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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The pub door slammed behind me. "Kellan! Wait up."
He halted, ran a jerky hand through his hair but didn't turn around. "What Wren?"
I jogged a few more steps, then walked the last couple. The sight of Kellan's muscular body silhouetted by the largest of the three moons in the sky, I ached to have his arms wrapped around me. He was my gravity. No matter how much I resisted the connection between us, just the sight of him made it difficult to want anyone else.
A knot twisted in my stomach and I fidgeted with the hem of my sleeve. "I'm sorry. I know you're trying to help, even if I don't agree with your methods."
"Jaxon drugged you, and you don't agree with my methods?" Kellan's lips drew into a thin line. "Maybe you don't remember the effects of drinking a Feisty Fire Bomb, but I do."
I remembered. If Kellan hadn't rescued me, my mom would be still locked up, and I'd be at the Keep awaiting my future marriage to Jaxon. "He apologized."
"So that makes it okay?" Kellan crossed his arms. "Cause when Jaxon wakes up, I fully expect him to punch me in the face, splay me in two and declare war on the Water Circle. And if I somehow live through the battle, I'm sure"—he gestured to me and then back to himself—"we'll be banned from ever seeing each other again." He wiped a hand down his face. "Maybe I should just apologize for drugging him, and all will be forgiven. Then we can all hold hands, sing campfire songs and live happily ever after."
He had a point. Jax was going to be pissed. "Why does everything with you have to be so complicated?"
"Me? You're the one who's agreed to partner with someone you're not in love with."
I raised a brow and placed a hand on my hip. "And who's fault is that?"
When his eyes glowed a faint aqua, I knew I'd struck a sore spot. My mouth went dry, and I tried to swallow. His ring thrash against my skin, letting me feel the raw emotions between us.
"Mine, and I've been trying to make up for it every day since." Kellan's gaze dropped to the ground. "If I'd only been honest with myself with how I'd felt about you from the beginning maybe things would be different. I guess I was afraid you didn't feel the same way, but when you ran from the building after the announcement of my engagement to Jessica, I knew."
His voice was laced with regret and given the soft tone he spoke in, I barely made out his last words over the evening breeze. The ring's waves slowly subsided into a churning pool, ready to rise or fall with the next crest of emotion.
"Even now," he continued, "after seeing the chair glow white and knowing you wear my knotted ring, I still doubt your love for me." He rubbed his hand against his navy pants. "I don't want to fight."
