Hi, All! So excited to have another chapter finished for you. Hope you like it!

Josie stuck her head through the canvas tent door and gasped when she saw us. Two blisters were visible on the side of her neck and another large one on the back of her hand.

"Oh thank the circle," she said, letting her legs buckle beneath her. She scanned our faces, and her eyes stopped on Robin. "Who are you?"

Robin stared at her and lounged back on his elbows. "Funny, I could ask you the same thing."

"A friend of yours?" she said, directing her question at me.

"Why are you looking at me like that's a bad thing?" I answered.

"'Cause it probably is." She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. Her gaze floated to Nebula and then back to me. "Starting a new fashion trend in sleeping attire?"

Rygar laughed and untangled his legs from my dress. "You know, I'm not quite sure Wren does sleep."

"Everyone sleeps." Josie ducked under the tent flaps and sat at the end of sleeping bags.

"But not everyone closes their eyes and ends up at a Water Circle banquet," Nebula answered.

Josie's mouth dropped open. "And she managed to take you with her?"

Nebula gestured at her dress and hair. "What do you think?"

"Sorry. It's just that it shouldn't be—"

"Possible?" I said finishing her sentence. "Well, apparently that's a specialty of mine, even if I don't want it to be. Now, if I can close my eyes and zap my mother out of the Keep? That's an ability I'd be interested in."

"Well, unfortunately, the Fire Throne has blocked portal access into the Keep, or we would have attempted a rescue mission by now," Josie said.

"I may not be able to transport us to the keep, but as for getting us inside? No problem." Robin sat up and dusted himself off.

Rygar cringed, then shook his head. "And we're supposed to trust you?"

I pursed my lips and glared at Rygar, wishing he'd shut-up. The last thing I wanted was for Robin to change his mind on helping us.

Rygar scowled at Robin, then turned his attention to me. "What? He's Jaxon's best mate, and now he's all buddy with the Water Circle? Come on. He's a traitor. Who knows what he has planned."

"Newsflash dickhead, I don't need you to trust me. My loyalty's to her, not you."

Rygar clenched his fist until the color in his hands blanched white. His blue-grey eyes flashed like sunlight reflecting off a hot sheet of metal.

Freaking children. "Would you both grow up?" I shifted, let Elena's heels drop from my feet and shoved Rygar with my toes. "Let's be diplomatic about this, shall we? Does anyone else have another way in?"

Silence.

When I looked around the group, Josie dropped her gaze to her hands, Nebula shook her head, and Rygar groaned before I even glanced at him.

"All right then it's settled, Robin stays."

"See? You need me." Robin gave a big toothy smile and smacked Rygar's chest with the back of his hand.

Rygar's posture went rigid and his lips pressed into a thin line.

Josie cleared her throat, scratched a spot on top of her hand and wet her lips.

"So..." she said, drifting off like she wasn't sure how to begin. "I take it you know about the change in Celeste's sentence?"

"Yeah, we do," I answered.

"Josie! You're supposed to be resting," Astra said from outside the tent.

One of the tent flaps flipped over the roof. "I just looked in here a couple of minutes ago, and they weren't..."

Astra popped her head through the door and let out a bark of laughter when she saw us. "Where'd Wren take you to end up in those?"

She pointed to the dresses. "I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you in evening attire. Here..." She picked up a pack and tossed it to me. "Why don't you get changed and meet us outside."

Rygar and Robin struggled to free themselves from the reams of sea-blue fabric covering them, then crawled their way to the door. A few minutes later both Nebula and I were outside standing next to the fire in our Traveler's drab gray uniforms.

"So? What's the plan?" I rubbed my hands together trying to keep warm.

Astra stood up from the log she was sitting on and wiped her hands against her dress. "Josie and I are going on to find our healer."

I glanced over at Josie and watched her for a moment as she poked at the fire with a stick.

"Sorry," she said, looking up. "It's just that the pox are getting worse."

She held out her arm showing off several angry red blisters. I couldn't help cringe when I saw them. She needed medical attention before they got worse.

"I'm taking a guess that there aren't any portals nearby?" I asked the group.

"To the Keep?" Astra answered. "Not this close to the border. It's either walking or..."

Without even looking, I knew all eyes were on me. Nothing like feeling the intensity to perform under pressure. "And how far's the walk?"

Robin furrowed his brow. "You can't be serious. We traveled half way across the galaxy to Acklemar, and you're worried about a few hundred miles?"

"Well, it's not like I have a button to push that magically takes me where ever I like."

Rygar covered his mouth like he was trying to hold back a laugh.

"What's so funny?" I demanded.

Josie's gaze dropped to the ground, and Robin's lips puckered like I'd just said something amusing.

"You are," Nebula said in a warm tone. "I wouldn't call it a button, but your ability to harness your emotions works just like that."

"Oh—" That explains a lot. With all the times Kellan angered me before I leaped, I should have figured that out by now.

"Astra, do you think you'll be able to find our healer without me?" Nebula asked her sister.

"I don't know." Astra glanced at Josie, who was bent over holding her head in her blistered hands. "Why don't you tell me?"

