by Julia Crane
“Mom, make her shut up, she sucks,” Thaddeus whined.
“She does not.” Her mother managed to tuck a folded up bill in the pocket of Keegan’s sweatpants as she twirled by.
“She only does that to get on my nerves.” Thaddeus slouched in his seat, crossing his arms angrily over her chest.
“Somebody is grumpy this morning!” Keegan sang brightly to Warrick, whose laughter was maniacal in return.
“That’s not true; she sings even when you are not home,” her mother said, sipping her tea. Her eyes followed her daughter around the room, sparkling. She smiled. “Be careful, Keegan, that’s a baby's full of eggs and bacon.”
Once Keegan finished the song, she swept dramatically across the room and with one last spin she handed Warrick to her dad. Running up the stairs, she headed back to the bathroom to jump in the shower.
Wrapped in a towel, she looked through her closet and couldn’t decide what to wear. What does one wear when about to find out the future? Finally, Keegan decided on a pair of dark skinny jeans and grey shirt. At the last minute, she grabbed a teal scarf to bring out her eyes. One last twirl in front of the mirror and she was satisfied with her choice. She ran down the stairs.
“See you later,” she called as she rushed out the door.
Keegan jumped on her bike and rode to her favorite Starbucks. The day was shaping up to be a lot nicer than the day before as the sun beat its warmth down on her pale skin. Slightly annoyed with herself, she realized she forgot to put on sunscreen. Great, she thought, now her freckles would come out more.
When she walked in, she took a deep breath. She loved the smell of Starbucks, as well as the soothing noises of the barista’s machines and the way the cafe was always filled with chattering people.
Keegan delighted in the coffee shop atmosphere. She loved to sit for hours and take in the wide variety of people. She liked to amuse herself by trying to figure out if customers were human or supernatural creatures, and she made up full scenarios for strangers in her mind. Today, she eyed the tall shapely brunette behind her in line which Keegan had pegged a secret agent. And then there was the short pudgy guy with the horrible comb-over; she suspected he was an electrician who dreaded going home to his annoying family. Last but not least, the emo girl who hid in the corner with her face in a book. Something about her reminded Keegan of a fairy.
Looking around one last time before it was her turn at the counter, she noticed a sexy guy with dark, shaggy hair and piercing blue eyes watching her. Smirking to herself, she thought vampire or werewolf.
With her usual white chocolate mocha in hand, Keegan strolled over to her friends. Anna and Lauren were already sitting at the usual table with their drinks. They knew better than to expect her to be on time. She couldn’t blame them.
Tilting her head, she gave a sly smile to the dark haired stranger as she passed.
Keegan took in the sight of her two best friends as they laughed together. She was still amazed that even with their different personalities they could be such incredible friends after so much time had passed. She thought for sure when they moved onto high school they would drift apart, but their relationship proved too strong for that.
Lauren looked gorgeous as usual with her long, dark curly hair, pale skin and her caramel colored eyes. She jumped up and grabbed Keegan in a hug which caused Keegan to spill her drink.
“I’m so excited to go to the fair! I’ve never had a psychic reading before.”
“Slow down,” Keegan said. “You just spilled the coffee all over me.”
“Whatever, you know you can’t make it through a cup of coffee without spilling it on yourself. You’re worse than a toddler.
Keegan laughed. "Good point.”
You couldn’t help but be taken in by Lauren’s positive attitude. She was always quick to smile and was the first to compliment someone. She purposely came across as not particularly bright. With her SAT scores, she could get into any college she wanted. Keegan had no idea why she downplayed her intelligence. She had once asked and Lauren said she didn't want people to expect too much, and let them down. Keegan thought that was a ridiculous reason.
Lauren looked like a typical cheerleader with long legs and an athletic build, and she had the kind of wardrobe that made other girls jealous. For the fair, she had worn a knee length pink floral dress that oozed the runway look, and belted the gauzy material with a large brown belt that matched her ankle boots. She belonged in a Hollister ad.
