Quest's End: The Broken Key #3 Read Online Free PDF Page B

four stalls of the small stable. Two of the other three stalls were already occupied.
    Leaving the saddle and tack on his horse as he didn’t figure to be there long, Chad was soon heading to the door at the back of the townhouse. It opened as he was leaving the stable and Alicia appeared, silhouetted by the light coming from inside the house. When she saw him, she hurried from the doorway and met him.
    “I’m so glad you came,” she said as she wrapped him in her arms.
    Chad returned the hug. “It’s hard to stay away from you,” he replied. She turned her head to press her lips to his. Chad was about to complete the maneuver when he saw a shadow obscure the light coming through the doorway. He stopped short of meeting her lips when he saw her little sister Erin standing there watching them. The last thing he wanted was for Alicia to get into trouble on his account.
    “What?” she asked when he failed to meet her lips.
    “Erin’s watching,” he said.
    Alicia glanced back and saw her in the doorway. Then she turned back, grabbed his head and pressed her lips to his.
    “Mama!” they heard Erin cry as she turned and raced back into the house. “Alicia and Chad are….”
    After almost a full minute, Chad broke off the kiss. Chuckling in spite of himself, he snaked an arm around her waist and they headed for the doorway.
    “My employer is leaving in the morning,” he said to her as they entered the house. He saw a tightening around her eyes as she closed the door.
    “Are you leaving too?” she asked.
    “We all are,” he explained.
    “For how long?” she asked.
    “I don’t know,” he replied. “May not be back until spring.”
    “Spring?” she exclaimed unhappily.
    He nodded. “At least I was able to come tonight to say goodbye,” he stated.
    She turned back to him and wrapped him in her arms. Laying her head on his chest just below the chin, she stood there silently and held him.
    “Ahem.”
    They turned to see her father standing there at the entrance to the front room. “Nice to see you again Chad,” he said.
    “You too sir,” he replied. Disengaging himself from Alicia’s embrace, he was a little red faced due to the embarrassment of being caught.
    “Chad’s leaving in the morning,” Alicia said to her father. The tone of her voice indicated she wasn’t too thrilled by the news.
    Chad nodded. “That’s right sir,” he said. “I was able to come by tonight to tell Alicia goodbye, and to tell you what my employer thought about the wine.”
    Her father’s eyes lit up as he brought them into the front room and took his seat by the fire. Erin was standing off to the side watching Chad and Alicia as little sisters do. “And?” he asked.
    “Well sir, he thought that if alcohol didn’t have too great a presence, other magic users may find it acceptable,” he replied.
    He spent over an hour visiting with Alicia and her family, most of it being spent on the couch with Alicia sitting next to him. When it came time for him to go, Alicia broke into tears as she accompanied him to the stable.
    She handed him a lavender scarf bearing an embroidered rose. “Don’t forget me.” she said.
    He tucked the scarf into one of the breast pockets of his jacket. “You needn’t worry about that,” he replied. “There’s no way I could forget you.” Then with her on his arm, he led his horse from the stable.
    Her parents were standing at the back door with Erin between them. Despite the onlookers, he wrapped Alicia in a warm embrace and kissed her goodbye. From the doorway he heard her sister say “Oooooh…” before her mother shushed her. When the embrace ended, Alicia’s eyes were moist with unshed tears. “Hey, I’ll be back,” he assured her.
    She nodded as the first tear began to fall.
    He gave her another quick kiss then climbed into the saddle. “I’ll see you when I return.”
    “Goodbye,” Alicia said as he started to ride away. He could see the tears beginning to form in her