The lost shapeshifter

Chapter 6

Erica was sitting in a chair in front of her father's desk, ready to turn into a fly and fly home. His study was a room, full in light just like that day five years ago when they were screaming to one another, like they were ready to kill each other.

"Erica, please show me your eyes," Aedion said slowly. "Please," he begged again.

"They aren't my eyes," Erica never met her father's eyes. The eyes she had inherited. "They're yours. Aedion."

Aedion.

The name drowned them in even deeper silence ad the two Ashryvers tried to ignore the yelling of the past. And the screams of the last time they had seen each other.

A time when Erica wore a blonde hair and those eyes. However she had Lysandra's beautiful and gentle body structure which made her an unique beauty. And yet she had given everything up because she wanted to go away from Terrasen.

"I... I am so sorry," her father said slowly. "I believed that I was right. I believed you needed that marriage."

"It wasn't about that marriage and you know that," she hissed. "Remember what else happened that day?"

"Erica..."

"Shut. Up. I don't need anything from you. You know why I ran away. You know what happened. So I don't seen the point in talking. I am here because Aelin Galathynius needs me. Not because of you."

"ERICA!" Aedion cut her speech. "I know you are upset. I know you believe I don't love you.... but I do. I always have. And I want you to believe me."

He looked at her. That way.

The way that told her she was important. Not just a girl that was lost and broken and was used by the people she trusted. The way Tern looked at her.

"You are my child."

"Thanks for noticing," Erica laughed. "Didn't care to notice when I was one."

"You will always be my child, my little girl."

Erica wanted to turn into a bird and fly away from here. However, she knew if she stayed... she could mess things up. She could help those queens in the East. Maybe if she had that ambition she could even take Terrasen for herself.

"What do you want?" she asked slowly, tasting each of the words as if she was afraid she had pronounced them wrong.

"Excuse me?"

"Five years... you have known that I was missing for five fucking years. I wasn't on the other side of the world and surely I wasn't prepared to hide myself well enough. You could have found me at any time. Why now?"

And even now it wasn't him who found her, who had dragged her out of her home. It was Aelin.

Erica liked to forget that when it came to family they protected only if the said family had any use. Meaning that Aelin had finally figured out the way Erica Ashryver could help the kingdom of Terrasen. How... nice of her aunt.

"I know that you are hurt and scared, but you have to understand that... this is your home and no one is going to hurt you..."

"Tell Aelin Galathynius that this is a very beautiful sentence. Little Erica might have fallen for that."

"This is no trick..."

"Tell the boys I am sorry. But I cannot do this anymore."

And with those words the shapeshifter, formerly known as Erica Ashryver, stood up, turned herself into the assassin with long dark hair and eyes of grass and went out of the room, knowing that today she had seen her father for the last time.