(JAXON SPEAKING)

The image of Kellan's ring wrapped around her chest and tied me in knots. I felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room leaving me to gasp for breath like a fish out of water.

Jaxon... she said with a sweet sadness in her voice.

What did she want me to say? That I'm all right with her promising herself to Kellan? Yeah, well, I wasn't. She had already made that promise to me. She was supposed to be my match—not his.

The last thing I wanted to hear was, we're done. So, before Wren could say anything, I blurted out,I need some air and some time to think. Then I cut our connection.

Grabbing the key off the nightstand, I headed for the door. I flipped my hood up, stepped over the threshold and headed downstairs through the crowded room. A band was now playing on stage. I don't know what Travis said to get Jessica to agree to dance with him, but there they were dancing away.

Some ugly bloke got up and approached them as I walked by. "Can a guy cut in?" he asked Jessica.

I chuckled at the thick look of disgust plastered on her face—it was obvious what her answer was. Given my mood, I couldn't help jump in this conversation.

"She's already dancing with someone, right Jess?" I said, stopping next to her crossing my arms. "She clearly said yes to him, so why don't you get lost and leave them be. Three's a crowd."

Ugly dude narrowed his eyes and said, "Why don't you let the lady answer. I asked her not you."

"Jess?" I asked, still staring at the guy in front of me. "This nice man would like your answer."

"Like you said," she replied, wrapping her arms around Travis' neck, "I already have a dancing partner, thanks."

"See. There you have it. The lovely lady is already otherwise engaged."

The guy uttered something, threw his hands in the air and walked back to his stool. After he had taken his seat, I turned back to Jessica, but before I could say anything Dystan hollered at me as he walked up.

"Dougan, you're back!" He slapped my back and sloshing his ale onto the floor.

Dougan. Where he had dug up with that name for me, I'd never know. I rubbed my nose with the back of my hand. "I needed some air. The room upstairs is stuffy and smells like beer. I'm going for a walk." I pushed past them and headed for the exit.

Travis caught up to me at the door. "Hey, man. You okay? Want me to come?"

"No. Better keep an eye on Jessica, or we'll have bigger problems to worry about. Like that six-foot-something guy heading her way now."

"Damn, she's a handful, isn't she?" He gave me a broad smile, then bounced off to join her.

The cold air hit me the moment I stepped outside. When I exhaled, my breath lingered on the night air frozen and stiff. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't care. My head was spinning, it was so full of crap to deal with.

"Wren..." I sighed. She was such a mystery to me. Back on Acklemar she attended our royal functions and was a sight to see all dressed up like all the other ladies. That might have been where I first noticed her, but it was what she did in her off time, that most intrigued me.

I remember finishing up my training early one day. I was on my way to a meeting and overheard some trainees complaining about some girl kicking their asses. They were covered in bruises and cuts.

"A girl, did that to you?" I asked one of them, trying to restrain my laughter.

One guy nodded and the other trainee said, "Worse. She's a Lady no less. She's down there handing all the trainees a whooping."

This mystery girl I had to see. When I got to the training block, there was Wren center circle, handing her current victim his walking papers. Her graceful movements were captivating to watch. When she finished the match, I hopped the rail and shoved the poor sap, who just had his ass handed to him, out of the circle. I walked up and stood face to face with her and said, "So, you think you can keep up?"

"Do you?" she answered, with a smirk.

"Why don't we see. What's the wager?" I said stripping off my leather coat and tossing it over the rail.

"Wager? Your highness, there couldn't possibly be anything I have you'd want." She smiled and wrapped her hand around one of the wooden staffs next to us.

"Oh, I don't know about that. How about a chance to get to know you better," I said, feeling a streak of boldness run through me.

Her blond hair had pulled loose from her braid, the short pieces of curled and framed her face. "You flatter me," she replied, looking up through her dark lashes. "I'm sure you'll only find me a bore."

"Something makes me doubt that." I moved around her to select a weapon, but she turned to face me, never leaving her back unprotected. It was evident she had training with the way she moved.

"And if I should win?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Confident aren't you? I like that." I licked my lips and smiled. "Why don't you tell me what you want then."

"I don't suppose you have a white truth stone, in that vault of yours."

"I might," I replied, knowing full well there was one there. "But that's a costly wager, don't you think?"

"So is yours. I don't spend my free time with just anyone." She tightened her grip on the staff. "Not that it matters, I don't plan on losing."

"Sweetness, I'm not just anyone, and you may not plan on losing—but you're going to." I'd sparred every day of my life as far back as I could remember. I was going to use every trick I knew to win this match. This girl had so many layers to her, I knew right then and there, I was determined to uncover every one.

She shook her head and smiled. "You'll just have to show me then."

Her staff made a thud when she slammed it into the ground. She pushed off vaulting herself directly at me. I sidestepped out of the way, avoiding her feet planting onto my chest. I spun around and grabbed her from behind.

"Gottcha. That was easy. I didn't even need a weapon."

She laughed, took a deep breath and vanished.

I was standing there holding air. "What the—?" That was when I heard the whoosh of her staff behind me, but a moment too late. Tripped up by her pole, I hit the ground and rolled out of the way of her planting the stick where I'd just been. I hooked my boot behind her ankle and yanked. She landed on her butt hard, and the staff bounced from her grasp.

