Page 40 of Swords and Curses

"Concentrate," Balthasar warned.

"My point is Rosa is amazing, and she's the darling of Gwaed Lyn. Nimueusedto be that. Eldon is teaching Rosa magic that Nimue couldn't even dream about under the lake. They're each other's confidants. Nimue wants that again desperately. You'dbest be careful that she doesn't play you against Rosa." Saul leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his blond curls. "Besides, Rosa wouldn't leave you for Eldon. She'll leave you for me."

"I will hit you, Saul."

"Lighten up, Bal, or you'll end up pushing her away. The way she linked magic with you isn't the way she linked with Eldon. She linked withallof us down at the lake, and you're not concerned with Eli trying to run away with her even though she lounges on the couch with him. They've drunk each other's blood too."

"Eli's different!"

"No, he's not. He's growing more powerful every day. He's the rightful king of the Unseelie. Once the power leaves the queen completely, who knows what he'll become."

"You're not making me feel any better," Balthasar muttered.

"Then you are going tohatethis. If you don't trust Rosa, you have nothing. It doesn't matter if the world falls at her feet. If you don't believe her heart is yours, then you might as well give her up now."

"You've been watching too many self-help TV shows," Balthasar teased, even though he was right.

"Not really, but I've had more relationships, liaisons, and affairs than you, so it's only my experience talking." Saul looked sad for a moment before adding, "I've made a lot of mistakes with both sexes, but I can tell you with certainty that when you are both in the room, she sees no one else but you."

"Thank you, little brother," Balthasar said with a smile.

"Treat her well, or I'll steal her myself…or Eli will kill you, that is if Eldon doesn't first."

Balthasar snorted. "You could all try… What are we going to do about Nimue?"

"Be wary of her, and when all of this blows over, we'll send her on her way."

Rosa had learnedfamily dinner with the Vanes wasn't like dinner in a normal household. For one, they didn't eat in their pajamas, which Rosa being single for the most part, had done all the time.

Rosa settled on skinny black jeans, because Eldon would be in jeans, and a wine-colored top that flattered her breasts and brought out the red in her hair. She matched everything with black accessories, including the one hairpin that Eli had given her that had survived the Aos Si and a long silver pin carved with roses. After slipping on a pair of stilettos, she studied herself in her mirror.

"Not bad, Wylt," she told her reflection. She took comfort in the fact that, while she would never have Nimue's magical hair, Nimue would never have her cup size.

Downstairs, Saul greeted her with an affectionate peck on the cheek and handed her a martini.

"Am I early?" she asked when she realized they were alone.

"The more respectable Vane men got caught up," Saul explained. "Something to do with extra warding they want to put on the boundaries."

"Sounds serious."

"Eli wants to be ready, that's all, and Bal needs to learn how to do them." Saul poured himself another martini from the shaker. "Speaking of Bal, you might want to be mindful of his ego when you decide to snuggle up and play magic with Eldon."

"I had a headache," Rosa huffed. "There was no snuggling up, and there's nothing going on between Eldon and me. He's my cousin. It's too weird."

"I know that, and he knows that, but Bal's a jealous old bastard. It's all that macho Italian fire in his blood."

"I never thought I'd see the day that Bal would be insecure about his own appeal," Rosa said and drained her martini.

"Tin Man isn't infallible, Rosey. I think Nimue's been in his ear too, and you don't need to add any more fuel to the fire."

"I'll throw her on the fire," Rosa muttered.

"She's jealous too. Remember my warning about her being crazy. Eldon is her trigger, so watch it," he said.

Balthasar entered the room, and Rosa's heart jolted just seeing him in his neat suit and grey dress shirt.

"I see Saul is trying to get you drunk already," he said, joining them.

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