An hour before sunset, Gilbert offered an after meal coffee for the hodge podge of people who sat in the dining room.
Valerius, Talon and Ethon sat at one end of the dining table next to an irate and distraught Calix, whom they had tied to a chair. Tabitha, Chi, Quadrel, Gloria and Shevon sat at the other end.
Gilbert smiled as Shevon squealed at the dish of ice cream he gave her instead of coffee.
No one had a lot of sleep. The weight of what they had learned about Morginne was heavy. Calix, in his grief, spent hours vomiting out his self disgust and hatred. Then, he had tried to run outside and kill himself in the sunlight, thus the need to tie him down and gag him. They all knew that it would take a lot for him to come to terms with the past.
Morginne was left alone. Tabitha checked on her often, but let her sleep where she was. She had passed out in the corner of a spare bedroom. The dog still by her side.
And, of course, they still had to sort out what they were going to do about the demons after Shevon.
The doorbell rang and Tabitha got up to get it.
"Oh no. You don't get to be called sexy babe today. I am very unhappy with you." She growled at Acheron.
He smirked. "They have been that much fun huh?"
He would have dropped dead if looks could kill. Still, she opened the door and let him in. Leave it to the wrangler of Dark-Hunters and mystery man extraordinaire to carry such a flippant attitude for the emotional grenade they all suffered that day.
"You know things had to come out. And if it was private, they would have fucked it all up and Calix would probably be a Shade by now." Ash stated with all seriousness. "I am sorry you are the empath that had to feel all of it. But, no one else had been able to reach Morginne enough for her to trust the situation and be honest. You were the key to the whole thing."
He leaned down to kiss her forehead chastely.
"It doesn't mean I forgive you yet. You have no idea of the pain."
"Yes, I do."
Just then, Valerius joined them. "I have spent all day trying to keep your Dark-Hunters alive. My wife has been in tears. And now, now, you finally decide to show up."
Acheron gave a shrug that was infuriating to the Roman General. "Not even I could have gotten through to Calix. Had to leave things open for someone who could."
"Who?"
Ash jerked his chin back toward the dining room where they all walked in to see Shevon climb into Calix's lap and caress his face.
She wiped tears from his cheeks as she looked into his red, swollen eyes full of guilt and heartbreak.
"I was sad when my mommy died. But, you were there. You tried to save her. You did save me. And you saved me again last night." The little girl leaned up to kiss his cheek. "You are not a bad man like you think. And I am glad that you are still here. So is Morginne. That is why she didn't want to tell you the truth. She didn't want to hurt you. She is very hurt. But, she doesn't blame you. She needs you more than anyone."
His shoulders slumped and his tension drained away.
Tears tracked down Gloria's cheeks. No one had realized that Shevon had the ability to read people like that.
Well, except for Acheron. Her powers were growing. One day, she would be the strongest of her people. He grinned slightly as he watched her save the man in her arms.
Marie Laveau had finally chosen to be reborn. The only human to have ever seen Acheron for who and what he truly was. He respected her immensely. He was more than happy to help keep her safe and protected until she could claim her destiny in this new life.
"Cut him loose. Let him go talk to Morginne." Acheron said.
Ethon frowned as he untied the ropes that held Calix to the chair. "It's a good thing that I am not all that damaged from spending all day watching his ass. But, it will take days for this one to regain his Dark-Hunter powers after this."
Calix slowly opened the door that Tabitha had lead him to. He could hear the dog growl at him softly. His lips tugged a little in one corner at her furry protector. The door closed just as slowly, thought Calix could still see just fine in the darkness.
Squires head raised as he watched Calix cautiously.
"Don't worry, I am not here to hurt her."
The dog huffed. Calix had to wonder just how much the dog understood.
Morginne started to stir.
"Morginne. Morginne, I don't want to startle you." He said as he sat down and leaned against the bed several feet from her.
Her swollen eyes opened slowly. "Can't you tell that I would rather be alone." She said in Latin.
"You were alone for far too long already." He replied back. It was nice to speak to her in Latin. He took a deep breath. "I know that there is nothing that I could ever do in a million years to make up for what I did to you. And I have no right to ever ask for a second chance. But, I do want to say that I am so very sorry. I would do anything to take away your pain. To help you find peace in this life."
Tears rolled down his face once again.
She just watched him silently.
Squire nuzzled at Morginne's hand. She looked down at the dog. Her fingers scratched behind his ears.
