Hearts of Gold by Shiloh Hollis

Author:Shiloh, Hollis [Shiloh, Hollis]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Spare Words Press
Published: 2013-03-04T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter six

"Can we talk yet?" asked Kale cautiously. He spoke out of the side of his mouth. Dusk was falling. They rode through fields. The peasants were gone, all but a few children playing sleepily between rows.

"I think so." Holin released a huge, sighing breath. "It's hard to stay invisible. Do you think I dare stop?"

"How do you do it?" Kale shifted in his seat to take a look. Slowly, Holin shimmered back into visibility. He looked strained, haggard, and exhausted. He'd also managed to wash off most of his face adornment and changed into plain, rough brown trousers and shirt.

Kale felt a smile overtaking his face, unstoppable as the sun. "You're really beautiful."

Holin stuck a tongue out at him. "How would you like to be dressed up like that every day?"

"I think I'd burn the clothes. Are you all right, sneaking away? What do you mean to do?"

Holin's smile disappeared and he shrugged painfully. "Stay the night with you, and go back tomorrow morning. I have friends who will cover for me. And if I'm caught—well, it's worth it. I don't know when I'll see you again." His green gaze looked dark in the lowering light of dusk. Dark, intense, and agonized. "Kale, don't hunt that dragon. Please. It's…it's really bad. Destroyed a village and took it over. Maybe several villages."

"He said a cave."

"Whatever. There are so many different reports…. He doesn't care, but a proper lord would. It's destroying so much, so many…"

"Why don't you care?" said Kale pointedly. "I'm a dragon-slayer, and a damned good one. If I can kill it, then I should."

Holin flushed and looked down. "I-I know that. But…" His hands squeezed together on the pommel on Lini's back. "You…you're just doing it so you can be free sooner. You're not thinking. What good is it, to rush from killing one dragon, to killing a bunch of drakes, to trying to kill the largest dragon anyone's spotted in years? Kally! What are the odds?"

"I don't care about odds. I kill dragons. It's what I do. It's what we were going to do together, but just because you can't now, doesn't mean I'm not being safe. I've killed five, Holly. Damn it. Five. I'm not some…some child you have to protect anymore."

A blazing green gaze snapped up to meet his eyes. "Oh, and you didn't want to jump up and kill that guy when he hit me?"

For a moment, they stared at each other. Then Kale was obliged to laugh. "All right, so I did! But that doesn't mean you have to worry about me. I'll be safe. I'll be careful."

"Well, I do worry about you. And I'm always going to. Promise me you'll be safe. Swear it?"

"I do. Listen, can you make my ring invisible the way yours is? It very nearly got me in big trouble with the academy, though I think I got away with it this time."

Alarm showed on Holin's face. He drew Lini nearer to Rarer; the horses nickered to each other as they walked.

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