Outside, the late afternoon was raining and bleak. He needed to sleep but every time he shut his eyes he saw the fear on her face. He walked the attic trying to talk himself out of doing the one thing he knew he must; apologize sincerely and make it heartfelt. He couldn’t remember the last time he had to do that either.
Maybe you are overreacting, and she was embarrassed about being caught out. Perhaps, you didn’t really upset her. She doesn’t like the Vanes and now she never will. He folded his arms stubbornly. Then the thought that she didn’t like him, that she could in fact hate him after today, made the pain in his stomach worse.
Balthasar went into the bathroom and washed his face before running his wet hands through his hair to tame it. His traitorous mind wasn’t going to let him settle until he talked to her, so there was no point avoiding it any longer.
***
Rosa had lost track of the time sitting in the cellar with Saul. Two empty bottles sat in the dirt at their feet, and he was selecting another.
“I like you, Rosa. You are fun to drink with, and you don’t get all sad and mopey,” he said as he popped a cork out of another bottle and sat back down. “I hate a sad drunk.”
“Maybe we should’ve invited your brother to our cellar party and lightened him up a bit,” she said irritably. How dare he upset her so much…and why did she even care? Stupid Balthasar and his stupid letters and his pretty paintings and his sexy frown.
“Good luck with that! He wouldn’t know how to get drunk or have fun anymore. Balthasar is a goddamn pillar of self-control,” Saul rolled his eyes at her making her laugh.
“Perhaps, he is trying to set an example for his rebellious, disobedient younger brother,” a cool voice said, and Balthasar appeared at the end of the shelving.
Rosa looked away from him angrily. Saul got to his feet again and offered Rosa a hand up. “Busted. That’s it, fun times are over, my dear,” he said as she took it. “Come on, I will take you home and see you safely into your bed.”
“You will not,” Balthasar stated firmly. “Eli is looking for you. I will see that Miss Wylt gets home safely.”
“Have it your way…you always do after all. Try not to make her cry again with your personality defects,” Saul muttered as he pushed passed him. “And don’t you forget she is off limits to you, too.”
“Hey, Saul, thank you for the company. It was nice to talk to a Vane who is actually fun,” she said, refusing to look at Balthasar.
Saul smiled beatifically, “Any time you are in need of fun just call.”
Rosa followed him out into the kitchen. It was empty, all save for Vera who was preparing dinner. Saul stole a small apple pie and kissed Vera’s cheek when she chastised him.
Rosa walked out of the back door, hoping that Balthasar would stay inside, but she could hear him moving behind her, his eyes burning a hole in the back of her head.
“Go away. I don’t need a damn escort. I know my way home,” she said angrily, casting a glance over her shoulder. He looked casual and un-kept dressed in a black V-neck T-shirt, jeans and his blazer from the night before. She hated that she noticed what he was wearing and his stupid sexy stubble. She hated that he had made her cry. “Are you deaf? Stop following me, Bertha. I don’t want you or your psycho temper anywhere near me.”
“You’re drunk, Rosa, I will see you safely home no matter how rude you are,” he said calmly.
“Ha! You’ve got some nerve lecturing me on being rude,” she said, walking backward so she could yell at him to his face. “After today’s effort, I’m ready to wipe away all of you Vanes. Here I thought you were the half decent one, but now I know you’re just a prat.”
“So you spend the afternoon drinking with my morally bankrupt younger brother to show me how much you hate us? That’s ridiculous.”
“He might be morally bankrupt, but at least he’s nice and doesn’t get angry at me for nothing.”
“Nothing! You were in my private chambers uninvited.”
“I was instructed by your damn sister and Pearl to clean your stupid attic. That’s what I was doing up there! I didn’t know it was your private chambers. God, what did you think I was doing up there? Stalking you? I hate to break it to you, but I have already gone through my entitled jerk stage. You missed out. Damn Vanes!” she exclaimed, unable to stop the drunken rant now that she was started. “It doesn’t matter anyway. What the hell do I care if you are pissed off at me? It’s not like we are even friends. Go back to your attic, Bertha, and leave me alone.”
