Taking a deep breath she said, "I think we should allow them to be together."

This was not what he expected her to say. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"I think it is our only option. I will not allow our daughter to be miserable because you made a mistake in judgment." There was the sharp tongue he'd been expecting. She always knew just what to say to get under his skin.

"Let's compromise," he said. "We will allow them to meet on her seventeenth birthday."

She looked at him suspiciously. "That is five months away." He closed his eyes, thinking. The only thing he could do was tell her the truth. "Rourk is going to be busy until then. The great battle is going to take place on Keegan's birthday."

Emerald walked towards the couch and sat down. "So soon? I thought we would have more time."

He could sense her mind quickly going over scenarios. She had a sharp mind which was one of the things he found most appealing about her. She was just as dangerous as the most experienced soldiers. He wished he could take credit for that, but it was her father. He never got the son he wanted so the next best thing was his tomboy of a daughter. She had all the training that Thaddeus had and then some. Emerald's father was fearless. He was the worst kind of solider. When you have no fear, you don't use the most valuable weapon, which of course is the mind. As a result, he was killed in battle.

"Do you remember the first time we sparred?" Richard asked fondly.

She smiled, "Of course, you underestimated me."

He laughed, "You looked so innocent and tiny. I never respected anyone more and I still feel that way. Whatever you think is the correct thing to do, we'll do it."

He knew he had said the right thing when he saw her shoulders relax.

"What does a man have to do to get fed around here?" he said. "I don't have much time left."

Once Richard was gone, Emerald sat down to think. She knew he was correct. She smiled. He was usually right, but she didn't like to let him know. She also knew he only had Keegan's best interest at heart and she shouldn't be angry at him for that. They would wait until after the battle. Rourk would have too much on his mind and throwing Keegan into the mix would almost be cruel. She was going to have to work hard to keep Keegan occupied in the meantime.

Emerald picked Keegan up from school that day, giving her a big smile as she climbed in the car. She couldn't help but think how beautiful her daughter was, even in her school uniform. "So I was thinking. You know how your birthday is in five months?"

Keegan tucked her backpack on the floorboard between her legs and turned wide eyes to her mother. She loved her birthday, almost as much as she loved the presents.

"We promised you when you turned 17 that we would get you a vehicle." Emerald saw the spark come back to Keegan's eyes.

"I know exactly what I want, a navy blue four door Jeep. Of course, it will have to be lifted and have big tires. Dad said I could only get a two door jeep, but do you think you can convince him a four door would be better?"

Emerald smiled, "Well, they are safer." Keegan started bouncing up and down like she was five again. Her daughter could drive her crazy at times, but she loved her more than life itself. "Would you like to test drive some?"

Keegan looked over in disbelief. "Seriously?"

They spend the rest of the day driving from one dealership to the next looking at Jeeps and then headed for home. Emerald knew Richard would not be home for dinner. He would probably miss many meals over the next few months. She worried about Thaddeus because of his age. She had to let that go. He was born for the great battle.

Emerald called her sisters and asked if they wanted to come over for dinner. They gladly accepted. She wondered if they knew what was going on. Having them there would also help keep Keegan's mind off things. Distraction was the game plan.

Keara walked through the door first. She was clad in long flowing pink skirt with flowers and a fitted long sleeve t-shirt that looked great on her tall frame. Her hair was wild and standing up all over the place.

"Nice fro, Keara," Keegan said. She patted the top of her wiry dark hair; it went down like a sponge.

Keara did a little dance and bopped her hair around and snapped her fingers. She looked like someone from the seventies.

"I love your hair Keara. If I had your hair I'd be wearing it wild all the time, it looks awesome." Keegan said.

"Yeah, yeah, that's easy for you to say. It takes hours to get it relaxed or braided. I'd trade with you in a second. Mom won't let me wear it like this very often."

"Brigid, you need to let Keara wear her hair like this, it's incredible. I'm so jealous."

"Sure, Keegan as long as you come over and deal with it, she can wear it any way she wants."

