Lost Wanderer Awakened - Book One of the Airendell Chronicles (65 page)

“I think it does,” she says quietly. “My gaps
in my memory worry me. However, my short term memory seems to be
fully functional. And one bit of information always seems to
trigger recall of other bits. Just like you talking about the
rainbows and such, I can now recall how to do those,” she says as
she points upwards toward a tiny rainbow that materializes above
their heads. “And now I clearly recall how to do a buffer spell,
which I could not recall just a short time ago. But I will
certainly heed the core message of your advice, follow the
evidence, but also pay attention to my gut. Analysis and intuition
as partners. Essentially, yes?”

“Yes Pretty Morna!” Elias says excitedly.
Then he quickly kisses her cheek and hugs her exuberantly . “You
can’t imagine how much I have missed you, my favorite
godmother!”

Luca and the rest of their friends come in
just in time to see Elias kiss her cheek and hear his last remark.
Brian chuckles. “Just like the old days!” and he pats Elias on the
back. “Son, I can see you are happy to have our Morna back with
us!”

Enya looks at Morna and says, “What beautiful
Amazon you are Mo! Then she looks at Luca and says, “I thought she
was almost 50 in this lifetime. She doesn’t look a day over
25.”

Morna scoffs and gets up from the bed. She
goes around and hugs all her dear friends. After the friends had
all spent a couple of hours catching up, Rinda, Enya, and Carrick
decide to go to town to get food.

“Where is Fionn?” Morna asks.

“He should be here later tonight,” offers
Bronwyn. “He has a hotrod shop in California. He’s driving
out.”

Elias comes up to Luca and quietly asks if he
is having any problems maintaining the spell. “No,” replies Luca,
“But at times it feels like something is prodding at it from the
outside, trying to find a weakness. I can only assume it is the
spell, or the person who sent the spell. I am worried. I hope the
Shaman can help.”

Damian has gone over to Morna. “Ma’am how are
you feeling?”

“Damian, please call me Morna, or you can
even call me Mother like you did earlier. Just don’t call me ma’am
all the time. It makes me feel ancient, which I guess I kind of am,
but you know what I mean.” She laughs feeling silly for her
outburst.

“Morna, Enya is right, you look much younger
than you did when I first met you. Not that you looked old then…
Crap, I am making a mess out of this!” mutters Damian.

Morna hugs him and says, “No you aren’t
Damian, thank you.”

“I must admit I am relieved that you don’t
smell so delicious any more. You don’t smell bad, very appealing,
in fact, just not in a way that makes me so extremely thirsty.”
Damian stammers.

Brian looks at the young vampire very
thoughtfully and says, “You mean to tell me that you accepted an
assignment as her bonded protector even though you, yourself,
thirsted for her blood?”

“Easy Brian,” cautions Morna. “Damian would
never have hurt me.”

“I assume that is correct Morna. He seems a
very honorable and stalwart man. My sons said he was ready to rip
Lucian’s head off when he found out you had been exposed to vampire
venom.” Brian informs Morna. “I am just amazed at his level of
commitment to you that he would accept the assignment when just
being around you made him, what did he call it? Thirsty, yes that
was it.”

Morna reaches out to pat Damian’s cheek. “He
is a special young man. I am honored to call him my son, my friend
and my bonded protector.”

Just then Samantha wanders over to sit with
them. “Morna, I haven’t had a single vision since I have been in
here. Do you think this place blocks them?”

“No, I suspect there just isn’t anything to
see yet.” Morna assures her.

Samantha hugs her, “I was scared when I saw
you collapse earlier. Really scared!”

“I am fine,” Morna assures her. “Let’s go set
up the bedrooms. I am happy to find there is an entire barracks
here. I was never aware of that on the times that I had been here
before, at least I don’t recall being aware of it.” She shakes her
head as though to clear it.

“I was going to go hunt and do some
reconnaissance.” says Damian.

“Check with Luca first, please. I want us
going out in pairs only until we have an idea what we are up
against.” Morna instructs.

Luca meets her eyes from across the room
where he is talking to Aideen. They come across the room to Morna,
Brian, Damian and Samantha. “Luca, Damian needs to hunt, can you go
with him?”

