The First Spell Weaver of Airendell: Book Two of the Airendell Chronicles (19 page)

“Okay darling, I trust your judgment in this.  But can I ask why you are willing to do it?  I mean after what she did to you, I am amazed that you are willing to trust her at your back, to take her with you on such a dangerous undertaking.” Luca asks quietly.

“Because that bitch Kyera stole as much from Aideen as she did from us, even more in some ways.  We lost a mate, she lost both of her parents because of the curse.  She deserves the chance to rectify the situation as much as I do.”  Morna assures her mate gently.

“True enough love.  Besides, she has warrior’s blood in her veins, it will be good for her to have the training and position of responsibility as well.”  Morna smiles and nods at her beloved mate.  “Maybe responsibility is what she has been missing for all these years.”  Luca says thoughtfully, and realizes that is what is mate is thinking as well.  Then he notices that Morna has veered from the direct route to the main hall and is heading to the massive kitchen instead.  “Where are we going?”

“I need food and I don’t have time for all the rituals involved in feasting at an Asgardian banquet.” Morna informs him.  Once they arrive at the kitchen she charms the head cook into giving her a sandwich and a coke.  She chuckles over the coke.  “I still can’t believe that I can get an icy cold coke in Asgard.”

The cook, Mordman laughs and says, “Lord Heimdall had them brought from Midgard for you Madam.  I sent ten cases over to your hall when Lord Valliant informed us you would be setting up residence over there.  Ingrid has gone to help Brynhold get the house in order and she has requested to be your personal maid.  My assistant cook Aggie will be preparing your meals.  Your hall had a few servants, but they had been idle for years, Tena is very competent your household will definitely be in order.  But Brynhold will have everything running nicely before you get there.  Lord Heimdall must be very fond of you to allow so many of his own servants to go and look after you.”

“My godfather is incredibly generous,” Morna agrees.  When she finishes the sandwich and coke she kisses the cook on the cheek and says, “Thank you for your hospitality Mordman.”             

The cook blushes profusely and can’t reply.  Luca chuckles and says, “Sorry Mordman, she doesn’t understand the sway she holds over us mere men.”

“Mere men indeed!” snorts Morna as she leads the way out into the Great-hall.  The scene that greets her is so lavish that Morna is grateful she won’t be staying.  All this opulence always seems overdone to Morna.  They quickly make their way to their host, Heimdall.  “So, you are leaving my house are you?” 

When Morna smiles and nods, he says, “I can’t say I am surprised.  When Luca approached me and Valliant about bringing your children here, I knew you would want to set up your own hall to accommodate them.  Although you would have all fit nicely here.  But I understand you want your family to yourself for a little while.  Go to your children Baby Girl!  Enjoy them!  I will drop by tomorrow to check on you.  I will bring Rinda with me.  I have persuaded her to remain here with me.  I am quite enamored of her, in case you haven’t figured that out for yourself.” 

Morna thanks her godfather again and hugs him fiercely.  “I love you Heimdall!” she whispers into his ear and he smiles broadly at her.

Rinda joins them and enthusiastically kisses and hugs both Morna and her mate. “Morna, your children are lovely.”  Rinda gushes.  “I look forward to getting to know them… starting tomorrow.  Tonight they are all yours and Luca’s.  I will keep Heimdall from dropping in at the butt crack of dawn.”  Rinda and Morna both giggle.  “How does the afternoon sound?”  Morna smiles gratefully and Heimdall pouts.  Then Rinda whispers into his ear that he will be otherwise occupied, and his countenance changes instantly to one of joy.  Morna and Luca chuckle at the byplay between her best friend and her godfather.

“Where is Sammy?” asks Morna. 

Morna feels a tap on her shoulder and turns to see the girl in question.  She looks much different than the Sammy she knows and loves.  She looks her true age of twenty one, she looks regal, and her aura has changed.  She is obviously a Vanir, her stately aura is the rich blue of a powerful Vanir witch.  “Morna, I guess you should call me Ganessa here.  Mother is very fond of that name and doesn’t really like it when I go by Samantha or Sammy.”

“Well, I don’t blame her.  Ganessa is a lovely name, for a lovely young lady.  Do you feel like you belong here yet?” Morna asks concerned for her adopted daughter.

“No, but I know I do.  But I still want to go back to Midgard with you.”  Ganessa pouts.

