Hi, All! ANSWERS? Yup...here are a couple. More coming in the next half of the chapter, I'll post that next weekend. Hope you like the latest post. :)

My mind floated in and out of a foggy dream that seemed to last for days. In the distance, angry voices swirled then faded away to murmurs. The sterile smell of bleach, made me crinkle my nose and turn away.

Brief images of vines tearing Otis' leg flashed through my thoughts. His screams reverberated inside my skull, when I thought I couldn't take anymore they dissipated to the sounds of the waves lapping the shore.

A cool breeze washed my face, and a familiar ocean scent called to me. I looked up through the rainbow colored rain that drizzled down my hot cheeks. Kellan sat on the edge of a small bed with a teal blue light reflecting through the cracks in the wooden floorboards.

I squinted at the misty scene and tried to figure out where he might be but I didn't recognize the bare, utility style room that had replaced the grandeur of the Citadel.

"Wren?" He lowered his head and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Please, answer me," his voice cracked.

Sadness filled his words and made my heart ache. He pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapped it around him, then dragged his feet onto the mattress and leaned against the wall.

"Please," he whispered. The sound of the water washing against the shoreline made it difficult to hear him.

"I heard him talking to you." He swallowed and rubbed his hands on his knees. "You know, your conversation with Jaxon. Yeah, I pretty much caught all of it. I'm glad he helped you get your mom, but that doesn't mean I want to see him with you."

"I don't know, maybe you haven't heard me or just can't." He sighed. "Maybe this..." He kissed his fingertips then place them on his flourish.

"Entwined is my heart, even when we're apart, from the circle above, may you feel my love."

Two stones around his neck flashed and my chest pulsed as if he had placed his fingers on me. Then a splash of warmth surged through his flourish and made my skin tingle. My heart quickened, and my mouth went dry.

"Kellan, I'm here," I called.

When he didn't look up, I stretched out a hand trying to reach him but my fingers plunged through the mirage, and the scene disappeared.

I tumbled head over heels through the thick waves of smoke and landed on a hard bench at the end of a work table covered in botanicals. I let out a whimper and glanced around the tiny room to get my bearings.

A familiar looking man leaned over the end of the table chopping herbs next to a cauldron bubbling over a fire. He scooped up some leaves in front of him, then dumped them into the rolling liquid.

A rattle at the door made the two of us jerked our heads in the direction of the noise. When he looked up from his work, I saw his face, I let out a gasp.

"Dad..."

He didn't turn in my direction or even acknowledge me. Great, another vision. That left me with nothing to do but stand by and watch the scene unfold.

He straightened up and raised an eyebrow at the fire circle guard in the doorway. I was surprised to see Zac standing there after he had been dragged from the Fire Circle throne room half dead.

"Ah, you've come for some more ointment." My father reached for a jar off a shelf behind him and passed it to Zac. "It's good to see that burn starting to heal. You'll have to use this for another week. Then I'll change it to something else."

"Thanks, but that's not why I came. The First has," Zac paused a moment, "asked to see you."

My dad was already grinding something with a pestle and mortar but stopped for a moment. "Oh—?"

"It seems he has injured his leg and your daughter may have had something to do with it."

"Wren?"

The guard nodded.

Someone nudged me, but when I turned no one was there. I glanced back to my father, but the vision disappeared into morning sunlight filtering through gossamer curtains.

"Wren..." Sage whispered, rocking me gently with her hand. "Wakey, wakey, girl."

I stretched my arms above my head and rubbed my eyes. "Hmm? What—" I yawned.

I looked around trying to discern if she was real or just something I dreamt up. The intense burning sensation along the side of my face was enough to tell me I'd finally caught up to reality.

"Sage?" I winced and lifted my hand to touch the line of pain screaming down my face.

"Whoah, not so fast girlie." She yanked my hand away from my cheek. "You're going to undo days of work and your aunt has me busy enough with the pox cases that keep turning up here for care."

I tried to sit up, but something was weighing down my legs. Sage waved her hands to stop me and pointed Jaxon at the end of the bed.

"Don't wake him... I've been waiting all morning for him to fall asleep."

