A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 4 Amaya

One second Etera had stood there in Wolf form, the next she shifted to a bird flying out of the room. After that Rhysand, Nyx and Feyre returned to the River Estate, asking her to follow them.

Now everyone stood gathered in a meeting room, all around a large map of Prythian. Etera had returned, her hair braided back, her clothes changed from casual to a set of armoured leathers. A spy ready to go on a mission. The Illyrians had the same style of leathers, including Ikarad who had been the last one to arrive. The room pulsated with energy and magic, and in the middle of it all, the bok.

"It took some time to decode." Amren started, "They are all written in an old language with even older runes. And most of the knowledge is lost." Amaya nodded together with everyone else, but she felt completely lost.

"We should ask Helion to come here." Ferye added, "these texts belong to his libraries."

"That is secondary to this information." Amren snapped back. "With some time, and effort, I could make out the fact that this book, details and spells that allow you to cross large amounts of land. But not by Winnowing." Complete and utter silence. Amaya looked around, seeing how everyone was deep in thought as the information landed. And there! Orion stood in a corner, his darkness thick around him.

"I do not understand all of the parts, but simplified, the wielder can instantly move from place to place."

"Just like winnowing." Rhysand said.

"Almost. The catch is that while it is instant for you, time still passes, the same time as a slow track of that distance. So a transfer from here to the spring court, in a slow tempo."

"Will be around five months." Etera added, "Meaning that the time from that night to when she came to Tamlin is accounted for."

"Also meaning that during that time, she is completely gone. Impossible to find." She noticed how Etera lowered her head, and how Ikarad held on to her. "I think this is the missing piece that we have been looking for." Amaya nodded, most of it made sense now.

"Not only that. The timings on the attacks beforehand." Etera added, sounding completely defeated. "How reliable is the magic?"

"I can't say, a lot of the texts are almost impossible to read." Amren said. "Maybe that we can get some more answers from Helion, but that can take years."

"I am going back out to find Dorothea." Etera looked back up, and Amaya felt how something changed in her vertical eyes. "She has those answers."

"We can discuss some possible-" Azriel started to speak.

"She is with the Order." Amaya spoke up, cutting them all off, "I know that she is there." How? She had no idea. "Just don't hurt her." Orion stirred in the shadows of the room.

"I can try." Etera nodded and left the room, not caring to talk to Azriel or Rhysand before leaving. Amaya stayed, they had looked for her, looked and looked. High and low. How many meetings like this had they held looking for clues about her existence?

"I can take the texts to Helion." Nyx offered, picking up the ancient book.

"I will come with you, I we need to inform Elain." Feyre added, walking over to her son.

"I am handling Eteras mission, do you need to be here or go back to the mountains, Ikarad?" She saw it all, the way everyone knew what to do. Azriel was talking to Ikarad, Ferye and Nyx had already disappeared with Amren. Nesta and Cassian were talking in the background. Left was Orion, still in his corner, and Rhysand. Her father looked to be deep in thought, his onyx walls high and strong. Her focus turned back to Orion, and a hand formed out of her sand, reaching over to his mind.