The Balborite Curse (Book 4) by Kristian Alva

I bring you anything from the south?”
    Sela was taken aback by the request. “Well, sure… on your way back, pick a few of those giant cactus flowers for me, if they’re still in bloom when you return. The large purple ones only grow in the south. I used to gather them for my chambers, and I miss the perfume of those desert blooms.” Tallin glanced over at her, thinking that perhaps she might be jesting with such a frivolous request, but she was not.
    Sela stepped back from the wall and tripped on the cobblestones, still slippery from the previous night’s rain. Tallin grabbed her arm to steady her. Sela lifted her head and their eyes met. Despite her scars, Sela was still a very attractive woman, and the magic that bound her to Brinsop kept her looking young. The years had not touched her.
    Their brief contact made his heart pound. He suppressed the urge to tuck a loose strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear.
    Sela felt the heat of Tallin’s hands, and her breath caught in her throat. Then it came—a blush, and her face grew hot. She wanted to look away, but she felt transfixed. It had been years since she had known the touch of a man, and a sudden stab of longing came to her unbidden. Tallin leaned his head down but heard a sound at the doorway and pulled away.
    “Good day sir. Your dragon has been fed and groomed as you wished,” said the stable manager, “and your saddlebags have been stocked with provisions for your journey.”
    Tallin nodded at him. “Thank you, Jenebran.” He dismissed the man with a wave of his hand.
    Sela pulled her arm away abruptly, unable to bear his touch another instant. She was shaking with the rush of emotion. “I should go,” she said breathlessly. Then she turned and fled, the heels of her boots clicking over the stone floor. She left Tallin alone on the rooftop, leaving him to stare after her in shock.
    ***
    Hours later, Tallin and Duskeye met in his private chambers to prepare for the long journey. Tallin put his unease to the back of his mind and finished packing his belongings, intent on leaving Parthos before nightfall. He tightened the straps on Duskeye’s new saddle, which was larger and designed for long distance travel.
    "Ouch!" said Duskeye, squirming and scratching at the straps. " Have a care, Tallin! That iron frame is biting into my side."
    “Sorry, chum,” said Tallin. “This saddle is heavier than your usual one. I need to make sure the straps are secure, otherwise I might go tumbling down onto the dunes, and you’ll be searching for a new partner.”
    As they were getting ready to leave, Sela entered his room carrying a tray of honeyed seedcakes. “Here, put these in your bags. They’re fresh from the palace bakery.” Her expression was cool, her face unreadable.
    “Thank you,” he said, with a slight nod. He cleared his throat and looked out the window briefly before meeting her eyes again. “When shall the other dragon riders return?”
    “I’ve called them all back. Elias and Nydeired should arrive in a few days. Galti and Holf are in Redmoor, visiting their grandfather. They will take longer to return. Elias has been working in Highmill since last summer, helping the workers in the copper mines.”
    Tallin remembered his old friend—since becoming a dragon rider five years ago, Elias had matured into a powerful spellcaster, choosing to focus almost exclusively on the healing arts. It was an unusual choice for a male spellcaster, but he was now the most sought-after healer on the continent. “It’s his nature. He’d turn down the king himself in order to continue working with the poor. ”
    “Elias prefers hopeless causes,” she said. “He insisted on this assignment, you know. While I respect his motives, I question his judgment—he has noble intentions, but his gifts are being wasted. Elias spends his days and nights healing diseased lungs and shattered bones, only to see the same men return to the copper mines the next day.