by Julia Crane
“When I was brought back,” Keegan said, shooting a glance at Anna, “and I met him, I felt nothing for him.” The look on her friend’s faces let her know how bad they felt for her. People searched high and low for their perfect match. To have it handed to you and then taken away seemed too cruel.
“He’s hot.” Anna grinned. She handed the phone back to Keegan who managed a weak smile.
Anna continued, "You asked what I was, because of my parents.” Anna fidgeted with her sweater. “Well, I am a witch." After a brief pause she added, "On the side of the light."
Keegan could tell she was bothered that her mother knew dark magic.
"I wonder if there are any spells to bring back the bond?” Anna said. “It would seem if it was taken away that it could be given back."
For the first time Keegan allowed herself to feel hopeful. "Do you think that’s possible?"
"I will have to look into it, there is still so much I don't know, and I've never had anyone to teach me. Maybe I can talk to Calvron; he might be able to help or at least point me in the right direction."
Keegan glanced down at the photo one more time before she put her phone away. "Thank you, Anna; you have no idea how much this means to me."
Keegan was excited and relieved that she could finally share who she really was with her best friends. She wondered if this was why they stayed friends no matter how different their personalities were. Perhaps creatures of the light could sense one another. Keegan smiled and thought of all the times she’d made up stories in her mind of people and guessed whether they were creatures or human. Not once had she given thought to the fact that her friends might not be. Oh, the irony of it.
A huge smile spread across her face, and she couldn't wait to see what adventures they would share together now that their powers were out in the open.
Chapter 3
Rourk looked through his closet trying to decide what to wear. It was their first date and he wanted it to be perfect, but he had no idea what humans wore for such things.
He pushed his hangers further to the left. Then again to the right; his wardrobe was useless. There had to be something for him to wear. All of his clothes looked alike: shirts were all earth tones and a few pairs of jeans and khakis. He smiled and thought Keegan would probably love to go shopping with him.
His father came to the door and stared in at him. The gray hair at his temples had gotten lighter since the battle, though it only heightened his movie-star good looks. Every time he looked at his dad, Rourk thought how different they were. His father stared at the clothes strewn across the bed. “What are you doing?”
Embarrased, Rourk answered, “Trying to figure out what to wear.”
His father’s booming laugh filled the room which shocked Rourk. The man didn’t smile much, let alone laugh. “Son, in 18 years I have never seen you debate your clothing choices.”
Rourk’s shoulders slumped. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Dad, this sucks. How do humans deal with this on a regular basis? I'm nervous, what's up with that? I am a warrior, we do not get nervous, let alone over a silly date.”
His father placed his hand on Rourk’s shoulder, catching his son’s gray eyes with his own intense blues. “I’m sorry this is not going as easy as you expected. Just know that it will be worth it in the long run.”
His dad walked away with a grin on his face, which rather annoyed Rourk.
Finally, Rourk decided to play it safe and picked a pair of khaki pants and a plain black t-shirt. He looked in the mirror and ran his hand through his rust colored hair; he needed a haircut. Rourk rubbed his face vigorously and thought, well, there isn’t much I can do about my looks. Keegan had found him attractive before the black magic, so hopefully that hadn’t changed.
Rourk grabbed his keys from his dresser and headed out. The closer her came to her house the more his stomach was in knots. What is wrong with me? It’s just a date.
***
The doorbell rang and Keegan’s father yelled out his usual line, “Don’t forget the first rule of dating.”
“Dad, you say that every time I go on a date. You know it gets old." She laughed and added, “If he breaks that rule it’s your fault, since you trained him.”
Keegan glanced at herself once more in the mirror and thought, not bad. Her auburn hair was behaving itself. She had on just the right amount of makeup to bring out her features, and the outfit she chose was a form fitting blue sweater and a pair of jeans that flattered her figure.
She opened the door and hoped to feel a spark or something. Yet again, she felt nothing.
He was hot, she would give him that. They looked at one another and his grey eyes were so intense, and she loved how strong his jawline was. She gave him a once over. Nice, she thought to herself. She always thought guys looked hot in khakis and his shirt was just tight enough to show off his defined chest. The sleeves looked a little snug; she tried not to stare at his muscled arms.
“Keegan, you look…um, you look good.” He stared at the porch at his feet. The sky was rose-colored behind him, a beautiful contrast to the trees surrounding the house. Keegan loved the way it smelled outside when fall had arrived.
She smiled at him. “Thank you.” You look good? That was the best he had? Ugh, this might be a long night after all.
Keegan twirled a piece of her hair and looked up at him. “So, where are we going to eat?” She hadn’t stepped back to let him in the house, nor had she moved forward to the porch. Of course, she didn’t notice his confusion over it.
“I figured we’d keep it low key and grab a pizza, if that's okay with you?”
“That sounds great!” Her smile reached her eyes which caused them to sparkle.
Rourk didn’t think he would ever get used to her overwhelming beauty. She was perfection. Why couldn’t he say the words? Good? That didn’t begin to do her justice. He was going to have to do better than that if he was going to win her back. Why did he feel so awkward? It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When they had been together before it felt so natural, like they’d known each other their entire lives. He would do anything to get that back.
