Page 72 of Blood and Roses

Rosa watched the pathetic fae squirm and grovel towards her. "Enough. I'm not going to kill you, Celyn."

"You're not?"

"No, you will do something for me," Rosa said firmly. "You will go back to the queen and give her this message. If she dares to come after my family again, being either Wylt or Vane, I will raise an undead army, and I'll come for her. I'll burn her out of her filthy hive like she is lower than an ant. Understand?"

Celyn bowed his head. "I understand, Lady Rosa. I will tell her." Rosa let him climb to his feet as she and Balthasar stepped out of the ring of stones. "I know it may not mean much to you, but you looked very much like a fierce Deryn just now."

Rosa grinned, knowing her bloody face was a fright. "By all means, tell the queen that too."

They watched Celyn disappear, and she finally felt like she could breathe. Balthasar put his stolen, blood-stained coat around her.

"Come on, let's go home. I'm sure Eli will be in a right foul mood when he realizes I escaped," Balthasar said. As they walked, he told Rosa all about the night of the ball, his imprisonment, Pearl's confession, and his escape.

"Wow, I never thought that Cecily would openly defy Eli like that," Rosa said, feeling a newfound respect for her, "Go, Mom."

"She was very brave and worried about you. She knows about...about us too."

"Us? What is there to know about us?" Rosa asked. "Once Eli finds out, I'm sure he'll ship me off to Timbuktu."

"It would be me he shipped away. I infiltrated the Aos Si, the Seelie Court, and stole you from under the nose of the Autumn Queen. Eli does not seem so frightening to me anymore."

"But you weren't the one that killed Ryn," Rosa stated proudly as she swung the head she carried. "I killed someone, and I don't feel the least bit guilty about it. Maybe it will come later, but for now, I'm going to need lots of hot showers and days in bed. Consider yourself warned."

"I am warned. I was going to suggest days in bed with you as well. I think we have earned it," Balthasar said with a decisive nod of his head. "Besides, I need to be able to thank you properly for saving my life."

"Nothing self-serving in that for you at all," Rosa replied as they walked out of the trees and onto the rock driveway ofGwaed Lyn. The front doors crashed open, and Eli stormed out, Lily and Saul looking nervous in his wake.

Rosa straightened her back, gripping the sword hilt tightly. She had been through enough in the last few days to have to endure Eli Vane's temper. Eli's face changed to his Unseelie form as he got close enough to see what she was holding. Rosa tried not to be cowed by him, remembering what Celyn had said. Deryn had stood up to Eli and made him see reason, and she was determined to do the same.

"Lord Bleddyn, a gift for you," Rosa tossed the head, letting it roll along the stones to his feet.

"How?" he demanded.

"He had bested me," Balthasar explained. "Rosa killed him and took his sword."

"Don't forget I threatened the queen with an army," Rosa added, "and to think you were just going to leave me stuck in Faerie to rot."

"How can this be possible?" Saul asked. "How did you find a way in, Bal?"

"I ate some faeries, and it confused the magic in the portals. I summoned Celyn, traveled into their lands, and took Rosa back exactly as I told you I would. All in a night's work really."

Eli was staring at Rosa with intense eyes. "What are you, Rosa Wylt?"

"I'm the woman who has gotten revenge on the murderer of my ancestor and has made your Seelie problem go away." She smiled as her eyes flickered over to Balthasar's stern face. "I am also the woman who loves your son."

"Balthasar..." Eli said coolly.

"She can't help it, Father. She is only human."

Rosa pointed the sword at him, and Saul burst out laughing. "I think Bal just cracked a joke. Lily, did you hear that? It really is possible."

"We will discuss this further, children. For now, I think you both need to get cleaned up and then you can join me in my office," Eli said with the faintest trace of a smile as he picked up Ryn's head. "Well done, Miss Wylt."

Rosa began to smile as something ripped her backward and away from the house.

"So that's it?" Pearl screeched as she gripped Rosa by the hair. "You aren't going to punish either of them? Balthasar openly defied you!" Rosa struggled, trying to hit her. Her sword shone on the gravel just yards away from her.

"Pearl, let her go," Balthasar growled.