Daylight

Chapter 46

An hour later, everyone was up at the House, mulling around the sitting room with glasses of wine or whiskey, a handful of separate conversations occurring at the same time.

Lucien tried not to appear disheartened that Elain was missing from their little group. Feyre told him that Elain was just taking care of something and would be joining them shortly, so Lucien just assumed it was something to do with her larger garden there at the House.

Feyre, Amren, and Nesta were discussing some new production at the theatre that was due to open the following week while Rhysand and Azriel filled Cassian in on Lucien's recovery of the wings.

One of the members of Rhysand's permanent staff announced that dinner was ready, so they migrated into the dining room where the table was laden with food.

Everyone took whatever seat happened to be nearest them. No rank or formality. Just family. Lucien loved it. Though he noticed that Mor, who had been standing next to him and chatting with Feyre on her other side, deliberately moved to the other side of the table, leaving the chair next to his empty.

"Shouldn't we wait for Elain?" He asked doubtfully.

"She'll be along shortly," Feyre waved her hand to show she was unconcerned with her sister's absence.

"I have to agree with Lucien," Nesta remarked. "We should wait for Elain."

Cassian jerked his head to ogle at her as he put his hand against her forehead. "Nesta... are you ill? Do you feel faint?"

She swatted his hand away.

"You just agreed with Lucien," Cassian marveled. "You realize that, right?"

"Of course I do," she rolled her eyes.

Everyone at the table chuckled as they began serving themselves. There seemed to be more food than usual, or perhaps just different varieties. There were platters of baked chicken and roast beef. Half a dozen different vegetables and casseroles. Lucien spied a sweet potato casserole he was particularly fond of at the far end of the table. Unfortunately, it was also a favorite of Amren's. He decided to let her serve herself before asking her to pass the dish down to him.

Perhaps it was the different array of foods or that family dinner was being held on a different night than usual, but something about this dinner just felt... different. It could also be that Elain was still missing. Lucien caught himself turning and glancing over his shoulder for the third time since they sat down.

Finally, finally, after everyone was well into their meal, Elain emerged from the kitchens with Nuala and Cerridwen, who swiftly dissolved into smoke and shadows. It wasn't a formal dinner by any means, yet Elain had on that same orange dress with the copper butterflies—the one she'd worn on his birthday. Lucien had no idea why his pulse quickened when he saw her in that dress. Perhaps because he knew Deidre made it specifically for her with him in mind.

Elain's cheeks were flushed, but Lucien just assumed it was because she had been in the kitchen. She had grown fond of baking with the half-wraith twins. There were faint lines of flour on the edges of her dress, as if she had worn an apron but the outline had remained once she had taken it off. She carried a basket laden with steaming hot dinner rolls.

"All this food," Cassian said with his mouth full of baked chicken, "and you're late to dinner because you had to make rolls?"

He winced as a muffled thump underneath the table suggested that Nesta's foot had collided with Cassian's shin, but then his eyes widened at the basket of bread in Elain's hands.

Everyone at the table watched Elain, but no one more carefully than Lucien. His eyes remained locked on her from the swinging door that led to the kitchen all the way to the table. She stood between Lucien and the empty seat meant for her. His mouth went dry as he gazed up at her—at the basket in her hands.