Just a warning – I will be switching POV's in this chapter

~GottesBlume

Chapter Nine: The Storm

(Siobhan's POV)

Siobhan was running. She felt fear in the depths of her bones. She felt wind rustle through her hair and she turned behind her. Bruce was there and he grabbed her arm. She could feel his powers as the school hallway turned into a wind storm.

"No" she screamed

But he didn't even seem to hear her. The empty hall made her feel far too vulnerable and alone.

"Your friends won't hear you now" said Bruce as he shaped the wild storm into a wind tunnel shutting even the empty hall away from Siobhan.

"You've been banned" said Siobhan

"Who will object once it is done? You will be on your knees begging Cian not to exile me" said Bruce

"Never" said Siobhan

With a cruel smirk climbing up his lips, Bruce looked like a very evil clown to Siobhan's panicking brain.

"Never say never my love" said Bruce

He grabbed her arm and twisted hard to bring her face to his. Siobhan's free arm came up and slapped Bruce across the face. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"How dare you" said Siobhan "I am not some chattel to be forced into a union with you"

She watched as Bruce rubbed his face and saw his eyes glow silver. "The vision" she whispered

"Did you see this happening love? Then why resist?" said Bruce as he brought his lips to hers.

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(Warren's POV)

"I don't know myself!?" ranted Warren as his steel toed boots stomped across the hallways of Sky-High.

"Oh, write a research paper about your father's fall from grace into villainy. It might just give you the perspective to properly know your own self, Mr. Peace" mimicked Warren in a sickly sweet voice

"Bull-shit" said Warren

He paused and breathed deeply before he continued. He could feel the tiny sparks of fire flaring up around his fingers. They felt like little pets purring for his attention but he wasn't in the mood for detention.

That was when he saw it. He wasn't really sure what he was looking at. The hallway that lead to his locker and then to home where he really wanted to be was blocked by a swirling gray wind tunnel. Warren cocked his head before he figured that some wind powered nut must be losing control of their powers.

"Great" thought Warren "just another thing to add to my list of why today is a shitty day"

Warren light up his arms and parted the wind tunnel down the middle. He had every intention of walking past like some moving volcano till he saw Siobhan.

She was being kissed by some brunette and she didn't want to be. Her swinging arms trying to get away were very clear signs of resistance. Warren felt an old sense of honor rise up in him and he tore Siobhan away from the guy.

"Hey, she doesn't want you kissing her, can't you tell?" said Warren

The guy laughed as he said, "Really? Are you sure?"

Warren saw that the guy's eyes were glowing oddly and Warren felt the same feeling that he had felt around Lash and Speed.

"Leave her alone" Warren said

"I don't think so. She is mine now" said the guy

"She doesn't belong to you" said Warren

"She is marked by me, so yes she does belong to me" said the guy

"What the hell does that mean?" said Warren

"Oh the son of fire doesn't know what marking means. I guess he won't be the white knight to save Siobhan after all" said the guy as he laughed

"You need to leave now" said Warren

He had no clue what this idiot had just spouted but he knew that he needed to get Siobhan away from him.

"I am not leaving without Siobhan" said the guy

"Don't you have ears? She doesn't belong to you" said Warren

"Why don't we ask her?" said the guy

Warren turned around to face Siobhan. She seemed to be barely standing and her eyes were also faintly glowing an odd white color much as that guy's had been glowing a minute ago.

"Siobhan?" said Warren

She didn't reply or even move and Warren felt more than a little worried.

"What did you do to her?" asked Warren

"This isn't your business" said the guy

"I'm making it my business" said Warren

"You are out of your depth here" said the guy

"Answer my question" said Warren

"Hand over Siobhan" said the guy

"Never" said Warren

"Ok, then I will just taker her" said the guy

Warren powered up his arms as the guy began to walk over. The guy seemed overly cocky and Warren wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. He had hurt one of his friends and he had already been in a shitty mood.

"Siobhan come to me" said the guy

Warren turned to Siobhan but she still didn't move. This seemed to confuse the guy who repeated his command. This time she did respond by slumping over. Warren quickly caught her before she hit the floor. She was out cold.

"What the hell did you do?" screamed Warren

The guy seemed to be equally puzzled but he didn't reply to Warren instead he moved closer as if to grab Siobhan.

Warren light up his arm and tossed a fire ball right into his face. The guy's eyebrows were singed and now a scowl light up his face.

"I said you need to leave" said Warren

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(Casey's POV)

"So, see anything you like?" asked Casey

"What?" said Colin

"You were just staring at the cheerleaders" said Casey

"I was not" said Colin

"Please!" said Casey

"Where is Siobhan anyway?" asked Colin

"I don't know and don't change the subject" said Casey

"Help"

"Did you hear that?" asked Casey

"Who's changing the topic now?" said Colin

"Help"

"No, seriously" said Casey

"I didn't hear anything. Are you finally cracking up?" said Colin

"I don't think so" said Casey

She looked around to see if she could tell who had called out for help but no one face popped out in the small crowd that was watching the football practice.

