Preparation, as it turned out, involved another trip into the heart of Seattle.
Keegan needed access to information without the prying eyes of the council and she needed it fast, which meant the city was useful for several reasons.
One, the public library allowed Keegan access to public records and the internet, without pesky search history following her.
Two, the current chaos that was occurring in the city gave Rowan something to focus on other than just breathing down Keegan's neck as she worked.
And three, the hunters had made contacts in Seattle long before the Cullens had settled their coven in the pacific northwest.
"Rose quartz, tiger's eye, a black candle, dried chrysanthemum, and an ounce of ground owl bone." Keegan listed off, staring over the glass counter at the young woman who stood, looking just as expectantly back at her.
There was a beat of silence in which the two continued to stare before the woman turned on her heel and disappeared through the dark curtain that lead to the back of the store. Keegan waited patiently, leaning her hands against the countertop and giving her calves a nice stretch in the meantime. She had been hiking her way through the city almost all day every day over the past few days and it was definitely giving her legs something to write homr about.
Just as Keegan finished stretching and began to take a closer look at the relics in the glass display under the counter, the curtains opened again and the young woman was regarding her with something different behind her eyes than she had before.
"Rissola said that she would take care of your order herself." The woman informed her, taking a step aside and holding back the curtain as a cue that Keegan should head to the back as she just had.
"I thought she might," Keegan replied with a sharp grin, not sparing the store employee, someone that she knew must have been a younger witch, a second glance.
Stepping through the incense-heavy space, Keegan followed her ears and crossed what appeared to be a storage room to the door of an office. Rapping her knuckles against the wood once, she pushed open the door before anyone on the other side would have had the chance to permit or deny her entry,
In the dimly lit space, Keegan's eyes fell on the familiar figure of a beautiful woman, nearly 30 years older than Keegan herself. Rissola, the leader of the Seattle With Coven, seemed to take the young hunter in from head to toe before a smile tugged at her blood-red lips.
"Come in and sit, young bloodletter. Sit and tell an old friend what brings you to my shop in search of both rose quartz and tiger's eye." Rissola prompted, waving a heavily ringed hand towards the chair that faced the desk she was currently sitting behind.
Keegan complied. After all, she had come searching for insight that only a witch could provide.
"I come asking about ancient curses and spells, Rissola." She informed the witch. A heavy sigh left Keegan's lips as she settled into the chair and Rissola's dark eyes seemed to soften. "So I hope you have more than a moment of your time to spare." Keegan tacked on the warning. It was only after Rissola waved her on that Keegan launched into her tale, keeping the species of shifter and timeline vague as she did so. She did not plan to betray the Quileute wolfpack, definitely not when she was still so unsure about their intentions.
As her story concluded with her wanting more information from the shifters but also needing to protect herself, the room grew quiet sans the noise from the busy Seattle streets. Rissola appeared to be deep in thought, her fingers gliding over the tabletop in patterns that Keegan only could begin to guess at. Finally, after a long moment and test of Keegan's patience, Rissola pushed back her chair and rose to her feet.
"All shifter magic is different, dear girl." The witch explained and she began to bustle about her office. "Some are tied to their shift due to a curse, some due to the power of their spirits, some due to blood. In your case, it sounds like a mix of the two latter."
Rissola picked up a heavy-looking wooden box and held it up to her ear, giving it a harsh shake and making a face before setting it back down.
"The good news is, with magic such as that, there is less for an outsider to be worried about. The magic is not intending to harm those that carry it due to generational happenstance; therefore, it is unlikely that it is intended to harm you." Rissola stated and Keegan felt a large fraction of the sharp pain she had been carrying in her chest lessen at that conclusion.
"However, shifter magic is powerful magic indeed and you were right to be wary, child." The witch ceased her rummaging then and returned to the table, several items held in her hands. She dropped them on the table top then appeared to get to work weaving and clasping both metal, cloth, and stone.
"So this bond... it sounds like you believe it to be genuine on his side of things... as for me...?" Keegan trailed off in question and Rissola nodded her head slowly, dark eyes still trained on her work.
