by Julia Crane
CHAPTER 8
Rourk ran swiftly through the woods with his attacker closing in on him. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his head. Sweat poured down his face, and he felt pure joy. He lived for this kind of stuff. It was what he was born to do. He was leading his victim and it would all be over soon.
He loved the sound of branches cracking under his pursuer’s feet. They were sloppy and needed to be reprimanded, which he would take care of once the chase was over.
Slowing down, Rourk took cover behind a large tree. He listened, and all he heard were the familiar sounds of nature; birds chirping, squirrels running, even the sound of a deer could be heard in the distance. What he was not hearing was the sound of footsteps. This brought a grin to his face. Perhaps he found a worthy opponent after all. He could take the easy way and close his eyes, if it weren’t prohibited. He scanned quickly and saw nothing. Think Rourk. The woods were vast, but this was a game of cat and mouse. He could not be far. What surprised him the most was that there were no sounds of heavy breathing even though they’d been running for hours. Then, like a light bulb going off, he looked up. “You are a sly little devil,” he said. Taking aim with his paint-gun, he fired. “Show yourself,” he demanded.
The boy dropped nimbly from the tree and walked confidently up to Rourk, removing his paintball mask. Rourk was shocked by what he saw. He couldn’t have been older than twelve. What perplexed him even more was the boy's eyes. They were the same clear blue-green as his chosen’s, only this boy’s looked older for some reason.
Rourk kept his face still; a warrior never gave away his thoughts by facial expressions when caught off guard.
“What is your name?” Rourk asked.
“My name is Thaddeus, and yours is Rourk.”
Stunned, Rourk demanded, “How do you know my name?”
“You will someday be my brother-in-law,” he stated, as if it were obvious.
“Why did you stop running and climb the tree?”
Thaddeus smiled, “I knew you were done playing and were about to capture me after you faked a fall.”
Speechless, Rourk just stared at him. Finally, he said, “So you’re the son of Richard. I have heard much about you. I’ll tell your father that he should be proud to have such a remarkable son. No student has ever come close to catching me.”
Thaddeus looked up at him. “I’ll get you next time,” and after a slight pause added, “probably,” with an impish grin.
Rourk laughed, unable to help himself. He wasn’t supposed to form relationships with his students, but he liked Thaddeus.
All at once, it dawned on him. The man who he looked up to the most was Keegan’s father, but how could that be? Richard had never treated him any differently than the others. Rourk was grateful he hadn’t learned of this when he was younger. Over the years, he’d proven himself to Richard without the added stress of trying to impress the man who would someday be his father-in-law.
“Have you told her anything about me?” Rourk asked softly.
He replied, “Only your name.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Someday she will be in danger, and that was the only way I could think of for you to save her.”
This rattled Rourk to the core. He knew better than to ask for more details even though he wanted to grab the boy and shake it out of him. He knew he couldn’t ask this of a seer. The fact that he told him as much as he did and allowed his sister the ability to pull him towards her when she needed help was unbelievable enough. Rourk looked him in the eyes and said, “Thank you, you have my word that I will do everything in my power to keep your sister safe. Can I ask you one thing?”
Thaddeus shrugged, eyeing Rourk with interest. “That depends.”
Meeting his eyes, Rourk asked, “What’s her name?”
Thaddeus laughed. “Her name is Keegan.”
Rourk said the name in his head a few times getting use to the sound of it.
“The name suits her,” Thaddeus said. “It means ‘little fiery one’.”
“Why am I pulled to her, but not her to me?”
“Magic, of course. Partners are cloaked from each other until they turn eighteen. I had yours removed.”
“How did you manage that?”
“That’s two questions, Rourk. You know I can’t disclose that information. But I will tell you this. Once it was known that I was the child in the prophecy, my reach was pretty much unlimited. I have at my disposal anything that could allow our race to live on.”
Rourk nodded his head at the boy in understanding.
***
Keegan was walking out of school when her phone went off. She grabbed it and looked at the caller ID; it was her Aunt Kat.
“Hey, what’s up?” Keegan said.
“Can you babysit tonight? Drew and I need a date night.”
“How could I say no to my favorite aunt?”
“Uh, huh. I thought Brigid was your favorite since she spoils you.”
“Fine then, it’s a tie.”
“Well, hopefully I will be your favorite after you see the present I got for you.”
***
Later that evening, Katrina walked through the door with the biggest grin on her face. She was obviously rather proud of herself for something. “Guess which of your favorite aunts has four tickets to 30 Seconds to Mars?”
Keegan squealed with delight. The concert had been sold out for weeks.
“Just make sure to tell those girls that there will be no making out with their boyfriends on my watch.” Kat took them to many concerts, and the last time she got mad at Lauren for meeting up with Josh and making out most of the time. She’d said they had plenty of time for that on their own time.
Keegan called Anna and Lauren right away and had them all on the phone on a three way. “Kat just hooked us up with 30 Seconds to Mars tickets,” Keegan said.
