A Solstice Surprise

Chapter One

Elain had noticed the halls of the River House to be rather, empty. She had just arrived, seeming how she had taken to staying at the townhouse, to allow her sister and Rhys to figure out their small family, now her nephew had been born. She didn’t mind it in the town house, it was nice and quiet, and the gardens had desperately needed tending since everyone had moved to the River House after it had finished being built.

But this evening, Elain had decided to stop in for a visit with her sister, in hopes of seeing her nephew, but the halls were empty. This wasn’t that unusual, as Nesta, Cassian and Azrial lived up in the House of Wind, Mor had gone back to the Continent to work on treaty signing, and Amren had her own small apartment she lived in, and rarely left when Varian would visit. Just considering what Amren and Varian might do, caused a slight blush to colour Elains cheek, as she looked down slightly.

Not wanting to get caught, and have anyone get the wrong idea, Elain quickly composed herself, and then continued looking around, in hopes of finding anyone, preferably her sister or nephew.

It wasn’t until she got closer to the dining hall, though still there was a fair distance away, her traitorous fae ears picked up sound coming from the dining hall. If she hadn’t been confused at the amount of sound, far too much for two adults, and a young infant, she would have felt a deep frustration within herself for relying on her new fae body yet again. She started walking towards the dining hall.

Elain didn’t want to have to rely on her fae body, she didn’t want to have to rely on the better hearing, or the better sight. She hated the visions, and kept them to herself for the most part, and tried her best to live as human a life as she could, stuck in her fae body as she was. It was difficult, but she managed. As she turned into the dining hall, ready to greet her sister, she was thinking about how the only time it became impossible to pretend she was still human was when—

There he was. The reason she could not deny she was no longer human. The word caressed its way through her mind, making what felt like her whole brain shiver with pleasure, and she tried not to let it show on her face. Her mate. Eating dinner. Along with both her sisters, both their mates, her nephew, Amren, Varien, and some others. Only she, as well as Azriel were not here.

Did she miss the invitation? Did she not hear a knock on the door, had her sister visited?

No, I didn’t visit. She heard her sisters voice in her mind.

Was she just not invited then?

“This must be a business dinner? I apologize for interrupting. I will come back later.” She said, making the first excuse she could think of, before making a gentle smile, nodding her head, and turning to walk off.

All she could think, was that she knew it wasn’t business, because if it were, Nyx would not be there, and Azriel would. So why was everyone having dinner, with her— with him invited, but not her? She had to admit, it stung. It hurt. We’re they choosing him over her? She hadn’t seen this. She hadn’t seen anything like this happening. While unwanted, she had been getting used to, and could understand and read the visions much easier now. She would have known if she saw this, and she did not—

Elain, calm down. I will come explain everything when dinner is done. I promise. Her sister then told her again in her mind. It took her a moment, but she took a deep breath and then found her way to leave the River House, to walk back to where she had started calling home in the Town House.