Brigid looks up from her computer and says,
“Would you mind answering a few personal questions?”

Morna sits in the chair in front of Brigid’s
desk, and says, “I probably would not mind that…”

“Morna, Luca said that he bit you,
accidentally. And it‘s obvious that you have been exposed to venom,
but you are not a vampire… at least not like Luca,” Brigid
hesitates when she sees Morna blush, then decides to plow ahead.
“How did you get exposed? Did Luca actually bite you? Was he trying
to turn you? Or trying to feed? Or did it happen some other way….?
I don’t understand.”

“Hell no he wasn’t trying have me for
dinner!” Morna snaps, “He would never do that. And he wasn’t trying
to turn me. It was an accident…” Morna blushes and looks at her
hands in silence for several moments. “We were being very, very
intimate, shall we say. It was an accident, at least on his part.
Some part of me was desperate for him to change me. I urged him
to…”

Brigid giggles like a school girl and says,
“You mean he was… he had his mouth… Didn’t it hurt? Every vampire I
have ever spoken to said exposure to the venom is horribly
painful.”

“When the venom got injected, and entered my
bloodstream, I felt like I was on fire. Like I was being broken
down and reconstructed and burned to a cinder at the same time. It
was very, very painful. I am glad I took the lortabs and valium; I
guess that is what put me under. Luca said I was unconscious for
two, writhing and murmuring in pain.”

“I know about that part. He called me to come
over to check on you. I kept you hydrated and administered pain
meds and sedatives. He was in hell when that was going on I can
tell you. But I was too afraid to ask him any questions. He may be
as accommodating as a pussy cat for you, but he is still a very
dangerous vampire to the rest of us,” says Brigid.

“Nonsense, he would never hurt you,” insists
Morna.

“Probably not, unless I was harming you or
Aideen, Then I would be toast, no doubt about it,” asserts
Brigid.

Morna can’t argue with that, Brigid probably
has that part right.

“But Morna, you misunderstood my question.
Didn’t his venom hurt? I mean I assume he was performing oral sex
on you. Didn’t the venom hurt there? There is venom in his mouth
right? Not just his teeth?”

Morna laughs quietly and says, “I can’t
believe I am discussing this. No it doesn‘t hurt, exactly. It is
amazing! Yes, it stings and burns slightly, but it’s an
indescribable feeling. The first time I talked him into it, I
achieved the most amazing orgasm in a just few short minutes.”

Brigid laughs, “Why am I not surprised that
you talked him into it? But I suspect it would hurt on a human, a
normal human I mean. Not one descended from a Norse god and giant,
with Elvish heritage and Spell Weaver magic thrown in just to make
you interesting.” Both women laugh. “I am just being nosey, but why
did you talk him into it?”

“Let’s just say that he missed certain
aspects of our love life from before he was changed into a vampire.
He has to hold himself back so much. I am only starting to get an
inkling of hard it has been for him. And I haven’t made things any
easier over the years. You know how I attack anything worth doing
with everything I have.” Morna blushes.

Brigid laughs, “I have a friend, he’s a bull
rider from Texas, and he would say that you go ‘balls to the wall’.
He’s amazing; he reminds me a lot of you. Can I tell you
something?” Morna nods. “He is more than a friend. I am desperately
in love with him, his name is George Welborn. I met him after he
was thrown and stomped by a bull, eight months ago. He was a
patient of mine. He was damaged pretty badly when he came to me,
but he is such an amazing soul, I couldn’t resist. I wove healing
spells for him above and beyond the surgeries and treatments. He’s
nearly recovered now.”