by Audra Hart
“Why?” Morna demands. “What do you want with them? You have never been interested in being a father before, why the sudden interest in seeing them?”
“Deidra, they are my damned kids. And I demand to see Kyle right now!” When Morna laughs at his impertinence, Rolan’s face goes red with rage. “Deidra, you damned brood sow! You may pop kids out like a gumball machine, but those three brats are my only progeny and I have a right to them.”
Morna’s rage over his attitude gets the best of her and she wraps her fingers around his throat. “You parasitic little worm, I could snap your head off as easily as I can snap my fingers. Mind your manners around me. Your days of talking down to me and making demands regarding my children are long gone. Do you understand what I am telling you?” When Rolan nods minutely she releases her grip on his throat. She steps back and stands by Annie and the others.
Annie tells everyone, but Rolan, that Ciciceri is one of Valgullveig’s lovers. Everyone quickly understands that Valgullveig is behind this. “Rolan, you know full well that my name is Morna. Hell, you probably always knew. What the hell does my sister have planned? What are you up to?”
“Yeah Morna, I knew who you were. My mother promised to set me up in high style in London if I kept an eye on you for a few decades. Val knew this would be your final incarnation, that you would regain all of your magic, all your memories, and ascend spontaneously. She wanted me to keep you separated from your mate, your Asgardian relatives, and your whole damned Guild.”
“But your mother and that damn witch were not in on the plan, and tried to kill us all. I got pissed when the Dark One started plotting to kill Kyle and the others, so I snuck away to come protect him. I think she might have moved her plans up to distract you guys with attacks. She wanted to wait until your latest brat is born so that she can steal him and use him as leverage to capture and kill you. Deidra, that old beast really, really hates your guts!” Rolan’s disdain for Morna is obvious as he starts laughing, until Morna starts choking the life out of him him with a spell.
“Morna, don’t do anything you can’t tell the kids about. Nora may be watching,” Luca says so quietly that only Morna can hear.
That thought fills Morna with fear and deep guilt. So she releases the hold she has on her former husband. She decides to test the range of her telepathy. She stretches out her mind and seeks Nora. “Nora? Can you her me?”
“Yes Mom. But you don’t need to shout.” Nora says calmly. “And yes, I saw who is with you. But I haven’t told the boys yet. What are you going to do Mom?” Nora asks calmly.
“I really don’t know, Pumpkin,” Morna admits to her daughter.
“I guess that’s why I can’t see what happens next,” Nora says blithely.
Morna looks at Luca and quietly admits that she has no idea what to do. “Yes you do, Morna.”
Morna looks at Rolan and says, “If you tell me everything you know about my sister’s plans, I might let you live. But to be honest, at this moment, knowing that you have been scheming with my enemies for over twenty years makes me want to tear you into tiny pieces. I saw how you reacted to my mate, Lucian, well he’s the well behaved vampire in the family. I, on the other hand, am not nearly so well behaved,” Morna says with a wicked smile.
“Do you mean you are some kind of damned vampire?” Rolan says in disbelief. “Is that why you look so different?”
“Yes I am. That witch that tried to kill us in the minivan, I ripped her throat out with my teeth, just yesterday morning. My teeth tore through her skin, blood vessels, muscles and connective tissue like a hot knife through butter. It was easier than biting a breadstick in two.”
Rolan swallows convulsively and tries to fight against the binding spell again. “Deidra, I swear to God, I don’t know any more than I have already told you. My mother and her bitch lover don’t trust me. What little I know, I know because I got cozy with Valgullveig’s youngest daughter, Matilda.” Annie stiffens at that name, but doesn’t move from her post.
Morna takes a deep breath and tells Annie, Ingrid and Elias to lock in him up in one of the cells at the Gateway. Morna gives Archer a heads up that they are coming. Several Airendell warriors meet them and escort them to the gateway.
Once they are gone, Morna collapses in a chair. “Luca, I did not see that coming. I can’t believe he is alive! I can’t believe he is a damned immortal! Does this mean I am still married to that mutt?”
