The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [132]
‘I can see how that would have caused trouble,’ Rosette said.
‘And you were no help at all.’ Nell crossed her arms, looking at An’ Lawrence.
‘Excuse me? How could I be any help when you failed to include me in your plans? You didn’t tell me any of this! You just vanished.’ He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at her. ‘I came to you the night before you disappeared. Do you remember?’
‘Yes, I remember. I also remember that you were heading back to Corsanon. I was afraid of what might happen if Makee or La Kaffa, or anyone, tried to use Passillo, so I took action. I made choices. Don’t think for a moment it was easy.’
‘I might have been more supportive if I’d known what was going on.’ An’ Lawrence raised his voice as he spoke.
‘And you might not have…I didn’t trust it.’
‘You mean you didn’t trust me.’
An uncomfortable silence filled the cave.
‘Interesting,’ Jarrod said. ‘What happened next?’
Nell took a sip of water and continued. ‘I snatched the spell back and left before first light, heading for the ruined temple of Dumarka.’
‘And I was conceived when?’
‘Under the falls of Regela. Pay attention. I didn’t tell anyone I was pregnant because I wanted to protect you, Rosette. I wanted to protect my line. By then, I was starting to feel hunted.’ She looked at Jarrod.
‘And what about when I was born?’ Rosette’s voice was barely audible above the crackle of the fire. ‘Was giving me up part of the protection too?’
Nell didn’t answer for the longest time. The fire hissed and spat as she placed another log in the middle of the flames. ‘It was. Winter came and then spring, and then you. I also had a visit from La Kaffa.’
‘She found you in Dumarka?’ Rosette frowned.
‘She did, and so did others. I was being tracked and they were closing in. It took all my power to keep them away and when it looked like that would fail and I would lose the spell after all, I hid it in a place no-one would think to look.’
Rosette frowned but didn’t interrupt.
‘There was no time to mull over the consequences. I wove the spell into your blood three days after you were born.’
‘How?’
‘Let’s just say it had a natural affinity. Our blood is different, Rosette.’
Jarrod shot a warning glance to Nell.
‘I wanted to get you, and Passillo, safely hidden away,’ Nell continued.
‘Bethsay?’ Rosette asked, hugging her knees.
‘Bethsay Matosh was my best friend, even before I went to Treeon. She’d also apprenticed there, but not in magic or the warrior arts—she’d worked as a jeweller for two years before she met and married John’ra. She was fey though, Rosette. Never doubt that. She kept it to herself.’
‘And she took me?’
‘She’d just lost a pregnancy and was bereft. She also had plenty of milk and ached for a child.’ Tears spilled down Nell’s face. ‘She’d come for the birthing. She was more than willing to take you.’
‘She’d been a jeweller at Treeon?’ Rosette asked, unable to look at Nell.
‘She had,’ An’ Lawrence answered when Nell did not. ‘She made that pendant you wear. Of course, it was me who’d had it commissioned. A gift for Nell. You can imagine my surprise when I saw it around your neck.’ He turned to glare at Nell.
‘I wanted to let you know she was your daughter without broadcasting it to the whole Treeon coven,’ Nell said. ‘I had to keep Rosette safe, and I also had to make sure that when you met, you would figure out who she was. I didn’t think it would take you so long.’
‘You could have just told me,’ Rosette said. ‘Then, when I got to Treeon, I could have introduced myself.’ Her voice was tight. She didn’t look at either of them.
‘It wasn’t safe, Rosette.’
‘So you keep saying.’
Another lengthy silence surrounded them.
‘What happened to my family? Do you know that too?’ Rosette demanded. ‘Who wanted to kill us? Kreshkali?’
‘Not Kreshkali,’ she answered