Page 13 of Henry & the Dragon
He turned to leave, when Kai grabbed his arm. “Wait.” He held out the tunic his mother had given him. She’d taken the blackest cloth she could find, and on it she’d placed nine shimmering stars in a circle. Then she’d trimmed the edges with a golden thread. It had been incredibly expensive, but when he explained to his mother why he’d given it to Henry, she would understand. It was far warmer than the thin fabric Henry wore, and would hopefully bring him comfort, especially on cold days. “Please, take this.”
“No, that belongs to you.”
“And I would love to gift it to you. Please, Henry. Allow me this.”
He held it out, then draped it over Henry’s shoulders.
“But what about you?” Henry asked, obviously concerned.
Kai smiled. “I don’t feel the weather like one as skinny as you,” he teased as he stroked his fingers over Henry’s ribs.
“I am not skinny!” Henry blustered, his indignation being delightfully adorable.
But he was mistaken. Henry was far too slim for him to be healthy. “Take my cloak and pendant, dearest Henry. Let them warm you as if I held you.”
Henry sighed. “Very well. I shall take the cloak, but you must keep the pendant. It looks too valuable to give away.”
“’Tis but a thing of metal. It can be replaced when I return home.”
“I’ve never seen its equal,” Henry whispered, tracing a finger over the scrollwork. “It’s simply beautiful.”
“Then take it.”
“No. Under no circumstances would I take it from you. I shouldn’t even agree to taking the cloak.”
“And yet you will, because it will make me happy knowing something of mine warms you.”
Henry smiled and Kai melted. “I thank you. I will take it, but will also return it when I’m able.”
“Worry not. It is a gift to you from me.”
One more kiss, and Henry turned, grabbed the basket of moss, and hurried toward town, and Kai knew Henry was taking his heart with him.
Chapter 5
“Where did you get that cloak?” Neron demanded only a moment after Henry stepped into the shop. He didn’t seem to care about the laden basket in Henry’s hands.
“It was a gift from a friend.”
Neron reached out a wrinkled hand and and fondled the fabric, roughly tugging at it. “No friend would gift you with something like this.” He sneered. “You stole it, didn’t you?”
“No, I don’t steal,” Henry snapped, pulling away from Neron’s clutching fingers. “It was given to me by a friend, as I said.”
Neron raised a fist, and Henry feared he was about to be struck again, but then he stopped and held out his hand. “Give it to me.”
Henry wrapped his arms around himself, holding tight to the garment. “No, Kai gave it—“ He stopped when he realized he’d uttered Kai’s name.
Of course, Neron didn’t miss it. His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to Henry. “Who is Kai?”
“A friend I met near the woods. He’s a wanderer, and has traveled the world over. He has seen sights that I could only imagine.”
“You’re lying!”
“I’m not,” Henry insisted.
“Then you’ll bring this Kai to me.” Neron crossed his thick arms over his chest. “I must be certain he poses no threat to my apprentice.”
It was a lie, Henry was certain, so he felt no qualms about doing the same. “He may have already left.”
