Page 61 of Swords and Curses

"I don't think I'll ever get used to those contraptions. They are as bad as those TV things," Nimue complained.

"Tea?" Rosa asked and turned the kettle on.

"Yes please." Nimue sat down at the table. She was dressed casually in blue jeans and a cream knit jumper, her hair up in a ponytail.

Rosa wondered how many centuries it was going to take until she could look that effortlessly beautiful in the morning. The glow about her wasn't all fae either. Rosa let out a belly laugh as she fixed the tea.

"What?"

"How was the drink with Eldon?" Rosa asked, placing the steaming cup in front of her.

"Illuminating," Nimue answered, her cheeks pinking.

"I can imagine."

"It isn't what you think. He told me about Morgan and all the pointless guilt he's been carrying around all this time."

"You got him to talk about Morgan? Wow. That's…wow." Rosa sat down opposite her. "He must be trying really hard with you."

"It was as if he was attempting to prove that he had done far worse than I had, like he was trying to scare me away."

"Or it was a typical Wylt's backward way of saying he can forgive you for what happened with Deryn because ultimately he's more of a monster than you are. If you can reconcile with who and what he is, then he'll do the same for you."

Nimue smiled as she brought the cup up to her mouth. "You are remarkably astute, Rosa Wylt. That was precisely how the night ended."

"Ha! Knew it. He's such a Wylt." She raised an eyebrow at Nimue. "Exactlyhow the night ended or was there more?"

"He may have kissed me, or I may have kissed him…I…we kissed," Nimue stammered, turning pink again. "You needn't look so excited, Rosa. It was in the heat of the moment."

"Sure it was." Rosa rolled her eyes. "I saw you guys dueling. You are like magnets fighting each other whenever you're in the same room. It's probably going to be worse now."

"How do you mean?"

"If he's finally forgiven you and is ready to get out of his own way, then you have the chance to start over."

"I wouldn't make any assumption about Eldon and what he feels anymore."

"How do you feel about it?" Rosa asked, wondering if Nimue would trust her with such information.

You're so nosey, Balthasar's voice echoed in the back of her head. She couldn't help it. She wanted Eldon to be happy.

Nimue admitted, "He's not the same, but I'm not the same woman either. Only time will tell if we can find a way back to each other. We both need our old friend back, that much I know for sure. If that ever grew into something more…" She left the thought hanging. "My body is not what it was. It is a twisted, scarred thing. What man could possibly desire it?"

"The kind of man who loves you regardless," Rosa said fiercely. "Trust me, as a woman who has had a lifetime of hang-ups about her body and who found someone who makes me comfortable with it. Personally, I think you need to tell him what happened. He knows you are holding something back from him."

"He'll get over it. Gods, there needs to be something he doesn't know."

Rosa jumped as the back door opened to reveal the man in question, fresh snow sticking to his raven hair.

"This can't be good," he said, eying them both. His gaze lingered a fraction too long on Nimue before he hurried to the coffee plunger. "Is Eli up yet?"

"I set him up with coffee and croissants an hour ago," Rosa answered, amused to see his usual gruff composure fractured.

"He's dead set on having his party in two days when Vincenzo arrives, so I thought you two could use your artistic flair and decorate. Nimue used to be a deft hand at it." He looked over across at her and quickly added, "But only if you want to. You don't have to if you don't feel up to it. Rosa and I could…"

"I want to," Nimue interrupted him. "Does Eli have a theme?"

"I'm sure he does, but you can decorate it however you see fit. Make sure Rosa doesn't cover the house in cannibalistic roses."

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