As Keegan slid into her chair, Lauren looked at them expectantly. “Josh sent me this long love letter. He actually hand wrote it. Do you guys think he is getting too clingy?”
“Well, you have been dating over a year. It’s obviously pretty serious.” Anna rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. She had topped her black, long sleeve tee with a pink vest, and matching pink leggings under her black skirt. Today, her purple bangs hung from a lacy black beret.
Keegan was secretly jealous that Lauren had a steady boyfriend. “I think you should dump him,” she said. “There are so many hot guys you could date. You’ll be old and married before you know it. You might as well enjoy it now.”
“Keegan, just because you have dated half the school doesn’t mean everyone else has to,” Lauren retorted, poking her friend on the arm pointedly.
Keegan gave them a wicked grin. “There are just so many boys and so little time.” Anna laughed so hard she started hiccupping, which caused Lauren to spit her drink out. Keegan glanced up at Lauren to make sure she wasn't choking. "You guys need serious help," Keegan laughed, handing Lauren a napkin to wipe the coffee off her chin.
Keegan could joke with the girls, but what no one knew was that she only had two years left to date. She would meet Rourk, her chosen, when she turned eighteen, and she was convinced he would be perfect for her. If only the rest of the world believed as elves did, Keegan was sure the divorce rate would be much lower. A kick under the table brought Keegan back to the present. "Ow!"
"Shh, you're such an idiot sometimes." Anna jerked her head towards the door. Keegan glanced casually around to see what the kick had been for. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Anna wanted her to look at. Wow. The guy they ogled was beyond hot even though he was older. He stood over six feet tall and his dark black hair looked like he had just got caught in a windstorm. His eyes were a striking blue and she swore he could see into her soul as his eyes caught hers. Way too hot to be a human. Keegan wondered if he was a sorcerer. Everyone seemed to be under his spell the moment he walked through the door. They all tried not to stare. Lauren fanned herself, causing them all to laugh.
***
From outside the coffee shop Rourk stood hidden, watching Keegan through the window as she sat laughing with her friends. Her fleeting thoughts had summoned him again, and his pulse quickened as he felt the urge to go inside. He needed to be close to her.
Pushing a hand agitatedly through his shaggy hair, Rourk tried to focus on breathing. He leaned against the brick wall of the store behind him, rubbing his temples with both hands. The urge to speak to her made his heart ache. It took everything he had to remain rooted to the sidewalk, hidden in the shadows of a storefront while she was so close. He was left to watch from a distance as usual. She laughed at something one of her friends said and he wondered what her laugh sounded like.
Suddenly, they gathered their things and left the coffee shop; Rourk made a snap decision to follow them.
***
The girls decided to walk to the fair instead of taking Laurens car. The weather was perfect, pleasantly cool, and there wasn’t a rain cloud in sight. The fresh air felt incredible against her skin. Keegan closed her eyes, tilted her head towards the sun and spun in a circle. “Fall is my favorite time of year,” she said wistfully.
Lauren shook her head smiling. “Earth to Keegan, we are talking about the fair.”
“Do you think they will let me know something about Xavier?” Anna wondered out loud, completely ig
noring her friends’ ramblings.
“Maybe, but I think you have to ask about him. At least that’s how it goes on the TV shows.” Lauren glanced over at Keegan, swinging her small purse at her side as they walked. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure. You would think if they were real psychics they would see it without being asked,” Keegan answered honestly.
“Good point,” Anna said. “I don’t think I will mention him. Besides, it’s bad enough he makes it obvious he only thinks of me as a friend. I don’t think I could handle psychic rejection as well.”
Lauren clapped her hands and jumped around. “EEK, we’re almost there! This is so exciting!”
Keegan was surprised at Lauren’s enthusiasm. The fair didn’t quite sound like her thing. She was probably hoping someone was going to tell her that she and Josh would be married, have three kids, and live happily ever after.
