Chapter 420

Having seated herself beside Lucien at the table, Elain smiled when she found Ashk sitting on the other side of her mate. She smiled again when Eris met her gaze from across the table, and he dipped his head in greeting.

"Elain," he said softly, "Lucien…"

"Nice of you to come so quickly…" Lucien said, and Elain heard the tone in his voice that suggested he was after some kind of answer as to the reason for the High Lord of the Autumn Court's presence. Eris' smile sharpened, and it was clear that he had heard the tone too, and understood it.

"What could I do?" Eris asked, voice smooth. "Helion had great need of my hounds." Lucien made a small noise beside her, and Elain glanced at him. She had heard of Eris' hounds before, and knew what they were famous for. Those who had been involved in what had happened in the palace were evidently being hunted down, and Helion had wanted the hounds on the job. Eris grinned again. "How could I refuse a request like that?"

"Fair enough." Lucien muttered, and Elain reached for his hand under the table. The moment she touched him, her ears began to ring.

A flash of red moving through the twilight evening. Elain's breath caught when she felt the tug and she was being pulled along. Branches scratched at her, red and orange and brown leaves filled her vision. This was the Autumn Court. The scent of wet earth and rotting leaves filled her lungs, and she was pulled on again. The flash of red ahead stopped and she recognised Lucien's face when he turned back the way he had come, silent, head tilted as he listened. She looked at him. He still had both of his eyes, and she had seen him like this before in her visions.

A howl sounded in the distance and then he was running again, and Elain was forced to keep up. This was his memory and, like when she had witnessed what he had been through at Calanmai, Elain was unable to go anywhere he had not. She was confined to this memory, to experiencing what he had experienced.

Panting as she ran, trying to keep up with him, Elain looked around. She didn't recognise this part of the forest, not that she expected she would notice if they ran right though somewhere she had been. The Autumn Court was breathtaking, but forests and trees like this all looked the same to her. She was thankful she was unable to stray too far from Lucien in these visions because she was certain that if she lost him she would be lost and unable to find him or her way out.

Lucien stopped again, turning once more as he listened. Elain listened too. There was silence and she ran her eyes over Lucien. He was clearly younger than when they had met. Both of his eyes his own. This was before he had been savaged by Amarantha. His clothing belonged to the Autumn Court, and she knew that this was before he had gone to live with Tamlin, before he had become Tamlin's emissary. A crunch from nearly drew a gasp from Elain, and Lucien's eyes widened as he went very still. He listened again, and she strained her own hearing, looking for any other sounds. She noticed then that Lucien was wearing a pack on his back, and she had seen it before. She had seen him filling it with things from his room in the Forest House. This was when he was leaving the Autumn Court.

Another crack set Lucien running, and Elain had no choice but to follow. She tried to remember what she knew of what had happened to him when he had decided to leave. Jesminda had been killed, and he had packed up and fled. She knew that some of his brothers had come after him and, with a shudder, she glanced over her shoulder. That was who was pursuing him now. He was running from his brothers who would be chasing behind. Another howl sounded and Elain shuddered again. Eris was not the only Vanserra male to own some of those hounds, and Elain did not want to imagine what would happen if those creatures caught up with what they hunted.

"Lucieeeen…" chilling voice sounded from somewhere behind, but when Elain looked over her shoulder again, she saw nothing but the stunning colours of the forest.

"Lucien…" a chuckle sounded from somewhere to the left, and Elain heard Lucien's small gasp, quickly stifled. She could see the fear in his face, his russet eyes wide as he glanced around, trying to figure out which way to go, which way was safe. Blood drained from his face when another howl sounded, this time much closer.

"Fuck…" he breathed, hand clenching at the shoulder strap of his pack, the other gripping a sword tightly.

She knew that he had gone to Tamlin. He had headed for the Spring border, and Elain tried to remind herself that this was a memory. She knew how this would end, but even though this had happened centuries ago, she could still see the fear in Lucien's eyes, still feel his terror. His brothers had come to kill him, and that was a fact that he could not deny. He had known that they had no fondness for him, but this cut more deeply than he had anticipated. Elain could feel it all, and her heart beat wildly in her chest.

