by Audra Hart
He hangs up and dials Almeda, and fills her in. The cell phone is handy, but it won’t work in magical realms. Almeda has a better idea, “Luca with your permission Ari will contact you telepathically and leave the link open so you can report any changes. Will that be okay?”
“Honestly Almeda I would be grateful for it. Too many people I care about are scattered all around, I can’t protect them all at once. Ari’s calming influence would be an asset. Thank you for the offer.”
Instantly, Luca hears, “Thank you for receiving me Luca. You are indeed a rare man, to allow someone access to your thoughts like this,” Ari comments.
“Sure” replies Luca in his head.
Morna looks up at Luca trying to figure out what’s going on after he snaps her phone shut and hands it back to her. Luca taps his temple and Morna understands. Luca motions for everyone to follow him. He leads the way into the piano bar. He sits in a large circular booth and the others join him. Breena immediately starts weaving a buffer spell around them. Luca nods his approval.
“We can’t fly out. Kyera is watching the airport. She is planning to place a curse on the pilot of whatever plane we board. We are going to have to drive, but I think I should get another rental car. If they have been watching me…” Luca breaks off uncertain about what is the best way to proceed.
Morna and Ari speak to Luca at the same time, “Use the gateways.”
Morna says, “There is one at Kankakee, it’s only about an hour away from here. Maybe little over. If everyone is up to a run we can be at Robber’s Cave by 6 or 7 am.” She looks at George, “Can you run, like Luca can I mean?”
“Maybe not quite as fast,” he admits, “but I can run for hours and track, so I could catch up if y’all get ahead of me,” George says.
Breena says, “I am not that fast either, but I am fast enough.” She looks at Morna. “Isn’t there a short cut between Chicago and Kankakee?”
Morna says, “Last month they had some problems with trolls in that area. We don’t have time to deal with trolls.”
“How do you know that?” Luca asks.
“I went over to see Mulder, three weeks ago, he told me about it.” Morna says absently.
“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Luca asks.
Morna and Breena roll their eyes at him, “I/she just remembered!” they say in unison, exasperated.
“Oh yeah, right.” says Luca, and girls laugh.
George looks at them all like they are crazy. Morna says, “Sorry George, my memory comes back to me in spurts. It’s strange. I didn’t realize I was going to the gateway until I got my memories back. It’s very confusing. Sorry,” she offers.
“I’ll say it’s confusing,” he says looking completely baffled.
Luca taps his temple, “Ari says you went 19 days ago, when I was hunting. He has had a sprite on you since the crash.”
“You let someone in your head?” asks George in awe.
“Why not? We need the help, he’s honorable, he won’t snoop around,” shrugs Luca.
“Still man!” says George with a shiver. “I don’t think I could do it!”
Luca shrugs. “Okay, so we drive to Kankakee and go through the gate. Morna do you know the gatekeepers there?” Luca asks.
“They will know me,” she says confidently. You two will recognize me too,” she lowers her eyes and smiles. “I am not sure if the new me will translate down there. It’s always been my original form when I have been down there before. Until I go through the ascension rite again, I will have my old form and probably limited strength down there. Well, like I was in Airendell,” she speculates.
“Well Morna, you can run fast enough with the iron-lion to keep up with these two, and I certainly won’t leave any of you behind. So let’s go,” Luca starts to rise.
“Wait,” says George. “This may sound kind of stupid, but I have some things I value in my suitcase, how we planning on getting our luggage to Oklahoma?”
Breena says, “Put the things you really value on your person, like we do, and we can ship our luggage from the bus station at Kankakee. Sound like a plan?”
“I can’t Breena. These are ancient tribal artifacts, I am transporting to my grandmother from a shaman that passed way north of Chicago. They will not be pleasant for Luca and probably Morna to be around,” he confesses to the group. “My people, the Stone Breakers have many artifacts that protect us from vampires.”
“But Luca and I don’t drink human blood. They shouldn’t affect us,” Morna says.
“How do you know that?” George asks incredulously.
“Montoya had such artifacts, they never bothered Luca,” Morna replies.
“Okay,” says George, “let’s go then.” Breena drops the hiding spell and they all get up and walk out to the lobby.
