by Julia Crane
The two men stared at each other, and Richard extended his hand out. Creed grasped his hand and they shook. “A truce it is,” Creed said.
Richard returned the man’s grin, clapping his hands together. “Now that we are no longer fighting each other, we can put our skills to work protecting the human race.”
Creed laughed loudly. “Yes, I miss the days when you could kill at night."
"Ah, yes, the Elven laws. In the human world, battles do not end at nightfall." Richard smiled as he spoke.
Creed replied. "The humans seem to be on the brink of causing their own extinction. I think directing our talents and energy in that direction sounds like a good idea.” Creed looked warmly over at Thaddeus. “Thank you son, your gift as a seer has saved us all. I will strongly consider your words. The hatred that has been spread will not go away overnight. Probably, not even in our generation. Perhaps one day dark and light elves will see each other as elves and nothing more. Now go spread the word the battle has ended in a truce due to your vision. We all respect magic, so I think everyone will feel joy to know the Gods have decided to bring this to an end.”
Thaddeus was relieved that it was over with. He had been stressed wondering if his plan would work. As they walked out, his father put his arm around his son and they left the camp in silence.
Once they were on the grounds of the light, Richard stopped and looked at his son. “There was no vision was there?”
An impish grin spread across Thaddeus’ face. “Strategy number 23: Weave a Seamless Blend of Fact and Fiction, from The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene.”
Richard pulled his son into a hug. Thaddeus continued, “You always taught me that your mind was the best tool during a battle. It finally dawned on me the reason I could affect the outcome of the battle was not because I have the gift of sight, but because of I have the mind of a warrior. For that, I thank you. I believed everything I said to him about my thoughts on the light and dark.”
Richard stared at the ground for a minute. “Thaddeus, you opened my eyes to a new line of thought. With all my knowledge, I somehow managed to overlook the obvious. I am humbled to be your father.”
Thaddeus chuckled, “Let’s not go overboard, Dad, you and humble do not go together.”
CHAPTER 20
The next morning the sun rose, and activity could be heard throughout the camp. Tents were being taken down, and people were heading home. The family sat patiently waiting. There was no talking; no one knew what to say. Three more hours passed and then it happened.
Opening her eyes, Keegan rubbed her face and stretched. Thaddeus jokingly said, “Leave it to you to sleep in the day you come back to life.”
Keegan looked puzzled. Looking over at her mother, she said, “Is there anything to eat around here? I’m in the mood for bacon and eggs.” Everyone laughed, and you could feel the tension lift.
Rourk still looked concerned. “Bacon? You’re a vegetarian.”
Keegan glanced over, eyeing him speculatively. “Who are you, and why would I be a vegetarian?”
Rourk felt as if he had been stabbed through the heart. How could she not know who he was? His worst nightmare was coming true. Maybe she just needed time to adjust. “My name is Rourk. I work with your father, and your brother was one of my students.”
This seemed to bore her. She looked over at Anna’s mother, “What are you doing here?”
Jennifer stood up and walked over to her. “Your mother will explain. I am glad you are okay. If you need anything, or just want to talk, you know where to find me.” Then she was gone. Anna’s mother was a creature of the light? Why was everyone staring at her? The tent was filled with her family members. Kat looked like she was wanted to cry, and Brigid looked like she had something to say, but wasn’t sure how to say it. Even her grandmother seemed to be at a loss for words. Keegan was starting to get concerned.
Emerald wasn’t sure what to do. “Why don’t you get out of bed and come out and get something to eat? You might feel better when we are outside.”
Keegan got out of bed and wrapped her arms around herself. She was so cold. “Okay, but let me grab a sweater.”
They all walked out in silence. Keegan looked around at all the tents being removed. “What is going on? Did we win?”
Richard stepped in, “Long story short, we called a truce. The war is over.”
After taking a second to process the information, she said, “That’s good.” Her mind felt fuzzy. She figured she would feel better after some coffee and food. The bacon tasted so good she felt like she could eat a plate full. She downed three cups of coffee.
Her mother was concerned. She reached over to place a hand to Keegan’s forehead. “How are you feeling?”
Surprised, Keegan pulled away, wrinkling her nose. “I feel fine just a little cold and still tired. Why is everyone coddling me?”
“What is the last thing you remember about yesterday?” Emerald asked her softly.
Keegan thought that was an odd question to ask. Concentrating, she thought back. “I remember Donald almost dying and you saved him. How is he?”
Taking a deep breath, her mother moved closer and put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “There is something we need to tell you.”
“Okay, what is going on and why is everyone acting so strangely?”
“As we were walking away from the battle after healing Donald, you were struck by an arrow.”
Snapping her head towards, her mother she said, “I was what?”
“You have been unconscious for over twenty-four hours. Keegan, the arrow went through your heart and killed you.”
Keegan looked at her mother as if she had lost her mind. “What in the world are you talking about? Dad, is there something wrong with mom?”
Staring at her with a look that could only be described as empathy, he said, “She is telling the truth. Anna’s mother brought you back to life.”
