Page 2 of Swords and Curses

Eli sat at the head of the table, staring at Eldon as if he was waiting for him to turn into a puff of smoke and disappear oncemore, or if he wasn't sure if he were a miracle or a curse. Saul watched the exchanges with his typical mild amusement.

"I saw her in a vision, and I knew I had to come."

"Why did you call him Myrddin?" Saul asked Eli.

"Because it is what his mother named him," Eli replied in a voice full of sadness.

"Who was his mother?"

"Can we not wait until after dinner for story time?" Eldon interrupted.

"Can you stop being so surly?" Rosa countered. "We have a right to know who you are."

"You know who I am." His golden eyes bored into her, and something prickled like hot static at the back of her neck.Oh yes,she knew. The fresh Unseelie blood now flowing in her veins felt the magic oozing out of him, but something else that was pure blood and boneWyltrecognized him as family. She still couldn't bring herself to say his common name out loud. It was too surreal.

"I thought you would look older," she teased instead, and he burst out laughing.

"People always do."

After the following two courses, they all headed to the library. Rosa's hand slid easily into Balthasar's as they walked, his warm touch reassuring her. They hadn't had much time alone since they had come back from the Aos Si, and she was itching to get him as close to her as possible. It would have to wait for a few hours more. Balthasar looked sideways at her with a gleam in his eye that told her she wasn't the only one thinking about it.

"Get a room, you two," Saul snorted behind them. "If Bal smiles at you one more time, I think I'm going to vomit. I'm starting to believe he was better as the Tin Man."

"Shut up, Saul," Rosa said.

"Good to see the transformation didn't rob you of your wit," he chuckled.

"No, it only robbed her of her humanity. That's so much better," Eldon snapped.

Eli's fists clenched.

"It was my choice, and I would make it again," Rosa replied.

"Immortality is not all that it's cracked up to be, Rhosyn."

"I've always found it more a blessing than a burden," Eli said as he opened the door to the library. He flicked his hands towards the fire, and it sprang to life.

Rosa fought the urge to clap. Since she was now one of the Gwaed Teulu, Eli didn't have to hide his magic from her, and it made her want to laugh like a little girl in wonder.

Fresh whiskey was poured, and they all sat on the leather couches around the fire. Rosa positioned herself comfortably between Eli and Balthasar. Since her transformation, she had also gotten all her memories back from her childhood, and Eli really had been like a second father to her. Now they had shared blood, he was her kin. Eldon sat in front of the fire, watching the flames.

"Well, this is riveting," Saul said after a long, silent moment. "Okay, I will start… Who the hell are you?"

"Father? Don't you think you should answer that?" Eldon replied.

"Myrddin…Eldon…is Deryn's and my son," Eli murmured. No matter what tense history they had, Rosa didn't fail to spot the softness in his eyes when he looked at Eldon. "I thought you were dead."

"Close, but not quite. The Almighty won't allow me to die."

Eli snorted but managed to hold his tongue.

"I didn't know you and Deryn had a son. How is it even possible?" Balthasar asked.

"It was before she was turned. She fell pregnant when she was still human, and Myrddin was born…different. Both Unseelie and Wylt."

"A tempestuous mix," Rosa said, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"That's putting it mildly as you will soon learn," Eldon replied.

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