Then Morna says, “What about Brigid and Aideen?”
“Mama, we are perfectly capable of weaving an iron-lion and leaving it on,” asserts Aideen. “Besides, I am leaving in the morning to go with Ari and Almeda.”
Morna’s phone rings, “What’s wrong now?” she frowns at her phone. Luca takes it out of her hand and answers it. “Hello?” he says, then pushes the speaker button. “Morna, make Aideen and Brigid come too. There are more vamps waiting in Chicago. It looked like fifteen or so. Your mother and that witch created an army! They are planning on capturing them tonight to draw you out.”
Morna and Luca speak in unison, “Great, now the Italians will show up!”
“Italians? I don’t see any Italians,” says Samantha confused.
“It’s okay Sammy, they may not. Either way we don’t plan to be here. I hate to say this, we don‘t have time to clear out a nest of vampires right now. Damn! We must get someone to take care of that, soon! Everything still okay there?” asks Morna.
“Yes, the other two weavers showed up. They are here now. You want to talk to them?” Sammy asks.
“No,” says Luca. “But tell them to rest up, they will have to take over for Damian in a couple of hours when he comes to pick us up. Tell them Ari or Almeda will contact them if we run into problems. Please let me talk to Damian now.” Luca strokes Morna’s cheek absentmindedly, and kisses her forehead while he waits for Damian to come to the phone. “Damian do you know how to get to Robber’s Cave?”
“Sure,” replies Damian. “I used to go partying and swimming down that way with some friends when I was human. Why?”
“I need you to meet us there at 6:00 am, give or take. Cell phones won’t work where we are traveling. If we haven’t showed up or called you by 7:00 am, check in with Samantha. If she hasn’t heard anything, or had new vision of doom, wait there until 8:00. If we are still a no show by 8:00 get back and keep an eye on the girls. We will find out own way home,” says Luca, then he adds, “Be careful Damian, and thanks.” Then he hangs up.
George says, “Let’s take the truck. We can all fit in it, it is a double cab. And its four wheel drive in case we have to go off road.”
“Fine,” says Luca, let’s get moving. “Aideen and Brigid call whoever you need to call with a made up family emergency and meet us at the truck.”
“I will stay with them Luca,” says Morna.
Morna goes to the bar and orders a ham and cheese sandwich and a coke while the doctors make their phone calls. They finish up about the time her food comes. “Wrap it up to go, okay? Looks like my friends are ready.” She pays the bartender when he hands her the sandwich and the coke in a can. Brigid rolls her eyes when she sees her with the food. “I can’t help it,” Morna growls around a bite of sandwich. They all three race out to the truck.
Luca chuckles when he sees Morna with the sandwich. The luggage is in the bed of the truck. George, Brigid and Breena pile in the back seat. Luca drives, Morna sits in the middle, and Aideen gets shotgun. Morna finishes the sandwich and polishes off the coke before they leave the parking lot. She is reaching for the wet wipes in her purse when she hears George on his cell phone. It sounds as though h
e is contacting other Stone Breakers, informing them of the nest of vampires in Chicago. When he hangs up he tells everyone, “I just couldn’t leave them here without getting someone to come and deal with them.”
“I am relieved and grateful George,” Morna admits. “I hated to leave them to feed on innocent mortals, especially since they were created to come after me.” Everyone falls quiet, thinking about a nest of Stone Colds running loose in Chicago. Morna leans against her mate and eventually goes to sleep. Brigid does the same with George. Poor Breena and Aideen look out their windows, and wonder what is coming at them next. They have almost made it to Kankakee when Morna’s phone rings again. Everyone tenses. Luca picks it up off her lap and answers. “Sammy, what is it, kiddo?” he asks in his calm, soothing voice.
“Well Luca, you guys make it here just fine, but don’t bring the Indian guy with you. He freaks Mac out for some reason and she goes off. It takes Morna and Damian 45 minutes to calm her down. Morna has to put her in some kind of spell that freezes her in place, so Damian can hold her without her hurting herself. I don’t know what sets her off, though,” Sammy say breathlessly.
Morna mumbles in her sleep, “It’s probably because he looks like the villain in that movie she watched a few weeks ago with Monica.”
