“So he should,” she mumbled before sleep took her once more.
Rosa had no way of knowing how much time was passing. She would wake, and Eli would be there to feed her the mixture. Nightmares of the Aos Si and the Autumn Queen invaded her from all sides. She was so distressed that at one point she knew she had been screaming out for Harold. Eli had climbed into the bed beside her to hold her and soothe the dreams away as if she was a little child.
***
Rosa fell into a dream and saw Celyn kneeling in front of the Queen beside the portal stones. Rosa watched the Queen’s face change to a hideous creature as her rage wracked the whole of the Aos Si. The Queen struck Celyn, and the fae fell back dead, his chest split open wide. The Queen looked down at her hand as if she was shocked that she had caused it. She held her palm to her face, studying it, before staring up at the clouds above her. The Autumn Queen sank to her knees as white snow began to fall about her.
***
Rosa woke again to Eli helping her sit up. “It’s almost over, my Rosa,” he said as he sat down behind her and put his arms around her. “There is only one final thing you must do now.” Eli bit his wrist and offered it to her. “You must drink. I will not force you. It’s up to you to make the final choice.”
Rosa looked up at him, tears running down her face. “I think it’s snowing in Faerie,” she whispered, and then before Eli could respond, she pulled his wrist to her mouth and sucked.
Images swamped her, flickering faster and faster as Eli’s blood rushed through her like a potent wine. Her vision blurred around her until she no longer saw earth walls but a forest all around her.
What are you? A voice asked, and she saw a man sitting by a fire, his raven hair blowing about his golden eyes.
I am a Wylt, she replied and as she made to touch him, the ground fell out from underneath her feet until darkness enclosed her once more.
Rosa struggled, fighting her way to the surface of her dreams until her eyes opened to find herself back in the chamber, Eli’s arms around her tightly.
“Where is he!” she demanded. “I saw him, where is he?”
“Where is who, Rosa? It’s only us,” Eli tried to calm her. Rosa pulled herself out of his grip and stumbled around the room searching for the golden-eyed man.
“He was here. I know he was!” she wept pulling at her hair. “I know he was. I know it.”
“Who was he? Who did you see?” Eli asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.
Rosa looked up at his Unseelie face, the same thick dark hair around the blazing eyes and she knew.
“Your son.”
Chapter Twenty-Three – Confessions of Murder
In the following days, Balthasar felt as if he were walking in a living nightmare. Eli had taken Rosa to his chambers where he wasn’t permitted to go. He hadn’t seen either since, and it had been up to Saul to comfort and console him. He couldn’t forget what Rosa had whispered about seeing Jane. Would her ghost never stop haunting him?
Lily had been devastated to the point that Saul had made mention of locking her up, so she didn’t hurt herself or anyone else.
“You need to talk to her, Bal,” Saul said looking far from his usual positive self. “You have always been able to get through to her where I could not. I’m her Sunshine Boy, but you are the brother she needs right now. She didn’t know that Pearl had been sleeping around on her. She is heartbroken.”
It wasn’t until Saul was questioning him about Rosa’s blood that Balthasar had remembered that Rosa had been forced to drink the Queen’s wine. He had tasted the magic in her, but he could never have imagined that it would have stayed in her blood long enough to eat away at a Gwaed Gam. There had been nothing left of Pearl for Lily to bury or mourn.
Balthasar finally relented and wound his way through the silent house to Lily’s rooms. He used to frequent them often. They would stay up late discussing books and music, but since Pearl’s arrival, he had kept away. He didn’t knock, knowing she wouldn’t answer, but let himself in.
The rooms that had always been so elegantly decorated were trashed. Paintings had been slashed and furniture thrown at walls. Lily sat in the corner of the room in a dirty night slip, long scratches up her arms.
“Lily,” Balthasar whispered, “Lily, it’s okay now. I am here.”
Lily’s large eyes peered out behind a veil of dirty hair. “Nothing is okay, brother. You don’t know. If you knew, you would not be so kind to me right now.”
