Page 3 of Swords and Curses

"Myrddin Wylt… Why is that name familiar?" Saul interrupted.

"Because he is famous, you ignoramus," Balthasar growled. "He is a legendary Welsh folk hero, born of a demon and a human. It makes so much sense now."

"Not to me," Saul said.

"He's Merlin, for fuck's sake!" Rosa exclaimed loudly before clapping her hands over her mouth as she blushed crimson.

"Thank you, Rhosyn. Why not scream it a little louder?" Eldon cleared his throat.

"You don't understand. I was trying to find out everything I could about the Wylts recently, and the only thing I could find were links to you. I dismissed it because there was just no way we could be related. I thought Wylt was a title, not a surname."

"Most surnames began their life as titles. Wylt became mine. Deryn's family had other children of course, but she kept a firm eye on them all. After a hundred years, no one knew I was even tied to the family."

"I've been patient enough. Where have you been all this time?" Eli demanded. "I heard that you had defeated Morgan and then nothing! Not a word for centuries!"

"Would you believe I put a spell on myself that wiped away my memories?"

Eli made a choking sound of frustration in the back of his throat, and Rosa stifled a giggle.

"I can believe it," she said.

"So you have been wandering about the world since then with no idea who you are? Who your family is?" Eli whispered.

"In a nutshell. The spell was broken recently with the help of a lovely shamanitsa who owed me a favor. She's the one that spotted the spell over me to begin with." Eldon straightened his long legs out towards the warmth of the fire. "I've been getting my memories back in chunks ever since."

"Yet, you only turn up on my doorstep now?"

"I wanted to wait until I was myself again," Eldon replied. "But you decided to turn Rosa, and I felt it like a smack in the face. I wanted to know what happened for you to want to do such a stupid thing. You made a promise…"

"I know I did! I had no choice. Besides, promises mean nothing if those you made them to are dead. The dead don't care," Eli argued. "I wasn't about to let Rosa die."

"And what happened to you to get you into such a state, Rhosyn? You said you killed Ryn Eurion, the fox bastard of the Aos Si."

"She did kill him," Balthasar said. "I've never seen such a surprised look on a Seelie before."

"I can imagine. I've had many visions of late," Eldon said, gazing into the fire. "Please, Rhosyn, tell me what has happened in the past few months so I can try to figure out what they could mean. Albion is in turmoil—its foundations are shaking—and I need to know why."

Rosa took a deep breath and told him about receiving her summons to go home to Gwaed Lyn and everything that happened after. Eldon managed to keep any comments to himself, even if at times, he looked at Eli with a range of baleful expressions. Hearing about the ball on the Winter Solstice had him downing glasses of whiskey as if they were water. When she mentioned being kidnapped and taken into the Aos Si, he let out a triumphant shout.

"That's it! I had forgotten all about that spell I put on the Wylt line," Eldon said, raising his glass to Rosa and Balthasar. "Well done, you two. You have dealt that red-haired harpy a blow she never saw coming. I'm sorry, please continue." Rosa quickly finished explaining how they got out, Pearl's attack, and why Eli had to turn her.

When Rosa was done, Eldon studied her carefully through narrowed eyes. "The only question I have for you, Rhosyn, is do you feel the magic yet?"

Rosa couldn't hold back the laughter that bubbled out of her. "I don't have any magic."

"Yes, you do…"

"It's barely been a month since Eli first began to turn her, Blaise," Balthasar growled. "This is the first day she's had since the completion of the transformation."

"Have you felt the magic growing inside of you since your trip into the Aos Si?" Eldon asked him.

"My magic has nothing to do with you."

"Actually, it does."

"There has been a…a change in the flow of power," Eli acknowledged. "I noticed it a few days ago. I thought it might have been because of the winter. It's the strongest time for the Unseelie."

"It's not only the winter. At least, I hope it's not."

---