I pushed back onto my elbows and looked down at my feet. Still sitting a chair next to the bed, Jaxon was hunched over fast asleep with his head on the bed, and his arms draped over my legs. Two of his fingers were taped together with white tape. His hair stood up on end, and his clothes looked like he'd been sleeping in them for days.

I glanced out the window overlooking the valley. "Is Kellan here too?"

"No—not yet. Jaxon got here about a week ago. He arrived at the gate, freaking out and demanding to see you." She grabbed a pillow and stuffed it behind me for support. "Astra wasn't going to let him in, but Rygar and Robin said without his help, they would never have gotten Celeste out of the Keep, so she changed her mind."

I could only imagine how panicked he would have been. Especially, if I'd been out...

"Wait, did you just say I've been out a week?" I asked, thinking I might have heard her wrong.

"No." She pointed to Jaxon. "I said he's been here a week. You've been in the infirmary for a day longer than that."

She tilted her head to the side. "Did he really stand up to his father to help you?"

"Yeah, he did."

She furrowed her brows like she was processing that news. "I never thought I'd live to hear that. By the way..." She punched my arm. "A little something I owe you."

"Hey, what's that for?" I rubbed my arm. "Or do you go around punching all your patients?"

"For scaring the crap out of me. And that's pretty tough to do too, 'cause I love horror movies." She laughed and rubbed my arm.

"What you probably don't remember is that you appeared out of nowhere, dropped everyone at my feet, and then passed out. I can't say I've ever had anyone check into triage like that before. Ten points for the dramatic entrance."

"Just ten? Geez, you're a tough judge. What's a girl gotta do to score a cool hundred?"

She gave a broad smile and shook her head. "You don't want to know. But facing Otis by yourself might do it. I swear you have a death wish, girl. I should punch you in the head just to knock some sense into you."

She playfully dropped her fist into her hand, like she actually contemplated doing it.

"No don't! I need all the brain cells I have. And the ones I have left are already on the fritz." I held my hands up in self-defense. "Besides, I hardly faced him by myself. I had loads of help from everyone. Starting with—" I pointed to Jaxon.

"If you say so." She reached out and turned my chin to examine the side of my face.

"How bad is it?"

"It could be worse—but with my healing talent, a Dekarta stone and your Gran's cream?" She released her hold and grinned, then dusted her fingers against her shirt. "I don't think you could get better care."

"But to answer your question, it looks like you'll still have a scar, but it shouldn't be too bad."

A scar wasn't even close what I was worried about. I cringed, not sure if I really wanted to know the answer. "How's everyone else?"

Jaxon stirred and lifted his arm, releasing his hold on my foot. I tucked my leg underneath me and watched Sage's expression change.

"What's wrong?"

She cast her eyes down in silence.

"Sage?" I said a little louder.

"Robin, Rygar and your mom, they're all fine. But..."

I clutched and crumpled the white sheet in my hand. "And Nebula?"

Sage's eyes turned glassy, and she shook her head. "She's, she's..."

"Gone." Jaxon slowly dragged himself from the bed and sat upright in the chair.

"No..." Something inside me broke, and the air seemed to thin to a point it where breathing became impossible. "She can't be."

My throat tightened and my eyes burned. Sage squeezed my hand and Jaxon got up from the chair to sit on the bed next to me.

"Why would she agree to come with us if she knew she wasn't coming back?"

"Wren," Jax said in a pleading tone.

The tears spilled over with the thought of Nebula reading my tea leaves and helping me traveling to the lounge for the first time.

"Your father did this." I wiped my face with the back of my hand. "She'd be alive if it weren't for him."

My hands shook the more upset I got. I could feel the circle's energy thrum through me begging to be released.

"Nebula never did anything to him." I sniffled.

Jaxon's eyes glowed a faint green like he was ready for anything I might hurl at him. "I know."

I held back the power that called to me and beat my fists against his chest instead. "Why!" I dropped another fist against him. "Why is he like this?"

I dropped my head onto Jaxon's shirt and sobbed. He folded his arms around me and rested his head on top of mine.

"I don't know." He rubbed my back. "But I can tell you, he done this and probably done a hundred things worse."

Worse? What's worse than death?

He lifted my chin. Lots of things. You'll just have to take my word on it.

