Chapter 257: Visiting Vampires
Nyrielle’s carriage clattered through the night, already more than a hundred leagues away from the tangled swamp of the Briar. Within the dark interior of the carriage, her alabaster skin lit by a single swaying lamp, Nyrielle did her best to ignore the tugging sensation that gripped her chest.
Starting part way through the previous day, she’d felt something probing around the edges of her bond with Ashlynn. At first, the probes had been light and tentative, as if a blind creature from the depths of the sea was trying to feel out the magic that connected her heart to Ashlynn’s by tracing its outline.
Nyrielle was prepared to forgive the Mother of Thorns for some curious probing. As Ashlynn’s teacher, the witch had the right to understand any magic that might affect her student. The longer the probing lasted, however, the less certain she was that the probing came from the Mother of Thorns.
By sunset, the feeling of gentle probing had given way to a constrictive tugging. It was still gentle, as if it was afraid that it would harm Ashlynn’s heart by tearing it free, but it pulled nonetheless, trying to find ways to untangle the bond of blood that gave each woman an echo of the other’s heart within their chest.
The sensation was uncomfortable, but at the moment, Nyrielle was willing to endure the discomfort, confident that Ashlynn would resolve the problem for herself. Already, she could feel the intensity of Ashlynn’s love and commitment echoing stronger through their bond.
If Ashlynn had been corrupted by the invasive tendrils of magic somehow, if she was trying to break free of her bond, Nyrielle would have ordered the carriage to turn around at once and it was unlikely the Briar would withstand the fury of her arrival. From what she could feel so far, things weren’t nearly that dire.
Still, the growing pressure and constant tugging made it hard to focus on her preparations for the awkward dances of diplomacy that awaited her at their next destinations.
"Mistress Nyrielle," Zedya called from where she sat driving the carriage through the darkness. "We’ve acquired an escort."
In the forest bordering the road, several figures moved with varying levels of stealth and grace. Some were as capable as the Heartwood clan at blending with their surroundings as they moved while others crashed through the underbrush, unable to manage both stealthy movement and the speed required to keep pace with Nyrielle’s carriage.