Luca looks down at Morna, “You heard her love? I don’t have it on speaker phone.”
“Sure I heard it, I am only sleeping not dead,” replies Morna her voice thick with sleep.
Luca chuckles and says, “Wow! Okay. Sammy we will drop Brigid and George off at our house, and then come over. Thanks Kiddo. You are truly a life saver tonight. Morna’s fine honey. She’s just fine, only tired. Go get some sleep. Damian and Rinda are watching over everyone there. And we will see you soon.”
Aideen chuckles, “She still holds conversations in her sleep, I see.”
Brigid and Breena laugh softly in the backseat. Then Breena says, “When we were kids, I got her to teach me how do a spell she invented. She can make rainbows. We aren’t supposed to be able to magic like that. Morna was always experimenting with magic, she figured it out and taught me how in her sleep.”
“Yeah and you got caught doing it, and we both were sanctioned by the Elders,” Morna grumbles in her sleep. Everyone laughs again.
By then Luca finds the bus station. He and George get out and take care of the luggage. When they get back in the truck twenty minutes later, Luca gently shakes Morna awake. “Beloved, you have to show me where the gateway is,” he tells her.
Morna sits up and stretches, “You won’t believe it,” she giggles. “It’s in a vacant lot behind the WalMart.” The all bust out laughing at that.
George says, “Well that solves the problem of where to leave my truck. We can just park it in the WalMart lot. It will be days before anyone realizes it has been there for a while.”
Luca finds the WalMart, and then parks George’s truck under a working street light, they all get out. Luca locks the truck and hands the keys to George. He drops the keys in his pocket and slings the backpack containing the treasured artifacts onto his back.
They all take off walking toward the store. Morna says, “Any other humans need the necessary?” The group ventures into the store. The 5 humans head off to the rest rooms, while Luca buys Morna some energy bars, and a couple of drinks. She seems to be burning off fluid and calories at an astonishing rate. He waits for the group at the front of the store. They all go out silently, veer to the left and duck behind the store. When they get to the back of the store, “How far out in the field Morna?” Brigid asks.
“Don’t you see it?” Morna asks as she drinks one of the cokes Luca bought for her. “It’s about 25 yards dead ahead of us.”
“Morna, I am Second Order remember, and I don’t have vampire vision like Luca to guide me,” comes Brigid’s sharp retort.
“Sorry Brig, my memory is spotty,” apologizes Morna. Luca squeezes her hand.
“I didn’t mean to snap,” says Brigid. “I have only gone through the gateway at Airendell. And Aideen was a baby when she went through her only time, and George hasn’t ever done it. I am just nervous.”
“I know Brigid, sorry, it’s old hat to me. Please forgive me.” When they are in front of the gate she stops, and says, “I’ll go first and clear the way with the gateway keeper, start coming 2 minutes after me, one at time. Luca or Breena needs to come in last to make sure the first timers get through okay. I will look different in there. I will probably look like I looked in Airendell, so be prepared.”
Morna kisses Luca, then hugs Aideen, takes a step forward and seems to disappear. Breena laughs at the newbies’ reactions. “Freaky isn’t it?”
Two minutes go by and Luca says, “Step forward Aideen. Just keep walking until your mother takes your hand. She will help you through the threshold. She hugs her daddy and does what he says. Luca counts off thirty seconds then sends Brigid through, thirty seconds then sends George through, Breena goes through and then Luca brings up the rear.
When Luca clears the gate he is amazed to see the largest man he has ever laid eyes on hugging his daughter, and laughing uproariously. The man is an absolute giant of a man. He must be at least 7 feet tall, and 400 pounds, with muscles any body builder would give his soul for. He has rather long, brilliant, strawberry blond hair, same color as the current Morna incarnation. He has a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. His eyes are the same as hers too. And he’s wearing only a breechcloth with a belt around his waist and strapped over his shoulder. He carries a huge sword at his side and a shield slung on his back.
“Morna, your father I presume?” asks Luca.
“Yes Lucian, I am Valiant, your father in law. Almeda contacted me and I decided to meet you all here to help guarantee safe passage. I was worried when she told me who all was coming with you. You might need someone to defend the non-warriors with you.” He looks at Aideen, Breena and Brigid when he says this.