“I don’t blame you for Pearl. I won’t hold you accountable for her actions. She was a toxic person, but I know that you loved her-”
“For all the good it did. My love kills, it always has.” Lily started to sob pushing Balthasar’s hand away from her. “Don’t touch me. Don’t you dare try to comfort me. You don’t know, you don’t know…”
“What Lily? Just tell me and stop tormenting yourself.”
“It was me,” she cried. “I killed her. I killed our Jane. Rosa saw her, she knows! She knows!”
Balthasar sat on the ground beside her, the air knocked out of him. “Why Lily? Why?”
“It was an accident! I swear to you it was,” Lily grasped his hands tightly. “I loved her. I loved her more than I felt I could love anything in the whole world. You knew how close we were but she…she loved you. I knew Eli was making things difficult for you. You would have to bring Jane into this world, and he didn’t think she could handle it. She was such a sweet loving girl. We were down at the lake. I watched her swimming, and I thought my heart was going to burst I wanted her so badly. We started talking, and she said that she was going to run away with you. You were going to take her far away from me. I would never have interfered with you marrying her or being with her. I just wanted to see her happy. I wanted to be around her even if I could not be with her. Then she told me that you would be leaving. I knew that if anyone could hide in this world from Eli, it would be you. I would never see her again.” Lily’s eyes burned bright with pain and madness as the story continued to rush out of her in a flood of memories.
“I tried to talk her out of it. I was so panicked. I threatened to tell Eli everything. We argued, and she was so angry as she ran away from me. I went after her, tried to stop her so I could apologize. In my haste, I grabbed her, and she slipped. She fell backward and hit her head on a rock. She died instantly, a split second. I fed her blood and healed the wound on the back of her head. I did everything I could to save her, but she was dead. I knew that you would never forgive me, so in my fear, I hid her body in the reeds and I ran.”
Tears fell on Balthasar’s cheeks for the lost years of anger and pain, for filling the loss of Jane with blood and violence, the memory of the years he had hated and blamed Eli and suffering the torment of never knowing what really happened. He got to his feet as Lily sobbed loudly.
“I believe you when you say it was an accident,” he managed, “but I can’t look at you right now.”
Hours later, Balthasar sat in the shelter of the lake pergola, staring sullenly out at the cold gray water. Snow stuck to the wooden boards of the little jetty making it slippery and treacherous. He had built the pergola when he returned to come, sit, to remember Jane, and to remind himself of what he was like before her death. The chest of letters and keepsakes sat beside him, bundles of bittersweet memories and tokens clutched tightly in his hands.
“I am sorry, Jane,” he whispered out to the lake. “I’m so sorry. I never knew. I know you wouldn’t want me to hurt Lily. You know it was an accident. Maybe one day, I will forgive her like you would want me to. I don’t know how I will learn to forgive her for keeping it a secret all this time, but she has suffered from the truth, so perhaps that is punishment enough. I hope you can forgive us both.”
He put the trunk into one of the small wooden rowboats before whispering a spell that Eli had taught him. Since his time in Faerie, he could feel the Unseelie power in himself more sharply, and within seconds, the letters and the boat were burning ho
t.
He pushed it out into the lake, standing on the jetty watching it burn and sink. “I know you would like Rosa, otherwise you would never have appeared to her. She keeps me in check like you used to. I hope you can be at peace now, my Jane. Be happy for me.”
Chapter Twenty-Four – New Life
Through clouds of sleep, Rosa could hear soft singing. It sounded like an old lilting, folk song in complicated Welsh. The pain that had paralyzed her limbs for the last few days was gone. She flexed her fingers and toes under their warm, soft covers. Her eyes fluttered open, and she spied Eli moving about his workbench.
“Hey,” she managed, her throat still feeling sore and itchy. “We are back above ground I see.”
“We are indeed, Miss Wylt.” Eli looked over his shoulder at her. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, sort of. Tired. Where’s Balthasar? Is he okay?”