Nebula closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The stones on her necklace flashed on and off in a random sequence. When she opened her eyes, they were still bright blue but were quickly cooling to their natural shade. She gave a faint smile, then nodded.

"I think it for the best I stay with Wren. But you shouldn't wait till morning to find help for Josie."

Josie's skin flushed red and was dotted with perspiration. She stared into the fire and scratched her arm. She winced when she touched one of the blisters, then she lifted her hand from her arm and sat on her fingers.

Astra nodded and pulled Nebula into a hug. "May the circle's blessing be with you. Bring our sister home." She released her, brushed her fingers over my cheek and smiled. "We'll see you back at the Guild."

Before either of us could say another word, Astra wrapped her arm around Josie and walked off in the direction of their tent.

The three of them stood there looking at me like I knew how I was going to get them to the Keep. No pressure or anything.

I twisted the fabric of my coat with my fingers. "Whenever I've taken people with me, they were touching me somehow."

Rygar raised an eyebrow, and let out a chuckle.

"And before you make some sarcastic comment," I said, pointing to him, "it wasn't that kind of touching."

I held out my arm. "Everyone take hold."

Robin grasped my hand and Nebula looped her arm through mine. I heard Rygar let out the breath he was holding, then he shook his head and grabbed hold of my arm.

The Keep. With my hazy memories, there were only three pictures of it that came to mind. The throne room I saw with Nebula, the hallway I stood in when Robin confronted me and the forest I dreamt about every night since I'd left Acklemar.

I pulled the last scene from my thoughts. The stones on my necklace flashed on and off. A whisper of the Keep's forest floated around us, there, but not there. When I reached out to grab onto it, it slid through my fingers like sand. The image kept circling us faster and faster. I grabbed at the picture again, but this time it disappeared like a puff of smoke, leaving the four of us standing in the same spot where we started.

"I'm doing something wrong. I could see where we need to go, but couldn't connect with it."

"Come on you got this. Try it again," Robin said. "Besides, the sooner find your mom, the sooner I get to see Sage." A smile spread across his face.

Rygar groaned. "What Sage sees in you, I'll never know."

"Jealous much?"

"Of you?" Rygar rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I don't think so."

The tree branches started reaching out behind Rygar.

"Just because Sage is my girlfriend, doesn't mean you need to be an ass about it." Robin shoved Rygar toward the extending branches.

I could feel my anger bubbling up just watching the two of them. The charms on my necklace started going on and off again.

"First of all Sage, isn't your anything. You might need to ask her for that privilege before you start calling her that." My hands were now tingling and beginning to itch.

"Second, the two of you need to knock it off. We're working together—like it or not!" I was ready to punch them both for being such idiots when we only had a few hours to get to my mom.

Rygar opened his mouth like he was going to say something.

"Look, you two need to work together or you're likely to end up hanging from at tree." I pointed to the branches behind Rygar. "Or you'll be tossed into a portal, leaving you stranded on some desert island, you won't be able to walk home from."

Robin's eyes narrowed, and he jerked his head toward Rygar, who had a fat grin plastered across his face.

A breeze picked up circling some dust and leaves around us. My necklace lit up, then Nebula's stones did too. When I looked around the group, every single stone we wore was glowing.

"Now Wren," Nebula hollered.

My skin prickled down the back of my arms. My dream flashed through my thoughts, the lush green forest, the path I'd run a thousand times before. The scene hovered in front of me. This time when I grabbed it, the image felt solid. I held on with everything I had and pulled it toward me. I squeezed my eyes tight, and a loud boom echoed around us. Even before I opened my eyes, I could smell the lush forest and nearby salty ocean air.

"Woo! Now that's what I'm talking about." Robin jumped in the air pumping his fist.

Nebula was holding her ears. "Is anyone else's ears ringing?"

I raised my hand. "Definitely ringing. I think a bomb exploded next to my head," I said louder than probably needed to.

"No bomb, but we might have broken the sound barrier, though. That was crazy fast." Rygar pushed himself off the ground and stood up. "Anyone know where we are?"

"Hell yeah," Robin said from further down the path. "This way."

Still stunned that I got us to the Keep, I stood frozen watching Robin walk away.

Rygar messed up my hair and clapped me on the back as he walked past me. "See, all you needed was a little help to channel those emotions of yours."

"Wait— You did that on purpose. That whole thing between you and Robin..."

He turned around to face me as he walked backward down the path. "What?" he said with a smirk. "I can't believe you'd think I'd do that." He placed his hand on his chest like I'd wounded him.

"You so know what I'm talking about."

He smiled and tossed his head when he turned around. "Consider this lesson two, Birdie."

I jogged to catch up to the two of them, still not entirely convinced if I left them to their own devices they wouldn't kill each other. When I got to the edge of the forest out of breath, Robin and Rygar were waiting for us.

Robin waved his hand, and the vines that were hanging over the path in front of us moved out of the way to reveal an enormous stone castle.

"Ladies, welcome to the keep."

***Curious... What's been your favorite scene or part of the story so far? Looking forward to hearing your comments!***