Keegan was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of the door opening downstairs. It was too early for her parents to be home and her pesky brother was at Sam’s house. She closed her eyes and pictured the front door, and 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. It was a point of pride and stubbornness on Keegan’s part; she refused to be anything but the best. It drove Anna crazy, but luckily she was too laid back to care. Keegan debated with herself whether or not to let Anna succeed just this one time. Smiling to herself, she knew that was not an option.

  She focused her mind and felt the familiar tingling throughout her body that came with using her gift. She was in no hurry because Anna couldn’t see her—invisibility was Keegan’s main power. Personally, she thought it was the coolest ability in the family, but the others did not agree. Her mom thought it was ironic that invisibility was her ability because 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; there was a certain calmness that radiated throughout the home. It was probably the soothing sound of the rushing water from the massive wall fountain, or maybe it was the energy from the crystals collected by Keegan’s mother. Whatever it was, 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. The large wooden table was clean, all six placemats perfectly spaced around a lovely centerpiece of wildflowers Keegan’s mom must have picked. Anna put a hand to the tabletop and closed her eyes, just allowing the peace of the home to overtake her. She needed it.

  Anna didn’t seem to be aware as Keegan crept up behind her, trying not to laugh. Her best friend was off in space and had no idea she was there. She 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 never let on because she knew Keegan enjoyed winning. It was a small price to pay to keep her best friend happy.

  As usual, Anna’s green eyes were outlined in heavy eyeliner—blue today—and her lashes were long and thick. She had 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 now purple beneath a black top hat that only Anna could have pulled off. The rest of the day’s ensemble of choice 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 crossing her chest. “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 and her shoes caught the sunlight shining through the window. Sparkles danced across the walls of the kitchen like a disco ball.

  Playing along, Keegan bounced up and down and said, “Let me guess, Xavier finally asked you out?”

  “I wish!” For a brief moment, the excited look vanished from Anna’s face and was replaced with sadness. 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 has you so excited,” Keegan said.

  “Well, I was walking to the bus when 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 in this world than what the average eye sees.”

  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.

  With a little time to kill before she would be tired, Keegan decided to look through her photos again. Her favorite was a photo of a leaf blowing by itself in the wind. It reminded her of herself. She often felt all alone, just floating along. As much as she loved hanging out with her human friends, like the time she had just spent hanging with Anna, she wished she could tell them what she truly was.

  Staring at her photos, she realized her favorite thing to photograph was the beauty of nature. There was something fascinating about the outdoors. It amazed her that she could document the seasons as they changed through photographs. Elves loved nature, and that was something she hoped evolution never changed.

  She put the camera and computer away; Keegan knew she should go to bed. Time always seemed to get away from her when she found herself caught up in the editing and uploading of her photos. It was hard enough for her to wake up on time, not to mention when she stayed up all hours of the night.

  Keegan put on her favorite plaid pajamas and crawled into bed, pulling her purple blanket under her chin. A faint smile played on her lips as she thought of Anna’s eagerness for the fair tomorrow. It would probably be fun.

  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 secretly 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!”