Page 76 of Swords and Curses

"Defensive much?" Vincenzo teased. "Not everyone can be a monk like you. Unless you want her for yourself…"

"Adelina is asexual. He needs to back off and stop making her so uncomfortable."

"So you won't trust Saul with this conversation because he'll tell Rosa, but you are going to tell me?" Balthasar interrupted to get them back on track.

"When you hear what we have to say you will understand," Eli cleared his throat and turned to Nimue. "We would like you to consider returning to the Aos Si."

The air left Nimue's lungs, and she fought to keep herself upright. "What? Eli, if I've done anything to offend you…"

"No, it isn't like that at all." He went to her side and took her hands in his. "We want to draw the queen and her army here to Gwaed Lyn so that we can be rid of her. We have a plan, and it can work, but only if you help us."

"And that includes going back to the queen? Are you fucking insane?" Balthasar hissed.

"Exactly what I said, but hear them out, Bal," Vincenzo muttered.

Anxiety clawed at Nimue as they laid out the complex plan before them. So much was uncertain, and if one thing went wrong, if the queen slaughtered Nimue on sight, it would fall to pieces.

"I can see why you don't want Rosa to know." Balthasar's voice was husky when he finally spoke again. "It's because she'd go to Merlin. He wouldn't allow this to happen."

"Of course he wouldn't. He only just got Nimue back. He won't be able to see past his feelings," Zalan replied.

Eli folded his arms. "Ultimately, the Autumn Queen doesn't know that she isn't still controlling you or that you're even on our side. I could fabricate the spell she put on your mind, but give us the advantage of being able to see through your eyes and into the Court. She won't be able to tell the difference. It will give us an edge, and we'll know if she's onto us."

"And what if she locks me in the lake again or worse?" Nimue asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"We would come for you," Balthasar promised before anyone else could. "I've done it before, and I will be able to do it again. Rosa, Merlin, and I would come for you."

There was a helplessness in his dark eyes as he looked at her. He agreed to their plan and hated it. He wanted to reassure her. The fear of the queen almost choked her. The fact Eli would trust her not to betray them scared her even more.

"You can do this, Nimue. You are strong enough." Eli placed a hand on her shoulder. "This way, we will stop the queen from hurting any of us ever again. It's a big risk, but it's worth taking to be free."

Free. That seductive word rippled through her. Didn't she already know that it would never end until the queen was dead? This was risky, but it was a chance to get her revenge.

She walked to the windows as Rosa's screams of joy echoed across the grounds. She and Merlin were returning from theforest, and she was juggling snowballs before sending them at Merlin with magic. He dodged them easily, responding with a fireball that she caught and sent flying back towards him. Balthasar joined Nimue, his hand resting on her shoulder.

Rosa shouted as a snowball caught her on the shoulder, and she tackled Merlin to the ground. They seemed so happy and unburdened. She had a chance to give them that all the time.

Nimue sighed and rested her head against the glass. "I want another day with him, and then I'll do it."

Balthasar's arm went around her, his eyes watching the scene below them. "What we wouldn't do for our Wylts."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Merlin tried to ignore the growing uneasiness building between his shoulder blades. Eli was being cagey about what he and his brothers were discussing, and that never boded well. It was more than that, like the tenseness before a storm ripped the sky apart.

Ever since he'd told Rosa about Arthur sleeping, it had been all he could think about. He had left the body alone for a thousand years with no knowledge of where he'd put his friend.

What if he'd woken and died waiting for Merlin to rescue him?No, he would've sensed it even if he didn't fully understand it. He would know it in his bones, blood, and magic. Once the problem with the queen was solved, he would go to check on the body. He smiled at the thought of taking Rosa with him.

For all his nervousness, one thing the past days had revealed was how nice it was to have Nimue close to him. She was bright and affectionate in the way she teased him, but a shadow lingered in her eyes. He promised himself that no matter what happened, he would get rid of that shadow forever.

Eli hadn't asked anything of him in the last two days, so he had spent most of his time with Nimue walking down at the lake, reading together or telling stories after their lovemaking. It hadbeen the most relaxing time he could remember in years, and yet it felt almost stolen. It was too good for him to want to seriously question. He only wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

"Something is going on," Rosa said, letting herself in the cottage. Nimue was up at the house with Eli, and Merlin was taking the spare time to read by the fire.

"Of course something is going on," Merlin replied, turning a page. "I'm sure that they will tell us when we need to know."

"It's damn annoying. I think Bal is in on it." She slumped down on the couch opposite him. "I'm worried Eli is planning a wedding on me."

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