Daylight

Chapter 27

Lucien half expected Elain to be in his room when he woke and then he chided himself for being disappointed that she wasn't. Once he was dressed, he wandered over to the desk to retrieve his dagger and noticed a note beneath it.

Don't you dare try sneaking off and hiding until today is over.
I'm running errands with Feyre but I'd like to see you later. We should be back before noon.
♥ Elain

Lucien sighed and rubbed his temples. Stubborn female. He had no doubt the errands she was running had something to do with the fact that today was the Autumn solstice—and his birthday. Still, the corners of his mouth pulled up into a smile. He'd always been indifferent to his birthday since they didn't matter much without anyone to care. His brothers and Beron certainly never cared. Tamlin had made an effort once, but after Amarantha's curse, birthdays were forgotten or outright ignored in the Spring Court manor. The only other people besides Elain who'd ever cared were Jesminda and his mother.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad now that he had people he genuinely regarded as friends, though he still hated being the center of attention. He went downstairs to find something to eat and was slightly surprised to find the house completely empty. He decided to make the most of the peace and quiet by going up to the rooftop balcony and reading. There was just the hint of an autumn bite to the air, but the sun warmed the little rooftop patio.

He heard her laughter a few hours later as Elain and Feyre returned to the townhouse. He marked his place in his book and dropped it off in his room on his way downstairs. As they came inside, he noticed Cassian was with them.

"It's a shame you don't have wings," the Illyrian chortled as he clapped a hand on Lucien's back, "because she's set that bar so high, you'll never top it."

"Cassian." Feyre's voice was commanding and full of warning.

"Okay, okay, I'll be up at the House," he grumbled.

"The House?" Lucien asked with a glance at Elain. And forgot to breathe.

She was radiant. Her dress was almost the same shade as his fiery hair and the copper butterflies that covered her skirt looked like fallen leaves. Her honey golden hair was held back with a headband of autumn leaves and around her neck was a tiny gold pendant shaped like an acorn. She looked like she had stepped right out of the Autumn Court palace. Prythian didn't have royalty aside from the High Lords (and Lady), but as she appeared to him now, Elain could be the princess of Autumn. He knew his mouth was hanging open at the sight of her, but he couldn't be bothered to care. This female was the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld. And she was his mate.

Lucien didn't know if it was because of the way he was looking at her or if she somehow heard or saw what he was thinking through their bond. Either way, she blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Well, don't be upset, but we organized a little dinner for tonight. Just the Circle, I promise. No big fanfare or anything. It's just so crowded here for everyone to be comfortable."

Lucien groaned inwardly but couldn't deny Elain the sheer excitement it seemed to bring her to plan all of this. If it made her happy, then so be it.

"Just a dinner?" He repeated.

Elain exchanged a glance with Feyre.

"Just a dinner," Elain promised, her fingers crossed behind her back. She forgot that Lucien's mechanical eye could see through glamours and spells and other deceptions, even the most primitive ones.

"I can fly you up there before everyone else," Feyre offered. He knew it was to avoid the embarrassment of being carried. Being the only male in this group without wings had its drawbacks. He shrugged in agreement.