Lost Wanderer Awakened - Book One of the Airendell Chronicles (55 page)

She is starting to realize she is truly
changed in some way; she is growing fearful about what this change
might mean, when a knock sounds at the door of their suite. She
rushes out to join Luca. They look each other in the eyes. He takes
her hand, she shudders as desire spreads through her body like a
wildfire, and they walk toward the door. Both are slightly fearful,
but determined to face whatever comes next. Together, united, and
strong.

Luca opens the door to Almeda and Ari. Ari’s
serene countenance changes instantly to one of shock. Almeda gasps
and steps quickly into the room. She takes Morna by the hands and
leads her into the bedroom and shuts the door securely behind them.
She turns to Morna and places her hands on either side of her face,
places her forehead against Morna’s and asks, “What did you have
him do to you child?”

Morna blushes, and Almeda says, “Never mind.
My mate is long since gone. I suspect I really don’t want to know
the details.” She laughs heartily as Morna‘s blush becomes even
brighter.

She steps back and holds her hands splayed
out in front of Morna. She starts at Morna’s head and works her way
down to her feet. She stands up and says, “Well, I am not sure if
you are human anymore, but you are not a vampire. That’s clear.
Your aura is still clear. Your mixed heritage, warrior persona, the
magic of the Talismans that resides in your body, and this new
development have created something I don’t believe has ever existed
before.”

Almeda lets her hands fall to her side and
looks thoughtful. “Hmmmm, let’s see, how do we progress from here.
Link with Breena and Aideen. Get them over here as soon as
possible. I am going to go reassure those boys in the other room.
Ari is shocked. You have to remember he was only seven years old
when he ascended. He will never comprehend the passion that exists
between you and your mate. But he won’t judge it either,” Almeda
assures Morna.

“Luca is absolutely beside himself. He thinks
he has defiled you. On the contrary, I think he may have solved
many of our problems, or at least given you the ability to solve
them,” Almeda continues thoughtfully. She takes Morna’s hand and
gives her a little squeeze. “It’s okay child. Do as I asked you.
Then come back to the sitting room.”

Almeda quickly goes into the sitting room and
embraces Luca. “Rest easy child, she is fine. You have not created
some monster as I am sure you fear. She’s still Morna… just
different. I think this may have solved some of the issues we have
been facing. Sit, please.” She indicates the sofa.

She extends her hand to her son Ari. He takes
it lightly in his own. He looks at his mother thoughtfully. “Oh, I
see“, he says quietly. He releases his mother’s hand and looks at
Luca. “I can know all of Mother’s thoughts with just a touch of her
hand.” Ari explains to Luca. “Morna’s aura is still pure and
powerful. But somehow, you have imbued her with all your positive
physical characteristics. Mother thinks she may even be stronger
physically than you are now. Her mental abilities are probably
greatly enhanced as well. Astonishing!”

Morna comes into the sitting room.
“Surprising, but the link is two way now. They can speak to me.
Fortunately, its only communication, not a total transfer of
everything I see, hear and feel. They just hear me and I hear them,
almost like telepathy,” she relates to the trio as she sits beside
Luca. Almeda is looking thoughtful at this new development.

“It’s not telepathy, this connection requires
both parties to be magical beings. Telepathy does not. It’s a
psychic ability, not a magical one,” Ari informs them. Morna shakes
her head and wonders how that information is relevant to their
current situation, but says nothing.

A knock sounds on the door, “That’s probably
Breena,” says Luca. He opens the door and she looks at him, very
confused. Then she looks over to Morna. “Are you okay? We have been
so worried,“ she demands. Morna tosses her head towards the door to
the bedroom, and hooks her hand at Breena, indicating she should
follow her through the door. She gets up and leads the way into the
other room. As an afterthought, she excuses herself from the room
in general saying, “We will be back in a few minutes. Oh, by the
way, Aideen was in surgery, it will be a while before she can join
us.”

After Morna and Breena have exited the room,
Luca leans back and exhales loudly. He rubs his hands across his
face and then drags his fingers through hair. “How do I explain
what I have done to Aideen?” He groans.

