Page 63 of Blood and Roses

"You are fae! Youcanreturn. It's dangerous, I know, bu?—"

"No, youdon'tknow! You cannot possibly understand what it is you're asking me," Eli shouted, his glamor slipping. "I grieve for her. You have no idea what that family means to me, whatshemeans to me, but she is gone, Balthasar. There is no reclaiming what the fae have stolen once it crosses over."

"Then send me. I will go and bring her back. There must be a way through. Your magic is strong. You matched Ryn blow for blow tonight."

"I can't simply turn you into one of the fae! Your blood is Unseelie. It cannot be changed. They would know you were there as soon as your foot touched the soil. They would tear you limb from limb for being mine." Eli grabbed him by the shoulders. "I'm sorry, Bal, but there is no hope for Rosa now."

Balthasar tossed his sword to the ground. "If you don't help me, I will find my own way to get her back—" But Balthasar didn't finish before Eli touched two fingers to his forehead and all went dark.

Balthasar woke with a gnawing hunger.His first thought was of Rosa, and his eyes opened, alert and angry.

"What the hell..." he muttered. He was not in his chambers but lying on a clean pallet in the tower. It was a place where they put Gam prisoners while they were awaiting trial. His wrists and feet were manacled, the chains forged from the core of a fallen star, the only metal on earth strong enough to hold fae and Gwaed Gam alike.

"Eli! Eli! You can't leave me in here!" Balthasar pulled at the chains helplessly. He knew there was no way to escape since he had designed the cells himself. There was a rattle of the lock being turned, and Saul appeared.

"Easy, Bal. Here, drink this," he said, handing him a flask. "You must be starving."

Balthasar took it, downing the blood in guzzling mouthfuls. "Why am I locked up? I haven't done anything to deserve it. How did I even get in here?"

"You were ranting, and Eli was worried you were going to hurt yourself, so he knocked you out. He's had you placed in here to ensure you don't try anything...reckless."

"Reckless! They bloody took Rosa. All I want to do is get her back, Saul. If you let me out, I can leave now, and I might have a chance to find her."

"Bal, it's been two days. Why do you think you are so hungry right now?"

"Two days," Balthasar croaked. "Why would Eli do this to me? What is happening out there?"

"It's chaos. Albion is in a complete uproar. Many are disgruntled against Eli. They think he has led them all toslaughter. At least a hundred Gam are dead, including the heads of two houses. There is talk of summoning King Vincenzo from Italy."

"Vincenzo will never leave Italy, especially not to come to the aid of his older brother. Eli will have to bring the lords under control himself. Damn Ryn and all the fae! You have to get me out of here, Saul."

"No can do, brother. I'm under orders, the same as everyone else."

"Eli can't expect to get this mess sorted out on his own. He needs the both of us helping him."

"He does need both of us," Saul snapped, "but that's just the problem. You would throw caution and your honor to the wind to find a way into Faerie for what? Some human girl! Even if she is a Wylt, she still?—"

"I love her, Saul," Balthasar said helplessly as he sat down on his cot and put his head in his hands.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me. I love her. Even if she is a Wylt and a human and all the rest. I know the arguments. I know the problems, but still, I love her."

"Wow, so Tin Man really does have a heart. I knew you liked her—hell Ilikeher. She's great company, but love? You haven't even looked sideways at a woman since Jane. Not seriously." Saul sat down beside him. "I know this has to be hard for you. I know it's hard for you to love anyone, but I can't let you go, Bal. I can't risk losing you, and neither can father. He loves you."

Balthasar held up his arms, the manacles chinking together mournfully. "This is him loving me, is it?"

"Think, Balthasar. I know being random and spontaneous is new and different for you, but try to see this with some perspective. If it were me, if I was trying to race after somebeautiful girl that had been trapped in Faerie, what would your reaction be?" Saul stared at him pointedly. "Well?"

"I would tell you that you are a damn fool, and no girl is worth a suicide mission like that," Balthasar admitted. "I would've probably advised Eli to lock you up myself."

"Exactly, so don't be bitter that we have done it to you."

"I can get her back. I know I can. You know better than most what the fae are like! You know the things that they would do to her because she is a Wylt. Ryn knows who she is, and that's why he allowed Celyn to take her. It wasn't a spontaneous abduction. They took her because they wanted to get back at Eli."

"Then why not just kill her for Eli to see? Why bother taking her at all? Ryn killed Deryn after all, so why should Rosa stay his hand where she could not? Perhaps you should take comfort in the fact they are going to want to use her as a bargaining chip in the future. They will take care of her for that reason alone."

"Take care of her... Listen to what you are saying, Saul! The fae are likely to lock her up in a dungeon somewhere and forget that she is even there. She will be suffering. They will make her a part of their entertainments and do God knows what to her. I saw Ryn cut a woman's face off once just because she said her husband was better looking than he was. You know how smart mouthed Rosa can be."

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