Gathering Storm (30 page)

“I’m sorry” Jason mumbled

“Oh my god” Sarah screeched as she reached for Siobhan’s hand “Dammit, Jason you are such an asshat right now”

“Sirens are a tricky bunch, so don’t be so harsh with him, she called him into her arms, he didn’t completely willingly.” Claire said as she pushed away from the table. “She has been unable to reach you while you are awake, but when you sleep; your dreams belong to her”

“My dreams” Jason’s head snapped up as he waited for Claire to answer

“You dreams allow a siren to enter and consume you” Claire replied as she picked up the plates with the now forgotten breakfast.

Walking over to the sink, she carefully laid the plates inside. Looking out the window, she watched the woods just beyond; she caught the shadows lurking inside. Closing her eyes, she asked for a little more time before this gathering storm explodes.

“What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?” Sarah asked as she looked around the room

“One hell of a fine mess” Shawn responded softly as he sat next to her

Siobhan watched as he took Sarah’s hand and brought it softly to his lips, she caught the slow smile from her best friend as her face started to light up. Sarah was happy, Siobhan blinked as the thought grew, her best friend had found someone that really cared only for her. Happiness warmed inside Siobhan as she watched the beginning stage of love between Shawn and Sarah. God she hoped it would last and her friend would be truly happy.

“It will last” Claire said quietly.

Siobhan looked over to see Shawn’s grandmother looking at her. Nodding, Siobhan dropped her gaze to the ring on her finger. She had been absently twisting it around her finger as she had stared at the couple before her. She could have sworn she had felt warmth coming from the ring.

“You feel the love of him through that ring child” Claire said as she walked over to grab her book out of the other room

“Who is he?” Siobhan asked

“One who should not be in this world, at least not in the sense that he is now” Claire put the book onto the table as she answered Siobhan. Opening to the page she knew would give her the information she needed, she started to read.

“One heart from our world, one heart from the wild, never was to meet, but one fateful night their hearts touched. A rift was formed as one defied its obligations to be true to their world, while the other unlocked the worlds between to keep them together”

Claire’s lilting voice called to Siobhan, her eyes closed as the heavens within her mind opened to the story weaving around her.

“I will always remember” Siobhan softly replied

“Aye, your heart will always remember, your memories will only begin when he touches you” Claire answered

“When did you first begin to dream of him?”

“The night of my parent’s party, the night before we left to come here.”

“Wait, you are getting mad at me and you cheated on me?” Jason bellowed

“He could touch her anywhere you damned fool” Shawn hissed “He could have passed her on the street, bumped into, mumbled the incantation to bring on the memories”

“How the hell would you know?” Sarah asked

“My you did pay attention” Claire answered for Shawn “You know as much as I do on this”

“So why can’t I remember everything?” Siobhan asked

“I can only tell you what I know, at the time you and he met, our worlds blended easier than they do now. When he made the pack, the veil fell over all of us forbidding us to remember everything.” Claire answered

“Who is he?”

“You know, if you would let yourself believe in everything your grandmother ever told you, then you will know his name” Claire soothingly replied

Closing her eyes, Siobhan let her mind wander, she pictured her grandmother laughing as she would sit under the great Oak outside their house on the farm. She would knock on the base of the tree, then turn to whisper to Siobhan that the fairy inside must sleeping from a long night. Her eyes would twinkle brightly as she would tell Siobhan if she believed, truly believed in magick, that the fairy inside the tree would visit her while she slept. She remembered running downstairs to tell her grandmother the next morning, the fairy had come to her that night. She had been filled with wonderful memories of dancing and laughing.

A ghost of a smile spread across her face as she remembered her grandmother pulling her into a hug. She had told Siobhan that a night here or there with her new friend would be ok, but to not let her convince her to stay permanently and to never eat or drink anything she offered her.

Siobhan felt her heart fill with longing; it flooded her senses with its haunting pain. She couldn’t breathe; no matter how many breathes she tried to take. Her heart felt like it was going to explode, panic overwhelmed her.  She opened her eyes as the dread set in; she pushed away from the table, stumbling towards the door. She had to get out of the house, every fiber inside her was screaming to get away. Grabbing the door, she launched herself out onto the porch. Tripping down the stairs, she hit the ground hard enough to rattle her bones. Trembling as memories flooded her. The pain was achingly sweet, love washed through her, as the ring on her finger began to glow.

Jason, Shawn and Sarah ran out stopping short as they saw her crumpled onto the ground. Sarah ran to her wrapping her arms around her best friend. Shudders racked against her as she felt waves of emotions running rampantly through her.

“Siobhan, its ok” Sarah whispered softly as she pulled Siobhan tighter to her “oh god, Shawn, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know” Shawn answered stiffly

“She is remembering more” Claire said as she stood in the doorway watching “What is his name Siobhan”

“Oh god” Siobhan mumbled “I can’t”

“Yes you can” Claire returned

“I only know the name he uses now” Siobhan whispered hoarsely

“That is the name we need” Claire answered

“Ash” Siobhan’s voice carried on the wind. Winding its way to the woods before them losing itself within the darkness searching out the man she called to her.

“Quickly child into the house, you are not ready for him” Claire responded hastily

Shawn rushed to the bottom of the stairs, scooping Siobhan into his arms; he pushed past Jason as he crossed the threshold into his grandmother’s house. He could feel the chaos within him singing with pleasure as he held Siobhan’s trembling body close to him.

The calm sky above covered with darkening storm clouds, the wind whipping around them in frenzy searching for Siobhan. Jason and Sarah followed quickly behind them as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Shutting the door tightly, Claire pulled out a glass jar and sprinkled white powder over the threshold of the door.