"I had a lot of time to think about everything that happened. I recognize that the situation fell into place in a way that made things appear as though I hurt you. And, I know you well enough to know that even when you tossed me out like garbage, you probably pictured my life to be like the whores that you bedded. Sex. Food. Wine. Disgrace, but nothing like the reality that I faced." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried so much weight.
Morginne licked her dry lips as she searched for the right words to say.
"I don't hate you for your reactions. But, you didn't trust me. I can't just forget that. I can't forget how easy it was for you to believe that I would be unfaithful. I can't forget the hate in your words that you said as you tossed me aside or any time you have talked to me since. I can't forget listening to you as I died."
He sighed and slumped down further. "I know. I will never be able to forget or forgive myself either."
"So, what are you hoping for? I don't know if I could trust you again to simply return to our marriage. Of course, Artemis would never allow that anyway. I can't ask for my soul again. I haven't wanted sex with anyone since the night you gave me away. And we are still both Dark-Hunters who drain each other's powers…" Her voice trailed off.
"Can we start as friends?" Calix was hopeful for something. Someway to ease her pain. He couldn't do that if she wouldn't let him be a part of her life at all.
Her eyes moved everywhere except at him. "Maybe."
At least it wasn't a no.
Calix looked around. "Why are you sleeping on the floor? It is cold and hard. And there is a bed with blankets right behind me."
She shrugged. "Used to it."
He didn't know what to do with this version of Morginne. She had been so confident and strong. Seeing her so broken and weak made him feel sick again. But, he couldn't run from her. He refused to do anything that would make her feel ashamed or rejected, ever again.
"Come here." He offered her a hand. She hesitantly took it. Calix pulled her up with him as he stood. Then he stepped closer, watching for any reactions. Slowly he reached around to scoop her into his arms and then turned to place her in the bed. He pulled a blanket over her and settled into the bed next to her. The dog jumped up and snuggled in on the other side.
A small smile pulled at his lips as she turned to place her head on his shoulder. Her eyes closed. She was rather stiff and didn't touch him more than that. However, it was more than he could have hoped for.
"This is how I passed my time in my prison cell." She whispered. "I would remember sleeping next to you in bed. It would help me feel safe and warm. Then, I would pretend you were there and I would talk to you."
His arms wrapped around her feminine frame and pulled her closer. She tensed and he stopped with apologies.
"Why would you pretend it was me, after everything that I did?"
She looked up at him. "Because no matter what you thought, I still loved you. I didn't want to at first. But, I couldn't stop it. In the dark, it was all I had left. I chose to think of the good memories that helped to keep me warm rather than the anger that did nothing to save my sanity."
"You know I never really did forget about you. No matter what I said in anger. I had loved you deeply and couldn't force myself to stop wanting you back. That was what made me so angry and bitter toward you."
"This doesn't sound like the begining of being friends."
He smirked. "Perhaps." The truth was that they had too much baggage to ever go back to how things were before. There was too much pain. Too many complications with them being Dark-Hunters. They weren't even the same people that they were before.
They needed to be friends and only friends. They needed to get to know one another again. To build trust over time. It would be a long and slow process. Calix knew that. Her scars were too deep to rush anything.
However, he also knew that the only way to build that trust was to be honest. Completely. Totally honest. With her. And with himself. And the truth was that no matter how much pain and anger he felt, no matter how many women he had been with, he still loved her. It wasn't the mad passionate bliss he had found in her arms when they first married. Still, he loved his Druid priestess.
"Just get some rest and we will sort it all out later." He mumbled into her hair.
"You do realize that we will never regain our powers laying here together." She said through a yawn. She had managed some sleep through the day, but it was broken and full of nightmares. Emotionally, she was still very exhausted.
Morginne opened her eyes to an empty bed.
She looked around her small little cottage to remember that the day was Midsummer. Calix had chosen to stay with his camp for the day, knowing that she would be busy with her ceremonies.
The Romans had their own way of celebrating the day while the Druids had other ways. Calix had expressed concern that if he stayed with her, others would come to find him, witnessing her ceremonies. He had been very protective of her magic and didn't want his Roman brothers to know what she could do.
She found his concern charming.
The day had been filled with celebrations and revelry at the old stone circle. Morginne and the other Druids in the city had performed rituals in the morning and again when the sun set. The time in between was spent with the men in competitions of skill and strength while the women sang. After the sunset, everyone returned home to feast.
Morginne held back as she sat in silent prayer amongst the stones.
"To hear the men in my camp, you Druids dance around naked during these holidays." Calix's deep voice sent shivers down her spine.