"Well, you are hearing a voice" said Colin

"Yeah, so" said Casey

"Help"

"There it is again, did you hear it?" asked Casey

"No, I didn't hear anything" said Colin

"Help"

"It's Siobhan" shouted Casey with the sudden realization that she had not been hearing with her ears.

"Where?" asked Colin as he looked around

Casey didn't feel that she had time to explain so she just grabbed Colin by the arm and started running back into the school.

"Hey, what's going on?" asked Colin

"Siobhan is in trouble. I have to find her" said Casey

The two ran down the halls guided by the voice in Casey's head.

"Are you sure she is down this way?" asked Colin

"Yes, her voice is getting stronger" said Casey

Casey suddenly stopped only to have Colin ram into her. "Hey, look where you are going" he said

Bruce was trying to grab Siobhan from Warren's arms as Warren threw another fire ball at him. Bruce barely managed to blow it away with his powers as he continued to reach for Siobhan. Casey gasped as she saw how pale Siobhan looked.

"She isn't moving" whispered Colin

"What have you done, Bastard" shouted Casey

Bruce looked up and Casey met his sapphire blue eyes with her fiery green ones. Her hands were already swirling as she called her element to her. She swear she heard him mutter,

"Damn", as he turned and ran.

Casey turned her attention to Siobhan and Warren, "Is she alive?"

"I think so. She needs to see the nurse" said Warren

"No, she needs her grandmother" said Casey

"What? Are you insane?" said Warren

"The jury is still out on that account but she is right" said Colin

"She needs to see the nurse" repeated Warren

"No, trust me" said Casey

"I don't trust you" said Warren

"Fine. I assume Bruce tried to mark Siobhan and somehow didn't finish the job or something. The only one who can help Siobhan is her grandmother, who is the shaman of our people" said Casey

"What?" said Warren

"It is really easy to understand. Just listen. Siobhan is from a special tribe of Elementals and we have a system called "marking" between two elementals. Bruce tried to force his mark on her and maybe didn't finish" said Casey

Warren still looked confused and slightly angry Casey sighed and rolled her eyes, "Just come with us"

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(Siobhan's POV)

Siobhan felt Bruce's power entering her and trying to tame her spirit to his will. She felt her spirit bending to the sway of the power of the air.

"No" her soul whispered into the dark reaches of herself

"I agree, child" said a feathery voice

What seemed to be an angel came into Siobhan's mind's eye

"Dana?" Siobhan asked

"Yes, come child" said Dana

Siobhan grabbed the goddess' hand like a life ring

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(Warren's POV)

The day had gone from shitty to weird. Here he was in some trailer park watching as Siobhan's grandma waved some smelly plants over Siobhan. The half crescent imprint on her right hand seemed to concern her greatly. "What the hell am I doing here?" thought Warren, "Oh yeah, I wanted to make sure she received the proper help"

"What the hell is she doing?" asked Warren

"She is trying to diagnose what is wrong with Siobhan" said Casey

"Those smelly plants are going to help?" said Warren

"You are an unbeliever" said Casey

"Damn straight I am. I am half a second from dialing 9-1-1" said Warren

"She is in a deep sleep and there the goddess is guiding her. She will not accept Bruce as her mate and is thus fighting off the spirit of his element. But, I fear it will not be enough. She has been marked and there is no un-marking" said Siobhan's grandma

"That was all gibberish. I want to know if Siobhan will be ok" said Warren

"Who are you?" asked Siobhan's Grandma

"He is no-one Keeva. Just a fool who followed me here" said Casey

"He is a lost one or the portal would not have let him in. Come closer" said Siobhan's Grandma

Warren glared at the women but refused to move any closer. "If Siobhan's ok then I need to leave this freak show" thought Warren as his eyes strayed toward the door. Then he felt warm hands pull at his face, "What…"

"Hush" said Siobhan's grandma

Her eyes misted over just like Siobhan's eyes had on their first meeting and a shiver grew up Warren's spine. "What is going on here?" He thought not for the last time.

"You are the goddess's choice for Siobhan. You should mark her and expel Bruce's element before it is too late" said Siobhan's grandma

"I should what?" said Warren

"Siobhan is not ok as you would believe. There are greater forces in this world than you would believe as well. Bruce, the guy whom you saved my granddaughter from, wants to make Siobhan his wife, as it would be in your world. However, in our tradition for elementals this would mean a bond of the souls. It is not her choice to choose Bruce but once it is done her mind will be forever drawn towards his. Do you understand?" said Siobhan's grandma

"You want me to marry Siobhan?" said Warren

"It is a little more than marriage but basically yes" said Siobhan's grandma

"No, no, no I am way too young to marry. I barely know Siobhan" said Warren

"Awww, but the goddess knows you and you she has chosen for Siobhan" said Siobhan's grandma

"No" repeated Warren

He couldn't believe his ears. The cure for Siobhan was for him to marry her. "What lunacy is this?" thought Warren. The door to the room opened and Colin came in with four other men. They all bowed their heads toward Siobhan's grandma and seemed to wait for her to speak.

