Page 38 of Swords and Curses

They were in the library for their lesson, the large wall of windows showing the freshly falling snow outside.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" he asked, shutting the book he'd been reading. They were sitting at a long table that Eldon had arranged all too much like a schoolroom. Looking at Eldon with his Doc Martens, elaborate scarves, raven hair, and perfect cheekbones, Rosa couldn't help but smirk at the reaction he would have teaching at an all girls school.

"Why are you smiling? Are you even listening to me?" he asked.

"Sorry, Eldon. I stayed up all night baking, and I'm not with it," she apologized. "I'm listening. I just need to lie down for a bit." She got up and went to stretch out on one of the couches.

"You are going to fall asleep," he argued, moving to join her.

"No, I won't, but my eyes are burning. Keep reading," she insisted.

Eldon sat down on the end of the couch, and Rosa rested a cushion against his legs.

"Are you quite comfortable?" Eldon frowned down at her disapprovingly.

"Yes, thank you," she said innocently and then frowned.

"What's wrong?" he sighed. "You might as well tell me because you won't concentrate until you do."

"I don't know if it's taboo or not," she admitted, biting her lip.

Eldon laughed loudly, her head moving as his body shook. "And when has that ever stopped you?"

"When I had sex with Bal the other night, our magic did this weird mingle thing, and I can still taste it," she admitted in a rush, and Eldon stopped laughing.

"You don't believe in doing anything slowly. Do you have any idea how dangerous that could have been?"

"I do now?" she said uncertainly. "It's not as if it was premeditated."

"It's a good thing you two are already connected to each other. I've seen people that have been blown across the room when they touched their power to someone else."

"It wasn't a threatening, protective thing." Rosa struggled to explain. "It was more like it wanted to be involved."

"Thank you for that disturbing visual. Remember how I told you about magic being linked to emotions?" Eldon asked.

Her brow furrowed. "The bit about lightning in a bottle?"

"That's a part of it. Think of your body as the bottle and lightning as magic. Lightning that is controlled by your feelings. You need to be the master of both. Otherwise, they will set each other off." Eldon lifted his hand and light twisted about his fingers. "Balthasar's and your souls are a mated pair. You want to touch and wrap around each other on every level you can. That's why your magic did what it did. If you hadn't been, then who knows what could've happened."

"Did you…with Nimue?" Rosa asked haltingly, not knowing what his reaction would be.

"No, not like that." Eldon looked at the light in his hands, eyes far away. "And never with anyone since."

"Who is your true love?"

"I don't think I have one. All for the best. My fate is not meant to be shared with another, and I wouldn't allow it in any case," he answered before smoothly changing the subject. "No matter how much distance separates us, we are kin, Rosa Wylt, and this is how we can prove it." He gestured for her hand, and she focused on letting her magic trickle out of her own fingers.

"Down at the lake, all of our power linked in a knot," he continued as he hovered his hand over hers. Their magic twisted, and the knot reformed between their hands. "We are true family, Rhosyn, bonded by magic, blood, and love. We will always be stronger when we are together and united. Whatever the Autumn Queen tries to do, whatever happens, we will face it together."

Rosa was still staring, transfixed, at the magic knotwork when the door opened, and Balthasar, Eli, and Nimue entered. They were discussing all that Nimue had seen when she was released from the lake. Balthasar stopped mid-sentence when he spotted them on the couch.

"There you two are," Eli said and frowned at their hands. "You ought to be careful doing that in here. I wouldn't be happy if the library burned down."

Nimue was staring at their linked power, jealousy burning in her eyes. Rosa wiggled her fingers, and her magic pulled back into her body. She could feel Balthasar's eyes boring into her, so she sat up, wincing at the pain in her head.

Eldon seemed unperturbed by their interruption. "If you don't need us, Rhosyn and I will be on our way. I wanted to go over some herb lore in the nursery today anyway."

There was an awkward silence as they both stood. Eldon was as tense as a bowstring even being in the same room asNimue. She was dazzling in a maroon and gold men's dress shirt and skinny black jeans, her golden hair up in intricately woven braids.

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