“I came to find you to apologize, Rosa,” he said as he matched her strides. “Are you going to let me or are you going to keep yelling at me.”
“I’m not yelling. I’m exclaiming my opinion at you in a loud and extravagant manner. And why would you want to apologize? I’m a servant, remember? I’m a member of the Vane’s personal servant family that is forever indebted to you for who knows what reason. Other people get to choose what they do with their life. I get to be your servant, lucky me. Guess what? I never chose to come back here. I didn’t choose to be born a Wylt. My mother doesn’t choose to be fed on by Pearl, but hey, she’s a Wylt. It doesn’t-”
Balthasar grabbed her by the shoulders. There was a rush of wind, and suddenly she was standing with her back against her front door. It didn’t even feel like she had moved. She was just there. She swayed uncertainly and swallowed forcefully to keep the wine down.
“What did you just say?” he demanded, his arms braced against the door around her. She hadn’t realized how tall he was before and she fought the urge to cower.
“Pearl has been feeding on Cecily. That’s why she is always sick. I watched her do it last night,” Rosa mumbled, and she fought the tears that were burning behind her eyes.
“Why didn’t you come to me about it?”
“You say that like you are approachable! What could I have said? Your anorexic blood-sucking pal has my mother for dinner? How did I know that you weren’t in on it?”
“I would never hurt any of the Wylts! It is one of the few rules Eli has for us all. I promise you, Rosa, Pearl will not touch your mother ever again. If Eli knew about this, he would kill her, and that would break Lily’s heart. My sister isn’t so bad, but she has poor taste in women and is easily misled by them.”
“I don’t care about Lily’s taste in women, just keep her and Pearl away from my mother.”
“I will. Whether you are willing to accept it or not, I do apologize for my outburst today. It was uncalled for, and you didn’t deserve it. I am not…” he paused, trying to find the right words. “I’m not used to having people invade my privacy.”
“I didn’t know it was your attic, otherwise I wouldn’t have gone up there. I don’t even like you. I don’t want to be near you,” she said looking up at him defiantly. You are such a liar, Rosa Wylt. She tried staring him down, but curiosity got the better of her. “Did you really paint all of those pictures?”
“Yes.”
“And the ones in the house?”
“Many of them.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” Rosa sniffed, which was a mistake because now all she could smell was his aftershave. “I like them, that’s all.”
“Is this your way of saying that you forgive my outburst and accept my apology?” he frowned uncertainly.
“I’ll think about it.” Rosa, are you flirting with a Vane right now? She backed up in surprise, hitting her head on the door behind her. Amusement sparked in his eyes, and for a moment, he was animated and relaxed. It was gone so quickly that Rosa thought her drunken mind had imagined it.
“You are taking it strangely well after discovering our true natures.”
“It’s not like I’m the first Wylt to find out. They like writing you know?” Rosa blurted out loudly. “Sarah Ann in 1760 was saved from dying of consumption by Eli. She wrote all about it. Richard Wylt, 1902, was found on a London street, was educated and k
new what Eli was from the age of ten. That’s just the ones I remember. If they could handle it, I suppose I can, though why they got to find out about it while I was shipped off is anyone’s bloody guess. I was terrified last night, but wine is great for fixing stuff like that. It’s not like I have a choice but to take the Vanes as they are. I certainly won’t give you the satisfaction of being afraid of you.”
“I don’t want you to be afraid of me,” Balthasar said gently.
“You should have thought about that before you went off your bat shit crazy head at me. Now, are you going to stand there looming over me all night or are you going to let me go to bed?” she demanded.
His arms were still on either side of her, a strangely intense look on his face. For a brief, terrifying moment she wondered if he was going to kiss her. Then he pulled his hands away and stepped back.
“I didn’t realize; I apologize.”
