Lost Wanderer Awakened - Book One of the Airendell Chronicles (69 page)

“We discussed that,” he adds when she looks
at him funny. “In the other room, I wanted you to rest without
worrying about it. But darling, it will be incredibly painful.
Probably worse than your conversion.”

“Oh, I am sure it will be much worse, but I
need to heal and do it soon. That being was looking for her mother,
someone created her and sent her after me. The threat has not been
truly eliminated. Get someone in here to hold me in a binding spell
and get this treatment done. I assume you have milked an adequate
supply of venom?” she asks.

“Morna, how did you know I can do that?” he
asks.

“It just stands to reason,” she shrugs, then
winces because the movement hurts. Then she looks at him rather
frantically and whispers in a tiny, frightened voice, “I need to
pee!”

He laughs uproariously, “Fighting vicious
creatures, unarmed in other planes of existence you are not afraid
of, but peeing in front of your husband scares you silly. You are
the funniest woman who ever lived Morna Michaels!”

Morna just blushes and ducks her head. “I
will go get Breena to help you,” he says as he stands up to kiss
her gently. “But first I want you think about this while I am gone.
What if more venom in your system turns you into a full-fledged
vampire? Are you willing to risk that?”

“It won’t,” she says confidently. “My
evolution is complete. I feel it, I know it. I am who I have always
been meant to be. The venom will heal the wound and hurt like hell,
but that is all.”

“Okay, stubborn woman, I will send your
sister in here to you,” he says resigned as he stands to go.

“Luca?” He stops and turns to face her. “I
was afraid of going into that other plane unarmed. It just had to
be done. I am not reckless, I just have to do what has to be done,
and you know that darling. And it is vanity and not fear that won‘t
let me use the necessary around you.” Her smile is wan. “Sorry to
disappoint you.”

He strides over to her quickly and kisses her
again before squeezing her uninjured hand. “You never disappoint
me, Morna Michaels,” he assures her. He knows what those admissions
had cost her to make to him, and he is grateful she trusts him
enough to make them. Luca goes out into the dining area and finds
Breena. “Your sister needs you,” he tells her quietly. Then he
seeks out Brigid, Micah, and Elias and tells them her decision.

Micah whistles between his teeth. “Damn. It’s
surely the right decision, but I am not sure I could have made it
in her place.” he admits. “Okay, who will hold her in the binding
spell while I apply the damned stuff to the wound? I don’t want her
to beat me to death with my own arm for trying to cure her,” he
chuckles.

His companions, including Luca, laugh too.
But then Luca says, “She might do it, at that. I will do it. I can
hold her in the binding spell too.”

Brigid nods but says, “I think we should give
her an injection of a sedative before the treatment. It might keep
her from really wanting to murder you Luca.”

Brigid went to get the Valium while Luca
heads back to their quarters. Breena has opened the door to signal
to Luca that he may come back into the room. As he enters it is
obvious his wife is in a lot of pain, he can tell by her intense
look of concentration, and elevated heart rate and breathing. “Okay
Morna. I will treat the wound with my venom. I will hold you in the
binding spell. No sense in anyone else being in here in case you
get loose and decide to dismember me for my torturing you.”

Morna laughs weakly, then says, “With that
much venom I will likely be incapacitated. We both know that.
Someone else can do a second binding spell though, just in case,”
she laughs again. “We better get it done before my father comes
back. Big softie may go off on you for hurting me.” She winks
theatrically at her mate.

Brigid comes in with the tranquilizer at that
moment. “Morna, I have some happy juice for you. Maybe you won’t
murder your mate after this if I got a big enough dosage.” She puts
the medicine into the bulb of the I.V. line and Morna starts to
feel the effects very quickly.

Once the medicine has taken full effect, Luca
is positioned to apply the venom. He has a binding spell on Morna,
as does Breena. Morna didn’t want Breena to stay because she is
empathic, but Breena refuses to leave her sister’s side. Brigid has
insisted on staying to supervise the application of the venom. “I
want to be able to monitor her vitals too.” Rinda is standing
around feeling useless, but unable to leave.

Luca looks at Rinda and says, “Use that
relaxation chant you used before she went to the Spirit Plain.”
Rinda nods happily, relieved to be able to help.

