Chapter 2
It was Saturday and, for that, Morgan was eternally grateful. She felt exhausted from her ordeal the night before as if the full horror of what could have happened to her had finally decided to hit her. She lay in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin, and simply enjoyed existing for an hour before she got up and stumbled off to the shower. She'd done nothing more the night before beyond washing the smell of the club and the grit of the street off her body along with the make-up. Today she planned to have her mother wash Mariana's clothes and then she would take them along with her shoes back to her house. Having them in plain view only served as a reminder of her night.
Actually, not every single part of her night had been horrible. She'd met Jorga, after all.
She frowned. Yeah, like she was ever going to see the woman again. To the biker, she was probably little more than a kid even though she would be eighteen in a little over four months. She had a driver's license and everything, though it served little purpose because she had no vehicle to drive.
Her mother was already at work. There was a note attached to the fridge that scolded her for coming in so late and reminded her to mow the lawn before rodents began making nests in it. As if it was really that high. The grass barely came up to her ankle when she was wearing shoes.
After starting the washer, she went upstairs to slip her feet into her tennis shoes and grab a sun visor. The sun was already high and already hot even though it was only ten a.m. in the morning. Morgan typically hated the heat, but since it was only June, she was in for, at least, two more full months of nothing but summer weather. If her home had central air conditioning, maybe she wouldn't hate it so much, but the house was built before there was such a thing and her mother couldn't afford to have it installed. They made due with fans in just about every room and it would have to be enough.
The sound of others trimming their lawns had floated in to her through the open bedroom window as she slept and were still around when she went outside. She loved the sound of the lawnmowers -- it reminded her of long, carefree days -- but seriously hated cutting the grass herself.
Morgan was half finished with her work when a familiar rumbling caught her attention. Her head jerked up and her eyes scanned the street for any sign of Jorga's big black motorcycle. She even went as far as to cut the motor on the lawnmower so that she could hear better. Slowly, as if in a dream, the motorcycle eased down her street and pulled into her driveway with Jorga riding it. The engine was cut and the tall woman dismounted, pulling off her helmet as she did so.
"Hey again," she smiled. "Want some company?"
Morgan was suddenly very aware that she had on nothing more than a brief pair of cut-off denim shorts, a blue tank top, and white sneakers, no socks. "Uh, sure. You can go on inside and make yourself comfortable while I finish this. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen."
Jorga smiled at her again. "I'll just do that, then." With one last wink, she entered the house and Morgan watched her go every step of the way. Realizing that her heart was pounding, she took several deep, steadying breaths before continuing with her chore. It would be bad to lose a toe because she hadn't paid enough attention to what she'd been doing.
***
"I'm glad you came back," Morgan said loudly as she re-entered her home. She didn't see Jorga anywhere in the living room so continued onward to the kitchen. The woman was there drinking a glass of water. Smiling briefly at her guest, Morgan turned on the faucet and washed her hands. "What changed your mind?"
"The fact that our paths would have crossed regardless of what we did or didn't do." The tone was pleasant, but the words were a little chilling. The teen shot her a look as she dried her hands, one that questioned her sanity a little.
"What do you mean?"
Jorga's slender fingers gripped her glass firmly. "I believe our meeting yesterday was orchestrated by Fate. It doesn't matter if you believe that or not, whatever needs to happen will happen regardless."
Confused, she sat down across from her. "You probably should explain this to me because I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I can't," she admitted. "Why don't I show you instead?" Jorga reached out with her left hand and grasped Morgan's right. "Whatever you do, don't let go."
"O-okay," the teen replied in a shaky voice.
Bringing the strange ring she wore up to her lips, she reverently kissed the stone in the center and then said something that slipped in and out of Morgan's mind like an eel. The words were hard to grab hold of, but she didn't think it was necessary that she remember them. At least, she hoped that it wasn't necessary.
"Don't look so afraid," Jorga said as something tugged insistently on Morgan. She felt as if she was being squeezed through something that was entirely too small for her to fit through. There was a feeling of great pressure on her entire body for one brief moment, then nothing.
Actually, it was more than nothing.
