Chapter 191

Elain cried when Nesta left the next morning. Lucien wrapped an arm around her shoulders, rubbing a hand up and down her arm as they watched her sister head down the road that would take them to the border with the Night Court, Cassian at her side.

"It's really not that far." Lucien told his mate, impressed that she had kept it together until Nesta had actually left. "You can visit her whenever you like… and she can visit you. You know that she will." He looked down at Elain who was nodding, wiping the back of her hand across her face.

"It's not that." She replied, voice soft, "We've been apart before… it's that now we will actually live apart. Our homes are no longer the same place…"

Lucien continued to stroke her arm, able to appreciate the difference in that. "I see…" He held her a little tighter. "It's okay to feel that loss…" he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair. "Just remember that you haven't lost your sister, though."

"I know." She turned toward him then, when Nesta was out of sight, and her arms snaked around his waist. Lucien held her carefully, rubbing her back when she pressed her face into his chest. One of his hands came up to stroke her hair, and he continued to murmur softly to her about all of the times they would be able to invite Nesta to visit the Day Court, and that he was sure that would mean that she would get to see Cassian again too, as the Illyrian would no doubt follow Nesta wherever she went. When he heard Elain give a soft laugh at that, he smiled. "I hope he at least gives her privacy in the bathroom." He added, and Elain looked up at him, horrified.

Lucien's gaze caught on the road again, then, and he watched silently as his mother headed down it. Elain turned in his arms then, and he heard her soft exhalation. "I was so surprised this morning when she said she was still leaving…"

"I…" Lucien paused. He had been disappointed, but not surprised. Not after his conversation with Helion the night before. "I had hoped she would stay."

"I know." Elain turned back to him before going up on her toes and pressing her soft lips to his cheek. "Why did he not ask her to stay?"

"He said it was up to her to make her own choice." Lucien replied, his hands still moving over Elain's back, one sliding up into her hair.

"Not much of a choice if she doesn't know it exists…"

"That's what I told him." He glanced down to meet her brown eyes.

"I'm sorry." She breathed, "I know that you wanted to be able to make up for so much time lost with her." Lucien felt those words, his heart aching at the thought of losing that hope. He nodded and Elain's arms tightened around his waist. "We will visit the Autumn Court." She told him, "And you will have that time with her…" She was still looking up at him when she went on, "I know it won't be the same as that nice domestic ideal of the everyday… but at least you will be able to see her and spend time with her. Eris will welcome you…"

"And you." Lucien said, "I do believe the High Lord of the Autumn Court is fond of you." Elain's pretty smile warmed Lucien's heart then, and he lifted a hand to brush some of her lovely hair back from her face.

"Fond of me?" She asked, "Why?"

"There are so many reasons to be fond of you, Petal…"

"Well, I am certain his would be different to yours." She replied, rolling her eyes slightly, and Lucien nodded.

"No doubt." He winked at her, making a show of looking her over appreciatively. His heart beat enthusiastically at the laugh she gave then. "Have you not noticed it, though?"

"I… don't know." She answered, frowning just a little as she thought about his question. "He has saved my life twice…" Elain's brown eyes lifted to meet his again, "When your other brothers found me in that Courtyard and Eris freed me from them and told me to run to you…"

Lucien tried very hard not to think about what would have happened to Elain if Eris had not been there in time. "Yes…"

"And when the balcony…" she shuddered visibly, "He wouldn't let himself be rescued until I was taken first…" She smiled, "Also he prevented me falling off the edge in a panic…"

"So… what I'm hearing is that Eris Vanserra is your hero…" His tone was teasing, and Elain's smile widened.

"Do you think I should tell him that when we visit?" she asked, and Lucien shook his head. He tightened his hold on her, sliding his own arm around her waist pulling her to himself as he lifted her from the ground. Elain's arms shifted to wrap around his shoulders and the back of his neck.

"I might get jealous." He said, unable to help the wide smile spread across his face. Elain raised an eyebrow at him.

"I couldn't have that…" she said, bringing her lips to within a hair's breadth from his, but no further. Lucien tried to close the distance between them, but Elain was exceptionally good at holding her space. "What… can I do… to prove that you needn't be jealous?" she breathed, and he saw the wicked smile she wore when she met his eyes.

"I can think of a few things…"

"Oh?" She asked, glancing around them. Lucien knew that they were the only ones out here on this balcony, and he couldn't so much as hear anyone moving nearby. "Any that are suitable for…" her eyes swept the balcony again, and Lucien stared at her. She had never been one for this type of thing. Not somewhere they could get caught like this. The closest they had gotten was behind that curtain but even then they'd had something to hide behind. There was no curtain out on the balcony to shroud themselves with.

When Elain sank down onto her knees, looking up at him with those wide brown eyes, Lucien thought immediately of the Eisblume Garden in the Winter Court, and realised that she had done this before. They had been spotted then. He hadn't known at the time, but the High Lord of the Winter Court and his Lady had witnessed what Elain had done for him in that garden. Casting a critical glance around them, Lucien hoped that nobody had eyes on them right now. Elain didn't seem fussed however, or rather she didn't seem to be thinking about anything other than him, and Lucien did not mind one bit.

Threading his fingers into her hair, Lucien whispered words of encouragement to Elain as she unlaced his pants before wrapping a hand around him as she made herself more comfortable. Leaning back against the edge of the balcony, Lucien cast his eyes up at the wispy morning clouds and gasped when his mate set about using that hand ever so perfectly on him.

"Cauldron boil and fry me." He muttered, eyes sliding closed as his head tilted back. His hands couldn't stay still, and he continued to stroke and caress Elain, messing up her hair, and then smoothing it down again, until he lost all sense of what he was doing when she finally took him into her mouth.