Eli put down his pen and came and sat by her bed. “He is a little heartbroken. Lily admitted to him that she was the one who accidentally killed Jane. I had suspected it for some time, but she never confided in me about it. Lily is a wreck from Pearl’s betrayal and her confession. I’m going to send her away to my brother Vincenzo, who lives in Italy. Venice will revive her and give Balthasar some space to work through his feelings.”
“Poor Lily, it’s a long time to hold onto such pain,” Rosa said as she sat up.
“You are surprisingly compassionate considering her behavior towards you.”
“It was Pearl, not Lily. She would follow Pearl because she was so strong willed. Lily needs to learn how to trust her own judgment.” Rosa ran a hand through her hair. “It is a girl thing.”
“I hope that in time she can come back here and we can be a family again. You will be a good influence on her,” Eli said making Rosa laugh.
“I don’t think I have ever been accused of being a good influence,” she said before she wrapped her arms around herself. Hunger was making her stomach cramp painfully. Eli instinctively handed her a cup filled with blood.
“It’s okay, Rosa, it will calm down. I didn’t even think the transition would work with the faerie magic in you,” Eli frowned. “I’ll need to check that it’s gone for good now. I don’t want the Queen’s magic anywhere near you.” He took her hand, “I’m going to need to taste your blood. May I?”
“Wait! Won’t it hurt you if it is?”
“I’m Unseelie, Rosa. It will not do any damage to me.”
“Okay, do it, but don’t judge me on what you see in my memories,” she said, her heart racing as she remembered what she saw in his. The man with the golden eyes that she longed to reach out and touch. Who was he?
“I promise that I will close myself off and respect your privacy as much as possible,” replied Eli as he took a small knife and pricked her finger. He put the finger to his mouth. His eyes changed to liquid emerald as he gently let her hand go. They refocused on her.
“Is it gone?”
“It is,” he said assuredly, “but there is something else we need to talk about.”
“Is it tall, dark, and starts with a B?” Rosa squirmed. “I don’t know what you expect me to say or do. I love him, Eli. I know I am not meant to, and you had rules. I know I disappointed you and that Balthasar went to Faerie when he shouldn’t have-” Rosa stopped talking as Eli hugged her tightly.
“You have never disappointed me, Rosa. I’m the conductor of so much pain in your life, even if all I did, I did to protect you. You have taught me many things are possible. You’ve given peace to my mind with Ryn’s death that I’ve not known since before Deryn’s murder. You have given peace to Balthasar’s mind also and healed long hurts by loving him. I know how much you love him. So get up and go to him with my blessing, if it’s worth anything.”
Rosa touched his long, noble face, “Thank you, Eli. It’s worth a lot to me. In a way, I suppose you are like a father to me now which is kind of weird in a nice way.”
“I’m glad it’s in a nice way,” he laughed. “We were close once. With the transition, you will start getting your memories back, and maybe you will realize that you were always my darling girl.”
“Do any of them know about…you know, him.”
The smile died on Eli’s face. “You were hallucinating, Rosa. There was no one else in the caves with us.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“You saw a man, but I don’t have a son, only Bal and Saul.” Eli got to his feet, “Speaking of Bal, you really should go and see him. I know he’s waiting for you.”
Rosa’s yearning for Balthasar outmatched her desire to know what Eli was hiding, so she climbed out of bed and went to get cleaned up.
***
Balthasar had been standing in front of the canvas for hours. Faerie was terrifying, but there was a beauty there that he so desperately wanted to capture. He painted the stones alive with light and the surrounding landscapes. He would never paint the Queen’s magnificent halls to save Eli and Rosa any undue pain. He was more interested in the land than in the inhabitants.
Balthasar’s hand stilled as an arm circled his waist and a soft cheek was pressed against his shoulder.
“I’m quite sure the road curved the other way,” Rosa said looking at the painting critically.
“Impossible. You were high on faerie magic at the time, so you are bound to be confused.” His heart was pounding as he put his brush down and turned towards her. The change had wrought small differences to her appearance. Her skin was paler, the color of her hair even richer, eyes a little greener. But those were inconsequential for the expression on her face was pure and utter Rosa.