“Morna, he knew who you really were and never told you. I don’t think he has a right to ever claim that he was married to you. He knew that you had a mate, who was looking for you. He deceived you from the very first moment he met you,” Luca assures her.
“Luca, I always believed that the only child he cared about was Kyle, but to hear it from him directly is shocking. And I am devastated that Nora heard him too. She saw the whole thing.” Morna wipes at the tears streaming down her face.
“Your telepathy reaches that far?” Luca asks, his surprise is evident in his tone. When Morna nods, he tries to contact Kylor and is pleased when they can communicate. He quickly tells Kylor, Agnar and Aideen what has happened, and warns them to be extra vigilant.
Morna starts pacing while Luca is conferring with Agnar and their eldest children. Her mind is racing with plans. She wonders if she should put everyone on the alert, finish curing Rodrigo, induce labor and get the baby here safely, and then go after Valgullveig.
“Really Morna!?!” screams Sammy in her head. “That’s your plan?”
“Does it not work?” demands Morna.
“It does, but it will cost our side two lives,” Sammy says sadly.
“Fine, and don’t you dare tell me who. But I am not totally giving up on this idea. It’s time that I stop playing her game. I need to start playing by my rules.” Morna fumes.
“Mom, please calm down. Whatever you are thinking about causes something really bad because Nora has just shut down. Mom… I can feel your anger here. Talk to Dad. Do what you need to do there and come home. Just don‘t do anything rash!” Kyle says urgently.
“Morna, what are you thinking about? Agnar says that Aiden can feel your anger all the way in Asgard,” Luca puts his hand on his wife‘s shoulder and searches her face.
“I know, and Nora has shut down. Let’s get everyone on alert here and get back to the kids!” Morna says as she strides out of the Guild Hall. On her way to the home of Shamus the Elder, Morna contacts her father telepathically and tells him to get Gullveig and Vali and get back to her home to protect the grandkids. “Ag can fill you in when you get there. We need to contact all the Gateway guardians and put them on alert. I think Val is going to step up her efforts to get at me, probably through the kids, or some other relative. Who is Matilda?” Morna asks quietly.
“I don’t know,” Admits Valliant. “That’s a new name on me.”
“Well, ask Gullveig, but not until you guys are at my house, with the kids. I want her to fully remember exactly who is at stake.” Morna says cryptically. “Luca and I will be there soon.”
Morna arrives at Shamus’s house and gives him a quick rundown of what has happened, she tells them to be on alert. “I am sure Luca will have activated all the Airendell Warriors before too long. I think the Guild is only her secondary target, but we can’t be sure.”
Shamus hugs Morna and says, “Lass, let us know what we can do to help. And don’ worry about us, we are not totally helpless without you.”
“I know that. Besides, Luca won’t let Airendell fall, I promise you that,” Morna assures him.
“Hell lass, we know that,” Shamus acknowledges. “Why do you think we so eagerly accepted him as First Warrior?”
Morna nods. “I have to go meet up with Luca and Elias at the Gateway. I will keep in touch as much as I can.” Morna says as she walks out the door.
She runs quickly to the Gateway. She is met by Archer. “Sister, I cannot understand why you would marry that sorry sod! What the hell were you thinking?”
> Morna laughs coldly, “Brother, apparently, I was not thinking. Sorry you aren’t impressed. To be honest I regretted my decision most of our marriage. Will the cell hold him?”
“It will. Ingrid reinforced it too. Even if they can get past me and my boys, they won’t be able to get him out,” Archer says pleasantly.
Morna laughs, “Well don’t you dare let anything happen to you or your boys. You hear me, brother?”
Archer chuckles and pats her on the back, “Yeah kiddo, I hear you. We have alerted the other Guardians. That idea you had during your Nichole incarnation works great. Those damned charmed bats really do move faster than a bat outta hell. I never would have dreamed we could train them to carry messages back and forth.” Archer chuckles again and then gets serious. “Luca is still questioning that dark elfin bastard.”