"As for you-" Rissola began, giving the new item she had crafted one tight squeeze between her fingers before holding it out towards Keegan. It was a small bracelet, a large raw amethyst in the middle surrounded by silver, twists of blue and black cloth, and emitting a scent that Keegan could not quite place.
Keegan took the bracelet delicately, holding it between her fingertips as if it was likely to shatter. She gave the piece of jewlery a light sniff before looking back up to meet the witch's gaze.
"-I would consider yourself amongst the few who were lucky enough to find such an exciting fate with someone who your soul is bound to through magic and destiny."
The older woman's words echoed in Keegan's ears, sending her head spinning more than it had before. She was so confused and... and actually, it wasn't just her head that was spinning. No, it appeared to be the whole room. Keegan fought to focus her eyes on the witch across from her who was studying her with nothing short of fascination before it all went black.
When Keegan awoke, she was alone.
She was alone and her entire body was soaked and frigid.
Forcing herself into a sitting position, Keegan could barely suppress a groan as she stretched out her stiff limbs. She cast her gaze around her, quickly documenting that she was in a rain-soaked alley, it was dark, and it still smelt like Seattle air.
"Fucking witch." She cursed to herself, her hand raising to her temple and it was then that she realized the bracelet from before was clasped around her wrist though no smell continued to linger on its surface.
"Rowan is going to have a blood field day with this one." She grumbled to herself, now pushing until she was stood on her own two feet once more.
Dealing with witches, no matter your history with them, was never ideal and Keegan should have known to expect some sort of trick. Rissola gained her payment in the form of a taste of information and interesting story, so she had sent Keegan unwillingly on her way without another moment spared.
Really, Keegan figured she should have been grateful. The last time they had dealt with witches, Rowan had found himself hanging by his feet above the Thames, a single raven perched on his foot as if waiting to make sure he would wake up breathing. For months, Keegan hid black feathers under his pillow, in his suitcase, in his shoes. Really wherever she could to pull a reaction from him.
She figured that she deserved whatever amount of teasing was coming from her.
Still, Keegan was thankful she had some reassurance regarding the pack's, and Paul's, intentions and a protective token to help ward off any other magic that may have been attempting to interfere with her from the Quileute or otherwise.
Stepping out onto the sidewalk that was only slightly better lit than the alley had been, Keegan narrowed her eyes on the surrounding street signs before pulling out her phone. The screen lit up her face, obscuring her vision of the night around her slightly, and that's when Keegan noticed it.
The shift of a figure in the darkness off to her right.
With steady hands, the woman hit the speed dial and observed the figure out of the corner of her eyes.
It shifted again, darting from one sheltered entryway to the next in the blink of an eye. It was then that Keegan's fingertips began to tingle.
A voice sounded over the line and Keegan ignored Rowan's rapid volley of questions.
"West of 8th and Mag-" She began to say, but was cut off as the equivalent of a tank rammed into her side. Keegan's phone went flying, effectively disappearing down a gutter with a rush of rainwater. It was likely that she would have joined it had it not been for her hunter's grace allowing her to roll with the hit and step lightly across the pavement.
When the vampire struck again, Keegan was ready.
She brought her forearm up, the appendage clashing violently with that of the newborn. It was the creature's glowing red eyes paired with strength and utter impulsivity that had clued her in on it as such, but Keegan didn't have a moment to dwell.
The strikes came in a rapid volley, messy and direct but carrying the power to tear her clean in half should she falter.
Keegan ducked the newborn's next blow, spotting the move from a mile away, and twisted until she was clinging to its back. With one sharp movement, she had drawn her dagger with one hand while digging her nails into the underside of the beast's jaw with the other. Her target was large and Keegan did not miss as she drove the blade home with a resounding crunch. She hacked and sawed until the newborn did not move any longer, the process a clean but disconcerting one, and then she pulled a lighter from her pocket. Seattle was good for one more thing, it turned out, and that was the unremarkable nature of a dumpster that had been sat on fire.