Chapter 328

Elain had no idea what to do. She had been captured several times in her life. Once had been when she and Nesta had been turned Fae by the Cauldron, and again when the Cauldron had called to her and she had ended up in Hybern's camp in her nightdress. She had been in her nightdress the first time too. Elain was glad she was actually wearing clothes this time. She wouldn't be weak now however. But she had no idea what to do.

She had tried reaching for the bond, tried to call Lucien. She hadn't been able to hear his heartbeat before she had been grabbed though, and she knew that she had lost the bond by that point already. They had drugged her. She knew that. This was just like when Sorcha had dosed the whole Court with faebane. She hadn't been able to feel Lucien then and she had thought that he was dead when that balcony had collapsed. She was fairly certain he wasn't dead now, however, despite not being able to hear him or feel him.

Unless, Elain thought. Unless they had both been attacked. Maybe that was what had happened. Maybe she had been grabbed at the same time that someone had come for him. Elain was fairly certain that whoever was doing this had an issue with Lucien and herself. She had heard the whispers, she had heard how there was dissent about them being in the Court. She had heard what Kera had said the other night in the garden, but Kera was sitting nearby, her own wrists bound, and Elain suddenly wasn't sure of anything.

Tisia was quietly sobbing now, and Elain didn't know what to say to her to help. She knew that they were all scared. This was a scary situation. They had been grabbed off of the street, in full daylight, and brought back here. A significant number of the Courtiers had been overpowered and forced into these rooms, wherever this was. That was scary. She looked instead to Ashk, who was sitting upright and still managing to look elegant, if not regal, despite the blood down the side of her face. "What do we do?" Elain asked, and Ashk's russet eyes flicked her way.

"We do not show them weakness." Ashk replied. "They can tie us up and put us in here, but they can not make us cower."

"I'm already cowering." Tisia sniffed.

Elain saw the glance that Ashk cast Tisia's way. An expression passed across the beautiful redhead's face which Elain could not read before it was replaced with patience as Ashk nodded. "They're not in here right now." She said, "But when they return, and they will, you can hold your head high and not let them see that you are frightened."

"How?" Tisia asked, her voice shaky.

"Helion is your High Lord." Ashk said, "He will not let this go. He will not let this go unpunished. Your High Lord will come for you, and he will find you. He will save us."

"How do you know he will find us?"

"Because," Ashk gave a thin smile, "He has come for me before, and found me."

Elain watched Ashk's face, reading the unshakable confidence that the older female felt. Ashk had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Helion would come for her, as he had done before. Lucien had once told Elain about how Ashk had been chased before the war. Her own sisters had given themselves in sacrifice so that she might escape, and she had run until she was cornered. Beron had not been the one to find her and save her. Helion had. It stood to reason now that Ashk would believe he would do it again.

"So much has been happening in the Court lately." Tisia said softly.

"Since Lucien and I came here, you mean?" Elain asked, watching Tisia for her reaction. The dark-haired female tilted her head to think about that but Ashk made a dismissive noise and Elain's gaze went her way.

"You did not bring this with you." Ashk said, "Whoever has done this is part of the Court. They were here before you arrived…"

Elain sat with that for a moment. It was true, she supposed. Those who would move against the High Lord had been here already, and if it had not been Lucien being named heir or whatever other problem they'd had with the Court, it would have been something eventually. She turned her eyes on Kera. The blonde hadn't spoken since Elain had been awake, and she wondered what the other might have been thinking.

Kera was curled against the wall, her knees up to her chest, unmoving. "Are you alright?" Elain asked her, and those eyes flicked her way instantly.

"I'm fine." The pointed chin lifted and when Elain met Kera's gaze she saw that it was true. The blonde was not afraid. That surprised Elain, but she said nothing of it.

"Alright," Elain looked back to Ashk, "Do we have any other plan on what we could do other than not show them fear?" She didn't want to just sit and hope to be rescued. She had no doubt that Helion and Lucien would do their best to find them, but she still didn't want to sit here and do nothing. She wanted something she could do, she wanted to feel like she was accomplishing something, wanted to feel strong. She was to one day be the Lady of the Day Court, and she wanted to act like it.