A Solstice Surprise

Chapter Three

Elain had just gotten back to the Town House, wondering what had happened. She had taken her time with her walk, knowing that Feyre should be by shortly, if she had kept her word, and she would be getting an explanation shortly. It was starting to get dark out, and she knew Feyre didn’t like to eat late recently, so she could have time with Nyx before having to put him down for the night, and let him sleep.

Elain would have turned back and went back to see Feyre, but it was getting dark now, and it would be long dark before she made it, and a lady should not walk at night unescorted.

Slowly, Elain, went to her own kitchen to figure out what she would eat, since she was not invited to the meal everyone else was eating. Suddenly, she was brought back into the dining room, the memory of seeing everyone there, enjoying a meal, without her, and the pain. She didn’t know why they wouldn’t invite her, she didn’t know why they wouldn’t try.Elain could be pleasant, she normally was. She kept her distance and was not unkind. Did they not realize that?

She wasn’t unkind.

She realized it was now dark, and Feyre was probably not going to be coming. Again, Elain felt the sting of forgotten rejection, and, having lost her appetite, she left the kitchen and went up to her room in hopes to get some sleep.

*** ***

The morning must have come rather early though, because before Elain knew it, she was woken by the sun blinding her, much brighter than it normally did. Getting up, squinting her eyes, as well as holding a hand to cover her face, she closed her curtains, she decided to get dressed and go meet with her sister on her own. If her sister wouldn’t come to her, she would go to her sister. She would get an explanation, one way or another.

So, Elain got dressed, and went to open her front door, only to see that the sun was far brighter today than it normally was, if she were still human she would have surely burned. Before leaving, she grabbed her parasol she had from while she was human, and some shades for her eyes, and walked out, to leave.

As she was walking, Elain noticed there was no one else out, which was odd. With such a nice sunny day, a very bright sunny day, she would have thought the streets would have been crowded, but she walked the streets alone. It was odd, yet soothing. The silence was nice where she could be alone with her thoughts.

Thoughts like why Lucien was here early. She normally took the few weeks before Solstice to prepare for having to see him. Feyre and Rhysand would invite him as he was Feyre’s friend, and Rhysand thought it proper as the two were allies, and he was still Elains— But he was here far earlier than she had thought, and she didn’t know why.

As though thinking of Lucien, the sun shone brighter, and it grew near impossible for her to clearly see where she was going, as she squinted her way through the brightness. The sun surely was relentless today.

“I would highly recommend you stay far away from the lady, or you wouldn’t have to only deal with me, but you would also have to deal with your High Lord and Lady.” Elain could make out a familiar voice through the blinding light, she couldn’t see past the bright light anymore, just blinding sunlight.