by Audra Hart
When Damian goes with Bronwyn to patrol the area I go with Fionn, saying we should check the plain. But honestly, I just want to be with my friend. I seriously doubt what we will be attacked from Middle-world. Few beings are foolish enough to attack a force like ours in a stronghold this secure and protected by wards, but crazier things have been known to happen.
After we have scouted the perimeter we go back to hang out near the doorway. We sit on a massive rock and just sit in silence for a bit. Fionn takes my hand into his and says; “You okay, baby?”
“Yeah, but I am dreading the treatment option that I am sure they will go with. That venom is going to hurt like hell.”
“Won’t that turn her into a Stone Cold?” Fionn asks.
“No, I don’t think it will.” He looks at me skeptically so I tell him about the ruling class of the Chitimacha people. “They were Dragon descendants. Don’t ask me how Dragon descendants ended up in the New World. Even Cocidius the creator of the Dragon line claims to not know. But for centuries, they would capture Stone Colds and milk their venom before they killed them and made a potion with the venom that would drink to lengthen their lives and make them stronger. I think Morna is a Dragon descendent. I have always felt that way. She won‘t be changed anymore by the additional venom exposure, it will only heal her.”
Fionn nods, but doesn’t say anything for a minute and then he asks; “Is everything alright with you and lover boy?”
“Stop it, Fionn. I am not going to discuss my mate with you, especially not when you act like this.”
Fionn chuckles, “Fair enough, baby. Just promise me that if you feel threatened you will come to me.”
I look up at my friend and say; “If I ever truly felt threatened by Damian, I would go to Luca. I wouldn’t get you killed.” Fionn snorts to show me how much he appreciates my confidence in him.
“Stop it Fionn, it’s not about how big of a badass you are. I know what a Shifter, who happens to also be a Spell Weaver enforcer can do.” Fionn looks somewhat mollified. “Damian respects Luca. He could calm him down if were necessary. If I ran to you, it would probably cause one of you to end up dead. I won’t have that. You both mean too much to me.”
Fionn just nods and then tenses. I can feel Damian as he enters the plain behind us so I don’t have to ask what’s wrong. I turn and hold my hand out to my potential mate and he smiles hesitantly and takes my hand and joins us, sitting on our rock.
Fionn snorts and goes back into the common room. “He doesn’t think much of me, does he?” Damian asks.
“Yes, he does or he would never leave me alone with you. Fionn MacLeod and I have had each other’s backs for centuries. Just the fact that he leaves me with you speaks volumes, leannan, believe me.”
Damian nods like that makes sense to him. “I heard what you said about going to Luca if you ever felt threatened by me…” I nod waiting for him to continue. “I have watched you with Luca. Your actions and apparent feelings towards him confuse me, mon cher.”
I look up at Damian trying to understand what he means because he is hiding his emotions from me. “Are you in love with Luca?” he finally asks me outright.
I can’t help it that makes me laugh so hard I nearly double over and fall off the rock that we are sitting on. When I finally get a little control over myself I see that my laughter has hurt Damian. I reach out and cup his face, “No, leannan, I am not in love with my brother in law.” I smile at him. “I guess I can understand why you would ask. I probably talk about Luca a lot. I know I admire him more than almost any person I know, but love him, like you mean… no not at all.”
Damian just nods. I squeeze his hand and say, “We should go check on Morna. She may wake anytime.” As we enter the common room Luca darts to my side, “Morna, needs you.” He scoops me up and carries me to her room.
I was terrified she was in pain or something really awful because of Luca’s impatience to get me to my sister. But when we enter their chamber Morna is laughing as Luca sets me on my feet. When I find out what the big emergency was, I laugh too. “You have been mated to Luca for almost seven hundred years and you still can’t go to the bathroom in front of him?” Morna blushes and shakes her head no. I laugh, “Well, as far as I can tell, it’s your only vanity, so what the heck.”
After I help Morna we sit and talk quietly for a bit. “They will be here to treat the wound with Luca’s venom in a bit,” she says, with a hint of reluctance in her voice. I can feel the pain that’s she’s already experiencing and I know it’s nothing compared to what she will experience with the venom. I squeeze her hand before I walk over and open the door to let them know it is okay to come back in.
