Chapter 413

Not bothering to even look at the mess that was now on the stairs, Lucien turned and rushed back to Elain. She was still on the ground, now unmoving. His mother was beside her, pulling Elain into her lap and Lucien's breath caught in his throat as he looked at his mate. Blood trickled from her nose and her ears, and a fear so terrible and overwhelming washed over him that Lucien was unsurprised to find himself a second later on his knees on the ground. "… Elain…?" he breathed, unable to look away from her face. She did not stir.

Reaching out, Lucien gripped one of her hands in his, holding firmly as he stared at her face, waiting for any sign of movement.

"Lucien…" his mother said, and he knew what she was about to tell him. He just nodded and moved closer to Elain, bringing his other hand up to her cheek. She was hot to the touch, and he knew that pain could do that. He was glad that Colm had been ripped apart, and part of him wished that he'd gotten to do it with his hands.

"It's okay, Petal…" he whispered, slipping his hand around to the back of her neck and turning her face up slightly. Lucien closed his eyes then as he sought out the places he needed and focused on sending the familiar healing warmth into his mate. Bending forward, Lucien brought his forehead to rest gently against Elain's reaching for the bond for any indication that he could find that she was alright. When he realised that he could feel her pulse, hear her breathing, Lucien released a breath of his own, pressing his lips to hers gently as he lifted her from his mother's lap and into his own, cradling her to himself.

Carefully, Lucien stroked Elain's hair back from her face, allowing his fingers to caress her skin gently. He watched as Helion bent and lifted Ashk from the floor, sweeping her red hair back over her shoulder, his fingers ghosting across her throat as he did so, and Lucien looked away.

"Where," the High Lord asked, "is the rest of the Court?"

"Ah…" Siv stepped forward, "they have been taken to the sitting room above us."

"Good…" Helion's amber eyes were sweeping the Throne Room when Lucien glanced up at him, taking in all of what remained. The High Lord's gaze settled on the bodies along the wall, members of his Court, and likely faeries that he had known for centuries. There was grief there, in Helion's face and in his eyes, and Lucien looked away again.

Elain sat up then and Lucien couldn't keep his hands off of her. He stroked her arm, her hand, he slid one of his own hands around her waist, holding her closer at he looked at her. "Petal…?"

"I'm alright." She lifted her right hand to her head, frowning a little, and Lucien could not look away. She didn't seem altered in any way, and he could still feel the tether between them, keeping her grounded and with him. "I… think he tried to force me to see so many things at once… I felt like my skull was going to explode."

"Yes…" Lucien rubbed her back, wanting nothing more than to wrap around her and kiss her and keep her all to himself for the foreseeable future. That was not something that they would be able to do however. Not yet.

"Is… that… him?"

"Oh?" Lucien looked to where Elain's attention was focused, at the charred mess upon the stairs and he gave a single nod.

"That's what is left of him."

"I see." Elain shuddered, her dark eyes moving around the room. "I told him this would end in blood…"

"I don't think there was any other way that was going to happen." Lucien replied, tightening his arm around her, "Do you want to get up?" He asked, "Can you stand?"

"Yes…" Elain allowed Lucien to help her to her feet, and he couldn't deny that he found enjoyment in the way that one of her hands remained clenched around his jacket as she surveyed the rest of the room. "What do we do now?" She eventually asked, and Lucien was about to reply when Helion turned toward them from where he had been speaking with Ashk.

"See the rest of the Court." The High Lord said, "See who is left," he gave a heavy sigh, "Who needs assistance." His eyes moved to Lucien who stood a little more straight, "We shall need to organise for this all…" a hand gestured at the room, "to be taken care of… We need to prove to the rest of the City that we have not fallen and that we will continue on with our business like we always have."

Lucien understood the need to not show any weakness beyond the palace. There would likely still be those out there who had supported Colm and might take opportunity for themselves. If the Day Court presented a stoic face, then there was the chance that ideas like that might be squashed before they became a problem.

"If… you require it," Lucien's mother said gently, "Eris would send assistance… to help…" her russet eyes moved over the bodies, "… in whatever way that is needed." She looked up at Helion then, and Lucien watched as his father lifted one of his hands to gently place it on her arm.

"Thank you," Helion said, "We shall take stock of the situation first and then decide if we require further assistance." His hand slid down Ashk's arm to her wrist where it stayed. Lucien glanced at Elain to see that she was pretending that she had not noticed. Her eyes met his for a moment and then flicked in the direction of Siv and Kaii.

"Oh," Lucien took her hand as the group moved for the doors. "Elain, you likely have not met Kaii and Siv." He indicated each of the guards in turn as Kaii pushed the doors open for everyone. Elain smiled at them and told them that she had noticed the way they had protected Lucien throughout much of the battle, and Lucien kept a firm grip on her elbow, trying to keep her on her feet as they walked. He could feel the way that she sway and remained a little unsteady, and he decided that when they reached the sitting room with the rest of the Court, he was going to insist she sat in a chair and he was going to get some food into her. When was the last time that she had eaten? Was it the poisoned food they'd been fed when this had all started? Lucien couldn't remember.

He listened as Kaii and Siv talked to Elain, telling her this and that about their time in the Court, and he appreciated the effort they were making to try and keep things light. He wasn't sure what they would find when they got up to the rest of the Court, but he hoped that it would be manageable.