Nothing In The World Makes Me More Evil Than Just Being Kind Of Annoyed

nothing in the world makes me more evil than just being kind of annoyed

it’s them

All You Have Is Your Fire - Part XXIV

Find all previous parts on Ao3 :)

Summary: 'I can hear your heart beating through the stone.' For the briefest of moments, Lucien wondered if his mate would know exactly when his heart’s steady rhythm came to a sudden stop.

Note: A huge thank you to the lovely @sad-scarred-sassy who deserves all the credit for the post that inspired me to start writing this :) Another huge thank you to everyone reading! ALSO please look at this post, I gasped it's so lovely. All of @teddyhoneybear's moodboards are stunning <3

Tag List: @anishake / @nocasdatsgay / @mybestfriendmademe / @talibunny30 / @halfbutneverwhole / @wishfulimaginings / @goldenmagnolias / @emmers-bens123 / @cauldronblssd / @xirose / @rarephloxes / @thehighlordishere / @the-darkestminds /

Lucien watched his mother carefully. 

The Lady of Autumn was leaning forward in the comfortable armchair opposite his own, emerald skirts flaring around the cushioned seat, a river of fabric along the stone floors. Her auburn hair fell in loose curls to her waist, held away from her face with golden clips fashioned to look like oak leaves. 

She hummed softly, the rubies on each of her fingers flashing in the light of the dancing flames within the fireplace. Her hand hovered above the chess pieces, pausing over the black rook. 

Lucien bit the inside of his cheek as his mother took another of his pawns. She raised a brow at him in challenge, sparks in her russet eyes. 

Lucien huffed a sigh, staring at the red and black board, at all of the remaining pieces on each of their little squares. He crossed both his arms, considering. “You’re really quite good at this,” he mumbled. Lucien decided that both Eris and Callum were going easy on him, perhaps throwing games on purpose. He would have to ask them to stop, he thought. 

The Lady of Autumn laughed, the sound soft as it fell from her lips. She smiled at her youngest son in a way she did not at the rest of her children — unguarded. It always managed to make Lucien feel special. “When you’re as old as I am, I suspect you’ll be just as good.” 

Lucien wondered how many years it would take to reach his mother’s age. At just over half a decade, he wanted to know how much more chess he would need to play. He moved one of his pieces, wincing as he saw the easy opening to his king. 

The High Lord’s wife clicked her tongue, reaching across the coffee table to ruffle Lucien’s hair. Everything about the gesture was tender, and Lucien leaned into the touch. “Little sunbeam,” she started, a small smile on her youthful face, “you know I don’t play to lose.” 

Lucien guessed he was about the age his mother had been at the time of his memory, and while he had changed much since then, the Lady of Autumn remained the same. 

She held onto his arm gently, long fingers pale against the brown velvet of his jacket. They were walking back to his and Elain’s shared chambers, and while Lucien was glad to be spending time with his mother, he hated leaving his mate alone for too long. The sound of their combined steps were loud in the empty hallway, soft echoes ringing around them as she spoke about the wedding. 

Lucien could hear the excitement in her tone as she told him about the decorations and the food they planned to serve. Cora had been helping with the floral arrangements, and his mother seemed to be quite fond of the Night Court female. The Lady of Autumn thrived at organising court events, and she was very pleased to have been given so much freedom when it came to the reception. Lucien could not help but feel a bit guilty that she did not know the truth of it all, but he did not want to upset her, or risk his father finding out. 

“Elain will be having her dress fitting tomorrow as well,” his mother continued. “And she insists on keeping you far away, you know, since she was a human, of course.” 

Lucien had no idea what tradition she was referring to, and briefly wished Jurian and Vassa were both there to help him. He had sent them a few letters, and had received no response. He guessed correspondence was simply being controlled by Ronan’s sentries, and while he was frustrated with the fact, he had come to accept it. He nodded absently, still wondering what human customs Elain had been adding to the wedding ceremony, barely listening as his mother began to recite a list of those who had not yet accepted their invitation. 

Lucien would ask Elain about it when they were alone. He found her easy to talk to, and he hoped she felt the same. He wanted his mate to share more about her life, both before and after she had been made fae. There was still so much about her that he wanted to learn, could spend a lifetime learning. 

Little sunbeam. 

Lucien remembered the childhood nickname, and yet he was unsure when it might have been the last time he had heard it. Eris used to scowl whenever it was uttered, despite how much affection was usually hidden beneath the words. He almost winced as his mother said it flippantly, realising she had asked him a question and was waiting for an answer. 

Lucien cleared his throat, patting his mother’s hand apologetically. “I wasn’t paying attention,” he cringed, adding a quick “sorry.” 

The Lady of Autumn raised an auburn brow, the expression all too familiar. “Thinking about your mate?”

Lucien sighed, offering his mother a sheepish smile. “Always.” 

