Hi All! Here's a chapter from Jaxon's perspective. As always, if you see any edits I've missed, please let me know. Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts. :)
(Jaxon Speaking)
I shook his hand off my shoulder. "You've brought us to Racine? Are you insane?"
"You said you needed to get back to Acklemar the fastest way possible. Using this post to stop at, will shave two days off our time," Dystan responded.
"Yeah, if we all survive until we leave."
"Oh..." He adjusted his pack. "If you wanted to arrive alive you should have said that before we left."
"Speak for yourself Fire Prince," Travis said releasing his hold on Jessica. The locals love us, Travelers."
"Yeah? That's because you're their only ticket off this god forsaken planet."
Racine was full of the outcasted criminals from Acklemar. Some of them had been dumped and forgotten here for years. Many of them had been sentenced and sent here by the fire throne. I flipped up the hood on my jacket, hoping not to be recognized.
"I guess I don't need to tell you to keep your head down and let me do the talking." Dystan chuckled and brushed past me heading up the stairs to Gunner's Tavern.
"I don't care where he's taking us as long as I get a shower." Jessica crinkled her nose. "I smell like Travis."
Travis grinned, leaned in and took a deep breath. "No, you don't. You smell like cinnamon. Spicy and—"
"Ick. Don't even think about finishing that sentence." Jessica pushed him away and brushed herself off like she was trying to rid herself of his scent.
Travis didn't look phased by Jessica's rejection. He sauntered over and stood next to me. "I think I'm rubbing off on her." He laughed. "Just think, I have three more days of holding her in my arms."
She stormed past us up the stairs after Dystan.
"Hey, beautiful, if you play your cards right I might let you dance with me later," Travis hollered after her.
"So not going to happen," she shouted, then let the door drop from her grip to slam behind her.
"It's still early, and I'm up for the challenge." He bounded up the steps in front of me.
'Challenge' was one word to describe her. I could think of a few less polite ones. When he opened the door, the hot smell of sweat and ale assaulted us.
Jessica stood there like a fish out of water with her hand covering her nose. Half the men in the room were eyeing her up and down, wondering who would make the first move. Most of them looked like they hadn't shaved or bathed in months.
"Hey, young lady. You're new to Racine," said a guy with a jagged scar across his cheek. "Why don't you let me welcome you properly. I have a seat for you right here." He shoved his buddy off the bench onto the ground.
Then a bearded man from across the room hollered, "I don't think so Jarred, I have a seat for her over here." He tapped his lap with his palms. "Ain't that right, darling."
Jessica's eyes went wide, and her fingers twitched like she might do something rash.
Without missing a beat, Travis picked her hand up, kissed her fingertips and wrapped an arm around her. "Sorry, guys. She's already spoken for."
The two guys stood up like they were going to get a little more physical about instilling their claim over her. Travis dropped his arm from Jessica's shoulder and shrugged off his coat revealing a white cloud insignia circlet on his bicep. The two looked at each other, shook their heads and sat back down.
"Sorry, Traveler. We didn't know she was with you. We meant no offense, to you, or your lady," Jarred said. "Hey, Keep. Can we get a round for our Traveler friends? On me."
"Sure thing Jarred," the bartender replied.
Travis turned to stand directly in front of Jessica. "So," he said softly. "Change your mind about that dance, princess?"
Jessica's mouth dropped open like she didn't know what to say, then she replied in a flat tone, "Don't call me princess." She grabbed the nearest stool at the bar and sat down.
Taking the other two seats next to her, Dystan still needed somewhere to sit. When the man next to us noticed Dystan's Traveler circlet on his forearm, he tossed some money on the bar, grabbed his coat off his seat and left to a different area of the room.
"See that wasn't so hard," Dystan said, taking the seat next to me. "I think Travis is smitten with that little spitfire cousin of yours.
"I wish him luck there."
"Well, I hope she knows it's in her best interest to feign her affection for him tonight. We can't leave till morning." He picked up the pint the keeper placed in front of him and took a sip. "So unless she'd like one of those blokes swooning over her for the rest of the night..."
"I wouldn't worry about it." I looked down the bar at her listening to Travis go on about something. "She may be a royal pain in the ass, but she isn't stupid." Or at least I hoped she wasn't.
The keeper slid a pint of ale in front of me. Foam and beer sloshed over the rim onto the counter. "What's with the hood stranger?"
I kept my head down and dragged the pint across the wood closer to me. "Just like my privacy, I guess."
"Uh-huh. And I'm here for the scenery." He wiped the counter in front of me.
"It is what it is," I replied.
"Listen, when I hooded man walks in here, that typically means trouble. Since you're with two Travelers, I'm gonna warn you real nice like." He pointed to the neon tavern sign above the door. The words Gunner's Tavern flashed around the image of a shotgun. "There's a reason for the name. Got it?"
It was taking everything for me not to react. The wood counter warmed under my palm. I nodded.
Dystan slapped his hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry," he said to the keep. "Like Dougan here said, we're not here to cause trouble. Just food and lodging for the night."
"Rooms? You? Now, that's unusual."
"I don't usually come this way if I'm coming from Earth."
