Chapter 209

Elain didn't know if she was imagining the way that eyes followed her as she and Lucien walked into the dining room for breakfast or not. Lucien squeezed her hand a little when her footsteps faltered and she smiled at him when he caught her eyes. "It's alright…" he murmured, and Elain nodded, moving with him toward the table. She couldn't help glancing around them, noting that more than a few of the courtiers sitting at the table for their morning meal were indeed looking their way. Eris was sitting in his usual place at the table, and Elain met his amber eyes as she sank into an empty chair beside Lucien.

"Did you two have a pleasant evening?" The High Lord of the Autumn Court asked, and Elain felt herself blush immediately.

"Of course." Lucien's reply was smooth and easy, and Elain could feel that he wasn't even the slightest bit flustered by his brother's question. "Mabon is always a favourite, isn't it?"

"It does have its charms." Eris's voice held a tone that Elain hadn't heard from him before, and she watched him lean back in his chair as he looked them over. When she turned her eyes on the rest of the table again, Elain noted that neither Ashk or Helion, nor Nesta or Cassian had appeared. She flicked a quick glance toward the door, but nothing happened and nobody came through.

When Lucien had finished his back and forth with Eris, her mate turned her way, evidently feeling her eyes up on him. "What is it?" he asked, and she could see the concern in his russet eye.

"Where are the others?"

"Nesta and Cassian?" he asked, his own eyes sweeping the table before returning to hers.

"And your mother…"

"Well, Petal…" Lucien gave a quick smirk before controlling himself, "I would think they're still in bed…" he said to her, "Likely unwilling to untangle from one another and leave their rooms…" he winked at her, "I rather wish we'd chosen that ourselves…"

"What if that's not it?" she asked, not sure if she could picture Nesta as the 'cuddling in bed all morning' type.

"What else do you imagine it could be?"

"What if Ness is hurt?"

"Do you really see Cassian hurting her?"

"Not intentionally…"

"No…" Lucien shook his head, "I love you, Petal… but you're wrong."

"Oh?" Elain raised an eyebrow at him.

"Cassian literally doesn't have it in him to hurt Nesta…" He smiled at her, "And aside from that, as if she would even let him do it."

"Ah…" Elain thought about that and then nodded. "You have a point…"

"I usually do."

Elain narrowed her eyes at Lucien, but smiled as she did so. She then turned her attention to the platters on the table before them, and began selecting bits and pieces that looked delicious and appealing for her breakfast, she was, she realised, extremely hungry. She grinned when Lucien slid a plate of honeyed pears toward her, and she couldn't help but transfer three of them to her own plate.

"Work up an appetite, did we?" Lucien snickered softly, and Elain elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shh."

"Oh, Petal." He gave her a lazy arrogant smile, "I'll just bet that everyone at this table is in the exact same situation…" Elain's gaze swept the table once more, and she had to admit that he was right. She did recall seeing at least half of them out at the fires the night before, no doubt they had all gone off into the forest just as she and Lucien had. They had all participated in Mabon. "I would wager they're all wishing they'd stayed in bed this morning."

"Maybe they're all too hungry." Elain replied, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Exactly." He winked at her.

At those words, Elain's ears began to ring and she gasped as her vision shifted.

Elain stood in a brightly lit room. It was somewhat like the one she and Lucien had been in before they had come down for breakfast, and Elain knew instantly that this room was a part of the Autumn Court. The window before her was large and the crimson curtains hanging from it were as opulent as anything else in the Autumn Court. Outside she could see Autumn Trees and, taking a step closer, Elain squinted at the view as she tried to work out if it was similar enough to the view from her own room to mean that this room was somewhere near her own in the Forest House.

As soft sounds from behind Elain grew slightly louder, Elain bit her lip. This was the exact reason that she had not already turned around. She knew what this was, and what she was being shown, but she really didn't want to actually witness it with her own innocent eyes.

"Ugh…" Figuring that she might not be able to get out of the vision until she had seen what it was trying to show her, Elain rolled her eyes and turned around to face the rest of the room. Nesta's bare back was the first ting that Elain saw, and she swallowed thickly before taking a step closer.

Cassian was in the large bed with Nesta, and Elain swallowed, yet again, as she watched. The Illyrian was on his back, his large dark wings spread wide and flat beneath him, and his head resting against several pillows. Nesta was astride him, not a stitch on her, as she braced herself with her delicate hands pressed firmly to Cassian's chest. As Elain watched, her sister moved confidently, her movements quick and even, up and down, rhythmically, as she slipped over Cassian. Enormous hands roamed Nesta's slim back, and Elain heard Cassian's murmured words of praise and encouragement and instant before she turned away. Facing the window again, Elain shook her head, trying not to listen to her sister's breathy moans.

She had no idea why she was seeing this. Closing her eyes, Elain tried to bring herself out of the vision. She knew that this was recent, she could tell by the light outside and in the room that this was from this morning, and with a weird jolt, Elain realised it might even be current and happening this very moment.

"Wake up…" she murmured to herself, "Come on… this is very inappropriate to be showing me… I should not be seeing this…" Glancing over her shoulder, Elain wondered if there was something specific she was meant to have seen that would end the vision. As she saw Nesta throw her head back with a loud cry, however, Elain spun straight back around toward the window and squeezed her eyes shut. "No, no no…" Harder and harder, she willed herself to wake up, to end this…

"Petal…?" Lucien's hand moved up her wrist and forearm to her elbow and Elain opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Oh…" She could see the concern on his face, in his eyes, and she could feel it down the bond.

"Did you just have a vision?"

"Mhmm…" She took his hand in hers, feeling her face heat. Lucien narrowed his eyes at her reaction, that metallic eye clicking and whirring as he did so. He then leaned into her, and Elain sighed before whispering in his ear. "I saw what Ness and Cass are doing."

Lucien gave a choked laugh and looked at her. "Right now?"

"Think so." Elain ran a hand over her face, wishing that she could unsee the image of her sister riding the big Illyrian. "Urgh…"

"I mean…" Lucien snickered again, squeezing her hand in comfort, "… at least you know she's not hurt."