Consumed

by Julia Crane

  Keegan disconnected and smiled as she refilled her coffee in the kitchen. She called Lauren and Anna to fill them in on plans before pulling out the phonebook to find a kennel. After the puppy situation was sorted, she packed her bags for the trip. She didn’t bring much since she didn’t plan to be there for long.

  It was so good to see Anna. She had chopped her hair off: it was completely pink. Keegan hugged her tightly and didn’t want to let go. “You look great. I love the hair. It looks so retro.”

  Anna fluffed up the side of her hair. “Thanks, I bleached it and it was driving me crazy so I went with pink. It was supposed to be red, but this is how it turned out.” She shrugged.

  “Well, it looks amazing. You look like a hip art student.”

  Anna was wearing skinny jeans and a long teal t-shirt with a belt cinched at her waist. Keegan definitely thought she looked like an art student; it was a look not many people could pull off, but Anna was stunning.

  “You look fantastic too,” Anna said, leaning over to hug Keegan again. Keegan had just thrown on a pair of holey jeans and a peasant top, going for comfort over style for the plane ride.

  “Thanks.”

  “Let’s go grab something to eat. There is an awesome bagel shop near by, and we can catch up.” Anna laced her arm through Keegan’s and led her to the parking lot.

  They chatted about school on the drive to the bagel shop. Anna had made a lot of friends, and even gone on a few dates—which made Keegan feel like a failure. She still wasn’t sure why she wasn’t making a lot of friends in Alaska.

  They walked into the bagel shop, and Keegan glanced around. It was a great atmosphere for hanging out: College students with laptops and books spread across their tables were sipping coffee and eating bagels. The walls were brown and hung with local art sporting reasonable price tags, and the large, dark mahogany counter was scarred by time. Keegan could see why Anna enjoyed hanging out there.

  The girl at the cash register smiled. “Are you getting your regular today, Anna?”

  Anna seemed to have found a place she fit in. Keegan was happy for her.

  “Yep, that’d be great, Erica.”

  “What about your friend?” Erica turned her pale green eyes to Keegan.

  “Um, do you have white chocolate mocha?”

  “We sure do! What size?”

  “Some things never change.” Anna nudged Keegan with her elbow and smirked.

  After they received their drinks, and Anna’s bagel, they found a small table in the corner.

  “We really need to get a place together. Living in a dorm sucks.” Anna flung her bag over the back of her chair and fell into it. “My roommate is so annoying. Half the time, she shows up at three am drunk or with some guy. Believe me, that is not something you want to wake up to.”

  Keegan shuddered. “Ugh. I would say not. Well, start looking for a place for us. I plan on moving here in January.” She glanced around and motioned with her coffee cup. “This place looks much more happening than Alaska.”

  Anna’s face lit up. “I’m so excited! I’ve really missed having you around.”

  “So, what has been going on with you? Are you dating anyone?” Keegan raised an eyebrow and took a sip of her coffee.

  “Keegan, there are so many hot guys here it is insane! I just want to gobble them all up.” She tilted her head towards a guy across the room.

  Keegan glanced over, trying to be surreptitious. He was indeed nice eye candy. “Can’t you cast a spell on him or something?”

  “Why yes, actually I can. However, I want someone to like me for me, not for a spell. I’m not opposed to using one if I get too desperate though.” Anna winked.

  Keegan laughed. “I’ve really missed this.”

  Anna leaned forward and lowered her voice. Her sparkly blue eye shadow glinted in the low light hanging over their table. “So Donald really shifted in public? You must have done a number on that poor boy.”

  “I feel horrible. Hopefully, we can talk some sense into him.”

  They sat and chatted for a couple of hours before they went to Anna’s dorm room and picked up her bag; they had a flight to catch and a tiger to save.

  Lauren, Spencer, Sam, and Calvron greeted them at the airport. They all looked older and more mature; it made Keegan kinda sad. She missed the days of them chasing each other around school like children, getting yelled at by teachers to slow down and grow up.

  Calvron’s style had changed significantly. He was at one point as outrageous as Anna had been, but was more subdued now. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a plain red t-shirt. His messy blonde hair hadn’t changed.

