Lost Wanderer Awakened - Book One of the Airendell Chronicles

by Audra Hart

  Brigid went to get the Valium while Luca heads back to their quarters. Breena has opened the door to signal to Luca that he may come back into the room. As he enters it is obvious his wife is in a lot of pain, he can tell by her intense look of concentration, and elevated heart rate and breathing. “Okay Morna. I will treat the wound with my venom. I will hold you in the binding spell. No sense in anyone else being in here in case you get loose and decide to dismember me for my torturing you.”

  Morna laughs weakly, then says, “With that much venom I will likely be incapacitated. We both know that. Someone else can do a second binding spell though, just in case,” she laughs again. “We better get it done before my father comes back. Big softie may go off on you for hurting me.” She winks theatrically at her mate.

  Brigid comes in with the tranquilizer at that moment. “Morna, I have some happy juice for you. Maybe you won’t murder your mate after this if I got a big enough dosage.” She puts the medicine into the bulb of the I.V. line and Morna starts to feel the effects very quickly.

  Once the medicine has taken full effect, Luca is positioned to apply the venom. He has a binding spell on Morna, as does Breena. Morna didn’t want Breena to stay because she is empathic, but Breena refuses to leave her sister’s side. Brigid has insisted on staying to supervise the application of the venom. “I want to be able to monitor her vitals too.” Rinda is standing around feeling useless, but unable to leave.

  Luca looks at Rinda and says, “Use that relaxation chant you used before she went to the Spirit Plain.” Rinda nods happily, relieved to be able to help.

  Morna looks at Luca and says “Thank you Luca.”

  Luca understands exactly what she is thanking him for and says, “You are welcome. Now close your eyes, baby, I am not sure I can do this with you looking at me,” he admits with a rueful smile on his face. She complies and he starts the process. At the first touch of the venom to her wound, she thrashed and lets out one horrendous scream. Then she gets control over herself and doesn’t react any further. Luca’s face appears to be set in stone as he works efficiently, but it still takes several minutes to liberally coat every millimeter of exposed flesh. It was decided that the hand should be treated too, so Brigid has unwrapped it also.

  When Luca finishes, he asks, “Morna, is it bearable?”

  “Yes,” she whispers.

  “Open your eyes love,” he begs.

  “No,” she whispers. She knows her eyes will give her away and she doesn’t want him to know how agonizing it truly is. She doesn’t want to lose control and torture everyone who loves her with her screams. After two hours, amazingly the burn starts to fade a little. Morna hears Brigid say, “Her blood pressure, pulse and respirations are in her new normal ranges now. I think the worse may be over.” She sighs in relief.

  “Luca, the worst is over, please lie with me,” says Morna quietly. After he is settled next to her, she drifts off to sleep. Brigid and Breena leave them in peace and close the door.

  Nine hours later, Aideen and Breena feel a buffer spell go up over Luca’s and Morna’s quarters. Aideen rolls her eyes and says, “Either she’s planning to kill him or love him.” Breena snorts, and says, “Fifty bucks on the second one.” It is a good thing that Aideen did not take the bet.

  When Morna awakens she gets up and takes her bloody tank top off and her panties too. She examines the wound as best she can, then looks at her hand, it’s completely healed but has a faint silver scar. She removes the I.V. Luca says, “You should have let one of the doctors do that.” By now he has sat up and is watching her closely.

  She comes to him, and asks, “I can’t see it very well. Does it look okay?”

  “It will leave a scar. Right now it looks silver, but it will fade.” Luca assures her.

  “Fine, I don’t care about that. But it’s healed, right?” Morna asks somewhat impatiently.

  “Morna, it appears to be fully healed.” Luca assures her.

  Morna warms the water in the bowl and cleans up. She brushes her teeth. Then she silently puts up a buffer spell, but Luca senses it go up. He raises his eyebrow at her. She comes to bed and straddles him, leaning down to kiss him. “Really?” he murmurs. “I was betting on food first.”

  “You lose that bet,” she says wickedly, with a carnal smile on her face.

  “Oh no, I win,” he smirks happily as he takes her into his arms and begins to love her fully.

