A Court of Heritance and Destiny

Chapter 1 Amaya

A light dusting of snow covered the ground around them, and Amaya looked on as Ikarad and Etera worked in the sparring ring up at the House of Winds. She had already done her routine for the day, but took the time to watch as the mates played around. Ikarad was a giant compared to the Shifter, who mostly tried to get behind him or out of his grip when he wrapped his arms around her. Amaya just smirked as Ikarad yet again got Etera down on the ground, laughing at his mate's fruitless attempts to get free.

"I got you." she heard him say, earning a loud slap on the arm as Etera once again tried to get out of his grip.

"Overgrown bat." She hissed, Amaya rolled her eyes, trying to look away at the two mates continued the bantering.

The bond they shared was something she had only heard about growing up, but now she lived with it all around her. She saw it during dinners with her parents and aunts and uncles. She sat it with her brother. Love, yes, but it was deeper than that. She saw it in the way Ikarads whole face lit up as Etera did her best to fight him off, in Eteras body when he stood close to her. Something beyond just love, something that they needed to live, just like air.

She pulled a thicker shirt over her head as a colder wind blew by, winter hung in the air, waiting to take its hold over the lands.

"Are you two done?" She called out only to see her brother once again was in a sparring match with the Shifter, who now had taken her Wolf form. "Apparently not." She crossed her arms, calling sand to move forward to get their attention. Eteras wolf jumped over Ikarad, and in the midst of the jump she shifted, a carefully times and planned action as he body changed to her fae self again, landing smoothly behind Ikarad. Amaya held her breath as it all happened. She had noticed that Etera always tried to get behind her opponents. She calmly placed her hand on Ikarads back before moving her lips to say something Amaya was too far away to hear, and Ikarad dropped his arms.

"You win this round." Ikarad admitted and took a step away. "Now we are done." He then added giving Amaya a side eye.

"I am just the one who needs a lift back down." She defended herself, lifting her hands in a playful gesture. "Not everyone is blessed with wings."

"Blessed?" Ikarad huffed, "Are you stretched and cooled down?"

"I had plenty of time to do that while you wrestled around." Amaya argued back, her brother came closer, looking over her from head to toe.

"I will trust you, for now." Ikarad said, and wrapped an arm around Etera. "I can take you back down now."

"And leave me?" Etera said back with a teasing smile. She had been gone on a mission for a few weeks, and returned just the day before, forcing Orion to leave and deal with whatever the Spy had found.

"You have time to stretch, or head home-" No one came any longer before a strong wind swept past them. Amaya didn't have the time to fully understand what happened before a dishevelled Nyx appeared in the light snow.

"I messed up." He just said. Amaya just looked at him. His hair was a mess, his shirt wrinkled and a few buttons was unmade, and-

"Where are your shoes?" Etera asked, shifting back to fae.

"I messed up." Nyx repeated, and Amaya started to look around him, trying to figure out what he meant.

"What is going on?" She asked back.

"How did you mess things up?" Ikarad spoke up and Nyx seemed to wake up from his panic.

"I invited Nico to dinner." Amaya blinked, waiting for the next part of the problem.

"And?" Ikarad tried to get him to explain.

"He said yes." At that Etera bent over laughing and Amaya did her best to not do the same.