Morna looks at Luca and says “Thank you
Luca.”

Luca understands exactly what she is thanking
him for and says, “You are welcome. Now close your eyes, baby, I am
not sure I can do this with you looking at me,” he admits with a
rueful smile on his face. She complies and he starts the process.
At the first touch of the venom to her wound, she thrashed and lets
out one horrendous scream. Then she gets control over herself and
doesn’t react any further. Luca’s face appears to be set in stone
as he works efficiently, but it still takes several minutes to
liberally coat every millimeter of exposed flesh. It was decided
that the hand should be treated too, so Brigid has unwrapped it
also.

When Luca finishes, he asks, “Morna, is it
bearable?”

“Yes,” she whispers.

“Open your eyes love,” he begs.

“No,” she whispers. She knows her eyes will
give her away and she doesn’t want him to know how agonizing it
truly is. She doesn’t want to lose control and torture everyone who
loves her with her screams. After two hours, amazingly the burn
starts to fade a little. Morna hears Brigid say, “Her blood
pressure, pulse and respirations are in her new normal ranges now.
I think the worse may be over.” She sighs in relief.

“Luca, the worst is over, please lie with
me,” says Morna quietly. After he is settled next to her, she
drifts off to sleep. Brigid and Breena leave them in peace and
close the door.

Nine hours later, Aideen and Breena feel a
buffer spell go up over Luca’s and Morna’s quarters. Aideen rolls
her eyes and says, “Either she’s planning to kill him or love him.”
Breena snorts, and says, “Fifty bucks on the second one.” It is a
good thing that Aideen did not take the bet.

When Morna awakens she gets up and takes her
bloody tank top off and her panties too. She examines the wound as
best she can, then looks at her hand, it’s completely healed but
has a faint silver scar. She removes the I.V. Luca says, “You
should have let one of the doctors do that.” By now he has sat up
and is watching her closely.

She comes to him, and asks, “I can’t see it
very well. Does it look okay?”

“It will leave a scar. Right now it looks
silver, but it will fade.” Luca assures her.

“Fine, I don’t care about that. But it’s
healed, right?” Morna asks somewhat impatiently.

“Morna, it appears to be fully healed.” Luca
assures her.

Morna warms the water in the bowl and cleans
up. She brushes her teeth. Then she silently puts up a buffer
spell, but Luca senses it go up. He raises his eyebrow at her. She
comes to bed and straddles him, leaning down to kiss him. “Really?”
he murmurs. “I was betting on food first.”

“You lose that bet,” she says wickedly, with
a carnal smile on her face.

“Oh no, I win,” he smirks happily as he takes
her into his arms and begins to love her fully.

CHAPTER 25 - JEALOUSY, BETRAYAL, and LOVED
ONES GONE

Morna and Luca emerge from their quarters 15
hours after Morna’s return from the Spirit Plane. A few of their
friends are taking it easy in the dining area. They all greet Morna
and Luca happily. Elias walks in and rushes to Morna. “Wow, you
shouldn’t be up and around so soon.” He says as he kisses her
cheek. When her only response is to roll her eyes, Elias knows he
won’t get anywhere with Morna. So he turns to Luca, “Is she up to
being out of bed?”

Luca chuckles quietly. And then he nods and
replies, “Yeah, she’s fine, don’t worry Elias.”

By now Morna has made her way to serving line
and is piling her plate high with food. Aideen comes up behind her
and says, “Well I see you triumphed again Mama! Is there anything
you can’t do?” Aideen is trying to keep her tone light but Morna
isn’t fooled. She sets her plate down and turns to look at her
daughter.

“What’s wrong Aideen?” Morna asks
quietly.

“I leave for Alfheim today with Ari and
Almeda. Apparently, I am not ready to be of any help to the Guild.
So the Elves are packing me off with them, to prepare me.” Aideen
is looking at her mother angrily. “You did this didn’t you? You
convinced them to cart me off so that you won’t have to share your
mate with your daughter. I am a bit of an inconvenience, aren’t I,
Mother?”

Luca starts to rise and go intervene. Almeda
has joined the group by then. She reaches out and stays him with an
arm on his arm. “Let them work this out on their own. Morna won’t
hurt her own daughter.” she whispers.