  CHAPTER 25 - JEALOUSY, BETRAYAL, and LOVED ONES GONE

  Morna and Luca emerge from their quarters 15 hours after Morna’s return from the Spirit Plane. A few of their friends are taking it easy in the dining area. They all greet Morna and Luca happily. Elias walks in and rushes to Morna. “Wow, you shouldn’t be up and around so soon.” He says as he kisses her cheek. When her only response is to roll her eyes, Elias knows he won’t get anywhere with Morna. So he turns to Luca, “Is she up to being out of bed?”

  Luca chuckles quietly. And then he nods and replies, “Yeah, she’s fine, don’t worry Elias.”

  By now Morna has made her way to serving line and is piling her plate high with food. Aideen comes up behind her and says, “Well I see you triumphed again Mama! Is there anything you can’t do?” Aideen is trying to keep her tone light but Morna isn’t fooled. She sets her plate down and turns to look at her daughter.

  “What’s wrong Aideen?” Morna asks quietly.

  “I leave for Alfheim today with Ari and Almeda. Apparently, I am not ready to be of any help to the Guild. So the Elves are packing me off with them, to prepare me.” Aideen is looking at her mother angrily. “You did this didn’t you? You convinced them to cart me off so that you won’t have to share your mate with your daughter. I am a bit of an inconvenience, aren’t I, Mother?”

  Luca starts to rise and go intervene. Almeda has joined the group by then. She reaches out and stays him with an arm on his arm. “Let them work this out on their own. Morna won’t hurt her own daughter.” she whispers.

  Morna gently places her hands on her daughter’s shoulders and looks her squarely in the eyes and says, “You know better than that.” She turns around and picks up her plate and walks to a table to sit down.

  Before she can sit, something smashes into the side of her head. She automatically turns to defend herself. But she realizes her attacker is her daughter, she drops her raised hands and meets her daughter’s enraged eyes. “Why? Aideen, what have I done to deserve this?” Morna asks quietly.

  “You barge back into everyone’s life, you take over, have everyone jumping to do your bidding. Why? So we can end some curse on your life? Why would you want to end the curse? You get to start all over every few decades. Set up a new life, have a little fun with a new man or two, then Daddy shows up and you get to wrap him around your little finger for a decade or two and then the whole damn process starts over. Sounds perfect for you in my opinion.” rants Aideen.

  Morna looks Aideen in the eyes, tears are flowing freely down her face at her daughter’s cruel words. “Is that how you honestly see my existence? You think that I bounce from fling to fling, with occasional stopovers in your father’s bed?” Morna asks quietly. When Aideen nods, Morna says, “Grow up! Aideen you are behaving like a damned brat.” She turns on her heel and stalks out of the room.

  Morna heads for the exit going toward the open gateway. She pauses long enough to look at her mate, he is looking apologetically at her. She weaves a binding spell on him and exits the living quarters of the gateway station and out into the open plain of the middle-world. She’s just running, to get some distance, to get a chance to think clearly. Soon, she hears someone following her, but she’s sobbing and the tears and mucous have her senses overwhelmed. She has no idea who is behind her so she just runs faster. After several minute she hears someone calling her name. It is her daughter. Morna debates whether to wait for her or outrun her. She finally decides it would be best to get everything over with right now. She stops and turns to wait for her child.

 
Aideen finally tops the ridge a few hundred yards from Morna. Morna sees that she is armed with a heavy, long wooden stave with a vicious looking hook on the end of it. Morna sighs and thinks, “Well, it’s come to my dying at the hand of my own child?” Morna knows she will not lift a hand against Aideen and she knows Aideen has woven an iron-lion spell or she would not have been able to catch up to Morna at all.

  Aideen bears down on her mother hard. She assumes she will only be able to get one good shot in. She swings hard and knocks her mother down. She is in a rage and brings the stave down over and over, smashing into her mother’s raised arms, and then into her unprotected left shoulder and sides, after the bones in the protectively raised arm break. “You Bitch, Whore! Why don’t you just die and stay dead?” Aideen screams viciously.