Rosa kicked the mat and bent down to retrieve her key, “You seem to really enjoy apologizing.” She fumbled the key in the lock.
“I don’t actually. I hate it,” he said as steadied her hand with his so she could fit the iron blade into the door. “But I hate knowing I have upset you more.”
“Because I am a Wylt, right?” she asked as she opened the door and walked inside.
“No, I have upset plenty of Wylts. It’s because you are you.”
“That’s great but I’m still angry with you so go away.” Rosa closed the door and locked it for emphasis. She watched his shadow standing in front of her door a moment longer before it vanished.
***
Balthasar walked back to the house, stopping only once to look behind at the lights coming on in the Wylt cottage. She was a rude drunk, but it wasn’t as if he didn’t deserve it. He had something else to deal with. Rage was flaring to life under his skin. Pearl. How dare she touch a Wylt! Eli wouldn’t stand for it. These were modern times. There was a civilized way to get what they needed. Feeding off Cecily was vindictive and defiant.
It was only his love of Lily that had stopped Eli from killing Pearl when his sister turned her. They were of a royal Unseelie bloodline; their gift was not to be given lightly. Lily had broken all the rules when she made Pearl. Balthasar knew that Eli felt like he owed his first turned something, so he had allowed Pearl to live. If Eli knew what she had been doing, he wouldn’t be so lenient.
Pearl liked to play her piano every night at the same time, so he sat in the music room and waited. Like clockwork, she stepped inside and flicked on the lights. Balthasar gripped her tightly around the neck and slammed her into the wall.
“If you ever touch a hair on Cecily Wylt’s head again, I will destroy you, Pearl Windsor,” he growled. She flashed her fangs at him, scratching at his arms. His hand tightened, and she stilled. “I know you sent Rosa to the attic today too. What do you hope to achieve by aggravating me? Do you long for death, because I’d be more than happy to tell Eli what you have done?”
Pearl made a wheezing hiss of laughter. “Your mask is cracking, Balthasar. She’s getting into your head.”
“You are getting on my nerves. It’s only for the love of my sister that is saving your life right now.” He let her go, and she fell to the ground in a heap. “Stop playing your games or I will stop you from playing with anything ever again.”
Chapter Nine – The Family Vane
Balthasar stood looking over the peace treaty that Eli was drafting in a neat hand. They were sipping Eli’s favorite whiskey, and Balthasar was doing his best to hide his agitation.
“Have you heard from Blackfox’s clan?” he asked. “We are going to need them to agree to this treaty and not try to get revenge on us.”
“They agree to it, but they are remaining remarkably silent on their leader’s execution. Blackfox wasn’t working alone. He wasn’t subtle or clever enough. Someone was pushing him.”
“The Lords are contentious at the best of times. Add the possibility of the Seelie to the mix, and they are like rabid dogs.”
“I don’t care how they feel about it. We need a treaty, or we’ll all die. The Seelie can’t match us in speed or strength, but the Gwaed Gam cannot match their cunning or their magic. The lords forget themselves. Some days, I think a war would be a good idea to remind them we aren’t the only predators in the night.”
Eli smiled, and it was sharp and threatening. He looked like a successful, elegant man in his fifties; his dark hair speckled finely with gray. Balthasar knew he could drop that guise and be as ageless and terrifying as ever. He was pure Unseelie, the Gwaed Gam in the world were only bastardizations of the exiled princes. Eli didn’t even consider the Vanes Gwaed Gam at all.
“You know me, Father. I would support your war as I’m now supporting your peace. I understand war more, but I’m willing to give peace its chance.”
“You have experience with human wars and only skirmishes with the Seelie. The gods know you have chased enough wars over the centuries while you ran from your destiny.”
“You were the one that made me run, Eli. I’m home now, and I’m done fighting with you about it. I’m far more concerned with Ryn Eurion fighting us when he gets here. We might be able to keep the Gwaed Gam factions in control, but not if they are provoked –”
“What is the matter tonight, Balthasar? You are saying one thing with your mouth, but your mind is elsewhere.”
