Chapter 91

Exhaustion filled Lucien, flooding through his body and into every one of his limbs. He knew that he would sleep well tonight. It hadn't been that long of a day, but he felt as if a lot had happened. The sun had risen earlier than he was used to, and he'd walked a bit with Varian, discussing the Court and what had been happening, and then he'd spent much of the afternoon with Elain. Their little escapade in the rockpool had taken a lot out of him, he figured.

Lucien was honestly surprised that he'd kept himself off of her for so long after she'd told him that she wanted to accept the bond as soon as they'd gotten back to the Night Court. He'd waited months to hear those words, and it was only the fact that he could picture the moment so clearly in his mind now that he could believe that it had really happened and hadn't just been some dream or fantasy. He'd had plenty of those dreams since he had first met her, and those memories had always had that ethereal dream quality, but this? This had happened. Elain had held him and told him that she was going to accept the bond. She wanted to be his mate. She wanted to be his, wholly and completely, and he hadn't imagined a moment of it.

They had sat through dinner with Tarquin, this time Varian had joined them, and Lucien had watched Elain try to avoid the eye of both the High Lord and his Captain of the Guard. He knew that she was convinced that Varian had seen too much down at the rockpools and that he had since let Tarquin know what he had seen. Lucien wasn't as convinced. Tarquin had given no indication that he knew anything, and had been as pleasant as ever. The High Lord had informed Lucien that he would be free to discuss any further questions that might remain before his report was sent to Rhys, and Lucien had agreed to meet with him the next morning. The rest of the meal had been spent in polite conversation, while Lucien had been unable to keep his hands off of Elain beneath the table and, by the time they returned to their room once the sun had set, he knew that he wanted nothing more than to curl up with her beneath the covers of their large and extremely soft bed.

Elain was sitting in front of the low vanity, pulling her brush through her hair, and Lucien just watched her as he reclined on their bed, leaning back against the wooden headboard. Her hair was shining in the dim firelight, and even though he was across the room he knew just how soft it was, and exactly how it would feel as he ran his hands through it. As she continued to brush it, Lucien allowed himself to draw a deep breath, able to smell the soft floral scent of the shampoo she had used on it.

"You appear to be staring at me, love." Elain's warm eyes met his in the mirror and Lucien couldn't help a smile.

"Can you blame me?" he asked, lifting both hands to rest behind his head. "You're the most captivating creature I have ever seen."

The brush continued to move steadily through that stunning golden-brown hair, and Lucien had to actively resist getting up and going to her across the room. "Lucien…" she murmured, and he sat a little straighter, listening. "Would you come here and braid this for me?"

Lucien was on his feet before he'd even processed her words. "Of course."

"Thank you." Her eyes held his in the mirror when he came to stand behind her, taking the brush from her hand and moving it gently through her hair. When she smiled at him, he set the brush aside and began sectioning her hair. It was just as soft as he'd known it was and he couldn't help allowing his fingers to move through it more than necessary just so that he could enjoy how wonderful it felt. "You look tired, love."

"I am." He replied, his fingers moving to begin the braid easily.

"Me too…" She smiled at him in the mirror again, and Lucien allowed his fingers to trace over her, brushing against her skin whenever possible. He watched in the mirror as her eyes closed and her smile widened and he sought to complete the braid quickly, fastening it when it was finished. Elain got to her feet then and turned to face him. Lucien grinned at her, lifting a hand to her cheek, and let his eyes move across her face.

"Ready to get into bed?" he asked and Elain nodded. "We're heading to Dawn next, right?"

"Yes."

"And then the Day Court?"

"We are."

Elain gestured to the bed and he returned to it, slipping beneath the covers before he noticed that she had gone to her pack and was rummaging through it. She straightened a moment later, and he saw that she held a book he had not seen before in her hands. "I got this for you a while ago." She said, "When you took off to put some distance between us, before we went to the Mortal Lands…"

"Oh?"