She smirked up at him. "Only for the planting seasons. Helps to make sure the crops remain fertile." Her eyes wiggled, not willing to let him see if that was truth or not.
He chuckled. His smile and his laugh always caught her off guard. Especially when they were not hidden away in bed together. He was so commanding and dominant in public.
The way the moonlight glowed off of his skin. The darkness made his hair and eyes darker. He appeared like a vision.
Calix moved to sit behind her, with his legs to either side so that she could lean against his chest.
"Do the Roman's hold the respect for nature that we do?" She asked.
Morginne shivered as her husband's fingers gently grazed her neck.
"Some more than others. There are many temples and cults to the various gods and goddesses."
"As a soldier, I assume you don't really notice the peace and balance of the natural world." Her voice was shaky as his fingers slid down to draw circles around her breasts as his lips replaced them on the skin of her neck.
His breath was warm, though his voice dropped an octave. "I notice it. I just don't think much of it until times like now."
"Like now?" Her brow arched.
Teeth nibbled on her ear causing her to moan. "Yes. The air seems to sizzle around us when we are together. The sounds of the woods outside of the circle create a cloak of peace and the way your body fits against mine creates a balance that I never imagined to find in my lifetime."
Her breath came in gasps as he teased her body, never touching the places that she wanted him most.
"Would we insult your gods if I took you here in your sacred circle?"
Twisting around to push him into the grass. "No. The union of a husband and wife is a sacred act." She climbed to straddle his body as she claimed his lips.
Even with both of their clothes still on, Calix had maneuvered fabric around until they were united as one. Her body slid over his hips as they both moaned in the pleasure.
Leaning back, Morginne set a slow pace. Their eyes found each others. There was so much to be found in the vision beneath her. Passion. Strength. Love.
Her Roman Prefect had command of many men. But, none of that mattered more than how much he had command of her heart. There was a connection between them, out under the moon, inside the stone circle. She could not name it. Yet, she could feel the gods at work. That moment with Calix did more than strengthen her magical abilities. Or even the love she felt. It was as if their very souls were being tied together for all of eternity. Morginne could only vaguely see the movements of gods and goddesses around them. However, her focus remained on her husband. Only he mattered.
His hands found her breasts and played with her nipples through her ceremonial robes. She gasped without breaking eye contact. Her hands gripped onto his armored breastplate to gain leverage as she moved slightly faster, enough to make him quietly groan for more. She would have prefered his warm, smooth skin. However, there was something strangely erotic about riding her husband in his full regalia while she was still in hers.
Two cultures. Two faiths. Two symbols of power. Joined intimately in mutual love and pleasure.
She knew that she could only tease him for so long before he would take over. And she was not disappointed as he growled and rolled them both over until she was under him, never separating his body from hers. Her back arched as he pounded into her faster and harder. She spasmed and screamed as she found all new heights of pleasure. The ground beneath them shook in the intensity of their passions.
All too fast, he found his release with her name being torn from his lips.
He collapsed onto her. The metal and leather of his armor was uncomfortable, yet, she couldn't find enough reason to ask him to move. Their moment had been magical. In more ways than one.
Morginne would only later learn of the child they conceived that night. The dream wavered ever so slightly by that thought, however, the damage was done. She remembered that it was all a dream. A memory of night where she thought that their love was strong enough to face anything.
She was so young and naive.
The dream shifted to the memory of when she died.
She squeezed her eyes shut. Could she truly trust him again?
By the time that Morginne and Calix emerged from the room that they had taken over, everyone had left.
Ethon was grateful to get out of the place.
Chi voiced some concern for Morginne, which Morginne had been surprised to hear. She was used to the cold shoulder.
Talon had left with promises that he would be there for Calix if he was needed again.
Gloria had been able to spend the day preparing a place to take Shevon. There was a secret refuge deep in the bayou that held so many spells and charms that it would be safe. It was a place where they would have the protections of the deepest of the voodoo powers. Gloria just had to get community approval before taking Shevon there. Acheron helped the two get safely to members of their community that would get them out to the safe location.
Quadrel was mellow as he caught up his boss on the comings and goings of the others. He had really taken to Gloria and Shevon. But, where they were was not easy to get to and restricted from outside eyes. Especially male eyes. It was safe for them. But, he could not go.
"Morginne?" Calix called as she started to leave.
His face looked so tortured that she couldn't handle it and left quickly.
She warned him that he wouldn't want to know the truth. Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone?