Chapter 396

Before they got anywhere near the door, Rian appeared before Elain and Ashk, blood splattered across his face and dripping down his arm. Elain's eyes caught immediately on the blood drenched blade he held before himself, and couldn't keep herself from wondering whose blood stained it. He laughed, and Elain thought it was probably at the surprised looks on their faces as she gripped more tightly at Ashk's arm. The older female had said that he would come for them, and he had.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, knife moving back and forth as if he couldn't decide which of them to point it at. "Thinking of leaving?"

"Would that disappoint you?" Elain found herself asking, which surprised her as she hadn't thought her voice would even work. She felt as if fear had her by the throat and it was difficult to even breathe properly.

"It would be a shame for you to miss the end." He replied, switching his blade to his other hand.

Ashk moved then, pushing Elain behind herself, as the redhead faced Rian more completely. Rian laughed again, his cold eyes lighting up. "Funny…" he breathed, blade directed now at Ashk's chest, "I never thought I'd see someone from the Autumn Court put someone else's needs before their own."

Elain clenched handfuls of Ashk's dress, trying to draw her back and away from that blade. "I would have said that you'd not spent enough time in the Autumn Court if that is your opinion," Ashk told him, "But I wouldn't want you to spend any more time there…" Elain tried to read the look that crossed Rian's face then, but wasn't sure what she saw there. "I remember you." Ashk continued. "You visited once."

"I did." Rian grinned widely, "A long time ago." He jerked his head toward the rest of the room, "Helion's apparent heir still lived there as Beron's son. Had two eyes as well." Ashk lifted her chin at those words, but stood her ground as Rian went on, "I quite liked the Court." He told her, "I remember being impressed by everyone's… ambition." Elain rather thought that Rian would have gotten along well with Ashk's other sons. "Beron held a tight leash on his court, didn't he?"

"You would have admired him, I suppose." There was bitterness in Ashk's voice, and Rian gave a non-committal shrug. "It seems he didn't exactly inspire loyalty in those close to him."

"Nobody was close to him." Ashk muttered, taking a small step backwards, pressing Elain back as she did so. Elain allowed her to do so, wondering if they were about to try to run. She didn't know where they would have gone, as the fight was still very much raging.

"Nobody would be," Rian admitted, "when one does the things he did." His gaze flicked to Elain for a second before looking back to Ashk. "Making his own apparent family flee his Court." He gave a mock regretful shake of his head, "Callous actions." Elain looked at Rian silently. Had he been in the Autumn Court when Beron had executed Jesminda? Had he seen what had been done? Had he been there when Lucien had fled Beron and his brothers?

Ashk pressed back against Elain again, and Elain took a small step back. Around them the fight continued to rage, the sound almost deafening with metallic clashes and screams here and there. "There are better ways to rule." Ashk said, her eyes never leaving Rian before them. Elain continued to move back with her, slowly, in the hopes that Rian didn't notice. She shuddered when Rian looked at her again, and something horrible moved behind his eyes. She knew then that Ashk had been right. He had come for them with the intention of causing harm, and she knew that the bastard would enjoy every moment of it.

"Still," he said, grinning at Ashk once more, "Beron had a few good ideas."

"Not in centuries." Ashk muttered before flames erupted from her hands, aimed straight at Rian's face. She pushed Elain back, and Elain got the hint.

Turning on her heel, she tried to push her way through the fighting bodies, keeping one of her hands tightly on Ashk's dress, not wanting to lose her amidst the chaos.

Kaii didn't appear to have been hurt too badly. It seemed to Lucien that the guard's side had stopped bleeding so much and, although Kaii moved more slowly than he had before, his face pale and his expression grim, he was able to lift his sword. Siv stuck fairly close to his friend, and seemed reluctant to leave him, which Lucien thought was pretty true to his character from what he had seen so far. Around them the fighting continued, and Lucien almost thought that it looked as if they were gaining the upper hand.

Nearly overbalancing when someone grabbed his arm out of the chaos, Lucien wheeled around to see Helion pulling him close. Leaning into him, Lucien lowered his blade, straining to hear what his father clearly wanted to tell him and Helion leaned closer, until Lucien could feel his hot breath against his cheek. The words that reached him then chilled Lucien despite the heat of battle around him.

"Find your mate."