Standing up quickly, Keegan knocked over the chair, trying to wrap her mind around what they were saying. “You can only be brought back from the dead with black magic. Are you saying that Anna’s mother is a dark witch?”
“She is not a dark witch, but her grandmother was and taught her spells. We are very grateful that you were given a second chance at life.” Her father watched her carefully as if he was afraid of her reaction.
“How long was I dead?” The sound of disbelief was still there. She half expected them to tell her it was a practical joke.
“Only a few moments or at least that is how it seemed. Anna’s mother appeared and was chanting, and the next thing we knew your eyes opened,” Richard told her, rubbing a hand over his forehead without looking at her.
“Keegan, do you recall anything during the time you were passed out?” Her mother was looking at her curiously like she was some kind of science experiment. If Keegan hadn’t felt so weird and out of sorts, she probably would have been mad.
“I had a dream. I was in a field of flowers, I felt free and happy. A tiger was with me.”
Rourk flinched. “Keegan, do you really not know who I am?”
She stared at him trying to feel a tinge of recognition, but she felt nothing. He was cute though, that was for sure.
“Should I know you?”
Rourk inhaled sharply closing his eyes he sat back in the chair. “I am your chosen.”
“That’s impossible. We cannot meet our chosen until we are 18.”
Emerald was deeply concerned. “Keegan, he is telling the truth. Under unusual circumstances you met early. You even spent a weekend with him at a cabin with your father and I.”
Okay, this was getting weirder and weirder. Maybe she was still dreaming. As if her parents would allow her to spend a weekend with a guy. “I asked you how Donald was doing, and no one has told me.”
Rourk got up and walked out of the tent. He had to get out of there before he lost control. He felt like throwing things and screaming at the top of his lungs. He wished the battle
was still on; he felt a deep need to destroy anything and everything in his path.
Calm down, he told himself. Don’t let your emotions take control of your mind. He knew he had to take a step back.
Thaddeus walked out of the tent and joined Rourk. He stood silently beside him, not knowing what to say.
***
They packed up their belongings and headed back home. Normally, they would have stayed and traveled while they were in Ireland, but they felt the need to get Keegan home. They hoped that once she was back in her own environment she would feel better.
Once back in her room, Keegan laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. It was too much to digest. She had spent a weekend with a guy she didn’t remember? Looking over at her camera laying innocuously on her desk, she jumped up. If she had gone away for a weekend there had to be pictures. She scrolled through her latest photos and what she saw made her feel sick to her stomach. There were tons of photos of an apparently amazing weekend that she had no memory of. She looked so happy. There were several goofy ones of them where she must have used her self-timer to take them. It was obvious they were crazy about each other. So why couldn’t she remember him? Ever since she was a child she had dreamed of meeting her chosen mate. She had woven fairy tales in her head of how perfect their life would be.
When she looked at Rourk, she had felt nothing. There was no connection or the chemistry she’d been promised. The pictures were proof that there once were a lot of feelings between them. She wondered if it was possible for it to come back or if it was gone for good and what he must be feeling. It had to be frustrating for him.
More than anything on Keegan’s mind, she couldn’t stop wondering one thing: Why did she keep thinking about Donald?
Sneak Peak Book 2 Conflicted
Keegan unpacked her things, her mind on the photos of the weekend she supposedly spent with Rourk. She wished she could remember him and the weekend at the cabin from before the trip to Ireland; a trip that had changed her life and erased her memories of him. The two of them had looked so happy. So in love. As she picked up the pile of dirty clothes to toss into the laundry, a piece of paper fell out, drifting lazily to the floor.
She stared at it a moment, an inoffensive square of paper lying in the dusty evening sunshine. Curious, she reached down and picked it up, her brow furrowed over her bright blue-green eyes. She opened it, smoothing the creases, and read Keegan, I am sorry I could not spend your special day with you. I will make it up to you. Forever Yours, Rourk
First the pictures and then the note; undeniable proof that she did, at one time, have a relationship with Rourk.
Keegan sighed, dropping the laundry to the floor without a thought as she flopped onto her back on the bed. Her pillow still smelled like her shampoo, despite the fact she had been gone for just over a week. The cool October breeze ruffled the sheer purple curtains at her window, making her shiver. She could smell the pine trees from the forest. It was so good to be home.
A thought struck her, and she leapt to her feet, rushing to her desk to grab her phone. It was laying in the square of light from her bendy desk lamp, between her camera and a couple of school books. She quickly scrolled through the list of contacts and was annoyed to find Rourk’s number was not on it. Strange. Why wouldn’t they have texted if they’d already met?
Before she could talk herself out of it, she sent her father a text and asked for Rourk’s number.
***
Rourk was miserable.
He hadn’t bothered turning on the lights in his austere bedroom before he fell onto the bed, not even taking time to remove his boots. Staring at the ceiling with his hands under his head, Rourk couldn’t stop thinking about Keegan.
