by Audra Hart
Maria and Rodrigo sharply draw a breath at her words. Morna doesn’t realize just how accurate her assessment truly is. Rodrigo smiles and says, “I see why my mother and my son are so devoted to you. Despite the fact that you and your mate are both vampires, you radiate goodness. I am so grateful that my little brother, Montoya, had told me about his time with you two. He called you little sister, did you know that?”
“Yes, that is what he called me for years. I called him my brother. In that incarnation, we even looked enough alike to be mistaken for siblings. I was born a petite Mexican girl in that life time,” Morna says with a chuckle.
“Montoya said that you were lovely on the outside, but truly beautiful on the inside. Montoya would have laid his life down for you.” Rodrigo says sadly, obviously thinking about the way his brother died at the hands of a vampire army in Mexico during the southern vampire wars. “He told me that you nearly died protecting him from a grizzly bear that had been infected by a vampire. He was in awe of your skill as a warrior. I suspect your skills supersede that incarnation now.”
Morna chuckles, “Perhaps.” She turns her head toward the tent flap and says, “Our refreshments are here.” Surt enters and serves everyone present, except for Luca who has taken a position in a chair near his wife, and is watching the Stone Breaker carefully.
Surt hands the large glass of blood to Morna and sets her frosty coke in a can, and an empty saucer on the coffee table before her. “Madam, may I get anything else for you? Would you like some food?”
Morna smiles and indicates the glass in her hands. “Surt, this is all I need for now. Thank you. Please go get some rest. We will not require anything else tonight.” Surt smiles fondly at Morna and nods before exiting the tent.
Morna erects a buffer spell and turns to face Rodrigo. She smiles at him and then indicates the tall glass in her hand. “Does this offend you, Stone Breaker?”
“No madam. I know you need the sustenance. I also know you would never kill a human for that sustenance,” Rodrigo says quietly.
“Rodrigo, I tore the throat out of my enemy this very morning in the realm of Mars, the Roman god of war.” Morna says honestly, with more than a little twinge of guilt over her viciousness against the witch.
“But, you did not feed on the vile witch. I would be able to sense it if you had. Morna, I can sense every being whose life you ever ended, in all your incarnations. Killing imprints on the soul. I have rare abilities.” Rodrigo says honestly. “You have never enjoyed killing any sentient being. You may be exhilarated by battle, but you don’t relish in taking life. You feel shame that you need the blood to sustain you, and that is a waste of your energy and emotion. There is no reason for you to feel shame over this.”
Morna carefully evaluates the man sitting before her. “Rodrigo, I sense that you are a good man, but you have a very, very dark side. You have murdered in rage, and relished in the taking of life. It tortures you that you have done it, and I think you are seeking my help to stop. I just can’t imagine how it is that I might be able to help.” Morna drains her glass and sets it on the table. She covers it with the saucer that Surt brought for that purpose. She smiles that her staff is so closely in tune with her habits in such a short time.
Rodrigo tears his eyes away from Morna’s lovely face and looks at Lucian and chuckles softly. “Lord Lucian, forgive my interference, but I have to tell her. You know that she would want to know.”
Rodrigo leans forward and whispers in Morna’s ear so quietly that only Morna and Luca can hear; “Morna do you realize how hotly your mate’s passion burns for you when he watches you drink blood? His nature craves to kiss you deeply and taste the blood on your lips, and find the overwhelming ecstasy your body gives him.” Rodrigo pulls back and chuckles softly because of the bright blush that colors her cheeks.
Morna looks at Lucian questioningly; he nods slightly to acknowledge the truth of Rodrigo’s words. The fire rages in her body and it momentarily takes all of her concentration to bank the conflagration, and regain her absolute control over herself. A split second later Morna has total control over herself again and looks at Rodrigo. “Your unusual skill set makes you very, very good at playing with people’s heads.”
“I wasn’t playing with your head, Lady Morna. I truly believed you would want to know. But yes, my talents make me very good at getting into the mind of my enemies.” Rodrigo confesses. “But I did want to know if you are still human enough and modest enough to blush at that bit of information.” Rodrigo chortles and says, “I found your reaction enchanting and amazing. You regained control over yourself faster than any person I have ever provoked. I suspect you can control rage just as quickly.”