They rode to the restaurant in silence, and not the pleasant kind. Rourk tried to think of something interesting to talk about. Finally, he thought of a topic he knew interested her. “How is your photography going? Have you gotten any good shots lately?” He was relieved to see her face light up.
She rambled on about how much she loved taking pictures. “I want to get a new lens so I can get better pictures of animals in their natural environment. My parents have been talking about going to Sri Lanka, and I’d love to get some good shots of the elephants. If I’m lucky, maybe a tiger.”
Rourk tensed at the mention of a tiger, even though he knew it was a well-known fact there were tigers in Sri Lanka.
“When do you plan to go there?”
“I’m not sure. My parents tend to spring trips on us out of nowhere. Hopefully soon.”
“How many countries have you been to?” It was hard to keep his eyes on the road when he wanted so badly to watch her face as she spoke.
Keegan paused to think and counted off on her fingers in silence. “At least fourteen, but I’ve probably missed some. I only count the ones I remember and not the ones from when I was a baby.”
“I haven’t been many places. My father doesn’t enjoy traveling anymore since my mother died. Do you have a favorite place you have been?” Rourk glanced over at her.
“Hmm, I think that would have to be Nepal. It’s so beautiful there and the people are so friendly even though they live in poverty. It’s cool to see how the women dress in bright colors and always have smiles on their faces. The hiking is amazing there too. I think you would love it. Although, the first time I went I couldn’t eat chicken for a long time. On the sidewalks they slaughter them right in the open. Probably one of the reasons I went on that vegetarian kick you mentioned.”
“I’m sure I would. I love hiking.
I think that is pretty common among elves.”
“That’s true.” She settled back in the seat.
He could listen to her talk for hours.
Rourk pulled his truck into the parking lot of the pizza shop and put it into park. He walked around to open her door, but she had already hopped out and was waiting for him next to her door.
Michael’s Pizza was one of Keegan’s favorites, though she didn’t think Rourk knew that. It was packed with people she recognized from school. The servers bounced from table to table amid the chaos, white smiles plastered across every face. Keegan took a deep breath and felt her stomach rumble.
Once they were seated, Rourk asked “What kind of pizza do you want?”
“Meat lovers. I’m starved.”
Rourk wasn’t sure why this bothered him so much. He had found it somewhat annoying when he first learned she was a vegetarian. To have her forget about that reminded him how she had forgotten about him as well. If only he could turn the clock back to their time in the cabin, when he cooked her vegetarian meals and she looked at him like he was the only person on the planet. Now she sat and glanced around the room like she was bored.
Rourk watched as Keegan devoured four pieces of pizza. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were hungry.”
“It’s just sooo good.” Keegan wiped her face with the napkin. “I love pizza. Actually, I love most food.”
Looking up from his own slice, she smiled, “You have earned my father’s approval for a second date.”
Somewhat surprised, he said, “Well, I would hope so.” He was her chosen after all, and had fought alongside her father in the Great Battle.
Keegan let him in on the inside joke. “He tells me if I’m on a date and the guy sits with his back to the door that I’m supposed to get up and leave.”
Rourk laughed. He could clearly picture Richard making up this rule. He was a character and a great man. “Well, you don’t have to worry. I will always make your safety my number one priority.”
Keegan liked the sound of that, and she knew she needed to give him a chance. Just then, while the two of them were having what felt like a great moment, her phone went off. She was surprised when she saw the text was from Donald and her heart skipped a beat. He rarely texted her.
The text said, A bunch of us are going to play laser tag. Do you want to come?
She grinned and replied, wish I could but on a date.
Date? Who’s the lucky guy?
Her face felt hot and she replied, my chosen.
How’s that going?
Keegan looked across the table at Rourk who was eyeing his piece of pizza. She replied Strange.
Have fun, maybe next time you can join us.
Love to, she replied, sad to stop the conversation.
Rourk took a sip of his drink. "Was that Anna or Lauren?"
After a brief pause, “Yeah, it was Anna. She was just seeing what was up.” Why did she just lie to him? You’re never supposed to lie to your chosen. Keegan felt like crying. Why was this not going like it was supposed to? Was she ever going to have feelings for the stranger across from her?
They went to the movies after eating. She had to admit the movie was funny, and it was nice to know he had a sense of humor. After some time she managed to relax and enjoy herself. He walked her to the door, grabbing her hand when she got out of the car. She wondered if he was going to try to kiss her. She didn’t have to wonder long.
Rourk stopped before they even reached the doorway, put his hand under her hair, and pulled her toward him. He kissed her softly at first, and then with more force. And then he pulled away and looked down at her, almost like he was frightened. “Did you feel it?”
Startled, she asked, “Feel what?”
Rourk groaned. A part of him hoped that kissing her would make her feel the electricity they felt before. His mind was reeling. The bond was gone for her. He recalled their first kiss and her reaction. “Wow, did you feel that?” she had asked. Now, she felt nothing. Of course, for him it was still the same as before.