  Lauren pulled the girls into a hug. She hadn’t really changed: her dark hair was still long and curly and pulled back into a low ponytail. The pink sundress she wore showed off her toned arms and legs. Lauren was one of the most beautiful girls Keegan knew.

  It hadn’t been that long since they had seen each other, but it felt like a lifetime. They were growing apart, and they all knew it. It was hard to let go of childhood.

  Calvron cleared his throat. “We have a serious problem and even I am at a loss of what to do.”

  Keegan was flooded by guilt. She knew she was the cause of the whole mess.

  “Can’t you use magic to rein him in?” Keegan asked.

  “I’ve been trying, and it has been helping somewhat, but not nearly enough. I think he has to hit rock bottom before we can help him. I thought maybe if we staged a sort of intervention, we might be able to get through to him.” Calvron met Keegan’s eyes. “I hope you can get through to him.”

  Keegan shook her head. “I can try. Just don’t be surprised if he wants nothing to do with me.”

  “Where is he now?” Anna wondered aloud.

  “We have no idea,” Sam answered with a shrug. “He’s been gone for days, and we can’t find him anywhere.”

  Anna spoke up. “I can find him. I’ll put a tracking spell on him.”

  They all looked at Anna in surprise.

  “Obviously you’ve been working on your skills.” Calvron sounded pleased. Keegan noticed the way he appraised Anna, as if he were seeing her in a new light.

  “Yes,” Anna answered, blushing. “I’ve found a couple of solitary witches in Seattle. We meet up once a week for ritual and discussion. I’ve learned so much.”

  “Let’s get out of here.” Spencer grabbed Keegan’s bag and carried it for her as they headed for the door. He was tall, with black hair and vivid green eyes. He bumped gently against Keegan and whispered, “It’s not your fault.”

  She sighed. “I feel like it is. It makes me so sad.”

  Blond-haired, blue-eyed Sam overheard and butted in. “You should feel bad. You shattered the poor guy’s heart.”

  Calvron stopped walking and turned towards them, eyeing Sam sternly. “No one is to blame. It is what it is. We live in a world of magic. We have to accept that we don’t always have control of our life path. That’s something Donald needs to learn.”

  This declaration quieted them all as they got Anna’s and Keegan’s luggage and walked out the door.

  Lauren spoke up as they reached her car in the parking garage. “We’ll go to my place. It’s big, and I don’t have a roommate. Anna, do we need to stop and get anything for the spell?”

  Anna shook her head no. “I have everything I need.”

  Lauren’s apartment was in an old converted warehouse in an artsy district of the city. It didn’t look like much on the outside—just a big, concrete square—but inside, it was lofty and spacious.

  “It’s mostly students,” she told Keegan as she locked the door behind them. “My neighbors are all really cool. There are parties almost every weekend somewhere in the building.”

  “This is gorgeous,” Keegan said, and sighed as she thought of her tiny apartment in Alaska. The ceilings were high, with exposed ductwork and track lighting. One wall was nothing but windows that looked out over a busy street. The floor plan was op
en—the kitchen counter overlooked a centrally placed living room with a matching black leather couch set and television.

  “You guys can stay in here,” Lauren said, opening a closed door down a small hallway. “It’s my only spare room, just the one bed but it’s king-sized. Do you mind?”

  “Nope,” Anna said and flopped on the black comforter.

  Keegan laughed, dropping her bags against the dresser. “I can’t believe how nice this place is.”

  “Yeah. My parents are paying for it, just as long as I keep my grades up.” Lauren touched the doorframe. “I really didn’t want to live in a dorm.”

  “No, you really don’t!” Anna called, her voice muffled from the blanket.

  “Her roommate is a drunk,” Keegan clarified, and Lauren nodded sagely.

  “My bedroom is across the hall, and the bathroom is right next door. Do you guys need anything right now?”

  “Something to drink would be great,” Keegan answered as she realized she was thirsty.

  Lauren nodded. “I got juice and stuff.” She glanced over at Anna. “Are you going to get ready to do the ritual?”

