Try as she might to push away the images of what had happened between her and Azriel not more than an hour ago, Elain cannot stop his words from echoing in her mind, he might as well still be standing in front of her: This is a mistake.
Elain's head continues to spin, her eyes sting, and she would very much like to reach her room before anyone catches her or worse, starts asking questions. She tries not to think about the look on Azriel’s face when he said it, or the necklace she has just left behind. She tries not to think about anything except one question she cannot silence: for once, what would not be a mistake?
Elain quickly shoves that thought down and hurries her pace. But in that small reprieve of trying to not think about anything at all, it occurs to her she has forgotten entirely, amidst all that chaos, that Lucien is staying in the house tonight. She had been so consumed with not being seen by Azriel on her way back that she had not once considered —
Surely he would be asleep, occupied elsewhere, anywhere other than —
Elain nearly bounces when she collides into something solid. Strong hands are quick to catch her while her own betrays her conscience and lands on Lucien’s arms — if only for a moment, to steady herself from the unexpected collision.
“ I am well, ” she answers curtly. Her hands leave him, though she doesn’t move to free herself from his. Even as he continues to look at her with eyes that have no business seeing as clearly as they do, saying that word again — as if it is not the very last thing she wanted to talk about.
Her eyes still sting, but she ignores them. “ Do you do everything 'the bond' tells you? ”
