Chapter 333

Gratification filled Lucien when he strode into the holding cell. A bronze skinned fae male knelt on the floor, metal cuffs shackled him to the wall, and Lucien felt the stirrings of flame beneath his skin. This male had something to do with Elain being missing, and Lucien wanted to turn the bastard to charcoal. Swallowing that instinct, he instead looked to his father who already stood facing the male and he knew that he would bend to the wishes of the High Lord, no matter what he actually wanted for himself. Unless something happened to Elain…

"Toran." Helion said, and the bronze skinned male lifted his head. His eyes were bronze, as was his hair, and it gave Lucien the impression that this male had lived his entire life in the sun; enough so that he had been turned bronze with its rays.

"Yes, High Lord?" even his voice sounded bronze and Lucien took a step forward to stand beside his father. Helion turned his head toward Lucien, his amber eyes flicking over him and Lucien blinked at the stern look he saw there.

"Lucien…" Lucien knew the warning in his father's voice when he heard it, and then he realised that flames had erupted across his skin, enveloping his hands and licking up his wrists and forearms. He dampened it immediately, and his father looked back to Toran on the ground before them. "Toran," he said, "You are the Toran who runs the shop my Courtiers frequent on their walks?"

"I am."

"I am told that you purchased a large amount of faebane recently." Helion's voice sounded almost conversational, but Lucien saw the panic erupt behind Toran's bronze eyes, and he knew instantly that this male deserved whatever was about to happen to him.

"I… I did, High Lord."

"Why?"

"I was asked to…"

Helion took a step forward, and Lucien just watched. "… Who asked you to do that?" The High Lord just about crooned, voice dangerous and low.

"My cousin." Toran murmured, panic now clear across his bronze face. "My cousin asked me to, and I agreed because she…" he broke off, "Her size of the family, my father's sister… they… they've risen higher than my family, and she said that she would put in a good word with you and the Court. All we have is the shop and I… I… just wanted…" he blinked rapidly, and Lucien could just about see him going through every choice he made, questioning what he had done and how he might justify his choices to himself and the High Lord leaning over him. "I didn't know what it was for when she asked, she just asked if I knew where I could get some and I did so I got it for her, I didn't know what she wanted it for or what its purpose was to be. I swear I didn't."

"Explain." Helion's clipped voice held a powerful command, and Toran flinched at the single word.

"She came to me and asked me for it, and I told her I could get it. She asked me to, so I did. I didn't know what she would have done with it…"

"Which was what?" Helion prompted.

"She wanted it put into the hot drinks that the Courtiers are supplied with when they visit." Toran replied, eyes sliding from Helion to Lucien and then the floor. "I swear that I didn't know." He said, "Not at first. I just did as she asked. She wanted it in all of them… and at first I hoped they wouldn't come that day, but then they did, and they all wanted something to drink. I… I don't know any more than that…"

"You poisoned half the Court." Lucien said, "And you didn't ask questions?"

Toran lifted his eyes to meet Lucien's gaze. "One word from her and my business would fail." He said, "She could destroy my reputation…"

Lucien took a quick step toward Toran. "Half the Court is missing." He said, "Thanks to you they've been poisoned with faebane and are defenceless with no way to contact us."

"I didn't know what would be done to them afterwards." Toran protested and Lucien took another step toward him until Helion put his arm out to stop him moving further.

"That is not an excuse!" Lucien snapped. "If anything has happ-" Helion's hand on Lucien's arm silenced him and he stood straighter, clenching his teeth together to keep quiet as Helion moved in front of him, looking intently down at Toran.

"My son's mate has been taken with many of my Court." Helion crooned, "This is directly related what you have done. If I were you, I would not be trying to make excuses to justify your choices." Toran's bronze eyes held fear when he looked at Lucien then, and Lucien couldn't help but grin as he allowed just a little flame to flicker across his hands. The fear deepened and Lucien's smile widened. "Now," Helion went on, "I am willing to accept that you had no knowledge of what would happen after you poisoned my Courtiers. You say this was your cousin's actions?"

"Yes." Toran nodded quickly.

"Very well." Helion stood straight, rising to his full height. "Then tell me," he said, "What is your cousin's name?"

Toran's bronze gaze flicked from Lucien's hands and the flames flickering there up to the High Lord and he nodded again. "Amala."