Being engaged to a fiery world that's lost in the darkness of her memory can be dangerous. In Acklemar, Wren learns every decision has a price--even love. Can the Travelers reach her in time to uncover the hidden secrets of her past and help her fin...
Hi, everyone! I'm so excited that I'm off for the next few days and all I have planned is a writing blitz. Hope you enjoy the latest installment. More to come this week. :)
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He shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What are you suggesting?" A grin spread across his face.
"You know exactly what I'm suggesting."
"Yeah, but I want to hear you say it." He smiled and wiped his hands on his jeans.
Couldn't he just answer my question? If my hands weren't busy covering myself up, I might chuck something at him. "You know . . . partners. You and me?" I scrunched my eyes closed and waited for him to laugh.
"Ouch. I'm wounded." When I opened my eyes he had his hand over his heart. "You say that like that might be a bad thing."
Maybe he'd lost his sight and couldn't see the flaming ring around my ankle. But I couldn't imagine the Water circle being thrilled about Kellan choosing a partner that was already promised. "There's a fiery brand on me, so I'm assuming that—" He shifted like he was going to come in. "Oh, no, no, no, you don't. Turn around."
He chuckled, then sat in the dirt with his back to me and peeked over his shoulder. "You sure? I could—"
"All the way around." I wrapped one arm over the t-shirt holding it in place and pointed toward the entrance with the other hand. "Like eyes that way."
He turned leaving his back to face me. "You're taking all the fun out of finding you like this, you know. What guy wouldn't want to find his girlfriend half dressed calling his name."
I flipped the shirt over my head. "Hey, that's not what happened. Wait? Did you just call me your girlfriend?" I shoved his shoulder with my toes. But before I could pull my leg back, he grabbed my foot and pulled me toward him across the ground by my leg. "Kellan, you're getting my shirt all dirty."
"Ah, so you are covered up," he said flipping around still holding my foot. He pressed his thumbs into the arch of my foot kneading the muscles. "Girlfriend is a human term. Since I'm Acklemarian, I don't think I could call you that in good conscience."
"Oh . . ." My heart sank with his words.
He placed my foot down and lay down next to me. "Especially since you're wearing this." He ran his fingers along the edge of my shirt's neckline making my skin tingle. The inky waves rolled and crashed against his fingers as he brushed over the mark. When I looked up, his eyes were softly glowing, drawing me into their watery depths. "This. This changes everything."
I sighed and flopped onto my back. "Well, that's cryptic."
"I wasn't trying to be." His alluring ocean scent washed over me making it difficult to concentrate. "You're right. It's not a flourish. I couldn't leave it on you and go back on my deal with Jaxon. Negotiations between thrones are not only binding, but if broken, would constitute war between the circles. So I did the only thing I could think of." He kissed the tip of my nose.
I closed my eyes. And what was that?
Without skipping a beat, he answered my thoughts. I asked the Circle for judgment.
A silent alarm was going off in my head. When I opened my eyes, and his charms were lighting up in sync with mine, and we were floating a foot off the ground. What the heck?
"Wren? Are you done helping Sage?" Robin hollered from outside. Startled to my senses, Kellan and I tumbled to the ground with a thud.
"Yup just finished," I said pushing Kellan off of me.
Not even close. Kellan sighed.
I shot him a look. What's that supposed to mean?
Look, I'm just a guy wanting to be alone with his girl. What's wrong with that? Maybe I'd get a chance to explain—
"Hey, has Kellan checked in? I lost . . ." he stopped short when he saw Kellan sitting next to me. "What's going on? How are you two doing that?"
"Doing what?" I said, watching him crawl inside our makeshift shelter.
"When I call to the forest, it tells me only two people are in here." He looked at Sage and then at me. His gaze dropped to the watery mark peeking out just past the neckline of my shirt. His eyes darted to Kellan. "Holly crap." He dragged his fingers through his hair and started to laugh. "Wow, Kellan . . ." He slapped him on the back. "Man, you have guts." He chuckled. "Jaxon is going to freak when he finds out . . . And I mean freak. I hope your life insurance is in order."
"I'm sure Jaxon will be freaking out having seen us disappear in front of him," I said.
"Yeah, but that with Kellan permanent fingerprints all over you. You two are outlaws!"
"I think you're exaggerating. We just need to get the dowry back to the fire circle." Kellan picked up my hand and kissed the top of it.
"Last time I checked, Jaxon doesn't take the word no all that well. If I know him, and I do, he'll stop at nothing to make sure that payment never arrives before he can claim ring rights."
I rubbed my forehead and looked at Kellan. "What does he mean we're outlaws?"
"Wait, she doesn't know?" Robin laughed even harder.
Kellan cocked his head and glared at him. "You are so not helping. You know that right?"
"Look man, I didn't join this party on purpose." His eyes sparked when he glared back. "I was trying to protect Sage and the next thing I know—I'm here. And last time I checked I have been helping."
Kellan put my hand down and crossed his arms. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
One of the shrub's branches extended out and wrapped itself around Kellan's ankle and started to tighten.
"What? You're kidding me, right?" He held out a hand over the branch, took a deep breath in and the green leaves turned a withered brown. The branches looked like he had pulled every last drop of water from them. When he moved his feet, the woody ropes snapped and crumbled apart. "My turn." He smirked and cracked his knuckles.
"Kellan! Knock it off." I grabbed one of his hands trying to get him to drop his attack.
"What? He started it."
"But that doesn't mean you have to retaliate. Besides, he has a point. You still haven't told me what this means." I tugged at the collar of my shirt showing the mark.
"Looks like I'm not needed in here. I think I'm going to go outside and light the fire." Robin made a hasty retreat out the exit, leaving behind a dumbfounded looking Kellan in front of me.
"Robin's making this out to be a bigger deal than it is. I'm not worried about the repercussions."
"So, now there's repercussions too?" No wonder alarm bells were ringing in my head.
He shifted, then lowered his gaze. "Well, when a couple asks the circle to make a judgement, if a ring is granted, it's known as a Knotted Ring."
"So what does that have to do with Robin only reading one of us in here?"
"Well, that's because Robin's a forest mage. From what I know of his talent, he'd be able to pick up the heartbeat of someone in his territory."
"But if he could only pick up two people. That would mean—"
His eyes softly glowed. "Our hearts beat as one now."
