Chapter 274

"What do you think?" Cassian asked, eyes on Lucien. Elain watched her mate bite his lip a bit, his metallic eye clicking and whirring as he took in the shield above and the doors.

"Can you do that?" Feyre asked him and he tilted his head.

"And if I can't?" he asked, returning his attention to Cassian and Azriel, "If I need to stay here to hold the shield, could you two handle it?"

"Yeah." Cassian gave a cocky grin, "Az and I have had worse than this…" he nudged Azriel who nodded. "If a thousand more of the bastards show up, though…" his eyes went to Nesta and Elain noticed that her sister's back had gone rigid. "Let's just hope they don't…"

"He was pretty confident." Feyre said.

"What else can we do?" Cassian countered, "We're better off dealing with this now than waiting and having more of them in an hour…"

"Alright." Lucien said, "If you pick a door…" he straightened his shoulders, "I'll drop the shield for that door to let you out and I'll put it back up behind you…" he looked from Cassian to Azriel, "I'll hold it…"

"And if they need back in?" Nesta asked, her steely eyes on Lucien.

"Same deal." He told her, voice gentle.

Nesta nodded, her face a carefully constructed mask which Elain could not read. She could read her sister's body language though, and it gave away Nesta's anxiety over the plan. "What if Feyre and I help…"

Azriel looked away and Elain knew that he was not fond of the idea. Cassian shook his head, his eyes going from Azriel to Nesta. "Az and I have done this before." He said, "We have a routine and know what one another will be doing. It will be easier if you leave it to us."

"You've trained both of us." Nesta pressed, "You know we could do it."

"I don't doubt that…" he gave her a placating smile, "But Az and I alone would be quicker…"

Nesta folded her arms. "Fine." She said, her voice clipped, "But if you get yourself killed…"

"I shall expect a thorough arse-kicking from you." He smiled more widely, and Elain saw Nesta relent a little. Her sister nodded, rearranging her folded arms. Cassian took a step toward Nesta, bending and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before straightening again and walking toward the closest door. Azriel looked at each of them in turn and then followed Cassian, looking over his shoulder at Lucien.

Elain followed her mate as he approached the door too. There were several Illyrians on the other side of the shield, preparing themselves once they realised that the shield was about to come down. Cassian and Azriel had drawn their wicked looking blades, and Elain tried to make herself breathe evenly, not wanting to let herself panic. The shield was about to vanish, and then it would all start again. Those Illyrians would be trying to get in here as Cassian and Azriel would be trying to get out. If any slipped past them… Elain shook her head. As if any of them would slip past Cassian and Azriel. They would be fine.

"Ready?" Cassian asked, glancing at Lucien who nodded and rolled his shoulders, appearing to stretch. Elain tried not to smile as that look that told her he was concentrating hard crossed his face once more.

"On your mark…" Lucien said, voice soft, and his eyes followed Cassian move closer to the shield. Azriel shifted to join his friend by the shield, and Elain's attention returned to the Illyrians on the other side of that shield, waiting with wide smirks.

The only indication that Elain noticed that the shield went down was the brief flicker of light across the doorway, and then Cassian and Azriel surged forward, blades flashing as they swung, taking several of the other Illyrians by surprise. The moment they had crossed the doorway, Lucien threw the shield back up and they could do nothing but watch then as Cassian and Azriel cut their way up the hallway.

"What are we expected to do now?" Nesta asked, her tone flat. "Sit and wait?"

"You can stand if you like." Feyre replied, moving to sit on a nearby bench. Elain looked from Nesta to Feyre and then moved toward Lucien.

"How do you feel remaining in here while they are out there?"

"Just fine." He told her, looking down to meet her eyes as he brought one of his hands up to her cheek, "Hacking and slashing and getting covered in gore is not the only way to do my piece." His fingers caressed her skin, "I'm protecting you… and your family… and everyone else in here."

Elain smiled up at him, her own fingers moving over the buttons on his jacket. "Yes, you are."

"Nowhere I would rather be, Petal."