Page 25 of Blood and Roses

"Super. I had a great night's sleep. All keen to get into it." She hurried up the stairs in the passageways, doing her best not to hear any voices in the hallways. She checked both ways for any Vanes before hurrying out and down to the ballroom. Cecily was clearing dishes off the tables and placing them into a large plastic tub.

"Morning Rosa," she said and smiled nervously when Rosa kissed her cheek. "You're in a good mood."

"Ready for the day," she reassured. "Here, let me fix your collar." Rosa pretended to be straightening her hair from under her dress as she searched for a bite mark. There was nothing, just the light shade of a bruise. "What's on the agenda today?"

"We need to clean this ballroom of last night's party, then start plans on how we are going to decorate it for the ball in a few weeks."

"A ball! I didn't think people still had those, even rich people." Rosa took the tub from her, walking behind Cecily as she filled it. They stacked them neatly near the doors so that the other servants could collect them for cleaning.

Cecily asked her about London, studying, her friends, and life in general. Rosa tried to be open for once and not angry with her. She remembered loving her mother when she was a child. She used to be like her shadow and never wanted to be apart from her. That was what made the betrayal of being sent away so much worse.What had happened after Dad had died?If the trip to Gwaed Lyn provided her with nothing else, that was the one question she wanted an answer to.

Cecily looked around the ballroom with a worried frown. "We really need to start on decorating this week. Eli has very strong ideas about how he wants things and has been ordering all sorts of decorations without asking Mr. Goode. The old man is used to it, but he is still flustered."

"The theme?" Rosa asked as she started folding up the soiled tablecloths.

"The Winter Solstice of course. Ysbrydnos, when the spirits are meant to be walking."

"How very dramatic. They would want to be careful that monsters don't turn up for the party."

"Perhaps they are hoping that they do," Pearl said as she leaned against the doorframe. She was in a hand painted silk robe, her hair mussed and her makeup still on.

"Can I assist you with something, Lady Pearl?" Cecily asked.

"You stay here and keep an eye on the clean-up. I can help Pearl," Rosa said quickly. She didn't want that woman anywhere near her mother.

"I was looking for you anyway, Rosa. Grab those cloths. You will need them," Pearl said with a bored flick of her hand. Rosa hurried to oblige her and went after her in the hall.

"Some of the guests got into the attic last night and made a mess. I need you to go up there and sort it out," Pearl instructed as she led Rosa to a large, heavy oak door.

"I should get someone to help me if it's such a mess," Rosa pointed out. The door was heavily carved with leaves, swords, and other motifs. It did not look like the door to a set of attic stairs.

Pearl gripped her shoulder with one hand and lifted her chin with the other. As she did, Lily's face appeared around the hall.

"What are you doing, Pearl?" she whispered tersely. "I told you that the Wylt girl was off limits. Do you want Eli to destroy you?"

"Stop being so dramatic, Lily. I haven't harmed her. I'm sending her upstairs to clean. It's a frightful mess up there." Pearl focused back on Rosa. "Go on, Rosa, use your special keys and open the door. I want you to do as I say and go up the stairs. You are to touch and clean everything, and when I ask in a few days' time what was up there, you will tell me."

"Yes, Lady Pearl," Rosa said shakily, doing her best to emulate Cecily's tone from the night before. "Is there anything else, Lady Pearl?"

"Yes. You are to forget that you ever saw Lady Lily and me. If you are questioned about why you went up there, just say it was to help with the cleaning. That's all. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Lady Pearl."

"Good. Now off you go." She gave Rosa a hard shove towards the door. "Do what you do best and clean away."

Rosa fumbled for her father's keys until she found the right one and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and hesitantly stepped inside. As she closed it, she saw Pearl wrap an arm around Lily, leading her away.

Rosa took out the silver pendant and kissed it.Those evil bitches, she thought as she tucked it away again.Let them think she was their puppet. She would show them. She looked at the twisting staircase. Whatever was up there couldn't be as frightening as they were.

Pearl curledherself around Lily's back, holding her tightly. Lily was the only woman she had ever met that had suffered as badly as she had at the hands of men. The stories of the brutal times Lily had been born in, the violence she had seen during the Siege of Jerusalem, was enough to make Pearl weep. Lily had saved her just as Eli had saved Lily. Pearl scratched at the burn scars at the top of her thigh. Circular little marks that taunted her like a phantom limb.

I'll teach you to smile at all those fancy people you sing for, Pete's voice rose up in the back of her memory like a mocking ghost.No one will think you're pretty now, will they, you little tramp. He had gotten his friends to hold her down while he had burned her with his cigarettes. Perfect little circles.

When Lily had found her behind the block of flats, she had been vomiting up blood from the beating that they had given her. Her avenging angel had torn through them like sacks of meat. Her fierce Lily.

Pearl stopped rubbing the scars and hugged Lily tighter. She had healed from the beating, and it wasn't long after that Lily had changed her, but those damn scars from her old life were still there to haunt her. Pearl had once cut them off with a scalpel, but her new abilities had healed her skin back to the way it had been when she had turned. Lily had kissed them, told her how perfect and beautiful she was. That scars were a part of her beauty. Lily had her own collection of scars made by her oppressors.

Pearl didn't like the way Eli bossed them both around. She had given up trying to get Lily to leave them. She said she wanted to overthrow Eli and Balthasar, but she loved both men far too much. It was up to Pearl to make the hard decisions because Lily needed her to. She rubbed her scars absently as her mind ticked over. Perfect little circles.

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