Chapter 530: Needful Rest
In the stone circle outside the village, Ashlynn gently caressed Ollie’s furrowed brow as she withdrew her energy from his body.
The spirit of the seed of witchcraft that she’d formed to test him would take the place that Cecile had taken in Heila’s trial, shaping events and guiding the future witch through the challenges that would define his transformation from an ordinary person into a witch.
Though she had shaped the spirit and directed it to confront Ollie with impossible tasks that he was doomed to fail, she had no way of knowing what specifically the young knight would face. The trial would be shaped by his hopes, fears, strengths, and flaws. It would teach him things that he needed to know and test him in ways he wasn’t prepared for, but beyond that, Ashlynn couldn’t say which of his inner demons he would be forced to face.
The sound of vast wings fluttering through the air above pulled her from her musings, filling her heart with warmth as Nyrielle descended from the sky outside the border of stones. Seconds after she landed, Thane and Ignatious emerged from the village, flowing soundlessly through the darkness to arrive at her side.
"Zedya succeeded?" Ashlynn asked as she left Ollie’s side and the circle of stones, hoping to hear confirmation from Nyrielle’s lips of what she’d already felt through their bond.
"She came closer to failure than I would have preferred," Nyrielle said, reaching out to take hold of Ashlynn’s hands and relishing the feeling of warmth that radiated from them. For a moment, her midnight eyes flared wide, and her nose twitched as she inhaled Ashlynn’s familiar evergreen scent mixed with the sweet metallic smell of fresh blood infused with the potent magical energy of the ritual.
The heady fragrance was like a perfect perfume that wrapped itself around Nyrielle in an intoxicating cloud, leaving her momentarily bewitched, staring hungrily at the young woman who had come to mean as much to her as life itself. Now, however, wasn’t the time, no matter how much witnessing Zedya’s feeding and Lennart’s transformation had left her fangs craving a meal of their own.
"You can take a taste," Ashlynn said, caressing Nyrielle’s cheek and leaning forward, bringing their soft lips together for a brief peck before she leaned in closer, whispering into her lover’s ear. "I can see the hunger in your eyes. I’m not so weak from this that I can’t give you a kiss."
"The way you push yourself," Nyrielle said, licking her lips as her fangs grew longer. "I don’t know if I can trust your words."