The Young Vampire Mate: The Airendell Chronicler Diaries - Book 1.5 (5 page)

“I gotta break this connection, Rinda.  I can’t endure being in my sister’s skin again when she makes love with Luca!  They are so damned wild and passionate, you have no idea.”  Rinda giggles.  “You know he’s ice cold and literally hard as stone and it doesn’t bother Morna a bit.  He still drives her wild and makes her so hot she can‘t think straight.”

“Of course it doesn’t bother her.”  Rinda says blandly.  “She loved him before he became a vampire.  It doesn’t matter to either one of them what the other one looks like, or feels like… they love the person that’s inside.  They always have.  How else could Luca love Morna in every incarnation?  None of her other mortal incarnations have looked even a little bit like Morna looked originally, but it makes no difference to him.”  Rinda giggles and says, “But I think he kind of liked the big girls, and she’s a big girl again this time.  Tall and strong and not too skinny.  I have long suspected he had a preference for Rubenesque beauties.  Those full breasts, wide hips, round, supple bellies… shit I better shut up, I am making myself hot.” 

Rinda giggles and I frown in confusion.  “Rinda, do you still take women for lovers?  I mean I thought Morna was the only woman you ever had that kind of relationship with…”

Rinda giggles again, “Yes, silly, she’s was my only woman lover.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the beauty of a woman’s body, the way they feel, smell and taste.”  I hear Rinda sigh on the other end of the line and think of what Fionn said about my taste.  I almost jump when Rinda asks me if I enjoyed Fionn’s lovemaking.  “Well, yeah… but…”

“I know, you thought it was this Damian person.  But if Fionn had finished what he started it would have been a good experience for you,” Rinda assures me.  I know that Rinda and Fionn have occasionally been lovers over the centuries.  Which is kind of odd because they give each other hell about everything under the sun.  They love each other dearly… as friends, and yet they fight like cats and dogs.  But every now and then they have been known to come together and live as lovers for short periods of time.  I smile because they always seem blissfully happy as lovers until some petty issue drives them to butt heads.

Actually, it makes me sad to think about it because I suspect it’s because they are both so damned lonely and understand how the other one feels.  What a sad way to live.  Settling for temporary satisfaction in the arms of someone you know isn’t meant for you just to ease the loneliness.  My sadness for my friends grows, as does my guilt over what happened with Fionn and me tonight.

Eventually, Rinda and I get away from the topic of Fionn, Morna and Luca to discuss my research into old prophesies that Maggie Fine, Rinda’s mother, and I think are about Morna.  When suddenly something that I experienced earlier in my link with Morna comes to mind; she’s strong now!  Nearly as strong as Luca!  And apparently she’s been doing magic without weaving the spells.  She even took on a couple of vampires that were attacking her!  She’s coming back to us!

I relate all of this to Rinda who says, “You think she is on her final incarnation like Una MacLeod believes?”

“I am starting to think that is a very good possibility,” I admit.  “I am going to call Morna’s phone and just hope Luca doesn’t kick my ass for sticking my nose in.”  Rinda laughs and assures me Luca would never hurt me.  Probably not, but he probably prefers that I just stay away from him and Morna.  But I have to call them.

I hang up from Rinda and dial Morna’s cell.  I know she is sleeping, but I can’t wait until she wakes up.  Maybe Luca will answer and tell me to go to hell.

CHAPTER FIVE

My mouth is dry as the phone is ringing.  Morna is still sleeping but I hear Luca telling her that her phone is ringing.  Tears come to my eyes when I hear Morna’s voice on the other end.  She sounds different, but somehow the same.  Just like her looks, she’s different, but the same.  So weird!

“Morna, wake up!  This is Breena!”

“Breena, my sister?

“Yes, silly, your sister.   Is Luca listening?”

“Yes, he is,” breathes Morna.  I can feel her confusion and her head is throbbing again.  God, is this a taste of the agony she endured in Verona?