When Luca returns Rinda and Brigid follow close on his heels. Brigid administers a strong dose of a tranquilizer as Rinda starts a relaxation chant. Her voice is lovely and soothes my soul, and I hope it does Morna’s a well. Luca and I both hold her in binding spells to keep her still for the treatment.
Morna tried to get me to leave because of my strong empathic abilities, but I couldn’t abandon her when she would be facing so much pain. Besides, I would be able to feel her pain for hundreds of miles. I am very connected to Morna as my sister and my powers are especially strong with those I love. Being inside the Gateway also increases my gift. No, I might as well stay and help what little I can. There’s not going to be any escape for me.
Morna screams horribly at the first touch of the venom in the open wound, but quickly controls herself. I can feel the utter agony that she is experiencing as the nasty deep gouge in her side and the burn on her hand are treated with Luca’s venom. It is the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed. The wound heals right before my eyes, but Morna’s suffering intensifies as the venom works its way through her bloodstream.
We sit with Morna and monitor her for the next two hours until the pain begins to abate a bit and she asks Luca to lie with her. I slip out behind Brigid and Rinda. I am not surprised to find Damian waiting in the hallway. I know he could hear her racing heart and smell her physical reaction to the pain. He and Luca know as well as I do that Morna is suffering. I smile up at Damian, “She’s resting now with Luca.”
He looks relieved to hear that, and my heart melts with tenderness for the concern my potential mate has for my sister. Their bond is almost like the bond between a mother and child. It is so pure that I am truly moved.
I rub my face and say, “I think I will do the same.” I reach for his hand, “I know you don’t sleep, but would you like to come talk with me until I doze off.” I blush, I know that’s not very exciting, but I want to spend time with him. I want for us to get to know each other.
“I would like nothing better,” Damian assures me, sounding genuine, even eager. For a moment I wonder if he’s hoping to have sex. I hope not, we jumped in too fast before and now I am leery. I need to know Damian better before I can give myself to him like that. Especially in light of learning what he is into.
When we arrive at my room I remove my boots and crawl up onto the bed. I lie on my side, fully clothed on top of the covers and sigh contentedly when Damian spoons in behind me to pull me gently into his arms. “You fit my body perfectly, mon cher,” he whispers in my ear. I shiver because I was thinking exactly the same thing.
I don’t know how long we talk. He tells me about his sister, but avoids questions about his parents, especially his mother. I sense deep, painful emotions associated with his mom, so I don’t push it. And soon he is asking me about my work with soldiers suffering from PTSD. Eventually, I drift off in his arms, dreaming about Damian, the same dreams I have had for centuries. Of us holding our first child, a son who looks so much like his father that I could weep for joy. I dream of us fighting side by side, working together as partners and mates. I dream about us loving, sharing passion and love so intense it overwhelms me. There is no fear or uncertainty in my dreams of my mate.
But at some point, my dream shifts. And I realize one of my patients is experiencing a
psychotic break. His flashbacks have become so intense he can’t distinguish memory from reality. He’s lashing out at his wife and children. I am trying to reach him to connect with him, to soothe him. It’s much harder to do over a long distance. I can do it, but it takes a massive physical and emotional toll on me.
When I finally awaken I feel leaden and exhausted. I sigh and move to sit up. I want to get my phone and leave the Gateway to check on Lance Corporal Jennings. But Damian’s arms tighten oh so gently around me and he whispers in my ear. “Jennings is fine, Breena. I went to get Fionn when you connected to Jennings and he sent his friends Fintan and Oksana to him.”
I sigh and relax. I snuggle back into Damian, relishing the comfort I find in his embrace until something he said surfaces in my exhausted mind. “How did you know?” I whisper.
Damian kisses my neck. “I am not sure, mon amour. But when I lie beside you, I see your dreams. No, I experience them with you. When I became obvious that you were not just dreaming, but connected in real time to that Marine, I went to get Fionn. I didn’t know what else to do. He said his friend and his mother are Dream Walkers and they could help soothe that poor guy. He said they can put someone in deep sleep and enter their dreams to heal them. Rinda has gone to help him also.”
