Free Touch of Gold: (Rumpelstiltskin) (Tangled Tales Series Book 4) by Elizabeth Rose Page A

escape and ruin my plans.”
    “Oh, I understand,” said the squire. “And what are your plans to help her, if I may ask?”
    Kin wavered again, and took a step around the squire, then stopped and laid his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Hell if I know. If I could just stop feeling like I’m going to fall over, mayhap I’d be able to think straight. Help me to my solar, Squire.”
    “Aye, my lord,” said the squire, guiding Kin across the great hall and up the stairs. “Your room is the one right next to Lady Olivia’s. I’ll be sharing it with you.”
    “She’s not a lady,” said Kin, making his way to the room. He stumbled inside and Quaid closed the door behind them. “But I would like to change all that.” Kin collapsed on the bed, and Quaid started pulling off one of Kin’s boots.
    “How so?” asked Quaid. “Do you mean you want her to marry the baron?”
    “Nay, you simpleton,” said Kin, pushing the squire away and sitting up to take his other boot off by himself. His head felt light and his heart heavy. “I want her for myself.”
    “I don’t think the baron’s going to like that,” said Quaid.
    “Nay, I don’t imagine he will.” Frustrated, Kin pulled off his other boot, thinking it felt very heavy. Perhaps he was in worse shape than he thought. He threw the boot to the ground and his squire jumped out of the way when it landed at his feet with a loud thump.
    “My lord!”
    “Sorry about that,” said Kin, lying down on the bed fully clothed. “I wasn’t aiming for you.”
    “I think you’d better have a look at your boot, my lord.”
    “What the hell are you babbling about, Squire?” Kin’s head fell back on the pillow and his eyes closed. “I can’t think up a plan to save the girl when you’re rambling on like that.”
    “You might not have to think too hard, Lord Kin.”
    “What are you talking about?” He let out an exasperated release of breath.
    “I think you’ll be able to help the girl after all . . . by spinning the wool into gold for her.”
    “Huh?” Kin opened his eyes to see his squire looking down at the floor. He sat up and his gaze followed to where the boy pointed. His eyes opened wide when he saw his boot on the floor . . . his solid gold boot!

Chapter 10
     
     
    Kin touched item after item, having stayed awake all night long, trying to figure out how the curse worked. There was no doubt in his mind after last night’s incident with his boot that Hecuba had indeed cursed him. He just wasn’t sure if the curse was working or not.
    “Quaid, wake up,” he said, shoving the boy and sending him falling from the chair to the floor. The boy landed on the ground right next to the gold boot. He slowly opened one eye and then the other, and spoke without getting up off the ground.
    “I’m still here m’lord. I haven’t turned to gold yet.”
    “I wasn’t trying to turn you to gold, now get up off the floor and try to help me figure this out,” he growled.
    “Aye, my lord. Did you want me to put your other boot on and take it off again and see if we can make that one turn to gold too?”
    “Nay,” said Kin, pacing the floor barefooted. “We’ve tried that a dozen times already. It must just be at certain times when the curse manifests itself. If only I knew when.”
    “How about I go get you some more ale? Mayhap that’ll help you think,” suggested Quaid.
    “Mayhap you should go find me another pair of boots before I throw the gold one at you. Now go!”
    “Aye, milord.” His squire was just opening the door when Kin had a thought.
    “Wait!” he stopped him. “I think you might have something there.”
    “What do you mean?” asked Quaid, closing the door.
    “The first time it happened, I was determined and angry. Hecuba tried to get the book of alchemy from me, and I didn’t want her to have it.”
    “That’s when your mail gauntlets turned to gold,” said Quaid with a nod of his head. “So what does it mean?”
    “Hell if I