Chapter 513

"You want to invite that red-headed trollop?" Nesta asked, her face indicating that she thought Elain was a little bit out of her mind. "Why, exactly?"

"Wait, who?" Sheera asked, and Elain turned her attention on her friend, "Who is this person?"

"She's a mortal queen." Elain told Sheera, before looking back to Nesta, "And, I told you, so I can check my control on the mating bond and the jealousy."

"What if you can't?" Nesta asked, "What if you kill the bitch?"

"Why is Elain going to kill a mortal queen?" Sheera asked, looking back and forth between Elain and Nesta, confusion written all over her pretty face.

"Because she has eyes for Lucien." Nesta said, her own gaze not leaving Elain's even as she spoke to Sheera.

"She what?" Sheera just about gasped, looking at Elain, "Some mortal queen has an interest in your mate, and you want to bring her here?"

"Well, this is my home." Elain said, "I will have the advantage here. Would you prefer we went back to that manor she lives in and she can try and sneak off after Lucien in that garden again? Corner him against some hedge?"

"No…" Nesta murmured, scowling, "But… what kind of fallout will there be if she comes here and happens to so much as look at him the wrong way and you lose it, kill her, and then we have to explain that this wasn't some trap to lure the leaders of the world here so that the Day Court could try to kill them…?"

"Nobody would think that." Elain replied, hoping that it were true. "Besides, I won't kill her."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's not in my nature." Elain replied, "My reaction is not going to be jumping straight to murder."

"I doubt your reaction is going to be bringing her tea and scones either…" Nesta shook her head. "Why do you have to test on her? Why can't you just…"

"Because I know she wants him." Elain said, "I have seen the way she looks at him, and it got under my skin when we were there the last time. I hadn't even properly realised I was in love with him until Mor confirmed it in that manor. I didn't know I loved him and the way she was with him had an impact upon me. She is the perfect test. If she shows up here and looks at him like that again, this time I will be able to see how it is with the Bond… and that jealousy. I can measure it against what I could control last time. If it is some random faerie who likes to look at the Heir I have no measure… it won't mean anything to me, other than not liking it, obviously, but my reaction will be unknown compared to how it would have been without the bond… I don't know if this is making sense." She sighed, "I need it to be Vassa."

"Does he like her?" Sheera asked, and Elain's eyes narrowed as she looked at her friend.

"What do you mean?"

"Lucien," Sheera said, "How does he feel about Vassa?"

Part of Elain began snarling, deep within herself, but she choked the sound before it could get out. "They were friends, if that's what you mean." Her voice sounded strange, even to herself, but she went on. "Actually, when he left Velaris after the war he stayed in that manor with her and some others."

"He lived with her?" Sheera looked almost scandalised, "While you were his mate?"

Part of the snarl slipped out before Elain could leash it. "They were friends. Nothing more. Despite what Vassa wanted."

Both Nesta and Sheera nodded quickly, but remained silent in face of that snarl. Elain tried to swallow the jealousy and rage moving within her. This might, she thought, be more difficult than she had anticipated.