Touch of Gold: (Rumpelstiltskin) (Tangled Tales Series Book 4) (5 page)

Chapter 6

Olivia hurried across the courtyard, holding onto her father’s hand. Watching over her shoulder, she could only hope they hadn’t been spotted. Slipping into the stables, she came to a stop feeling anxiety coursing through her.

“All right. I don’t think we were seen,” she told her father. “Now let’s find two horses and saddle them quickly and ride out of here before anyone notices we’re gone.”

“Olivia, these look like the horses of the nobles,” said her father, surveying the animals. “I think we should take one from somewhere else that won’t be missed as much. I wouldn’t want to be caught stealing one of the de Bar brothers’ horses.” Her father hurried off to the other side of the stable.

“Father, you are ridiculous,” she whispered, talking to herself more than to him. “We’re stealing horses – what difference does it matter which ones we take? I’m taking this one since it’s already saddled.” She pushed open the stall door to one of the biggest horses in the stable. It was white and looked to be robust and sturdy. “Come here boy,” she said, untying the reins, but the horse stubbornly snorted and just stomped its foot without budging.

Kin rolled over in the straw, still dreaming about Olivia. He was standing in the midst of a foggy moor and Olivia called to him from a distance. She held out her hand to him and said
come here boy
, and he went willingly. His hand shot out as he reached for her . . . and hit against something hard. His eyes popped open, and he realized it was just a dream, and he was in the stable. His hand ached from having banged it against the wooden gate to his horse’s stall that was now open for some reason. He’d have to have a talk with his squire about not closing the gate.

Pushing upward to a sitting position, Kin’s bag of coins spilled out into the straw. Feeling sleepy, he picked up a halfpenny and rubbed his eyes, thinking he was still dreaming. The coin wasn’t tarnished and dirty like the rest of the coins, nor was it silver. The one in his palm was bright and shiny and golden in color.

“Arnon,” he mumbled under his breath, remembering his brother telling him he wanted to see him turn wool into gold. It was just like his brothers to paint this coin gold and sneak it into his bag just to tease him. Kin was guilty of doing his share of teasing as well but didn’t like being on this end of it.

He shoved the coins back into the leather pouch, putting the golden halfpenny in his pocket. He had just picked up his gauntlets when Lightning, his mare, snorted and stomped her foot. Something was wrong. She never acted this way unless she was frightened or bothered.

Kin stood up and looked over the top of the gate, not surprised to see Olivia trying to steal his horse. Good thing he slept in the stables, because if he lost his ward – the woman he was supposed to protect and be escorting to Shaftesbury, the baron would have his head.

“What is the matter with you?” Olivia whispered to the horse. “I’ve never seen such a stubborn animal in my life. Now come on boy, we’re going for a little ride whether you like it or not.”

“Mayhap if you stop calling my mare
boy
, she will go with you,” came a voice from behind her. She spun around with the reins still in her hands. To her horror, Kin was blocking the entrance to the stall, leaning lazily on the fence and watching her.

“Lord Kin! How did you get there?”

He moved forward slowly, his eyes fastened to hers. Continuing with what he wanted to say, her question was ignored completely.

“Then again, Lightning is pretty devoted to me, so she probably wouldn’t have gone with you either way. May I?” He held out on hand.

“Fine,” she retorted. After slapping the reins into his palm, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I can see by the straw in your hair that you’ve been sleeping in the stall. Why didn’t you make your presence known when I entered?”

“Why didn’t you stay in the bedchamber and wait for me instead of sneaking out here in the wee hours of the morning trying to steal my horse?” He ran a hand over the horse’s withers, and the horse nuzzled him on the shoulder. He proceeded to lean over and rub his cheek against the horse’s nose. It was obvious to her that he was very fond of his steed.

“I wasn’t here to steal a horse. I knew it was yours and wanted to get an early start, so I came to ready it for you. See?” She splayed her hand forward, pretending she’d saddled the horse for him.

“Really.” He rubbed his hand over the horse’s nose. “I don’t believe that at all, do you, girl?” he asked the animal, and then looked back to Olivia. “My guess is that you don’t even know how to saddle a horse, and that it was my squire who did it, preparing for our journey.”

“It’s the truth. I swear.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the quaver in her voice from telling this lie.

As if on cue, Quaid came from the other side of the stable, dragging her father behind him. “My lord, I found this man trying to steal my horse.”

Kin’s gaze fastened upon her, and there was no mistaking the look of disappointment on his face. She rolled her eyes, shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “All right, so we were trying to escape, but can you blame us? We’re only trying to save our lives.”

“And jeopardize mine in the process,” he said, turning his horse and leading it out of the stall. “I’ve been given a job to escort you and your father to the baron’s castle this morning, and that’s just what I’m going to do.”