Keara sighed and slumped down on to the couch.

"So what's been going on with you? How's school? You like any boys?" Keegan asked her as she sat down next to her on the cushions.

"School sucks, nothing has been going on with me, and you know I don't like boys. I'm going to be a nun."

"Wait until you meet your chosen; your thoughts of becoming a nun will be out the window."

Keara turned her eyes to her cousin, sadness filling them. "Keegan, we don't even know if I'll have a chosen. I'm not full blooded like you guys."

"You'll have a chosen, you're too awesome not to."

Keegan had never really thought of that issue. She knew it was hard for Keara being different from them, but she never really thought of the consequences that came with her being half elf.

"Let's go play with the rest of the kids," Keegan said. "I think we should take them outside and you can start a rainstorm. That way we can play in the puddles."

Keara smiled wickedly as they headed out the door.

Emerald and her sisters stayed in the living room chatting away.

Kat broke the ice on what they were all thinking about. "It's hard to believe that The Great Battle is going to take place in our lifetime, and we are all so deeply involved. Life as we know it could all be over soon. Do you think we will be able to win?"

Brigid looked away. "John says the numbers are against us." They all lapsed into silence. Everyone knew John would be able to calculate the probability.

Emerald leaned back in her chair. "Fate has been set in motion. We need to wait and see."

Katrina looked annoyed. "How can you just sit back all relaxed and say fate will decide? Your husband is the leader of the light."

This was the wrong thing to say. Glaring at her sister, Emerald said, "You are one to talk, both of you. Neither of you could protect yourself if needed. If anyone is sitting back and letting things take its course, it's you."

Her comment struck a nerve. They had both been envious of the time their father spent training her. Although, at the time, neither of them had any interest.

Katrina knew enough to diffuse the situation. "You have a valid point."

Emerald had tried several times to get Katrina interested. Katrina would humor her for a little while. She'd seemed to enjoy Krav Maga. However, she lost interest after a short time and stopped going.

Emerald had an idea. "What do you say you guys start coming over in the evenings, and we will train together? Keegan has been training, and now that Thaddeus is busy, she lost her training partner."

Brigid and Katrina glanced at each other. Finally, Brigid shrugged her shoulder, "Sure why not? We have nothing better to do."

Keegan came into the room with Warrick and Mackenna clinging to her legs and giggling. Katrina said, "You've got three new training partners."

Keegan stared at them, "What are you talking about?"

"Your mother pointed out the fact that we don't have the ability to protect ourselves. We decided we would join in on your training sessions," Brigid said with a grin. "Aren't you lucky?"

Keegan smiled. "That sounds like fun."

CHAPTER 13.

The weeks seemed to blur together for Keegan. She went to school, trained and sometimes went out. She didn't feel like going out, but her mother made sure she spent time with her friends. Her mom brought them all movie tickets, bowling pa.s.ses, and once she even got them tickets for miniature golf. Her friends thought she had the coolest mom ever. So much for her mother not spoiling her. Sometimes Keegan thought her mother was testing her. Why else would she be so unnecessarily generous? Although Keegan had to admit she'd remembered to say thank you more often. Seeing how excited her friends got over the gifts made her realize she probably didn't genuinely appreciate all the things she had.

Emerald was tremendously impressed with the progress her sisters had made in three months. She was even more blown away by Keegan. She wasn't aware of how much she'd advanced. She was also an excellent instructor. Katrina and Brigid learned at a fast pace because Keegan had a knack for making things seem easy.

Keegan held the pad up for Katrina as she worked on her foot strikes. Katrina said, "So Emerald, I think I am ready to take you."

Emerald grinned. "It's about time."

Katrina said, "I'll grab the headgear."

"Don't bother," Emerald said. "I'm a healer, remember."

Brigid smirked. "This I gotta see."

Katrina walked towards the middle of the room. She was thinking come on Kat you can do this. You have the advantage of knowing her next move.

