Chapter 380

When Elain was dragged out from behind the bookshelves, it was to see Ashk standing in the middle of the room with flames licking up her wrists and forearms.

"You will get your hands off of her." The redhead said, russet eyes narrowed. The flames licked higher, reaching her elbows and Elain resisted a gasp.

"You need to calm down." The male by the window said, still holding Sheera tightly. "Or this one will learn to fly."

Ashk didn't move, her eyes still on Elain and the faerie who held her, and Elain wondered for a moment if Ashk would have considered Sheera an acceptable loss if it meant protecting her son's mate. Sheera was thrust closer to the window, letting out a gasp as she protested, and Ashk still didn't move.

"Not enough?" with a gesture at the one who held her, the male by the window smirked at Elain and then Ashk, and Elain's breath caught in her throat when a blade was pressed to it. "We don't actually need any of you… so what will your choice be? Play nice?"

Ashk's face hardened further, and the flames grew brighter. Perhaps she wasn't going to back down at all. The thought made Elain's pulse quicken within her, and she doubted that she would be able to survive someone cutting her throat. This could be it, she realised. Then something flickered in Ashk's russet eyes and Elain saw fear move behind them.

Slowly, Ashk's flames slowed and shrank until they disappeared and the blade was lowered from Elain's throat. She drew a slow breath, hoping that the male who had hold of her would let her go. He didn't, but roughly shoved her forward and she stumbled further into the room. Ashk held a hand out for her, and Elain took it. She was released by her captor then and shrank into Ashk's side as the older female held her tightly. If Elain couldn't be with Lucien while this happened, she was glad that she was with his mother. She knew that Ashk would protect her, and she knew that Ashk could be fierce.

The three of them were then marched out the door and into the hallway. Elain didn't need to ask where they were being taken because she knew that they were headed for the Throne Room. That was where everything was happening, and no doubt where any prisoners would be taken. Sheera shuffled along beside her, and Elain could see her friend trembling still. She didn't blame Sheera for that at all. Being threatened with defenestration would certainly unsettle one, and she wondered for a moment if Sheera had noticed Ashk had no backed down when threatened with her death. Glancing at Ashk on her other side, Elain considered the redhead. Ashk was kind, that was evident and had been from the moment they had first spoken. It had been clear to Elain then that Lucien had gotten his kindness from his mother. It seemed as if, however, Ashk would have let Sheera die in order to protect Elain, and Elain was reminded that Ashk had survived her entire life in the Autumn Court and obviously knew how to make sacrifices for her ultimate goals. Lucien was kind, and if he'd gotten that from his mother then perhaps she had given other attributes to her other sons. It seemed as if Ashk was also cunning, and Elain wondered if that was where Eris had gotten that particular gift.

Ashk held Elain's hand all the way down to the Throne Room, and Elain knew that there was no way that Lucien couldn't feel her fear. It had been growing with every step and now her breathing was coming in short little gasps, and she wondered if perhaps she wasn't about to have a panic attack.

"Breathe." Ashk said softly, gentle fingers caressing the skin at her wrist. "One breath after another."

"I am trying…" Elain murmured.

"Chin up," Ashk told her, russet eyes sliding from Elain to Sheera, "Both of you. Do not give them the satisfaction of seeing your fear."

Elain felt a questioning tug on the bond then, and tried to control herself enough to resist screaming down it. She had no idea what was going to happen when they reached the Throne Room, but the screaming and awful sounds that they had previously heard from behind those doors terrified her. She didn't know if they would be killed, or tortured, or something even more vile that she couldn't even think of. She wanted Lucien, though. She wanted him to come and get her, but at the same time she hoped that he was safe.

As the doors to the Throne Room creaked open and they were forced to walk forward, Elain hoped that Lucien and Helion and the other guards had been successful in ridding the palace of as many enemies as they could. She hoped that they had severely decimated the numbers and that it would now be far easier to get rid of the rest of them. If they hadn't, then Elain didn't think that she would be walking out of this room unscathed.