“We aren’t going back just yet.  My children are all here, I will stay here to keep them safe until I have neutralized the threat against them.” Morna tells her quietly. 

“Well, I told mother that I had sworn service to you as your seer and she understands that I have an obligation to you, so she will be relieved that you are staying here.  Perhaps she will let me stay on here rather than going back to Nidavellir with them tomorrow.”  Sammy says sadly.

“Sammy… I mean Ganessa, you and your parents could stay at my hall,” Morna offers.  “Come with Heimdall and Rinda tomorrow.  I want to meet your parents, but right now I am eager to get back to my children.  Have you seen Breena?  I want her to come with me to meet my babies.”

Ganessa laughs and says, “I saw her and Damian sneaking off to their room about an hour ago.”  Morna and Luca chuckle at that too. 

“Well, I am going to go and interrupt the lovebirds.  They have to meet my babies!” Morna gushes.  “Be sure you come meet them too Sammy!”  She turns quickly and heads for Breena’s bedchamber with Luca in tow.

As they are walking down the corridor, Luca says conversationally, “Damian, my mate is quite determined to come to your quarters.  We are just down the hallway.”

Morna laughs and says, “Ready or not lovebirds, here I come!”  Thirty seconds later Morna is knocking softly on her sister’s bedroom door.

Breena opens the door and hugs her sister happily.  “We were changing so we could go over there with you.  Damian has been listening to you for the last twenty minutes and knew that you wanted us to go with you. It’s nice to have someone with vampire hearing around, isn’t it?”  Morna laughs and agrees.  Luca and Damian watch their women indulgently and roll their eyes.

Damian grabs his backpack and says, “Well, what are we waiting for?  I want to meet these kids of yours, Morna.”  He kisses her forehead and ushers her and Breena out the door.  Once outside Heimdall’s greathouse Breena weaves the iron-lion spell and they take off following the scent of Morna’s children.  They arrive at Morna’s hall in about three minutes.  Morna is taken aback at its size and the grandeur she finds inside.  “Jeez, Valliant never does anything halfway does he?  No wonder he never told me about this place.” Morna groans.

Brynhold meets them at the door.  “Welcome home Lady Morna and Lord Lucian!  Welcome Master Damian and Mistress Breena.  Your rooms are ready, and your family will meet in the Great-hall for dinner in about forty-five minutes.  The children are settling in.  Is that alright Lady Morna?” 

“That’s great,” says Morna breathlessly.  “I would like a chance to freshen up and change clothes.”

“Of course, Ingrid will show you to your master suite, and Surt will show Mistress Breena and Master Damian to their bedchamber.  Mistress Tena is seeing to the children.  They have developed quite a rapport with her already.  Let them know if you need anything that we have not already made available to you.  I want your time here in Asgard to be relaxing for you Lady Morna so that we can have a happy, healthy pregnancy!”  Brynhold beams at Morna.

Morna pats his face and says, “Brynhold, you are a gem!  Thank you so very much.”

On the way to their suite Ingrid says, “I asked to be your personal maid, I hope that wasn’t too presumptuous of me.”

“Not at all Ingrid.  I think as this pregnancy progresses I will welcome your help.  But I can be a stubborn pain in the ass, I will warn you right now.” Morna tells Ingrid honestly.

Luca chuckles and nods.  “Ingrid, your biggest problem will be that she wants to do everything for herself.”

When they enter their suite of rooms Morna gasps.  There is a small family dining room, a sitting room, a private study, a modern bathroom, a walk in closet that is fully stocked from the looks of it, and a huge bedroom with a monstrous bed.  Morna looks at Luca and says, “Guess where we will be spending family vacations.”  Then she turns to Ingrid, “Please tell Brynhold I would like to have breakfast here with my children in the morning, at about 9:00.”

“Yes Lady Morna, he had said that he thought you might want to spend some intimate time with them.”

“Ingrid, we have to set something straight from the start.  Please call me Morna, or Mrs. Michaels if you really want to get formal, this Lord and Lady business just isn‘t for us.”

“Fine Morna,” Ingrid says with a huge grin on her face.  “Let me run your bath and help you get ready for dinner.”

“Sorry, Ingrid, that’s my job,” says Luca with a grin.

