Page 50 of Kings and Monsters

"You arrived just at the right time," Eirianwen said. "Madoc was threatening to take his men and leave because he didn't believe your mission would be successful. He looked as if he was going to vomit once he arrived back here."

"Gwyn has that effect sometimes," Rosa replied with a grin. "You can all stop freaking out now too. He was a complete gentleman. I told him what was happening with the uprising against the queen; we struck a deal, and he's going to help us out."

"I am wary of bargains with gods," Bleddyn said, taking her hand and studying the palm where a long cut was slowly healing, "especially when it's sealed in blood."

Rosa pulled her hand away. "He wants the queen's head and access back to Glastonbury and the Seelie lands. Thanks ever so much for dropping me into that particular mess, Merlin. I spent most of my time convincing him not to kill you."

"I doubt that, considering all the impressive knife tricks you now know," Merlin said.

Rosa flushed, and he knew she was leaving something out. He couldn't imagine anyone swaying Gwyn so quickly.

"We got along. I enjoyed riding with the Hunt," Rosa said. "I apologize for taking so long to get back, Bleddyn. We went through a portal in the temple, and I don't think the Hunt can move through it as easily."

"We certainly went a long way around," Arthur complained. "It was the strangest four days of my life."

"How did the attack on the queen go?" Merlin asked. He sat down in the chair, finding it almost too soft after days of living in the wilderness.

"Better than anticipated," Eirianwen said. "We kicked her nest hard, so we have sent word to any Unseelie settlements to have everyone gather here at the Night Courts. I don't want any more Unseelie dying or being sacrificed for the Autumn Queen's ego."

"Sacrificed?" Rosa asked, going pale.

"We found a girl in the temple," Bleddyn said. "I never thought she'd stoop to such a level to hurt children. I shouldn't have been surprised."

"Can we not attack her already? Seriously, I've had enough of her." Rosa got to her feet and began to pace. "Did any word come from Fintan about Bal?"

"Nothing worth worrying about. He's more interested in telling us that the Court is turning on the queen," Eirianwen said. "I've asked him about both Balthasar and Nimue, but with the queen on high alert because of the temple attack, it will be harder for him to get a message through."

Merlin bit his tongue to keep himself from opening his mouth. He glared at Bleddyn, and the worst was confirmed in his eyes. They knew what had happened with Balthasar and for some unknown reason were keeping it from Rosa.

"What else did you promise Gwyn?" Bleddyn asked Rosa.

"What do you mean? I told you what he wanted." She continued to pace, refusing to look at them.

"Rosa, you have been trying to lie to me since you learned how to speak. I know when you are hiding something. I need to know."

"It's between him and me." She folded her arms stubbornly.

"Out with it, Rhosyn," Merlin said. "Don't make me hold you down and take it out of you."

"He wanted me as a part of the bargain, but I turned him down… Well, sort of," she sat down but still refused to look at them. "If Bal is dead, I will join the Hunt. Gwyn wasn't going to agree to help us, so I made the call."

"Christ, you didn't," Arthur said.

"How could you?" Bleddyn demanded. "You have bound yourself to a god, Rosa! There is no freeing yourself from such a bargain."

"You all keep telling me Bal is alive! Are you lying?" Rosa retaliated. "If he is dead, did you really think I was just going to hang about Gwaed Lyn like some crazy Bertha mourning him? I couldn't stay there and be surrounded by him. At least with the Hunt, I would be free of it all."

"'It all' is your family, Rosa. Did you not think of what such a thing would do to us? To your mother?" Bleddyn said.

Rosa got to her feet. "Don't you dare bring my mother into this. I don't have a relationship with her because of you. I was tossed out as a child and grew up believing no one gave a shit about me, so where was your sense of family then?" She left, slamming the door so hard behind her, the wood cracked.

"It wasn't like that," Bleddyn said weakly to Eirianwen. "Could you?—"

"No, sorry. Only you can fix this one," Eirianwen rested her hand on his shoulder. "I'll make sure she hasn't gone to Gwyn."

"Thank you."

Arthur yawned loudly. "I'm for my bed. Try to keep your arguing at a respectable noise level."

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