Page 34 of Blood and Roses

"You stupid, stupid girl!"Lily exclaimed as they rode back into the parklands. "What has gotten into your head?"

"She was rude to us. I didn't like her tone. You want to hurt Balthasar. This is how you weaken him!"

They gave their horses to the stable hands, and Lily gripped Pearl by the shoulders.

"You will go and tell Roger that she is out there and hurt right now," she growled softly.

Pearl pouted, and Lily fought the desire to strike her. Pearl pushed her hand away and walked into the stables. She watched Pearl talk animatedly for a moment with Roger and then re-joined her.

"I'm sorry, Lily. You know I'm impulsive and passionate. The girl annoys me," Pearl said as she took Lily's hand.

"Your games with Balthasarmuststop. Leave the human alone. He doesn't care enough about her, and in any case, killing the woman he loves is not the way to undermine him. Trust me; it only makes him angrier and more resolute. I have seen himundone by the death of a woman, and he will never let himself love like that again. He will never allow that weakness. The Wylts are important to Eli. That is why he shows her favor."

"Oh, my love," Pearl said softly with a shake of her head. "You really know nothing about men, do you?"

CHAPTER TEN

Balthasar was readying himself for a ride when he heard a hesitant knocking on the lower doors. He hurried down the staircase and straightened the lapels of his coat before he opened the door with a smile. It was not the Wylt he had been hoping for.

"Cecily, is something the matter?"

"I'm so sorry for interrupting you, sir, but have you seen Rosa today?" she asked nervously, her hands twisting the hems of her long sleeves.

"She's not in the cottage?"

"No, sir. I left her breakfast this morning, and I saw her taking Roger's old horse out this afternoon, but I haven't seen her since. I'm sorry, but I didn't know who else to ask. I checked the stables, and Lily and Pearl's horses were the only ones that came back in. I wouldn't normally worry, but Roger said he had spotted wolves already this year, and she hasn't ridden a horse in a while."

Balthasar felt a hot flush of rage that drowned out the unexpected panic.You know what Pearl is capable of, but maybe Rosa is running because she is spooked.

"Don't worry, Cecily. She has most likely misjudged the time, and she is still coming back from the lake," he lied smoothly. "I will go and find her now. Everything will be fine, I promise."

Balthasar stormedinto the parlor where Pearl, Lily, and Saul were playing poker. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Where is who, brother?" Saul asked as he inspected his cards and put some chips in the center of the table.

"What have you done with Rosa?"

Pearl raised an eyebrow. "I haven't done anything with Rosa." She lay down a straight flush, and Saul swore. Lily paled as she looked at her progeny and that told him all he needed to know. Balthasar moved before she had a chance to intervene, knocking the table over in a spray of cards and wood. Pearl tried to run, but he grabbed her around the neck and held her tight.

"Where is she?"

"Let her go," Lily hissed, her face turning feral.

Pearl screamed as Balthasar punched through the side of her ribcage, gripping her pulsing heart, blood running down his hand in rivulets.

"I will not ask you again," he whispered as he squeezed.

"She's at... She's at the ring. She came off her horse. I thought she would be back by now." Pearl gasped as Balthasar removed his hand and tossed her bleeding and broken to Lily. His sister cursed him passionately in French as she fed Pearl her blood to try to heal the damage.

"If anything has happened to Rosa, I'll be coming back to finish the job," Balthasar promised. "I don't care what she means to you, Lily. I've had enough of her games."

Rosa huddled in her jacket,her good leg brought up to her chest in an effort to keep her body warm. The cold had numbed some of the pain, but her leg was still pulsing in her boot. She cried softly and helplessly as all the tension of the last week and the shock of her injuries took over. She should never have followed Lily and Pearl.What did you think was going to happen?

Rosa hoped that someone would notice she was gone, but after days of hiding out, perhaps they wouldn't even bother checking the cottage. Rosa looked up to see a flicker of light down by the water. In the darkness, it looked like a figure walking along the shoreline.

"Hey, I'm over here!" Rosa called, but the figure ignored her.

Maybe it's a trick of the mist, or your broken leg is making you hallucinate. Absolutely and definitely not a ghost. There is no such thing as the Wylt's witchy woo ability to see ghosts.

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