Hi, Traveler fans! Here's the last part of chapter three. Horray...on time with a poster of the boys. Hope you like it!  

Jax, I am not your girl. A wave of emotions flushed through our connection. I could feel my words dig into him and open the wounds of our past.

All right, I probably deserved that. Jax said pushing aside the hurt I'd just thrown at him. But as it stands, you and I are promised. If you like, we can argue about the contract, or I can help you kick Kellan's butt. Your choice.

I had my eyes closed and was trying to concentrate on my task. But a crunching sound of straw breaking interrupted my thoughts. It made me think Kellan was standing in the field next to our camp. He'd need some grass or straw to fuel that spark into a full flame.

"Keep fanning, Robin," Kellan hollered.

Tick, tick, tick, time's running out, Jax said invading my mind.

I took a deep breath and shook out my hands. Okay, Fire Sensei, what's the trick?

You need to think about something that makes you angry.

A series of images floated through my head. Gran not telling me about my past, Kellan invading my thoughts, Jaxon burning my ankle...

If you use that last one, Jax interjected, I'm totally not going to help you. A guy has to maintain some dignity.

Can't you help without peering into my thoughts too? Trying to do this is hard enough, without you evaluating how I feel. I'll use the one with Gran, okay? So, now what?

Put yourself back in the moment, rethink how you felt. Focus on your emotions.

I remembered how angry I was. How I felt like Gran betrayed me by not telling me about my past. She was my grandmother and supposed to support me, not hide things from me. My hands and the back of my arm started to tingle.

Good. Now hold your closed hand in front of you. Feel the raw emotion burn through you and build until it needs to release.

My mind kept looping the angry backlash I threw at Gran,'You knew about Acklemar. My parents didn't die. Did they? There was no accident!' Each time the words looped, the madder I got. The tension grew inside of me.

Okay, open your hand slowly and imagine your anger is something you can push through you. But push it only—

I slammed my clutched fingers free and felt a heat rush past my face. My eyes snapped open, and I watched a flame launch thirty feet in the air off my palm. Holy crap.

"Woo hoo!" Sage yelled clapping her hands and jumping up and down.

Kellan was crouching over the logs. "Nice work. But," he paused, and dropped the fiery nest of straw he was holding into the dry wood pile, "I think I'll have my chocolate bar now."

Did you see the height you got on that launch? Awesome! Ha-ha, yeah! That's my girl, he said with excitement. I was aiming for something a little smaller. But that? That was—

I stared at the flame burning in my hand and took a deep breath. The fire rescinded to a small candle sized flicker as my anger calmed. I'm not sure you noticed, I lost. I watched Kellan take the chocolate bars from Sage. He tore one open and took a bite. I think you might want to tone down your enthusiasm. Wait till you hear what he's won.

I felt a surge in his connection with me.What did you promise him? Jaxon asked sounding worried.

Kellan walked up to me and took another bite of the bar, then licked the chocolate from his fingers. "So, for our sleeping arrangements—"

"No need to gloat. Just tell us where."

Sleeping arrangements? Are you trying to kill me?

"You and Sage get to bunk in the shrub thing, Robin and me, will take turns watching next to the fire."

He stood, so his mouth hovered above mine. My heart raced, and I licked my lips. "What? I thought..."

"What?" He smirked and lifted his shirt showing off his abs. "I don't think I can trust you to spend a night next to me. You know, not trying to rip my shirt off of me."

Please. Give me a break. He's not the only one with rock solid abs, Jax said. But I'm not complaining about his choice in bed partners. He can have Robin.

Shut up Jax. The flame started to grow in height again. "You don't trust me? More like you don't trust yourself."

"Maybe, but this is Acklemar, with all the rules and laws that come with it. So I'm afraid, that means until everything gets sorted with the Fire Circle, you'll be bunking with your Lady's Sphere."

Don't worry, love. I'll be more than happy to keep you warm at night.

I took a deep breath. It was like my breath sucked back the flame. I wasn't looking for volunteers. Now, seriously, get out of my head.

Wren, please don't. I—

I took another deep breath, the flame shrank and clung to my hand. I forced my hand closed over the flickering light, cutting its oxygen and singeing my fingers. Smoke whispered from my fingertips and Jaxon was gone.

"Ow!" I bit my lip and opened my hand. The blisters covering my palm blurred as I blinked back my tears. I guess there was probably a better way to cut the fire stream than that. "Kellan, you wouldn't happen to have some more ice?"

"Geez. You didn't need to do that." He cradled my hand looking at it.

"Out of the way." Sage pushed him aside. "Standing there gawking at it isn't going help her. Let me have a look."

She cupped my hand in hers and held my wrist with her other. She started to hum, and the charms on her necklace lit up in random rotation. When the tune's pitch changed the white and red colored stones alternated glowing.

The skin on my palm turned from blistered to a layer of dry peeling skin in front of my eyes. Then Sage took a deep breath and blew on my palm. My skin cooled and tingled. The pain vanished, and she wiped my hand clean with hers, revealing my healed palm.

"There. Good as new," she said dusting her hands together. "Now about the Lady's Sphere position. Is that an official offer from the circle?" She put her hands on her hip as she addressed him.

Robin stood up and put his hand on her shoulder. "Excuse her bluntness. I think being on Earth for the past few years, we all may have forgotten a few Acklemarian protocols." He turned and whispered in her ear, "I know he's just Kellan to you, but he's also the Water Circle's First."

"Robin, it's all right." Kellan started to laugh and put his arm around me. "I'm not going to have her hung by her fingernails or anything. I've grown used to her direct questions and statements. She kind of keeps people in check. As for—"

"Hold up. What's the heck is a Lady's Sphere?" I said confused about the entire discussion.

Sage leaned over and whispered, "Think lady-in-waiting and you'd be pretty close."

"Acklemarian law states, it would be Wren's decision, but consent of her choice must be granted by the First," Kellan replied.

Sage gave a broad, toothy smile and put her palms together like she was begging. "What do you think?" she asked me.

"Hmm, I don't know, because I have so many besties to pick from. And with the number of times I'm injured, your healing skills might be useful to have around too," I said like I might be evaluating other options besides her. "Are you crazy? Of course, I'd pick you. If you weren't around, who'd entertain me?"

She squealed, jumped up and down, then threw her arms around me in a huge Sage bear hug breaking Kellan's hold around me. "I'm so excited! My family will freak out when they find out. Me a Lady's Sphere!"

"Okay, need air. If you strangle me to death, you'll lose the position before it starts."

"Oh, right, sorry." She peeled herself off of me. "Come on. You owe me an underwear drawer story. While you talk, I'll dig something out of my bag for us to eat."

As we entered the shelter, I couldn't help overhearing Kellan. "I guess that makes things awkward for you now, doesn't Robin?"

"Yeah, you could say that," he replied making me wonder what they were referring to.

Curious what do you think of Wren accepting Jax's help? Please show some love and hit that VOTE button or leave a thought below. (I LOVE hearing from readers!) Have a great weekend!