The First Spell Weaver of Airendell: Book Two of the Airendell Chronicles

by Audra Hart

  “Yeah, that’s me. Totally awesome!” Says Breena with a snort. “How you feeling otherwise?”

  “Fine,” says Morna. But adds, “I think Luca has more bad news for me though.”

  “Sorry love, but I do. Josie has disappeared. No one knows where she got off to. But the other girls are doing well. But Mac was upset about Josie leaving, that’s partly why Damian and I brought Mac back with us,” Luca informs his mate.

  “I hate to hear that about Josie, but I half expected it. She is really very self-destructive. But I am happy that Mac is here. I hope she can adapt to having all these folks around.” Morna says.

  “I bet she does fine,” Breena ventures. “She seems different up here. Maybe this environment helps.”

  “I hope so,” says Morna, and yawns. “I guess I should go get some more rest. Are you sleeping okay Bree?”

  “Yeah, I just wake up craving weird stuff. I was coming to raid the larder when I felt you two in here mourning your friend. Again, I am sorry for your loss.”

  “I know. Thanks. See you in the morning.” Morna hugs her sister again and smiles when her mate hugs her and kisses the top of her sister’s head. She is pleased that the love of her life is so solicitous towards her sister.

  The pair walk hand in hand to their suite. They hear Mac drawing in her room. They share a smile over that. They stop in the hall and Morna listens to each child sleep. She stretches out her senses and finds that her oldest daughter is sleeping peacefully in the arms of her man. She smiles at all the changes around here. She is really blessed, despite the blood thirst, and the attacks.

  Morna turns to her mate and kisses him passionately. He chuckles and scoops her up and takes her to their bedroom. He quickly gets them both out of their robes and drinks in the sight of her blossoming body. Her breast are swollen and her belly is becoming very prominent. “Baby, I love looking at your body.” He moans at just the sight of her and gently strokes her cheek and kisses her lips tenderly. He trails his hands down to her breasts and strokes them lovingly. He gently suckles at each taunt nipple and smiles when she moans as her passion for him rises. He trails his hands down her generous belly and lovingly, protectively caresses the growing bump that houses his unborn son. He slowly reaches behind her and kneads his fingers into the soft, supple flesh of her backside. He trails his hands up her hips to her sides and savors the soft flesh there too. He trails his hands down her legs and kneads the soft flesh covering the hard muscles of her powerful legs.

  “Morna, I must confess I am so happy that you retained a lot of the softness in your body after my venom changed you. I would really miss it if your body became as hard as mine. I treasure this supple, voluptuous, rounded body.” He says as he nips her hip with his sharp teeth and turns her gently to bury his face in the supple flesh of her buttocks.

  Morna moans loudly as he nips her eager flesh again. She shivers expectantly as he trails his mouth up her back and traces the fading scars from the creature’s attack with his tongue. He revels in her taste and she savors the prickly sensation his tongue leaves on her skin. She takes his hands into hers and tugs him along with her as she scoots onto the bed. He comes to her happily and kisses her passionately. He caresses her breasts and plants kisses everywhere.

  He moves his beloved to her side, and spoons in behind her and lovingly caresses her belly as he kisses her neck and throat. He moves his hand lower and inserts two fingers into her wet, eager center. He slowly removes his fingers and teases her clitoris for a moment and then moves her right leg over his and enters her from behind with his swollen cock. He gently shifts her until she is mostly on her back and he is driving into her with her leg draped over his hips. This was the sexual position they often favored when she carried Kylor and she had forgotten how deeply he could penetrate her this way.

  Morna turns her head so that she can see his face and smiles at the love she sees there. He strokes her cheek and then rests his hand gently on her throat. His heart sings with joy as her pulse races and throbs below his hand. He continues to drive into her body and feels her tense as her orgasm builds. He releases control of his own body and joins her in climax. He nearly laughs when he hears the bedspread rip as her hand seeks something to grip, and he does chuckle when she grouses about not being able to hold him closely in that position when they climax.

  “Sorry my love. I just worry about putting too much pressure on our son.” Luca chuckles as he draws her into his arms and against the side of his body.

