Touch of Gold: (Rumpelstiltskin) (Tangled Tales Series Book 4) by Elizabeth Rose
Authors: Elizabeth Rose
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is most advantageous to her.”
“Well, I have no weakness, so I’m not going to lose sleep over it.” Kin dug the golden halfpenny out of his pocket and held it up in the air. “I think I have something of yours, Arnon,” he said, tossing it to his brother. “Now don’t try any more pranks with me, because in case you can’t tell – I’m not laughing.”
He turned his horse in a full circle and started off at a gallop for the drawbridge.
“What did he give you, Arnon?” asked MacKay, looking over his brother’s shoulder.
“It looks like a halfpenny, but I didn’t give it to him,” protested Arnon. “And the odd part is, it’s gold.”
“Gold? Let me see that.” Lucio held out his hand, and Arnon passed the coin to him. “This is the work of Hecuba,” said Lucio. “I can feel her poison all over this.”
“Poison? What do you mean?” asked MacKay.
“What I mean is that she is up to something, and we need to stop her before she hurts one of you.”
“Do you think it has anything to do with the book of alchemy she incinerated?” asked Stefan.
“I’m sure it does,” said Lucio, inspecting the coin and then looking up to watch Kin disappearing over the drawbridge. “I’m afraid to say; I think your brother is in danger.”
“It’s just a gold coin,” said MacKay. “Hell, I’d like things around me turning to gold. That’s not a curse! It’s a lucky blessing.”
“It’s just like our golden brother to get a lucky break instead of being turned into a frog,” complained Arnon.
“Or a beast,” added Stefan.
“Or a wolf,” said Wolf.
“Nothing is ever as it seems,” said Lucio in thought. “Didn’t you boys say his chain mail gauntlets turned to gold as well?”
“They did,” said MacKay. “That lucky bastard.”
“Boys, I think we need to keep an eye on Kin.” Lucio’s voice turned solemn. “It looks as if he’s acquired the touch of gold.”
“I’m leaving today to look for Rap. I can’t do it,” said MacKay.
“I just got married and need to stay in Breckenridge and get my army in order,” said Stefan.
“Wolf and Arnon, you two follow in the shadows and keep an eye on Kin, but don’t let him know you’re there,” said Lucio. “If he knows you’re following, he’ll be angry. I’m going to try to find Hecuba and discover once and for all what’s going on.”
“Do we really need to go after Kin?” asked Arnon. “You know he won’t want us there. Besides, our wives are here and will need to get back home.”
“Freya can transport and take Red with her,” said Lucio, talking about Arnon and Wolf’s wives. “And yes, Kin would be angry if he knew we were following him. That’s why you two need to stay hidden. When you find out something, report back to us, and we’ll take it from there. But from what I see already, I think it’s going to get bad. Really bad.”
“I was cursed and turned into a wolf,” complained Arnon. “And then I got cursed a second time and was turned into a frog. But what does our golden brother get as his curse? He gets to turn things into gold. Why can’t the old hag turn him into an ugly buzzard or some such thing so he’ll live through what we’ve had to experience instead of being so damned lucky?”
“Come on, and stop complaining,” said Wolf, directing his brother toward the stables. “At least your curses are gone. Mine might stay with me forever.”
Chapter 7
Olivia and the others traveled a good part of the day, but she and Kin didn’t say more than a few words to each other the entire time. She noticed that Kin seemed distracted and kept looking back over his shoulder. At first, she thought he was checking to make sure her father didn’t try to escape, but when her father and the squire took the lead and he continued to look over his shoulder, she knew it was something else that took his concern.
“I would think you’d look where you’re going instead of where
“Well, I have no weakness, so I’m not going to lose sleep over it.” Kin dug the golden halfpenny out of his pocket and held it up in the air. “I think I have something of yours, Arnon,” he said, tossing it to his brother. “Now don’t try any more pranks with me, because in case you can’t tell – I’m not laughing.”
He turned his horse in a full circle and started off at a gallop for the drawbridge.
“What did he give you, Arnon?” asked MacKay, looking over his brother’s shoulder.
“It looks like a halfpenny, but I didn’t give it to him,” protested Arnon. “And the odd part is, it’s gold.”
“Gold? Let me see that.” Lucio held out his hand, and Arnon passed the coin to him. “This is the work of Hecuba,” said Lucio. “I can feel her poison all over this.”
“Poison? What do you mean?” asked MacKay.
“What I mean is that she is up to something, and we need to stop her before she hurts one of you.”
“Do you think it has anything to do with the book of alchemy she incinerated?” asked Stefan.
“I’m sure it does,” said Lucio, inspecting the coin and then looking up to watch Kin disappearing over the drawbridge. “I’m afraid to say; I think your brother is in danger.”
“It’s just a gold coin,” said MacKay. “Hell, I’d like things around me turning to gold. That’s not a curse! It’s a lucky blessing.”
“It’s just like our golden brother to get a lucky break instead of being turned into a frog,” complained Arnon.
“Or a beast,” added Stefan.
“Or a wolf,” said Wolf.
“Nothing is ever as it seems,” said Lucio in thought. “Didn’t you boys say his chain mail gauntlets turned to gold as well?”
“They did,” said MacKay. “That lucky bastard.”
“Boys, I think we need to keep an eye on Kin.” Lucio’s voice turned solemn. “It looks as if he’s acquired the touch of gold.”
“I’m leaving today to look for Rap. I can’t do it,” said MacKay.
“I just got married and need to stay in Breckenridge and get my army in order,” said Stefan.
“Wolf and Arnon, you two follow in the shadows and keep an eye on Kin, but don’t let him know you’re there,” said Lucio. “If he knows you’re following, he’ll be angry. I’m going to try to find Hecuba and discover once and for all what’s going on.”
“Do we really need to go after Kin?” asked Arnon. “You know he won’t want us there. Besides, our wives are here and will need to get back home.”
“Freya can transport and take Red with her,” said Lucio, talking about Arnon and Wolf’s wives. “And yes, Kin would be angry if he knew we were following him. That’s why you two need to stay hidden. When you find out something, report back to us, and we’ll take it from there. But from what I see already, I think it’s going to get bad. Really bad.”
“I was cursed and turned into a wolf,” complained Arnon. “And then I got cursed a second time and was turned into a frog. But what does our golden brother get as his curse? He gets to turn things into gold. Why can’t the old hag turn him into an ugly buzzard or some such thing so he’ll live through what we’ve had to experience instead of being so damned lucky?”
“Come on, and stop complaining,” said Wolf, directing his brother toward the stables. “At least your curses are gone. Mine might stay with me forever.”
Chapter 7
Olivia and the others traveled a good part of the day, but she and Kin didn’t say more than a few words to each other the entire time. She noticed that Kin seemed distracted and kept looking back over his shoulder. At first, she thought he was checking to make sure her father didn’t try to escape, but when her father and the squire took the lead and he continued to look over his shoulder, she knew it was something else that took his concern.
“I would think you’d look where you’re going instead of where
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