Chapter One

They were gathered on the couches and draped around the room. Elain watched the way Feyre settled herself on the arm rest of the couch that Mor was reclining in, wineglass in hand, and smiled at her sister's easiness. She was pleased that the youngest of them seemed to be doing so well. Nesta's straight back and blank features suggested that their older sister was not. Sparing a fleeting glance for the way that Cassian inched closer to Nesta, in what was clearly an attempt to engage her in conversation, Elain traced her hand along the bookcase she was inspecting, searching for something interesting to take up to bed with her for the evening.

"Come on," Cassian's teasing voice began, "I know you were reading something saucy this afternoon…"

"Do you?" Nesta's voice was hard.

"Yeah, you went bright red and shoved the book under a cushion the second you saw me."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"Sure it does." Cassian continued, "It means that you were reading something embarrassing… or you were trying to hide that you were busy so I wouldn't be deterred from coming to speak to you… so, which one is it?"

Elain looked through the bookshelf to try and see her sister's face, but Nesta was giving nothing away. Her sister looked as stoic as ever. "Maybe I just don't like people in my business."

Cassian sighed and flopped back against his chair. "I know you were reading smut."

Shaking her head, and smiling, Elain returned her attention to the spines of the books she was currently stroking. Maybe she would ask Nesta what she had been reading later, and if it was any good.

"If you want some good smut recommendations, Cassian, I can help you." This was Amren and Elain's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Ah… I'm good." Cassian sounded more than a little put off. Amren laughed, as did Mor.

Elain reached the section of the collection on various plants from across Prythian and made a face. She'd been through the lot of them. She moved on further, toward the end of the shelf, liking the idea of asking Nesta what she had been reading more and more. Perhaps she could lure her sister to the bookshelf without alerting the others to what she was trying to do.

When Rhysand suddenly got to his feet, a thoughtful look on his face, Elain watched with interest. Feyre also sat up a little more straight, her eyes on her mate. "What is it?"

Rhys glanced briefly at Feyre before striding across the room toward the hall and the front door to the house. Elain looked back to Feyre who was chewing her lower lip. They heard the front door open and low voices as Rhys spoke to someone. A moment later footsteps indicated that he was returning, and a soft shiver moved up Elains back, beginning at the bottom of her spine and ending when it reached the base of her neck. She let out a slow breath when Lucien followed Rhys into the room.

She stood half hidden behind the tall bookshelf, but his eyes found hers the moment he stepped into the room. Elain forced herself to draw a deep breath, unable to look away from the uncertainty in his russet eye as he looked back at her. It had been months since she had seen him, and she hadn't really thought he would be coming back any time soon.

Nesta was on her feet a moment later, and moving toward Elain. When her elder sister slipped an arm around Elain's waist and held on to her, Lucien finally lowered his gaze before turning his attention back to Rhys who had thrown himself back into his low chair. The silence in the room was almost painful and Elain pulled a random book off the shelf before her, flipping it open for something to do, though she kept Lucien in her peripheral vision as she did so, unable to completely look away. Eventually, it was Cassian who spoke.

"So, you're back?"

"…Yes."

Elain looked up at him properly, then. His voice sounded strained and that uncertainty she had seen in his eyes was even more evident in his voice.

"Well, you're welcome to stay." Rhys said, and Feyre nodded quickly. "For as long as you want."

Lucien gave a smile of thanks, nodding. "I would appreciate that."

Nesta nudged Elain in a questioning manner and Elain turned to her sister. "I'm fine." She murmured, watching as Nesta clearly tried to read her face. Elain gave her a reassuring smile and eventually Nesta nodded and returned to her own chair. Elain remained by the bookcase, leaning against it, and turning the book she was holding in her hands over and over.

She could feel him from across the room, she realised. Was that the bond? She could feel apprehension and uncertainty, and she realised that he hadn't been sure he would be welcomed. Pushing away thoughts that weren't her own, Elain tried to focus on what was being said. Rhys had just asked about where he had been and what he had been doing with that mortal Queen. Vassa, Elain recalled.