I roll over onto my back and look up at Damian. “How?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. I have always gotten vibes and feelings from people, but when you dream it’s vivid. It’s like I am truly there, in your dream with you.” I nod. I am starting to think Damian has some very strong psychic skills. That and his ability to recognize magic, and probably channel it make him a very unique individual. He has the potential to become a very powerful Immortal. Time will tell.
He leans down and kisses my forehead. “Baby, how do you stand it?” His question drags me from my musings and I guess I look a little confused. “You live it and relive it over and over with them. It’s like it happens to you. That poor marine was wounded, captured and tortured for sixteen days before they rescued him. And you shared it all with him. You led him through the pain. It’s amazing and horrible at the same time.”
“It’s my thing. Almost all Spell Weavers are healers or teachers. Some are almost solely warriors like Fionn, Brian, Carrick and Bronwyn. But most of us are healers. Because of my empathy, I strive to heal the mind.”
I move to sit up. My body is protesting, but I want to go find Fionn, or go call Fintan myself and check on Jennings and his family. I know they are in good hands, but I had only had two sessions with Jennings before I started receiving visions of Morna and dumped my caseload onto another therapist. Guilt washes over me like a tidal wave. Damian sits up and says, “You should rest. They are fine.”
“How can you be so sure?” I demand. “That man has been through hell and he just terrorized his own family because of the horrible scars that were inflicted on him. I need to know they are okay.”
“That’s why Fionn is going to stay in touch with Fintan and Rinda. He will come tell you as soon as he hears anything.” He strokes my face and says; “Baby, trust your friends to do what they do.”
I nod and slowly lie back down. I am worried about my sister too, I can still feel her pain, but I can also tell she is still sleeping. Damian pulls me into the protection of his arms, before he nuzzles my neck and says, “Sleep, baby.” I close my eyes and smile when he starts humming and then singing so softly I can barely hear him. I smile when I recognize the song. Sweet Dreams by the Eurhythmics. Not what I would have thought of for a lullaby. But oddly, it works and I find Damian’s voice beautiful.
The next time I wake up, Damian is not in bed with me, but I hear him singing softly in the corner of my room. He’s sitting with my latest Jeaniene Frost novel. I smile because now he’s softly singing Robert Palmer’s Simply Irresistible. He looks up and smiles at me. “Good morning, mon amour.”
I smirk at him, “Good morning, Mr. Sexy. You take requests?”
He puts the novel back on the small table and comes to kiss me gently. “If I know it, I’ll sing it for you.”
I grin, “Well, if you like Robert Palmer…” I crack up when he starts belting out Addicted to Love. I cover his lips and kiss him tenderly. I like his singing, but I want to kiss him more than hear the song. He kisses me back and then straightens up and scoops me up into his arms as he launches into Bad Case of Loving You.
I am laughing so hard so when he sets my feet on the floor and begins to dance with me, he’s doing a really good job of improvising some dance moves one might have seen on Dirty Dancing. “Jeez, lover, you are a man of many talents,” I whisper, fully aware that his ability to turn me on seems to top his skills set.
When he stops singing and dancing, he kisses me. Our kiss quickly turns very serious. I pull away breathlessly and whimper, “I need the bathroom and then I need to check on my sister.”
He grins and says, “Morna’s still asleep.” He kisses me, tenderly, chastely and says; “Go to the bathroom, mon cher.”
When I come out he’s singing Marvin Gaye’s I Want You. I smile. “I love your taste in music. I was starting to think all you knew was Robert Palmer.”
He raises an eyebrow, “Well, I found that song on a Robert Palmer album. He did a cover of the Marvin Gaye song.
I laugh. “You favor music older than you are, leannan.”
“I could sing Addicted or S.E.X. for you. That’s current, but you might slap my face.”
I blush. I am a big fan of Saving Abel and Nickelback and know which songs he means and say, “Well, perhaps I should sing them for you.” I laugh and say, “But I don’t sing as well as you.”