  Morna allows herself to fall to her knees under her daughter’s blows. When the bones in her left arm snaps, she lets her arms fall. She just kneels and allows Aideen to rain blows on her body and unprotected head. She loses count of how many blows her daughter has delivered before unconsciousness takes her under. “You should have stayed away from Daddy!”

  Damian has begun chasing Aideen when she picked up the stave from the armory. He is amazed at how fast Aideen can move with the spells she has woven in her body. He is finally able to catch up with his adopted sister and mother. He screams in rage and helplessness when he tops the rise and sees Morna in a crumpled heap, as Aideen continues to rain blows on her exposed left side. Damian crashes into Aideen and sends her flying. He picks up the stave and snaps it in two and slings the pieces over a hill. He knows that others of the clan are following closely on his heels.

  He doesn’t spare another look at the girl, but goes to check on Morna. It is obvious that she is seriously injured. She is bleeding profusely from a head wound, and her left arm is obviously broken. He wants to pick her up and take her back to the living quarters, but he is afraid of hurting her further. He kneels beside her and speaks softly to her. He is sure can hear him even if she cannot respond. “Morna, release the spell on Luca so that he can come help you.” he pleads.

  He looks up when he hears the others catching up with him. Rinda, Elias and Micah are coming to check on Morna’s condition. Several others are catching up, and have gone to Aideen to check on her. Damian spares a glance at Aideen. His rage nearly overwhelms the knowledge that Morna would never forgive him if he killed her daughter. He snarls at Aideen and looks back to Morna. The three healers are examining her, and discussing the best treatment options.

  Damian looks at Aideen again. She is standing now, the rage has clearly left her. She looks fearfully at Damian, expecting retribution. But more importantly, she keeps glancing over at her mother’s inert form, obviously very worried about her condition. Carrick, Bronwyn and Brigid are standing around Aideen in case she decides to attack again, or run away.

  Damian calms himself and speaks, quietly, with unquestionable authority. “She’s a doctor, right? A healer like the rest of you?” he asks indicating Aideen with a toss of his head.

  Brigid says uncertainly, “Yes she is a doctor. And excellent surgeon and magical healer, too.”

  Phillip moves so fast the others miss the movement. He has taken Aideen by the arm and is dragging her to her mother’s side. He forces her to look at her mother and says, “You did this! You selfish, self-centered, stupid little brat, you did this! You take care of her! And she had better not suffer unduly at your hands, or your friends will not be able to protect you from me. Is that clear?” Damian screams into her face, spittle flying. Aideen flinches at his rage but nods and turns to kneel at her mother’s side.

  Elias and Micah look at each other uncertainly. Micah looks at Damian and says, “Kid, are you sure?” Damian nods mutely, his face a frozen mask of rage and determination. The brothers decide Morna’s condition while very severe, is not overly life threatening, at least for her. So they back away and let Aideen take over. Rinda, however, refuses to budge from Morna’s side. Aideen takes a deep breath and quickly determines that Morna has a concussion, broken radius of the left arm, shattered clavicle and probably a few broken ribs. She’s worried about brain swelling and internal injuries.

  She looks up at Damian. “We need to take her back. Where we have our healers bags and a sturdy, level surface to care for her on. Can you carry her back?” she asks quietly.

  “YOU do it!” Damian spits out. “YOU did this! YOU fix it!”

  Brigid steps forward to object when Brian stops her. “He’s right!” he says quietly, vehemently.

  Aideen nods her acceptance and carefully scoops her mother up into her arms. Morna whimpers in agony as Aideen lifts her and turns for their headquarters. She takes off at a steady run. Damian comes along beside her. “You can run faster than this, do it now! Get her back and fix her! NOW!”

  Aideen starts to run faster. Damian easily keeps up with her. Whenever Aideen shows any sign of faltering, Damian orders her to hurry. They are almost there when Aideen cries out, “I can’t keep going! My spell is failing!”

  “Too bad!” Damian responds harshly. “You were strong enough to almost kill your mother, you are strong enough to carry her back and heal her.”

