Page 77 of Swords and Curses

Merlin's book slammed shut. "What?"

"He was carrying on about a wedding the other night at the ball. I hope he's not planning a surprise wedding… I mean, not that I wouldn't marry Bal, but I don't think I'm ready yet. You know, we have years and years before I should have to worry about anything like that."

"He wants us all down the lake tonight," Merlin said thoughtfully. "He said something about binding the family together to make us more powerful, to share out the extra magic that they are getting. I didn't think they would want Nimue involved in that, especially Zalan who is unsure of any Seelie, but he specified that we were all to attend."

"So you really don't know what they are planning? Damn, should we use magic to spy on them?"

"No, we shouldn't. Eli would take it personally. Let them have their eccentricities, we will find out soon enough."

"I hope so, I don't like feeling left out," Rosa said as she fiddled with the pendant around her neck. "How long do you think I need to keep wearing this?"

"Until you can control your magic without blowing everyone up when you get pissed off or have an orgasm," Merlin said,getting up to refill his whiskey. He passed her one without asking.

"What's wrong, Merlin?"

"I don't know. I've been thinking about Arthur. Worrying for no real reason, because now I remember what I'm meant to be worrying about."

"He's protected wherever you hid him, right? Like no archeologists or drunken teenagers can come across the tomb anytime soon?" Rosa straightened.

"No, no, it's not possible. Only I can get in or out of his hiding place. The body is safe. There is magic guarding him as well."

"You don't think…" Rosa let the question hang.

"No, he's not waking up."

"You would know if he was?"

"Yes, absolutely," Merlin said confidently and sipped his drink. "I would absolutely, positively know."

"Maybe we should go and check, just to be sure."

Merlin raised an eyebrow at her. "We?"

"Of course. I would go with you in case you needed backup."

"Backup for what?"

"I don't know! Lara Croft wannabes trying to kill you." Rosa's smile dropped. "Eli won't let us leave."

"Not yet, but he will. Maybe my anxiety is merely intuition that the queen is getting ready to make her move. Or because I talked about Arthur and I'm projecting."

"Hmm maybe. I still think that we should go and check on him when we can. There is a lot of fancy ground surveying equipment and stuff these days. He might not be as safe as you think. It would only take one cocky student with one of those scanner things, and they'd spot him."

"Where I've placed him, the magical field would scramble any technology, but you are right. We will have to go check the tomb when we can, even if it's so I can pay my respects."

Rosa brightened once more. "You saidwe."

"Well, you know, I'll need help fighting off those Lara Croft types," he said, having no idea who Lara Croft actually was. Rosa's smile only widened as if she knew that but was too overjoyed to say so.

"One day, cousin, we should write all of your stories down, even if they are only for Eli's library."

"What would be the point in that?"

"Posterity…and to totally fuck with the scholars." Rosa finished her drink and got back to her feet. "I suppose I'd best go get ready for tonight. It seems a night for leather and magical swords is in order."

"Indeed, and Rosa? Don't spy on them with magic or from the servant's passages."

She pouted. "You ruin all my fun."

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