She had to move the phone away from her ear when the other two girls started screaming. “I know, she’s the best. I have to go; I’m watching Merrick and Mackenna tonight. We’ll go over what we’ll wear at school.”
The girls said their goodbyes and Keegan turned to face Katrina.
“They say they love you and that you are the most amazing person in the world.”
Kat smiled, causing her face to glow.
CHAPTER 9
The next day, their father walked in while Thaddeus was training Keegan. They were in the middle of sprints and he yelled, “Vanish Keegan.”
She hesitated, which of course was a mistake. She hated to disappoint him.
He called them over and told Thaddeus he needed to work on her reaction skills. “She needs to be able to use her gift without hesitation no matter what her surroundings are,” he said.
Keegan hated when they talked about her like she wasn’t there.
“Keegan, you have a skill that any soldier would kill for, but it does you no good if you’re not able to use it when needed. If a knife is coming down on you, a bullet is fired, or someone is strangling you, you should be gone. Of course, it’s only to be used in a life or death situation, and until then you fight. We cannot give away our secret. If you went invisible in front of a human, it might draw some attention. However, if your life is at stake, you never hesitate.” She was about to say something about those scenarios being ridiculous, but the seriousness of his expression stopped her.
Her brother drilled her for hours after her dad left, and she didn’t feel as if she’d improved at all. Keegan had only used her gift for fun before, and it had always been at a leisurely pace. She wasn’t sure she was going to be able to do what her father wanted.
***
Rourk sat in his room staring at the wall. His mind raced. How had the boy even been assigned to him? If Richard really was Keegan’s father, he’d want to keep them separated. The only logical explanation was they wanted him to know, maybe having faith in him that he could change the future. This made him sure there had to be some threat to Ke
egan that would lead to her death and that they were trying to intervene in the natural course of destiny. This was not something that was done lightly. It had to be happening soon because it was to be before they were to meet. Could it be something to do with the great battle? Why else would they intervene?
Rourk didn’t want to overstep his boundaries, but he had to talk to Richard. Once he reached the camp, he went directly into Richard’s office.
When Richard saw Rourk, he broke into his easy smile. “I have been waiting for you,” he said.
Rourk was always surprised how this man could put people at ease. It was one of the traits that made him an exceptional leader and the reason why men were so devoted to him.
“I wasn’t sure if I should come talk to you or not. However, after going over it repeatedly, I had to. There is a flaw in this plan.”
“There is a flaw in every plan, but we must make do with what we have.”
Rourk asked, “Can I war game this out with you?”
Richard sighed, “Very well, I will hear you out.”
War gaming was when they thought through the outcome of a mission beforehand, and it was a way to make sure they were aware of different possibilities and variables that could affect the outcome.
“I don’t think this will work without Keegan being aware of the plan. How can we be certain that she will even think of me if she is in danger?”
This brought a loud laugh from Richard. “Son, you have a lot to learn about women. There are many flaws to our plan, but that is not one of them.”
His reaction surprised Rourk. “How can you be so certain?”
Richard smiled. “As warriors, we do not fear death. We couldn’t possibly do our job if we did. That’s what makes us different from the others. All we wish in death is to die bravely. However, on every occasion that I have come close to death I have always thought of my wife. So you can imagine a sixteen-year-old would think of the one she has yet to meet.”
Rourk stared at him trying to hide his astonishment. “I am to meet her before she turns 17?”
Richard put his hand on Rourk’s shoulder. “This is why you’re good enough for my daughter and the reason why I am relieving you of your training duties. Now your job is to protect my daughter.”
CHAPTER 10
Keegan walked outside and saw her mother swinging on the porch swing. She walked over and sat down next to her.
The day was another of sunshine, but the air held a chilly breeze. Emerald was wrapped in a brightly colored shawl, her feet planted firmly on the wooden boards of the porch as she swung.
“Mom, I keep thinking about Anna’s mother. I really think you should give her a healing.”
Emerald looked over at her daughter. Keegan had never asked her to give a healing before. “I guess I could call her. I think she’d be surprised though. It not like we talk on a regular basis.”
Keegan smiled and said, “Thanks, and try not to let on that Anna told you about it.”
“Well, that is going to be almost impossible Keegan. I’ll figure something out so Anna doesn’t get in trouble for confiding in you.”
After Keegan walked away, Emerald could not stop thinking about her conversation with her, and she felt the need to help Anna’s mother. Anna was one of Keegan’s best friends. If Anna’s mother were suffering, Anna would also be affected. She hesitated and then headed inside to the phone.
“Hello, Jennifer, I know this is unusual, but would you mind if I came over to visit?”
There was a brief silence; the woman was probably surprised. “Ah sure, of course, you can come over.”
A little while later, Emerald arrived at Jennifer’s house.
Anna’s parents lived modestly in a small stone ranch house not too far from Keegan’s own home. Jennifer was a tall, thin woman with dark circles under her brown eyes and her long brown hair pulled into a messy ponytail. She was dressed casually in jeans and a plain white t-shirt, pink flip flops on her long feet. She met Emerald at the door with a tentative smile.