He kissed the top of my head. "One day he'll pay for all of it. I can promise you that."

I couldn't help thinking if I hadn't told her I was going after my mom, she wouldn't have been in the dungeon.

"Nebula shouldn't have come with us." I could feel the guilt bubble up inside of me like I was partly responsible. "She should have gone with Astra and Josie, then maybe she'd still be alive."

"Do you honestly think she would have chosen any differently?" Sage tilted her head to the side and gave a half shrug. "After hanging out with Vega for the past week, I don't think there's much Nebula didn't know about the future."

"She's right," a woman's voice said from behind Sage.

I leaned forward to see who had spoken. "Mom!"

I leaped off the bed and threw my arms around her tiny frame. Tears kept pouring down my face. I wasn't sure if they were from the sadness of hearing about Nebula or the joy of seeing her.

"Wren dearest. I'm happy to see you too." She took my hand, walked me back to the bed and sat down.

Sage gave a hopeful smile and started walking toward the door. "I should probably go check on some of the other patients and give you two some time to catch up."

She stopped about halfway and motioned to Jaxon to join her. "Come on. I could use the help."

Jaxon stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face, then looked over at my mom and me, and then back at Sage.

"Just give them a few minutes together, would you? Besides, you need someone to reset that finger of yours, or it's going to heal crooked."

"You're going to fix my finger?" he said like he didn't believe her.

"Sure, I figure I already fixed Rygar's," she smirked and looked over at me. "Then why not you too. You better hurry up before I change my mind."

He stood up. "I'll be back in a few minutes." His shoulders stooped and showed the stress the week had taken on him. Just call if you need me.

Hey, Jax?

He looked over his shoulder. Yeah?

I licked my lips and gave him a weak smile. Thanks.

He nodded and followed Sage out.

"You know, I don't think Jaxon's left your side for more than a minute since he's arrived." My mom nudged me.

"He's probably afraid I'll disappear again." I looked out to the window and then back to my hands in my lap. I couldn't help wondering where Kellan was, and why he wasn't here like he said he'd be.

She smiled and patted my hand. "Well, his fears aren't completely unfounded, are they?"

"No, I guess not." I sniffled and leaned over on her shoulder. "Do you think Nebula really knew?"

"I know she did. While I'll be forever grateful to her, I also know there are reasons bigger than me, why she did what she did."

She reached up and adjusted my necklace, turning a couple of the stones in the process. "Maybe this will help you understand."

She touched the center stone and her forehead at the same time. Then she lifted her hand from my necklace and laid her fingertips on my head. My vision went blinding bright. Memories of myself filtered through our connection, one after another until the light faded and it was just the two of us sitting on the bed.

We sat there in silence as I tried to process everything my brain had just downloaded. Thousands of memories sorted their way home. Their images and emotions overwhelmed my senses.

My first victory when I swung my staff and flipped Rygar onto his butt. How much my stomach hurt from laughing with Vega after pulling one of our practical jokes on Josie. The time I astral projected through Astra's morning breakfast, her scream echoed the entire mess hall. The feel of my hand running along the smooth wooden surface of a puzzle box my dad and I made together. Sipping sweet tea while I listened to Nebula read people's tea leaves and give them advice. I still couldn't recall a single memory of either Kellan or Jaxon, though.

I turned to my mom, but before I said anything she spoke.

"I know that's not all of them—we'll have to find your father to get the other half from him." She sighed and looked at me with the same bright aqua eyes I remembered from my dreams.

"You were always a difficult one to get a read on, and I wasn't sure which of us you'd see first. So your dad and I decided to both protect your memories." She swept a lock of hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear. "But Astra might be able to help you pull a few memories lose too."

I threw my arms around her. "I'm sorry mom. I'm so sorry for ever having gotten you and dad involved in this whole mess."

"Oh sweetie." She ran her hand over my hair. "You didn't force us to help you. Nothing could stop us from doing that."

She hugged me.

I closed my eyes and thoughts of Nebula flashed through my head when we arrived in Kellan's room. When she said at her age, there was no point in asking questions, especially since she already knew the answers.

"Mom?" I pulled away and looked up at her. "I think she did know."

Thanks for reading! LOVE to hear your thoughts. NEXT POST...next weekend. :)