“I am honored to meet your sir,” says Luca as he extends his hand to shake the demigod’s hand.
Valiant picks him up in a bear hug. “Any man who loves my Baby Girl the way you do and takes such good care of her, gets a hug. I am proud of all my children, but Morna is truly the most magnificent! … Though we might need to have a talk about that incident a few days ago. I need to clear a couple of things up on that score,” Valiant roars with laughter.
“Father, behave! My daughter is here,” a quiet, authoritative voice behind the giant speaks out. She steps out from behind the giant figure of her father. And everyone freezes in their tracks.
Aideen is the first to react. She runs to Morna and puts her arms around her. “Mama, is that really you?”
“Yes Aideen, it’s me,” Morna assures her daughter.
Brigid and Breena run to her too. Luca remains where he stands. He feels like he is seeing a ghost. George just stares open mouthed. There is no way the two Mornas are the same woman. The one he knows is at least full foot taller and 60 or 70 pounds heavier. This tiny Morna has fiery copper hair worn in a huge braid hanging down to her knees, and she can’t’ weigh 100 pounds soaking wet. She’s holding her now too big shoes in her left hand as she holds the waist of the skirt with her other hand to keep it from falling off. This is the First Warrior…of whatever, whatever..? He muses. The eyes are exactly the same though. Morna sees the confusion on George’s face. She holds out a hand to him, he takes it gingerly. “It’s really me George. It’s not a trick or a spell, this is the ascended me. I walk in this form in all magical realms until I undergo the ascension ceremony again in two days.”
Aideen pulls back from Morna, “Mama you really want to change your ascended form?”
Morna looks at her kindly, with understanding and compassion. “Yes I do, Ladybug. I am rather attached to the 14th model. She’s has few dings, and she’s not as beautiful, but she’s my favorite none the less.”
Valiant throws his head back and laughs. “I do believe your mate shares your opinion Morna.”
Luca comes forward to take her in his arms. “That’s true love. This is the Morna I fell in love with, but the other is a full grown woman to walk through eternity with,” he confesses and kisses her gently.
Morna chuckles, “Good, the two opinions that count, are in agreement.”
Valiant throws back his head and roars in laughter again. “Feisty isn’t she?”
“We better get going,” Morna says as she ignores her Father‘s comment. She turns from Luca to pick up her sword and shield. She dons them, using her belt to hold the baggy skirt in place, then tucks the pumps into the belt. She hands a set of weapons and belt to Luca; he bows to her and dons them. Then Morna takes Luca’s hand and they take off at a fast run. The others follow suit.
George and Valiant bring up the rear. “Stone Breaker, if you can’t keep up, I will carry you. That is if it won’t offend you to be carried by a demigod.”
“Not at all sir,” he says. “But I feel strangely strong here.”
“Yes, your magic is stronger than you realize. You should come back and spend some time with me. We could get you up to full speed in no time, I think.” Valiant tells the Stone Breaker thoughtfully.
The group runs along in silence. Everyone is keeping up and things seem to be going smoothly. Until Morna raises her hand, calling a halt. She sniffs. “I smell trolls, and something else,” she tells her companions.
“It smells somewhat like the entity that attacked Morna the other night,” says Luca.
“It’s different though, but it could be the same one,” says Morna doubtfully. “Whatever it is it’s moving on, I don‘t think it‘s going to engage us directly. We are too strong with Father and George with us.” Luca hands a bottle of flavored water to Morna and she downs it quickly. Luca puts the empty in the backpack.
“The trolls are running away too. Let’s get on to Robber’s Cave,” says Valiant.
~ ~ ~ ~
The group runs the rest of the way in silence. Morna calls a halt after several hours. “We are nearly there,” she tells her group. She indicates that everyone should rest for a moment. “Luca, could you ask Ari if there are any new developments with the children or our circle of supporters?” Morna asks quietly. “I have a sick feeling we have adversaries waiting for us up top. I am still surprised that the Trolls and that being didn’t engage us. I could feel the animosity and hatred radiating from them all.” Breena nods her agreement and looks to Luca.
