Chapter 540
Trying to control her face, and her emotions, Elain turned away from Vassa and placed several long-stemmed flowers into a vase. She knew that several pairs of eyes were on her, and she knew that she could not lose her temper, but something inside of her was screaming at her that Vassa was a threat, and she wasn't sure if that was just her own territorial instincts or something stronger. Quickly, she set about finishing the bouquets for Sheera, aware that they were not the best she had ever done, but her friend smiled all the same.
"We should really be returning to the others, having held them up long enough." Elain said, and Sheera nodded her head, "Of course, it is getting late."
Bidding Sheera farewell, Elain led Nera back out onto the street. She had thought it a little funny at first, that much of Lucien's tour of the Day Court was to take place after night had fallen, but she knew that the other High Lords would not have expected it, and that they likely had not seen what Lucien planned to show them. She hoped that they hadn't grown too bored waiting for her to return with Nera, and she knew that they would have had a good view of the sunset from the park. She had seen it herself from that position and it was lovely. She hadn't waited for Vassa, figuring the mortal woman could manage her way to the end of the street on her own, and it was easy enough for them to fin the others, re-joining the group as Lucien began explaining where they were to head next.
The look on Elain's face let him know almost instantly that something had displeased her, and he glanced back up the street, toward Sheera's shop, wondering what had happened. When he saw Vassa approaching them, he understood. He didn't know how she had found them so quickly after the sun had gone down, but there she was, in the same ivory dress she had worn for breakfast before she had disappeared for her transformation. Wondering if it had been Vassa's arrival which had rubbed elain the wrong way, or something more, Lucien turned back to the rest of the group, letting them know that they were about to have an even better view of the city.
"It's only a short walk from here." He said, "To the largest library in the Day Court."
"A library?" Rhys asked, and Lucien nodded.
"Yeah, where we keep books…" he said, raising an eyebrow, "You have one of them yourself."
Rhys shook his head, mouth twisting into a lopsided smirk. "Yes, I've been told that I do." The dark-haired male replied, as if he didn't spend part of each day in his library. "It's been a while since I was a part of a tour that included a library, however."
"I thought this was something you would all appreciate." Lucien said, thinking back to the evening he had first discovered it himself.
"No doubt we will." Kallias said, quickening his step to walk beside Lucien. "Are you enjoying Mated life?" the High Lord of the Winter Court asked, voice lower so that only Lucien would hear him.
"Very much so." Lucien told him, "It comes with a certain sense of peace that I had not previously known."
"Indeed it does." Kallias replied with a sage nod, "Especially after everything Amarantha put us through. It is something we have all craved, and which we deserve."
"I agree," Lucien glanced at Kallias out of the corner of his eye, "I hope you do know how much what you and Viviane did for us when Elain and I visited the Winter Court meant to us."
"Ah." Kallias smiled, "We enjoyed ourselves too."