Chapter 366

Wincing as she tried to swallow, Elain blinked back tears of pain. Now that the male who had hurt her was dead, and Lucien had also killed the one who had held Sheera, she had begun to notice that she couldn't really breathe, and she couldn't swallow. She had been unable to even tell Lucien to take care of the other male, and had needed to point to get her message across. Something wasn't right with her throat and she tried again to make a sound, but failed.

Gentle hands touched her then, and she looked up into her mate's face. The rage she had witnessed moments ago was gone, and in its place was concern. He had wiped his hands on his pants, ridding them of the blood, and they came up to her cheeks clean as he held her gaze. "Elain…?"

Struggling as emotions swirled within her, Elain was unable to sort out what was hers and what was coming from Lucien. Her throat hurt, that was obvious and it was the most pressing concern currently, but the bond had returned and she was feeling several other emotions she suspected belonged to her mate. He was worried for her, she could feel that through the one hand he kept at her cheek as he looked at her, and the other hand that had slid to her shoulder and then down her arm as if he was checking she was alright. That hand went to Elain's waist and his eyes, both russet and gold, flicked back and forth across her face. "Are you alright?" he asked, voice breathy and weak. Elain tried to tell him that she was unharmed, apart from her throat hurting where that phantom hand had held and squeezed, but no sound came out. Lucien frowned, brows knitting together as he tilted his head. His fingers traced her cheekbone. "You can't talk?"

Elain lifted her own hand from Lucien's arm to her throat, and shook her head. Tears welled again and her hand went back to his arm, wanting him closer. He shifted toward her, not moving his hand from her cheek. "Look at me…" he told her, and she did. As he held her gaze, Lucien brought his other hand from where it sat at her waist to her throat and moments later Elain could feel the pleasant warmth spreading there, easing the pain and making her breathing easier. Swallowing, and closing her eyes in relief, Elian leaned into Lucien, pressing her forehead against his shoulder as his hand slid from her throat around the back of her neck as he held her to himself. "Is that better?" He asked, voice still breathy, and Elain nodded.

"Are you alright?" She looked up at him, sitting straight. Now that her own pain was gone, she was more easily able to identify what she was feeling from him. He was still worried for her, but his heartbeat in her head was beating less erratically. He was hurting, and she moved back even further to look at him. She could see in the way he was sitting, and the way that he was holding himself that he was in pain, and she drew a shaky breath as she looked him over. "What is it?" He shook his head and she gripped his arm more tightly, "Are you healing yourself?"

"I did a bit." He replied, and she could tell that she smile he tried to give her was masking the fact that he was in pain. "It will take longer…"

"What's wrong with you?" Fear flooded Elain again, and she felt her own heart begin to race. Lucien gave her another smile, bringing his hand back to her cheek.

"I'm alright, Petal." He told her, "I've had worse…"

Staring at him, Elain tried to reach down the bond, searching for the answers herself. He met her half way though, and wrapped himself around her and Elain didn't even try to struggle. She surrendered to him, allowing him to envelop her, and she let his attempt at soothing her wash right over her. If something was seriously wrong, then she knew that he would tell her. If he was keeping it to himself, then clearly it wasn't worth mentioning. He was healing it, and he would be okay. "Alright…" she breathed, "Just be okay…"

"Of course." He grinned at her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "It takes more than that to get rid of me. Everyone has been trying for decades…"

"No they haven't." she nudged him, knowing that he was trying to make light of the situation, but she also knew that a part of him probably believed what he had said and she wasn't going to allow it to go unchallenged. Movement from the end of the hallway caught her attention and she turned, remembering the dark-haired male who had gone to keep watch when he had not wished to participate in what his friend had wanted to do. "Oh…" she sat straighter when his wide-eyed face and dark hair disappeared around the corner. "He'll go for help…"

"We need to not be here…" Lucien got to his feet with a pained grunt, and Elain moved with him, her hand light on his back. She didn't like the stiff way that he moved, or the strange sound to his breathing. It reminded her of when Tamlin had lost it at him in the Spring Court and had broken his ribs, and that worried her. He had nearly died then, and it had taken hours for him to heal himself completely. She didn't think they had that kind of time now.

"Lucien…"

He looked at her, a stiff smile on his face that she could see right through. "I'm alright, Petal. We have to go…"

She knew that was true. There would be no fighting off whoever that male brought back with him. Pressing her lips firmly together, to keep herself from saying anything further, Elain just nodded and looked at Sheera still on the ground nearby. Without saying a word, Lucien moved toward Sheera and bent to scoop her up in his arms. "The library is nearby." He said, referring to the next of Helion's libraries that they had been on their way toward before they had been accosted.

"How close?" Elain asked, worried now that he was over taxing himself by carrying Sheera while he was still suffering from whatever it was that was wrong with his breathing.

"Next corridor over."

"Alright…" She remained close to him as they moved up the hallway, not liking the way in which he held himself, and she hoped desperately that they would find Helion and Ashk soon so that he would have the chance to heal himself and they would be able to stop sneaking around the hallways. When she saw Sheera stir softly, Elain noticed Lucien's hand glowing slightly on her friend's back and she realised that he was healing Sheera as they walked. Opening her mouth to protest, Elain closed it an instant later. It wasn't that she didn't want Sheera healed, but she worried about Lucien expending extra energy while in his current state. Even if she had told him that, however, she knew that he would still want to heal Sheera. That was who he was, and it was a part of why she had fallen in love with him. He had always been someone who had sought to help others even while he had been hurting and while he had been rejected and beaten. Even though Lucien had been kicked again and again throughout his life, he had always done his best to be of use to others, had done what he could to help, and she wasn't about to tell him not to do that now.

It was to Elain's great relief that they reached the door to Helion's library a few moments later, and she resisted a great sigh when Lucien paused. No matter what they found behind the door, Elain was going to insist that they stopped for a while. She was not going to let Lucien leave the library until he was properly healed. She had half prepared several arguments she was completely prepared to use in order to persuade him to prioritise himself. He glanced at her then, and she readied herself, knife back in her hand. Lucien readjusted his hold on Sheera before he released a long breath and then pushed the door wide open.