  “Yeah. I’ll meet you guys out there in two minutes.”

  Anna hadn’t brought her robe from home, so she felt a little naked as she set the living room for the ritual. She made do with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt made of cotton—natural materials that wouldn’t stunt the use of her magic.

  “Lauren, can you turn the lights down?” she asked when she was done arranging her tools.

  Lauren nodded and killed the lights. The wall of windows let in just enough of the slowly disappearing daylight.

  Anna took a deep breath, standing before the coffee table—her impromptu altar. “I need complete silence for this to work.”

  She walked around with her pocket compass to locate North, where she placed a bowl of salt. To the East, a burning stick of Sandlewood incense. At the South, Anna set a white votive candle, and to the West, a small cup of water. She took out a photo of Donald and placed it on the altar, along with a black onyx crystal. She knelt down before the table, closed her eyes, and began to chant.

  Keeper of Donald, hear me now…open your ears.

  Find for me where we need to be

  By moon, sun, earth, air, fire and sea.

  Someone I lost I need to find,

  By the power of three this spell I bind.

  Anna said the chant three times. When she was done, she focused on the energy that surrounded her and concentrated on Donald with her eyes tightly shut. At first, she saw nothing but the darkness of her eyelids and was worried the spell wouldn’t work.

  Take deep breaths, she heard the voice of her old teacher, Magdalena, echo in her mind. Anna relaxed and pictured Donald’s face: his bright blue eyes and crooked smile. The haze started to fade away. A tiger formed in her mind’s eye; he was laying on a patch of pillowy grass in a forest. He looked around, as if he knew someone was there. The tiger yawned and stretched to a standing position, and then took off in a sprint.

  Anna followed him through the woods, her astral body easily keeping up. When he shifted to his human form, Anna had to suppress a laugh—he was naked. She could see why Keegan had been attracted to him. She watched his muscular frame as he walked behind a tree and grabbed a bag he had obviously placed there earlier. He walked back out in jeans and a flannel shirt. With his hands shoved deep in his pockets and his orange hair reflecting the evening sun, Donald walked over a hill and down into a clearing with Anna on his tail.

  Before long, Anna saw a sign that said Arcata.

  The room was eerily silent as Anna’s eyes opened. She sat stoically, watching the candle melt till nothing was left. She felt Lauren and Anna’s eyes on her. Finally, she rose to her feet. “I know where he is.”

  “Where?” Keegan asked.

  Anna looked over her shoulder. Her friends were nearly invisible—it had gotten dark since she started the ritual. “Arcata. It’s beautiful there.”

  Lauren looked puzzled. “That’s over four hours away by car.”

  Anna shrugged. “All I know is that’s where he is, and he’s walking through town now.”

  “I’ll call Calvron and tell him,” Lauren said, pulling out her cell phone.

  Keegan pushed herself from the floor and dusted off her hands. “I hope this works.”

  The girls climbed into Lauren’s silver Prius and started the four-hour journey in search of Donald. Calvron and the guys would be meeting them in Arcata.

  Keegan turned sideways to look at Lauren. “So, tell us. Are you seeing anyone?”

  Lauren grinned slyly. “Actually, I recently met a guy. He is the hottest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.” She paused dramatically. “And he’s a dark fairy.”

  Keegan and Anna’s eyes widened in surprise. Anna gasped, “A dark fairy? Is that even allowed?”

  Lauren shrugged. “I’ve never heard of it before. I Googled it, but you know what info on the internet is like.”

  “Yeah. Elves live at the North Pole with Santa,” Keegan said wryly.

  “Exactly.” Lauren shrugged. “From what I can tell, it’s kinda like the dark and light elves, Keegan. Not so much an ‘evil’ thing, just…different.”

  “I know what you mean,” Keegan responded, touching Lauren’s arm. “My dad is friends with the leader of the dark elves now. It’s still weird.”

  Lauren nodded. “Yeah, that is weird. Anyway, I just can’t resist him. Grab my phone and open the pictures, you’ll see him.”

