Wicked Rage of the Moon: Book Three of the Airendell Chronicles

by Audra Hart

  Rodrigo smiles and mumbles, “From your lips to God’s ear.” He is watching the Spell Weaver and warrior closely and chuckles when the baby kicks so hard that her arms are moved by the force of it. “He is truly strong, is he not?”

  Morna laughs happily, “He is very strong. My mate has a spell on my uterus that protects me from the power of his movements and rapid growth, but I can still feel his power.” Morna smiles and looks at her sister, “He is also maintaining a spell on my sister’s body to offer her similar protection.”

  “How can one Spell Weaver maintain so many intricate spells at once?” Rodrigo asks sleepily.

  “Lucian Michaels is not an ordinary Spell Weaver. He was an exceptional Spell Weaver before he was transformed into a vampire and since the conversion his magic has been amplified by his enhanced physical and mental abilities,” Morna explains quietly.

  “I suspect it is much the same for you?” Rodrigo asks.

  “Not as much. I wasn’t as powerful of a Spell Weaver as he before my transformation,” Morna says quietly.

  “Not even before the curse?” Rodrigo asks curiously.

  Morna smiles and shakes her head no. “Luca is truly exceptional. He always has been. I have my own talents that exceed many Spell Weavers, but it is different. My magic is different. Most Spell Weavers are very technical… my gut, some inner instinct, some inner magic guides me. Relax Rodrigo, I know in my heart that this will work.”

  “Are you a seer Morna?” Rodrigo asks curiously.

  “No, but Madigan is. He has shared a great deal of his knowledge with me. I don’t know how, but I am sure it is from him.” Morna says with a mystified look on her face.

  Rodrigo reaches out and places his hand above her belly, “May I?” When Morna nods, he places his hand on her belly and closes his eyes. After a few minutes he opens his eyes and says, “Amazing! He possesses ancient wisdom and the wonder of an emerging soul at the same time. If you survive the confrontation with Valgullveig and her dark lover, you will birth three more children of Lucian Michaels’ over the next few years.”

  Morna smiles and says, “I know. Maddie, has already shown me that.” “How do you know of Valgullveig’s dark lover?” Morna asks telepathically.

  “Madigan,” is Rodrigo’s reply.

  Rinda comes to Morna and wraps her arm around her. “Why haven’t you told us this?”

  “Because I wasn’t certain until earlier when I slept with Nora. I think the knowledge finally coalesced in my consciousness as I rested in the presence of my two little seers.” Morna smiles happily, but weakly. She looks at her dear friend and says, “Rinda, please get me a chair. I am feeling very tired.”

  Rodrigo starts to rise out of concern for Morna. “No, no. Lie still. Mordir is not finished with you yet.” Morna says gently. “I knew I would be exhausted after this. I also know that I will recuperate sufficiently to collect more antibodies and perform this ceremony again in twenty-four hours. Then I will need to rest and recharge and I will be ready to do it again, for the third and final time. Don’t worry. My body is very, very strong. I can accomplish this with no harm to me or my child,” Morna assures him with a smile. “But now, we need to get your mother and son back in here to look after you and I need to go home.”

  Breena steps forward, “I will get Damian to carry you home.” She quickly disappears through the door before Morna can even say thank you. Seconds later, Luca reenters the procedure room looking very worried.

  “Nora sent me back to get you.” He says with a reassuring smile as he scoops her up into his arms. “Our Little Tyrant said to feed you and put you to bed.” He spares a glance at Rodrigo and asks, “Did it go well?”

  Rodrigo has dozed off by now and Mordir, who has been performing a scan on the Stone Breaker’s body, answers Luca‘s question. “It seems to be going very well, Lord Lucian. Your wife healed his shoulder. It had sustained some serious soft tissue damage that had not been healed properly. But now it is pristine. Her spells and her blood are already seeking out and healing damage at the cellular level in his body. I will draw blood and analyze it in a few hours, but I suspect I will already be able to detect subtle changes at the cellular level. I have witnessed other Spell Weavers, but your mate has an interesting approach. She utilizes scientific knowledge, but she seems to be guided by something much deeper, more ancient. It is almost primal.”