"Earth? You made the trip from Earth? I didn't even know that was possible." He rubbed his chin and muttered something to himself then walked to the end of the bar and pulled out a drawer. When he returned, he placed two sets of keys on the counter. "Only got two rooms left. Suppose you want both of them. One has a king bed, and the other has two singles."
I grabbed one of the keys and picked up my pint. "I'm heading up. Maybe have some food sent up to me."
I hated to admit it, but the keeper was right. The drunker this lot got, the more likely I'd be dragged into something. I climbed the steps to the second floor. The layout of the tavern reminded me of something out of an old western movie with the open walkway that overlooked the bar below. The doors to each of the rooms lined the wall. I glanced down at my key to see which room number I had and bumped into something.
"Hey, watch where you're going," a lady said.
I glanced up and immediately looked back down. "Uh, sorry. I was looking at my key," I mumbled and kept walking.
"Wait a minute. Do I know you from somewhere?"
I was counting on the shadows of the poorly lit walkway to hide my face. When I stepped in the dark of the hallway out of the light, I partially turned to face her. "Don't think so, I'm helping the Travelers." I pointed downstairs to Dystan.
"There are Traveler's here?" Her eyes darted to the floor to search them out.
"Again, my apologies Miss." I turned around before she could inquire further.
I knew her all right. She was a Lady from one of the lesser ranked inner circle families. When she was visiting the court, she had somehow managed to steal some Acklemarian stones from my father. He was furious. He had sent her Racine until she could repay what she'd taken.
I remember her screaming at him when they dragged her from the court. "I don't have a trade, how am I supposed to repay the stones?" she said.
"With your pretty face—" my father said pausing to look up from the papers he was holding, "and voluptuous body, I'm sure you'll think of something."
That was four years ago. I put the key in the lock and turned the handle. A king sized bed was pushed up against the wall. On the nightstand stood a bowl, pitcher of water and soap. The washroom must be down the hall, I thought.
I locked the door, dumped my bag on the floor and flopped onto the bed. I couldn't help thinking of Wren. I know I haven't exactly earned her trust back, but her cutting me off when the fire circle guards were hunting for her made me wonder if she was all right.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on forming a connection to her. "Wren? I called softly. I felt the line tug, and I knew she was listening. "Are you okay? I had to check in. I couldn't possibly sleep without knowing how you were doing."
Silence.
"Wren? Please— Don't lock me out."
"You're sure you're not just following your father's orders?" she replied.
"Ouch. That's not exactly fair. I'm sure he'll be angry when he finds out I helped you oppose that guard. You were brilliant by the way."
The connection wavered like she was uncomfortable with my compliment. I pushed the link further to see if could tell where she might be. "Jax. I have to know why? You're handsome, smart and hold rank. You could have you pick of any girl, why me?"
That's a question I've asked myself a million times. It'd be so much easier just to give up on her and move on. I knew deep down I could make her happy if she'd only let me. "You want the truth?"
"Yes, some honesty would be refreshing." She opened her eyes and I saw she was lying under the covers on a bed in a small, stark room. Moonlight lit the room giving it a faint blue hue.
I took a deep breath, wondering if I could ever put into words how I felt. "As you can imagine, I didn't grow up in a touchy-feely type family."
"No, I don't suppose you did." She giggled and rolled over to face a nightstand with a figurine on it. I smiled recognizing the gift I'd given her just after we met. The dancing figuring reminded me of her when I bought it. There was only one place she could be—the Traveler's Guild.
"Well, I guess something in me changed when I met you. For the first time in my life, I looked forward to something other than the next training session or strategy meeting." I wiped my clammy hand on my jeans. "You'd arrive at the Keep, and you'd consume my every thought. Then when you'd leave, I couldn't concentrate on anything I had to do."
"Jax, come on. There had to be other girls. I've seen the way they look at you."
I sighed, she still didn't get it. "If they've looked, I've never noticed. Probably, because I don't care." If I were ever going to win her over, she would have to know me for me. That meant telling her things I'd never tell another living soul. I scrunch my eyes shut. "I know, I told you I've waited. But the truth is, I've never even kissed another woman—just you." I waited for her to laugh, but she didn't.
"Never?" she said sounding surprised.
"Okay, I am being honest here. I did kiss my mom good night when I was little, but I don't think that counts, do you?"
She tucked her hands next to her face. "Moms definitely don't count."
"Whew. Good to know." I smiled starting to relax a little. "I never picked you because my father wanted us to be together. For me, that happened to be a bonus. You're one of the few topics my father and I don't argue about. The truth is, it was my heart that chose you. Over the past three years, I've tried to convince myself otherwise. But I can't. I'm still every bit in love with you as I've ever been."
"Jax. Kellan—" her voice cracked when she said his name.
"I know you've kissed him." My stomach tightened with the thought of his lips over hers. I should have let her keep the flourish then she'd still be with me. I wiped my hands down my face.
"You don't understand..." her voice trailed off softly.
Then she rolled over, and I could see the blue waves wrapping her chest above the scallop of her nightgown. She was right I didn't understand. My mind was racing a mile a minute. But Kellan removed his mark on her—I saw him. He'd never cross our agreement by adding a new flourish. Breaking our agreement would be terms for war between the circles. My lungs constricted, and I licked my lips when I realized the only other explanation.
"Wren—" My voice sounded raspy as my tongue tripped over her name. "What have you done?"
***
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Amber