Almeda walks over and puts her hands on his
shoulders, “My child, do not explain anything to her. We will just
tell her that Morna’s condition is evolving. If she by some freak
chance figures it on her own, so be it. But otherwise, it really
isn’t anyone’s business. Morna is your mate. Your lives are your
business, and your’s alone. And rest easy. Morna is fine, in fact,
she is better than fine.”

Luca seems somewhat comforted by Almeda’s
words. Then Ari’s says, “Luca, why don’t you call Brigid and ask
her to come over here? We need to make plans.” Then Ari looks at
his mother and says, “I think the ascension is just a formality
now, don’t you?”

Almeda nods, “Yes, but she still needs to go
through the steps and hear the lore again.”

Luca looks up from his telephone conversation
and says, “Hasn’t she done enough for right now? I can’t stand to
see her in any more pain.”

Ari speaks up, firmly but kindly, “Luca, we
doubt the kind of attacks she has endured up now can reach her
anymore. She has nearly full control over every aspect of her mind.
It is our hope that she can effectively keep the fiend out, never
fear. Unless the attacker somehow enhances his abilities, perhaps
joining forces with someone else.” Ari looks thoughtful and then
realizes Luca is looking at him strangely. “I apologize, I am just
speculating out loud. But I am confident that Morna will be fine
now.”

Luca looks doubtful, but nods and goes back
to speaking to Brigid on the phone.

In the bathroom, Morna is whispering to
Breena, hoping against hope that Luca cannot hear her. But she has
to tell her sister. She needs her sister’s insight into what has
happened. “You won’t believe what happened!”

Breena leans in and whispers, “Luca called
me. He was frantic. He said that he bit you, on accident. He was
convinced that you were changing into a vampire! You look
different, but you don’t look like a vamp. What’s going on?”

“He didn‘t bite me exactly. We were
too…distracted…” her voice trails off and understanding illuminates
Breena’s face.

“Well, no wonder he is so upset.” Breena says
thoughtfully.

“Well it wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t
so, so enthusiastic. Breena it was like my body had a mind of its
own. I was compelled to take risks we normally wouldn‘t. I
desperately needed for him to bite me, to get his venom in my
body,” Morna moans. “My poor Luca.”

“What did you do Morna?” Bree asks
gently.

Morna blushes and ducks her head. Breena
laughs and says, “Well you definitely are not a vampire, you
blushed bright red. But you are a fire cracker aren’t you? Your
poor Luca, indeed!”

Morna looks hard at her sister, “Keep what
you just pieced together to yourself, okay? I’d die if Aideen
knew.”

“Yeeesh, sis, I wouldn’t tell anyone. I am
kind of proud of you. You are fearless, you love that man and you
just go full throttle forward with him all the time. It’s pretty
cool. While I on the other hand, am afraid to even look for someone
to love.”

“Yes, but I often go too far. Push him too
hard,” Morna laments. “I bet he is out of his mind with worry. He
always worries too much about me.” Breena hugs her sister, not
knowing what to say to that.

“Well, let’s get back out there,” suggests
Breena. Morna nods and they join the others in the sitting room.
The sisters sit on either side of Luca. Luca takes Morna’s hand in
his. He feels her quiver ever so slightly at his touch. He smiles
slightly, thinking “She’s finally getting a look at what my life
with her is like.” He feels Breena’s head snap up and turn to look
at them when the desire floods through his mate and himself.

Almeda looks at the pair of lovers and
smiles. Her empathic abilities are nearly overwhelmed by the love
and sexual excitement she feels from the pair, and knows that
Breena is experiencing the same emotions and feelings that she is.
And then she draws a deep breath and exhales slowly, framing her
next words carefully. “We have to talk about Aideen before she
arrives.”

Morna and Luca look up at Almeda, wondering
what she means. Almeda continues, “I got a pretty good look at
Aideen’s situation from all three of you. Her jealousy toward her
mother concerns me. I am no longer certain she is the right one to
act as Morna’s lore mother and guide. She is more powerful than
Breena, but Breena’s feelings toward Morna are more pure.” When
Morna and Luca look as though they are about to argue about Aideen,
Almeda puts her hand up to stop them. “Peace children. I am not
saying your daughter is impure or bad in anyway, she has just had
to grow up without the opportunity to build a real mother-daughter
bond with Morna. The bond between Breena and Morna would be much
more suitable.”

