Chapter 586

Elain could see that Nera was uncomfortable, and she rubbed the other female's arm gently. "You don't have to come with me." She said, "Really."

"I do." Nera said, "Lucien left you with us so that he knew you wouldn't be alone again somewhere Vassa might find you."

"What could she do to me?" Elain asked, "She's mortal." She knew that if it came to it, she could take Vassa in a fight. Violence might not be a part of what made Elain who she was, but she knew that her new fae body was rather hardier than Vassa's soft mortal body.

"She has magic." Nera replied, casting a look Elain could not read at her as they cut their way across one of the Palace gardens.

"The curse…"

"Not that." Nera said, "Don't you know what she could do with something personal of Lucien's?"

"The hair leather she took?"

"Yes. She told him that she had been reading up on magic and could make him choose her… the kind of binding magic she could cast with something of his is strong."

"I did not know that." Elain said, a sick feeling spreading through her. Would that kind of binding magic be stronger than the Bond between herself and Lucien? The thought was terrifying. What if Vassa somehow managed to break the Bond? "Could she actually do that?"

"Theoretically…" Nera said, "Binding magic used to be quite common in the Autumn Court. I've heard of Eris' brothers doing it with various females they desired…" Nera made a face, looking at Elain, "For a time… and then ending the spell and casting the females aside."

"That's… horrible." Elain breathed, "Did you think Eris had done that to you?"

"I…" Shaking her head, Nera frowned, "No. I felt that I actually got to know him well enough as everything developed. I didn't just look at him one day and want him."

"It didn't even cross your mind?"

"Perhaps…" Nera said, "for a moment, especially in that moment he killed that male in front of me, and I questioned if I really knew who he was."

"I remember that." Elain replied, "You did seem rather shocked to witness that side of Eris."

"Of course I knew his reputation." Nera told her, "But I had never witnessed anything like that. I had only seen what he had shown me until that point."

"A gentler side…"

"And that is who he truly is. When nobody else is around." Nera sounded defensive, and Elain smiled. "The other only happens out of necessity. When he'd forced to protect or to maintain control… and that is why I know that he never used any kind of binding persuasive enchantment on me."

"It's nice, isn't it?" Elain asked, rubbing Nera's arm again, "Being so certain about the one you love?"

"Ah…" Nera blushed, and Elain smiled again, "It is."

"Thank you for coming with me." Elain nudged her as they headed up a corridor, "You really didn't need to."

"I think I do."

"It's just that I know you've seen Kera being friendly with Vassa, and I thought she might have been a part of that horrible woman making you feel like you don't belong with us."

"The blonde female…" Nera nodded almost to herself, "She was with Vassa. Although, she did not speak… did not take part in what Vassa was trying to do."

"I'm glad to hear that." Elain replied, "I asked her to get close to Vassa." She glanced at Nera, "I asked her to try to find out why Vassa was here, and what she wanted."

"You created your own spy?"

"I suppose so."