Her eyes were shut and she hadn't done it on purpose. Her nose could smell nature all around and she wondered how that could be since they'd just been in her kitchen a few seconds ago. Her ears backed up what her nose had brought to her attention, however. High-pitched bird calls sounded around her at irregular intervals, by the sounds of things there were at least three different species nearby. Her skin felt cool and the grass that tickled her bare legs and arms was cool as well. She knew without a doubt that it had been a hot summer day just ten minutes before, but now her body was trying to tell her that it was now spring. As she slowly tried to process this, she realized that she was no longer holding Jorga's hand.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she sat up quickly. Her eyes snapped open and she pulled her arms in close to her body. Shafts of sunlight filtered down between the thick green leaves of the tall trees over her head. Here and there she could see hints of blue sky. She sat in a clearing covered with lush green grass. Giant trees surrounded her completely. Morgan's eyes didn't know where to look just as her brain didn't know what to do. It was something out of a fantasy novel, that was for sure. She could almost believe that she'd gone to an entirely different world.
"How are you feeling?" Jorga's voice caused her head to snap around so quickly she almost hurt herself. Morgan had looked everywhere, all right, everywhere but directly behind. The tall, dark-haired woman appeared to have changed clothes. She wore a close-fitting short-sleeved black tunic with silver accents, black leggings, and black boots that hugged her calves and appeared to be sinfully soft. Her long hair was pulled back into a tight knot and at her side rested an honest-to-goodness sword.
"I think I've lost my mind," the girl said, her eyes wide. How long had she been out?
Silver eyes twinkled with good humor. "Not quite."
Jorga crossed the clearing and offered her hand to her. 'I seem to need a lot of assistance when she's around,' Morgan thought wryly.
"Where are we?" she asked. Morgan thought she was being very calm and mature about things. It wasn't as if she was routinely snatched away from everything she'd ever known, but it wouldn't help anything if she became hysterical about her latest predicament. Besides, she trusted Jorga. She didn't have a reason other than gut instinct for why this was so, but she trusted her nonetheless.
"My home." When the girl looked around, bewildered, she laughed. "Not the clearing specifically, but this entire world. This place is just my anchor so that I didn't become lost on your Earth." She sighed softly. "It feels wonderful to finally be home again."
Her eyes had taken on a soft, dreamy quality that startled Morgan for a second, but soon made her smile. She'd really missed this world. "How long were you away?"
"Time is different between your world and my own so I don't really know. Maybe it was a year, or maybe it was ten. I know for sure that I have spent over twenty years on Earth."
"What were you doing for all of that time?" Morgan couldn't imagine being away from everything she'd ever known for so long, but she supposed that Jorga had made a new home even though it had been destined to be a temporary one.
"I waited," she answered, "and watched. Come, Morgan, we'll go to my house. There are things I need to look into."
Jorga never let go of her hand and Morgan didn't desire her to. She wondered how many years stretched between them, exactly, and hoped it wasn't too many. Jorga had an eternally young look about her that made the girl think "twenties", but one look in her shadowed silver eyes made her think otherwise.
A path she hadn't noticed opened the trees. It was only an armspan wide and forced the two women to walk very close together. Morgan secretly smiled as Jorga released her hand to throw an arm around her shoulder and she reciprocated by slinging her own arm around her waist. They walked in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one.
Finally, Morgan's curiosity got the better of her. "How far is your house?"
"Not very much farther. I knew that I probably wouldn't have supplies when I returned so I didn't set the anchor farther away than I needed to. Once we leave the forest, it's only a short walk."
The air had become quite cool due to the trees blocking the sunlight but, slowly, Morgan became used to it. Then she could see the "light at the end of the tunnel" and knew that the serene world of twilight would soon come to an end.
The sun washed over them both. Morgan was comfortable and maybe even a little cold in her brief clothing that was more suitable to temperatures over eighty degrees Fahrenheit than degrees of only sixty or seventy. She thought that Jorga must be warm enough, maybe even a little hot.
What brought the older woman to her world in the first place? Why did she return shortly after meeting her? What did she herself have to do with "waiting" and "watching?"
A house appeared that was, at first, only a dark dot in the distance. As they moved closer to it, the home transformed into a beautiful stone cottage that looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. The only thing it needed to complete the look were wisps of smoke emerging from the chimney, but seeing as its owner was strolling alongside, it wasn't likely that it would happen.
