Wit'cha Ch. 03

Jaux didn’t respond to the barb. It was one thing to hear Morgana reduce him to such a state, that hurt. But he knew that this man sought only to goad him. Jaux gave the man an unfriendly smile and bowed at the waist. “I am.”

Aidan started to step forward, to continue on his way down the hall only to jerk back in surprise. A small frown of confusion marked his forehead as he stepped forward again, this time moving slowly, and flared his nostrils.There! It was clear, Morgana’s scent rode heavy on the air surrounding this man.

There was only one thing that caught Morgana’s scent that strongly.

Aidan felt rage welling up from deep inside him, rushing towards the surface and breaking out along his skin. Only this rage was cold, freezing the element of Water into flames of ice and sending them dancing along his skin.

Jaux, not immune to magic, sensed the Power of the Elements rising around him and shifted. It was a subtle, easily missed, redistribution of his weight and a widening of his stance. Aidan missed it, missed noticing that even now Jaux stood ready for battle.

Oblivious to his own danger, Aidan brushed past Jaux with a mumbled “excuse me” and walked quickly down the hall.

Jaux watched over his shoulder until the man disappeared around a corner. Only then did he relax. Not sure what had caused the sudden tension, Jaux turned and headed towards his room. He was hungry, still covered in dust from his travels and in need of a bath.

Morgana jumped and half started to rise from her place at Annie’s side when the door to her room was thrown open. Only this time the door didn’t bounce off the wall behind it, it went flying across the room.

Instinctively, Morgana wrapped Annie and herself in a Weave of Spirit and Air, protecting them both from whatever danger was about to walk through the door. The pounding of her heart didn’t subside when she saw Aidan walking through the debris.

Standing just inside her suite, Aidan felt himself shaking with rage and was hard pressed to keep from lashing out at the small woman sitting before him. “What the hell is going on here?!”

Slowly, Morgana stood and with her hands hidden behind her skirt gave Annie a subtle sign to disappear. Annie, with a decisive snort, winked out of existence. It was a testament to how angry Aidan was that he didn’t notice the disappearance of the old woman. In fact, Morgana hadn’t seen Aidan this angry since she first arrived.

Slowly, Aidan stocked her, literally prowling around the room in ever tightening circles. “What is he to you?” Aidan leaned in close and inhaled the scent of her hair. “I could smell you on him, a scent your skin releases only in the heat of passion.”

Morgana gripped her skirts but forced herself to meet his angry eyes. “Jaux is my Guard, he’s served me for years, we were trained together.”

“Served you? Or is thatservicedyou?” Aidan sneered. “How long have you been fucking him?”

Morgana’s eyes narrowed. “That is none of your business.”

“The hell it isn’t! This is my house, everything that goes on in it is my business.” Aidan stopped stalking her and stared at Morgana, after a tense moment he threw his head back and laughed. “Of course! I was so blind! That’s why you wanted him here and why you were so angry when I denied you yourstaff. How could I have been so stupid?!”

Sadly, Morgana shook her head. “It wasn’t like that.”

“No? You mean you don’t spread your legs for every man you meet?” Aidan barely had time to finish speaking before he found himself flying through the air and crashing into the wall. Braced for impact it took him a minute to realize that he was still suspended, several feet above the ground. Looking down he found Morgana glaring up at him.

“Up until now I’ve been gentle with you but you go too far. You refuse to learn about me, my role in your life orWit’cha yet stand there and cast judgment. Well, I won’t stand for it.”

Aidan opened his mouth to argue and nearly choked when a gag of air was unceremoniously shoved between his lips.

“No, you had your say, now it’s time you listen.” Morgana took a deep breath and let it out, along with her anger. Now was not the time for it. “You weren’t raised inWit’cha and because of that I’ve made certain allowances.” Morgana started pacing as she thought back over the past year. “To start with, adonia’sstaff is as important to her warlock as it is to her. There are things I need, things that must be done that you can’t do. There are times when I need help and you’re not there, besides which, it just isn’t your responsibility. For the most part these needs are minor, another woman to talk to, like Rachel or a wise woman for council, like Annie. These are women that had a direct hand in raising me or were trained right along side me, always knowing that they would follow me once I joined you. It’s a bond, one you failed to honor when you refused to allow them into your home.”

Without stopping to think, Morgana lowered Aidan to the floor but didn’t release his bonds or gag. “But adonia has more important needs, needs that any human has only we’re forbidden them. There’s the need to love and be loved, to have a family and share in a home.” Morgana gave a delicate shrug of her shoulders and undid the Weave holding Aidan in place. “Jaux loves me and Rachel and Annie are my family, I won’t let you take that away from me again.”

Aidan stretched his jaw, realizing that his anger had dimmed while listening to Morgana. In it’s place there was only confusion. “I can understand your need for people but over time couldn’t I be all those things to you?” In that moment, Aidan realized that he’d already come to care for her. “I thought we shared something along those lines last night.”

Morgana nodded but stepped away from Aidan. “We did, and it was wrong.”

His anger back, he asked, “How can you say that?”

“Because it’s true! What we shared last night was the after effects of spent Power. There was no magic in it, it was simply and beautifully love making.”

“So what’s the problem?” Aidan could feel his chest tightening as he watched Morgana slipping away.

“Those moments, the ability to make love without Power, without calling the Elements and without loosing control are reserved for your wife!” Morgana chocked back a sob.

“But I’m not married, why can’t I share those moments with you?” Aidan shouted, reaching out and trying to touch her. It nearly unmanned him when she moved away.

“And what happens when you do marry? Will you divide those moments between me and your wife? Would you ask that both of us abandon our known roles and assume something different? In doing so you would destroy both of us and deprive yourself of the best of what we both have to offer. I can give you so much as yourdonia and one day there will be a woman in your life who was raised for the role of your wife, but it won’t be me.”

“Why not?” Aidan wasn’t being obtuse, he seriously didn’t understand.

“Because it’s forbidden, adonia and a warlock are powers of opposites, what would result of such a union would be too dangerous forWit’cha to allow.” Morgana knew, even if Aidan didn’t, what would happen. Any such union would lead to their destruction, a destruction sanctioned by the governing members ofWit’cha. There was a time in their history when warlocks were free to marry and mate with any woman of their choosing, the results had been disastrous and almost led to the destruction ofWit’cha.

“How can they stop us?”

Morgana looked at Aidan sadly. She knew that after this moment, nothing between them would ever be the same. “They already have. I was sterilized at birth, I can’t have children.”

Aidan was shocked speechless, the reality of what she was saying finally sinking in. Once again his life and his future was being dictated by people and forces unknown. Here stood the most beautiful woman he’d ever know. Not just physically but in her heart and he was to be denied a life with her. Delegated to only half measures, never knowing what it would be like to share the joy of life with her.

“I’m sorry.”

Her whispered apology broke through to Aidan and he realized he’d been standing there staring for some time. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. You were right.” And her confused look Aidan explained. “One as uneducated as me has no room to judge, please, accept my apology.”

“Of course, will you sit?”

Aidan shook his head, “No, I should be going. There is much to do before we leave for London.”

Morgana watched him walk to the door. “Aidan?” Aidan turned and waited for her to continue. “You could have loved me?”

Aidan looked down at her and smiled. “I already did.” Past tense.