Keegan looked up at him. “Okay, well I had fun. Maybe we can go out again sometime?”
“I hope so,” he murmured, bereft as she pulled away from him.
Rourk watched Keegan walk into her house, and she didn’t look back.
***
Keegan went straight to her room through the darkened house; everyone was already in bed. She thought about the evening while she got undressed. He wasn’t that bad. But could she see herself spending the rest of her life with him? That, she wasn’t sure of. She figured time would tell. There was no precedence for their situation as far as she knew. Would she still be expected to marry him when she turned eighteen even if there was no bond? She couldn’t picture her mother making her marry someone if she didn’t want to. She pulled on her favorite polar bear pajamas, and threw her hair in a ponytail.
Keegan looked down at her phone. She still couldn’t believe Donald had messaged her earlier. After a slight internal debate, she sent him a text.
How was laser tag?
Fun, we dominated.
Of course, you are magical creatures.
Not as magical as you.
Keegan had to stop herself from squealing, bouncing on the tips of her toes in the dark and clutching the phone to her chest. OMG, he just said she was magical, and before he had asked who the lucky guy was. Could he possibly be interested in her? Okay, calm down; she knew Donald liked to joke around. Maybe he was just being funny.
I wish I had been there.
Me too, see you on Monday at school, Donald replied.
Keegan finished getting ready for bed, got under the covers, and turned over on her back to stare at the ceiling in thought. So much had changed in such a short period of time. She felt like her whole world had been turned upside down.
Why did things have to get so complicated? This should have been easy! She was supposed to turn eighteen and marry her chosen; something she’d planned on since she found out his name was Rourk. She had lain awake many nights and dreamed about their perfect home. They were going to have a dog, a fat lazy English bulldog and his name was going to be Santa. She liked to humor herself and thought it would be funny since humans thought Santa and elves go hand in hand. She figured they would have at least three kids. It was going to be perfect.
Why did this have to happen?
Now, without the bond, the thought of marriage at eighteen seemed absurd. That was only a year away. She had college to think about. She’d dreamed of going to college in Alaska, because they have one of the best marine biology programs and her dream was to work with dolphins. It had never crossed her mind whether Rourk would even want to move to Alaska. Keegan closed her eyes and let sleep take over; she would worry about it all later.
Chapter 4
Anna was nervous, but she needed answers. She had already put it off too long.
Thankfully, her mother seemed to have come out of her depression fog. It felt like it hadn’t been all that long since her mom had been nearly frozen with despair, unable to function or even smile. She had done a complete turnabout.
Anna couldn’t recall a time when her mom seemed so happy. Maybe she was on a new medication or something. Whatever it was, Anna was glad for it. Her mom was back to doing her hair and make-up and she had even been going for morning runs like she used to before things got bad.
The idea of upsetting her mother made Anna’s stomach roll, but it couldn’t be avoided. She took the stairs slow and dreaded the confrontation and what it could bring.
Her mom stood in the kitchen arranging an assortment of red and yellow flowers in her favorite blue glass vase. A private smile crossed her face and Anna wondered what her mother was thinking. “Hey Mom.”
Jennifer glanced up at her daughter who stood in the doorway. Anna was more subdued than usual, wearing only a pair of blue jeans and a tank top. Her pink hair was secured with a bland gray headband. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
/> “We need to talk.”
Her smiled disappeared. She pulled her hands away from the flowers and turned to face Anna. “I take it you have talked to Keegan?”
Anna was surprised. She thought she was going to have to pull it out of her mother one word at a time. “Yes, and she told me you know black magic? Mom, how can that be? I don’t understand any of this.”
Jennifer sighed and then walked forward and grabbed her daughter’s hands. She squeezed them tight. Her dark eyes were haunted. “Let’s sit down.”
Anna let her mother lead her to the table. She watched Jennifer bustle to the refrigerator and pull out a clear pitcher of juice. Anna tried to remember the last time she’d seen her mom look so youthful. Even just wearing her gray cotton yoga pants and an old, worn out T-shirt on her tall, willowy body, she was beautiful. She had her long brown hair pulled into a high ponytail that swished around her neck when she moved. Her toes were painted pink.
Jennifer put a glass in front of Anna and sat across from her. “Anna, you know I was raised by your great-grandmother and that she was also a witch.” She cleared her throat, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “What I failed to mention was that she was a dark witch.”
Anna stared at her mother in disbelief, her hands wrapped around her glass even though she hadn’t picked it up yet. “My great-grandmother was a dark witch? How is that even possible?”
“It’s a long story, or at least the story unfolded over a long period of time.” She paused, then held up a finger. “One minute.”
Anna watched her mom hurry from the room, her flip-flops slapped on the linoleum while she walked. Jennifer returned a minute later with a large leather-bound album and opened it on the tabletop. She flipped forward a few pages until she came to a picture of a handsome young man in old-timey clothes. “Your great-grandfather, as you know, was also a spirit walker.”
“That’s him?” Anna murmured. She leaned forward to stare at his face. He had a mischievous glint in his dark eyes and hair the exact shade of Jennifer’s.
