Scarlet From Gold (Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

whisper.
    “I don’t know,” Marco said softly.  His eyes met hers, then looked at the knife in his hand, then looked down at the sword on his hip, then moved back to looking at Reva.   He didn’t feel as if he had done anything himself.  He felt as though someone or something had used his body to intervene and prevent the tragic accident from happening.
    “How in crickets is that possible?  I didn’t even see your hands move,” Eric spoke from beneath Reva.  The girl looked down at him, then rose from atop him.
    “How is your hand?  Let me see it,” she ordered the boy.
    “Marco, come over here,” Dex’s voice called out from where a group of older men sat comfortably on benches and leaned against the walls behind them.
    Marco looked over, then opened his fingers and let the knife fall to the ground, before he turned and walked away from the dramatic scene.
    He stopped after three steps.  “Don’t get drunk, and don’t ever push that girl again,” he said as he looked back at Eric, and pointed his right hand at the drunkard; he felt a vibration in his hand, and Eric seemed to flinch.  Without waiting for a reply, he headed on towards where Dex and Pivot and several local men sat.  He could see all pairs of eyes reflecting the light of the bonfire flames as they studied his approach.
    “That was a nice touch at the end,” Pivot told him.  “Here, have a seat,” he scooted aside on the bench, making room for Marco to sit down between his two pilgrim companions.
    “Well, that was an unexpected show,” Dex said.
    “I missed it.  What exactly happened?” Pivot asked from his other side.
    “It was like the sword was in control of the situation,” Marco said softly.  “I just happened to be there, and the sword made my hand pull it out.  I didn’t know it was going to happen; I was there and I was mad, and then all the sudden I was knocking the knife away.”
    “Uh oh,” Dex whispered.
    Marco looked where Dex was staring, and saw Reba walking towards them, Eric following timidly several steps behind.
    “Thank you,” Reba said as she came to a stop directly in front of Marco and the men on the bench.  “I believe Eric will take your words to heart; he seems like a different man – your command has made a difference.”
    “Thank you, my lord,” Eric echoed from his spot directly behind her shoulder.
    “I’m not a lord,” Marco protested.  “And I hope you’ll treat her the way a gentleman should treat a lady.
    “And I hope your wrist isn’t too badly injured.  If you take those flowers from Reba’s necklace and boil them in a little bit of water, then add some whipped up egg yolk, and bandage it on the injury, it’s heal in no time,” Marco advised.
    “Thank you my lord,” Eric repeated.
    “We’ll go try that right now.  Thank you,” Reba said.  She reached out and took Eric’s good hand in hers, and the pair disappeared into the night time darkness.
    There were several moments of hushed whispering among the men.
    “Was that true?” a voice asked.
    “What?” Marco asked.
    “The flowers and the eggs and the injury?” the voice repeated.
    “Oh yes, absolutely,” Marco said.  “It would work even better if they ground up one of those crystals, and powdered a shell, but I didn’t want to make it too complicated for them to fix quickly.”
    The bench was silent, as the band of musicians on the other side of the square began to play dancing music again, with the drama seeming to have ended.  Marco looked, and realized that everyone on the bench was staring at him, scrutinizing him intently.
    “How do you know that?” Dex asked.
    “I’m an alchemist,” Marco answered, as the word floated into his consciousness.
    “Really?  You know that?  You know what your job is?” Pivot asked.
    “No,” Marco answered.  “Well, yes, in a way.  I don’t know, but I know that wound will heal,” Marco asserted.  “I know one thing more than any other, most