“Very well,” Ingrid smiles and continues, “Call me if you need anything.  Actually, just pull that rope over there.  But I am an empathic, so I will know if you need me without it.”

Morna gives the girl a hug, and says, “Thank you for all you have done for me and my family.”

“Happy to be of service, Morna.”  Ingrid says as she slips out of the room with a blush on her face.

“I don’t think she knows how to react to that, I bet she’s never been hugged by her Lady Mistress before.” Chuckles Luca.

Morna shrugs, “I hope she can get used to it.  You know how emotional I get when I am pregnant.”  She walks into the bathroom and claps her hands together happily.  “Luca this tub is big enough for us to live in.  Hmmm, and there‘s a shower stall too!”

He comes up behind her and puts his arms around her, resting his hands on her growing belly.  “Which would you like to break in first my love?” He whispers huskily into her ear. 

She turns and starts kissing him, and then says, “Surprise me love.”

He pulls away and starts running water in the tub.  “Let’s leave the shower for another time, I want you to rest a little before we join the children.”

Morna shuts the water off and takes his hand and leads him to the bed.  “Let’s make love first, and then I can soak in a hot tub of water.”  He laughs as he unties the halter top of the dress.  He reaches behind her and unbuttons the waist and the dress drops to the floor to expose her ample, ripe body, he growls softly and picks her up and carries her into the bedroom to lie her on the center of the bed.  He quickly removes his clothes and joins her.    “Luca, thank you for bringing my babies back to me.  I really can’t express how happy I am right now!”  As she says that she rolls him over and starts caressing and kissing his body.

He rolls her back over and when she starts to argue he says, “Get used to it.  You have children to raise, a daughter to train for battle, and a very difficult pregnancy ahead of you.  The least you can allow me to do is the work in the bedroom.”  He says with a laugh.

“Fine, but you know I will get up there sometimes,” she says with a giggle.  But he cuts her laughter short with a passionate kiss, and he moves down to suckle at her breasts.  He nips each one in turn and she purrs with delight as the burn and tingle fan the flames of her passion for him.  She scoots over under him and wraps her legs around him, “Baby, I don’t want to wait for more foreplay, I want you now!”  He laughs and happily complies. 

It doesn’t take them long to come to a mutual climax.   He kisses her gently and holds her tenderly in his arms for several minutes while she catches her breath and her heart rate calms.  He chuckles and says, “Will you listen to his heart rate race when we make love.  I think he thinks his daddy is an interloper.”

Morna laughs and says, “Well, luckily for him, he only has to put up with it for a few weeks.  Did I tell you that Sammy said he will weigh 12 pounds when he is born?  Little bugger will be half grown when he gets here.  If he is going to get that big that fast, my body is in for some serious changes.  I am glad I have been strengthened by your venom.  But I worry about Breena.”

“Me too.” Luca admits.  “Gullveig says that the pregnancies will progress about a week to ten days’ worth of growth in a day.  That’s a lot of stress on a woman’s body.”  He rolls over and lies on her left side as he rubs her belly and leans down and kisses it. “You be nice to momma,” he admonishes gently.  “Seriously Morna, you have to take it easy.”  Luca kisses her lovingly and brushes her sweat dampened hair from her face.

“I need that bath, desperately.  I can’t believe how much I have been sweating the last few days.  I guess it is part of the pregnancy.”

“You ran very hot natured with Kylor and Aideen, how about the other three children?” Luca asks as he helps her up from the bed.

“The same.  Second and third trimesters were the worst, for that anyway.  I was wondering if my temperature was running hotter because you feel cooler to me than you did just a few days ago.”  Morna starts looking through the drawers and cabinets in the bathroom. When Luca asks what she is looking for, she replies, “A razor, I haven’t shaved my legs since Chicago.  I am surprised you haven’t complained.”

“Morna, honey, I think that your hair isn’t growing any longer.  You are like me in that now.”  Luca says softly.

Morna stands up from looking in the lower cabinets, she looks shocked.  “Really?”  She looks at her underarm pits and runs a hand down her legs.  “Well, what do you know?  Cool!  I have always hated shaving and waxing!”  She giggles and then looks at her hair in the mirror and says, “I guess it is a good thing this cut is versatile, but I may still get sick of it in a couple of hundred years.”  She meets Luca’s eyes in the mirror.  He looks concerned.  “What’s wrong Luca?”