The grass had grown tall around it, giving the cottage an abandoned air, but the building itself was in good condition so it didn't look too derelict. Pale green and brown weeds brushed against her legs as she followed her host up to the front door making her skin itch.
Inside the cottage was a completely different story. The large entrance room was absolutely spotless. There was no dust anywhere or any signs that rodents and insects had gotten in and left little "gifts" behind. It also didn't have a musty smell of disuse. "I guess you weren't gone as long as you thought," Morgan commented. It did little to explain the state of the yard, however.
"No, I think I was. My home is enchanted to remain livable," she smiled. "I didn't want to return to a mess, you see. I'm actually quite allergic to work of any kind."
"Enchanted? As in magically enchanted?" Her eyes grew wide with wonder. It was just about every fantasy addict's dream to see real magic and she was no exception. To know that she was completely surrounded by it was an amazing thing.
Jorga nodded once and took her hand once more. Every time their skin made contact, Morgan's heart began to flutter wildly like that of a small bird. The older woman pressed her hand against the nearest wall and she could feel a slight something that pulsed against her hand. Correctly interpreting the look of wonder on her face, she said, "You feel the energy I placed into the very walls. There are powerful spells here known as wards that can protect whoever inside from harm along with more mundane spells for preservation and cleanliness. And the fact that you can feel anything at all is significant, Morgan. It's a sign that you're a very special person, not that you wouldn't be without this gift."
"Not everyone can feel magic?" she questioned.
"No, and that's why so many of the mensk are afraid of it. We have power that they cannot even begin to imagine. They're afraid we will try to dominate them." Jorga smiled, but it was a bitter one. "Some do."
"You feel guilty about that, but it's not your fault." Morgan took a chance and hugged her. Jorga stiffened in surprise for a brief moment, before relaxing and bringing her arms up to embrace the girl in return. "You can't control what other people do and there will always be those who want to take advantage of others."
"I know, but it doesn't change the fact that they make me so angry." She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Then she pulled away. "Make yourself at home. I have something to take care of, but I will be back soon."
Morgan nodded. "Alright." She watched Jorga disappear into a small room just off the living room and sighed. She had no idea what she'd done wrong, but it had to be something impressive to upset someone as unflappable as Jorga.
***
The room was exactly as she'd left it, not that she had any doubts that it wouldn't be. The large runed circle still dominated the center of the room, its white chalk markings still as vibrant as they'd been on the day she left. A large work table was pushed under the single window and wooden shelves bursting with ancient arcane books and artifacts lined every available wall. Jorga stood and simply examined her workroom for a long moment, thinking to herself that it was good to finally be home. After so many long years of searching, she was finally able to rid herself of the cruel, fast-paced futuristic world with its strange chemical smells, irritating noises, and apathetic inhabitants.
With a wave of her hand, she banished the circle and retrieved more chalk to make another. A translocation circle would do little to help her communicate with another wizard halfway across the continent.
After the runes were finished, Jorga activated them. They each glowed brightly for a moment, before fading back to normal. A orb of yellow light coalesced in the center of the inner circle and, slowly, a familiar face appeared in its heart.
"You're back," the man said happily. His neat black mustache curved upward with his grin and his brown eyes shone. "I knew you would be."
She didn't waste time with pleasantries. "How long?"
"Oh, nearly five years." One dark eyebrow rose in astonishment. "Time is a strange thing, isn't it? When will you be heading our way? Josan and I are both anxious to see you again in person."
"I have the Guide with me-" His eyes widened in absolute shock. "-so I am unable to teleport. We will have to go overland."
He sighed. "That's a shame. I guess we'll just have to wait a while, then. Take care, Jorgie," he added, using a name that only he and his lover could call her by without finding themselves with the point of a very sharp sword in their faces. "We love you."
Jorga nodded once and disconnected the call. She didn't feel guilty for not returning Horatio's endearment. She had never admitted to such a weak emotion and doubted that she would ever do so in the future. Sure, she cared about her friends as much as they cared about her, but to acknowledge it even to herself would leave her open and vulnerable to pain.
She violently erased the circle and cradled her head in her hands. Weeks with such a little girl by her side. She couldn't do it again, she just couldn't!
But she had to. Only Morgan could help her find the Demon Blade and she would do anything to hold it her hands once more.
Absolutely anything.
