HELLLOOO! It's Sunday and here's the latest in Wren's Saga. :) Hope you like it!

The metallic taste of blood lingered on my tongue and swollen lips. I tried moving but realized I couldn't. Rope bound my hands and feet. I peeked an eye open, and my head bounced against the hindquarters of an equestar. The oafs had slung me over the back of it like a dead carcass.

Wren! Jax screamed in my already pounding head.

I winced in pain. My right eye stung and watered down my face. I blinked trying to see beyond the swelling, but could only make out a slit of the mucky ground.

Wren! Jax's voice bounced off the inside of my skull.

I'm here. I cringed, trying not to cry. Please... Stop yelling. My head feels like someone hammered it.

Sorry, he whispered. Thank the circle. I thought... He let out a jagged breath. Never mind.

The equestar I was tied to, jumped over a log. When its hooves hit the ground, the air expelled from my lungs, and I grunted. With the pine and earthy scents surrounding me, I could tell my kidnappers hadn't led me out of the forest yet.

"Sounds like she's waking up," one of the guards said.

The older man pointed to a satchel tied to the back of his equestar. "Better get the stick."

Stick? I went stiff and stared at the wet ground. I can't move, and they have me strapped to a saddle. What the hell do they need the stick for?

If they so much as touch you, I'm going to kill them. Jax's fury flared through our connection. We're almost in position. See if you can burn through the ropes.

My hands are bound too tight. I can't even move a finger, let alone fire cast.

The equestar jerked to a halt, and the two guards strode beside the scaly horse-like creature. Their pungent, sweaty scent made standing inside an outhouse more appealing than being next to them. I held my breath, trying not to breathe in their fumes.

"Here you go," said the Fire Circle guard with leaves stuck to his boots.

The grey-haired man with the grizzly beard snatched the fat stick from Leafy and raised it high above me. I opened myself to the circle's power, funneling its energy. Its current wavered, making my fingers tingle and my skin prickle in response. I penned a picture of Jaxon in my thoughts, let the energy loose and disappeared.

A microsecond later, I landed hard on the ground nearby and whimpered.

Thwack! The stick meant for my head slammed the backend of the equestar.

The creature balked and bucked its hind legs, striking one of the guards in the chest. Leafy hurtled through the air, landing in an unmoving heap, and the beast bolted off into the pine trees. The weathered-looking guard stood there stunned, staring at the empty saddle galloping away in the distance. More heavy steps pounded the earth.

"Can't you do anything right?" A clean-shaven officer grabbed the stick and shook it at the shaken man. "Where's the girl?"

"Gone..." The grizzled guard looked at his feet. "I don't know how. But she vanished."

"That's impossible. Those ropes were infused with obsidian." The officer let out a guttural roar and tossed the stick into some shrubs. "Bound in those, no one could connect to the circle."

That explains why I didn't get very far. I silently tugged at the ropes, trying not to alert them I was only a few feet away. Fortunately, a patch of tall grass shielded me, but they wouldn't have to look too hard if they wanted to find me. I peeked up to see if I could figure out where I was.

Keep your head down, Jaxon whispered.

"Where's Lysander?" The officer demanded.

The man flinched, then pointed behind him.

He looked past the guard, and scrunched his face, furrowing his brow. "If you're covering for him for leaving his post again—"

"No—I swear..." The man held up his hands and turned around. "He was right there. The equestar bucked him and..." He scratched his head, glanced in the direction the creature galloped off, then back to where Lysander had landed.

Where did he go? A few vines tangled around my legs, so I kicked them free.

Boom!

Equipment soared through the air, igniting in flame. The two men lurched their head in the direction of the explosion.

"Jaxon's here." The officer cracked his knuckles and stomped off toward the smoke and fire. "Find that girl! Now!"

"Right." The bearded guard turned, scanning the area.

Something tugged my feet.

"Stephan!" Jaxon hollered. "You wanted my attention?"

A fireball burst overhead, raining sparks over the damp earth. Vines wrapped my legs, dragging me closer to the tree line. My heart raced, and I tried to loosen their grip on me.

"There you are, girly."

The vines released their stranglehold grip on my legs.