Emerald thought of the song Three Blind Mice. She knew it would distract Katrina, who could hear her thoughts.

Katrina turned around and Emerald yanked her shoulder down and delivered an intensely painful knee strike to her solar plexus. Doubling over, Katrina took an elbow to the side of her face. Her blood splashed across the floor.

"Really sis, you didn't think I would forget you were a mind reader did you?" Emerald said. She stepped back several paces to let her sister get back up.

That little b.i.t.c.h, Katrina thought as she ran towards her sister. Emerald ran towards her at the same time; one hand slammed her chest as the other arm drove her elbow into her throat. It happened so quickly Katrina was knocked off balance and landed on her a.s.s. "Are we done here?" Emerald asked.

Katrina looked up and said, "Yes, we're done."

Emerald reached down to help her sister up. Katrina delivered a heel kick to the inside of her thigh. Emerald dropped to her knee, "Very nice," she said and then she slammed her forehead into her sister's head.

Kat saw stars. "Okay, okay, I'm really done this time."

"I have to say Katrina, I'm impressed."

Wiping the blood off her face, Katrina said, "Whatever! You kicked my a.s.s."

"Yes, but you took the lesson and used it. The element of surprise." Emerald smiled, "Another lesson. You couldn't have read my mind if you tried. I have been doing this for so long it is a reaction, there is no thought."

Katrina was puzzled. "Well. Why did you sing?"

Emerald wiped her mouth after she took a swig of water and replied, "It was actually two lessons in one. You can't rely on your gift, and it also distracted you. Anytime you can distract your opponent, do it."

Emerald looked over at Brigid, "You want a go at it?"

Brigid glanced down at the blood on her other sister and said, "I think I'll pa.s.s today, maybe next time."

Emerald asked, "Would you like me to heal you, Katrina?"

Katrina paused briefly, "No, that's okay. Drew will think it's s.e.xy."

They all laughed.

After her aunts left, Keegan went into her mother's bedroom and perched on the end of the bed. "Mom, my heart hurts."

Emerald's own heart beat a little faster. She sat next to her daughter, brushing her auburn hair away from her face. "What do you mean?"

"I have never felt so empty before. I feel like I'm just going through the days and they mean nothing." Emerald watched Keegan's eyes fill with tears. "Can you fix me?"

After a moment's pause, Emerald nodded slowly and said, "I might be able to help you, but not with a healing. Perhaps the truth is what you need. It was Rourk that you saw at the concert."

Keegan was surprised to feel tears running down her face. "I knew it was him." Keegan frowned, "How do you know it was him and why was he there?"

Emerald looked at her daughter and felt a rush of sympathy. "It is a long story, but I will try to tell it quickly. As you know, things had been set in motion long before we were born. Your brother and your father's roles were foretold in prophecy. What you are not aware of is that Thaddeus had a vision that you were to be a key player in the outcome."

Keegan crinkled her nose, "How could I be involved?"

Looking sternly at her daughter, she said, "It doesn't matter how or why, it just is." After a break in silence, she continued. "Your father a.s.signed Rourk to watch over you to keep you safe."

A look of alarm crossed Keegan's face. "He has been watching me? For how longa"why didn't anyone feel the need to inform me?"

Emerald stood up and laid her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Your father and I have agreed to let you meet Rourk after your birthday a year earlier than planned."

"We will be together?" Keegan gasped. "Why do I have to wait until my birthday? What difference does two months make?"

She was getting impatient now. All she could think of doing was running to find Rourk. She never wanted anything so badly in her life. She started pacing the room. "Please mother, tell me where he is, I will do anything, I swear."

Grabbing her daughter by the shoulders, Emerald said sternly, "Look at me, you need to focus. You cannot meet him until after your birthday. You need to accept that."

"Why? None of this makes any sense." Keegan was on the verge of hysteria, mindless with her desire to find Rourk right that minute.

Emerald paused, "I am going to tell you something that you cannot repeat to anyone. Do you understand?"

Keegan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Yes, I understand."