A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 12 Etera

Ikarads arm was wrapped around her waist as they stood in the briefing room again, Etera held her eyes on the map, her body did not feel right with the tonics dulling her pain, and with that it also dulled her sense of her body. Ikarads arm held her up, masking her unsteady legs. Rhys and Feyre sat down on the other side of the table, the female looked ashen. Her hair in a loose braid, her eyes had a hollowness to them that Etera feared. That Rhys was sitting was also unusual, but the High Lord looked to be sharing his mates pain, it looked like he was one wrong move from slipping.

"The tracks end here." Azriel broke the silence, marking out more needles on the map, "We suspect that the person winnowed, so it will be hard to know where to continue our search."

"How do we connect this to the other attacks?" Orion asked, "We have four confirmed sightings now."

"They are too few... too spread out." Etera spoke up, leaning forward to the map. "I don't know if we can use any of our normal strategies..."

"They held an almost straight line..." Orion pointed on the map, and with a snap of Rhys fingers it changed to show a more detailed and limited view of just Velaris and the nearest mountains. "See! It is not even the shortest way out..." It was strange... the line moved south, but it was not the closest border. That was to the east...

"Weird..." Etera dragged her finger over the line. "Rhys... Can you give me one with only the territory?"

What are you thinking? Ikarad asked her, his body was still close to her.

I don't know... The map changed and she looked up. "I need a thread." Another snap and she tied the end to one needle slowly pulling it in the direction of the southline. She then cut the thread off, and did the same with the two dots near the Day Court border. Pulling it in two directions, the south line looked to be heading to intersect with the other line at some point.

"Where do the two meet?" Feyre asked, and the map changed for a fourth time. Orion lifted his hand and his magic stretched the threads out, following them until they crossed.

Silence. Angry, rageful silence filled the room as everyone was staring at the cross. Ikarads grip around her waist became harder as Rhys stood up from his chair. Etera held her breath, feeling how Ikarad got ready to Winnow. But the High Lord just walked out of the room, slowly, like an animal stalking its prey.

Etera looked between the others in the room, swallowing hard as Feyre had started to cry.

Is that? Ikarad asked.

Yes... Azriel and Cassian moved, the first to talk to his spies, the second to deal with his brother.

"Shit..." Nyx said, the heir took a step back, "He must be a mad male..."

"He is..." Amren hissed from her own seat. "Sorry son, peace is over." The two lines crossed over the spring court, it looked to be out in nowhere, but it was still the Spring Court, still at the heart of the territory of Tamlin.

"How?" It was Nesta who asked. "Ta-"

"Don't say his name." Feyre's voice was the most haunting thing Etera had ever heard. "Don't you dare to say his name."

"He is not strong enough... Or have the power..."

"I don't care how." Feyre tried to rise but Mor stopped her.

"Cassian is stopping Rhys from going there now. We need to think." Mor said, trying to calm the High Lady down.

"That piece of shit has my daughter." Etera took a step back as Feyre started to speak. "If I could, I would go with Rhys to deal with him now!"