She pulled him to a stop. Her brows knit together, her eyes going over him, searching. She held his gaze for a moment, pausing at his scar. His mother reached for him, hand resting on his cheek as her lips tilted up slightly. “I’m very happy for you.” 

The pride he heard in her voice was enough to make Lucien emotional. He would have pulled her in for a hug had he not spotted Cora rushing towards them. Elain’s friend seemed to have appeared out of thin air, her footsteps silent as she held her skirts in her hands. Her long hair was like a flag, dark and loose as she approached. 

Lucien frowned as he noticed the tightness around Cora’s mouth, at the tenseness of her shoulders. Unease washed over him, and his mother turned around as she sensed it. 

“Lucien,” Cora said, slowing down to quickly curtsy at the Lady of the Autumn Court. “Lucien, if you could come with me?” Beneath the veneer of her polite and courtly attitude, was concern. 

Lucien took long steps towards her, his heartbeat racing as worse case scenarios flashed into his mind. “What’s happened?” The female’s dark eyes flicked briefly to his mother and he redirected her attention. “Cora?” 

Her explanation was hurried and his mother watched with interest as she shared how Elain had crashed into Eris roughly. As soon as Lucien heard his brother’s name, all he could see was red. “Is she hurt?” He snarled, quickly losing all of his patience. 

“She hit her head on the doorframe and fainted,” Cora winced, glancing at the stone arch next to them. “She’s resting in my room, with the prince watching over her.” 

Lucien had not felt anything along the mating bond, and he could not understand why. He should have known if something was wrong.

“It must be the stress of the wedding, Lucien,” his mother reassured. She placed a soft hand on his back, the action grounding him as the bond urged him to run to Elain and protect her from all harm. “I’ll have someone send coffee to your rooms,” she continued, pushing him lightly in Cora’s direction. 

Cora grabbed onto his sleeve, winnowing them both seamlessly to a different part of the Forest House. Lucien had not known she was capable of such magic, but he was too consumed with thoughts of his mate. 

“What did Eris do?” He asked, voice low and accusing. Cora gripped his jacket tightly and dragged him towards the stairs that led to a different floor. “I swear if he—”

Cora interrupted him swiftly. “He did nothing but bump into Elain.” Lucien let her continue, frown deepening as he considered her statement. “She should’ve been fine, anyone else would have been.” 

Lucien was becoming increasingly frustrated and confused. “Cora, please tell me what happened.” 

“For a moment she was fine, I saw her, ready to give Eris a piece of her mind.” The lady’s maid bit her lip, shaking her head as she forced Lucien to turn a corner. “And then there was wind in a room with no windows, all of the torches went out, and Elain…” Her words trailed off.

Lucien felt panic choke him, “What about Elain?” 

Cora ran a hand through her hair, fingers getting caught in the strands. “Elain’s eyes rolled back until only the whites could be seen, I swear they were glowing, pale as moonlight.”

Lucien swore under his breath. 

Cora shook her head again. “She would have fallen if Eris hadn’t not caught her. He carried her to my bed with her eyes still open, I’d never seen anything like it.” 

Lucien finally understood why the bond between them had stayed silent. If it was simply a result of Elain’s magic, she would be completely fine. He glanced at the female still pulling him along, wondering how much information Elain had revealed about her visions and abilities. Cora had been looking for books on deciphering dreams with them, but he was still not entirely sure if she knew why. 

“It’s nothing,” Lucien said quickly, hoping Cora would not question him. 

She raised her brow, daring him to repeat himself. “I know what it is,” she declared, waving him off as he opened his mouth to respond. “Don’t bother lying again,” Cora stopped in front of the carved wooden door leading into her room. She shoved it open, and Lucien slipped past her to enter. 

Lucien did not know what he had been expecting, but it certainly had not been to see a very alright looking Elain chatting with his brother. He paused at the sight, shocked to see his mate sitting cross legged on the bed, skirts fanning around her. There was a glass of water in her hands, and they were steady as she held it in front of her chest. Despite looking slightly dishevelled, her hair falling from its pins and her dress wrinkled, she looked perfectly fine. 

Lucien halted to a sudden stop in the centre of the small space. Elain’s entire body relaxed, a lovely smile gracing her features as her eyes fell onto him. She said his name, and through the bridge between their souls, he knew she was glad to see him. He mirrored her expression, forgetting that others were there entirely. 

Eris cleared his throat, the sound breaking the silence. He stood up from his chair, patting the bed once. “Hello, little brother.” 

Lucien had to fight back a snarl at the taunt in his tone. “You don’t watch where you’re going?” There was still a small part of him that blamed his carelessness for Elain’s current position. 

Eris shrugged, eyes falling to Cora where she still stood by the door. He raised a brow as he turned his attention to Elain. “She’s so very small I suppose I didn’t notice her.” Elain’s mouth fell open in mock offence, but her gaze was still on Lucien.