“Now?” she asked, stalling for time to think of another escape. “It’s only sunup and much too early to be traveling. Perhaps we can go to the great hall for something to break the fast first.”

“Funny, but you didn’t seem hungry a few minutes ago when you tried to steal my horse. Nay, we’ll leave now and get there all the earlier. Squire, saddle your horse and one for the miller and let’s be on our way.”

“Shall I saddle a steed for the girl as well?” asked Quaid, flashing Olivia a smile.

“Nay,” answered Kin. “Since she seems to like Lightning so much, we’ll ride my mare together.”

“Together?” If she rode with Lord Kin, she’d never have a chance of escaping. Not to mention, their bodies would be pressed close together, and she didn’t want that either. She saw how lusty he was last night, and couldn’t encourage that at all.

Following Kin out of the stable, Olivia was about to object again when he put his hands around her waist and lifted her up into the saddle effortlessly.

“Up you go, my lady.”

“Stop!” she cried, trying to sit in the saddle, but not being able to with her long gown.  “And stop calling me my lady.”

“But I thought that’s what you liked to be called. After all, as soon as you marry the baron, you will be a titled lady.”

“Don’t remind me,” she said, not wanting to marry the man, but it was better than dying. “I need a lady’s saddle if I’m going to ride this horse.”

“You just told me not to call you lady, so I see no reason for a lady’s saddle. Just lift your skirts and straddle the horse with your legs.”

“Lift my skirts?” She couldn’t get past that part, since usually when a man said those words it only meant one thing. And it had nothing to do with riding a horse.

“Like this,” he said pushing her skirts up to her knees and taking hold of her leg. She didn’t wear hose under her skirt since she couldn’t afford them, and his bare hand touched her, skin to skin. The heat exchange between them felt smoldering. “Now spread them,” he said, pushing her other leg over the other side of the horse.

“I don’t like the way you’re telling me to lift my skirts and spread my legs,” she complained. “It sounds like you’re suggesting something else.” In one swift move, he’d pulled himself up atop the horse behind her. His legs were spread, and she was in between them as he wrapped his arms around her. He reached out to take the reins, and his mouth pressed up against her ear.

“When the time comes I suggest you lift your skirts and spread your legs for me for – other purposes, I assure you there will be no misunderstanding. And I promise you will do it quite willingly and not complain. Matter of fact, I’ll bet you’ll even enjoy it.”

His breath against her face tickled her skin, and she found herself excited by the low timbre of his voice rumbling from his chest and against her back as he made his boastful promise. She felt the heat rising in her core as she rode with her legs opened wide, falling back into his protective embrace as he urged the horse to move forward. Suddenly, her thoughts weren’t on the baron or escaping. They were focused on the golden knight sitting behind her. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but his suggestions lodged in her brain and she found herself wondering what it would feel like to make love to Lord Kin de Bar.

Kin rode across the courtyard with his squire and the miller following behind him. The girl kept squirming, and he had to hold her even tighter against his body to ensure she wouldn’t fall off.

He saw his brothers congregating around the front gate as the sentry opened the portcullis for the day. Wondering why his brothers would be up so early, the answer was clear when he saw his father, Lucio de Bar, standing in the center of the group. His father had come from Tavistock, and he was sure he’d used his power of transporting since he didn’t have a horse with him. Since Lucio was a warlock, he was able to dissipate and reappear by magic, just like the old witch, Hecuba.

“Father,” he said as he rode up and stopped in front of the group. “To what do we owe this honor?”

“Kin, come join us,” said Lucio with a quick nod of his head. “We’re discussing Hecuba.”

“Nay. I have a mission from the baron to bring his betrothed and the miller to his castle in Shaftesbury. I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to visit.”

“This isn’t just a friendly visit, Son,” scolded his father. “I think Hecuba is about to curse one of you, and we need to find out who is next.”

“Mayhap it’s MacKay,” said Kin. “After all, he is the likely choice since he hasn’t had a curse yet.”

“It could be you,” said MacKay. “Or haven’t you thought about that?”

Kin chuckled. “She wouldn’t dare curse me. If she tried, it probably wouldn’t stick at all. You all know I’m the lucky one of the family. I have a lucky streak going, and not even the old witch is going to stop it.”

“Shhhh, quiet,” said Lucio, scanning the courtyard with his eyes as he spoke. “She could be anywhere. Boastful talk like that will only stir up trouble.”

“Father, can’t you find a way to stop her?” asked Kin. “I can’t believe she still has Rap, and no one has been able to get her back.” The old witch had stolen their sister, Rapunzel, and they’d yet to find her.

“Hecuba plays with us,” said Wolf. “She knows all our weaknesses, and strikes at the time that 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.”