  Anna reached forward and grabbed Lauren’s phone from the center console. She pecked at the screen, opening up the images, and said, “Wow! He is hot! I guess I can’t blame you.”

  Keegan turned towards the back and reached for the phone. “Hotter than Rourk?”

  Anna looked back down at the photo. “Much hotter.”

  “Let me see that.” Keegan grabbed the phone from Anna. She stared down into the face of a striking young man. He had olive skin, high cheek bones, a perfect nose, and the palest green eyes she had ever seen on a person. He was beautiful. “He doesn’t look evil.”

  Lauren grabbed the phone from her and glanced down quickly to smile at the picture. She turned her eyes back to the road. “He isn’t evil,” she said indignantly. “Tristen is the most thoughtful, intelligent man I have ever met. You’ll see when you meet him.”

  Chapter 14

  They reached Arcata before night fell completely.

  The town was not a large one, so they drove around in hopes of spotting Donald—with no luck. Old-fashioned mom-and-pop stores lined the streets. There was a good crowd on the sidewalks: couples out for evening strolls and smiling shoppers walking in and out of the stores.

  Calvron called Keegan’s cell after about an hour. “Anything?”

  “No, nothing,” Keegan said, dejected.

  “Figures.” He sighed through the phone line. “Alright, well, we’re hungry. You want to take a break for dinner?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “There’s a great place called Bertha’s—Lauren knows it. We’ll meet you there.”

  “The guys wanna eat. Bertha’s?”

  “Yeah, it’s their favorite,” Lauren answered, making a U-turn and heading back in the other direction.

  A loud bell chimed as they walked through the door at the diner, startling Keegan. She was on edge because of Donald, but she hadn’t realized how famished she was. It had been a long time since she and Anna had eaten lunch at the airport. The smell of pot roast made her stomach growl.

  Calvron asked the employees if anyone had seen an orange-haired guy lately. One of the waitress said she saw him earlier that day, walking down the street.

  “I stopped and asked if he wanted a ride and he refused.” She shrugged her shoulders and went on to the next table.

  After dinner, they ended up getting a couple of rooms at a small hotel, deciding they would start the search fresh in the morning. The room was smelled clean, and the bed look
ed soft and inviting. The girls dropped their bags on the ground. Keegan threw herself on the bed, Anna went to the bathroom, and Lauren pulled out her phone to text her boyfriend.

  Her legs crossed at the ankles and her hands behind her head, Keegan stared at the ceiling and thought of Donald. She hoped they found him soon; in two days Rourk was supposed to be visiting her in Alaska.

  Keegan ran her fingers over the stones on her necklace and smiled. She had grown attached to the ugly necklace because it reminded her of her bond with Rourk. She loved knowing that he knew when she was thinking of him. They had texted back and forth a few times while she was searching earlier, and she was anxious to see him on Friday. She also checked on him throughout the day with her mind’s eye; she couldn’t seem to stop herself. She was addicted to him.

  Keegan woke up to the sound of Lauren and Anna laughing. They were already up and dressed. Sometimes, she really wished she were a morning person.

  “I need coffee,” Keegan groaned from the bed.

  Her friends turned and looked at her.

  “It’s about time,” Anna teased with one eyebrow raised.

  “We’ve been waiting for hours for you to wake up,” Lauren said.

  Keegan threw the blankets to the side and swung her feet to the ground. Rubbing her eyes, she walked to the bathroom. “I’ll be ready soon. Can someone get me some coffee?”

  The girls glanced at each other and Lauren said, “Sure. There’s a coffee shop down the street. We’ll be back in a bit.”

  When Lauren and Anna walked through the door of the coffee shop, they found Donald sitting at a table in the corner. His bright orange hair would stand out anywhere. He looked up when he heard the bell chime; his body stiffened when he saw them.

  Lauren slid into the booth and Anna followed. They stared across at him, not sure what to say.

  “What are you doing here?” Donald said gruffly.

  “We’re here to help you.” Lauren reached over to grab his hand.

  “I don’t need any help.” He pulled his hand back.

  “Keegan is here.” Anna said softly.