Hello All! Here's another installment of the book coming your way. AND for all you Kellan fans, he's even in this one. Enjoy!  :)

I lay my head against Jax's chest. "How did you find me?"

Amaress peeked her head over his shoulder and licked my face.

"Gross!" I shoved her away.

Jaxon wiped the slobber from my cheek with his sleeve. A damp spot still wet my nose, and I rubbed it dry.

He pointed to Amaress. "Your smelly, slobbering beast led the way. She took off the moment she heard me holler your name." He scooped me up in his arms and stood. "I should've followed her from the start. When I couldn't find you, I went back to camp, saddled an equestar and took off after her. I figured if she found Elena twice, she'd probably find you too."

"Better than a dog. She's—" I pressed the back of my hand to my split lip and cringed. The stinging pain eased with the pressure. She's quite the tracker, huh?

Definitely. But scarier than any mutt I've met. A breeze caught Jax's hair and hid his eyes. "She almost barbecued Robin when we crossed paths." He carried me toward my lumbering rescuer. "Not that she could with my mad skills around to stop her."

"I was hidden from view." Robin exited the trees. "You two didn't even know I was there."

Jaxon chuckled. "I didn't need to. Amaress just about took your head off with that blast of flames."

"You don't see me laughing." Robin stepped around a bush and tugged on the reins of an equestar. "Since when are Prongmera aggressive? Defensive, yes. But I never did anything to provoke that stupid beast."

Amaress glared at Robin and growled, then chased a rodent into an underground burrow.

"See?" He pointed. "How about you two ride Vicious, and I'll take the nice, non-firebreathing equestar."

Jaxon didn't look thrilled at that proposal. I glanced at Amaress huffing flames into the burrow. She waited next to the hole for the creature to surface into her open jaws.

"Amaress?" I called.

She jerked her head up and trotted over, wagging her long tail thrashing a nearby bush of its berries.

I held my hand to her nose. "Do you think you can give Jaxon and me a ride?"

Jax placed me on my feet. My knees buckled, and he caught me before I crumpled to the ground. Amaress sniffed the air and looked from me to Jaxon. She held her stare for a moment, then wagged her tail.

"You know what? I think she's gonna let you ride."

"Think? Last time I tried to touch her, she almost bit my arm off."

Jaxon boosted me onto her back, and I swung a leg over.

"Stop being such a baby." I patted a spot behind me. "You still have all your fingers and toes."

"For now." He hopped up but didn't take his sight from Amaress' head. "Robin, you want to take the lead to Lookout Point?" He placed his hands on my hips, and his leathery scent enveloped me, calling to me.

I leaned into his warmth, and rested my back against him, trying to get comfortable while Amaress lumbered forward. The rhythm of her pace soothed me, making me sleepy. My swollen right eye throbbed, so I closed my eyes to rest them and drifted off to the cadence of Amaress' steps.

Amaress' pace slowed, with the ascending slope.

"Hey, you're awake." Jaxon hugged me closer to him.

I stretched and looked around. "I must have faded off. How long have I been out?"

"My watch doesn't count turns." He glanced toward the sun high in the sky. "I'd say about a turn and a quarter moon."

I laughed, then moaned when the pain of every aching muscle screamed in protest to me moving. "We're a long way from Earth aren't we?"

"Lightyears."

"I can honestly say when I started school this year, not in a trillion years, would I have dreamed I'd end up here, riding a prongmera. Too bad Gran wasn't here to see me."

"You miss her?"

Just the thought of her and I could smell of the bubbling potions that'd fill our home. She was always there for me, even when Kellan and I disappeared back to... I hadn't had time to think about until now. She was the only person left with Jaxon when we disappeared. I swallowed."You didn't hurt her, did you?"

"Hurt your Gran?" He smoothed out my hair. "Where's this coming from?"

"You were pretty angry."

"I think raging mad, might best describe that moment. Something just snapped in me seeing you kiss—him. But I didn't touch Rosemary."

"Wren!" Sage screamed from the top of the hill. "Are you okay?" She ran down the hill and gasped when she got close enough to see me. "Oh, my God." She pointed at Jax. "I hope you and Robin beat the snot of them for doing that." She looked back at me. "And left them for dead."

