Chapter 406

The shield was cold. Lucien hadn't expected that, but it made sense, he figured, considering how cold Rian appeared to be. Pressing his hands against the shield, Lucien tried to allow himself to feel the power of the thing. It was quite significant, and he was a little taken aback. He had not expected Rian to have such a reservoir of power that he could waste something of this calibre on a shield to taunt him. He glanced again at the male standing behind Elain. If he was this powerful, it was no wonder that Colm had sought to recruit him to his side early, develop that loyalty so that he would be able to use Rian when he needed that power.

For a moment, Lucien wondered if he could do it. He wondered if he could drain so much power, enough to cause the shield to fail. He was the son of a High Lord, however, and Rian was not. Remembering what he had done in the Illyrian Mountains, holding that shield to protect the others, Lucien tried to tell himself that he didn't yet know the limits of his own power. Elain had told him that he would one day be able to do anything he could imagine, and so he figured that he would be able to handle this. Drawing a breath then, Lucien tried to visualise the power of the shield, tried to imagine it moving toward him. He pictured his hands taking it all into himself, the way High Lords took power during their Rites. He had done that before, and knew what that felt like, so that was what he imagined.

"What are you doing?" Rian sounded irritated, and Lucien opened his eyes to look at the other male. Rian's cold eyes were looking his shield over, back and forth, and he frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Let's see if you can figure it out." Lucien replied, forcing his voice out around the strange sensation moving through his body. He could feel the energy, the magic of the shield as it rushed into him now, seeking out anywhere it could go. He did not know how much of it he could take, how much of it he could hold, and he worried for a moment that it might be too much and it might all explode out of him. He had no idea what kind of damage that might do if that were to happen.

"Stop it…" Rian replied, pushing Elain away from himself and approaching his shield. Lucien met those cold eyes as Rian placed his own hand to the other side of the shield, and he felt the other male trying to push more magic into it, to hold it. Lucien took more.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker and, upon focusing on it a little more, he saw it grow. Lucien's metallic eye clicked and whirred and he grinned when he saw the cracks appear. Spell-Cleaver. The name echoed in Lucien's mind. That was what he had inherited from his father. He'd been breaking spells for a while now, often without even noticing what he had done, but now he could call upon it. He could use it. Rian gave a hiss and then the shield collapsed, and Lucien strode forward through the space where it had been. The dark-haired male hurried back, away from Lucien, his hand going to his blade at his hip as a sneer worked its way back onto his face, and Lucien reached a hand out toward Elain. His mate hurried toward him, and he pressed her around behind himself as he continued to advance on Rian. Elain's hands remained clenched around handfuls of Lucien's jacket, and she did not let him go, but Lucien was thankful that she at least remained behind him as he stared at Rian.

"I don't know how you did that…" Rian spat, moving slowly backward up the steps onto the dais where Colm still stood by the Throne.

"I'm Helion's son." Lucien replied, unable to help a wide smile. "I inherited more than just a handsome nose for my incredibly handsome face…"

Rian's eyes raked over Lucien's face, over his scar and metallic eye, but Lucien did not care. He just smiled more broadly. He did not care what Rian thought of his face, or his scars. That opinion didn't matter, nor did anybody else's. He cared what Elain thought, as his mate, but he knew without doubt that she loved him wholly and completely. The only thing that Lucien cared about was that Rian realised that he was not some savage son of Beron's without a brain or without a way to fight back. He was Helion's son, he was the Heir to the Day Court, and he would not be told otherwise.

The dark-haired faerie reached the top of the steps, and sank back through the first shield he had put up to protect himself and Colm. Lucien stopped moving toward him then, and bent to help his mother to her feet, shattering the spell Rian had placed around her to keep her in place. He smiled in satisfaction then; he'd been able to do that without even thinking. Ashk traced a hand over his arm as she stepped down off the steps and moved behind him with Elain and, without turning his back on Rian, as he certainly did not trust the prick, Lucien backed away, taking his mate and his mother toward Helion who was now silent.

With Elain and his mother safely between himself and Helion, Lucien turned to look at his mate. Elain smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, going up on her toes to reach him, and Lucien lifted her to himself, holding her tightly. "I knew you would remember who you are." Her gentle words were breathed warm against Lucien's ear and they sent shivers through him for more than one reason.

Setting Elain back on her feet, Lucien realised then that Kaii and Siv were ushering the rest of the Day Court from the Throne Room, and he rather thought that was probably a good move. If things got explosive, it would be best if there were no more faeries caught in the middle of it.