“She does.” Maria assures her son. “Now Rodrigo, quit showing off and tell my friend why we are here. We are ruining their honeymoon. We damned well should get to the point.”
Rodrigo sighs, and says, “Yes mother, you are right. Morna please forgive me. I was distracted by you. You are so much more than I was expecting. Your mate told me in this very glen over a year ago that you were amazing. He spoke truly.”
Morna looks at her mate and wonders about that conversation, but she quickly returns her attention to Rodrigo. “I know you need my help, so tell me exactly what you need from me.”
“When I was young and in training to become the head shaman of our Order, I was attacked by a wolf that had been bitten by a vampire. The resulting beast is what is known as a blood wolf. They are vicious, blood thirsty beasts that attack and ravage beasts and humans alike. I destroyed this animal but not before it bit me. I was very ill for many months. My mother worked tirelessly to heal me. I survived the bite, but it changed me forever.” Rodrigo tells Morna.
“I assume you had ascended before this attack?” Morna asks.
“Yes, I ascended at seventeen. This attack occurred when I was twenty-one.” Rodrigo says quietly.
“Impressive. My sister, my daughter and I all ascended at age 19, but we had been in training from a very young age. Was it thus with you?” Morna asks.
“No. Mother had no wish to embrace the magic of our heritage for many years. I ascended spontaneously, like you did in this incarnation. After my ascension, mother realized it was not wise to not know how to control our abilities, so she embraced the ways of our people. She ascended when I was twenty.” Rodrigo says softly.
Morna looks at Maria and understands why she looks as though she was in her thirties when she ascended. “Maria, dear lady, just how old were you when you ascended?” Morna asks curiously.
“I was fifty-five.” Maria chuckles. “I was a very late bloomer.”
Morna chuckles and says, “Well you were a lovely fifty-five year old.”
“And you were a remarkably beautiful forty-nine year old.” Luca says quietly.
“You are biased, my love,” Morna says with a self-deprecating scoff. Morna returns her attention to Maria, “Odin called you a young girl when he talked about your affair.”
“I was sixteen when we began our affair. We were lovers for nineteen years.” Maria admits with a smile.
Morna smiles as she imagines how passionate the pair of them must have been in those days. She returns her attention to Rodrigo and is surprised that he is looking at Luca intently. Morna looks at him as well, and wonders what is going on.
“Morna, our guest believes I should tell you that whenever you say or do something that bothers me. I don’t think it is worth mentioning, but he insists that you would truly want to know. That you always want to have all the information, even when it’s not pleasant. I know that is true about you, so I will follow his advice and tell you that you should not dismiss me when I say complimentary things about you. As Deidra you were beautiful. Your inner beauty radiated from you like a beacon. Even when your face and body were ravaged from the crash. I know how humble you truly are Morna, but don’t dismiss me as being biased when I say you are lovely. I may adore you, but I also have eyes to see what is right before me,” Luca says quietl
y.
Morna’s heart contracts at the thought of negligently hurting her mate like that, and leans over to kiss her mate gently before saying, “Fair enough, darling. I promise to guard against that habit in the future.” Luca smiles and nods and the couple returns their attention to Rodrigo.
Rodrigo smiles happily. “Today is one of the rare days in which I truly enjoy being an empathic. Thank you!”
Luca squeezes his mate’s hand and says, “Rodrigo, my curious mate sidetracked you from what you came to tell us, please continue.”
Rodrigo smiles sadly and says, “Well, I told you that the bite of the blood wolf had changed me permanently, and it did. On every full moon I am transformed into a blood thirsty beast who will kill indiscriminately for three nights until the curse lifts as the cycle of the moon progresses. Over the centuries I had learned how to place myself in a spell that keeps me immobilized until the change passes, but the last few cycles I have escaped my measures. I have murdered three people in Eire, and ravaged several flocks of sheep. Morna, I have tried several times over the years to kill myself, to end the curse. I have tried repeatedly to cure myself, it’s all been futile. I need your help.”
