Page 41 of Swords and Curses

"Guilty! You want one?"

"Yes please." He came to stand beside Rosa, his eyes warm. "You are looking particularly lovely this evening."

Rosa's hands slipped under his coat and hugged him tightly, her face resting on the groove of his collarbone. That she had made him doubt himself, even for a moment, filled her with guilt.

"Are you okay?" he asked and kissed her hair.

"Fine. I missed you today, that's all. I'm starting to think we should've escaped to Spain after all."

Balthasar ran a comforting hand up her back. "Lessons with Eldon that painful?"

"He's trying to convince me to learn Latin, but that's not gonna happen."

"How awful. I don't blame you in the least."

Rosa stretched up and kissed his jawline. "Come on, handsome, let's make a break for it."

"You are forbidden to go anywhere, children," Eli announced.

"Stop eavesdropping," Rosa replied tersely, but Eli only stared at her until all her sass vanished.

"Please don't even dream of leaving until this matter has been sorted," Eli said, his tone gentle.

"I was joking, Eli. Relax," Rosa said exasperatedly. She was going to have to teach him about sarcasm. "Where's Eldon?"

"He'll be here. He went to change."

"Eli had him explore a particularly muddy part of the property." Balthasar's eyes shone with mischief.

"I'm sure that would've pleased him," Nimue said. She was wearing a navy halter neck jumpsuit, her hair a curling mass over one shoulder. She looked effortlessly classy.

"The brambles were my favorite part," came Eldon's dry reply from behind her.

"You don't look any worse for wear," she said as her eyes gave him a languid once-over.

"Appearances can be deceiving," he said calmly, but Rosa saw his hands clenching at his sides.

They sat together around the large table, and if Rosa weren't so tense, she would've made a joke about how strained everyone seemed. Instead, she accepted another martini from Saul and let the Vanes swap information about the impatient Gwaed Gam in the south.

She tried not to watch Nimue. She didn't want to judge her, but Nimue's jealousy and aloofness made it hard to see her without suspicion. Nimue looked at Eldon even when she was trying not to, and the air all but hummed between them with unsaid words.Maybe she's his true love after all.

Rosa shifted in her chair. There was going to be a fight between them soon, and she hoped she was far away when it finally happened.

Balthasar found Rosa's hand underneath the table and squeezed it reassuringly. Nimue spoke easily about the Aos Si, her nervousness of the previous day seeming to have vanished. It was one more thing for Rosa to feel suspicious about. Nimue had only been out of the lake for a few days, and yet she seemed to know all about the court and the queen. Eli was no fool. He would know what to trust and what not to.

The ball in Rosa's chest had only started to ease when her magic flared. There was a crash and scream from downstairs, and as one, they were on their feet.

"They are in the kitchens," Eli hissed, his glamour melting off him.

Rosa pulled the ornate pin from her hair and magic danced along it. The pin grew until it took the true form ofGaeaf Storom. Eli had transformed his fountain pen into the long black blade ofWidow's Fury,and then he came to stand beside her.

"Whatever happens, don't let them get the sword," he instructed. "Stay close to Bal." The rest of the Vane men had produced long daggers from about their persons and waited tensely for Eli to give the word.

"I need a weapon," Nimue said urgently. "Merlin,please."

Eldon made an exasperated sound before handing her one of his daggers. "Try not to stick it in my back this time."

The Seelie poured through the house, calling out to Bleddyn in their malicious singsong voices that haunted Rosa's nightmares.

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