“I’m here, Breena, what is wrong?” I hear Luca in the background.  I swallow hard but I am encouraged because he doesn’t sound angry that I called them.  I fleetingly wonder if his anger with me was all in my mind.  He did tell Morna earlier that he avoided me because he thought I was disappointed in him.  I shake my head and force myself to focus on my conversation with my sister and her mate.

“Nothing is wrong, everything might be right… finally.” I breathe into the phone.  “Listen to me you two… I haven’t been snooping on you two.  I promise I wasn’t seeking a vision of you two.  Luca, I wasn’t poking my nose in, I promise.   But you came to me in a very long and I must say exciting vision last night.  You two do not do anything halfway do you?”  I can’t help it, I laugh because I can feel Morna’s embarrassment.  Then I say, “Sorry.  I can’t help teasing my little sister.  But seriously.  I saw, rather I experienced everything.”

“Listen, don’t waste time being embarrassed or mad at me, I didn’t do it on purpose.  But I came to a realization that Morna and I can join our spirits, our powers, something… I am not sure exactly, but we can connect in a way we never have before…” I feel Morna’s embarrassment rise again and see the shock and surprise on Luca’s face when she looks at her mate, but I can’t let this slow me down.

“And there’s my research over the last 500 years on breaking curses, it has led me to a very, very ancient passage about calling forth an assembly of the magical and the supernatural that can accuse and find guilty anyone who enacts an unfair, unreasonable, and unjust curse on an innocent, and reverse the curse!  Don’t you see?  You may be finally nearing the end of this nightmare?”

“We must gather as many of our friends as we can in Chicago next week.  Morna, you have to remember everything, and soon.  We are going to have to take you through all the histories and lore until your memory kicks in or something to that effect,” I breathe excitedly. 

“There is someone very, very special and very important waiting for you to get your memory back.”  I see Luca tense up at my reference to their daughter, Aideen, so I quickly move to assure him. “Don’t worry Luca, I am not going to force Morna’s memory.  I know how painful that is for her.  I wouldn’t ever make that mistake again.” 

I shudder at the memory of the pain I caused Morna in Verona during her first incarnation when I became impatient and just told her the truth about herself and the rest of us.  It’s something I will never do again.  In fact, it’s the main reason I have mostly stayed out of Luca and Morna’s lives for last several centuries.  The guilt I have lived with from making my own sister suffer like that has been the bane of my existence.

“It would only be counterproductive for me to try to force her to hear what she can’t remember on her own yet.  But she needs to be surrounded by her family and friends and soon!” 

I see Luca nod his agreement at this and I am very relieved that he agrees.  Maybe he can forgive me for Verona… eventually.

“I am going to hang up now and start contacting everyone here in North America.  And Luca… We need supernatural beings too, like your kind, I think.  Do you know any that would be willing to stand up for Morna?”

Morna interrupts, “Breena, were we joined, our power I mean, last night.  Is that why I was so strong?”

I can‘t help it, I am giddy with excitement when I answer my little sister; “No way, kiddo!  That was all you!  You are the First Warrior of the First Order of Airendell, and all of Ireland, Wales, and apparently of all the New World too.  Oh Morna!  You were and are so amazing, so awesome!  I could feel your power!  It nearly overwhelmed me, I think you might have been holding back to protect Luca.  Can you believe that?” 

“No, not really,” breathes Morna in a tiny, frightened voice.

“And by the way sister, I must confess to being a little jealous.  I certainly hope you know what you have in that man there with you!  He is just as awesome and just as amazing as you are.  WOW!  Sorry, I digress.  But seriously, I am totally jazzed!!”

Morna laughs, “Gee, sis, I couldn’t tell.”  She rolls her eyes at Luca.  I want to giggle and tell her stop rolling her eyes at me, but I don’t blame her, so I let it go.

Luca interrupts, “Breena, how did your vision get through my buffer spell?”  I can hear his concern in his voice, he’s worried that he’s not doing all that he can to protect Morna.

“Luca, I think Morna got out of it, not the other way around.  I don’t know.  But I know your magic is sound brother.  You are protecting her, don’t worry.  You have never and will never let her down.”

“Okay Morna, I know you have teacher things to do today.  By the way, you rock at that too!  I have been getting random visions of you for years, but couldn’t pin down your location, or see your face clearly.  Gee, lady, don’t you ever look in a mirror?”  I am so jazzed up I don’t wait for her to answer me.  “But anyway, I will call back tonight.  We need to make plans.  Don’t break any furniture little sister!  Or your man!”  She laughs heartily.   “I love you! Bye.” 

Once I hang up I realize that I made a big mistake not telling them lay off of the lovey-dovey stuff until I can break the connection.  I shudder when I think of what nearly happened with Fionn.  I feel warmth pooling between my legs again.  I feel like I am becoming a hormone driven sexpot.  I am also kicking myself for not asking Morna if she knows anyone named Damian.  I push those thoughts away from me sing a calming chant.

After I have finally calmed myself a little I start calling our friends.  I am so excited that I am not making much sense until I force myself to focus on helping Morna.  I am not too surprised when Fionn doesn’t answer his phone.  Either he’s ignoring my calls or he found another immortal to get busy with.  Fionn won’t have sex with mortals, he says they are too fragile.  I chuckle, I guess it’s the Shifter half of him that makes him such a wild man. 

I can’t help myself when I feel a momentarily twinge of regret and wonder how good it would have been if I had not yelled out Damian’s name when Fionn made me come and he had actually finished making love to me.  I shudder; Yeah, physically it would have been good.  Probably very good, but not right.  Fionn is my friend, not my mate.

I groan and head for the shower when Morna and Luca start to go at it, again.  I am reciting nursery rhymes and singing stupid songs from the 80’s as I let the icy water flow over my head to try to distract me from what my sister is doing with her mate. 

I am trying not to spy on my sister and her man until I hear Luca mention the name; Damian.  That gets my full attention.  I can’t really figure out who he is from their conversation and Morna’s surface thoughts are not revealing much about this Damian.  I am growing increasingly frustrated as I go to the kitchen start to make some breakfast.  Is this my Damian?  I laugh at myself; Your Damian?  Get real, Breena.  You have been having visions and dreams about a man who may or may not your mate.  Get a grip, girl!

Morna is apparently exploring her newfound strength when I see her break off piece of her wardrobe door.  I am also shocked when she knocks Luca across the room like he’s a rag doll, all at his urging, just to test her strength.  Even other vampires and Shape Shifters would have a hard time doing that to Lucian Michaels.  He’s always been powerful, but he has become unbelievably powerful since he was changed into a vamp.

I finally decide I can’t take any more. I know Morna is feeling scared and will probably seek comfort in her man’s arms again and I can’t endure another round of them making love while I am still connected to my sister, so I pick up my phone and call them again.

“Morna! I told you not to break your man!  Hey, can you two chill out with all the lovey-dovey stuff until I can figure out how to interrupt this connection?  Seriously, give the terminally single lady a break, Okay?”

“Breena!  You are still watching us?” Morna demands. 

“No, not watching, I told you I am experiencing and seeing, hearing everything that you do.  It’s like I am in your skin.”  I tell my sister in exasperation.  Gee, I thought I made that clear earlier. Obviously not.  “So please, please give me a break.  I may never be able to look Luca in the eyes again as it is.  Okay?”

I can feel Morna’s embarrassment over this little tidbit, it rivals my own.  But for some reason I remember something that Luca told Morna last night.  He thinks I don’t want anything to do with him and here all of this time I was thinking he was avoiding me because he hated me for hurting Morna.  I decide I better clear that nonsense up and quick.  I tell Luca that I have never wanted him to stay away from me, he’s my brother and I love him dearly. 

