Isabellâs silvery eyes swept across the scene in the tavernâs common room, taking in dozens of details in an instant; Liam kneeling like a loyal retainer who had just confessed to treason, Ashlynn radiating barely controlled fury, Ollie looking pale but standing, and three nervous young people clustered by the door like sheep whoâd stumbled into a wolfâs den.
Her gaze lingered on the collection of young aristocrats for a moment, and something in her expression softened. Morwen and Cadeyrn were close in age to Isabellâs own children, and seeing them standing there looking so uncertain produced a pang of maternal worry for Issandra and Lassian.
Her children were still safe with their father back in Blackwell County, but they were so very far from their mother that her heart couldnât help but constrict when she looked at the expressions of nervous apprehension on the faces of the youths from Dunn. Would her own children look at her that way when they learned that sheâd become a witch? Or would they still see her as the loving mother sheâd always been?
"Lord Liam," Isabell said gently, setting aside her worries about her own family so she could focus on what was happening here and now. "Iâm sure Lady Ashlynn appreciates your willingness to take responsibility. But you know very well that sheâll need a full explanation to judge you fairly, and if you insist on making a scene of kneeling in front of her, then no one else can take their seats and enjoy the meal sheâs put so much care into preparing," she chided.
"Besides," Isabell added, giving the three young people by the door a slight smile as she walked to stand next to Ashlynn. "We have guests whom I havenât been introduced to yet. Why donât we all take a moment to get a bite to eat and get to know each other properly?" she said, placing a hand on the small of Ashlynnâs back as she stood next to the leader of her coven to offer support.
"And then," she said, fixing Liam with her bright, silvery gaze. "We can hear the full story. From the beginning," she said, unintentionally echoing words that Liamâs father had spoken to him not that long ago.
Isabellâs presence next to Ashlynn was strong and reassuring. The Hemlock Witch might not be a tall woman, but her presence loomed large in the common room, and she radiated the feeling of having transformed into a pillar of support that could hold up the heavens themselves.
For Ashlynn, Isabellâs presence acted like the flying buttresses of a great cathedral, offering her the strength and support she needed to compose herself even as the tempest of emotions within her heart buffeted her.
Slowly, Ashlynn let out a deep breath, releasing a full day of pent-up worry and fear along with it. Ollie was here. He was safe, and sheâd healed him before he suffered any irreparable harm. She still had several stern words to say to the young man when they were alone, but the moment of crisis had passed.
"Youâre right," Ashlynn said, and she was proud that her voice came out mostly steady. "Of course youâre right, Isabell," she said, leaning into the strength that her older friend offered, taking shelter from the storm of her heart under the boughs of the Hemlock Witchâs shade.
"Liam, get up," Ashlynn said, extending a hand to the kneeling young lord. "Iâm not done with you yet," she warned as she helped him to his feet. "If I have to cut off your head, it can at least wait until after dinner," she teased.
"Youâre too kind, your Dominion," Liam said, turning a bright shade of red as he heard Ollie and Sir Marcel snickering behind him, though at least Hugo had the decency to look slightly horrified at his ladyâs sense of humor. "I promise, Iâll give you a good accounting for everything," he said as he struggled to keep a straight face despite the laughter from elsewhere in the room.
"I overheard that one of you had been caring for Ollie during the journey," Ashlynn said as she turned her gaze toward the trio by the entrance, her eyes moving between Morwen and Eira with obvious curiosity. "Which of you is Lady Morwen?"
Morwenâs throat went dry, but she managed to step forward slightly and execute what she hoped was an appropriate curtsy.
"I am, my lady, um, your Dominion," she corrected herself quickly, using the title that Liam had just used for the powerful witch. "Lady Morwen Thorne, daughter of Sir Brennus Thorne."
Ashlynnâs expression softened immediately, and she reached out to gently touch Morwenâs shoulder.
"Thank you," she said, and the sincerity in her voice was unmistakable. "Thank you for taking care of him when I couldnât. I..." She paused, as if struggling with the words. "Iâm in your debt, Lady Morwen. Truly."
Morwen felt her cheeks heating under the intensity of that gratitude, and she managed a small nod.
"Heâs very kind," she said quietly. "It, it wasnât difficult to want to help him," she said, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as she stumbled over her words.
"No," Ashlynn agreed with a slight smile. "It never is with Ollie."
She turned her attention to Eira and Cadeyrn, smiling at each of them in turn.
"Oh," Morwen said quickly, pushing her brother forward and tapping firmly on the space between his shoulder blades until he gave a proper bow. "This is my brother, Cadeyrn. Heâs still a squire to my father, but heâll stand his vigil soon enough. He drove the carriage here from the ferry," she said in an awkward rush.
"Y-your D-dominion," Cadeyrn stammered as he straightened from his bow, barely suppressing a startled cry when Morwen pinched him for letting his eyes linger on Lady Ashlynnâs full bosom as he did.
From the twinkle in her eyes, Lady Ashlynn had caught the direction of the young manâs gaze; he wasnât subtle, but she chose to ignore him and turned her attention to the last member of the trio instead.
"Eira Wyndan, your Dominion, itâs an honor to meet you," Eira said, managing her own curtsy with considerably more grace than Morwen had achieved. "Lord Liam speaks very highly of you and everything youâve been doing to build a peace between our people and the Eldritch. I hope, some day, I can be of some small service to you," she said smoothly without raising from her curtsy.
"Do you?" Ashlynn said, raising a brow in genuine interest. "I may just have a need for your help in the days to come. It will be dangerous," she warned as she appraised the young womanâs temperament, nodding in approval as she held her composure even in the presence of a great witch. "But if youâre still willing once youâve heard what I have in mind, then your help will be most welcome."
"Of course, your Dominion," Eira said as she rose to meet Ashlynnâs emerald gaze directly. "Iâm happy to help however I can."
"Good," Ashlynn said with an approving nod before she turned and gestured to the waiting food. "I had help with all of this," she said, her face heating slightly in embarrassment as she realized just how much food theyâd prepared while she was searching for something to do to distract herself from her anxiety over Ollieâs circumstances.
"So I canât take all the credit for it," Ashlynn continued warmly as she returned to Ollieâs side to guide him toward a table. "But I know that someone," she said pointedly, looking at her Cypress Knight. "Has a bottomless stomach, and Iâm sure that Squire Cadeyrn is much the same. So please, collect a dish from the bar to bring over to the table, and we can pass them around from there," she said.
"And then," she added, returning her gaze to Liam Dunn. "We can hear Lord Liamâs account of what happened... and what went wrong."