  “It’s early yet. We have at least another week before he bulges out in the way.” Morna says with a laugh. She moves her hand down to rub her belly lovingly. “The little bugger is going to make his mommy as big as a house, isn’t he?”

  Luca places his hand over hers and says, “Yes my love, I believe he will.” And laughs happily when she swats at him. He nuzzles her neck with his lips and says, “Go back to sleep baby. You need the rest.”

  Morna smiles and closes her eyes as she snuggles into the arms of her beloved. She chuckles happily when they murmur “I love you.” at the same time. As she is drifting off to sleep, she says, “Don’t let me sleep too late. I want to help cook breakfast for everyone before we go to the healer’s hall.” Luca smiles as she sighs softly in her sleep. He has no intention whatsoever of getting her up early. In fact, he hopes she sleeps in for a change. There are plenty of competent cooks and caretakers here. She should rest.

  He enjoys the nearness of his wife, listening to the two treasured heartbeats, and the shallow, regular breathing of his mate. He lies with her for over an hour, enjoying being close to her and wonders why it ever bothered him that he couldn’t sleep when she did. Finally, he hears Damian and Mac up and about. He knows that others are stirring too. He decides to try to slip out of bed and join them. She moans his name softly when he gets out of bed, but he says, “Shush love. Sleep, I am here.” She smiles happily in her sleep and burrows into a soft pillow.

  Luca stands there and watches his mate for a few minutes and then heads to the shower. He knows Damian and the Norse ‘gods’ can smell her scent on his body. He hates the idea of sharing even that much of her with anyone. And then thoughts of Lou come to the forefront of his mind. He has been trying to keep him out of his thoughts ever since he left for Oklahoma. But it has been an epic struggle. Despite what Lou said, Luca knows the man was deeply in love with his mate. It makes him see red to think of him touching her.

  He knows Lou isn’t an ordinary man and Morna must have responded to him passionately. He knows she will never admit it, and he sure as hell won’t ever ask about it. He prays Rinda and Breena truly removed all traces of their affair from his memory. He marvels at how petty he feels towards the half-giant immortal. So petty, in fact, that he would want to destroy him if he could even remember being intimate with his wife. He finally gets out of the shower and dries off roughly and dresses quickly.

  He storms out of their suite and nearly runs Breena over in the hallway. He reaches out to steady her before she falls and sees her face. She is frightened of him. He has never seen that emotion on her face when she looked at him, and he is immediately concerned. “Breena? What is wrong sister? What has you so frightened?”

  “You!” She hisses. “What is wrong with you? I have never felt hatred this intense coming from you? You are scaring me, Luca!”

  Luca releases his hold on her shoulders and steps away. He is immediately filled with shame. His heart if full of hatred for a man who never meant him any harm. A man who simply fell in love with a woman. Such a wonderful woman that Luca himself has been in love with her for centuries. “Sorry Breena.” Luca puts up a buffer spell because he doesn’t want to risk Morna hearing what he is about to say. “I am jealous of Lou. Bitterly jealous! I am filled with hatred for him, just because he loved her and I know Morna must have responded to him. I guess I was okay with her having an affair with a man who couldn’t measure up to me, but I suspect Lou measures up just fine. I am a petty, hateful creature.
I am filled with shame that you know it.”

  Breena snorts and says, “You would have to be made of stone not to have some bad feelings for Lou. But you need to deal with them. Morna can’t know this causes you pain. She is tortured enough that it even happened, and you know about it all. And you have to take comfort in the knowledge that we removed all the memories of their time together from his mind. Rinda planted memories of them simply being friends.”

  “I bet it took hours to get them all. I suspect he had many memories he was holding onto tightly. It was obvious that he loved her.” Luca says petulantly.

  “Yes, but they are gone now. And Morna didn’t return any of his feelings. I can assure you of that. He was simply a convenience for her. No one ever touches her heart but you.” Breena assures him.

  “Not entirely true!” Luca hisses angrily. “Rinda still has part of her heart!”

  “Not in the same way you do! Luca Michaels, what has gotten into you? Why are you torturing yourself like this? You know how much Morna loves you, don’t you?” Breena asks uncertainly.