  During the last hundred yards to their headquarters it is obvious that Aideen is struggling to carry her mother with her own strength. She falters and would have fallen except for Damian grabbing her arm and dragging her the rest of the way. When they arrive back at the dining hall, friends come forward to take Morna out of Aideen’s arms. Damian snarls at them and orders them to back up. He directs Aideen to put his mother down on the table in front of Luca. A quick glance at his mentor-father figure tells Damian that is he still bound by Morna’s spell.

  “Let your Daddy see what you have done to his mate, to your own mother!” Damian turns to the others who followed them in from the plains. “Elias, Micah observe her make sure she properly cares for Morna.” he orders through clenched teeth.

  “I need help!” Aideen whispers through her tears.

  Rinda has been stroking Morna’s forehead and reassuring her, but when she hears Aideen’s whimpering for help, she turns on the younger healer and says, “Dammit Aideen! Stop acting like damned brat and do whatever your mom needs. She’s in pain!”

  “Your mother says you are probably one of the strongest healers she has ever met. She says your gifts are great. She is proud of you. Use those gifts to restore her. NOW!” yells Damian.

  Aideen nods. She knows it is useless and dangerous to argue with the young vampire, and Rinda‘s censure really stings. Elias opens his bag so that Aideen has access to the tools of his trade. He is really struggling with not being allowed to help his godmother, but he thinks he understands the vampire’s motivation for not allowing anyone to help Aideen.

  Aideen holds her hands over her mother’s supine form and checks her from head to toe. “She has a concussion, but I don’t think it’s too serious. The broken bones in her wrist are starting to heal improperly, as is the collarbone. I need to give her Valium and Morphine so that I can re-break and reset the bones. I need someone to put her in a binding spell so that she doesn’t hurt herself more and someone to get the meds for me.

  Damian says, “Do it yourself Aideen!” Elias starts to object but Micah holds up his hand and the younger brother remains silent.

  Aideen is crying now. “I can’t Damian, I need help.”

  “NO! You were strong enough to do this. Now you will put someone else first for a change and take care of it, without help, under your own steam.” hisses Damian through clenched teeth. Aideen hesitates and Damian snarls at her.

  She sniffs, wipes her eyes and nose. Then gets what she needs out the bag. She dons surgical gloves, draws the medication in the syringe, and sets it aside. She takes a deep breath, looks into her father’s tormented eyes and then weaves a binding spell on her mother’s unconscious body. She injects the medication. Then starts an I.V. Once that is done she checks her mother’s pupils again and says,
“She is completely out, she should not feel a thing.” And then she starts to re-break and re-set the arm. Morna arches her back and grunts under the binding spell when Aideen makes the first break. Morna continues to moan in obvious agony.

  Damian moves forward, Elias raises his hand to stop his progress. “She’s doing just as she should,” he assures the young vampire. Damian accepts Elias’ words and stands down.

  Damian watches as Aideen splints the break in the wrist and moves to re-break the collarbone. Morna again arches and moans in agony. Damian snarls. Then his head snaps toward Luca. He nods at Luca and looks back to Aideen. She is now immobilizing the arm against Morna’s body. She looks up at Damian and says, “That’s all I can do for her. The clavicle has already begun mending. There is no sign of internal injuries and the concussion is healing as we speak. I will weave some healing spells, and then there is nothing more I can do for her.”

  Luca steps forward. Aideen starts at his movement. He looks at his daughter hard, and hisses. “Your mother’s spell dropped when the medication took effect. I didn’t trust myself to move until now.”

  Luca looks away from his daughter toward Almeda and Ari. “Please take her to Alfheim, now.” he says quietly.

  When he looks back at Aideen she looks very young and very frightened. “IF you grow up enough to realize what you have done, and IF you give up your petty jealousies, and complaints against your mother. IF you become willing to put someone else ahead of yourself, you may come back. But not until you have met those conditions. I am certain your mother will forgive you, hell, she probably already has. But child, it will take a lot before I am able to do so. You need to leave, now!” This entire speech was delivered at a barely audible whisper.

  Aideen gulps and nods at her father, she is wise enough to know she shouldn’t attempt to speak to him now. She turns to Almeda and says, “Let me get my things.”

  Almeda says, “You will not need anything.” She nods at her son and the three of them disappear.