“Please don’t tell me that you want me to kill you? I am not willing to do that. We can surely devise something that you can’t escape from when the change is upon you. I can’t kill you because of what you might do,” Morna says sincerely.
“Morna I am not asking you to kill me, or even to devise a method to keep me from murdering innocents. But both would be preferable if you are unable to help me with the cure.” Rodrigo says quietly.
“What cure? I am not a powerful healer. We do have many powerful healers in our Guild, and I could enlist the aid of healers from Asgard…” Morna is quickly warming up to this when Rodrigo holds up his hand.
“Forgive me, Madam. Let me finish my explanation. I have been having visions for six months of a valiant warrior who cures me. Over the last two months the visions have become more defined, I was seeing a valiant woman warrior leading a small but powerful force. When I saw you here in this glen after you battled the Trolls, I knew that you were the one who could cure me. I nearly came forward that day, but I saw George and was reluctant to come to him in front of strangers. My absence has hurt my son a great deal over the years, and I confess I was cowardly about seeing him.” Rodrigo looks solemnly at his son and falls silent for a moment.
The tormented Stone Breaker sighs and continues; “I wasn’t sure how you could cure me until last night, I received the final bit of information about the cure in yet another vision.”
Rodrigo sighs again and looks at his mother, “I can’t ask this of her, Mother. I have no right. I should leave. The full moon will be upon me in five days. I should go make arrangements to keep me from harming anyone.”
Rodrigo starts to stand up when Maria orders, “Sit down Rodrigo. I am not just your mother, I am your spiritual leader, and I am telling you, she will want to help. Tell her what you need.”
Morna takes Rodrigo’s hands and pulls gently until he is again sitting beside her. “We are bound by your connection to Odin. More importantly we are bound by your connection to George and Maria. I love them deeply and value their power and wisdom. If they think I can help, I want to help. Besides, it is my duty to protect the mortals of Eire and Wales. At the very least, I must keep you restrained when the change comes upon you,” Morna says quietly.
Rodrigo looks at Luca and gulps. Morna quickly understands and places a calming hand on her beloved. “Luca will not harm you. Tell us what you need.”
“I am not afraid of him hurting me. I am troubled that I must ask something like this of the one that he loves as he loves you. I have never felt a love so strong as what I feel between you two,” Rodrigo says honestly.
“Rodrigo, I promised Morna I would hear you out. You have nothing to fear from me for speaking of your need. Just don’t expect me to allow anything that is harmful to her or our babe. I heard enough from you earlier as you spoke to your mother to have a very good idea what you plan to ask for,” Luca says flatly, unemotionally.
“Astounding! I have never met anyone that could completely just shut their emotions off like that. But you don’t shut them off do you? You shut them away… Amazing. Sorry, I am so very intrigued by the both of you.” Rodrigo confesses. He takes a deep breath and looks at Morna, “Madam, if I were to feed on your blood as you carry this child, I would be cured.”
Morna nods and says, “How much of my blood would you need to drink and by what method would you need to drink the blood. I mean would you have to bite me, or could we simply extract the blood and allow you to drink it like I do, from a cup?”
“In the vision I…” Rodrigo looks at Luca and then says, “I should not need to drink it from your body, drinking your donated blood from a cup should suffice. As to how much? Well, I am not sure about that. I just know that in my visions, I drank your blood three days in a row.” Rodrigo says quietly. “In my visions, you perform a healing rite, cut your arm and I drink deeply.”
“No, that is too much for Morna to do safely,” Luca says flatly.
Rodrigo ducks his head and says, “Sir, I understand completely.”
Morna turns to Luca and says, “Darling, you have the final decision in this matter. I will not argue with your final decision. But at this moment, we do not have all the facts, all the information we need to decide. If we cannot safely do this, I will abide by your decision to refuse to help Rodrigo. But we simply don’t know enough right now to refuse.”
