Chapter 104

She could still hear his heartbeat. That meant that he was alive. Elain clung to this knowledge as she stared at the fire. Lucien's heartbeat was slow and steady, and she tried to tell herself over and over again that that meant he was alright. Wherever he and Thesan were, he was okay.

"Perhaps they were invited to eat by some of the faeries out in the agricultural community…" she tried, turning her eyes on Nuan who sat in the chair nearby, her own onyx eyes on the flames before them.

"I… think they would have returned by now if that were the case." Nuan's voice was soft, and Elain could practically see the thoughts moving through the other female's mind as she looked at her.

Blinking away tears of worry, Elain got to her feet. "I have to help look…"

"You cannot."

"Why not?"

"You don't have wings." Nuan sat back in her chair, looking up at Elain. "Aelius and his Guard can all fly. They're searching all over. It is far more effective than running around on the ground…"

Sinking back down, Elain tried to focus on her breathing. "I can't just sit here all night and do nothing…" The look Nuan gave her then was pitying and Elain turned her eyes back on the fire so that the other faerie wouldn't see her cry.

"Can you not…" Nuan paused, "See… where they are?"

Elain's gaze slid back to the tinkerer. "I… I don't know how to control it like that. Usually it happens without warning."

"Try."

Pushing her sleeves back, Elain thought for a moment. Wondering how she might trigger a vision, her hand came up to the garnet necklace that Lucien had given her. He had had it made for his future Mate, and she had not taken it off since he had put it on her. It was a symbol of their connection. The first time she had had a vision of Lucien had been when the bond had showed her Jesminda's execution. It had happened when she had touched Lucien's skin as he'd sat next to her in Rhys' garden.

She slipped her hand around to the clasp on the necklace and took it off. Holding the garnet in her hands, she stared down at it. Trying to think of nothing but Lucien, Elain stared into the depths of the jewel, noting the flames reflecting from the fire in an almost liquid fluidity. Her mate was out there somewhere, she just had to know where…

Lucien snarled as he glared at Connal. His brother gave him a wide smile and then turned to the creature who had approached. Lucien had seen its kind before. Amarantha had used to keep a host of them around to do her bidding across Prythian. The creature was tall with leathery wings and skin, and his eyes caught on the long talon-like fingers that hung at its sides. When the creature spoke, long, sharp, teeth were put on full display, and Lucien shuddered. He wondered if it wasn't somehow related to the Attor.

"None followed us." Its voice was like shifting sand, and Lucien let his eyes sweep around the area in which he found himself.

There was a small fire, over which he was certain was some kind of glamour to keep them hidden, and the small amount of light it was giving off illuminated a basic camp. Thesan sat nearby, his usually glowing skin now dull and pale looking.

"Are you alright?" Lucien asked, tugging at the bindings he had noticed around his wrists.

"Faebane…" Thesan murmured, and Lucien noted the bloodstain on the High Lord's shirt. It only then that he realised his own shoulder was burning and, turning his head, he tried to look to his own back. His shirt was clinging to him in a way that suggested he'd lost some blood and the dullness of his own fire, when he reached for it, told him he'd been dosed with faebane as well.

"Fuck."

"Aelius…" Thesan murmured, and Lucien watched as the High Lord's eyes fluttered closed for a moment as he evidently struggled to remain awake. "will find…"

"Aelius?" Lucien asked, hoping to keep him awake. "Is he your…" Lover? "Captain of the Guard…?"

"Yes…" Thesan sway a little and Lucien frowned. He needed him awake.

"Do you know where we are?"

"South…"The High Lord murmured, "South of where we were… Close to the border…"

Lucien looked around them again. The creature that Connal had been speaking with had disappeared into the darkness outside the light of the fire and, as Connal approached them again, Lucien lifted his eyes to his brother's face. He had thought Connal a follower, he always had been when Lucien had lived in the Autumn Court. But, he figured, that was a long time ago.

"Awake, at last."

"What are you doing?" Lucien asked, frowning. "What is the point of this?"

"This…" Connal gestured around them, his grin just a little manic, "Is your doing." Lucien just stared at his brother. He'd always thought Malak the unstable one, but perhaps that was no longer the case either. "You're going to kill the High Lord of the Dawn Court…"

"I'm not."

Connal smiled again. "But they'll think you will have."

Elain gasped and Nuan shook her, hands tight on Elain's shoulders. "Open your eyes!" Nuan said firmly, and Elain tried to do as she had been told. The faerie's pretty face swam into view, and she forced herself to breathe. "South…" she murmured, "It's Connal… he has Lucien and Thesan near the border… They're going to kill Thesan and make it look like Lucien did it…"

Nuan didn't ask Elain if she was sure, or question her at all. "I'll be back." She murmured, before sweeping quickly from the room. Elain knew that she had gone to send word to Aelius and his Guard, and she let out a relieved breath. Lowering her eyes, she looked again at the garnet she held in her hands.

Perhaps it was touch that had allowed her to summon that vision. It had certainly seemed to have been a trigger in the past. Not always, though, she realised. Many times a vision had snuck up on her when she had done nothing more than breathe. Perhaps it would be useful to summon visions of her own volition in future however. This was something that she very much needed to work out.

With shaking hands, Elain lifted the necklace and fixed the clasp into place again. She let the garnet settle against her chest once more, and she drew a slow breath. Willing herself to breathe, she closed her eyes as she leaned back in the chair. If she focused, perhaps she could see a little more of what was happening to Lucien.

If Connal did kill Thesan, surely nobody would believe it had been Lucien. That wouldn't make sense. Why would he ever seek to do something like that? It would spark another war between the courts, if Rhysand and the Night Court even tried to defend him. Elain didn't know if they would. Would Rhys consider that worth starting a war for? She doubted it.

Trying again to see where Lucien was, Elain hoped that Aelius and the others found where Lucien and Thesan were being held. She hoped that they would get there in time to prevent Connal doing anything harmful.

Nuan came back into the room and Elain opened her eyes to meet that onyx gaze. "I have sent word."

"Okay…" Elain lifted a hand to run through her hair.

"It will take them some time to get to the border."

"Yes…" Elain let out a huff, closing her eyes to try and see if she could summon another vision. Fear prickled at her heart. Lucien wasn't going to just sit there and watch his brother kill the High Lord of the Dawn Court, and she didn't know what Connal intended to do to him. If they weren't found in time…

Swallowing thickly, Elain tried not to think about the possibilities. She was glad that her eyes were closed, because she could feel tears welling in them. Lifting her hand to take hold of the garnet in her necklace, she tried again to clear her mind of anything but Lucien. Listening to his faint heartbeat, she focused only on him.