I sprung to standing, and she jumped to her feet. "Nice disappearing act. Don't think I've seen that one before."

Her staff must have hit her when it knocked loose of her fingers. She wiped her bleeding lip on her sleeve. "No, I can't imagine you have."

The trainees were now jockeying for space around the rail of the circle cheering me on. "Come on Second you have her," one of them yelled.

When I got within reach of her, she rotated her wrist and disappeared. I had a feeling she would try and land behind me again, so a threw a spinning back kick. When she reappeared, my boot connected with her stomach and sent her flying backward. As soon as she landed, I jumped on her, grabbing her wrists holding them high above her head.

She squirmed every way she could, but there was no way she was getting out my hold this time. She was so hot. With her wiggling beneath me, all I wanted to do was crush my lips over hers, but we had an audience.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... just need to make sure you don't pull that vanishing trick again. Something tells me it's all in your wrist."

"Would you get off me already?"

"Nope. That's not how a match is won, and you know it. Concede or I might be forced to hurt you."

"You wouldn't." She scrunched her face up all mad-like, making me want to kiss her even more.

"My lady, I believe you know the rules." I jerked my head in the direction of the trainees. "I'm pretty sure you never showed them any mercy."

She pursed her lips and said nothing.

"All right have it your way." I repositioned my hands, so I had both her wrists pinned with one hand. Then I lit my free hand up in flames.

"Wait!" she yelled. "I concede! I concede."

I leaned in so my cheek brushed hers and whispered in her ear, "Good to hear." Then I released her hands and got up. "I look forward to seeing your ladyship at dinner tonight. Seven, don't even think about being late."

She stood up and dusted herself off. "Were you really going to scorch me?"

"I don't know, were you trying to drive that staff of yours into me?"

The corners of her lips turned up as she plucked the staff from the ground and tossed it at me.

"Wren? You better not be in here," someone called from outside.

Her eyes went wide. "Oh, geez, I have to go." She jogged out of sight as a woman came in the training block.

I shook myself from the memory. I was standing at an intersection trying to decide which way to go. I turned right, figuring I'd loop back toward the tavern. There weren't that many streets in Racine, so I wasn't worried about getting lost. The water ring wrapped around Wren's body flashed in my head again. Why did things have to be so complicated? I wish it could be like it was when we were back on Acklemar. We'd picnic in the garden or practice training moves in the tall grass near the keep, out of the sight of her mother.

One time, I remember I'd tripped her up, and I hit the ground with her landing on top of my chest. Her nose touched mine, and she paused a moment before she rolled off me.

"For a minute there, I thought you were trying to steal a kiss," I said.

She stared at a piece of green that she was playing with, her cheeks a bright pink. "That would be inappropriate of a Lady."

"That's never stopped you from training."

She gave me a playful shove. "That's different, and you know it. There are rules and protocols to follow..."

Yes, there were, she had that right. I'd already set in motion the request and negotiations for her hand—but her family hadn't agreed to the terms yet. I reached for her hand and kissed her fingertips. "Then let me be the forward one."

I sat up and brushed a flower petal from her hair. My hand lingered under her chin, and my thumb rested on her cheek. By the circle, I wanted to kiss her. Damn, the negotiations, I wasn't going to wait any longer. I slowly guided her lips toward mine until they met. When our mouths touched, she sighed, and I deepened our kiss. Her tongue tasted like ripe berries on mine.

"Wren!" someone called for her in the distance.

She pulled back ending our kiss in a panic.

"Your family has the worse timing, ever. You know that right?"

"You're telling me?" She got to her feet. "You try living with a group of seers and see if you get away with anything."

I laughed as she jogged off. Then I lay down in the grass savoring the memory of her lips on mine.

That was our first and last kiss in Acklemar. Thinking about it, I wasn't willing to give her up without a fight, even if I had to marry her with Kellan's mark plastered all over her. I refused to be like my father, taking a partner that I didn't love. That never did him any favors. I turned another corner and was facing a dead end. I guess I should have been paying more attention to where I was going.

"Jaxon!" a woman's voice echoed off the alley walls. I peered over my shoulder. A female figure was standing at the entrance to the alley with the streetlight glowing behind her. Damn, it was that lady from my circle, again. My brain scrambled to remember her name. What was it? Melissa, Melanie or Melody? It definitely started with Mel.

"The name's Dougan," I answered, turning to face her.

She threw her head back and laughed. "Dougan. That's rich. What, you think I'm so stupid I won't recognize the Second of my circle? Even with only a glimpse of your face, I'd know you anywhere—Jaxon—even here in Racine."

Great. I was trying to keep a low profile. Mel didn't have a chance against me, though. I ran a blue flame over my palm. The ground reflected its glow around my feet. "All right Mel, what do you want?"

"At one time, I would have said to go home. But now?" A crowd of thugs pulled from the shadows and stood behind her. "I'm looking for a little payback, and I'm not the only one."

THANKS for reading! I hope you liked the latest instalment of the book. Love to hear your thoughts in a comment. If you liked the latest chapter, please consider voting.