Plagued by nightmares of her father's imprisonment and Kellan's disappearance, Wren enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth.
But can she be honest with herself? Promised in marriage, she faces the toughest decision of her life--which gu...
Hi all! Sorry for the one-day tardiness, please forgive me. Hopefully, another chapter to come out this weekend will keep me in your good books. No coal for Christmas, please.
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My foot stumbled, but with Jaxon steading me, even those watching us wouldn't have noticed my missed step.
The group at the bottom of the stairs hadn't noticed us approach the second-floor staircase. Elena curtsied and displayed her embroidered dress with one arm extended in front of Rygar, then rose with a warm smile. The blue flowers embroidered over her white dress reminded me of the Dutch teacups my Gran collected. When we reached the top of the stairs, I hesitated and wobbled inside Jessica's shoes.
Hey, sweetness... Jaxon turned to me and bowed. How about a smile for your betrothed?
Smile? My thoughts were racing, and my heart pounded in my ears.
I forced a smile and returned the usual curtsey. Elena probably had a million reasons for being here, but I was confident none of them included me being introduced to her as Jaxon's promised.
I take it you've met Kellan's sister, Elena. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
We made our way down the staircase in unison. My dress trailed behind me catching each stair as we went.
Why do you ask?
I don't know. Maybe it's the fact the color has drained from your cheeks, and you have my hand in a death grip. His sight remained steady on Elena and the three guards.
Sorry... I loosened my grasp. Of course, I've met her. Our families celebrated the Acklemarian festivals together when I was younger.
Nice try, you know I meant recently.
Yeah, I knew, but I wasn't going to tell him I met her in Kellan's room. I let out a sigh. She was at the Water Circle banquet I attended.
Jaxon tilted his head slightly to look at me. The one where Kellan kissed you in front of is entire Circle?
That's the one...
Right. Jax took a deep breath and pursed his lips for a brief moment, then lifted his sights to Elena with a broad smile."Elena, it's always a pleasure to see you."
We stepped off the last stair, and Jaxon bowed and tugged my hand, reminding me that neglecting my diplomatic courtesies wasn't an option.
I nodded to the guards, then bent my knees and held out my skirt. "Elena."
"Wren..." Her mouth dropped open, and she dipped into the fastest curtsey I'd ever seen. "Since when have we ever exchanged formal courtesies? You're like a sis..." She glanced at Jaxon, then back to me, and cleared her throat. "What I mean is that we've known each other so long, we're like family."