"We didn't have to." He jumped down. "When my father finds out they failed their mission, they might as well be dead."

Amaress slowed to a stop, and Jax helped me off, shouldering my weight.

"Over here." Se pointed to a point next to a tree. "Let me take a look at you."

I rested against the thick trunk, and she sorted through the stones on her necklace. She spun a grey speckled stone on her chain, then placed her hand on my head. Her eyes lit up a bright teal.

A low vibration hummed through me, scanning one limb, then the next. When the internal search got to my head, I winced, pursed my lips and tried not to cry out. She lifted her fingers of pain from me, and I let out the breath I was holding.

"No wonder you're wincing. Headache?"

I closed my eyes and held my hand to my head. "Big time."

"Your skull is fractured, right here." She tapped just above my ear. "What did they do drop you on your head?"

"More like used me for batting practice. My head was the ball."

She cringed. "That explains the cuts, black eye, and concussion." Sage looked at Jaxon and licked her lips. "I know you two have to be at the trial, but there's no way I can heal all of these injuries."

"What? After you broke my finger, I thought you—" He pointed.

"Hey, I'm good." She raised a brow at his extended finger. "But there isn't a healer alive that can repair all of these injuries in one session. Not one."

"Do you have any idea the frenzy this will cause when they find out Otis is responsible?" Jax raised his voice.

"Guys..." I said, trying to get their attention.

"Why do you think I'm telling you." Her ponytail swung as she spoke.

He wiped a hand down his face. "This is about saving her life."

"What kind of impression do you think she'll make if she passes out just walking to center chair?"

"Hey!" I waved a hand in the air. "Do I get a say?"

Always. Jaxon squeezed my hand. If I walk away from all this with you by my side, I'll face anyone, even my father. But the council isn't fond of surprises or controversy, and they're going to want to know who did this.

So? I peeked my eyes open.

My father sits on the council.

Oh— I'm sure accusing a council member won't win any votes in my favor. I dropped my head to the ground. I'm dead. Kellan's dead. I groaned and pictured my mother crying over my casket. "Anything you can do for this massive headache?"

Sage's eyes widened, and she nodded. "You're sure?"

"I'm going to need all the brain power I can get. I figure if I'm going to die anyway, it might as well be fighting for a chance to live."

"Well, you won't be alone." She smiled, and held out her necklace, rubbing a pale pink stone in her fingers. "Ready? Because I'm not going to lie, this next part is going to hurt. Deep breath."

I sucked in a lung full of air, then nodded. Sage spun the tiny stone on her necklace letting it dance on the chain, as she hummed. When the stone started flashing off and on, she touched the side of my head, and I screamed. Her fingers of pain felt like they'd pierced the inside of my skull picking pieces of bone from my brain. A wave of nauseousness swept through me. My skin cooled, coated with a sticky layer of sweat, making my clothes cling to me. My body shook, and my hands trembled.

She lifted her hand from my head. "There, good as new."

"I'm going to be—" I rolled over and retched, emptying my stomach, right next to Jax.

Wren? Kellan said, sounding concerned. What's going on?

"Well, your skull is healed. Everything else will have to wait." Sage dropped the stone, and it swayed against her grey shirt.

Minor set-back. I wiped my mouth on my blood stained sleeve and pushed up on my elbows. The acidic smell of vomit wasn't making me feel any better—but my headache was gone. Just a little run-in with a few thugs.

"Come on." Jaxon rubbed my back. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Cleaned up? I could tell Kellan was pacing back and forth. And your screaming? How bad are you hurt?

Kellan tugged on our link, accessing my senses.

I'm fine.

"How is she?" Elena peered over Sage's shoulder, then gasped when she saw me. "Oh Wren, you look—"

"Awful?" Sage answered.

Fine, huh? Given the look on my sister's face, you're nowhere near fine.

I stood, staggered a few steps, and Jaxon hooked an arm around me. Kellan groaned. His water ring thrashed against my chest, wetting my shirt and Jaxon's arm.

Jax's lips drew into a thin line, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Kellan... You can't leave us alone, can you? 

I'm going to try and see about getting another chapter out ASAP. Fingers crossed.  Till then, comment, vote like the next chapter depends on it. LOL Thanks all for your support!  :)