  “Her gut,” Luca grunts. “Morna doesn’t just use magic, she is magic. When I was attacked by the ancient vampire that caused my conversion, I should have died. He had drained most of the blood from my body. But Morna intuitively wove the necessary spells and fed me her blood for three days. She sustained me, and kept me alive. No Spell Weaver knows how to do things like that, but she did it.” Mordir nods and looks thoughtful at this information, but doesn’t comment.

  Damian comes in with Breena at this point and looks at Morna asleep in Luca’s arms. “Luca, will she be alright?”

  “Nora and Sammy both say that she will,” Luca says quietly. “I am taking her home. She needs sustenance and sleep.” He turns to go but stops and looks at Mordir. Breena wonders if Mordir is speaking to him telepathically. Her suspicions are confirmed when after a few minutes, Luca chuckles and says, “Mordir, I respect your medical counsel and I will take care of it.”

  Luca leaves so quickly only Damian saw him go. Damian chuckles and says, “The old man always makes me look bad.” He scoops Breena up into his arms and leaves just like Luca did.

  Rinda is left standing with Mordir and asks, “How can I help?”

  “There is really nothing to do right now,” Mordir assures her. “Why don’t you go be with Morna’s children?”

  “Okay, but call me if I can help. I feel in my gut that this man will be very important to Morna’s family, and I want to help, if I can,” Rinda says softly.

  Maria and George have entered the procedure room while Rinda is saying this and Maria hugs Rinda. “You are awesome little lady. No wonder Morna and Luca treasure you so much.”

  George kisses her forehead and says, “I agree. Now go be with Morna’s children. I think they may need some reassurance.” Rinda nods and walks slowly out of the procedure room. She spends a few minutes telling the others waiting out there that the rite had gone well, and the plasma treatment seems to be working. Morna’s children had already followed Luca and Morna home. Finally she says, “Well, I am going to Morna‘s.”

  Annie steps forward and says, “I waited here for you. Morna instructed me to look out for you today.” Rinda blushes but says nothing. The diminutive Spell Weaver and statuesque warrior walk back to Morna’s Great-hall in silence. Once they are outside their leader’s home Annie tips Rinda’s face up towards her own. “Are you okay, little bit?”

  Rinda chuckles at the nickname and says, “I’m fine, Annie. I feel more at peace right now than I have in centuries.” Impulsively, she hugs Annie before running into Morna’s house. Annie chuckles softly and shakes her head at the feelings the diminutive Spell Weaver stirs in her heart and her body. She swallows hard and then follows her into Morna’s home. She finds Rinda sitting with Aiden, Kyle and Kylor in the family room. Kylor invites her to join them and they spend a pleasant morning getting to know each other.

  Meanwhile, Morna is sleeping soundly in her bed. Her youngest daughter insisted on sleeping with her Mama again. Luca smiles and he crawls into the bed and spoons into Morna’s backside. She mumbles, “I love you Luca.” in her sleep as he nuzzles her neck. Luca lies beside her for four hours, watching his beloved mate and his precious youngest child sleep, and contemplating what needs to be done to keep them safe.

  Suddenly, his mind is filled with erotic daydreams involving his mate and himself. He wonders what has sparked his imagination like this. The daydreams seem so real. If Nora were not sleeping beside her mother, he is certain that he would have already made love to his mate just as passionately as he does in the daydreams. Finally, he whispers into Morna’s ear, “Love, Auggie
is bringing food to you. She is quite determined that you need sustenance.”

  Morna stretches fluidly and kisses her daughter’s forehead before slipping out of the bed and walking into the bathroom. She feels utterly exhausted but satiated and so very happy. She wonders if her dreams of loving her mate have anything to do with these feelings. She chuckles at herself and realizes that she is famished. After she uses the necessary, washes her hands and face, and brushes her teeth, she slowly unwraps the gauze wrapped around the wound on her arm. She frowns at what she sees. She knew before she had unwrapped it that it was not healed yet but she also knows that Luca will be very concerned. She finds fresh gauze in the cabinet and rewraps the wound.

  When she joins her mate at the small table in their bedroom. He is chatting quietly with Auggie. Morna notices that he looks right at the bandage on her arm, but doesn’t say anything. Morna greets Auggie with a smile. She looks at the food on the table and says, “Thank you Auggie.”