“I know, I can hear them,” Morna says with a sly smile. “Sadly, the dumb ass really doesn’t seem to know anything useful. Morna sighs unhappily. “Sit tight on him brother, and stay sharp.” Morna turns from her brother and says telepathically, “Luca, are you finished playing patty cake with my mistake?”
“Sure, baby. Did you fill Shamus in?”
“Yes Luca, and I contacted Valliant. He doesn’t know who Matilda is. Has Annie said any more about her?” Morna asks
“No, but she won’t tip our hand in front of the idiot.” Luca says with a chuckle. “I’ll bring these three back out there and we can compare notes and go home, to our children. Besides, you have a healing rite to perform in less than six hours.”
“Okay, but I want a word with the idiot before we leave.” Morna takes off walking towards the holding cells. “In private.”
Luca, Ingrid, Elias and Annie meet Morna on her way. “Morna, you really want to do this? Nora will see,” Luca asks her quietly.
“Good, then she will know the proper way to deal with cold hearted users who are also predatory parasites,” Morna says stiffly as she keeps walking toward the cell. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill him. I want to, but I won’t.”
Morna stands in the shadows and watches Rolan pace in his cell. “Rolan, I have known you for over twenty years, and I can’t believe that you are truly this much of a dullard. You are undeniably selfish, a calculating user, even a rapist, but you are not this stupid. Did she promise to rescue you?” Rolan momentarily stops pacing when she says that. “Okay,” Morna laughs, “maybe you are that stupid. If you believe her, then you truly are clueless. Whatever her reasons, her goal is to destroy me. And she doesn’t care who goes down in the process.”
“Deidra, you think that I am stupid? Well, at least I know why she wants to kill you. She posed as a serving girl one time when you were a teenager and visiting Asgard. She didn’t know you were her sister and tried to seduce you. You knocked her on her ass for her troubles.” Rolan laughs heartily at the thought.
Morna recalls the incident, it had come immediately on the heels of Agnar’s blundering attempt to seduce her. She was in a bad mood when the serving girl cupped her breast and stuck her tongue down her throat. And she had literally knocked her on her ass and stormed off to bed.
When Rolan continues speaking Morna is drawn back to the present “And then you married that stud muffin that Mars planned to marry off to her. She really, really hates your damned guts. Tell that pretty dyke daughter of hers to watch her back, because those twins are on the psycho’s hit list too.” Morna is silent for a moment as she takes that information in.
“Oh and Morna, I don’t know what all the damned fuss is about. You really were a lousy piece of ass.” Rolan practically spits at Morna. “And what is the deal with all you magical broads wanting to bury your faces in each other’s cunts?”
At this point Morna can’t help it, she starts laughing. After a couple of minutes she is finally able to speak; “I am sure that you are right Rolan, I probably was a lousy piece of ass. Hell, I was sleepwalking through an incarnation that I didn’t belong in.” Morna chuckles again and says, “And to answer your question, I guess a cunt, as you called it, would be more enjoyable than tolerating a rutting mongrel dog, such as yourself, who doesn’t even know how to properly use what God endowed him with.”
Morna busts out laughing again when Rolan starts screaming obscenities at her. But she can’t help getting one last dig in; “Hell, I know you really didn’t do anything for me, you were just convenient. I wanted children. Thank you for that by the way. Lucian and I are very happy raising our three amazing, talented children.” Morna laughs happily. “Rest well tonight Rolan, and I hope for your sake that you really do not know anything, because I suspect that my sister will kill you inside that cell if you do.” Having said that Morna turns on her heel and walks away.
When she rejoins Luca and the others he takes her into his arms. He holds her close and kisses her gently. “I can only assume that you enjoyed that?” When Morna nods, he continues, “Well, at least you got three useful bits of information out of him.”