The fair was disappointing at first glance. Keegan had been expecting...well, she wasn't sure exactly what, but it looked like some boring craft fair in a church basement. A few tables and stands were arranged around the room with a bunch of old people seated at them. It didn't look like the few attendees milling around the place were actually buying anything. Still, she could hear her mother in her head. Don't judge a book by its cover, Keegan. She decided she might as well relax and try to have fun with her friends.
Keegan noticed a large red sign at the entrance of the fair that said NO PHOTOGRAPHY. Mumbling under her breath, she put her camera back in the bag.
They stopped at each stand, admiring the jewelry, crystals, tarot cards, and many other items available. There were certainly some fascinating things. Keegan picked up a moonstone necklace for her mother. The small sign next to it said it would bring considerable fortune. Keegan also knew it was a healing stone. It was one of her favorites. She loved the way you could see the colors through it when it was held to the light.
Lauren came to a halt in front of a stand where a woman sat behind a table, dressed like a stereotypical fortuneteller. She was slightly overweight, fortyish, and wearing a multi-colored dress that gave her an outrageous gypsy appearance. She had a kind face. Her long curly hair was a brilliant red like that of a clown's nose. Gesturing to a pile of rocks on the table, she told Lauren, "Pick one and hand it to me. I can tell your future."
Lauren did so. When the woman had the rock, she closed her eyes and ran her small hands around it for a few moments before looking up at Lauren with a warm smile.
“You will do great things and succeed in whatever you put your mind to. I also see that you should put your focus into law.”
Lauren’s mouth gaped open; her dream was to be a lawyer. The girls all looked at each other in disbelief.
Anna jumped up and down yelling, “Me next!” She grabbed a rock and the woman did the same thing, closing her eyes and feeling the rock. “Child, you have a beautiful soul but you will struggle in life if you do not let go of the sadness inside of you.”
Keegan and Lauren glanced over at Anna, surprised to see her brush away a tear. “Thank you,” she said quietly, and put the rock in her pocket.
Finally, it was Keegan’s turn. Placing her hands over the pile of rocks, she grasped the one that was calling to her and handed it to the woman. The woman kept her eyes closed for an extremely long time. When she finally opened them, she looked at Keegan warily. Keegan’s heart started to race. She felt as if the woman knew she wasn’t human and was going to say so.
The woman sighed, handing the rock back to her. “I’m sorry, I feel nothing.”
"What do you mean you feel nothing?" Keegan balked at the woman.
"That's just how it works sometimes. I'm sorry." She shrugged.
Keegan wanted to ask the psychic some questions, but Anna and Lauren were keen to move on and dragged Keegan to the next stand. She turned to look back and the woman returned her stare with a blank look. Keegan thought for sure something wasn’t quite right. Could she possibly know her elfin secret? Maybe she truly was unreadable and that’s why the woman looked at her strangely. It seemed odd, not to mention disappointing. Keegan wanted to hear what the psychic had to say about her.
The three girls spent hours browsing, which turned out to be a lot of fun. The crowd steadily built in the room so that it no longer looked sad and unused, but with the dim light and the noise of guests, it felt like a fair. After enough time had passed, and Keegan’s feet were starting to hurt, she yawned and stretched dramatically.
“Are you guys ready to go?” she asked, tugging at Anna’s sleeve.
Lauren nodded vehemently. “I shouldn’t have worn these boots. I’m exhausted.”
Though she done well hiding it for most of the day, Anna had obviously been shaken by the psychic’s words. She just shrugged. “Sure, let’s go get dinner.”
As they walked towards the door, Keegan sensed someone watching her. She glanced around the room, searching for the source of the feeling, and was startled to come face to face with another elf.
Elves can recognize each other when they happen to cross paths. Unless of course it’s your chosen, they are cloaked from each other by magic. Keegan had never seen anything quite like this elf. The girl was stunningly beautiful, but that was not a surprise as all elves tend to be overly attractive. She had short black hair, pale skin, rosy cheeks and the greenest eyes Keegan had ever seen on a person. She felt as if she were staring into the eyes of a cat.
