Coexist: Keegan's Chronicles, #1

Chapter 1

Keegan’s call echoed in Rourk’s mind as he finished his last rep. She always came to him when he least expected her; her call always made it hard to focus on anything else. His hands gripped the bar tightly as he tried to ignore the pull of her thoughts. He started a new set, focusing on training, on the cold steel, on the smell of sweat in the room—anything to clear his mind of the girl who possessed him.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and unclenched his jaw. He finished up the set quickly, then painfully forced his hands to uncurl from the bar. The tips of his fingers were bloodless—a fine metaphor for how she usually made him feel. He wiped his face and tossed the towel in the bin. The rest of the workout would have to wait.

Using one of his secondary gifts, he closed his eyes and visualized her face. It took no effort for him to picture her. Rourk zoomed in like a high-powered lens, bringing her into focus. He smiled. She was at her favorite spot, a private corner of paradise on her parents’ land.

Her beautiful auburn hair blended in with the fall leaves that surrounded her. Her pale green, ankle-length dress flowed ethereally around her body, making her an oasis in the rust-colored woods.

A smile spread across her face as she inspected a rock from the creek; Rourk laughed when she slipped it into her camera bag.

The first time she had thought his name—several years ago—it had taken him hours to sense her location. When the pull came now, it took just twenty minute for him to hike through some familiar woods. Time had strengthened their bond.

Grabbing his bag, he jumped in his old, beat-up truck and headed towards his chosen, probably driving a little faster than necessary. When he heard her call, he could never get there fast enough.

He drove as close as he could, then hastily climbed the rugged terrain. The dirt had the loose feel of earth unpacked by human feet; with every step, he sank a little, hindering his progress. Even when he wasn’t training, Rourk spent a lot of his time in the woods. The forest was like a second home to him.

The sun sparkled through the canopy above him, illuminating the path he forged through the trees, though it didn’t offer any warmth in the cool afternoon. It was a great day for photos, so Rourk wasn’t surprised that she had brought her camera out. A branch scraped him across the face and he impatiently pushed it to the side, hardly caring whether it had left a mark. He just wanted to reach her.

Finally, he reached the top, bursting through the tree line and into pure daylight. His heart pounded. He could sense that she was near.

Rourk stood rigid, his lean body tensed as he looked over the edge of the jagged cliff. Why do I do this to myself? I shouldn’t even be here. She’s killing me. I have no self-control.

Elfin elders used complicated methods to arrange ideal marriages between young elves. They kept the formula on a need-to-know basis, so he would never know how they chose the auburn-haired beauty for him. Of all the many non-humans in this world, his kind held their secrets closest. But no matter how or why, Rourk felt grateful just to have her.

The elders chose an elf’s lifemate at birth, but lifemates could not meet until they both turned eighteen. Ordinarily, neither knew their other half until they came of age. The elders of long ago had decided it was better that way, since the bond could be all-consuming. They wanted their children to have a normal childhood. Rourk had always felt comforted by knowing that his other half waited out there.

So how did he find her?

Someone had told her his name, so now his chosen pulled him closer to her each time she thought of him, as involuntarily as breathing. At first he resisted with ease, but as he got closer to eighteen, curiosity got the better of him. Sometimes he wished he’d never answered her call, so he wouldn’t have to endure the agony of waiting now.

He loved seeing her—even if it made waiting painful.

Rourk focused attention back on his chosen. The water washed around her feet as she stood on the rocks, camera in hand as usual. One minute, she skipped across the rocks like a child and the next, she stopped, a look of total concentration on her face. Then she started snapping photos.

Staring at her, Rourk squatted and rested his hands on his knees, wondering what she saw through her lens. He watched as she jumped from a rock and slipped, landing on another. Her arms flailed as she almost fell into the water.

His heart lurched. He needed to protect her; he tensed to jump in after her. Then her laugh echoed up to him like music and her face broke into a huge grin. She steadied herself, taking more photos. Rourk relaxed, content to stand and watch her for hours.

