The Vampire & Her Witch

Before Ashlynn touched the scented oils and herbal infusions she’d prepared, she fetched a silver hairbrush and the dark silk ribbon from Nyrielle’s corset.

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"I love your hair," Ashlynn whispered from behind her lover as she ran her fingers gently though Nyrielle’s long, dark tresses. Despite the days of hard travel, Nyrielle’s hair always felt smooth and satiny in her hands, as though it refused to be stained by the dirt of the world. "But I don’t want it to get in the way tonight," she added.

Gently, working with slow, unhurried strokes, Ashlynn started by brushing Nyrielle’s hair. Her fingers wandered as she worked, dancing briefly across the vampire’s pale shoulders whenever she gathered another section of her lover’s dark tresses before returning to her work.

"Since you are my queen, let me treat you like one," Ashlynn said as she retrieved the silk ribbon. "This braid," she explained as her fingers wove the ribbon into Nyrielle’s hair. "It’s meant for the wives of dukes and kings. It circles your head like a crown and it’s supposed to be able to support the weight of one."

"And would you have me wear a crown for you, my darling?" Nyrielle teased as she soaked up the warmth of the crackling fire and Ashlynn’s gentle touch. "Or am I your queen alone?"

"You could be a queen," Ashlynn said, pausing to rest her head against Nyrielle’s naked back. "But, right now, I want to be selfish," she whispered as tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. "I want you all to myself before I have to share you with the world."

"You never have to share me with anyone, my love," Nyrielle whispered, turning on the dark fur blanket to face Ashlynn. "You and I, together. Always."

"I know," Ashlynn said, wiping away the moisture from her eyes and returning to her braiding. "Tonight is just about right now, about you and I," she promised softly. "The rest can wait until tomorrow."

"Mmm," Nyrielle agreed, stretching herself out on the furs once Ashlynn finished her braiding.

For a moment, the sounds of soft, rustling fabric filled the air followed by the sound of Ashlynn draping her dress and hat across the back of a chair. A few heartbeats later she knelt beside Nyrielle, tracing her hands across the vampire’s slender back, feeling the faint ridges in the other woman’s skin that marked the place her wings would unfurl from.

Slowly, Ashlynn curled around Nyrielle, holding her close and feeling the warmth of the fire enveloping them. Neither woman said anything, simply soaking in the heat of the fire and feeling the each other’s shallow breathing and steady heartbeets through their skin as if they were drinking in the feeling of having nothing between them.