The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [129]
‘Hang on. I have some questions of my own first.’ Rosette turned to Jarrod, noticing his hand in the firelight. It was cut and caked with dried blood. ‘What happened?’
‘I fell on a piece of black rock. It’ll heal in no time.’
Nell shot him a glance. ‘I’ll get the med-kit,’ she offered.
Jarrod rolled up his sleeve and gritted his teeth as Nell cleaned the gash.
‘Let’s have your questions, Rosette,’ she said while dressing the wound. ‘We have to get this over with sooner or later, and the sooner the better.’
‘Do you think so?’ Rosette lifted her eyes. ‘Then I’d like to know how you define “sooner”. It’s been two decades since you had me. “Soon” just doesn’t seem to apply.’
Nell stared at her daughter. ‘Is there a specific question in there?’
Rosette hissed an exhalation.
‘How is he?’ She jerked her head towards An’ Lawrence, her brow knitted tight.
‘I’ve spent many years being angry at him, Rosette,’ Nell replied as she packed the medicines away. ‘Are you picking up where I left off?’
‘Maybe.’
‘Any particular reason?’
‘Oh, let me think. He lied to me, wove a total deception. He tricked me into this adventure with the Lupins and Kreshkali without having any idea what he was getting us into.’
She stopped short, eyeing Nell. ‘But you had an idea, didn’t you? You knew all along where Passillo was.’ She turned back to the fire, her jaw tight. Silence filled the cave.
‘What are you afraid of, Rosette?’
The question came from the furs on the other side of the fire. An’ Lawrence was struggling to stand, Scylla on wobbly legs beside him.
‘Sword Master?’ Jarrod and Nell went to his side.
‘How’s the head?’ Nell asked.
‘Still seeing double. I’m going to skin those Lupins alive if I ever see them again.’
Nell checked his pupils. ‘You still have a concussion. Lie back.’
‘Gladly, but first we need to go for a little walk.’ He nodded to Scylla.
They helped him steady his familiar and walk her towards the entrance. Before going out, he turned to Rosette. ‘Did you at least manage to keep track of your sword?’
Rosette’s hand went automatically to her side. She pressed her lips together. ‘Actually, I didn’t. I suspect I lost it because someone tried to make a trade that was very poorly thought out.’
‘Poorly thought out? If you had been honest with me about your origins from the start, I wouldn’t have brought you here.’
‘Honest about my origins? Who are you to talk!’
‘I’ve never pretended to be someone I’m not,’ he shouted back at her.
‘Pretended? I thought I knew my blood origins until you and Nell decided to confess! Come to think of it, you know more about my origins than I do. You and Nellion Paree of the Dumarkian Woods.’ She glared from one parent to the other.
‘Enough.’ Nell held out her hand. ‘There’s some explaining to do, I’ll admit, but it won’t help to bicker. We’ve real enemies, and they take priority over these petty grievances.’
Rosette’s mouth dropped open. ‘Petty grievances?’
‘On a universal scale? Yes. Petty.’
Rosette snapped her jaw shut and turned away. She stared at the fire. Jarrod wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she nestled into his side. ‘How did you find me?’ she whispered to him.
‘That’s a long story,’ he said, pushing back her braids and kissing her cheek.
She smiled for a moment and turned his face so she could kiss him full on the lips. ‘I’m looking forward to hearing the details.’
Are we going to tell stories all night, or are we going to eat something? I wasn’t invited to Kreshkali’s amazing dinner, like some of us, and I am definitely hungry, even if you lot are not.
Jarrod laughed.
‘Dinner’s coming,’ Rosette purred to her familiar before catching Jarrod’s eye. ‘What are you smiling at?’
‘He’s a funny one, Drayco the Black.’
‘He is, but what makes you say so?’ She didn’t wait for a reply. She found a bowl and ladled it full of stew, setting it before her familiar. ‘It’s hot, Dray,’ she said, stroking his back before returning to Jarrod.
I like it hot, Maudi!
‘I know you do.’
Jarrod chuckled and looked from one