Chapter 77

"Have you fucked him yet?"

"Nesta!" Elain gasped, staring at her sister who was leaning back against the wall in the hallway outside her room.

"What?" Nesta asked, "If you can't handle talking about it, then you shouldn't be doing it."

"I have no problem talking about it." Elain retorted, even as she felt her face flush scarlet, "But do you have to be so vulgar about it?"

Nesta made a face and crossed her arms across her chest. "Answer the question, then."

Elain blinked, about to reply that 'fucking' wasn't the word she would use for what she and Lucien had done, but then she thought about how he had been the night before he had left for the Autumn Court. "… Yes."

"How many times?"

"How many times what?" Elain asked, her eyes sliding from her sister to move up the hallway.

"You know." Nesta sighed.

"No," Elain replied simply, looking back to meet her sister's eyes, "I don't. If you want to talk about it, if you want to know, you're going to need to be specific."

Raising an eyebrow at her, Nesta tilted her head. "Sex." She said flatly, "How many times?"

"Does that matter?" Elain asked, twisting her hands together.

"Yes." Nesta replied, "I… thought … you would have told me."

Realising that her sister was hurt, Elain bit her lip. "I wanted to." She said gently, taking a step toward Nesta. "And I was going to… it was… only the day before yesterday." She paused, "It was right before he came here, and then yesterday I was worried about him… and then this all happened…"

"The day before yesterday?" Nesta asked with a frown, "Is that why you went back to the Spring Court?"

"Yes…" Elain murmured, "There… is this place near the manor that we…"

Nesta held up a hand to silence her, and Elain stopped. "I don't need all the details." Nesta's eyes were a little wide, and Elain watched her sister glance at the door they had just come through before making another face. "How was it?" Nesta asked softly, "… was he…?"

"Was he what?" Elain breathed, her eyes not leaving Nesta's face.

"…kind?"

"Always." Elain told her, looking down at her own hands.

"Did you like it?"

Nodding, Elain made herself look up again. "Yes." She took another step toward Nesta. "I did…" drawing a slow breath, she went on, "A lot… I… Ness… I wanted to be sure. I wanted that before I accepted the bond, as myself… without losing my control…"

"And you still want it."

Elain nodded again. "Yes."

"You're going to accept the bond."

"…Yes."

"When?"

She bit her lip then, looking at Nesta thoughtfully. "I don't know. Probably when we're done visiting the courts…"

"Providing Eris lets him leave alive." Elain felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, and Nesta evidently saw it on her face, because her sister pushed away from the wall and moved to take her arm. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean it… Well, I'm sure it will be fine. All he has to do is say what Eris wants him to say, and it will be fine."

"He's never good at controlling what he says." Elain murmured, "That's why he has that scar…"

"Oh…" Nesta sounded interested, "I believe that…" Elain glanced at her, and Nesta smiled. "I doubt he'd risk saying anything that might get him killed here." Her sister paused, "Especially with you watching."

"True." Elain nodded and then wrapped her arms around her sister. Nesta hugged her tightly in return and Elain felt herself relax. "Thank you…" She murmured, "For coming to help."

Lucien had just warmed the bed up when the door opened and Elain came back into the room. She walked to the edge of the bed and then told him that she was going to wash quickly. He just nodded and his eyes followed her to the bathroom. As he listened to the water begin to run, Lucien rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. He wasn't aware of how much time passed, but his eyes opened again when he felt the bed dip as Elain slipped under the covers with him.

When her soft hands came around his waist, Lucien rolled to face her, and one of her hands lifted to his cheek. He smiled gently at her, sliding his own arms around her waist and drawing her closer against himself.

"You smell good." Elain's voice was soft, and Lucien smiled at her.

"I'm pleased you like it." He murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead. One of her hands moved up his back as she tucked herself more tightly against him, her head tucking up beneath his chin. Lucien closed his eyes, shuddering slightly when he felt her press a kiss of her own to his chest. He had longed for this last night. When he had been locked in that cell, not knowing if he was going to be put to his death in the morning; not knowing if he would ever get to see Elain again. As if reading his thoughts, Elain stroked his back tenderly, pressing her lips to his chest once more.

"It's okay." She told him, and he nodded, laying his cheek against the top of her head. She was warm and soft, and Lucien had to make a conscious effort not to squeeze her too tightly. Elain's hand continued to stroke his back, slowly, lazily, and he began to relax in a way he had not since he had come to the Autumn Court.

"Of course it is." He breathed, "Everything is okay when I can hold you like this…" Elain's head moved and, an instant later, Lucien felt her press a kiss to his jaw. "I panicked when I first saw you walk into the hall," he told her, "But I am so thankful you are here."

"Mhmm…" She hummed her response, her hand still stroking his back.

"I'm impressed you got Tam to come with you."

"He volunteered." She replied. "I just told him I was coming and he came with me."

"Oh…" Lucien thought about that. "The others came because you called, too…"

She lifted her head to meet his eyes then. "Is it so hard to believe people care about you?" Something twinged inside Lucien at those words and he stroked a finger softly down Elain's cheek.

"It's not something I'm particularly familiar with…" he murmured, and Elain's eyes narrowed at him.

"Well, get used to it." She told him simply. He smiled and gave a small huff of a chuckle.

"As you say, Petal."

Elain slid her fingers up Lucien's jaw and into his hair, and he watched her face as she did so. She bit her lower lip, her dark eyes moving across his face, and he wished that he could read her mind. "I was scared." She breathed and Lucien frowned, "When I had that vision of you…"

"I know." Lucien pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose.

"I was scared that you would die before I accepted the bond…"

Lucien was sure that his heart had stopped beating in his chest, and he stared at her. Forcing himself to swallow, he tightened an arm around her waist. That she had even considered that pleased him to no end, and he pulled her closer, more firmly against himself. "I'm not going to die." He managed to get the words out and Elain nodded as if she believed him.

"You promise?"

"I promise." There was certainly no way he was going to allow himself to die before she accepted the bond. He was absolutely going to be around for that. That was all he wanted in the entire world.

"Okay." She tucked her head back up under his chin, and Lucien settled against her. "Perfect." Her hand began making small, lazy, circles on his back again, and Lucien allowed it to lull him toward the blissful darkness and warmth of sleep.