“Rosa Wylt; you need to tell her the truth about us. She isn’t an idiot. She knows something is not right with us.” Balthasar felt the urge to tell him about the necklace that protected her from glamor, but something stopped him. He didn’t want the other members of his family being able to control her mind.
Eli had taken the news of Pearl feeding on Cecily without a flicker of emotion, simply stored it away to deal with after the Gathering. Balthasar knew his father. There was no way he would let it slide, and Lily would have to accept whatever punishment he had in mind. She knew the rules.
“Of course Rosa knows something isn’t right. She is a Wylt. She knew about us when she was a child. I had to take the memory away for her own good.”
“I wasn’t at Gwaed Lyn at the time but can I ask why you sent her away? She had just lost her father, so it seemed harsh even for you.”
Eli looked him over before pouring himself another drink. “She was a child living in a house full of Unseelie. It’s not that I wouldn’t trust the Vanes, but I didn’t trust the others that came to visit. She was this adorable, cheeky girl that was curious and a delight to all she met. An irresistible temptation to the reprobates we frequently have to tolerate. I didn’t even have to compel Cecily to do it in the end. After Harold, she knew the dangers. At boarding school, she would have a proper life, and even though she would resent it at the time, she would be safe.”
“So why bring her back now after so long? She is angry about it.”
“Why not bring her back? She is a woman grown, and from what I have seen, she is still a delight,” he raised an eyebrow at Balthasar. “Your brother is taken with her, and I know you are too.”
“She brings new perspectives to conversations,” he answered cautiously. “I forget how stubborn and passionate humans can be.”
“I heard her yelling at you the other night for breaking up her drinking session with Saul,” Eli chuckled. “Do you really have to wonder why I summoned her? She is full of life. Everyone in this house is so miserable at the moment.”
“Then ease Rosa’s misery and let her know who we are. She’s been telling Cecily that she’s sick for two days now. She is hiding out because she is angry and frightened. You know human’s minds can be fragile. I fear if we don’t tell her the full story soon, she will run, and she will resent us even more.”
“Very well, I will allow it, but I’ll let you be the one to tell her. She seems to like you the most.”
“Not anymore. She slammed the door in my face the other night. Perhaps a subtle approach is needed?”
“I have taught you the art of diplom
acy, my dear son. If you cannot make amends with a human girl, then what chance do you have against a fae host?”
“With respect, Father, I would rather face a fae host instead of Rosa Wylt right now. At least I can kill them when they become too arrogant,” Balthasar grinned. “The angrier she gets, the more endearing she seems to be. I haven’t met anyone like that in a long time.”
“You see? Irresistible. But in all seriousness, a word of caution where Rosa is concerned,” Eli said, stopping him from leaving. “Don’t let her become a distraction. You are royal. You have responsibilities, especially at the moment. I know her presence is stimulating, but there are larger games afoot.”
“Of course, she is only a human after all.”
Eli was smiling at him, but Balthasar knew a threat from his father when he heard it. The real problem was going to be how to get her to talk to him so he could explain the Vane history.
Balthasar went back to the attic to try to think. Like so many times in the last few days, he ended up looking through the southern windows at the Wylt cottage. The lights were still on, but there was not even a flicker of Rosa.
She does not want to see you, remember? It was not as if he could go and knock on the door. A thought occurred to him, and he smiled. She didn’t have to see him in order for him to talk to her.
***
Rosa sat by the downstairs fire drinking her ninth cup of tea for the day. Cecily had been by earlier with food. She had a worried expression when she saw the mess in the living room. Fueled by her angry outburst she had begun to take the Wylt history from out of the attic and go through it properly. There were hundreds of letters, sprawling family trees, and one undisputed fact. Where there had been a Vane, there had been a Wylt, and they had known exactly who and what they were loyal to. What bound them together originally she still hadn’t discovered. Cecily had been no help at all.
Wylt: Book One The Blood Lake Chronicles Page 10
