Page 29 of Blood and Roses

"I was instructed by your damn sister and Pearl to clean your stupid attic. That's what I was doing up there! I didn't know it was your private chambers. God, what did you think I was doing up there? Stalking you? I hate to break it to you, but I have already gone through my entitled jerk stage. You missed out. Damn Vanes!" she exclaimed, unable to stop the drunken rant now that she was started. "It doesn't matter anyway. What the hell do I care if you are pissed off at me? It's not like we are even friends. Go back to your attic, Bertha, and leave me alone."

"I came to find you to apologize, Rosa," he said as he matched her strides. "Are you going to let me or are you going to keep yelling at me."

"I'm not yelling. I'm exclaiming my opinion at you in a loud and extravagant manner. And why would you want to apologize? I'm a servant, remember? I'm a member of the Vane's personal servant family that is forever indebted to you for who knows what reason. Other people get to choose what they do with their life. I get to be your servant. Lucky me. Guess what? I neverchoseto come back here. I didn't choose to be born a Wylt. My mother doesn't choose to be fed on by Pearl, but hey, she's a Wylt. It doesn't?—"

Balthasar grabbed her by the shoulders. There was a rush of wind, and suddenly she was standing with her back against her front door. It didn't even feel like she had moved. She was just there. She swayed uncertainly and swallowed forcefully to keep the wine down.

"What did you just say?" he demanded, his arms braced against the door around her. She hadn't realized how tall he was before, and she fought the urge to cower.

"Pearl has been feeding on Cecily. That's why she is always sick. I watched her do it last night," Rosa mumbled, and she fought the tears that were burning behind her eyes.

"Why didn't you come to me about it?"

"You say that like you're approachable! What could I have said? Your anorexic blood-sucking pal has my mother for dinner? How did I know that you weren't in on it?"

"I wouldneverhurt any of the Wylts! It is one of the few rules Eli has for us all. I promise you, Rosa, Pearl will not touch your mother ever again. If Eli knew about this, he would kill her, and that would break Lily's heart. My sister isn't so bad, but she has poor taste in women and is easily misled by them."

"I don't care about Lily's taste in women. Just keep her and Pearl away from my mother."

"I will. Whether you are willing to accept it or not, I do apologize for my outburst today. It was uncalled for, and you didn't deserve it. I am not..." he paused, trying to find the right words. "I'm not used to having people invade my privacy."

"I didn't know it was your attic, otherwise I wouldn't have gone up there. I don't even like you. I don't want to be near you," she said looking up at him defiantly.You are such a liar, Rosa Wylt. She tried staring him down, but curiosity got the better of her. "Did you really paint all of those pictures?"

"Yes."

"And the ones in the house?"

"Many of them."

"Oh."

"Oh? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Rosa sniffed, which was a mistake because now all she could smell was his aftershave. "I like them, that's all."

"Is this your way of saying that you forgive my outburst and accept my apology?" he frowned uncertainly.

"I'll think about it."Rosa, are you flirting with a Vane right now?She backed up in surprise, hitting her head on the door behind her. Amusement sparked in his eyes, and for a moment, he was animated and relaxed. It was gone so quickly that Rosa thought her drunken mind had imagined it.

"You are taking it strangely well after discovering our true natures."

"It's not like I'm the first Wylt to find out. They like writing, you know?" Rosa blurted out loudly. "Sarah Ann in 1760 was saved from dying of consumption by Eli. She wrote all about it. Richard Wylt, 1902, was found on a London street, was educated, and knew what Eli was from the age of ten. That's just the ones I remember. If they could handle it, I suppose I can, though why they got to find out about it while I was shipped off is anyone's bloody guess. I was terrified last night, but wine is great for fixing stuff like that. It's not like I have a choice but to take the Vanes as they are. I certainly won't give you the satisfaction of being afraid of you."

"I don't want you to be afraid of me," Balthasar said gently.

"You should have thought about that before you went off your bat shit crazy head at me. Now, are you going to stand there looming over me all night or are you going to let me go to bed?" she demanded.

His arms were still on either side of her, a strangely intense look on his face. For a brief, terrifying moment she wonderedif he was going to kiss her. Then he pulled his hands away and stepped back.

"I didn't realize. I apologize."

Rosa kicked the mat and bent down to retrieve her key. "You seem to really enjoy apologizing." She fumbled the key in the lock.

"I don't actually. I hate it," he said as steadied her hand with his so she could fit the iron blade into the door. "But I hate more knowing I have upset you."

"Because I am a Wylt, right?" she asked as she opened the door and walked inside.

"No. I have upset plenty of Wylts. It's because you are you."

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