Chapter 603

Lucien glanced over his shoulder as Elain pulled him across the hall. Vassa stood watching from where they had left her, a strange look on her face, and Lucien frowned. He'd been dancing with her, he knew that, but the further away from her he got, the fuzzier that knowledge became.

"Helion." Elain's voice was sharper than Lucien had heard it in a while and he turned his attention to his mate who was looking expectantly at the High Lord of the Day Court.

"Elain." Helion turned his gaze from where he had been utterly focused on Ashk, and raised one of his perfect black eyebrows. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to speak with you." Elain told him and, when Helion did not move, added, "Now."

"This looks important." Ashk said, her russet eyes moving between Lucien and Elain, "Let us find a space."

Lucien followed the three of him to a small room off the entrance hall, and watched as Helion seated himself upon a low table, before looking at them. "I take it that this is related to whatever you wanted to speak with me about earlier."

"Yes." Elain said, her hand tightening on Lucien's hand. "Vassa has… well…" Irritation flowed from Elain down the bond. Even with the bond as faint as it was, Lucien could feel that.

"Begin slowly." Ashk said, a frown now on her face.

"Vassa all but told me she was here for a different reason to her claimed 'friendship'." Elain said, "She has confronted me about it. Kera befriended her to find out her true motives, and well… she is here for Lucien. She thinks that she can strengthen her own position into one she thinks she deserves by attaching herself to him."

"He is a mated male." Helion said simply, and Elain turned her head to look at Lucien. Lucien met her gaze, and he did not like the helplessness he saw there.

"I believe she seeks to change that." Elain eventually said, looking back to Helion. "Lucien was told, by Vassa herself, she has been researching magic. And I had a vision of her buying ingredients from an apothecary in town. We think she's working with binding magic."

"You think this also?" Helion asked, his words directed at Lucien.

"I…" Lucien frowned, "She did tell me she could make me want her." He said, and fear slid up his spine then, "More than that… the bond between Elain and I has changed… it feels paler than normal."

"It is harder to read." Elain nodded, and Lucien ran a hand up her arm to her shoulder, seeking to comfort her.

"I think she may have already tried her magic." Lucien said, watching Elain even as he said the words to Helion. "There are… gaps… in my memory." He looked at his father then, "Just now when Elain pulled me away from Vassa. I know that I had been dancing with her, but I do not remember how that happened. Also, earlier, when Eris found me in the hall… I had been looking for you… and then I had just been standing there when he found me. I do not know what happened prior…" Fear gripped him tightly. "I… don't know what has happened."

A small sound came out of Elain, and Lucien moved closer to her, wrapping both arms around her waist. He felt the way she folded into him and he held her firmly to himself. He had always trusted his own mind, his own memories, and the fact that he could not now terrified him.