It was Saturday and, for that, Morgan was eternally grateful. She felt exhausted from her ordeal the night before as if the full horror of what could have happened to her had finally decided to hit her. She lay in bed, the covers pulled up to her chin, and simply enjoyed existing for an hour before she got up and stumbled off to the shower. She'd done nothing more the night before beyond washing the smell of the club and the grit of the street off her body along with the make-up. Today she planned to have her mother wash Mariana's clothes and then she would take them along with her shoes back to her house. Having them in plain view only served as a reminder of her night.
Actually, not every single part of her night had been horrible. She'd met Jorga, after all.
She frowned. Yeah, like she was ever going to see the woman again. To the biker, she was probably little more than a kid even though she would be eighteen in a little over four months. She had a driver's license and everything, though it served little purpose because she had no vehicle to drive.
Her mother was already at work. There was a note attached to the fridge that scolded her for coming in so late and reminded her to mow the lawn before rodents began making nests in it. As if it was really that high. The grass barely came up to her ankle when she was wearing shoes.
After starting the washer, she went upstairs to slip her feet into her tennis shoes and grab a sun visor. The sun was already high and already hot even though it was only ten a.m. in the morning. Morgan typically hated the heat, but since it was only June, she was in for, at least, two more full months of nothing but summer weather. If her home had central air conditioning, maybe she wouldn't hate it so much, but the house was built before there was such a thing and her mother couldn't afford to have it installed. They made due with fans in just about every room and it would have to be enough.
The sound of others trimming their lawns had floated in to her through the open bedroom window as she slept and were still around when she went outside. She loved the sound of the lawnmowers -- it reminded her of long, carefree days -- but seriously hated cutting the grass herself.
Morgan was half finished with her work when a familiar rumbling caught her attention. Her head jerked up and her eyes scanned the street for any sign of Jorga's big black motorcycle. She even went as far as to cut the motor on the lawnmower so that she could hear better. Slowly, as if in a dream, the motorcycle eased down her street and pulled into her driveway with Jorga riding it. The engine was cut and the tall woman dismounted, pulling off her helmet as she did so.
"Hey again," she smiled. "Want some company?"
Morgan was suddenly very aware that she had on nothing more than a brief pair of cut-off denim shorts, a blue tank top, and white sneakers, no socks. "Uh, sure. You can go on inside and make yourself comfortable while I finish this. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen."
Jorga smiled at her again. "I'll just do that, then." With one last wink, she entered the house and Morgan watched her go every step of the way. Realizing that her heart was pounding, she took several deep, steadying breaths before continuing with her chore. It would be bad to lose a toe because she hadn't paid enough attention to what she'd been doing.
"I'm glad you came back," Morgan said loudly as she re-entered her home. She didn't see Jorga anywhere in the living room so continued onward to the kitchen. The woman was there drinking a glass of water. Smiling briefly at her guest, Morgan turned on the faucet and washed her hands. "What changed your mind?"
"The fact that our paths would have crossed regardless of what we did or didn't do." The tone was pleasant, but the words were a little chilling. The teen shot her a look as she dried her hands, one that questioned her sanity a little.
"What do you mean?"
Jorga's slender fingers gripped her glass firmly. "I believe our meeting yesterday was orchestrated by Fate. It doesn't matter if you believe that or not, whatever needs to happen will happen regardless."
Confused, she sat down across from her. "You probably should explain this to me because I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I can't," she admitted. "Why don't I show you instead?" Jorga reached out with her left hand and grasped Morgan's right. "Whatever you do, don't let go."
"O-okay," the teen replied in a shaky voice.
Bringing the strange ring she wore up to her lips, she reverently kissed the stone in the center and then said something that slipped in and out of Morgan's mind like an eel. The words were hard to grab hold of, but she didn't think it was necessary that she remember them. At least, she hoped that it wasn't necessary.
"Don't look so afraid," Jorga said as something tugged insistently on Morgan. She felt as if she was being squeezed through something that was entirely too small for her to fit through. There was a feeling of great pressure on her entire body for one brief moment, then nothing.
Actually, it was more than nothing.