Lucien was telling them that he had been travelling pretty much non stop since he had last seen them, but Elain found it hard to focus on what he was saying. Instead, she found herself looking him over. He looked tired, and more than a little uncomfortable. His hands fiddled with his cuff as he spoke, and his eyes flicked between Rhys and Feyre, and whoever asked him a question here and there. She wondered why he appeared so nervous, and she wondered if he had always been this handsome. His skin appeared almost golden in the low light of the room, and his hair appeared to shift in colour whenever he moved.

As if sensing her thoughts, both of his eyes suddenly met hers, and Elain drew a surprised breath. He turned then, bending his head slightly so that his vibrant hair fell obscuring that fascinating metallic eye and he returned his attention to Rhys. Elain wondered if she imagined the sudden sense of shame and embarrassment from him, and she stepped back behind the bookshelf. Realising that the book she held in her hands was one that she had previously read, she replaced it on the shelf and selected one that she was not familiar with. It would do.

Elain had spent the next hour or so sitting on a footstool, with her chosen book in her hand, pretending that she was listening to conversation, and that she definitely wasn't staring at Lucien. He had talked about where he had gone. He had spoken of his search for a way to break the curse on Vassa, turning her into a firebird each day, but he had not said why he had returned now. Also, Elain noticed, nobody had asked him.

By the time everybody had gone upstairs to bed, she had selected a second book, in case the first proved disappointing, and was making her way to her bedroom, her head full of questions. Lucien had not spoken to her since he arrived, nor had she spoken directly to him, she supposed. She had caught him looking at her on more than a few occasions when she had tried to look at him, and she knew that he definitely had something to say to her. She wasn't entirely surprised then when, as she pushed her bedroom door open, he appeared beside her in the hallway. "Elain…"

She drew a deep breath, before turning to face him. Any thought she might have had, or question she might have asked, vanished from her mind the instant she looked up at him. "Lucien…"

"Are you well?" He asked, and she could hear that nervous uncertainty still in his voice. She nodded, unable to help her eyes moving over him again. Apart from looking exhausted, he appeared okay.

"Are you?" she asked, her eyes returning to his face.

He gave a small smile. "Well, I have pretty solid plans to sink into a hot bath and not move for at least an hour and then probably sleep until lunch tomorrow…" he smiled at her again, "But yes, I'm fine."

"I'm glad to hear it."

He appeared surprised by her response and his hands fiddled for a moment. Elain thought he might be about to say something before he pulled a small book from his pocket. "I have something for you." He held the book out and Elain took it carefully. "Look inside…"

"Oh." She opened the cover to see a small purple flower pressed flat. Elain looked at it with interest. "I… do not know it." She tilted her head, peering at the delicately pointed petals before she looked up at Lucien again to see him watching her avidly. "Thank you…"

"I found it growing by the lake that Vassa…" he broke off and looked at the flower before back to her face, "I hadn't seen one before either, and I thought you might like…" He gave a nervous smile. She watched him sigh inwardly before he went on a little more quickly. "It made me think that I should come to Velaris to see you."

"You came to see me?"

Lucien nodded, his eyes on her face. "I wanted to know how you were after…" his voice softened a little, "your father… I… Elain…"

"It has been months."

Lucien ran a hand over his face and through his hair. "Yes, I'm sorry." He said gently, "I didn't think you would have needed me…If I had thought you did I would have been here, of course…"

"I didn't…" She had only meant to tell him that he'd done nothing wrong, but the look that crossed his face at her words told her that he'd taken other meaning from what she had said. "No… I…" Elain shook her head, "I just mean I've been okay. I've had Nesta and Feyre and … everyone has been very kind."

"Good…" he murmured, "I'm glad…" His metallic eye whirred as he looked her over quickly, "I'm glad you're alright. You do look… I mean… you look well."

Elain traced a finger gently over the pressed flower. When she looked back up, she noticed that Lucien had taken a step or two back from her. "I hope you enjoy your bath…" she said, realising that he was finished with their conversation. He gave her a flash of white teeth as he smiled.

"Thanks." He grinned again, "Usually do."

A smile tugged at Elain's own lips as she turned back to her door. She heard him begin to walk away before she looked after him once more. "Lucien…"

"Hm?" he turned back to her, halfway up the hall.

"I'm glad that you're back…" She walked quickly into her room and shut the door, leaving him standing in the hall with an odd look on his handsome face.