Rourk didn’t even know her name, but he knew he’d never seen anyone so magnificent in his life. Her wavy hair glistened in the sunlight. She had a delicate, round face with large, blue-green eyes and full lips. With her cheeks flushed from the cold fall air, she reminded him of a porcelain doll. He knew that her looks deceived; her bold, daring eyes gave her away. She constantly observed her surroundings. Rourk smiled to himself; soon they would be together.

It took a lot of self-control not to approach her, but Rourk would not break the rules. Many decades before, the elders implemented a punishment of an added year apart lifemates met early.

Rourk didn’t know if he could take an extra year without his chosen. In any case, his military upbringing had given Rourk a healthy respect for rules. He had long ago accepted that they were in place for a reason, and he had to be patient. Their time would come, even though she was over a year younger than he, which meant he would have to wait longer than he would like.

He pondered all this as he watched her pack up, lovingly storing her camera away in its bag while her hair fell softly over her face. When she disappeared down the path to her house, Rourk sighed, turned and left.

Keegan sat at her small, black desk looking through the photos she’d taken that morning. Her hair had been driving her crazy for the last hour, falling over her face with nearly every movement, so she pulled it into a bun. Securing it with a pencil, she continued to study the shots. She noticed a few decent ones she could add to her Tumblr page; she had a small circle of followers there who seemed to enjoy her pictures as much as she loved taking them. She loved photography. Life was nothing more than a series of moments and a picture could capture that moment.

Her moments often felt empty. Sighing, she turned her head to gaze out the window, her chin resting in her hand as she let her mind wander. If she had Rourk, maybe she would feel…more fulfilled. She knew nothing about her partner but his name. A couple of years ago, her brother Thaddeus, a seer, had told her that she should think of Rourk’s name if she ever felt she was in danger.

Of course, she thought his name all the time, even when she wasn’t in danger. She loved the sound of it: Rourk. She pictured him as a powerful warrior like her father, but she wouldn’t know for sure until they met. He could turn out to be a seer like her brother or a healer like her mother. He might have any of the various elfin powers. She didn’t care what kind of gift he had; she just didn’t want to wait any longer.

Keegan smiled, leaning back in her seat to prop one bare foot on the edge of her chair. Most humans automatically imagined elves as Santa Claus’s little helpers with enormous ears and fuzzy green tights. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Seriously, she had never met an elf that worked for Santa.

Evolution allowed them to blend in with the humans, though females tended to be smaller than average—mostly a couple of inches taller or shorter than five feet. They did have the pointed ears, but in a cute way, and not overly large like those in most mythology projects. Most of their ancestors came from Ireland, so the elves tended to have reddish hair.

She certainly didn’t think her room looked like a storybook elf’s room. Two pale grey walls complemented the vivid turquoise of the other two. She had artistically arranged framed posters of her favorite bands and several of her favorite snapshots all around the room. A fluffy purple comforter and four fat pillows decorated the bed, where she also kept a few of her childhood stuffed animals.

Most of all, she loved the light—lots of daylight from her windows. Her room felt her safe haven, almost as much as her spot in the woods.

The sound of the door opening downstairs startled her out of her thoughts. Her parents wouldn’t be home this early and her pesky brother had gone to Sam’s house. She closed her eyes and pictured the front door. What she saw brought a smile to her face. It was Anna, one of her best friends.

Anna had been trying to sneak up on Keegan since they first met in the fourth grade. Keegan made it a point of pride—and stubbornness—never to let her; it was a game and Keegan liked to win. It drove Anna crazy, but luckily she was too laid-back to do anything about it. Keegan debated with herself whether or not to let Anna succeed just this one time. I don’t think so. She smiled to herself.

She focused her mind and felt the familiar tingling throughout her body. Now she was in no hurry—Anna couldn’t see her. She had to be careful not to be caught, but invisibility tended not to attract attention. Personally, she thought her invisibility was the coolest ability in the family, but her mom just thought it was ironic, since Keegan always wanted to be the center of attention.

Down in the kitchen, Anna wistfully looked around. She loved coming to Keegan’s house. It always felt so inviting; their home radiated a certain calm. The soothing sound of the rushing water from the massive wall fountain and the energy from the crystals collected by Keegan’s mother soothed her the moment Anna stepped through the door. A sense of serenity washed over her.

