A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 8 Etera

The Spymasters office, or the briefing room, had always been a room she liked. Azriel was the most organised in the family, and while Etera herself tried to be just as systematic, Azriel had developed a system over almost six hundred years now. She stood over the large map in the centre, small needles marked the places where attacks had happened. One in the middle of Illyria, one on the Day och Night court border, and one for the place she was attacked on.

"We can't see a pattern from only three attacks." Azriel said, tapping his hand on the edge of the table. "Cassian is looking into the camps, maybe some of them have been attacked without reporting it." Etera nodded, staring at the map.

"We need all the information we can get." She mumbled, "We might need to inform the other courts. The Dawn Court first."

"No." Rhys said from his spot in the room. "We need something more before spreading this information."

"So we need to find more information." Etera argued back, facing the High Lord.

"We will wait until Cassian has a new report from the camps, Azriel, you will ask around in Hewn, Etera, start to prepare for your yearly round in the courts, maybe we can get some information then." He started to leave and Etera bit the inside of her cheek, that would not be happening...

"When do you plan to do the rounds?" Azriel asked her.

"A month, or something like that." Etera leaned on her hands, "I wanted to be home for Ikarad when things go down."

"I see..." Azriel continued to tap his fingers on the table. "I agree with you, we should ask the other Courts for help, but we need to wait until he is more... Well, reasonable."

"Agreed..." Etera loved her head, a new wave of nausea came over her, and Etera started to focus on her breathing. "How are you?" She asked, hoping that the question would take focus away from her.

"Frustrated." Azriel said and walked away from the table. "I should never have asked you to leave like that."

"You could not have known." Etera said back, "and now we know more about this than before."

"I can't see it like you."

"Then I will do it for you." Etera swallowed and took a step back. "One thing we do know, I don't think the atack on me was planned." She pointed to the map.

"Why?" Azriel came back to the table.

"For if it was, then why not attack in the clearing? Taking me, you and Helion with it? And the way the whole thing happened... It was more like it appeared and tried to hold onto something." She placed her hand over her ribs, the pain had passed, even if the nausea still lingers on. "What if this is some sort of creature that has lost control of its powers?"

"Possible... Not that I think Rhys will accept it until he sees it."

"He is a mody male with a heavily pregnant mate, I don't think he is thinking clearly right now." Etera said back. "Call for me when Cassian has some more information." She started to walk out of the room, maybe she could look over some reports in her office before heading back home?

"I am glad that you are fine, Etera." Azriel's words stopped her.

"So am I."

"I mean it, you are like a daughter to me, so... Take the time you need to rest. No need to stress it."

"I know..." Etera walked out and entered her own office.

She didn't remember her real father. He had sold her for her powers to her tormentors when she was just a child. They had kept her in that cage, burned her with Faebane if she didn't do as they said, they had taken control of every part of her life. That final day... Her memories were hazy, she did remember that she had been forced to shift to some sort of feline form, that she had been paraded around the manor. She knew that she had been forced to take a punishment in front of a large crowd of guests, and the forms intints took over. She had resisted, fought back. And they took her back to the cage before tying her down on heated Faebane rocks, burning her back and hands until she lost consciousness.