Read Online Redheart (Leland Dragon Series) by Jackie Gamber - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jackie Gamber
Ads: Link
something dropped to the ground. He realized her lap was full of greenery. “What’s that?”
“Rosemary.” She offered a fistful.
Kallon stretched his nose toward her hand. The rosemary smelled of the forest, only sweeter, and of the rain, only warmer. It was this that masked her scent. “Why are you here?” he asked.
“I was too far from home when it started getting dark.”
“So?”
“I didn’t want to be in the woods at night.”
“Why not?”
“Because…well, because the dark frightens me.”
“Don’t I frighten you?”
She swallowed hard. She nibbled her bottom lip. Then she gave a tiny nod. “Yes. But not as much as the dark.”
“Were you followed?”
“No. I don’t think so. No one knows where I am.”
“Good.” He watched her wrap a sprig of rosemary around her finger. Then he pulled back into the cave. “Should have gone home. You can’t stay.”
“Wait!” Her scuffling feet followed him. “I won’t make a sound. You won’t even know I’m here.”
“I already know you’re here.”
“Well, you’ll forget I’m here, then.”
“Was in the middle of something important.” He was still in a sour mood, and eager to get back to feeling sorry for himself.
“Is it something I can help with?” she asked. “I can help you with what you were doing, and you can help me by letting me stay. Like friends do for each other.”
Kallon swiveled his head, and frowned into her pale face. “I am not your friend.”
She stiffened. Her emerald skirt, tucked up into a makeshift basket, slipped from her fingers, and rosemary sprigs dropped to the floor. She blinked at them, and sniffled. Then she sighed, and knelt to scoop them back up.
Something about her silence made him realize that his words had somehow hurt her. He shouldn’t care about that, and didn’t want to care. But inside his head, a voice nagged at him to apologize. Apologize for what? What had he done, except be honest? He wasn’t her friend, and wouldn’t be her friend, and didn’t want her company!
So why did he feel as though he ought to say something nice? Maybe she was like Orman. Maybe she could read his thoughts and could tug at his feelings. “Stop doing that,” he said, suddenly angry.
She paused in reaching for the last piece of rosemary. She withdrew her hand. “Not that!” he said.
“What, then?” She stared up at him with frightened eyes.
Her expression sent him over the edge. “That!”
He snorted at her. Rosemary fronds shot from her lap as she scuffled backward in the dust like a shiny green beetle. He turned his back to her. “Just leave me alone. I want to be alone.”
“Please, Kallon, I won’t make a sound. I won’t even breathe. Just don’t send me out into the dark.”
“…please.”
The second plea came as a whisper. His scales bristled as he spun around to stare into the human’s face. That second sound was not her voice. It was someone else’s. A voice he recognized. “Why do you do this?”
The human hunched against the wall. “Kallon, you’re scaring me!”
“…scaring me.”
Again came the whisper of a third voice. From the girl’s hand. “Open your fist,” he said, more anxious now than angry.
“What?”
“Open it!” He grasped her tiny hand and forced open her fingers. She held the linking stone. It had whispered, twice, in his mother’s voice. “Wha-? How?” he tried to ask.
The girl stared down at the purple crystal as though seeing it for the first time. “What is that? What did I do?” She looked from his face back to the crystal. “It must have been on the floor. I don’t remember picking it up.”
Kallon suddenly felt too exhausted to hold himself up. He lumbered back a few steps, but the stone held his gaze. He was transfixed.
“Kallon? What is it? What’s happening?” The girl threw the crystal with all the disgust of tossing a squashed bug.
When the crystal hit the floor, Kallon’s mind returned, along with his anger. He
“Rosemary.” She offered a fistful.
Kallon stretched his nose toward her hand. The rosemary smelled of the forest, only sweeter, and of the rain, only warmer. It was this that masked her scent. “Why are you here?” he asked.
“I was too far from home when it started getting dark.”
“So?”
“I didn’t want to be in the woods at night.”
“Why not?”
“Because…well, because the dark frightens me.”
“Don’t I frighten you?”
She swallowed hard. She nibbled her bottom lip. Then she gave a tiny nod. “Yes. But not as much as the dark.”
“Were you followed?”
“No. I don’t think so. No one knows where I am.”
“Good.” He watched her wrap a sprig of rosemary around her finger. Then he pulled back into the cave. “Should have gone home. You can’t stay.”
“Wait!” Her scuffling feet followed him. “I won’t make a sound. You won’t even know I’m here.”
“I already know you’re here.”
“Well, you’ll forget I’m here, then.”
“Was in the middle of something important.” He was still in a sour mood, and eager to get back to feeling sorry for himself.
“Is it something I can help with?” she asked. “I can help you with what you were doing, and you can help me by letting me stay. Like friends do for each other.”
Kallon swiveled his head, and frowned into her pale face. “I am not your friend.”
She stiffened. Her emerald skirt, tucked up into a makeshift basket, slipped from her fingers, and rosemary sprigs dropped to the floor. She blinked at them, and sniffled. Then she sighed, and knelt to scoop them back up.
Something about her silence made him realize that his words had somehow hurt her. He shouldn’t care about that, and didn’t want to care. But inside his head, a voice nagged at him to apologize. Apologize for what? What had he done, except be honest? He wasn’t her friend, and wouldn’t be her friend, and didn’t want her company!
So why did he feel as though he ought to say something nice? Maybe she was like Orman. Maybe she could read his thoughts and could tug at his feelings. “Stop doing that,” he said, suddenly angry.
She paused in reaching for the last piece of rosemary. She withdrew her hand. “Not that!” he said.
“What, then?” She stared up at him with frightened eyes.
Her expression sent him over the edge. “That!”
He snorted at her. Rosemary fronds shot from her lap as she scuffled backward in the dust like a shiny green beetle. He turned his back to her. “Just leave me alone. I want to be alone.”
“Please, Kallon, I won’t make a sound. I won’t even breathe. Just don’t send me out into the dark.”
“…please.”
The second plea came as a whisper. His scales bristled as he spun around to stare into the human’s face. That second sound was not her voice. It was someone else’s. A voice he recognized. “Why do you do this?”
The human hunched against the wall. “Kallon, you’re scaring me!”
“…scaring me.”
Again came the whisper of a third voice. From the girl’s hand. “Open your fist,” he said, more anxious now than angry.
“What?”
“Open it!” He grasped her tiny hand and forced open her fingers. She held the linking stone. It had whispered, twice, in his mother’s voice. “Wha-? How?” he tried to ask.
The girl stared down at the purple crystal as though seeing it for the first time. “What is that? What did I do?” She looked from his face back to the crystal. “It must have been on the floor. I don’t remember picking it up.”
Kallon suddenly felt too exhausted to hold himself up. He lumbered back a few steps, but the stone held his gaze. He was transfixed.
“Kallon? What is it? What’s happening?” The girl threw the crystal with all the disgust of tossing a squashed bug.
When the crystal hit the floor, Kallon’s mind returned, along with his anger. He
Similar Books
