Chapter 95

Silky soft sheets were the first things Elain noticed when she awoke. The light was gentle, as was the breeze that blew across the room from the open window. She pushed herself up to sit against the pillows and then realised that she had used both of her arms and, looking down at the one which had been broken, she realised that she had been healed.

"Elain?"

Lucien was sitting by her bed and, when Elain looked up, immediately got to his feet and moved closer. She watched him crawl onto the edge of the bed, reaching a hand out to her and she took his hand in hers, her eyes moving over him. "You look better…" she said and he nodded.

"I've had worse." He said, giving her a gentle grin and Elain continued to look him over. The cuts and scrapes were gone and, carefully, she lifted a hand to pull the neck of his shirt away to try and see his shoulder where he'd taken that arrow. "All gone…" he told her, his hand sliding up her arm from her wrist to her elbow.

"Come here…"

Lucien didn't need to be told twice. He instantly moved up the bed, settling himself beside Elain who leaned into him, wrapping one arm across him as she lay her head against his shoulder. "Do you feel better?" he asked, and she nodded slowly.

"I take it this is the Dawn Court?"

"It is." His hand moved through her hair, and Elain closed her eyes. "Thesan's people found us just after we crossed the border and they brought us here to the palace."

"Did they ask what happened?"

"Yes."

"What did you tell them?"

"The truth." He replied, "My brothers attacked us and we defended ourselves…"

"Will you be punished for killing Malak and Tallan?"

"No." his arm settled around Elain's shoulders and she glanced up at his face. "It happened outside any Court, and they instigated it anyway… They've been exiled, so they didn't even really belong to the Autumn Court. Eris is unlikely to seek retribution."

"What will happen to Connal?"

"I don't know…" She felt him sigh, and she ran a hand slowly up and down his side, her eyes on his face again. "He doesn't belong to Eris any more… and … again, it was outside any of the Courts…"

Elain shuddered at the thought of Connal getting away with what he and the others had tried to do. "But we belong to the Night Court." She said softly, "You are Rhys' Emissary… and this is an official trip…"

Lucien nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "Rhys might do something…"

"Feyre will." Elain muttered, "and… if Nesta finds out…"

"You would have him put to death as well?" Lucien's voice was soft and Elain tried to read his expression.

"You wouldn't?"

"My mother has now lost four sons…" he replied, his eyes on the window nearby, watching as the breeze blew the light curtain around. "I've killed three of them myself…"

"They came to kill you." She reminded him and he nodded.

"I know." His fingers moved soothingly over her shoulder, "That doesn't mean she doesn't feel the loss."

"Of course," Elain murmured, still watching Lucien's face.

"I want him punished, but…"

"You don't want to hurt your mother more."

He looked at her then. "Does that disappoint you?" he asked, "That I don't want him put to death for what they tried to do."

"On the contrary." Elain replied firmly, "That you would consider your mother, and not allow yourself to be blinded by anger and hate speaks highly of your character."

Lucien gave her a twisted smirk then. "Well, I am glad you see it that way."

"Do you wish you hadn't killed Malak and Tallan?"

His face hardened then. "I… don't even remember making the decision to do that. I was… driven…" he frowned slightly, his eyes moving across her face. "I was just trying to protect you."

"Mate…" she murmured, and Lucien nodded.

"You threw yourself at Tallan," he smiled as he looked at her again, "You punched Connal in the throat and threw yourself at Tallan trying to help me…"

"I did." Elain couldn't help a smile of her own. "For a second or two I thought I'd done well, too…"

"You did well to catch him off guard." He replied, tightening his arm around her shoulders, drawing her into himself and pressing his lips to her forehead. "I don't think he was used to being caught like that."

"It didn't last long…" She thought again of how Tallan had twisted her arms up around behind her back so she couldn't move, and then broken one. As if sensing her thoughts, Lucien's fingers slid down the arm that had been broken, tracing gently over her skin.

"Are you sure that it doesn't hurt anymore?"

She looked at his hand on her arm and nodded. "It's back to normal."

"Even if I had have been in control, I would have killed him." Lucien's voice was low and dark, "For what he did, I would have killed him." His fingers left her arm, and Elain felt them then beneath her chin, tilting her face up to him. "I'm sorry that I didn't get there sooner." He murmured, and Elain tightened her hold on his shirt. She felt his fingers slide along her jaw as he gently cupped her face, his metallic eye clicking and whirring as he seemed to try to take every detail of her in. "If I had taken any longer…"

"But you didn't." she replied, holding his gaze steadily.

"I can't stop thinking about it." He breathed, his fingers stroking her jaw. "I… I…"

"I know." She told him, sliding her own hand up his chest to his shoulder. She knew that he'd been scared. It had been evident in his face when he'd dropped down beside her, reaching out, but afraid to lay his hands on her. It had been clear in the way he'd held her to himself after asking if he could touch her. If Tallan had succeeded in what he had been trying to do, Elain was sure that Lucien would have lost it completely. "But it didn't happen." She went on, "You were exactly where I needed you when I needed you…"

He nodded, his fingers still moving across her jaw. Elain could feel his relief, relief that Tallan hadn't succeeded in what he had been trying to do, and relief that she didn't blame him for the fact that things had gotten as far as they had. "I'm sorry that he touched you." He said, eyes moving back and forth across her face, "I'm sorry that you had to endure that."

"Was that why you were scared to touch me?"

Lucien tilted his head, "I… didn't know if that would have made it worse." He murmured, "If… you … would have preferred not to be touched after…"

"Maybe I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to…" Elain said gently, "But you're my mate…" She heard his heart quicken at those words, "Your touch could only ever make it better…"

He smiled at her, "Does that mean I'm allowed to kiss you, then?"

"Yes…" Elain went to smile at him, but he'd already bent to press his lips carefully to hers. She turned herself further toward him as Lucien kissed her slowly. He was gentle, tentative, and Elain was reminded of the very first time he had kissed her in their clearing in the Spring Court. That kiss had felt like fire, and so did this. As she opened to him and his deliberate, teasing licks, Elain couldn't help the soft groan that escaped her. He knew that he could do this, she realised. He knew that he could make her hot, ache to feel him between her thighs, with nothing more than a kiss.

The pleased look in his russet eye when he lifted his head to meet her gaze told Elain that he knew exactly the effect he had had on her, and he smiled. Elain leaned into him, wanting to kiss him again when a knock sounded on the door and they both froze.