Chapter 20

Barely having slept during the night, Lucien staggered down the stairs with his pack over his shoulder and a sick feeling gnawing at his insides. He had always felt nervous returning to the Autumn Court for any reason over the years since he had left, but it was so much more intense right now. He knew why. He knew that it was because he was taking Elain back with him. He was delivering his mate right into the hands of the people who had murdered his first love. He didn't want to do it, but he knew that he didn't have a choice. Elain wanted to go, and Rhys was right in reminding him that they were protected. But still. But, still.

Tamlin was waiting by the front door, and Lucien stepped out into the morning sun to stand beside him. They stood in silence for a few moments before Elain appeared and Lucien didn't miss the apprehensive look she gave him. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked.

"Got a couple of seconds here and there." He replied, grinning at her, but she just frowned.

"Will you go through the cave?" Tamlin asked, his arms folded across his chest. Lucien dragged his gaze from Elain's face to look at the High Lord.

"I think that's best." he said, giving a brief nod. Tamlin nodded his agreement, and Lucien could see his worry as those green eyes looked between himself and Elain. Perhaps they might be friends again in future. The thought made him smile a little.

"…are you sure you want to go?" Tamlin sounded hesitant and Lucien tilted his head.

"Not in the slightest, but we will…"

"You…" Green eyes shifted toward Elain, "You could stay here…" Lucien watched his old friend for a moment, easily able to discern the fact that the older male was thinking about what he had told him about Jesminda.

"I'm not leaving her here…" Lucien tried to keep the growl out of his voice, and wasn't entirely sure that he had managed to do so.

"I meant both of you." Tamlin said crisply, meeting his eyes. "You don't have to go back there."

"I…" Lucien glanced at Elain and then back to Tamlin, "I appreciate that…"

"…Be careful, then." Tamlin looked at Elain as well and Lucien nodded.

"Thanks, Tam…" Lucien murmured, "Look, I… I'm sorry for what I said about Feyre not being your mate." Tamlin stood rigid, his green eyes snapping back to Lucien. "But… that just means that someone else is…"

"Not everyone gets one." Tamlin's response was low, but the pain in his voice was evident.

Shaking his head, Lucien met his eyes. "It's to produce powerful offspring," he said gently, "You have one." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elain nodding her agreement. Tamlin just looked from one of them to the other before letting out a deep breath.

"I would appreciate knowing how things are in the Autumn Court, if you would let me know."

Nodding, Lucien shifted his pack on his shoulder. "Of course."

Elain began taking the steps down to the garden slowly. "Thank you." She said, her eyes sliding to Tamlin before looking back to the garden.

"You're welcome any time, Lady."

Lucien watched her walk through the garden toward the path before he looked back to Tamlin one last time. "Tam…"

"She likes it here."

"I know." He paused. "I… will let you know how it goes."

"Thank you." Tamlin stepped back toward the door. "I meant it." He said, fixing Lucien with a steady look. "Be careful."

Lucien grew more and more uneasy and he and Elain slipped through the portal to the Autumn Court. He always forgot just how much cooler it was, and he smiled when Elain let out a surprised gasp, her hands lifting to rub at her arms. "Oh, wow…" she murmured as they stepped into the Autumn Forest.

Even though he had grown up among these trees, Lucien was never not mesmerised by the colours. Some deep part of him eased, while his stomach twisted in knots. This was home, and yet… it wasn't.

"Does it always look like this?" Elain asked, her eyes moving toward him. Lucien nodded.

"It does."

"…wow."

He watched Elain as they walked. She was looking around them with wonder at all the colours, and he could hardly take his eyes off of her. He was surprised that she appeared to suit this place. Her hair, her complexion, and even her eyes appeared to blend well with the Autumn colours. She looked as if she belonged, and he wished that they had the time to spend together out here. He wished that he could bring her here whenever he liked, to let her wander and explore the beauty. While that wasn't an option, he just watched her. She looked thoroughly enchanted, and it pleased Lucien more than he had anticipated.

He had been so caught up in watching Elain that he hadn't noticed anyone else drawing nearer. That was, until several of his brothers stepped out onto the path ahead of them, grinning from ear to ear.

Elain jumped when Lucien's hand closed around her wrist, pulling her to a stop as he pressed in front of her, trying to put himself between her and the three redheaded faeries who stood not far ahead of them. A glance around him at their faces was enough for Elain to recognise them from Lucien's memory of Jesminda's execution. His brothers.

"Lucien…" One of them sneered. "You do just keep coming back, don't you?"

"Hasn't learned his lesson, maybe." Another said.

"Maybe he needs to be taught again?" The first responded.

Lucien went rigid, and Elain stepped closer to him, willing him to ignore them. "Lucien…" she murmured, when she noticed that he wasn't so much as breathing. Her voice seemed to stir him and he turned his head to look at her.

"Come on then," one of his brothers said, "Our Father has commanded us to escort you to him."

Lucien remained between Elain and his brothers the entire rest of the way to The Forest House, and Elain could feel the apprehension coming off of him in waves. She had no idea how he was able to make himself appear so calm. Probably all that courtier training and his years as Tamlin's emissary, she figured.

As they walked up the path toward the house, Elain spied what appeared to be a courtyard off to the side, her eye catching on several colourful trees she would want to get a closer look at later. As they continued moving, Elain looked around with wonder. This place was absolutely stunning. The colours were beyond anything she could have hoped to imagine and, despite the fact that she could feel Lucien's roiling emotions, everything else felt strangely muted. The very air seemed to tinkle with bells as leaves fell around them and Elain found it difficult to keep her eyes focused on one thing for very long. They paused while the heavy wrought gate was lifted and then Lucien's brothers were marching them though into the house.

Elain watched Lucien as they entered the house. She could feel the low level panic rolling down the bond from him and she made sure to stay close, knowing that that was all she could really do to prevent his panic building. Ignoring the looks she was receiving from the redheaded males surrounding them, Elain tried to keep her features as neutral and unaffected as Lucien's. When his hand came to rest on her lower back, his panic slammed into her with more force and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "Stay close to me." He said softly, and she just nodded.

When the largest of the brothers pushed open enormous wooden double doors, Elain's breath caught in her throat. She instantly recognised the large hall beyond as the place that she had seen in Lucien's memory. Walking forward with him, Elain's eyes immediately came to rest on Beron, just as he had looked in that memory, sitting stiffly on a large chair atop the dais by the far wall. Lucien's heartbeat doubled in pace and he went stiff beside her.

"Closer…" Beron's low voice commanded and they both took several steps toward the dais. "Closer…" he repeated. Elain followed Lucien's lead, taking two more steps, until Beron held up a hand for them to stop.

Disgust and horror reached Elain down the bond and, as she glanced at Lucien, she realised that his father had directed them to stand exactly where Jesminda had been kneeling when she had been killed. Pressing her lips together tightly, Elain prayed she wouldn't throw up. She could hear Lucien's screams in her head as he had tried desperately to get to the faerie he had been in love with, and she remembered that it had taken two of his brothers to hold him down. Unable to help her gaze going to him again, Elain noticed that he was shaking where he stood, his back straight and his eyes on his father. She reached almost instinctively for the bond then, but so many swirling emotions hit her that she wasn't sure where to begin. Two stood out for her, and it was enough to get the general idea. Hate and fear.

"So," Beron drawled, crossing one leg over the other on his throne, "you've come back again."

Author's Note:

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