When a hound burst from among the scarlet and golden leaves, a huge brown blur of fur, claws and teeth, Lucien hurled a stream of flame in its direction before he had wheeled around and taken off once again. Elain could do nothing but follow, unable to make herself stop looking over her shoulder. She knew that Lucien had headed for the Spring border, and she wondered if they were close. Had someone once told her that it had been Eris to alert Tamlin of Lucien's presence and then Tamlin had come to help Lucien? Elain thought Feyre might have said that to her once, but she had forgotten when. Was that how this had happened? Had Eris done so already? Did Tamlin know that Lucien was nearby? Was the High Lord of Spring already on his way? Elain hoped so because there was no ignoring the sounds of pursuit behind them now.

The snap of a twig nearby had Lucien swearing again and he swept his pack from his shoulders, tossing it beneath a nearby tree. Elain was unable to take her eyes from him as he squared himself before the tree, keeping it at his back as he faced the forest around him. His russet eyes moved continually, tracking every sound he heard as he readied himself, and Elain found herself holding her breath.

They came at once; three of them. Bursting from among the trees from three different directions. It really was quite impressive that Lucien reacted as quickly as he did. Elain watched, still holding her breath, as he threw flame at one, while deflecting the blow of the second and ducking the sword of the third. Several hounds appeared then, stalking out of the shadows from between the trees and Elain gave a startled gasp. Her eyes went back to Lucien, still grappling with three of his brothers, and fear spiked through her. There was no way he would be able to deal with hounds as well.

A darker, more guttural and feral snarl sounded, raising the hairs on the back of Elain's neck and seeming to make the very leaves on the trees shiver. Tamlin appeared then, stepping into the pale light, and the hounds turned tail and bolted back into the forest. Lucien's brothers halted, their eyes going to the High Lord of the Spring Court, and they backed away from their younger brother.

"This is the Autumn Court…" One said, Elain did not recognise him. "You have no power here."

"Try me." Tamlin glared, moving closer. They backed away further, Lucien trailing them with his blade. His breathing was still intense, chest rising and falling quickly, and his eyes still slightly wide. If she had have been able to touch him, Elain would have rushed to his side, throwing her arms around him. This was merely a memory, however, and she could not. Instead, she watched Lucien turn toward Tamlin, russet eyes moving over the blonde male.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Just lucky, I guess." Tamlin muttered, brushing an orange leaf from his fine jacket. Green eyes lifted to Lucien then, as if assessing. "I assume you are looking for somewhere to stay?" Lucien nodded and Tamlin waved a hand back the direction he had come, toward the border, "Come with me."

Picking up his pack, Lucien eyed the trees. "They'll come back. They're not done…"

"They will." Tamlin agreed, "But not right now."

"Petal…?" Lucien's voice seemed distant, "… Elain?"

"Hn…" Blinking, she tried to focus on her mate's face. He was looking at her intently, golden eye glinting in the faelight that hovered around the walls of the room. "I…" Understanding filled his features then, worry in his good eye, and Elain squeezed his hand.

"What was it?" He breathed, and Elain was aware that several faeries nearby were watching them, Eris included. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on an image of Lucien in the forest, his brothers and Tamlin surrounding him. Pushing that image down the bond, she hoped that he would receive it.

"Ah." He squeezed her hand in response and Elain opened her eyes to see his regretful expression. "I'm sure that was enjoyable."

Leaning into him, Elain met her mate's eyes. "Terrifying." She breathed, "Though you handled yourself well…" She was pleased at the flash of a smile she saw then, that flash of confidence.

"I was a fine young thing, I suppose…"

"You still are." She let one of her hands trail up his arm to his elbow. Her eyes went to Eris then, remembering the reason for his visit. A shiver went through her again, picturing those hounds chasing down whoever they had been sent after.

"Cold, Petal?" Lucien asked, slipping an arm around behind her, pulling her closer, and she smiled up at him.

"I'm alright." She told him, enjoying his warmth all the same.