The lost shapeshifter

Chapter 3

"Please go and tell our beautiful niece that I am tired of her and Sorin yelling at one another."

Aelin had rested her head in Rowan's lap and she didn't wanted to move, but Erica and Sorin's voices were coming from their place near the fire. Trying to avoid them, the queen had buried her face into her mate's chest.

"I've been trying for two weeks. She said and I quote that if Sorin doesn't stop being such an asshole who is trying to bed her, Erica will turn into a snow leopard and kill him."

"She is 15!" Aelin said. "Of course she would kill the boy who likes her."

"She has been promised to him, Fireheart."

"I understand that. And hopefully when Lysandra comes back this stupid thing will be over."

Rowan laughed. "What about the East Queen, my love ?"

"As the Queen of the West I have to say that I am sorry for the loss of your cousin, but I can't do nothing about it. Fenrys said that there were shapeshifters..."

"Shapeshifters killed the East Queen?"

"Fae shapeshifters. Sisters. Does that sound familiar to you?"

"You can't seriously think they are alive..."

She looked at her mate's eyes. "I know it's impossible to believe that, but..."

"That's why you actually wanted Erica back. If they found her before us... What aren't you telling me?"

Aelin looked to Erica, "Three Fae shapeshifters. We don't have any idea what their powers might be, we don't have any idea what they can do together."

Rowan shook his head and looked at Erica as well.

She was talking to Sam, trying to avoid both her father and Sorin. They would make a great couple, a powerful one, but he never actually imagined Erica as a queen or empress or whatever. Rowan could see her only as a animal in the wild and Lyria helping her with the hunting.

"You made a deal with her. She can go back to Adarlan whenever she wants."

"And if she does, I tell Aedion that she is Erica Ashryver," Aelin said. "Which will lead to Erica being in Terrasen and those two shapeshifters wouldn't even try to take her away from us."

********
Erica took a deep breath as the group stopped in front of the palace in Orint. Still it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, but the people in front of it... She saw Lyria, Evalin, Rhoe and Celaena. She saw Marion and Kal and she saw the man. The blonde man looking just like her father.

Her grandfather Gavriel.

He looked at her only for five seconds before he smiled and came closer. He was as enchanted as she was, but Aedion went to him, hugging his father. Erica smiled.

Her cousins looked at her with their cunning smiles before Celaena turned around and started walking inside.

"We missed you too, Laena!" Rowan called. Celaena waved without turning around.

Some things never change, Erica thought, looking at her cousins. Evalin and Lyria were hugging Sam and Rhoe was standing aside.

"Do you need nightgowns?" Aelin whispered in Erica's ear. She shook her head. "Anything?"

"No... Um... Actually, can you show me to my room?"

"Nope," another voice said sharply behind her back.

Erica turned slowly. Evalin was standing so close to her that Erica was scared that her cousin might hug her in front of everyone. But Ev wasn't smiling or laughing. She was looking at Erica the same way Tern had looked at her almost five years ago.