"Warren Peace, lost son of fire, either you mark her or Bruce does" said Siobhan's grandma

One of the four men who had followed Colin into the room stood up. "I am Jacob, elder of the fire clan, welcome Warren"

He was beginning to feel like this was all a bad dream. How had this shitty day gone from reality to fantasy? He wanted to pinch himself just to make sure that this was all really happening. "If I did drugs this would be what would make me stop" thought Warren. He turned toward Siobhan, "marry a girl I don't even know, to save her from another guy? What the hell? Why can't she just say no?" As he watched the half crescent imprint on her wrist grew. He blinked, "did that really happen?" He recalled how the Bruce guy had kissed Siobhan and then expected her to obey him, "What are they not telling me?" thought Warren

"All I have to do is kiss her?" asked Warren

"Yes" said Siobhan's grandma

He knew that in reality and not this fantasy world that kissing did not constitute marriage. "They are not telling me the whole story" thought Warren "But, if a little kiss will make Siobhan O.K. then where is the harm? Also, if I am dreaming this isn't real anyways."

Warren moved towards Siobhan's listless form. She wasn't the first girl he had ever kissed and yet he paused. Her blonde hair looked dead against her pale skin. He wondered how a kiss would revive her but maybe he thought she was Snow White and he really was dreaming. "I must be mixing up all the fairy tales from my youth" thought Warren

"You must use your powers. They will not burn her but rather seal your mark in her" said Siobhan's grandma

"Kiss her with my powers?" said Warren

"Yes" said Siobhan's grandma

"I am so dreaming" thought Warren as he light up his powers and kissed Siobhan's lips. They were icy cold, like as if she had been standing outside in a snow storm or he thought, "A wind storm".

"Cheanglaíonn le chéile dhá, Mar sin, is féidir linn a bheith i gcónaí ar cheann." Said the guy who introduced himself as Jacob

Warren heard the others repeat something back but he didn't hear what because as he kissed Siobhan he felt his powers being drawn into her. He felt, as he imagined Rogue's victims would feel. "What the hell?" thought Warren as he pulled away from Siobhan.

The half crescent imprint on her right wrist disappeared and a ring shape filled with flames appeared instead. Warren thought it looked like a tattoo. The appearance of this new design seemed to bring back the color in Siobhan's cheeks. What is happening? wondered Warren. However, his thoughts were stopped by the flutter of her eyes opening.

"Warren?" she asked

"I'm here" said Warren and as he looked into her eyes he thought, "I never noticed before her eyes are a very peculiar shade of grey"

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(Siobhan's POV)

"He is here" said Dana

"Who?" asked Siobhan

"Your true mate" said Dana

"I don't want to be mated to anyone" said Siobhan

"Bruce is planning a rebellion and he will win if you don't stop him" said Dana

"What? How, I haven't seen it in my visions" said Siobhan

"This is the mission I am charging you with. You must save your people from Bruce and you will need Warren, the son of fire" said Dana

"Oh goddess, why me? Chose someone else" said Siobhan

"There is a well of strength in you my child. I have chosen you for a purpose. He is here, go" said Dana

Siobhan turned and saw fire rain down on her beach and calming the wind that had been whipping the ocean of her mind into submission.

"Go, my child" said Dana

"I'm going" said Siobhan

Siobhan closed her eyes and hummed to herself. She felt the fire rising in her and she used it to surface from the beach of her mind.

"Warren?" she asked

"I'm here" she heard him say then his eyes were meeting hers. "So, it is true" thought Siobhan "he is my mate"

She turned her head and saw Casey, Colin, her Maimeo, and the four elders. "Casey?" she asked

She watched Casey walk toward her and felt her gently grab her hand, "Yes"

"You were right about Bruce" she said

"Of course, I am always right" said Casey

Siobhan smiled, "I'm tired"

"You should sleep" said Warren

Siobhan grabbed his hand, "Don't leave"

"Bruce can't get you now" said Warren

"I know but she spoke of you" said Siobhan

"Who?" he asked

Siobhan's mind seemed so tired and her eyes so heavy that she couldn't find the answer to Warren's question. "I know the answer" she thought and yet sleep took it from her before she could speak.

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Irish/Gaelic Names, Words, Phrases, and their meaning:

"Cheanglaíonn le chéile dhá, Mar sin, is féidir linn a bheith i gcónaí ar cheann" = "Joining together two so we can always be one"