by Alexia Purdy
Chapter 2
Keegan woke up late, as usual, after hitting the snooze button too many times. The blaring of the alarm had finally gotten on her nerves. Rolling out of bed and into the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her long auburn hair was a tangled mess. Mascara was smudged under her eyes, and all she wanted to do was crawl back in bed. She could hear her family downstairs having breakfast, so rather than disappear back under the covers, she decided to join them.
Her mom was standing at the counter pouring hot water over a mug of tea leaves. She was wearing a pair of pale blue jeans and a fitted white button down shirt, her feet bare on the stones of the kitchen floor. Glancing over her shoulder as Keegan trudged sleepily into the kitchen, Emerald was surprised to see her daughter. “What gets you out of bed before noon on a weekend?”
Keegan plopped down on the stool across from her father. “I have plans with Anna.” She reached over and grabbed a slice of toast off her dad’s plate.
“You’re lucky your mother burnt the toast or you’d be in trouble.” Dad grinned through a mouth full of eggs, his hazel eyes sparkling merrily at her. He had the local daily newspaper spread on the table before him and half a glass of her mom’s freshly squeezed orange juice in one hand.
“The toast isn’t burnt,” Mom said, laughing as she took a seat next to him and tugged playfully at his full, orange beard. As usual, she had put a plate of food in front of her husband and her son, but hadn’t made one of her own. Keegan’s mom stared at her over the teacup. “I’m sure you guys will have fun. Don’t stay out too long. Do you need any money?”
“Sure,” Keegan answered, snagging her dad’s other remaining piece of toast and making a funny face at her baby brother, Warrick. She loved the sound of his laugh. “I can always use a little more for Starbucks.”
While her mother ventured across the kitchen to rifle through her purse, Keegan looked over at her brother, Thaddeus. He was being no more silent than usual, lost in his own thoughts as he slowly ate his Cocoa Pebbles. “Hey Thaddeus, any plans today or are you going to do your recluse act and stay in your room?”
“For your information, Sam is coming over.” He gave her a dirty look across the table. “We’re going to play paintball.”
“You guys are lame. Get out of the house and around people instead of in the woods or locked in your room.”
“Whatever Keegan, just because I don’t want to go shopping all day and act like a fool with my friends.”
Keegan hopped to her feet and plucked Warrick from his highchair. She sang loudly as she spun around the room, the baby babbling happily in her arms.
“Mom, make her shut up, she sucks,” Thaddeus complained.
“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 his 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 aren’t home,” her mother said, sipping her tea. Her sparkling eyes followed her daughter around the room. She smiled. “Be careful, Keegan, that’s a baby 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 to the bathroom to jump in the shower.
Wrapped in a towel after her shower, 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 my freckles will come out more.
The ride was just as lovely as always. The main road leading from her parents’ property to the strip mall where the Starbucks sat was heavily forested. It smelled of pine and always seemed to rustle like a living body in the breeze. Keegan loved being on her bike.
When she walked in to the café, 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 café 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 who 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 glanced at 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. I can’t really blame them, she thought to herself with a chuckle as she began to make her way across the room.
Tilting her head, she gave a sly smile to the dark haired stranger as she passed him.
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!” Lauren squealed.
“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 had said she didn’t want people to expect too much, and then be let 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 she had 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’s 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 added matching pink leggings under her black skirt. Today, her purple bangs hung from a lacy black beret.
Keegan was s
ecretly 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 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 see. 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, and they all laughed.
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. 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 Lauren’s 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’re talking about the fair.”
“Do you think they will let me know something about Xavier?” Anna wondered out loud, completely ignoring 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.
“Good point,” Anna said. “I don’t think I’ll 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 handed it across the table.
The woman did the same thing as with Lauren’s, 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 had done well hiding it for most of the day, Anna had obviously been shaken by the psychic’s words. There was a haunted look in her eye as she just shrugged and said, “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 could recognize each other if they happened to cross paths. Unless, of course, it was one’s chosen--they were 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 went cold. She tensed up, and all her senses heightened as her eyes were caught by the stranger’s.
“Do you know her?” Anna asked, looking between Keegan and the other girl.
Keegan couldn’t talk. She felt as if her eyes were locked in place by the dark elf, 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 as 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 didn’t 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 the 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.
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