Chapter 70

Lucien was still in the bathroom when Elain strode back into his room, looking for him. "Lucien?" she called, striding for the bathroom door.

"Yeah?" His voice was muffled by the door and Elain looked at the handle. When she didn't respond, he called out to her again. "Is everything okay?"

Thinking quickly, Elain let out a huff. "Can I come in?"

"Uh… Yes…" she heard the surprise in his voice, but opened the door and stepped into the bathroom. Lucien's eyes were on her, a questioning look evident in them. "What's wrong?"

Standing by the door, Elain looked at him. He had sat up further in the bathtub when she had come in, one of his hands draped over the edge, water dripping to the floor. She couldn't see anything below his chest, but her eyes moved over him anyway. Again, what Tamlin had told her went through her mind and she bit her lip. "Are you going back to the Autumn Court and leaving me here?"

Lucien's face twitched, pulling at his scar for a moment, before he sank back against the tub. Both of his hands went up to his face, rubbing water over himself and Elain just watched him, waiting for his answer. He nodded then, his eyes going back to her and Elain frowned. "I was going to tell you once I was clean and dressed." He said softly. "I didn't think Tam would get there first."

"I went down to ask him what that blue flower is called."

"Ah." He nodded, and Elain heard his hands drop back into the water. "… What is it called?"

"Love-in-a-mist."

"Seems appropriate." Lucien murmured, and Elain took a few steps toward him. He looked up at her when she stopped, and she could see his eyes moving across her face, trying to read her. "I… have to go."

"You don't have to leave me here. I want to go with you."

"Elain…" he paused, and she knew that he was trying to work out what to say. "I don't know that it's safe."

"Then you shouldn't go."

"I have to." His voice was gentle, but she felt a sliver of fear down the bond. "I need to know that my mother is okay."

"You don't think that Eris would have…" Elain frowned. It had seemed to her that Lucien's eldest brother cared for their mother.

"No…" he shook his head, "But everything will have changed. We also need to find out what kind of Court it has become."

"You don't need to do that alone!" Elain took another step toward him, "If it needs to be seen then others can go with you. Rhys would have no trouble walking in there to see for himself…"

"No…" Lucien shook his head, "Eris asked for me… and I have a better chance of seeing the truth of the place than if Rhys or anyone else walked in. Rhys would only see whatever Eris wanted him to see."

Elain moved to sit on the edge of the tub, looking silently at Lucien. If it wasn't safe, she didn't want him to go, but she could understand why he thought that he needed to. If he was going, then she wanted to go with him. She did not want him to go on his own. "…what if they try to kill you again?"

"That is exactly why I want you to stay here."

Shaking her head, Elain bit her lip. "I can't stay here while you go back there alone." One of Lucien's wet hands came up to take one of Elain's hands, and she just watched as he ran a hot thumb over her knuckles.

"Please…"

"Lucien…"

"Knowing you are safe here will make it easier for me…" his thumb continued to move across Elain's knuckles, and his eyes were firm on hers, "I don't want to go back. I don't know what I am walking in to… but it will be easier if I know you're safe. You will be safe here. Tamlin will protect you."

"Will he?" she raised an eyebrow, but Lucien nodded without hesitation.

"Yes."

Dipping her hand into the hot water, Elain watched the water swirl as she thought about what he wanted. If he was going back, and she knew that he was, then she would do whatever she could to make it easier for him. "Alright…" she murmured, "I'll stay…"

"Thank you…" his hand brushed hers again and Elain nodded. After a second she got to her feet, noticing that Lucien's hand followed her as if he were about to catch her and stop her. Glancing at him, she quickly undid her dress, letting it slip to the floor. "Oh…"

"Can I get in?" she asked, figuring that she probably should have asked before she'd taken her dress off.

"Yes." Lucien's reply was instant, and his eyes followed her as she stepped into the tub between his feet. "… you already bathed…"

"I did." She sank down to her knees in the water, her eyes still on him. He shifted to make room for her and she leaned forward, her hands on his thighs, as she stretched to kiss him.

"Oh…" Surprised pleasure reached Elain down the bond and she smiled, kissing him again. When Lucien's wet hands came to her shoulders, sliding down her arms, trailing heat, she couldn't help but shudder. Sinking lower, she lay herself against him, enjoying his heat and smiling again when his hands settled against her back. "I don't want to leave you here." Elain could feel the vibration of his voice in his chest, and she nodded. "I don't want to be so far from you… but it wont be for long. I'll go tomorrow morning and be back the next day."

"Okay."

"You could spend the time in the garden. You might find something else to include…"

"I might."

"I'll winnow as much as I can, so that I will be as quick as possible…"

Elain tilted her head to look up at Lucien. She could tell that he was only talking now because he was trying to distract himself. She could feel the fear coming off of him, could feel his anxiety. "It's okay…" she murmured, reaching up to his cheek. "I know you don't want to go…"

"I wonder what happened to Malak…"

Shuddering, Elain pushed herself up again. "Don't think about him." She pressed her lips to his cheek, over his scar. "If you're not leaving until tomorrow, then don't waste your time now thinking about him. You're here. Be here." His arms wrapped around her waist and he met her eyes.

"I do like the sound of that." He murmured, and Elain smiled.

"I should hope so." She narrowed her eyes at him when one of his hands slid down her back to squeeze at her arse, and he gave her a wide grin. "Oh, I see…"

His heartbeat quickened and Elain traced her own fingers across his shoulder and up the side of his throat as she held his gaze. "How are you feeling about earlier?" he asked, and all humour was gone from his voice. Elain smiled gently, her hand sliding around to the back of his neck.

"One of my favourite memories…" she murmured, her eyes flickering back and forth across his face.

Lucien smiled back at her. "I'm glad…" his hands continued to move over her, and Elain felt her own heartbeat quicken in response. "You're not sore, are you?"

"No…" She pressed a kiss to his warm chest, gasping then when one of his hands slid up the inside of one of her thighs.

"Then… how does this feel…?"

Elain's eyes slid closed and she released a shaky breath, pressing her forehead into Lucien's shoulder when his fingers slid between her legs.

"Yeah?" he asked, and Elain could do nothing but nod, one of her hands coming up to grab the side of the tub. She heard Lucien give a low chuckle and she forced herself to look up into his face.

"Let's get out." She breathed, watching as he realised what she was suggesting. An instant later he nodded and Elain pushed herself back to her knees, reaching for a nearby towel. She doubted they would be making it downstairs for dinner.