  “I don’t know exactly.” Luca admits uncertainly. “But now there are two amazing beings who loved my wife. I know Morna loved Rinda, I have accepted that for years. But the possibility that she might have had feelings for Lou makes me want to destroy him!” Luca confesses.

  Breena sighs. “Okay, listen to me. I can share exactly what Morna felt as we reviewed all those memories and removed them. You can experience them for yourself. Do you want to do that?” When Luca nods, she says, “Okay, we have to go back to my bedroom. It takes a lot of my energy to share feelings of one person with another, but you can count on them being exactly what I felt from her as all of this happened. It wasn’t pretty. You really want to do this?”

  “I have to know Breena. I am honestly tortured with wondering.” Luca admits ashamedly.

  Breena sighs, “Very well. You will get what you want. But I don’t think it will give you the peace of mind that you think it will. It caused her a lot of pain and shame to remember her time with Lou.” Breena searches Luca’s face, when she is satisfied that he won’t change his mind, she says, “Okay, let’s go to my room.”

  Luca drops the buffer spell and follows Breena to her room. Agnar is waiting for them at her door. He looks at Luca and shakes his head. “Brother, I think I know what you are looking for and this won’t give it to you.”

  Luca looks at Agnar and snarls, “What the hell do you know about it?”

  “I was overwhelmed by your emotions just as Breena was. I can feel what you are seeking. Morna is everything to you and you fear that she doesn’t regard you the same way. She has loved another. She loved Rinda. But man, that was past tense. She now loves only you. When I am around her and you are with her, her love for you warms me from head to toe. It is the most powerful emotion I have ever felt. Until this morning that is. Your hatred for Looveig was stronger, and that scares me. It chills me to the bone.” Agnar says honestly.

  Luca grunts and runs his hands roughly through his hair. “But what if Morna would have been happier if I had never came into her life?”

  Agnar meets Luca’s eyes, and says, “I can show you exactly what she would have been like if you had never come into her life.” Agnar reaches out and puts his hand on Luca’s forehead and utters an incantation before Luca can react. Images and feelings flood Luca’s mind and overwhelm him utterly. His legs give out and he slides down the wall and sits in the floor.

  Luca knocks Agnar’s hand away and yells, “Enough! Is that some damn trickery? There’s no way Morna would have ended up like that. An empty shell of who she is now. That person only goes through the motions of living and completing her duties. She had no real joy, no real peace. That can’t be true!”

  “Luca, it’s true! I swear!” Agnar vows. “Now you will see what would have become of her if you had not come to her in the hospital after Kyera attacked her and the children.” Agnar grips Luca’s head again and utters the incantation.

  Luca is flooded with images and then buries his face in his hands and sobs. “Is that real?”

  “Yes,” says Agnar simply. “She would have successfully killed herself if you had not been there for her. The emptiness would have eaten her alive. She walked away from Lou without ever looking back because she simply didn‘t love him. She forgets his name and never gives him another thought after she moves to North Texas. Her only true joy as Deidra came from her children. When she believes they are dead, and you don’t come to her, she loses all will to go on. Do you honestly think that anyone else could have made her happier than you have?”

  Luca covers his face and sits in silence for several seconds. Suddenly he feels a familiar touch on his hands. He slowly moves his hands and looks up to meet his beloved’s eyes. “Darling, how could you ever doubt that you are the only one for me?” She asks quietly.

  Luca rises to his feet instantly and takes her into his arms. “Forgive me Morna. I fear I have been a jealous damned fool.”

  “Nothing to forgive. I assume this matter is closed, forever?” Morna looks pointedly at her mate. She smiles when he nods. “Let’s go back to our room.”

  Luca finally notices that she is wrapped in their bed sheet and puts his arm around her protectively and starts to walk her back to their room. But suddenly he turns to Agnar and says, “That gift of yours is truly a double-edged sword, isn’t it?”

  “Yes it is. I never really know exactly what I will see when I use it. But in this case, I had a really good idea of what would have been without you in Morna’s life. You two were truly created for each other. There is no denying that.” Says Agnar with conviction.

