Chapter 177

They had been outside all afternoon, and Elain had discovered that she very much enjoyed watching Lucien in the sun. If the High Lord of the Day Court was said to be the sun personified, then she could easily see how Lucien would fill that role one day. He had always looked magnificent in the sun, and she remembered falling in love with him in Rhys' garden often watching the way the sunlight played off of his gorgeous skin and set his hair alight. Since he had been named Helion's heir, and officially the future High Lord of the Day Court, Elain would have sworn that he glowed even more brightly in the daylight. She knew that Feyre sometimes glowed when she was happy, and that it was part of what she had gotten from Helion, so it made sense to her that Lucien would be somewhat similar.

"Are you happy, love?" she asked, her eyes on her mate who was laying back against the blanket they had set out beneath the tree. He lowered the book on trade routes he had been reading, his lips quirking in a smile.

"Of course." His eyes moved over her, and Elain gave him a smile in return. "Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"Oh, I don't know." She breathed, eyes sweeping over him again. "You're kind of glowing…"

Lucien blinked, looking down at himself. "Am I?"

"It's like when you burned your brother…" she said, still watching him, "But… different…" She smiled at him when his eyes lifted to her. "Feyre does it too, sometimes…"

"I'm assuming Helion must also."

"I'd say so." She lifted her feet and set them in his lap, getting comfortable. "I'm sorry for distracting you."

"How could you distract me, Petal?" he smirked at her, and Elain felt her heartrate quicken, "You're constantly the centre of my attention."

"Well, that's not true." She met his eyes when he raised an eyebrow at her. "You were pretty into that book you are reading… I saw that focused look on your face."

"Oh?" he lifted the book for her to see, "Would you prefer I give you more attention…?" he set the book aside and instead lifted one of her feet, massaging it gently.

"That's not what I meant…" she breathed, before giving a soft groan, "But I'm never going to turn down this…" she leaned back on her elbows, biting back another groan as his thumbs pushed into the soles of her feet delightfully. "Oh… my…"

"I was thinking." He said, and Elain had to struggle to focus on his words, her mind centred on the wonderful things he was doing with his hands. "We should do the anchoring thing…"

Elain blinked, her mind suddenly sharpening. "Yes…" she sat up better, and Lucien released her feet as he met her gaze again. Once more, she felt her heartbeat quicken, but this time it was in apprehension. "You're right." She crossed her legs under herself, leaning her elbows on her knees. "How…?"

"Helion once told me that the Seer must do it." He replied, and Elain's anxiety grew.

"What?" she asked, "No… I… don't know how. Why can't you do it?"

"It needs to be you." He replied, "Or, I imagine there would have been endless abusers like Amarantha who would have attached themselves to unwilling Seers over the years…"

That made sense to her, and she nodded. "I suppose so." She bit her lip as she met Lucien's eyes again. "I… don't' know how to do it."

Lucien nodded and sat up himself, patting his lap as he gestured for her to come to him. "Here, Petal." He held a hand out to her then, and Elain crawled toward him. He pulled her into his lap, her back to his chest as his arms settled around her waist, and she leaned back into him. "I can help you, I think…"

Turning to look at him, she nodded, chewing on her lower lip. "Using the bond to do it…"

"Yes." He replied. "It shouldn't be hard…" She shuddered slightly when he pressed his lips to her shoulder. "It makes sense to use the bond, because it's already there and it is what connects us."

"So, what do I do?"

"Well, I think you need something to help you focus on the bond. An object, maybe…"

"This." Without thinking, Elain lifted her hand to the garnet necklace that Lucien had given her in the Autumn Court. "I used it once to focus on you, so that I could see you in the Dawn Court."

"Perfect." He murmured.

"What do I do with it?"

"Hold it." He told her, and Elain closed her hand around the garnet. "Use it to focus… and… try to see the bond."

"Yes…" Elain clutched at the garnet, trying to envision the bond. It coiled between Lucien and herself, glowing almost as brightly as the sun. She reached down to take one of Lucien's hands from her waist and she brought it up to the garnet, wanting him to hold it as well. "Can you see it?" she breathed, reaching, in her mind, for that golden thread.

"I can."

"Take hold of it." She breathed and, in her mind, he did.

"Like you did before," he told her, and she could feel his lips somewhere near her ear, "when you wound it around the both of us…"

"I think I understand…" Elain murmured, "The bond is strong…" she looped it around each of them again, "and to anchor it…" she encircled the garnet with the thread, and then did the same to the garnet wrist cuff around Lucien's wrist. "We need only focus on the garnets…" she felt a tug on the bond as Lucien tested his end, "They will magnify the strength of the bond… and it will be easier for me to find you."

"Remember," he breathed, lips now against her ear as he held her in his lap, "I will come for you no matter where you go…"

Elain nodded, "I know." The garnet in the necklace was hot in her hand now, "Is that it?" she asked, opening her eyes and turning to look at him, "Is that all I do?"

"I think so?" Lucien pressed his lips to hers. "Can you feel it?"

"I…" Elain thought about that. The newly accepted bond was already more powerful than what she had been used to, and she could feel that. But, somewhere under that… she thought she might feel something new. A weighty, heavy steadiness that felt solid and comforting. Lucien. "I think I can…" She looked at him, "Can you?" He nodded, and she watched as several emotions flickered across his face, reaching her down the bond. "What does it feel like?"

"You." He murmured, his hand sliding from the garnet at her throat, down her chest. Elain leaned back into him, listening to his heartbeat. "What does it feel like for you?"

"Strong." She told him, "Like even if the most savage wind tried to pick me up and carry me away, it would hold me here."

"An anchor."

"Yes." Elain lay her head back against his shoulder. "Do you think it will work?" she asked him. "Do you think it will keep me from losing my mind?"

"Absolutely, Petal." His lips brushed her cheek. "I promised, didn't I?"

Nodding, Elain pushed herself up enough to turn and slide into Lucien's lap again, her knees either side of him. "You did promise." She whispered, winding her arms around his neck, "And, I know you'll do your best to keep that promise."

One of Lucien's hands came up to the garnet necklace again and she felt his fingers trace it slowly. "I will." He told her, his eyes, both russet and golden, on hers. "I have waited so very long for you." He said softly, "Nothing will take you from me."

Elain tightened her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead to his. "Lucien… I want to be your mate for all of eternity."

Joy reached Elain down the bond then, and she smiled, still holding tightly to him. "Me too, Petal." He replied, one of his arms snaking tightly around her waist. "Me too."