“Morna, I know you don’t want anyone going
out alone, but I don’t want to leave you,” Luca admits.

“Luca… if you won’t go with him, then someone
will have to weave the iron-lion and a hiding spell and follow
along. I don’t think anyone should be out there alone.” insists
Morna.

Aideen pipes up, “I can do that! I have done
it with Daddy.” She realizes too late that she has revealed too
much in front of her father and covers her mouth.

“Dammit Aideen! You are just as stubborn,
foolhardy and reckless as your mother!” Luca rants. “God, please
save me from rash, stubborn, imprudent women!” Aideen flinches at
her father’s angry words and demeanor.

Morna stands up abruptly. “Luca, that is
enough! She’s a grown woman, just like I am. She knows what she is
capable of. We can send a third person out if you worry she will
lapse in her concentration. But if she has done it before, I see no
reason she can’t do it again.” Morna reaches up to stroke her
mate’s cheek. “Darling I am sorry, but you can’t protect us from
everything. You have to let us be who we are.” Luca sighs and nods
his head slightly.

Morna turns from Luca to face the rest of the
group. “Anyone else up to watching a vamp hunt and then doing a
little recon?” Morna asks.

Breena and Bronwyn both volunteer. “Hell, all
three of you ladies go. Have fun, it’s an interesting experience, I
promise. But be careful, not just of Damian, we don’t know who else
is out there, so be vigilant!” reminds Morna sternly.

“Really Morna? I have to have three
babysitters?” Damian says exasperated.

Morna leans in and whispers in his ear, “They
aren’t babysitters darling. None of them see you as a child.
Believe me!”

After they all leave and others return with
food. Luca finds Morna in what has been designated as their
quarters. “How are you feeling love? Do you need to sleep,
eat?”

“Probably both, but first I need to say I am
sorry. I should not have reproved you like that in front of
everyone else.” She apologizes shyly.

“I had it coming,” Luca disagrees. “But
honestly, I know I baby Aideen too much. I think I just try to make
for being gone so much when she was coming up.”

“I understand, I have been tempted to do the
same. Not baby her exactly, but to excuse her self-centeredness
because I feel guilty for not being a proper mother to her, but I
must be a mother and leader to her now, so I can’t.”

“Okay, okay.” Luca sighs and rubs his face.
“Speaking of our children; I don’t think Damian understood what you
were telling him earlier.”

“Probably not. He has no idea how beautiful
he is and how appealing he is to the young ladies.” Morna laughs.
“He has no idea that Breena and Aideen both would gladly risk being
that close to a vamp just for a roll in the hay.”

Luca looks shocked at her words. “Really, you
think they would risk that?”

“Breena much, much more than Aideen. But
Luca, you just don’t realize how much your kind appeal to human
women sexually. It’s obvious that they are both very, very
attracted to him. Aideen is a grown woman, after all. And we are
passionate people. And we have to be risk takers to do what we do.”
Morna says as she wraps her arms around her mate.

“Morna is that my appeal to you? That I am a
blood drinking monster, I mean?” Luca asks quietly.

“Lucian Michaels! Think back, my beloved. How
much peace did you ever have around me? Have I not always been a
passionate wanton with you?” When he smiles, she continues. “Don’t
get me wrong, the added physical prowess is nice, very nice. And I
am completely content with you as my husband and lover and cohort
in battle and everything else. But the same was true before your
change. I am honored to have you has my mate, whatever type of
being you might be. Because the man you are has never changed, no
matter what your body becomes. If I had to choose which version of
you to spend eternity with, I would not be able to decide.” Morna
wraps her body around his and growls in her need. “I can’t believe
how much I want you, all the time!”

“Me too Morna,” Luca admits. “Just knowing I
won’t hurt you has freed me so much. I burn for you hotter than I
ever have. It’s very liberating.”

“We better change the subject for a moment.
We need to plan.” Morna steps back, all business now. “I think we
need to contact Ari and my father. Everyone needs to be here by in
the morning, at the latest to evaluate what we know, what we need
to know, and how to proceed from here.”

Morna, your father came while you were
resting earlier. But he has gone out looking for Mulder and
evidence of what happened to Mulder’s son and grandson. He will be
back soon.”

“Who is with him?” Morna asks.

