by Audra Hart
He laughs too and shakes his head and then gets very serious. “Morna are you sure you will be okay when I take the spell off?” he asks quietly.
“Yes love, your spell has given me time to recharge and heal from the previous attack. I am very strong right now, maybe stronger than I have ever been. You have done well protecting me. Now I have a duty to do. Trust in me love!” Morna entreats her mate quietly.
“I do,” he assures her. “I really do. I know how strong you are, I just wish I could go with you.”
“I know, but not this time. But I can be strong knowing you are watching over everyone here. That is helping me, believe that.” she assures him. “Now we need to go.” She kisses him passionately, then swats his butt happily and heads out of their room.
They walk hand in hand to the training area. Everyone is assembled, except for the two on guard duty, and are waiting quietly there when they arrive. She smiles at all of her family and friends. Her children and sister come to hug and kiss her. Sammy hangs onto her fearfully. “Morna, I can’t see what happens to you next. I am afraid.”
“Don’t be darling. I would imagine that you can’t see because I will be on another plane of existence. Your second sight probably works in this plane only. Hang tough, hotshot. I’ve got this, okay?” she says as she tilts the girl’s worried face up to look into her own. When the girl nods, Morna kisses her on the forehead and gives her a hug.
Aideen hugs her then and says, “Okay Mama, don’t get mad, but now I am truly glad that you are a beast!” Morna and Aideen laugh at the memory. “I know you can do this Mama. I love you.”
“I love you too Aideen,” is Morna’s reply.
And then she reaches for Damian who is standing off to the side a little, he’s not sure what to do. She hugs him fiercely to her. He asks, “Morna, is there no way I can go with you? I am supposed to be your protector.” Morna pats his cheek and says, “Trust me Damian. It will work. Watch over the girls while I am gone.”
As Morna turns from Damian, Breena hugs her tight and says, “Go kick some cannibal butt, you brat!”
Morna laughs, and says “Sure thing big sis.” Everyone in the room chuckles because Morna towers over Breena by a foot.
Morna turns to take Luca’s hand and says, “Yeeesh all this fuss! I am just going to another plane of existence to track down a NA’YU’NUWI.” She rolls her eyes playfully.
Luca embraces her fiercely and says, “Reckless woman!” She laughs and winks at him. Her friends laugh nervously. She walks over to meet Maria, Rinda, and Elias. Luca follows behind her. She stands before Maria. “I am in your hands Shaman.”
Maria turns to everyone in the room. “Now I must ask everyone to remain silent. She needs your support, but not any distractions from you. She will be aware of everything that happens here while she is in the other plane. Those of you who have fought beside her before, take heart, she goes without you by her side physically, but your support and your strength will go with her. To those who love her and rely on her. Take heart, she has promised to return to you after she rids all of you of this menace.”
‘We will see every move she makes in the other plane. Her body will move here just as it does there. She will react to every blow she receives there, here as well. Stay silent, stay still. Are you all clear? If you don’t feel you can do that, slip out quietly now.” Maria looks around the room at all the faces there, and is satisfied with what she sees. “GOOD!”
“Luca come forth and remove your spell, then Elias, quickly make your examination. And then Rinda must help her achieve a deeply relaxed state in a very short amount of time. Then I will lead her to the spirit plane.” Maria looks to Morna and says, “Take off that green shirt, you will get too hot. You should probably take those jeans off too.” Morna complies and tosses them to Sammy.
And then she faces Luca. She is standing before the entire gathering in a tank top and panties. She had come to the practice area barefoot. It reminds him of their days as warriors in this middle world. She would wear only a breech cloth and breastplate. He quickly removes the spell and kisses her passionately and whispers so quietly that none but Morna and Damian can hear, “Come back to me, woman!”
She nods at him and turns to Elias. He listens to her heart and lungs, takes her blood pressure and temp. He declares her physically sound, kisses her cheek and says quietly, “Kick some butt, Pretty Morna!”
Elias steps back out of the way and Rinda steps forward. She takes a deep breath, looks her dear friend up and down, and gives her a thumbs up. Then says, “Trust me, love.”
“I do. I always have, always will,” Morna assures her.
Rinda brings her hands up before Morna’s face, and says, “Close your eyes.” Morna complies and Rinda starts humming, then singing so softly Morna has to pay close attention to hear the words. The ancient words tell Morna to focus on her breathing, on her heart rate, to release all tension from her body. After five minutes Morna’s heart rate and breathing patterns are identical to when she is deeply asleep. Luca is very impressed with Rinda’s abilities.
