Chapter 654: Treasure This Night
"Thane," Ashlynn said gently, smiling at the vampire knight kneeling before her. "I need something special from you. Will you indulge your little sister in a selfish request?"
"Speak the words," Thane said with a smile on his soft lips that was bright enough to dazzle anyone looking at him. "However I can help, you have but to ask."
"I broke my sword facing Ansgar, High Lord of the Seven Peaks," she said, placing her hand on the hilt of Thane’s outstretched sword. She left out that Ansgar had been a ghost possessing Hauke. There were some things, after all, that shouldn’t be said in front of the broader audience, but it was true that she had faced off against a former Frost Walker High Lord and lost her darksteel Falchion in the process. "He was weakened but he used a powerful blade of eternal ice and his techniques were better than mine in every way."
"When the time comes for me to face Owain," Ashlynn said in a voice that was tight with barely restrained hatred. "When I face Owain, I would prefer to face him with a sword in my hand. He thinks of himself as the greatest swordsman of the modern age and even if I am stronger and faster than he is, it may not be enough to overwhelm him. Will you help me to counter him?"
"You left in a hurry before," Thane said with a light chuckle. "Now that you’ve adjusted to the changes in your body, you’ll learn even faster than before. If you weren’t already stronger and faster than him, it would be impossible in such a short time, even for you. But given a few months, I can ensure that he will stand no chance against your might."
"That’s all I ask," Ashlynn said, lightly tapping the pommel of Thane’s sword and allowing him to return it to its sheath before helping him to his feet. "Thank you, Thane, for always being the big brother I need," she said before pulling him into a brief embrace.
Around them, the crowd’s energy shifted subtly with many people blinking in surprise. Moments ago, they were all stirred by the commander’s strident declarations. Some were even ready to march to war at this very moment! But instead of capitalizing on the energy that filled the room, the Mother of Trees seemed somehow vulnerable, turning to the vampire general... for a moment of comfort?
"Still stealing moments with my Ashlynn I see," Nyrielle teased from beside them, though the soft smile on her lips made it clear that she didn’t mind. "Teach her well, Thane, the way you once taught me," she added as she stepped close to her greatest progeny and rested her hand gently on the sculpted muscles of his upper arm.
Amber eyes met midnight blue in a moment that conveyed more between the two of them than simple words ever could. Thane and Nyrielle had known each other long enough that a simple look was more than enough for the vampire knight to understand the words Nyrielle couldn’t say.
They both knew that the flames of hatred and the thirst for revenge burning within Ashlynn’s heart were growing more intense with every passing day since their return to the Vale of Mists. They’d seen first hand how close she came at times to being overwhelmed by the ghosts that haunted her along with the memories of being buried alive.