Chapter 412
Elain was screaming. Lucien whirled to look at her, his heart leaping into his throat at the sight of his mate with her hands pressed to her head and her face scrunched in pain. The sounds of her screams were echoing around the Throne Room, and Lucien was moving before he'd even been aware he had made the choice. He was fast, but by the time he reached Elain she was on her knees on the floor, and she was still screaming. His mother knelt beside Elain, a hand on her shoulder, and it took Lucien a moment to recognise the fire beneath her skin. His mother was trying her best to contain her magic, and Lucien felt his own stir within. A single breath later and he had straightened, trying to contain it as fire and golden light swirled within him, trying to find a way out.
Trying his best to swallow it, Lucien tried to focus on Elain, wanting to do something to help her. He could feel her pain and fear down the bond, knew that she couldn't so much as see through the agony, and that she was terrified. "Petal…" Lucien ground out between clenched teeth. He lay a hand on her back, and the pressure within his own skull exploded. Staggering, he tried again to focus himself, "Petal…" he rubbed a hand over her back, "It's okay…"
Elain's screams only grew louder, and Lucien could see her fingers sliding through her hair as she scratched at her skull, seemingly trying to ease the pressure within. He did not know what to do. Lifting his eyes to his mother's Lucien was unnerved by the greenish colour her face had turned, and he turned his gaze then on Helion. "I… don't…" He was cut off by another scream from Elain and then she was on her side on the floor, curling in around herself, her hands still clutching at her head. Ashk lurched away from them then, crawling along the floor, and Lucien stared as flames seemed to trail her. He had to stop this.
"Lucien…" Helion's voice was as steady as ever, and Lucien clung to that, moving once more toward his father. The High Lord's amber eyes were still on Ashk, watching as flames now raced along the stone floor, emanating out from her, and if this was his mother while trying to contain her magic, Lucien wondered just what she would look like if she completely unleashed all of her power.
"It's him…" Lucien said, eyes moving to Colm on the dais. The older male was still standing in front of the Throne, as if defending his claim, but his eyes were unfocused. "He's… amplifying their magic…"
"Yes," Helion agreed, and Lucien looked back to Elain on the ground in horror. He wondered what she would see, while trying to ignore the panic that flared deep within him. They had searched for a long time, trying to learn about her abilities as a Seer, and then put all of their hope into the tether he had created. Lucien did not want to think about what might happen to Elain if what Colm had done to her was to undo that tether. By the time this was over, would she still be the same? Or, he tried to swallow the thought, would she have lost herself to those visions? "Lucien," Helion said gently, "What you did to Rian… we must do to Colm."
"Right…" Lucien wrenched his gaze away from his writhing mate, and focused on the male on the dais.
"He will fight us…"
"Naturally." Lucien steadied himself, trying to do as his father had instructed him before. He found that place within himself that housed his magic, and he tried to distinguish between the Autumn and the Day. It was not as easy as it had been before, and he knew that was thanks to Colm and whatever he was trying to do to the magic in the room.
He could see that flam that always burned within, and it was roaring like an open bonfire on Mabon now. All of the emotions flowing through him, anger and fear and determination and worry, coursed through him and into the fire, feeding it and it roared and flickered in response. Lucien was used to that; he'd been using that and managing it his whole life. Now, he needed to focus on the other aspect of his power. Helion had said that fire cast light, and that was where his Day Court magic was. Fire did more than that, though. It warmed, as did the light of Day, and it healed and it cleaned. He could use all of that for this purpose.
Eyes following Colm as the older male stalked down the stairs toward them, Lucien tightened his grip on his own blade just in case it was needed. "Now," Helion told him, and Lucien looked for a way in. He could see it as Colm moved, that little spark of magic within, and he reached for it. Colm knew when he'd grasped it, that was evident, as the other male snarled and Lucien felt his flames rising up within himself. He let go of Colm and tried to control his own magic before it spilled out of him and destroyed half the room.
"Don't think I am as naïve as Rian was…"
"Of course not." Helion replied. "You're the puppet master."
Colm smiled at that, and Lucien reached for the other male's magic again. He gripped it more tightly this time, trying to pour as much light and Day Court magic as he could into it. As he did so, he felt his own magic react to Colm's instruction and he struggled to keep control of what he was doing. He must have whimpered or made some kind of sound of distress because Helion was suddenly beside him, a strong hand coming down on Lucien's shoulder, and then he felt his father's magic alongside his own. Helion was much more sure of what he was doing, and Lucien just did his best to wind his own strength around what the High Lord was doing. He could feel the two of them working together, blending into one another, complimenting one another, and then he heard Colm's wail. The core of the other male's magic began to crumble, and heat washed through Lucien as Helion forced the pieces apart, burning them into nothing but ash.
When they retreated, Lucien looked at Colm who stood trembling with rage on the stairs. "How dare you?" he cried, pointing his blade at Helion. Helion did not reply, nor did he remove his hand from Lucien's shoulder. Lucien glanced up at his father's face to see a cold, stoic expression there as he regarded the male before him. Lucien flinched then, feeling Helion do the same, as flames raced past them in a burst of heat and struck Colm in the chest and face. He did not need to turn around to know that they had come from his mother.
Colm crouched on the stairs then, coat and hair singed and still smoking as he coughed. His skin was red and blistered and he glared down at them with loathing that rivelled any Lucien had ever seen. Beside him, Helion's power began to draw strength again, and Lucien did not need to ask what the High Lord intended then. He knew from the way that his father's hand still rested on his shoulder that he was to do the same, and he reached for his own ability. As one, they pushed all of that heat and light into Colm, and Lucien looked quickly away, turning his eyes on the steps instead, as what had happened to Colm's magic began to happen to his body.