Elain crawled on to the bed then, moving toward him where she lay down and he flicked the blankets over her. "Tell me what you know about the Day Court…"

"Well…" he took the book she passed him read the title out loud, "Customs and Features of the Day Court"

"I thought you might like to read it."

"Yes…" Lucien smiled when Elain leaned against him, and he ran a hand over her shoulder and down her arm. "The Day Court is known for its libraries." He told her, "Before Amarantha ravaged it, The Day Court used to have vast libraries, and it was long responsible for collecting and housing Prythian's magic knowledge."

"That's interesting…"

"Yes… Actually, if you want to, while we're there, you might be able to learn a bit about being a seer…" He glanced at her face, smiling when he saw her nodding thoughtfully.

"True…" one of her hands came to rest against his chest as her head settled against his shoulder. "And you can learn a bit about your father…"

Lucien's heart stuttered at the thought of facing Helion while knowing that he was, in fact, his father. "Y-yeah…"

"Here…" Elain tapped the book she had handed him. "There's a chapter on him inside…"

"Is that why you bought it?"

"Possibly." Elain stretched up and pressed her lips to his cheek. "Do you plan on telling Helion that he's your father."

Lucien tilted his head slightly, mulling over the question. "I… suppose so…" He said gently, "I'm not exactly one to keep things like that to myself without saying something so, I figure, that I'll end up saying something about it to him at some point."

Elain's hand tightened on his arm and he looked down at her. "I can feel your apprehension." She murmured, "What are you worried about?"

"I don't know." Lucien said, enjoying the feeling of Elain laying against him again, "I… I don't know what I even expect him to say or do…"

"Do you want a relationship with him?" Elain asked, "Where… he acts like your father… and he … treats you like a son?"

"I…" He paused, considering. "I… would that be strange?"

"I don't think so…"

"I don't think I've really considered it… but…" He nodded, "I would like to get to know him…"

"Are you worried that he won't care at all…"

He hadn't thought about it explicitly, but at Elain's' words, Lucien knew that he was worried about that and he nodded again. "Yeah…"

"He and your mother…" Elain murmured, "Do you think they really loved one another?"

"I hope so."

"Then, I don't think he would be anything other than pleased to have the chance to speak with you, get to know you…"

"I guess we will find out, won't we?"

"Who would be able to deny this face…?" one of Elain's hands came up to his face and Lucien grinned when she stroked his cheek, her fingers tracing his scar to his jaw. His breath caught when she slid her hands down his chest and below the blankets as she pushed herself up onto her other elbow to hold herself, up. Swallowing thickly, Lucien tried to force himself to breathe when her hand slid into his pants and she looked up to meet his eyes.

"Petal?" he choked, trying not to jump when she took hold of him. "Ugh…"

The pretty smile she gave him in return silenced Lucien and he just watched as she pulled him free of his pants and shifted herself so that she was crouched over his legs, her hand moving slowly, yet firmly, over him. "Yes?" she asked, licking her lips as she met his eyes again. Lucien couldn't make himself say anything in response, and all he managed to do was lift a hand to her hair, sliding around to the back of her neck, when she bent over him, taking him in to her deliciously hot mouth.

"Ohh… shit…" Lucien groaned and closed his eyes, unable to do anything at all except gasp and shift his hips when he felt Elain's tongue on him. They continued in this way, with Lucien muttering and gasping and groaning while Elain did whatever she pleased and he stroked her hair and neck and shoulders and tried his hardest to allow her to remain in control of the situation. It wasn't at all long later that he came with a cry, and he opened his eyes again to watch as she licked her lips once more before moving back up over him. "You…" Lucien wrapped an arm around Elain's waist, holding her firmly against himself. "Do… you like that…?"

"Hmm…" She cuddled against him, "I like the sounds you make…" she nodded, "So, Yeah… I do…"

Smiling to himself, Lucien pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Perfect." He murmured as exhaustion spready through him once more. Carefully, he flipped open the book she had given him, looking for the chapter on Helion. "Okay…" he murmured, clearing his throat a moment later. "Helion. High Lord of the Day Court…"