Page 13 of Kings and Monsters

Through a gap in Merlin's black hair, Rosa sawsomeonecrouched on the forest floor, a long sword stretched out in hishand. Clothes hung about him in tatters, and pearlescent skin stretched tightly over strong muscles. Wild hair, the color of winter midnight, fell down his back and framed a face that was familiar and frightening. It was terrifying in its smooth perfect cheekbones and sharply pointed ears. The shape of his eyes had curved more distinctly and only the feeling in them hadn't changed. They were laden with the centuries of love and loss, grief and violence.

"Bleddyn?" Rosa whispered, unable to think of him as Eli any longer.

"No," Merlin said. "Something more."

Eirianwen was on her knees, her head bowed. "Seren Du."

Bleddyn stood up slowly. He was taller than Rosa had ever seen him, with strong muscles filling his new frame. He flexed his wide shoulders as shadows rolled down over his skin, and clothes wrapped around him. He wore a long jacket with a high collar, close cut black trousers and boots. The jacket was embroidered with silver and black stitching,—twisting patterns of stylized ravens and wolves and symbols that Rosa couldn't identify.

"You okay, Father?" Merlin asked uncertainly and slowly rolled off Rosa. Bleddyn's head tilted ever slightly in acknowledgement.

"Help Rosa up," he commanded before turning to Eirianwen. "Child of Morning and Midnight, you've never bowed to me before. I don't expect it of you now." He held out a hand and she took it, letting him help her to her feet.

"It pleases me to see you looking like your old self," Eirianwen said, and they shared their first smile since fate brought them back together.

"Would anyone mind telling me what in God's name is going on?" Arthur asked.

"Bleddyn is taking control of his birthright," Merlin said, leaning his arm on Arthur's shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it, lad."

Using the tip ofWidow's Fury, Bleddyn drew a sigil into the forest floor. It glowed midnight blue, and heat crawled up Rosa's skin as heady magic coursed through the air.

"It's time I was home," he said and plunged the sword into the earth.

Rosa stumbled as the forest twisted around them. One moment, they were under a cloudy noon sun; the next, a night sky covered them.

"What the hell was that?" she gasped.

"He summoned the borders of the Unseelie land," Merlin explained. "He stopped running."

CHAPTER FIVE

Ashort time later, they found shelter in the ruins of a large manor house that had been reduced to blackened stones.

"I remember visiting this place with my father when I was young," Bleddyn said as he studied the engravings on the fireplace. "The Unseelie nobleman who lived here was an astronomer, and we spent the night listening to his predictions as he wrote his star charts."

"What happened to him?" Rosa asked.

"The queen happened. When she first started stretching the borders of her kingdom, she lit this fire," Eirianwen answered.

"And Aeron?" Bleddyn asked.

"Dead. Had his throat torn out by her dogs. His son, Aled, made it out. He's at the Night Court with all the other orphans that have nowhere else to go." Eirianwen dumped her pack onto a fallen pillar and strung her bow. "I'm going to see if I can find anything to hunt." Bleddyn didn't stop her as she disappeared into the trees.

Hours later, Rosa woke to the brush of cool fingers against her cheek and a voice on the wind.Rosa, Rosa, Rosa…

"Bal?" She sat up and looked around sleepily. Bleddyn had set up wards around the ruins, and everyone was curled up, sleeping around the fire.

Rosa, the voice called again. A flicker of white caught her eye, and she spotted a woman standing on the other side of a broken wall, beckoning to her. Rosa climbed out of her bedroll to follow her, her Wylt Witchy Woo senses on fire.

"What do you want?" Rosa asked.

To help you, princess. We know where she's keeping him. You are so very close, the ghost woman said. Rosa stopped and looked back to Merlin. He would want to get Nimue at the same time.

Don't wake him. Only you can rescue your love. Come with me,the woman urged.

Rosa followed her out of the manor and through what remained of the gardens. In the corner of her eye, Rosa saw other white figures following them through the trees, lonely wraiths in the night.Were they the doomed astronomer and his household?

"Where are you taking me?" Rosa asked.

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