“Two of your half-brothers, Raider and
Sailor, I believe.” They seemed like competent men.”

Morna chuckles. “I am glad my father didn’t
name me. I would probably be called Explorer or Wanderer or
something silly like that.”

“Your father told me that he had bribed a
Sprite to whisper the name Morna to your daddy Neill when you were
born. So essentially, he did name you.” Said Luca.

“Hmmm, interesting.” says Morna. “Okay, what
about Almeda and Ari, can they come?”

“They should be here soon. But I want you to
sleep for a while before they get here. You were attacked pretty
hard today, and you were already tired before that.” he reminds
her.

“In a bit” she says a little impatiently.

He pulls her into his arms and kisses her
soundly. He caresses her neck and shoulders, then works his way
down her back to cup her butt none too gently. By the time he ends
the kiss she has wrapped her body around his. She is breathing hard
and feels like she is consumed with wanting him. Luca sets her away
from him gently, and chuckles smugly.

“Was that to keep me in line?” she asks with
a grin once she catches her breath and controls the fires inside
her somewhat.

“Probably, just a bit. But mostly just cause
I want to touch you like that all the time… but you do need to
sleep.” Luca asserts again.

Okay, I will if you stay with me.” she
says.

“Morna if I stay with you, we will end up
making love…”

“Yes, we will, and then I will sleep like an
angel.” she quips. And then she reaches for him and pulls him down
on the bed with her.

Out in the dining area, Enya elbows her mate
Carrick. “Did you feel that buffer spell go up? I bet I know what
they are doing.” she whispers, and the couple stealthily slips off
for their own tryst in their quarters.

Morna sleeps four hours and when she wakes up
she is surprised to find Sammy curled up next to her. She gently
strokes Sammy’s cheek and then slips out of bed quietly and goes to
find Luca. She finds him on guard duty with Damian at the entrance
to the gateway. It’s a beautiful early spring night outside the
gateway. Morna can feel the crispness in the chilly air and see the
stars twinkling brightly in the sky. A few more days like today and
the tree frogs will be out in full force she thinks to herself. She
looks back at the faint golden glow from whence she came, and
misses the emerald glow of her home gate at Airendell.

She comes up behind Luca and wraps her arms
around him. “What is up with Sammy?” she asks.

“She’s scared for you Morna,” says Luca. “I
think we all are. You should go back to sleep,” he urges.

“I will, I just need to eat and drink. I am
ravenous. Speaking of ravenous, Damian did your hunt go well?”
Morna asks.

“I had to go a long ways out to feed, there
was a group of kids getting wasted close by. But yeah, it went
okay. But Breena has been watching me funny ever since we got
back.” Damian says. Morna and Luca chuckle.

“Don’t worry about it Damian. She will sort
it out. For us, watching the process of your kind hunting evokes
some complicated feelings for us.” Morna explains. “But I assume
you found nothing on your recon mission?”

“Nope, not a magical soul out there that we
could tell. Bronwyn taught me some tricks to help me spot signs of
magic. She’s awesome!” Damian says with obvious admiration.

“Yes, she certainly is. She is an excellent
teacher. She is one of my best warriors and instructors too. Even a
vampire with lots of fighting experience wouldn’t want to go up
against her, I can tell you that.” Morna assures him.

“Aideen and Breena could use some coaching in
stealth and defense though.” Damian says. “At one point when I was
hunting, I smelled Breena for a few seconds. I am glad she got her
spells back under control pretty quickly. It would have been bad if
I had turned to hunt her.”

“You smelled her and didn’t hunt her?” asked
Luca, clearly impressed.

“Yeah, but like I said she got it under wraps
real fast.” reminded Damian.

“It is still impressive you didn’t start to
hunt her, believe me. Perhaps you don’t find her blood scent that
appealing?” asks Luca skeptically.

“It made me thirsty, but she also appeals in
another way, a way I wasn’t expecting…” Damian trails off. Morna
and Luca exchange knowing looks. “She is very beautiful isn’t she?
And she seems really smart and nice too.”

“Yes, she is all of those things.” agrees
Luca. Then he changes the subject. “Morna, please go eat and go
back to bed.” He kisses her lightly, turns her around and swats her
ample rump. Morna wags her backside playfully at him as she walks
back into the living quarters.