Her eyes were shut and she hadn't done it on purpose. Her nose could smell nature all around and she wondered how that could be since they'd just been in her kitchen a few seconds ago. Her ears backed up what her nose had brought to her attention, however. High-pitched bird calls sounded around her at irregular intervals, by the sounds of things there were at least three different species nearby. Her skin felt cool and the grass that tickled her bare legs and arms was cool as well. She knew without a doubt that it had been a hot summer day just ten minutes before, but now her body was trying to tell her that it was now spring. As she slowly tried to process this, she realized that she was no longer holding Jorga's hand.
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she sat up quickly. Her eyes snapped open and she pulled her arms in close to her body. Shafts of sunlight filtered down between the thick green leaves of the tall trees over her head. Here and there she could see hints of blue sky. She sat in a clearing covered with lush green grass. Giant trees surrounded her completely. Morgan's eyes didn't know where to look just as her brain didn't know what to do. It was something out of a fantasy novel, that was for sure. She could almost believe that she'd gone to an entirely different world.
"How are you feeling?" Jorga's voice caused her head to snap around so quickly she almost hurt herself. Morgan had looked everywhere, all right, everywhere but directly behind. The tall, dark-haired woman appeared to have changed clothes. She wore a close-fitting short-sleeved black tunic with silver accents, black leggings, and black boots that hugged her calves and appeared to be sinfully soft. Her long hair was pulled back into a tight knot and at her side rested an honest-to-goodness sword.
"I think I've lost my mind," the girl said, her eyes wide. How long had she been out?
Silver eyes twinkled with good humor. "Not quite."
Jorga crossed the clearing and offered her hand to her. 'I seem to need a lot of assistance when she's around,' Morgan thought wryly.
"Where are we?" she asked. Morgan thought she was being very calm and mature about things. It wasn't as if she was routinely snatched away from everything she'd ever known, but it wouldn't help anything if she became hysterical about her latest predicament. Besides, she trusted Jorga. She didn't have a reason other than gut instinct for why this was so, but she trusted her nonetheless.
"My home." When the girl looked around, bewildered, she laughed. "Not the clearing specifically, but this entire world. This place is just my anchor so that I didn't become lost on your Earth." She sighed softly. "It feels wonderful to finally be home again."
Her eyes had taken on a soft, dreamy quality that startled Morgan for a second, but soon made her smile. She'd really missed this world. "How long were you away?"
"Time is different between your world and my own so I don't really know. Maybe it was a year, or maybe it was ten. I know for sure that I have spent over twenty years on Earth."
"What were you doing for all of that time?" Morgan couldn't imagine being away from everything she'd ever known for so long, but she supposed that Jorga had made a new home even though it had been destined to be a temporary one.
"I waited," she answered, "and watched. Come, Morgan, we'll go to my house. There are things I need to look into."
Jorga never let go of her hand and Morgan didn't desire her to. She wondered how many years stretched between them, exactly, and hoped it wasn't too many. Jorga had an eternally young look about her that made the girl think "twenties", but one look in her shadowed silver eyes made her think otherwise.
A path she hadn't noticed opened the trees. It was only an armspan wide and forced the two women to walk very close together. Morgan secretly smiled as Jorga released her hand to throw an arm around her shoulder and she reciprocated by slinging her own arm around her waist. They walked in silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one.
Finally, Morgan's curiosity got the better of her. "How far is your house?"
"Not very much farther. I knew that I probably wouldn't have supplies when I returned so I didn't set the anchor farther away than I needed to. Once we leave the forest, it's only a short walk."
The air had become quite cool due to the trees blocking the sunlight but, slowly, Morgan became used to it. Then she could see the "light at the end of the tunnel" and knew that the serene world of twilight would soon come to an end.
The sun washed over them both. Morgan was comfortable and maybe even a little cold in her brief clothing that was more suitable to temperatures over eighty degrees Fahrenheit than degrees of only sixty or seventy. She thought that Jorga must be warm enough, maybe even a little hot.
What brought the older woman to her world in the first place? Why did she return shortly after meeting her? What did she herself have to do with "waiting" and "watching?"
A house appeared that was, at first, only a dark dot in the distance. As they moved closer to it, the home transformed into a beautiful stone cottage that looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. The only thing it needed to complete the look were wisps of smoke emerging from the chimney, but seeing as its owner was strolling alongside, it wasn't likely that it would happen.