Luca nods, conceding her point and Morna stands to speak to Ingrid. “We need to assemble our most powerful healers at the Healer’s Hall in Asgard. Please get permission from Odin and Mordir for this. And then summon Elias, Gullveig, Micah, Reagan, Breena, Rinda, Aideen, Kylor, and Collingwood to the Healer’s Hall. Obviously, Maria and George will need to be there. Also, I think Nora, Aiden, Kyle and Sammy should be there as well. If nothing else, they should have an opportunity to voice their opinions. I will call Fionn, Carrick, Brian and Shamus the Elder and ask them to help us keep him from harming anyone, either by devising a spell that he cannot get out of or to stand guard over him during the change should we not be able to help with the cure.”
Morna takes Luca’s hand and says, “Love? Are you alright with my plans?”
“Yes Morna, especially the latter part.” He takes her hand and says, “Okay Baby, let us get this show on the road.”
Morna kisses her mate and turns to offer her hand to her distant Uncle. “Come Rodrigo. The healers will want to examine both of us, extensively. We only have five days until the full moon, and according to our daughter Nora, we only have seven days until Madigan is born. We have twenty four hours to make a decision before we need to start the treatments.”
Ingrid says, “Annie will be here in a minute to travel to Asgard with you. I will follow behind when I have contacted everyone you requested, and have gotten Brynhold started on returning your glen to its former unspoiled glory.”
Morna laughs and says, “I am sure that Brynhold doesn’t need you to get him started, but I understand what it is like to be afflicted with the Wonder Woman complex.”
“I am like a comic book character?” Ingrid says in disbelief.
“I am too, my friend. We try to be all things to all people, and are determined to make sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to do, and doing it in the right way. You have no idea how hard I have struggled as I allowed you to handle so many matters for me,” Morna admits with a self-deprecating laugh.
Ingrid looks at Luca and he nods his agreement. “She has always been thus. It has amazed me how much she has relied on you. It is a testament to your abilities that she is so confident in you.” Luca says with an open smile. “She doesn’t consider you a comic book character. Not at all.”
Ingrid smiles and says, “Well, three cheers for the sisterhood of the Wonder Women!” She winks at Morna and walks out of the tent to s
ee to her duties without giving another thought to the matter.
Annie arrives several seconds later. She is wearing jeans and an old ratty concert tee shirt with a large, leather gym bag hanging off of her shoulder. Morna smiles because she knows that the bag contains her sword, and shield and probably her leather breastplate.
Morna moves to introduce Annie to Rodrigo, but he speaks up. “We met. She challenged me when I arrived earlier to speak to my mother. If Archer had not been with me and Maria had not spoken up for me, she would have chased me back through the gateway. She is a warrior worthy to serve with you, Madam.”
Morna chuckles and says, “Yes, she is also my friend and my niece. And your distant niece as well. She is Valliant’s granddaughter. In fact, she is actually biologically related to you, whereas I am not. In my last incarnation I was not born of a bloodline descended from Odin. We are not blood kin, but kin nonetheless.” Morna smiles when Rodrigo smiles with shy pride.
The group quickly makes their way to the Healer’s Hall after requesting permission from Heimdall. Mordir eagerly meets them. “Ingrid explained the basics of what we are looking for, but I need more information.” He leads them into the hall and a team of Asgardian healers descend and begins drawing blood from both subjects, and examining them. Reagan, Elias and Gullveig take over the examinations of Morna.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After two hours Annie brings Morna some more blood. She had been listening to the healers examining Rodrigo and the healers that have been examining Morna. “Morna, may I make a suggestion?” When Morna nods, Annie continues, “Lou should be here, too. He is not a medical doctor, but he is fascinated by nanobot technology. Anything that Lou is fascinated by, he makes a point of becoming very knowledgeable about. Some of the things they have been saying about your blood reminds me of the things he says about nanobots.”
Mordir overhears that comment and says, “Of course! Why did I not see that before? Morna your blood is making antibodies that function much like nanobots. They are destroying things that are harmful to you and the baby, but are building up the baby and strengthening your body. These antibodies are wholly organic and magical in origin, but their function amaze and confound me. I would be very interested to see what someone more knowledgeable about nanobots would have to say about your blood. I really want to understand by what mechanism her blood might cure Rodrigo.”