What took Keegan by surprise was the darkness around the stranger. Keegan had heard of dark elves. Wherever there was light there had to be dark, but knowing something in your mind and actually seeing it is different. This was the first time she had seen a dark elf with her own eyes. She had heard they mainly lived up north and rarely made efforts to be a part of the human world like the light elves. Since her childhood, they’d almost felt like specters; boogeymen told through light elves’ folklore. Keegan’s body felt cold. She tensed up and all her senses heightened as her eyes were caught by the stranger’s.
“Do you know her?” Anna asked.
Keegan couldn’t talk. She felt as if their eyes were locked and she was unable to move unless the girl allowed it. Finally, the dark elf averted her gaze and Keegan’s body relaxed. A distracted look crossed her face and she replied, “She looked familiar, but let’s get out of here.” Keegan’s only desire in that moment was to rush home and talk to her mother about what had happened.
***
From a distance, Rourk was staring with a grim expression on his handsome face.
What was that exchange all about and who was the dark elf?
He had to make a choice. He could continue to follow the girls or go inside and talk to the dark elf. As much as it pained him to watch Keegan walk away, he quickly advanced into the building. He needed to know if she was in danger.
Rourk scanned the room, but he did not see the dark elf anywhere. Where could she have gone? Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as he felt the coldness wash over him. He saw her with his mind’s eye. The dark elf had taken the back door and was walking casually down the alley. It was times like this when he was grateful to be a descendent of a great warrior. He’d trained his whole life for his calling—from the time he got out of bed in the morning until the time he went to sleep at night. Hell, he even dreamed about the techniques he’d learned. He needed to put them to good use.
Silently he advanced. He was now the hunter, and she, his prey.
CHAPTER 3
Keegan tried not to think about what had just happened and planted a smile on her face. “I’m starving! Isn’t it Lauren’s turn to pick?” She turned to Anna and at the same time they yelled, “Wendy’s!”
“Funny guys. I don’t always choose Wendy’s.” Lauren pouted.
Keegan and Anna exchanged a glance. Anna asked, “Name one time you didn’t pick Wendy’s?”
Lauren paused, and thought about it for a moment. “Fine, you are right. I love Wendy’s. If I had to choose my last supper it
would be a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, fries, and a frosty.”
Shaking her head, Keegan put her arms through theirs and dragged them down the street. She was grateful for the distraction, but in the back of her mind she was still thinking about the dark elf and what seeing her could have meant.
Once they got to Wendy’s Keegan went with a frosty and a baked potato.
“I still don’t get this whole vegetarian thing you are going through,” Lauren told her, wrinkling her nose at Keegan’s baked potato.
Keegan reached across and grabbed one of Lauren’s fries and dipped it in her frosty. “I just suddenly got creeped out by eating animals. I want to help animals, not eat them.” Anna and Lauren both rolled their eyes. Keegan was always going on crusade for something.
Keegan genuinely wanted to ask Anna about what the psychic had said about her sadness, but figured if she wanted to talk about it she would. Lauren, on the other hand, was not quite as tactful. She blurted out, “Anna, you have to tell us what is going on with you. Are you really sad?”
Anna tilted her face down so that her purple bangs hung over her eyes. She didn’t say anything.
Seeing Anna’s hesitation, Keegan reached over to touch Anna’s hand and said, “If you don’t want to talk about it, we understand.”
Lauren butted in. “No, it’s not okay. She’s our best friend. If we can help, we need to know.”
“I’ve wanted to talk to you guys,” Anna said softly, looking down at her hands clasped in her lap. “I just didn’t know how to bring it up. My parents are getting a divorce.”
“What?” Lauren was genuinely shocked.
“They have been fighting for years,” Anna told them, finally looking up at them. “I’m kinda relieved. I know they’ll be happier apart. My dad has a drinking problem. He’s such a jerk to everyone. I hate the way he talks to my mom. She’s even on medication for depression.”
Lauren jumped up and ran around the table pulling Anna out of her seat. She wrapped her arms around her, “It will be okay. I just wish you told us sooner.”