Chapter 203

Watching as Cassian strode through the crowd to Nesta, Elain squeezed Lucien's hand. She was pleased that her sister had come out to be with them all, and she couldn't help watching the way that Nesta's hands continued to smooth over the red dress she wore, as if not quite comfortable. Lucien's other arm snaked around Elain's waist and she leaned back into him when he brought his lips down to her ear.

"Are Nesta and Cassian…?" he left the words unspoken, but Elain knew what he meant. They hadn't been sleeping with one another the last time Elain had spoken to her sister about it, but that had been when they'd been in the Day Court. It was possible that things had changed since then. "That dress…" Lucien murmured. "It's certainly a statement, but I'm just not sure what she's saying…"

Looking her sister over, Elain nodded her head in agreement. It was a very sexy dress. "I… I'm not sure if they are." She replied, "But I will go and find out…" Stepping away from Lucien, Elain felt his reluctance to let her hand go, and she smiled at him over her shoulder. "I will return, love…"

"I know." He gave her a small smile and released her hand. Elain turned then and strode across to Nesta, reaching her moments after Cassian had.

"Ness…" she said, "Do you think we might speak…?" The incredulous look Cassian gave her did not escape Elain's notice, and she shot him a fleeting apologetic look in return. She didn't intend to sneak Nesta away so that he wouldn't be able to find her again. Elain intended to quickly ask her sister about her relationship with the Illyrian, and then bring her right back.

"Of course…" Nesta's face turned serious and those blue-grey eyes flickered back and forth across Elain's own face quickly. Elain took her sister's hand and drew her toward one of the feast tables. "What is the matter?" Nesta's voice was hard. "Has something happened? Are you hurt?"

"No, no. I am more than fine." Elain said, picking a piece of fig up from the table and popping it into her mouth. She glanced up again to find Nesta's eyes moving over her, assessing. Swallowing, Elain cleared her throat a moment later. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"… What?" Nesta pressed when Elain was silent for several moments.

"… That's a pretty dress." Elain bit the inside of her cheek, trying to come up with a delicate way of asking her sister what she wanted to know.

"Thank you." Nesta's response was steady, and devoid of any kind of emotion. Elain nodded, watching some more red and golden leaves flutter down around them as a soft breeze blew through the branches overhead. Lifting her hand, Elain swept a few from the edge of the table, watching as they fell to the soft earth beneath. Not knowing how else to ask, Elain cleared her throat again, deciding to just do it.

"Are you sleeping with Cassian?"

Nesta's eyebrow lifted so quickly, Elain thought it was as if her sister had been shocked by lightening. "No."

"Oh… Okay…" Nodding, Elain's eyes moved over the crimson dress Nesta wore once again. "I was kind of wondering, because that dress…" Suddenly, she looked up at Nesta's face, her eyes locking onto those blue-grey eyes. "Are you planning to do it tonight?" Nesta's hesitation then told Elain everything she needed to know. "You want to use the Mabon Rite…"

"Ashk told me that the females are the ones during Mabon that make the decision and have the control…" Nesta's voice was so low that Elain had to strain to hear her. "I want the first time I do this to be on my terms. I want to have control…"

"And you're going to choose Cassian?"

"Yes."

Elain knew that her mouth had dropped open, but she couldn't do anything about it. She just stared at Nesta, not knowing what to say. It made perfect sense to her now, why Nesta had agreed to come to the Autumn Court for Mabon after Ashk had spoken to her. It made perfect sense that Nesta would want to remain in control, especially during her first experience of something like this. "… the dress makes sense." She eventually murmured, searching for literally anything to say. "… Uhm… do you have somewhere in mind?" Elain asked.

"My room." Nesta said, "I… do not wish to run off into the trees to have some hurried encounter against a tree or in the dirt."

Elain's lip twitched, but she didn't tell her sister that she rather liked the idea of an encounter against a tree. She would have to remember to mention that to Lucien later. "No, that seems reasonable to me." Elain nodded, "You should be comfortable, and if you want to go back inside and up to your room, then you should."

"Yes."

"…Does Cassian know?" Elain asked, "That you intend to choose him for tonight?"

"I had hoped the dress would make that obvious." Nesta said, "I… have been trying to hint at it…"

"Something tells me that you need to be explicit with Cassian."

"You're likely right."

Elain nodded again, her eyes sweeping the crowd until she found the Illyrian standing where they had left him, his eyes still on Nesta. She did not think that her sister would have any trouble letting Cassian know her plan or in getting him to agree to it. "Did Ashk intentionally give you this idea?" She asked, "Or did you come up with it on your own after hearing about Mabon?"

"It was my idea…"

"Of course it was." Elain didn't know why she had asked that question. "Have you seen Ashk this evening?"

"I have…" Nesta inclined her head and made an elegant gesture across to the next bonfire. "She was over that way when I first arrived."

"Was Helion with her?" Elain's eyes swept the crowd again, but with so much red hair out there, it was nearly impossible to be sure if she had seen Lucien's mother or not.

"Not that I had noticed." Nesta's hands were moving over the dress again. "When does all of this happen?"

"You're meant to feast first." Elain said, "Then dance… and then people will slowly disappear with their partners…"

"Okay." Nesta turned toward the table, and began selecting several things to eat. "Will you be participating later?" she asked, "With Lucien?"

"Of course." She watched as Nesta turned her head to look at her, even as her sister continued to select food to add to her plate.

"… and will you be returning to the house or heading into the forest?"

"Well…" surprised by that question, Elain tried to think, "We haven't discussed that, but I do think that there was somewhere that Lucien wished to show me and this may be his opportunity to do so."

When Nesta had sufficiently filled her plate, her sister turned to look at her properly. "If I do not see you again this evening," Nesta's voice was more gentle than Elain had expected, "I will see you in the morning."

"Alright." Elain agreed, "We will probably have much to discuss…"