Morna is saddened by this but at the same
time relieved. She would be much more comfortable being vulnerable
with her sister than with her daughter. The process of preparing
for ascension leaves the recipient wide open, exposed. She nods her
acceptance of Almeda’s words. Luca too sees the logic, but doesn’t
like it. He looks at Morna to try to guess what her deepest
feelings toward their daughter really are. She squeezes his hand
reassuringly.

Ari speaks now, “Morna’s training and
ascension rite are top priority. Breena, you must accompany them to
their home. Luca and Morna must return to Oklahoma, to be near that
gateway. There must be a reason why she was born into this
vicinity.”

“There is a gateway in Oklahoma?” Breena asks
Ari.

“Yes, near Robber’s Cave. It was unguarded
for many years when Mulder was sickened. That was reason for all
the outlaw activity that flourished in that area‘s history when
America was a young country. Evil beings from the underworld roamed
the area unchecked. Evil men were drawn to the vicinity like a moth
to the flame,” informs Ari.

Breena chuckles at the thought of Jesse
James, Cole Younger, Belle Starr and others of their ilk rubbing
shoulders with evil beings of middle and inner worlds without
knowing it.

Morna is silent while she considers this,
then understanding shows on her face. She has vague memories of
working with Mulder and someone else to protect that gateway.
Almeda asks Morna, “Child, do you not remember yet?”

“It is coming, I think,” she says hesitantly.
Her face is wearing a look of deep concentration, I remember
Mulder, and he is one of the fifty-two children of the original Ari
and Almeda… Did they really produce a child a week for a solid
year?”

“Very good child,” says Almeda. “Yes, they
did. What else do you remember?”

“Valiant! My father!” She turns excitedly to
Luca and says, “When I am away from you, between lifetimes, I am
with my father. We have fought countless battles, side by side over
the years to protect the gateways. Father has assigned my
half-brother, Archer to permanently stand guard, just inside the
gate to Airendell, until I can break the curse and return. Archer
is Valiant’s son with a mortal named Rebecca from Killiarney. My
father certainly gets on well with the human ladies, doesn’t he?”
she asks Almeda.

Almeda chuckles, “Let’s just say you probably
come by your passionate nature very honestly. But to answer your
question, he has a total of thirteen children that he has conceived
with mortal and magical beings of Asgard, Eire and Wales. His most
recent addition is only three years old and still resides in the
care of his mother in Cork. He is very fond of that part of what we
call upper-world. Valiant and his kind call it Midgard.”

Morna looks at Almeda doubtfully, “So my
father and grand-father are truly gods?”

“No, they are just very powerful magical
beings. In ancient times, they would have seemed like gods to the
mortals. Some of those powerful beings even started to think of
themselves as gods. It caused the world a lot of grief. But Morna,
you know there is only one true God.” Almeda assures her. “He
allows all of his creations free will.”

“Speaking of powerful beings from ancient
times,” says Ari. “Luca it is time that you understand your true
heritage. Your father was a mortal, an Italian soldier named
Brutus. He fell in love with a lovely girl and conceived a child
with her. He did not know she was a Roman goddess. Your mother is
Bellona, a goddess of war. The name she gave you at birth was
Lucian Invictus Bellona, man of light, invincible, victorious at
war.”

“Her father Mars did not approve of the
association and forced Bellona to abandon you at that orphanage
when you were three years old. She had managed to keep you hidden
that long. But it is very difficult to keep secrets from one as
powerful as Mars.”

“It broke Bellona’s heart, but she continues
to watch over you. She loves you very much and approves of your
mate and how you live your life. Your mother is the reason why your
eyes are that strange luminescent blue. She bestowed the moonlight
blessing on you immediately after your change to vampire. She knew
your heart and understood your desire to not be a monster. The
blessing is to give you added strength to resist human blood, to be
a better man, and to give freedom to move about in sunlight.
However, I got a good look at who you truly are the other night on
the ridge, I don‘t think you would have ever hunted humans even
without that blessing. It just made it a little bit easier for
you,” Ari informs Luca.