The house felt empty of inhabitants. Only the chirping of birds outside the open window broke the steady hum of the refrigerator. Six placemats perfectly spaced around a lovely centerpiece of wildflowers Keegan’s mom must have picked decorated the large, clean wooden table. Anna put a hand to the tabletop and closed her eyes, allowing the peace of the home to overtake her. She needed it.

Trying not to laugh, Keegan crept up behind Anna, who seemed oblivious. Her best friend looked completely off in space. Keegan focused her mind again and, amid the tingling, she materialized before tapping her friend’s shoulder. Gotcha!

Anna turned and laughed, feigning surprise.

Oh Keegan, I always know when you’re there. If you only knew that I have secrets of my own. Anna had known for years about Keegan’s family. One of her friends had the ability to spot other creatures of the light or dark. But they all knew how elves liked to keep their secrets, so Anna never let on that she knew. She figured someday Keegan would tell her on her own.

As usual, Anna had outlined her green eyes in heavy eyeliner—blue today—to highlight her long, thick lashes. With shimmery pink lip gloss on her pencil-lined lips, she looked like a rock star.

Keegan glanced over her eccentric friend’s outfit to see what style she’d adopted for the day. Her bangs, which she habitually pushed to the side, were purple today beneath a black top hat that only Anna could pull off. The rest of the day’s ensemble consisted of a grey tank top, a blue cardigan, and a pink skirt with bright yellow flowers that came just above her knees. To pull the look together, she wore sparkly silver Converse shoes.

You know I hate you, Keegan said with a grin, bumping her best friend’s shoulder playfully with her own.

Anna stared at Keegan indignantly, her skinny arms crossed. Why would you hate me?

Who else could pull off that outfit and make it look natural? Keegan said.

Anna gave a little curtsy and giggled. Thank you.

You’re not going to believe what happened today! Anna continued, grinning from ear to ear and jumping up and down so that her skirt flounced. Her shoes caught the sunlight shining through the window, sending sparkles across the walls of the kitchen like a disco ball.

Playing along, Keegan bounced up and down, too. Let me guess. Xavier finally asked you out?

I wish! For a brief moment, sadness replaced the excited look on Anna’s face. Xavier had been her friend since childhood. Anna had recently realized her feelings for him were more than friendship, but, sadly, he didn’t return her feelings.

All right, just tell me what’s got you so excited, Keegan said.

Well, when I was walking to the bus, I saw a sign for a New Age fair tomorrow! Anna jumped up and down. It’s a sign. We must go!

Keegan grinned. Anna, you seriously believe in all that nonsense?

Looking shocked Anna replied, Certainly! There has to be something more to this world than meets the eye.

If you only knew Anna, there is so much more to this world than humans know, Keegan thought. However, she was not about to reveal that knowledge.

Don’t forget to call Lauren and fill her in, Keegan told her.

But, of course, Anna said, pressing a hand to her chest innocently. If there were only the two of us we couldn’t be called the three amigos.

Keegan rolled her eyes, laughing.

The girls popped some popcorn and chatted in front of the television for a while, muting the commercials and blaring the reality show they both loved. When she had to leave, Anna gave Keegan a hug and headed out.

While the girls watched TV, Keegan’s mom, Emerald, had come home from taking Warrick to the park. Now she worked on her laptop while Warrick pushed a toy truck around under the table.

Don’t stay up too late, she warned as Keegan passed the kitchen.

I won’t. Keegan rolled her eyes. Where’s Dad?

Camp. He’ll be home late. She flicked her blue eyes up to her daughter. I mean it. Go to bed at a decent time. What did you have for dinner?

I had mac and cheese earlier.

Any leftovers? Her mom raised an eyebrow.

Nope. Keegan made her way to the staircase.

With a little time to kill before she got tired, Keegan decided to look through her photos again. Her favorite, a photo of a leaf blowing by itself in the wind, reminded her of herself. She often felt all alone, just floating along. As much as she loved hanging out with