Page 32 of Swords and Curses

I wonder how long it will take me to get a new name to hide who I am?Rosa thought, knowing that deep down, she would always feel like Rosa, just as she knew what was under all the calm, civilized facades of the Vane men.

"Good morning, Rosa," Eli said, sipping his coffee.

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt. It looked like serious business," she replied, the tips of her ears warming.

"We were discussing how we are going to kill Nimue," Eldon said.

Rosa rolled her eyes at him. "Tell me you are going to get information out of her first."

Eldon's smile was cold. "How vicious. I like it."

"Don't pay any attention to him, Rosa," Eli said. Rosa sat down beside him. "We were talking about making Nimue some shackles so that she can't use her magic and the Autumn Queen can't use her as a puppet. The star metal currently binding her can only go so far."

"You are going to let her out of the cell?"

"She needs to be interrogated," Eli said without emotion.

"You won't need to hurt her to get what you want," Rosa pointed out.

"What if wewantto hurt her?" Eldon said, and Rosa groaned.

"She's scared enough of you as it is. Have you even tried talking to her?"

"I only just woke up."

"And you're already at shackles and torture? Did you even remember to feed her this morning?" Blank stares met her. "We need to know what she knows. She's been treated like shit, and a bit of kindness might go further than a blade."

"And it's that kind of thinking that will get you killed," Eldon growled.

"She's not powerful enough to take us all on, and she knows we'll kill her if she tries anything."

"What are you proposing?" Eli asked, ignoring Eldon's snorts of derision.

"Let me get her fed and cleaned up. She can keep the shackles on. If she tries anything, I'll gut her myself. I'm not some damsel that can't handle myself; you both saw to that." Rosa placed her hand over Eli's. "Please, let me try it my way first. You both want revenge. I get that. But there's more to this than we realize. You spent fifty years putting together a treatyto try to lure Ryn andthe Autumn Queen out, and in the end, a servant got the better of him. You have to see if my way works."

"She's manipulating you,athair," Eldon teased.

Eli's eyes flashed emerald before he finally nodded. "I want Nimue ready and in my office in two hours."

Nimue wasin the corner of her cell when Rosa opened the door for her. She unlocked the wall chain but ensured Nimue's shackles were still secure.

"Come with me," Rosa said and waited for Nimue to get up and walk from the cell.

"Am I going to my judges?" she asked.

"To have a bath," Rosa answered.

Guiding Nimue with a steady hand on her shoulder, Rosa took her to a set of guest rooms. Belinda had filled the bath, but Nimue balked when she saw it.

"I don't think…the lake…" she stammered with real fear in her eyes.

"Not to worry. Technology is here to save you." Rosa showed her how to use the shower and Nimue laughed with delight as the water trickled over her fingers.

To Rosa's surprise and embarrassment, Nimue pulled off her cloak and what remained of her dress. Rosa averted her eyes as she helped untangle the dress from the shackles. She'd promised Eli and Eldon she wouldn't leave Nimue alone, so she sat down on the toilet lid to wait.

A light-hearted song burst out of Nimue, the acoustics in the shower making it sound like two voices were singing in harmony. Rose thought it could've been Welsh, the twist and accents on some of the words were similar. However, it soundedfar older and more complicated. Rosa amused herself by making roses appear in her hand and filling a decorative soap bowl with them.

"They are lovely," Nimue commented. She wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the shower. "You are quite new to magic, aren't you?"

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