When she walked in, Emerald decided not to beat around the bush.
“I overheard the girls talking and understand you have problems with depression.”
Jennifer was clearly uncomfortable. She looked down at her feet and said, “Why would Anna tell them that?”
Emerald reached out and put her hand on her shoulder. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I think I might be able to help you.” Emerald explained that she was a second degree reiki healer; that was how she explained her healing powers.
Jennifer seemed interested, and almost looked hopeful “It’s worth a shot at this point.”
Emerald said, “We’ll need a quiet place where you can lay down.”
Jennifer led her into the spare bedroom. It was a quiet room in the back of the house with soft blue walls and minimalist furniture—a twin bed with no headboard but a pretty floral quilt and a white chest of drawers holding a single vase of fresh roses. It was cool and dim.
“All you have to do is close your eyes and relax,” Emerald told her as Jennifer slid on to the bed. “You may or may not feel heat coming from my hands, but even if you don’t it will still work.”
With a serious nod, Jennifer settled against the pillow and closed her eyes.
“I’m going to turn on some relaxing music, and then we will start.” Emerald pulled her iPod from her back pocket and connected it to the small radio sitting on the bedside stand. The light sound of flutes and chimes filled the room.
Moving her hands over Jennifer’s body, Emerald quickly realized something was not right. Humans have a certain type of energy and Jennifer’s was not human. Still, Emerald gave her a complete healing.
Jennifer was amazed at how happy she felt afterwards. “I don’t recall feeling this normal in a long time. It’s as if a cloud has been lifted from my soul.”
Emerald knew exactly what she felt, because she could feel what the individual felt during a healing. Humans believed healers were drained after a healing which was far from the truth. Every time Emerald gave a healing, she felt as renewed as the person who received it. She almost felt selfish when using her gift on others because she received so much in return.
As she was walking out the door, Emerald handed Jennifer a St. Dymphna’s medallion. “Have this with you always.”
Grasping it in her hand, Jennifer said, “What is it for?”
Emerald was silent for a moment and then said, “She is the Saint of emotional and mental disorders, and the medallion will help ward off the depression.”
Jennifer’s eyes teared up. Already, the dark circles that had been under them were fading. She sniffed, brushing away a tear before it could fall. “Thank you. I can never repay you for this.”
Emerald smiled. “There is nothing to repay. Please call me if you feel it is coming back.”
Emerald was not sure what kind of creature she was, but she was certain Jennifer was on the side of the light. She also knew that there would be no need for her to call. During a full healing, all the blockages are removed and Jennifer would be the healthiest she had ever been in her life. The medallion had been energized with healing properties.
Jennifer shut the door and thought Reiki my ass! That woman was gifted. All these years and she had been clueless that they were not human. Whatever Emerald was, she now was in her debt. Jennifer had lost her will to live and had been walking around like a shell of a person. Now she felt energized and more alive than ever. Her husband would come home to a different woman. She wondered if it would be enough to save their marriage. She realized even if it wasn’t, she would be fine. She was strong enough to be on her own. She should have known marrying a human would be bad for her soul. Jennifer debated asking Anna if she knew anything about Keegan’s secret, but she decided against it. Ultimately it was Keegan’s secret to keep.
***
Keegan had a date tonight. A first date with a new boy in school. She had been surprised when Tom asked her out. He se
emed quite shy. Looking through her closet, she tried to find an outfit that didn’t make it look like she had tried too hard. She settled on a pair of skinny jeans and turquoise V-neck tee shirt. They were only going bowling after all.
Hearing the doorbell, she grabbed her sweater and walked down the stairs.
“I’ll see you guys later,” Keegan yelled across the room.
Her father yelled back, “Remember the number one rule of dating.”
Keegan rolled her eyes, “I’m not going to walk out if he places his back to the door, dad. Not everyone believes they need to be on high alert at all times.”
Richard appeared from the living and walking towards his daughter, he said, “If he’s not able or willing to protect you, he is not worth your time.” He kissed her on the head. “Have fun,” he said, “and don’t stay out too late.”
He stared at the door after it closed. It was hard to believe that she was so grown up. In his mind, he still pictured her as a little girl with pig tails begging for a ride on his shoulders. The memories brought a smile to his face.
***
Rourk no longer had to wait for Keegan to think his name. She was his responsibility now. He watched as a truck pulled up and a tall guy with dark hair got out and went to the door. Keegan came out looking happy and was beautiful, as usual. The guy opened the door for her, and she grabbed his shoulder to pull herself up. Rourk felt a pang of jealousy.
Once they pulled out, he followed them at a distance. Where were they going, and who was this guy?
Eventually they pulled into the bowling alley. Rourk groaned. You have to be kidding me. He decided not to go in and watched her from the outside, using his mind.
As he watched her bowl, he laughed to himself and thought she is a terrible bowler. She barely hit any pins. She seemed to be enjoying herself though, perhaps a little too much, and he saw her touch her date’s arm a couple of times. The kid got a strike and she hugged him. Rourk clenched his jaw. Noticing this, he made himself relax.