Armored Hearts - By Melissa Turner Lee Page 0,8

He scrambled to his feet, snatched his cap, and sprinted down the lane.

“I said, PUT. THEM. BACK.” Gareth’s voice echoed through the suit, and he wondered if it boomed as loud outside of it.

The stocky boy holding the tools shook his head vigorously and whimpered. His wide eyes shone in the moonlight, and he suddenly looked younger than Gareth had thought at first. In desperation, the boy tried handing the bundle to the frozen boy, but they fell at his feet. With a cry of frustration, he picked the tools back up and tried to give them to the boy again, but they fell once more. He shrugged and bolted after the first boy.

Blinking hard, the frozen one seemed to realize he stood alone. His nose crinkled, joining the freckles, and his eyes looked black. He backed away, picking up speed with each step. He stepped into an irrigation ditch on the side of the road and fell into the mud. His dark eyes never left Gareth as he fumbled to his feet and started running backwards again. He fell twice more.

Gareth rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Oh, at least turn around and watch where you’re going.”

The boy nodded in agreement, eyes still wide. “Yes, right.” And then took the advice by turning and tearing after his friends. The boy’s backside was covered in brown mud, and Gareth chuckled.

He glanced at the scattered tools at his feet and considered picking them up. The armor would rattle and bump into something and probably get him caught. He shook his head. That would never do. At least the owner would find them in his yard and not gone.

***

When Gareth got home, he flew to Tabitha’s balcony instead of his own. The orange cat sat on the balcony, looking out as if waiting for him. It followed him into Tabitha’s room where his aunt lay on her bed with a book. The mutt was tucked into her side. She glanced up when he pushed open her doors.

“Did you find anything?” She jumped up and ran to him.

“Yes. I stopped some boys from taking tools at the Martin place.”

“Did they see you? Did you have to fight them?”

Gareth placed the helmet on a table in the corner and began removing the rest. The cool air licked the sweat away and made him feel instant relief. “Yes, they saw me, but I didn’t have to fight them.”

Tabitha helped him out of the armor. “I bet they were scared to death when they saw you.”

Gareth laughed. “They were. All three of them ran.”

“Still, be careful. At some point, someone’s going to challenge you with either a fist or a gun. Not everyone will run from a flying knight.”

“I have my sword. Now that I have a reason to learn fencing, I’ll take my practice with Mr. Strong seriously.”

He caught the blue stone as it fell from his waistcoat when he bent to pull off a metal legging. His eyes darted to Tabitha who didn’t seem to notice his secret treasure. The blue stone had lost the smell of flowers long ago, but it had become his good luck charm whenever he flew out. Now he needed that sort of thing more than ever before.

***

Gareth wheeled himself to Mr. Strong’s a half hour earlier than usual. He wanted to work more with the sword. He had pushed his way up the ramp to the door of Strong’s cottage when Sarah came out, tugging her cardigan over her arms.

“Oh, Lord Smyth!” Sarah’s worried green eyes were huge before she dropped her gaze to her rumpled skirt and began smoothing out the wrinkles. Her hands fluttered to her long red hair. It hung loose about her shoulders which was uncommon. She pulled pins from it and stuck them in her teeth before scooping her hair up with both hands, twisting it into a hasty bun and fastening it with the pins from her mouth. “Yer early.”

Gareth narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Sarah blinked several times as she bit her lip. “I came to deliver some laundry to Mr. Strong and tidy up a bit.”

Gareth narrowed his eyes. “You’re working for Mr. Strong, too?”

“Well, after yer grandfather had to cut me pay…”

Heat rose to Gareth’s cheeks. Talking about the family’s financial problems wasn’t polite. “Yes, well, I came early to work on some numbers a little more.”

“Numbers? Yes. Well. Have at it. I’ll see ye later at yer grandfather’s. Best knock before entering, since yer early.” Sarah turned