Morna gently places her hands on her
daughter’s shoulders and looks her squarely in the eyes and says,
“You know better than that.” She turns around and picks up her
plate and walks to a table to sit down.

Before she can sit, something smashes into
the side of her head. She automatically turns to defend herself.
But she realizes her attacker is her daughter, she drops her raised
hands and meets her daughter’s enraged eyes. “Why? Aideen, what
have I done to deserve this?” Morna asks quietly.

“You barge back into everyone’s life, you
take over, have everyone jumping to do your bidding. Why? So we can
end some curse on your life? Why would you want to end the curse?
You get to start all over every few decades. Set up a new life,
have a little fun with a new man or two, then Daddy shows up and
you get to wrap him around your little finger for a decade or two
and then the whole damn process starts over. Sounds perfect for you
in my opinion.” rants Aideen.

Morna looks Aideen in the eyes, tears are
flowing freely down her face at her daughter’s cruel words. “Is
that how you honestly see my existence? You think that I bounce
from fling to fling, with occasional stopovers in your father’s
bed?” Morna asks quietly. When Aideen nods, Morna says, “Grow up!
Aideen you are behaving like a damned brat.” She turns on her heel
and stalks out of the room.

Morna heads for the exit going toward the
open gateway. She pauses long enough to look at her mate, he is
looking apologetically at her. She weaves a binding spell on him
and exits the living quarters of the gateway station and out into
the open plain of the middle-world. She’s just running, to get some
distance, to get a chance to think clearly. Soon, she hears someone
following her, but she’s sobbing and the tears and mucous have her
senses overwhelmed. She has no idea who is behind her so she just
runs faster. After several minute she hears someone calling her
name. It is her daughter. Morna debates whether to wait for her or
outrun her. She finally decides it would be best to get everything
over with right now. She stops and turns to wait for her child.

Aideen finally tops the ridge a few hundred
yards from Morna. Morna sees that she is armed with a heavy, long
wooden stave with a vicious looking hook on the end of it. Morna
sighs and thinks, “Well, it’s come to my dying at the hand of my
own child?” Morna knows she will not lift a hand against Aideen and
she knows Aideen has woven an iron-lion spell or she would not have
been able to catch up to Morna at all.

Aideen bears down on her mother hard. She
assumes she will only be able to get one good shot in. She swings
hard and knocks her mother down. She is in a rage and brings the
stave down over and over, smashing into her mother’s raised arms,
and then into her unprotected left shoulder and sides, after the
bones in the protectively raised arm break. “You Bitch, Whore! Why
don’t you just die and stay dead?” Aideen screams viciously.

Morna allows herself to fall to her knees
under her daughter’s blows. When the bones in her left arm snaps,
she lets her arms fall. She just kneels and allows Aideen to rain
blows on her body and unprotected head. She loses count of how many
blows her daughter has delivered before unconsciousness takes her
under. “You should have stayed away from Daddy!”

Damian has begun chasing Aideen when she
picked up the stave from the armory. He is amazed at how fast
Aideen can move with the spells she has woven in her body. He is
finally able to catch up with his adopted sister and mother. He
screams in rage and helplessness when he tops the rise and sees
Morna in a crumpled heap, as Aideen continues to rain blows on her
exposed left side. Damian crashes into Aideen and sends her flying.
He picks up the stave and snaps it in two and slings the pieces
over a hill. He knows that others of the clan are following closely
on his heels.

He doesn’t spare another look at the girl,
but goes to check on Morna. It is obvious that she is seriously
injured. She is bleeding profusely from a head wound, and her left
arm is obviously broken. He wants to pick her up and take her back
to the living quarters, but he is afraid of hurting her further. He
kneels beside her and speaks softly to her. He is sure can hear him
even if she cannot respond. “Morna, release the spell on Luca so
that he can come help you.” he pleads.

He looks up when he hears the others catching
up with him. Rinda, Elias and Micah are coming to check on Morna’s
condition. Several others are catching up, and have gone to Aideen
to check on her. Damian spares a glance at Aideen. His rage nearly
overwhelms the knowledge that Morna would never forgive him if he
killed her daughter. He snarls at Aideen and looks back to Morna.
The three healers are examining her, and discussing the best
treatment options.