“What besides he hates me with a violent passion, thinks I am lousy piece of ass and doesn’t like women very much?” Morna says with a smirk. “Seriously though, what did we really learn? Her grudge started because I didn’t want to have sex with her? I doubt that. There’s more to it than that, I am sure of it. Even more than my marrying you when she had her sights set on you.” Morna knows there is something that she is not seeing, not remembering. “Luca, I need Rinda. Maybe she can help me retrieve some buried memories. Baby, I am convinced there is something that I am just not remembering… there’s a missing piece to this puzzle, it’s in my head, teasing me. But I can’t remember.”
Morna shakes her head to drag herself back to the current problem; “Well, he does seem to truly believe that she will come get him. That might prove useful, but I doubt it. And the bit about Annie and Lou, we already expected that much. But I think that I need to know who Matilda is.” With that Morna looks directly at Annie.
“Morna, I am sorry. I should have told you sooner. I was hoping Mother would keep her out of it. The poor thing is practically powerless. Matilda is a child mother had when she turned to Agnar after you refused her. I rather got the impression that they had both been rejected by prospective lovers in the same night. They really didn’t have any fondness for each other, but they came together none the less. Matilda is the product of that one time union,” Annie says quietly.
Morna shakes her head as the realization hits her. Matilda would be a little less than seventeen years younger than herself. Morna knows that she rejected Agnar and Valgullveig on the same night. “Does Agnar know he has a child with Valgullveig?” When Annie shakes her head no, Morna mutters; “Great! Another prospective enemy that I can’t touch because they are part of my family.” Morna shakes her head and wonders how she will be able to put up a proper defense and not hurt the innocents in this. “How come Matilda is practically powerless? If she is the product of Agnar and Valgullveig, she should be very strong.”
Annie shrugs, “I am not sure. I have long suspected that Mother or her lover stole her powers away.”
Morna sighs and looks at Elias, “Godson, please put the warriors directly under your command protecting the village, especially the Elders. And for heaven’s sake, keep yourself and your brother safe.”
“Okay Morna, I have already done that. I will protect the village. I know my duty. We all do. But Rinda and Micah are up for their rotations in the Airendell warriors in a couple of weeks.” Elias says quietly.
Fear grips Morna’s heart as she thinks of poorly prepared warriors facing her sister and her warriors. “Crap! I should not have been hiding out in Asgard, I should have been down her doing my job training these warriors.”
“Morna, Luca and Bronwyn have shown up here six times a year, every year since 1438 to put each new rotation of warriors through their training. They are not as poorly trained as you might think.” Elias says somewhat huffily.
Morna starts laughing at herself. “I really do have an overly inflate
d opinion of my importance don’t I? Sorry, I just feel like I have let my Guild down. Fortunately my mate and my chief training officer have performed their duties admirably.”
Luca laughs and takes her into his arms, “Love, I have been your second in command for centuries, did you really think I would take that duty lightly? I just don’t understand how I never knew you were coming to the gateways and to Airendell when summoned.”
Elias looks very uncomfortable at this question. “The Elders wouldn’t allow anyone to tell you. We kept you apart. They were afraid you would insist that she stay here, so that she would remain in her ascended form. The Elders said that the curse, which Maggie Flynn was only able to modify slightly, had to run its full course so that we could someday have Morna back completely, permanently. Luca I know it was wrong of us and I am truly sorry.”
Luca pats Elias on the back. “I understand, and the Elders were right. If I could have had my original Morna back, before I got this one, I would done everything in my power to get her to stay here. And then she would not have reached her full power. She would not have become this amazing, loving, nurturing, intelligent, wise and mature leader that she is now.”
Morna has only been listening to this last part with half an ear, she already knew all of that, it had largely been her decision that Luca not know she still served as Protector for all those centuries. He probably would have gotten himself killed trying to watch out for her between her incarnations. She has been considering what her next step should be. Finally, she tells Luca. “I am going to get Eurig. I want to see if he will go back to Asgard with me. It would be valuable to be able to fly with him between dimensions, and not have to depend on the Bi-frost or the Gateways. If Val captures one of our babies, I want to be able to pursue immediately.”
