A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 5 Etera

"Good form!" Nesta called out as Etera spared with Gwyn, the two working hard to keep up with one another. "Don't drop that elbow!" Etera watched how Gwyn corrected her stands, then a series of punches came towards her. She did as she always favoured, ducking down aiming to get behind Gwyns back, but the Valkyrie was good, years of training made her predict the move and blocked Eteras attempts.

"You are too predictable, Etera." She said, grinning as the two continued to circle one another.

"Maybe I am." Etera made a classic fake out, only to go straight back, catching Gwyns arm and swinging around her, ending up right where she wanted to be. Her arm in a choke hold around her opponent's neck, her foot quickly hit the back of Gwyns knees, making her fall.

"Damn you are fast." Nesta called out, and Etera dropped her grip taking a step back, "Good recovery."

"Or just lacy." Etera helped Gwyn back up. "As you said, I am predictable."

"You are good at tiring out your opponent ." Gwyn took a deep breath "The moment I made a mistake you got me."

"Yea..." Etera stretched out, cracking her spine and neck as she did. "Thanks, for joining."

"No problem, it is not always fun to work out with the males." The three gathered up around the water station, looking over to where their mates spared together.

"But it is fun to look at." Nesta lifted her glass in salute, while Etera just laughed. Pulling on a shirt over her training clothes.

"I heard that Elain was a bit... Extra the other night." Gwyn asked, her voice lowered to a whisper.

"She was just in one of her moods." Nesta defended her sister, but Etera held back her own opinion. Elain had always, from the moment Etera joined the court, done things like this. Provoking conversations beyond what anyone was comfortable with, often spoke peeks about Eteras own health and life that she had no interest in sharing. And seeing her mate's brother so upset had been too much during that dinner. Feyre and Rhys were too distracted to notice, she didn't blame them. But that Nesta still defended her sister was beyond Eteras understanding.

"She always is." Etera just said, leaving the ring to head back home. Elain had exposed some of her darkest secrets to everyone, long before Etera was ready to share them, she had made her sicker during those first years.

Ikarad was in the middle of the ring, his twin blades glowed in the sunlight, both Cassian and Azriel trained with him, all against one another. All just as sweaty and shirtless. But the only one that matters to Etera was her mate, who somehow stood against the two warriors' coordinated attacks. She stood by, watching as Ikarad kept them at bay, damn he was good. But in the end, nothing could beat over a milenia of experience from Cassian and Azriel combined.

"Good one." Cassian commented, slapping his hand on Ikarads arm. "Keep that up and you will surpass your father in no time."

"I think I already did that." Ikarad grinned, and Etera just smiled. Her mate was a warrior, one that knew what he stood for.

"Rhys? Maybe not yet, Nyx on the other hand?" Azriel said back. Etera joined in with the laughter, slipping under the ropes to the ring.

"I think it looked good." She came up to her mate, placing her arm around his waist, careful to not nudge his wings. "Going soft General?"

"Do you want to take a round Shifter?" Cassian asked back, Ikarads arm came around her, holding her back.

"I think I will pass." Etera leaned her head against Ikarad, feeling how her hair got stuck to his sweaty skin.