A Red Heart of Memories by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Author:Nina Kiriki Hoffman [Hoffman, Nina Kiriki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 0441007686
Publisher: Ace
Published: 1999-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“I want a pet too,” Iris said. “It’s not fair.”

Maybe Gold could give them each a pet, Matt thought, but would he? Maybe Ginny would do it.

Maybe Matt shouldn’t say anything about it. She glanced at Tony.

“We will discuss this after school,” Tony said in a firm voice. “This is the third time I’ve told you that.

I mean it.”

Iris huffed and finished her pancakes. Keith frowned. He looked like a kid who could hold a grudge.

Abby, pale and tired, entered the kitchen. Her smile was brief and unconvincing. She took her seat at the table and Tony plopped a plate of pancakes down in front of her without asking. He served Edmund and Matt, then went to the counter and made school lunches for two. Matt liked watching him buzz around the kitchen. He seemed to be having a good time, and he did everything with practiced efficiency.

Presently he packed the lunches in two small, brightly colored backpacks, filled a thermos with coffee for himself, kissed Abby, and led the two older kids out of the kitchen. “Bye, guys. See you tonight. If you need me for anything, give me a call.”

In the silence he left behind, Edmund and Matt watched Abby eat. Sara stroked Booja with her index finger.

“Didn’t sleep very well,” Abby said eventually. She set her fork on her syrupy plate with a click.

“Was that stuff really my fault?”

“Mine,” Edmund said. “That’s what it told me. When I left, I gave you a wish, and your wish was to have magic in your life. This gold is the magic that came. Until Matt taught it, though, it couldn’t understand you. You had magic. Just no way to use it. Or, well, it came out in your art, but—”

“My magic. You gave me magic and didn’t tell me?” Red stained Abby’s cheeks.

“I didn’t know that was what I did. I couldn’t even tell it was here. It kept slithering away from me.

Every time I came here, it stayed away just so I wouldn’t find out about it.” Abby bit her lip. Her eyes shimmered. “I wish I’d known.”

“You know now,” said Matt.

Abby studied Matt for a long moment. “Yes. Where is he, anyway, my dream man?”

“Gold?” Edmund called softly. “Where are you?”

Gold stepped out of the kitchen wall. He glided to the table and sat down in Tony’s chair. He looked calm, almost as tranquil as the Edmund Matt had first met. Worried, Matt opened dream-eyes and looked at him. Nothing but a sea of quiet gold.

“Have you chosen?” he asked Abby.

“Chosen?”

“Did you choose a shape for me today?”

“What’s wrong with the shape you already have?” Abby asked.

“It upsets people.” He looked down. Sara stood beside him, her hands on his knee, and stared up into his face. “What is it, princess?”

“Here’s Booja,” she said. She held her hand up to her shoulder and the bird stepped onto it. She set the bird on Gold’s lap.

“I see,” said Gold, He lifted the bird in both hands and stared into its eyes.

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