“I had a dream that there was snow on those rocks,” she said, pointing at the portal. She looked at him steadily, eyes tender with worry. “Eli told me about Lily and Jane. How are you?”
“How am I? You ask me that when you…” Balthasar shook his head. “I’m hurt by Lily’s betrayal. I grieve for the person I could have been had I known the truth.”
“I know you suffered greatly, but the person you are now is the one I love. Mourn the past if you have to but don’t live in it anymore.”
“How can I with so much to look forward to,” Balthasar said as he wrapped his arms around her. “I still have to thank you for saving my life, which will take…oh, years, I imagine.”
“Promises, promises,” Rosa said as she stood up on tiptoes to kiss him. He could feel strength, the fresh power of the change bubbling up through her. “So what now?”
“Lily is going to Italy, and the Gwaed Gam world is in a mess,” said Balthasar. “I think the best thing we could do is get out of the country.”
“Leave the country? But won’t Eli need you?”
“Eli has Saul to help him. It will do them both good. As for us, I’m sure there is a villa in Spain that’s demanding our attention. It doesn’t have to be Spain, we can go to Italy or France or wherever it is you would most like to see first. You only need to pick somewhere.” Rosa’s lips silenced him, and he buried his hands in her soft, curly hair.
“I would wander the world forever as long as it’s with you, Balthasar Vane. Never leave my side again.”
“That, my stubborn, wild Rosa, I can absolutely guarantee.” Balthasar kissed her, and Rosa Wylt finally felt that Gwaed Lyn was home.
Epilogue
Rosa woke hours later, her new senses on fire, and her intuition was screaming at her to get up. Something was coming. Something ancient and powerful.
“What’s wrong?” Balthasar asked sleepily.
“Did you feel that?”
“What are-” Balthasar’s eyes flared in panic and then they were both moving at a preternatural speed to the main front door of the mansion. They stopped on the marble entranceway, unsure of what they were feeling.
“Bal! Did you-” Saul appeared on the steps, as there was an insistent rap on the door.
Rosa hesitated only a moment before stepping forward and opening it. A tall, lean man was waiti
ng impatiently with his hands on his hips.
“You!” They both exclaimed in unison before both looked at each other with identical twisted grins. He looked like an eccentric pirate rock star in black jeans and mud splattered Doc Marten boots. He wore a waistcoat and a blue and green scarf under a plum frock coat. Dark golden eyes stared out of the handsome, angular face surround by windswept raven hair. He looked around forty years of age except his impossibly bright amber eyes were far, far older.
“I didn’t think he would be foolish enough to turn a bloody Wylt,” the stranger said as he strode into the house as if he owned it.
“I’m a special case,” said Rosa.
“Ha! I bet you are,” he eyed her all over before shaking his head. “What did you do?”
“Killed a faerie lord who had it coming.”
“Which faerie?” he asked suspiciously.
“Ryn Eurion.”
“Ha! I should’ve known. Heavens above, the Wylt family resemblance is strong in you.”
“Excuse me, sir,” Balthasar said bluntly, “who are you and what are you doing here?”
“Eldon Blaise,” the stranger replied with an impatient wave of his hand before he looked back to Rosa. “So, young Wylt, what do they call you?”
“Rosa. I saw you in a dream.”
“I saw you in a dream, Rosa Wylt. Mmm, good name.” Eldon leaned towards her conspiratorially, “How long do you think it’ll take before your boyfriend gets sick of me ignoring him?”
“Not very long at all,” came Balthasar’s sharp reply. “What’s your business here?”
“Family business I’m afraid.”
Balthasar made to reply, but at that moment, Eli appeared at the top of the stairs. Eldon looked up at him, the grin not slipping. Eli’s glamor melted, as if he wasn’t strong enough to hold it.
“Merlin?” he asked with a broken voice.
“How have you been, Father?” the stranger asked. “And what the hell do you know about the snow in Faerie?”
Wylt: Book One The Blood Lake Chronicles Page 24