The grass had grown tall around it, giving the cottage an abandoned air, but the building itself was in good condition so it didn't look too derelict. Pale green and brown weeds brushed against her legs as she followed her host up to the front door making her skin itch.
Inside the cottage was a completely different story. The large entrance room was absolutely spotless. There was no dust anywhere or any signs that rodents and insects had gotten in and left little "gifts" behind. It also didn't have a musty smell of disuse. "I guess you weren't gone as long as you thought," Morgan commented. It did little to explain the state of the yard, however.
"No, I think I was. My home is enchanted to remain livable," she smiled. "I didn't want to return to a mess, you see. I'm actually quite allergic to work of any kind."
"Enchanted? As in magically enchanted?" Her eyes grew wide with wonder. It was just about every fantasy addict's dream to see real magic and she was no exception. To know that she was completely surrounded by it was an amazing thing.
Jorga nodded once and took her hand once more. Every time their skin made contact, Morgan's heart began to flutter wildly like that of a small bird. The older woman pressed her hand against the nearest wall and she could feel a slight something that pulsed against her hand. Correctly interpreting the look of wonder on her face, she said, "You feel the energy I placed into the very walls. There are powerful spells here known as wards that can protect whoever inside from harm along with more mundane spells for preservation and cleanliness. And the fact that you can feel anything at all is significant, Morgan. It's a sign that you're a very special person, not that you wouldn't be without this gift."
"Not everyone can feel magic?" she questioned.
"No, and that's why so many of the mensk are afraid of it. We have power that they cannot even begin to imagine. They're afraid we will try to dominate them." Jorga smiled, but it was a bitter one. "Some do."
"You feel guilty about that, but it's not your fault." Morgan took a chance and hugged her. Jorga stiffened in surprise for a brief moment, before relaxing and bringing her arms up to embrace the girl in return. "You can't control what other people do and there will always be those who want to take advantage of others."
"I know, but it doesn't change the fact that they make me so angry." She took a deep breath and calmed herself. Then she pulled away. "Make yourself at home. I have something to take care of, but I will be back soon."
Morgan nodded. "Alright." She watched Jorga disappear into a small room just off the living room and sighed. She had no idea what she'd done wrong, but it had to be something impressive to upset someone as unflappable as Jorga.
The room was exactly as she'd left it, not that she had any doubts that it wouldn't be. The large runed circle still dominated the center of the room, its white chalk markings still as vibrant as they'd been on the day she left. A large work table was pushed under the single window and wooden shelves bursting with ancient arcane books and artifacts lined every available wall. Jorga stood and simply examined her workroom for a long moment, thinking to herself that it was good to finally be home. After so many long years of searching, she was finally able to rid herself of the cruel, fast-paced futuristic world with its strange chemical smells, irritating noises, and apathetic inhabitants.
With a wave of her hand, she banished the circle and retrieved more chalk to make another. A translocation circle would do little to help her communicate with another wizard halfway across the continent.
After the runes were finished, Jorga activated them. They each glowed brightly for a moment, before fading back to normal. A orb of yellow light coalesced in the center of the inner circle and, slowly, a familiar face appeared in its heart.
"You're back," the man said happily. His neat black mustache curved upward with his grin and his brown eyes shone. "I knew you would be."
She didn't waste time with pleasantries. "How long?"
"Oh, nearly five years." One dark eyebrow rose in astonishment. "Time is a strange thing, isn't it? When will you be heading our way? Josan and I are both anxious to see you again in person."
"I have the Guide with me-" His eyes widened in absolute shock. "-so I am unable to teleport. We will have to go overland."
He sighed. "That's a shame. I guess we'll just have to wait a while, then. Take care, Jorgie," he added, using a name that only he and his lover could call her by without finding themselves with the point of a very sharp sword in their faces. "We love you."
Jorga nodded once and disconnected the call. She didn't feel guilty for not returning Horatio's endearment. She had never admitted to such a weak emotion and doubted that she would ever do so in the future. Sure, she cared about her friends as much as they cared about her, but to acknowledge it even to herself would leave her open and vulnerable to pain.
She violently erased the circle and cradled her head in her hands. Weeks with such a little girl by her side. She couldn't do it again, she just couldn't!
But she had to. Only Morgan could help her find the Demon Blade and she would do anything to hold it her hands once more.
Absolutely anything.