Chapter 217: Coven (Part One)
"Heila is my lady-in-waiting," Ashlynn said firmly, her emerald eyes flashing as she locked gazes with Jacques. "Where I go, she goes. Always, unless she’s been sent somewhere else on my behalf."
"Cher, I don’t want to make no trouble," Jacques protested, holding up his hands. "But da Briar is a place for witches. Not lords or ladies, not servants nor retainers. We tend to our own selves here," he said. "You enter da Briar as a Child of de Earth, not as a lady wit her servants in tow."
"You don’t understand," Ashlynn said, refusing to back down. She was already placing tremendous trust in a powerful witch that she’d never met by staying here while Nyrielle traveled far away. She was even staying without a single member of Captain Lennart’s escort force. Not even Virve would be accompanying her here. But to be completely alone among strangers... It was a step too far.
"Heila stays with me, or I can turn around and leave," Ashlynn said defiantly. It was a difficult to believe declaration but she wanted to draw a very clear line in the sand. She would give up much in order to learn from the Mother of Thorns, but she would not enter the Briar alone. "I’ve already made some progress in my studies. I can learn on my own if I need to."
"You don’t know what you’re saying, cher," Jacques said helplessly. He’d seen her progress first hand and while it was impressive for someone who was entirely self-taught, she could have come just as far in a day or two of proper instruction as she had in months of self-exploration.
"Maman makes da rules," he added, hoping she wouldn’t push back anymore once he made it clear that he was powerless to change this. "I can’t argue them wit her, and neither can you. You understand dat, non? Don’t force dis, I can’t give in to you if you do. You’ll jus’ have wasted your whole trip."
"People died so you could come here, ma petite," he said, not bothering to hold back now that they were at the edge of the Briar. "Don’t go making dat a useless ting dey did for you."
"Jacques," Zedya interrupted sharply before Ashlynn could collect herself to respond. "That’s low, even for you. Don’t drag Lady Ashlynn down to your level."
"I jus speak de truth as it is, cher," Jacques protested, holding his arms out wide as though he was helpless. "Ashlynn is a Child of de Earth, she can enter. No one else can."
"I think there’s been a misunderstanding," Zedya said, her amethyst eyes flashing as she stepped forward gracefully over the rocky soil. "Lady Ashlynn uses human titles. You may not understand what she did when she made little Heila her lady-in-waiting. Lady Heila isn’t just another servant," the vampire said smoothly as she strode forward with Heila at her side.
"Lady Ashlynn intends for Lady Heila to be the first member of her coven," Zedya said, surprising both Ashlynn and Heila with her declaration. "As such, she’ll soon be a witch herself, won’t she?"