Gathering Storm

Gathering Storm

Gathering Storm

Jess Parry

- 3 -

Gathering Storm

Copyright © 201
2
Jess Parry

All rights reserved.

ISBN
10: 148100641X

ISBN-13:
978-1481006415

Gathering Storm

- 3 -

Gathering Storm

Prologue

Year - 1612

Thunder rumbled effortlessly as lightening splintered inside the rising storm clouds emerging in the moonless night sky.  Waves furiously crash
ed
onto the shore below the darkened cliffs as he stood proudly alone. The lightning flashes were casting an eerie glow onto the path before Siobhan. Running as fast she could, she knew she had to make it to
the top of the cliffs. Taking
a greedy breath of air into her burning lungs, she quickly glanced up to see one shadowed figure standing with arms stretched to the heavens. The longing in his voice stabbed her, but the words were carried away from her. Stealing her gaze back to the path, a thunderous clap of thunder boomed over Siobhan. Stumbling, she felt the earth below her bare feet shaking.  Her eyes widened as the path before her split widen
ing
as it reached
its way to
the top where her beloved stood. Grey smoke billowed from the gaping crack at the top as it began to take shape. An acrid smell mixed with the salty sea air filling her senses, fear gripping her heart tighter, something was terribly wrong.

Running faster, her stomach clenched as she
came to
a standstill
,
the shape had formed into a tall shadow looming over her beloved.
F
rozen in terror
, Siobhan watched
as the shadow filled into her worst nightmare. The demon was taller than her beloved; his broad chiseled chest glistening in the night air, as billows of steam rose around him. Hair black as coal blew freely in the wind
;
she gasped at the beauty the demons held. Taking her beloveds hand
the demon
turned
towards
Siobhan
, eyes gleaming brightly as the stars overhead. The demon
began wickedly laughing
, as he felt Siobhan’s fear enveloping him
.

“What have you done!” she screamed at her beloved as he slowly turned to gaze at her.

E
y
es widening as she looked into the shocked face of her beloved. Those beautiful gray eyes
that
had always
been
watching her with longing were gone. Inside the pain laced expression, there
was
now
one blue, one green. A fleeting look of sorrow crossed
her beloveds
face before he doubled in pain. Waves of unseen blows racked against his body
as
he fell to the ground writhing.

Wild laughter reverberated through the dizzying wind whipping around Siobhan. Through tear filled eyes, she
raised her gaze
up a
t
the ominous being suddenly
hovering beside
her. His laughter leisurely rose to
a seductive
whisper in her ears. She watched his
now
blood red eyes brighten
ing
as his smile grew showing rows of sharp white teeth. The beauty of his features lost the moment his smile twisted
with
the evil within.

“He has made his choice, eternity to bring the truth back to you, lifetimes of love to lose and gain. Your memories are fleeting, but a touch will one day bring them back. If your love is as true as he said” The demon’s voice seductively replied to Siobhan.

“I have done this to keep us together” Siobhan’s beloved screamed between the blows
reaching out blindly
for her. Clasping her hand, Siobhan felt the world around her begin to shimmer with
forbidden
power. Squeezing her beloved’s hand she whispered a prayer to the gods to help them.

“This is not what I asked for!”  He
r beloved
screamed
angrily
at the demon standing beside
Siobhan
.

“Did you think there wouldn’t be consequences for your request boy?” the demon’s voice rose above the raging wind. “You sealed your fate when you called me”

The demon raised his hand, snapp
ing
his fingers
loudly as he
then pointed to Siobhan
. Silence fell around them
as lightning burst from the clouds above
striking
Siobhan in the heart.

Excruciating p
ain beyond Siobhan’s belief ran through her body to the ground below.
Sudden
coldness enclos
ed around
her
brought a welcome
relief from the searing heat burning its way out from her heart.
Stumbling
closer to the edge of the cliff, Siobhan gazed longingly at the sea swirling
beneath
her. The shadowy water caress
ed
the rocks
below, its warmth beckoning for her in its deep depths to let go, to lose herself in its darkness
. It called to her, achingly inviting her to crawl into its shelter.