Damian chuckles before he releases me and walks back over to the table and picks up my novel, “Really, vampire love stories?”
I giggle, “Why not? She’s a good writer and I love her characters. They crack me up and break my heart by turns.”
“Why not, indeed,” He concedes with a grin. And then he looks guilty. “I was using your computer earlier…” I blush and feel panicky. “I read your book. Or at least your latest one. When do you have time to do all you do?”
I don’t sleep much,” I admit. “Well, usually. I read a lot, I write a lot.” He looks contemplative. “Damian, I don’t have a life. I mean, I work and then I go home, unless some big baddie of the supernatural sort pings my radar or Fionn or one his Enforcer buddies needs a place to crash, I am usually alone. I have mostly been alone for centuries. I wrote some of those stories, years ago and updated them recently and started publishing them after a friend encouraged me to publish them.”
“Aren’t you afraid of making people believe that the preternatural world really exists? I mean you publish them under your own name. Isn’t that risky?”
I laugh, “Baby, many already do believe it. Others just get a kick reading about it. Pure escapism. And my books are so far from reality there’s no way I will tip anyone off to what’s really going on around the mortal world.” I smile and add; “I am using my real name because I have change my name every few decades or so and create a new identity. It’s a pain but that’s the lot of an Immortal who chooses to live among Mortals.”
We are both silent for several long moments until Damian puts the book down and goes to sit on my bed. “I was afraid I really screwed up with you, but you are still tolerating me…”
I laugh softly, “Damian, you did screw up. Pushing me like that.” He looks crushed by my words. “Lover, we both screwed up. I let things move too fast and you scared the hell out of me. I am a little unnerved by what I learned about your… tastes. But I am not disgusted or frightened away. I just need to go slow.” He starts to speak and I put a finger over his lips to stop him. “But, I know there’s something between us. I know we have a lot to work out.” He nods and I feel brave and push ahead, “Damian, I think you were trying to scare me.
“Maybe,” Damian runs his hands through his hair. “I would do you a favor if I ran you off. I am seriously screwed up an
d don’t deserve someone like you.”
“Maybe God brings people together who will bring the best out in each other.” He looks doubtful. “Look, I had given up on living when I started having visions of you. I was feeling pretty hopeless. Just surviving, but the visions of you gave something to look forward to. You have already drawn me out of my fortress I had built around myself. Renewed my sense of purpose.”
“You have done that for me. In a big way, baby. You have no idea what those visions of you calling to me did for me. You saved me. Saved me from myself, what I had been changed into.”
I can’t help it, I kiss him for that and he surprises me when he starts singing again. I raise an eyebrow.
“Theory of a Dead Man?”
“It’s apropos don’t you think?” He says with a seemingly careless shrug.
“You aren‘t dead, Damian.” He doesn‘t look convinced. “You were changed, robbed of your human life, but given an immortal existence and you have chosen to live without hurting others. You should be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you.”
He wraps his arms around me even tighter and we just hold each other. After a while I pick up his song lyrics, “…Babe, it’s you and I…” Damian’s voice joins mine and we sound good together.
I pull back and laugh, “See, I told you I couldn’t sing. But you almost make me sound good.” He grins. “You like to sing, don’t you?” He nods. “Well, leannan, you do it well.” I kiss him tenderly and say, “But I need to find some food and get an update on Lance Corporal Jennings. Let me clean up and change, I will meet you in the Common room.” I can tell he wants to stay, but after what happened between us before I just don’t trust myself around him. I want him too bad and it’s too soon.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I find Damian in the common room with Fionn, Fintan Dragomir and his mother, the head of their clan of Dream Walkers, Oksana Dragomir. They are from a magical clan that live inside the Gateway in Timisoara, Romania. Fintan is actually half Shifter and an enforcer for the MacGregor Clan. I suspect that Oksana and the former Shifter Laird, Ian MacGregor had a long standing affair and Fintan is the product of that affair, but that’s just my opinion, I have never heard of old Ian publically acknowledging that Fintan is his son.