  The ancient cook smiles and hands Morna a tall glass of blood first. “Drink, my lovely. This is probably what you need more than my old slop.” Morna tries to disagree but Auggie gives her a look that brooks no argument. Morna drinks the blood, and smiles at Auggie. Auggie takes the empty glass and then hugs Morna. “You are a fine woman to risk so much for someone you just met. Nora and Ganessa are both confident that you will be fine and the treatment works, but I still can’t help but worry, just a little. Not all seer‘s visions are totally accurate.” Auggie brushes a few stray hairs from her own face, and tidies her neat bun. “I am leaving now, so you two can be alone. Do you mind if I go wake the little lass up for lunch?”

  “Please do,” says Morna as she sits down to her meal. “I could have waited and ate with the rest of the family.”

  “No ma’am,” Auggie asserts. “Mordir instructed me to feed you every four hours, send you blood every two hours, and not to allow anyone but your mate to disturb your rest. He said you need to recuperate and replenish your supply of antibodies quickly so that you can repeat the process tomorrow morning.”

  Morna sighs and nods. She removes the cover from the plate and smiles happily. There are three grilled pork chops on the plate, a generous serving of mushroom and wild rice stuffing, as well as a large salad of mixed greens that has been lightly wilted and served with bits of crumbled bacon and sautéed onions. “Let me guess, these things are high in the nutrients I need?” Auggie nods, and Morna smiles and says, “Well, they are also some of my favorite foods.”

  “I know Morna. Kyle and Aideen have made sure that I am fully aware of the foods you enjoy. I will bring you a large piece of lemon meringue pie for your snack in two hours. Now, I will get out of your hair so that you might eat in peace.”

  As soon as Auggie leaves their suite Morna feels Luca’s buffer spell go up. She raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything. She finishes eating in silence and is starting to feel a little unnerved because her mate is watching her so closely without speaking to her. Finally she can’t take it anymore. She pushes her plate away and wipes her mouth with the napkin. “What?” she asks her mate feeling uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny.

  “Did you look in the mirror Morna?” When she shakes her head no, he picks her up and carries her into the bathroom and places her before the mirror. What she sees really surprises her. She looks very, very tired. She is incredibly pale and there are dark circles under her eyes. And she can detect the jagged scar on her face from the car crash that nearly killed her in her final mortal incarnation. It’s faint, but it is plainly visible. She quickly removes her sweater set and her jeans. The scars on the rest of her body are also visible, including those from when Morna battled the vampire-troll hybrids, known as a spirit cannibal.

  Morna looks at Luca and shrugs like it is no big deal. “Morna how can you be nonchalant about this? Your body isn’t healing like it should. The ravages it has suffered in the last year are all clearly visible, and the wound on your arm is still open. The very integrity of your uterus is weakening. My spell is having to work double time. I am very scared for you my love.”

  Morna wraps her arms around her mate and snuggles into him. She kisses his chest through the material of his shirt. “Baby, I am going to be fine. It’s just going to be tough for the next three days.” She steps back and puts her hand on her belly and says, “Madigan will be fine too. Trust me, my love.”

  “Morna, I do trust you,” Luca says as he picks her up and sits her on the bathroom vanity. Darling, if I didn’t trust your judgment I would not have consented to you curing Rodrigo in the first place. I am just worried about you. I hate to see you suffer.”

  Morna reaches up and kisses him gently at first, but quickly the fires of her passion for him ignite and she wraps her legs around his hips. “I guess I am not too weak or ill, I desperately want to love you, right now.”

  Luca laughs and says, “Mordir said that you would. It’s your body’s way of healing itself. He gave me some pretty specific instructions.” Luca smiles and kisses her again and then cups her breasts through her bra.“And what were those instructions?” Morna asks quietly, but she suspects she knows the answer.

  “I am to, now these are his words, engage you in sexual activity whenever you are not sleeping or eating,” Luca says with a chuckle.

  “I knew I liked Mordir for some reason.” Morna says with a laugh as she unbuttons his shirt and kisses his perfect chest. “There was more, wasn’t there? Something you are not so comfortable with?”