By the time I hang up they have promised to be good until I can figure out how to break the connection.  I hope and pray that I can do it soon, even if it is nice to have this window into my sister’s thinking, I feel like I am eavesdropping on a stranger.  I am very aware that Morna’s personality in this incarnation is pretty different than it was before the curse.  Mostly, she lacks the confidence she always had before.  She’s very unsure of herself in this incarnation.  Hopefully, getting her memories back will help with that, but who knows.  She has had a rough time in this incarnation.  I can’t even imagine the full extent of the pain she has endured losing her children and husband.

Morna is fixing her hair and putting on her make up, but she can hear Luca on the phone to Brigid, someone else is connected to Morna.  I suspect it’s probably Aideen, Morna’s daughter.  I suspect our blood tie to Morna and the fact that we are First Order Spell Weavers like Morna was is the reason for the connection.  The three of us are the only First Orders in North America, well besides Bronwyn’s boys.  But they are not related to us by blood.

I am trying to make arrangements for someone else to take my caseload at the facility where I work treating vets with PTSD when Morna goes downstairs to get the ‘kids’.  Luca calls me to tell me about the connection to Aideen.  I nearly drop the phone when I see my mate through Morna’s eyes!  There’s no doubt, it’s him.  And he’s truly beautiful.  I make some flip remark to Luca about him to cover my rapidly beating heart and elevated respirations.  Luca can hear those things even over a phone and for some stupid reason I am trying to play it cool.  I am just not ready to admit to Luca or Morna that I have been having visions of my true mate.

I know from Morna’s mind that Damian, my mate, is a teenaged vamp.  But he’s so beautiful my heart clenches painfully.  Not just because he’s pretty, but because his aura is bright blue and fairly clear for a vampire.  He’s striving hard to be a good man. Shit! My mate is a vampire?  No way!  Fionn is going to blow a gasket when he learns I have been blowing him off for a vampire!

Luca drags me back to our conversation with a vengeance when he asks me if he should contact Magdrid.  I vehemently tell him that’s a bad idea and convince him not to contact her.  My mother may be the leader of our Clan but I am convinced that she is evil to bone.  We hang up when Morna brings the vamp and his kid sister upstairs.  I sit and stare at my mate through my sister’s eyes while they eat breakfast and talk about their plans for the day. 

I am overcome with the fear that this gorgeous man can’t really be intended for me.  I have tried hard to hide my loneliness from my friends for several centuries.  Only Fionn has any idea how barren my life really is.  I resolved not to tell anyone besides Fionn and Rinda about my visions of Damian over the centuries.  I decided long ago to just let nature takes its course, if it’s meant to be, it will be.  I cling to that resolution now. 

While Morna is in her first meeting of the morning I work to tie up loose ends of my life, in case I am gone for an extended time.  I have a lot of responsibilities in my life, and many of them are of the preternatural kind.

I finally reach Fionn on his cell phone and tell him about Damian and make him promise not to tell anyone about my dreams.  He reluctantly agrees and I wasn’t far off the mark when I thought Fionn would blow a gasket.  “Bree, you are fucking kidding me?  You honestly believe that you are destined to be mated to a goddamned teenaged vampire?”

Fionn’s words bring tears to my eyes and I can barely speak when I answer him; “Yes, Fionn.  That is exactly what I believe.” I sigh and rub my face hard.  “Look Fionn, I know it’s crazy but I am confident my visions are truly showing me my mate.  I can’t explain the connection I feel with him.”  I sit and listen to the silence on the phone.  “Hey, we probably won’t hook up for years since he’s so young.”  By now I am crying hard when I tell Fionn; “Please don’t make this any harder for me than it already is.  You know how empty my life really is.  Fionn, you are best friend, and the only person I have really let into my private life since Morna died the first time… Please Fionn, don’t judge me over this.”

“Shit, baby!  I am not judging you.” Fionn’s voice sounds pained and rough making me want to comfort him.  “Baby, I just can’t believe it.  I know your visions have shown you children, lots of children, in fact.  This fucking vamp can’t be your mate, they can’t have kids. Can they?”