Daylight

Chapter 26

Elain sat at her vanity, her eyes sore and puffy as she brushed out her wavy hair just for something to do. She wished she hadn't cried so much, but there wasn't much she could do about it now.

She wracked her brain for some way to make Nesta understand. She loved her sister dearly, but it was time to draw the line at her overprotectiveness. She couldn't bear to have two of the people who meant the most to her at each other's throats.

A soft knock at her door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in."

The door opened and the face of her younger sister appeared. Feyre closed the door behind her and came to sit beside Elain on the little bench in front of the vanity.

"Nesta and Cass are still up at the House," Feyre offered.

"How do I make her not hate him?" Elain wondered aloud.

"I don't think it's him specifically she has a problem with," Feyre pondered. "I think he's just the unfortunate outlet she's chosen because he makes an easy target for her. I think what she's truly upset about is losing you."

Elain's brows furrowed.

"She spent so long protecting you," Feyre explained. "You two have always been closer than I was to either of you. She's afraid that by opening yourself up to him, she loses you. And I think that terrifies her."

"She was fine with 'losing' me to Graysen, though," Elain countered.

Feyre pursed her lips. "She wasn't though. She didn't let you see it, but she didn't like Graysen any more than she likes Lucien."

Elain arched one eyebrow and made a small sound of disbelief.

"Okay," Feyre conceded, "maybe she liked him a bit more than Lucien... She was just willing to accept your marriage to Greysen because you would have been safe and provided for."

"But there is so much more to life than being safe and provided for."

"You're absolutely right about that," Feyre agreed. "Nesta just has to learn that. I'm hoping Cassian can help her come to that realization."

"What's going on with them anyway?"

Feyre took the brush and ran it through Elain's hair, combing through the spots that were difficult for Elain to reach on her own. Something Elain should have done more for Feyre when they were younger. "Nesta is fighting tooth and nail to deny the fact that there's something between them."

"Are they mates?"

Feyre's silence told Elain all she needed to know. She continued to brush the tangles from Elain's curls.

"Do you want me to braid it?"

Elain considered, but the days had returned to their normal crisp autumn air and her hair kept her ears warm, so she shook her head. Still, she eyed the leather strip she'd been using to tie off her braid. It made her feel surprisingly sad about not having it tying back her hair. She picked it up and held it out to her sister, extending her wrist.

Feyre understood and tied the thin strip of leather around Elain's left wrist, loose enough that it dangled freely but not enough to slip over her hand.

An idea was forming in Elain's mind. It had been ever since she and Lucien had sat up talking. She wasn't sure of the details yet, but she decided to go ahead and voice it to her sister.

"Did you know that Lucien's birthday is the autumn equinox?"

"No, I didn't. But I'm not even surprised."