  “Thank you Agnar.” Luca says quietly, humbly and then turns back to his mate. They walk back to their suite in silence.

  When they get back into the privacy of their rooms Morna turns to her mate and says, “Darling, please forgive me. I will cut all ties with Rinda and send Lou away. I will never, ever give you another reason to doubt my love for you.”

  Luca tilts her face up so that he can look into her eyes. He knows the pain he sees there is only because she thinks that she has hurt him. “Morna, I never doubted that you love me. I just doubted that I was the best one for you. Lou is my equal, it made me jealous to know that he had loved you. It was stupid of me Morna. I let jealousy make me think and act like a fool. There is certainly no need for you to cut ties with Rinda. She is my friend too, you know. And I think I could easily come to respect Lou, especially now that he doesn’t remember what you meant to him.”

  “Luca, I would rather just cut them out of our lives than risk hurting you again.” Morna says with firm resolve. “Rinda is a big girl, she can take it. And Lou will just think we don’t want his help. Easy fix.”

  “No way Morna! We might actually need Lou’s help and you would miss Rinda. Besides, I don’t want to hurt her. As I said, she is my friend too. I had a momentary lapse, that’s all.” Luca assures his mate.

  “I won’t risk them being around hurting you Luca. I would murder them both before I allowed them to cause you pain. I can’t undo what I have already done. I hate myself for that, but I can make damned sure that I never hurt you again.” Morna says in a very quiet, and matter of fact tone of voice.

  Luca backs away from Morna and continues to watch her for several seconds. “Damn Morna! You would really do it, wouldn’t you? You would go against everything you believe to be right to protect me?”

  Morna swallows hard and nods. “I would do anything for you, Luca.” She whispers so quietly he can barely hear her.

  Luca takes her into his arms and says, “I know that love, but I would be a real beast if I wanted you to do anything so drastic. Please try to forget this morning happened. Our friend Rinda stays in our lives and Lou will be a valuable ally, so he stays too. Agreed?”

  Morna steps back a couple of feet and says, “If that is what you really want Luca. But only if you are sure. I won’t hurt you again.” Morna vows with
iron resolve.

  Luca recognizes the hardness in her resolve and it chills him. He knows how tough she is on herself and others when she is this firmly resolved to a course of action. “Morna, you have never hurt me. Only my own petty jealousy has ever hurt me. Morna Glynn Michaels, my one true mate, has always been true to me. You have always been a loving wife, and a good mother to my children. You have always been honorable in all things. So don’t even consider for a second doing anything that would go against who you are. Do you understand, I mean really understand what I am telling you?”

  Morna rushes to his arms and looks into his eyes. She holds his gaze for several minutes. “So we never mention any of this again?”

  “Agreed. No good could come out of it. I can’t even imagine why I became so obsessed with this.” Luca admits.

  He turns his head towards the door to their suite. “Heimdall and Gullveig are here. I will let them in while you get dressed.” He kisses her gently and holds her close for several seconds, until Heimdall‘s knock sounds.

  Luca goes to let them in. He can tell by the looks on their faces that something bad has happened. He waits until Morna joins them before asking what brings them by so early in the morning.

  Morna walks into the sitting room. She is dressed in a green linen sundress and sandals. She looks as fresh as the morning. Luca can’t help but smile when he sees her, but then he notices her expression is troubled. “Morna? What is it?”

  Morna looks at their guests and then back at Luca. Realization hits her like a ton of bricks. “It was a curse. Luca has been cursed, hasn’t he?”

  Gullveig nods. “Which bitch did it this time?” Hisses Morna.

  Gullveig looks away and says, “My daughter, of course.”

  Morna’s face looks as hard as stone when she asks, “Can you remove it?”

  Heimdall clears his throat. “Agnar already has. Luca’s rage at Lou was so intense he was broadcasting pure hatred this morning. Agnar contacted me and we realized it must be a curse. The first incantation he used on you removed the curse and then he showed Luca what your life would have been like without him. You never married or had children. You still would have been an admirable, honorable woman and a great leader to the Guild. But your life would have lacked true joy and meaning, and your leadership while very sound, but would have been uninspired.”