The guard jogged up and halted, resting the toe of his boot against me. "You're not going anywhere this time."

He reached down, grabbing my bound wrists in his fist. The rope cut into my wrists, making them bleed. A scream tore from my throat.

After a few paces of him dragging me forward, the guard's arm wrenched backward, and he screamed, dropping me face first into the grass. "Stephan! Hel—"

I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and looked around for my captor—he was nowhere in sight. Only a trampled trail through the grass into the forest remained.

"Give up, Jaxon! We have your little girlfriend. You wouldn't want her to get hurt." Stephan let out a hearty laugh. "Your father just wants to talk to her."

Don't listen to him. I'm fine.

You're not fine. His fury filled our link. "I'm not delusional enough to believe that lie."

"No, I suspect you know you're father better than anyone." Stephan clawed the air, forming a white-hot molten ball. He launched it at Jax, and it exploded. Thick smoke and hot flames filled the sky.

"Jaxon!" I choked out a sob.

Dark ash floated on the breeze. A figure doused in flames stepped through the grey cloud of smoke, and the officer backed-up. A prongmera roared, gnashed its teeth, and shoved past Jax.

"No way." The guard chucked a fireball at Amaress. "You're not a level ten." The ball of flames missed, and he tossed another at Jaxon. "You should be dead."

Amaress let out a screeching roar, then spat a layer of flames at Stephan.

"You kidnapped my partner." Jaxon turned up his palm, closed his fist and ducked. The fireball extinguished like a birthday candle, and the core launched over his shoulder, landing behind him. "Beat her unconscious."

The ground started to shake, and the stones around Jax's neck lit up different colors. "She is my match and our circle's future leader." The fiery veil dropped from his skin, and he pursed his lips. "I don't know what Otis promised you to turn on me, but I hope it was worth it."

Jaxon held out his hand, rotated his wrist and yanked his arm back. The ground grumbled and cracked, lava spilled from the fissure. Amaress sniffed the air, turned her head my direction and dashed over to me.

"I was under orders," he screamed. Stephan stared at the lava flowing a circular path around him. "Jaxon, wait!"

"For what? For the other guards to come to your rescue?" His lips twisted into a smirk and cupped a hand to his ear. "I think they have problems of their own to deal with."

Someone crashed through the tree line behind Jax and the color drained from the guard's face.

"Did I miss all the fun?" Robin dusted off his hands.

"Robin..." the guard murmured.

"What, no plant-boy wisecracks, Stephan?" Robin crossed his arms. "Still selling out to the highest bidder I see."

"I didn't know they were going to torture her!" The guard took a step into the center of the circle and swallowed hard. "Honest, you have to believe me."

"You dragged my sister from her bed by her hair and handed her over to Otis." Robin's lips drew into a thin line. "You didn't give a crap what he did to her. Why should I care what happens to you?"

"But we're friends."

"Not anymore." Robin waived a dismissive hand in Stephen's direction and stalked off toward me, ignoring the rumbling ground and swaying trees.

A wave of screams, coupled with a thick smell of sulfur overwhelmed my senses. Jaxon's anger surged, making me shake. Jax... Don't kill him. I rested my forehead on the ground. You're better than your father. You are. Trust me.

Jax let out a guttural roar. He deserves everything he has coming.

Maybe one day he'll get it too. But not today.

Robin crouched next to me, cutting away the ropes binding my ankles. The quaking beneath us ceased, and I let out a long breath.

"Hey." Jaxon jogged up, and Robin passed him the blade. "Can you tie up Stephan too?"

The corners of Robin's lips turned up. "Sure."

"Oh, Robin?" Jax sliced through the ropes binding my wrists.

"Yeah?"

"Wren asked us not to kill him." Jaxon cradled me in his arms and kissed my forehead.

Robin paused, pulled a handful of seeds from his pocket, and rolled one between his forefinger and thumb. "And?"

He shrugged. "The rest is up to you."

Excited to have Robin back? YES? (I'm sure Wren is too.) PLEASE vote, comment on your favorite part and share the story with your friends. HUGS all. NEXT update is on next Sunday. :)