The battle in the fight for his kind was over but it seemed yet another had only just begun. He couldn’t possibly accept the fact that his relationship with his Chosen was over before it really began. There was no one else for him. Keegan was the only one.
He had to win her back.
Running his options through his head, he realized there were only two. He could do nothing and hope Keegan’s feelings for him would return without any prompting, or he could take the human route and try to win her affections. He was not one to sit around and do nothing so obviously it had to be option two.
His phone went off on the nightstand and he reached over to grab it, flipping it open. It was a text from Keegan: I’m sorry I don’t remember you. I was looking at my photos and it looks like we had a gr8 weekend.
Rourk sat up in bed, staring at the screen that held her message. His heart beat just a bit faster as he wracked his brain for the right words. The fact she had reached out to him first gave him hope.
Finally, he texted back: It was the best weekend of my life. Would you like to go on a date this weekend?
Her response was almost instantaneous. A date? What did you have in mind?
Rourk dropped his phone to the bed and groaned, shoving both hands through his hair as he stood. Glancing around his room, he hoped for sudden inspiration, trying to think of something to say that didn’t sound lame. He paced a couple steps, hating how awkward he felt. It had been much easier when the bond was there and no thought was required. But he knew anything worthwhile took effort, and Keegan was worth it.
He walked back and away from the bed three times before he finally picked up his phone and tapped out his response: I know it’s not original, but how does dinner and a movie sound?
Almost as soon as it left his screen, she answered:GR8 : )
I’ll pick you up Friday at 6. Goodnight.
Night.
Texting was going to take some getting used to. Rourk wondered how she texted so much and so fast. Before the great battle, when he was watching her to keep her safe, she was always attached to her phone. In his opinion, picking up the phone and having an actual conversation would be easier. The things you do for love, he thought, grinning.
He could do this. After all, he was a fierce battle warrior.
***
Back in her room, Keegan laid her phone back down with a smile.
This could be fun; after all, he was cute.
***
It was strange for her to go back to school after so much had happened. She had battled and she had died! How does a girl go back to normal after that?
Walking through the front doors of the school felt surreal. Her classmates mingled at their lockers, chatting and laughing like average students and Keegan felt so disconnected. She was nearly positive they’d never taken part in a battle or watched men and women die in the fight for their race.
They had never killed others to save themselves.
Keegan’s brother, Thaddeus, had filled her in on the outcome of the battle, so she was aware now that many of her friends were also creatures of the light. They weren’t elves, but they weren’t human either. She wasn’t sure if she felt relieved by that fact or upset. She had liked thinking she was the only special one among all the humans.
Walking down the fluorescent-lit hall, Keegan felt as if everyone was staring at her, but she convinced herself it was all in her head. She was self-conscious, absently smoothing her auburn hair and tugging at the hem of her school skirt as she tried to be invisible. When she got to her locker, she was happy to see things looked as they always did and for the first time since she arrived at school, she felt like herself.
Lauren, Anna, and Katie were gathered, books in hand while they gossiped, and the boys were messing around as usual. Keegan couldn’t help but steal a glance at Donald as she walked by, and noticed his eyes were on her as well. They both laughed and looked away, Keegan’s face flushing. Was it just her imagination or had he gotten even hotter since she saw him last? He was tall and lean with a runners build, and his orange hair was just so cute standing up all over the place, the craziness punctuated by the fact his white Oxford shirt wasn’t buttoned right. His eyes were a crazy blue. What was she thinking? Forget about Donald, he’s not even interested in you
.
Keegan had managed to run late for school. No sooner than she had opened her mouth to greet her friends, the bell was ringing to signal the start of classes. “We’ll talk later,” Anna told her as Keegan pouted. Her best friend was rocking her individuality with a purple and lime green striped scarf over her school sweater, and white tights with purple polka dots. Her pretty, oval face was perfectly made up with shimmery lavender eye shadow and pale pink lip gloss, her cat-like eyes lined with silver. Keegan leaned to give her a quick hug before she ran off to class.
“It’s good to see you,” Lauren agreed, squeezing Keegan’s arm affectionately. Keegan noticed her friend had gotten her long, dark hair cut; not much, but just noticeable to where her curls landed a little higher on her torso. She was in her cheerleading uniform, her long legs still tanned from the summer. “We’ll meet you at lunch.” Katie gave her a shy wave as they headed away.
Homeroom passed in a blur. Mrs. Harris had to repeat her name three times at the beginning of class during attendance. The student seated next to her, a slight girl with mocha-colored skin and huge, dark eyes, had to elbow Keegan to wake her from her thoughts.
Donald cornered her in the hall before first period so they could talk in private. “I never got a chance to thank you for saving my life,” he said. He looked down as if he were embarrassed, the toe of one of his Chucks scuffing the floor.
“It was my mother that really saved you,” Keegan shrugged. “I was just the foolish one to rush into the middle of a battlefield.”
His incredibly blue eyes moved to hers. “So you really died, huh? What was that like? Did you see the other side? Do you feel different now that you are back in our world?”