He decided Eris was not worth his time, especially when all he wanted to do was take Elain back to their chambers so they could be alone. “You alright?” 

Elain nodded, placing her bare feet onto the floor. “I am, thank you.” She kicked at her slippers, putting them on as a blush rose to her cheeks. “Thank you for coming so quickly, I mean,” she added, breathing a small laugh. 

Lucien offered Elain his hand, and when she held onto him, she flashed a grateful smile. She stood up shakily, losing her balance. Lucien wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her. “Need me to carry you?” He was only half joking. 

Elain leaned into his side, lacing her fingers with his own. “I think I’ll be alright.” 

“Take it easy, Elain,” Cora said, walking up to them so she could rub a friendly hand on his mate’s shoulder. 

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Elain told both her and Eris. Lucien could only guess how worried they had been witnessing the vision.

They left and Cora shut the door with Eris still inside her room. Lucien frowned, knowing his brother would question the female and hoping she would be able to hold her own against him. He was quite confident Cora would do just fine, but a part of him was troubled when he thought about Eris knowing Elain was a seer. 

Lucien turned his attention to his mate, searching for any hint that she might not be alright. He tugged on the bond to check, and she tightened her hold on him. He chose not to winnow, deciding it was best if she was still a little unsteady. They walked in comfortable silence back to their chambers. Like his mother had promised, there was a tray with coffee, sugar, and cream on the table by the sofa. 

As soon as the door closed behind them and Lucien checked to ensure the wards were in place, he spoke. “You had a vision?” 

Elain nodded as he helped her to the couch. He added a teaspoon of sugar to her coffee, stirring as she ran a hand through her curls. “I didn’t like it.” 

Lucien handed her the mug, sitting next to her. She described her vision — the golden knife, the rose petals, and the howling wolf. Lucien agreed that it did not sound very good, but he did not know what it meant any more than she did. 

“You were right,” Elain added. “Holding back the visions isn’t working, and this one was stronger than the others.” 

Lucien rubbed a hand over his face. “I’ll handle Eris, he won’t believe a thing we say unless it’s the truth.” Perhaps it was his place as the eldest brother that made him very good at sensing nonsense. He knew from experience that Eris would not let it go if he suspected something was being hidden from him. 

Elain blew a stray curl from where it had fallen over her eyes, setting her mug next to the one Lucien still had yet to touch. “I told him.” 

“You told him?” Lucien felt like the stars had fallen out of the sky. He took a moment to spin the words in his mind, swallowing as he stared at a very calm Elain. “You told Eris about your visions?” He could barely believe it, hoping that she was making a joke. 

“It’s alright, Lucien,” she said seriously, placing a hand on his thigh. She inched closer so that their shoulders were touching. “I tried lying, but,” she shrugged, “he’s going to help, and I already made him swear not to tell anyone.” 

Lucien coughed, trying his best not to show Elain how anxious it made him that Eris knew. “What, exactly, did you tell him?” 

Elain looked up into his face, her dark brown eyes bright in the light of the flickering fireplace. “Everything. I told him about the Cauldron, and its gift to me, and my visions during the war.” 

Eris could not be trusted, it was something Lucien had strongly believed for centuries. He could already imagine Eris spinning this situation to suit him. “Elain,” he sighed, “I don’t know…”

She smiled and he paused. “I know.” Elain looked so confident, he could hardly argue. “And he’s so old, I’m sure Eris knows more about seers than the two of us combined,” she added, squeezing his leg.

“Alright.” Lucien returned her smile, taking a loose curl and tucking it behind her pointed ear. “I trust you,” he murmured, the pull of the bond magnetic. He leaned towards her, and she did the same, eyes fluttering shut. 

Elain brushed her lips against his, her hands rising up to grip the lapels of his jacket. Drawing him closer, she relaxed into his touch. Lucien kissed her more fully, cupping her head while tracing the smooth skin of her cheekbone with his thumb. 

Elain’s full lips parted beneath his, tongue slipping past them to ease a small sigh from the back of her throat. Lucien attempted to slowly move away, but she followed him, breaking their kiss to throw her arms around his neck in a tight hug. 

“I trust you, too,” Elain said softly, holding Lucien close. 

i think we all need to complain about LED headlights more. please can we all complain about them more. night driving is nearly impossible for me to do now without having to white knuckle my way through a thousand evil suns. every time i see those headlights in my mirrors i take 2d6 radiant damage. i want to destroy every single LED headlight under my feet like they’re goombas

if i ever had godlike powers over the nature of animals i'd just make crabs smarter. like on par with crows or something. you'll walk out onto the pier at night and see a group of crabs working together to drag an unconscious man into the water. you can't help him now. he's gone.