Taking one last look at her beloved, the love in her eyes sent a single tear spilling over, tracing a trail of light down her cheek. Her beloved eyes widened as her hand went limp in his strong grip, his mouth open
ing
to
a silent
scream.

“I’ll always remember” she whispered as the wind slowly lifted her up and out into the open air
above
the pitch-
black water
below the cliff.

The wailing sound of pain surround
ed
her fall as she watched her beloved st
r
uck by lightning; she yearned to reach out to him, to comfort, to hold him one last time. Darkness encircled her like a blanket willing her to close her eyes
,
to
sleep. The fight to stay awake left her as she took one last breath, clos
ing
her eyes
falling
through the cold sea below…

- 3 -

Gathering Storm

1 CHAPTER
One

(Present Day)

The classroom was packed with students eagerly discussing what they were going to do over the summer. Girls checking their makeup as they giggled over something their friends mentioned. The boys were stretching out their lanky bodies in the constriction of the small school desks.  Mr. Lockler had opened the old pane windows in the little room.  The light summer breeze couldn’t stifle the humidity from the afternoon sun beating down into the cramped room. The school had been built before the thought of global warming and the third floor was always the hottest in the summer from the warmer air rising from the cooler floors below.

Looking at the clock Siobhan watched as the big hand seemed to freeze from its movement to mark the next minutes pass. Sighing, she looked over as Jason lounged in his seat, his legs stretched out impossibly long and laughed as the guy next to him mumbled something before turning to glance in her direction. Shaking his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes, his face turned to her direction a smirk formed
on
his pretty face. His brown eyes, the color of latte, twinkled mischievously at her. She looked away feeling the heat of a blush warming her cheeks. Instead of wondering what Jason, her boyfriend, was currently saying to his buddy, she looked out the window into the clear blue sky. She closed eyes
, silently
wish
ing
the bell for last period would ring ending class. She longed to begin her summer. Siobhan planned to leave early tomorrow and head to her grandparents farm, as she did at the start of every summer. This was just the first year, she could drive there, rather than take the train. Her mother hadn’t been keen on her going this year, but considering Siobhan made straight A’s, always kept her curfew and for all intents and purposes was the perfect child, Siobhan thought she had won the battle rather well.

Tilting her head in the direction of light beaming through the class window, feeling it’s warmth on her face, she tuned out the chatter of her classmates. She brought up the memory of her grandparents standing on the porch of their farm house, smiling and holding hands. Her grandfather, with his crooked grin and laughing brown eyes, his olive skin tanned from years of working in the sun. The wrinkles that only really showed on his face when he smiled
, Siobhan smiled sweetly at the image in her mind
. He was ageless until his smile brought out every laugh line in his weathered face. At
seventy
, he didn’t look a day over
fifty
with his strong Italian heritage. Her grandmother was tiny in every sense of the word and would always say it was the Irish in her. She always said she was small from all the fairy blood running in her family. She had the bluest eyes that were always shining with a hint of feistiness. Siobhan could only recall that when her grandmother spoke of her daughter, Siobhan’s mother, that a hint of sadness would cloud those luminous eyes.

She wanted to be at her grandparent’s farm as quickly as possible, to her that was home with its rolling hills of wheat. In the west woods she would spend hours in the nooks of a great oak tree daydreaming of the fairies that lived in the trees.  She loved watching her grandparent’s walk the fields hand in hand discussing the crops. Hearing her grandfather’s bellowing laugh from something her grandmother had said. The way she would catch the look of love they gave each other. To Siobhan that was pure heaven. She treasured waking up in her room there, with the windows open, listening to the cows mooing, birds chirping and one of the five dogs that had wandered onto the farm barking for attention.

She liked Chicago; with all the chaos and shows,
the old world
architecture of the city. The blare of horns from cars filled with people hustling from one place to another. The city had a constant hum of existence that never slumbered. There was always a block party, baseball game in the park, but at night and early morning, she always felt closed in with the noise that traveled into her room. Some evenings she would sit out in the backyard of her parent’s brownstone and try to see the stars, but the city lights constantly kept them just out of view.

She wondered sometimes, why her mother was so bent on getting out of the small town she grew up in to come here. She knew it was because of her father, but really could you love someone
so
much, that you would give up the only place you have ever known for them?