Chapter 218: Coven (Part Two)
"You shouldn’t be lyin’ about tings like dis. It could get dis little one hurt, non?"
As soon as Jacques said the words, Captain Lennart and everyone under his command tensed. Heila had become something of an idol to the small troop of soldiers after stories of her jumping into the freezing lake to help rescue Lady Ashlynn spread and none of them would tolerate seeing their idol threatened so blatantly.
"I’m not lying," Zedya said, stepping forward before any of Lennart’s men could take matters into their own hands. She was sure the gesture was appreciated, but with Mistress Nyrielle here, there was no reason to resort to force when words would suffice and she had long become a master in the use of words as weapons and tools.
"Lady Ashlynn cares deeply for Lady Heila," Zedya said as she drew everyone’s attention to her. "She’s commissioned a blade for Heila made from the horn of a Frost Walker and I’ve been tutoring her in sorcery ever since we left the High Pass."
"Lady Ashlynn," Zedya said, turning to face Ashlynn and dropping into a deep curtsy. "If I’m wrong in my assessment, you may punish me as you see fit. But, in my view, you have been preparing little Heila for this position for some time now. The only difference is, you didn’t know that it existed to offer it to her. I also believe that you will take Ollie into your coven when you return to the Vale of Mists."
"Or, am I mistaken?" the vampire servant asked, raising an eyebrow as she stood up from her curtsey.
"I don’t know anything about what it means to make someone a member of my coven," Ashlynn said, this time turning her gaze to Heila. "But if it’s anything like becoming one of Mistress Nyrielle’s progeny, it’s a life altering decision that I can’t make for someone else."
"Heila," Ashlynn said, kneeling down so she could meet the diminutive woman’s gaze directly. "You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I don’t understand this well enough to ask you to join my coven when I’m not sure what’s involved."
"I do want you by my side," she said, her eyes growing misty at the thought of being forced to separate from both her lover and her closest friend. "But I won’t force this on you when neither of us knows what’s involved."
With all the attention gathered on her, the moment should have felt heavy and oppressive, but to Heila, it was anything but. Lady Nyrielle had placed her faith in her to watch over Ashlynn and care for her in Nyrielle’s absence. That alone left Heila feeling light headed and giddy.