  “Yes. He said that I should do everything that I can to help you unleash your inner beast,” Luca says quietly. “He thinks it will help you produce more antibodies.”

  “Well, I am a little embarrassed about that prospect. Every empathic for miles around will be able to sense us.” Morna says quietly as she buries her face at the base of his throat. She raises her head suddenly when she feels a foreign spell go up around them. “What?”

  “Collingwood,” Luca supplies. “I asked him telepathically to put his version of a buffer spell around us. No one will be able to sense our emotions through it. So that problem is solved, but there was more…” He looks tight lipped, reluctant to finish.

  “Mordir said that you should bite me, didn’t he? Probably more than once. Am I right?” Morna asks softly. When Luca nods, Morna says, “The same thing had occurred to me. Releasing my inner beast will help me make more antibodies faster, and the venom in your bites will heal my body. I was going to suggest it, but suspected you would refuse.”

  “My first instinct was to do just that, but Mordir made a convincing medical case for it.” Luca kisses his mate and lovingly strokes her face. “I feel like such a fiend for planning to do such vicious things to your precious body,” he confesses quietly.

  Morna laughs and says, “Once we get started, I am sure I will provoke, entice, and outright goad you into things you would never do on your own.” Morna continues kissing his chest and abdomen as she unsnaps his jeans, and starts to peel them off of his perfectly formed body. “Hey, I just thought of something. We should move the furniture out of our bedroom. I will be mortified to have anyone besides Ingrid clean up after us like she had to do last time. I specifically told her that waiting on me is no longer part of her duties. So I refuse to go back on that and ask her to clean up my messes.”

  Luca kisses her and chuckles. “Good idea. Take a shower and I will move the furniture.”

  Morna laughs, “Do I stink?”

  “No Morna, but I can smell Rodrigo on your arm. And I can smell Rinda on you,” Morna gasps and he continues, “I can smell Breena on you too.” Luca says quietly. “Don’t look like that… Baby, I am not threatened by the scent of that man or Rinda on you.”

  Morna‘s eyes open wide in uncertainty. She pulls away, “I am so sorry, love. I didn‘t think of that. I should have showered as soon as I came home.”

  “Nonsense, Morna.” Luca picks her up and gently lies her on the bathroom floor and proceeds to make love
to her. Afterwards he is kissing her face and stroking her belly gently. “I should have done this when you first came home, you already look less pale. Now shower, or take a bath, whichever would be more relaxing for you while I move the furniture out of our bedroom. I don’t want you to be embarrassed because we damage a few things.”

  Luca chuckles as he strides into the bedroom. Morna laughs too and starts to run a tub full of hot water, and scents it with her favorite lavender and eucalyptus. She eases into the hot water and rests her arm with the still oozing incision on the side of the tub, out of the water and leans back and closes her eyes and recalls her dreams of her mate from earlier. She smiles happily at the memory but wonders why the dreams were so vivid, so realistic.

  Luca comes in a little later and kneels by the tub. He unwraps the wound and examines it. “I don’t understand why it is still bleeding. Your scars have faded, you already look amazingly vital again, so why is this wound not healing?” He picks up her arm gently and lowers his mouth towards it.

  “No darling! I think the wound is supposed to remain open until the healing is completed.” Morna says gently. “The venom in your mouth would heal it, and I think that would somehow interfere with the process.”

  Luca nods and gently kisses the area around the wound. “Your understanding of this kind of magic supersedes my own. I will follow your lead.” He gets up and goes to a cabinet and retrieves the first aid kit. “I always wondered why we had this. Now I am glad that we do.” He cleans the wound with hydrogen peroxide and wraps it securely with fresh gauze. “It may need to stay open, but I don’t want it to get infected.” He caresses her arm and inhales deeply over the open wound and sighs heavily.

  “Do you need to hunt?” Morna asks out of concern for her mate’s comfort.

  “No baby. The scent of your blood no longer just makes me thirst, it excites me.” Luca confesses and ducks his face as though ashamed of it.

  “I am glad it makes you excited,” Morna says wickedly. “Now help me get my fat ass out of this tub and I will show you just how glad I am.”