When Maria is satisfied that Morna is ready, she steps forward and Rinda steps back. Maria takes Morna’s hand and starts singing in a beautiful, primitive language only she and George are familiar with. The two women start walking in place. The observers can tell they are walking up an incline. Their ascent takes 12 minutes, Luca knows this is a minute for each level of awareness, or spiritual plane. When they have reached the twelfth spirit plane, Maria turns to introduce Morna to the guardian, Maria correctly uses all of Morna’s titles, and reflects proper respect for each one, and the person who bears them. The guardian who is unseen by all in the room, allows Morna to proceed. Morna turns to bow her thanks to Maria and the guardian. Maria bows in return, and then she waits at the gate for Morna to fulfill her quest.
Everyone observes as Morna searches the plane for her enemy, the NA’YU’NUWI. To the vampires and those who have ever watched a vampire hunt it is obvious that Morna has given herself over to her instincts to track the being she seeks. Her movements are lightening quick and stealthy. She is obviously following a scent trail. While she remains in basically the same space it is apparent that on the spirit plane she is moving faster than any regular warrior can, and she is moving over rough terrain. Her movements are surefooted and fleet. She pulls up tense and bears her teeth in a silent snarl.
Luca and Damian recognize that she has found her quarry. She creeps a little farther and then leaps flat footed about 10 feet into the air and appears to jump on her enemy‘s shoulders and deliver a staggering blow. And then she flies back five feet before righting herself before she lands. All the warriors recognize that she has received a vicious blow. She flies back at her opponent, and delivers an equally vicious blow to the unseen foe. She then delivers a powerful kick to what is probably the opponent’s legs. Apparently she takes him off his feet, because she dives at the unseen foe on the ground. She is snarling viciously and bites at the unseen foe.
She is knocked back nearly 20 feet, Luca and Damian tense and hiss because they can smell Morna’s blood. Morna immediately charges her foe again, she is wielding something like a sword. Luca is shocked and amazed. He suspects she is attacking her enemy with his own arm. She has apparently knocked the enemy to ground because she lunges again, snarls and bites ferociously again. And then she grabs, what Luca and others take to be an unseen head and twists it, obviously separating the foe’s head from his body. She stands and continues to rip the body to pieces. Then she stands completely erect, surveys her surrounding for other threats, and then weaves a fire spell over the invisible pile of body parts.
When she is apparently satisfied the body is burning well she looks around to check again for other attackers. Gingerly clutches her right side, the fleshy part above her hip, she lifts her tank top and examines the bloody gash there. Blood is flowing freely down her left hip and leg. She winces and applies pressure with her hand to slow the flow of blood. But she app
ears satisfied that the wound isn’t life threatening. She watches the enemy burn and looks around, vigilant for others who might attack her. She seems to be watching something in the distance. Her stance seems tense, and indecisive, but she remains where she is and doesn’t pursue whatever has caught her attention.
When she is apparently satisfied the body has been destroyed, she takes off running, apparently back to the gate. When she gets there she bows and asks for and is granted permission to leave. On the other side of the gate Maria takes her hand and leads her back down the path to their own dimension. Maria also has her hand over the wound. Speaking the same language as before, repeating the same words over and over. Luca assumes it is a healing chant.
Damian starts forward when they appear to be on their way back. Luca whispers too low for anyone else to hear, “Steady son, she still has twelve levels of awareness to descend through.” Morna’s head cocks slightly toward Luca’s words. And then she smiles reassuringly in their general direction. He smiles to himself. Now he understands what she has been complaining about all these years. ‘Damn vampire hearing’ indeed.
It is obvious to Luca when Morna has returned completely to his level of existence. Because she looks directly at him and mouths, “Help me, Luca.” He is at her side before anyone else can move. She whispers to him to take her to their room. She asks for Elias, Rinda, and Maria to join them. On the way Luca asks what the NA’YU’NUWI had attacked her with. “It’s claws. It had three claws on each hand, each claw was about 8 inches long and very sharp, and I suspect very filthy. The thing reeked of putrid, rotten meat or something worse. I don’t know,” Morna answers weakly.
“I recognize the smell, love. Its blood is splattered all over your body. It is definitely the same scent I detected the night we were attacked,” Luca tells her. Luca gives Maria a hard look and asks, “Did you know she was facing a creature with claws like that, unarmed?”