“What are you doing?” Sarah wailed

“Keeping him out until she is strong enough” Claire answered

“Keep who out” Jason boomed

“Him” Claire answered as the door shuddered from the force of energy slamming into it. Whipping their heads around Jason and Sarah looked at the glass window on the door to see the most beautiful man they had ever seen staring at them. Green eyes brightly reflecting the light within, his mouth tilted in a slight frown as he pushed at the door. A gust of wind wrapped around Ash, his blonde hair billowed around his face. Lightning flashes catching the blue and black streaks in his hair, he was broodingly handsome.

“Let me in” Ash roared “She called me, she is mine”

“She isn’t yours to possess you fool!” Claire retorted hotly

“She is my beloved” Ash answered roughly

“She will come to you when she is ready, now off with you”

A guttural moan escaped Ash’s lips as he felt the old woman’s energy slam into him. The power began pushing him down a step at a time until he was on the ground and firmly out of the protection of the house. Clenching his fists, he tossed his head back letting the chaos within him loose. Hoarfrost shot out of his fingers in flashes, racing towards the house it slammed against the barrier of the old woman’s hold.

Ash snarled as he watched the hoarfrost seeking an opening to slip inside and finding none.

“Ash, let it go for now” Marcus whispered into Ash’s mind

“No” Ash bellowed back

“She remembered your name, that is all, the wind simply carried it to you, even I know she isn’t ready for everything yet” Marcus calmly replied

Turning, Ash whistled, Storm came barreling out of the woods, racing to his master; he stopped sharply raising on his hind legs and cried. Ash raised his hand as the beast landed back on the ground before him. Pulling on the reins, Ash straddled the horse, tugging sharply on the reins; Storm took off across the fields away from the pain that was consuming his master.

“Storm” Siobhan muttered as she watched the beautiful stallion racing away from them.

“What did you say?” Shawn asked

“Storm, the horse’s name is Storm” Siobhan replied softly

“How do you know that?” Sarah squeaked

“I don’t know…the name just popped into my mind” Siobhan whispered

“Its beginning” Claire said as she grabbed her bag and walked briskly into her room “The summer solstice is almost here, we must prepare. The longest night of the year, the end of summer, that is when we must stop this before winter’s grasp takes hold”

“Just because it’s the longest night of the year it doesn’t meant winter is around the corner” Jason vehemently hissed

“Boy-o you really know nothing” Shawn snickered loudly “Just because it doesn’t immediately turn cold, it’s the beginning of the harvest. It’s the time to thank the goddess and horned one for the bounties of the crops, to welcome winter’s time.”

“My grandson is right, that boy just told me more about himself than he meant to, that was hoarfrost he threw at us.” That belongs to winter; we don’t have much time if we are to bind her from his strength.”

“Bind?” Sarah asked eyes widening

“Not in the sense you are thinking love” Shawn replied “We creating a binding…a circle so to speak that will protect Siobhan”

“Will I be able to go home?” Siobhan asked

“Yes, after we are able to keep him from you, you must go home. This binding, will in essence hide you from him. The farther from him you, the safer you will be.” Claire answered while grabbing several jars off the shelves in her room and carrying to the table.

“Here, gran let me help” Shawn rose from the table, letting go of Sarah’s hand.

Siobhan watched as Sarah’s eyes darkened the light dimming as Sarah realized she was going home in a matter of days. The she would have to say goodbye to Shawn. Her lips trembled as she blinked the tears back rapidly; Siobhan reached out grabbing Sarah’s hand.

“I’m sorry” Siobhan whispered

“No, don’t be sorry, god, don’t ever be sorry” Sarah replied as she squeezed Siobhan’s hand “You brought him to me” Sarah’s eyes darted over to where Shawn was currently standing talking his grandmother. He glanced at Sarah, lips quirking into a grin before turning back to his grandmother.

Sighing, Sarah rose from the table and pulled Siobhan with her. Walking into the living room, she quietly dropped into the soft cushion of the couch. Looking up at Siobhan, Sarah rolled her eyes and patted the cushion next to her.

“Sit already…damn”

“Sorry” Siobhan replied quickly as she sat down next to Sarah

“Tell me, Becky, what did you feel when you thought of him?” Sarah asked calmly

Siobhan sat for a moment as she felt the waves of pleasure, love, longing, anger, frustration float through her mind. Turning to Sarah, she gasped as shooting pain tore up her arm, grabbing her chest, Siobhan felt tears falling from her cheeks,

“Oh god it hurts” Siobhan keened

Sarah pulled Siobhan into her arms, hugging her fiercely. Rocking her as she would one of the children she would babysit who had fallen. She whispered soothingly into her best friend’s hair, until she felt the racking sobs slowing.

Pulling away from Sarah, Siobhan looked out the window watching the rain gently falling. Rubbing her hands across her face, she glanced back to see Sarah watching her with concern.

“Every time I try to think of him, it’s like this fog descends in my mind. I can feel the memories just below the surface, but when I try to focus on just one of them, it disappears.” Siobhan shivered softly before taking a deep breath “It’s like I feel like I’ve known him my entire life”

“But…” Sarah starts

“No let me finish” Siobhan sighs loudly “I know I haven’t known him at all, but when I feel him near me, everything just stops. He is all I see, all I feel, my heart aches so deeply I can hardly breathe, but all I want to do is wrap my arms around him”

“oh man girl, you got it bad…but what about Jason” Sarah whispers as she glancing toward the kitchen where Jason is helping Claire sort her jars.

“I love Jason, I do, but this overpowering need washes throw me whenever Ash is near” Siobhan whispers “Also, Jason is enthralled with Moira.”

“No”

“Yes, I saw it the moment he looked at her, Sarah, his eyes lit up”