Before Maria can reply Morna speaks up quietly. “Luca, she knew and I was informed. I knew what I was getting myself into. I didn’t tell you because I needed you take the binding spell off of my brain. I am sorry, love, forgive my deception. Please! But we both know this had to be done.” Luca says no more, but Morna suspects that she will probably have to answer for it later.
Elias nearly falters at the anger he feels radiating from Luca, and almost feels sorry for Morna when she is well enough for him to unleash it on her. Then his curiosity gets the better of him. “Morna, were you attacking the creature with his own arm?” he ask incredulously.
“Yes Elias, I had no other weapon but my own body. You use whatever is available, we taught you that.” Morna informs him through gritted teeth.
Morna looks back at Luca, “Darling, that thing looked like and fought like some kind of vampire. But it had some kind of scaly armor on its body that reminded me a troll. Some mutant, magical vampire. So I burned it. It was stronger than any vampire I have ever seen though. Oh and it was female! Maria, do you think it might have a mate?”
“Morna, I do not know. Our knowledge of these creatures is fairly limited. There have only been less than a dozen encounters in the last six hundred years that I am aware of. How did you know it was female?” Asks Maria thoughtfully.
“I could sense it was female, it knew me, it knew Luca. I knew these things about it the same way I understood the words of your songs and chants. I don’t know how I know, but I know. It had been trailing us for a very long time, since before the attack in our glen Luca. It was also terrified when it saw me coming at it on the spirit plane. It was calling to someone for help when I ripped its head off. I should have waited until I heard a name, but I had a clear shot at destroying it and took it. This may not make sense, but it felt like it was seeking it‘s mother. And there was a woman there in the distance… a golden woman. She seemed to be telling me that she was sorry…” Morna is getting weaker by the time Luca lies her on their bed, and loses consciousness.
As she goes out her right hand falls open. In it she is holding a string of beads. Maria looks at the beads and tells Luca, “I told her we might be able to trace the creature’s allies if she could bring back a talisman of some sort from the beast. Luca looks at her hand.” Her hand is angry red and blistered, the hand is severely burnt. “It burns like hellfire to bring anything back from the Spirit Plane. I don’t know how she held on to that all this time.”
Luca mutters under his breath, “She is an incredibly stubborn woman Maria.” Luca is stroking her forehead and weaving a healing spell when he asks Maria, “Who was the golden woman she spoke of?”
“I have no idea,” Maria admits. “I was outside of the gate and did not see the battle.”
Elias and Rinda have already gone to work on Morna. Elias dons surgical gloves out of his kit and cleans the wound, he removes pieces of rotten looking flesh from the gash. He looks at Rinda and says, “She will need a broad spectrum antibiotic as well as the spells.” He looks to Luca and says, “Send Brigid in here please.” Luca leaves so quickly it’s like he just disappeared. They are back in less than thirty seconds. Brigid had been waiting near the door in case she was needed.
Brigid and Elias discuss what type of antibiotic would be best, and then they call Micah in to start the appropriate I.V. and antibiotic. Brigid also dons surgical gloves and gathers samples for analysis, and then she helps Elias clean the wound. They are glad Morna is unconscious because this process is incredibly painful. Luca knows Morna, and knows that she is all too aware of it all. Rinda sings the healing songs and weaves the strongest healing spells she knows. Maria sings a purification chant. Out in the dining area, everyone is either praying or singing healing songs, or both.
Morna wakes up a few hours later. The wound on her right side throbs, and so does her right hand. She looks at her hand, it is securely bandaged, but her side is only covered with some sort of sterile dressing. She tries to sit up. Luca is sitting at the foot of the bed and reaches out to stop her. “Do not love, you do not want to move yet. The wound is still open. It was so filthy they were afraid to close it up. They have cleaned the wound and cut away affected tissue, but it is still pretty bad. It is healing on its own though.”
“I am sorry Luca, I know you are angry with me for what I kept from you. Please forgive me.” Morna whispers.
He is at her side instantly. “I probably would have done the same thing in your place. I don’t like it, but that’s not really important right now. Please do not worry about anything but getting better. Do you hear me? Elias, Brigid and Micah are quite worried.”
“I know Luca. Unfortunately, I heard it all. Damn, why can’t I just go out like any other normal person when I am unconscious?” They both chuckle. “Luca, did you examine the wound?” He nods, and she asks, “Did they get it all?” He nods again, and she says, “Well…” she takes a deep breath. “Seal it with your venom. That will close it and heal it at same time.”
“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 h
elp 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.”