Ashlynn took Nyrielle's hand and slowly guided her over to the sofa in front of the hearth. In the days since she'd learned of Jocelynn's treachery and lost control of her power, Heila had seen to the restoration of her chambers. The scorched rugs had been replaced along with the broken door, and the walls scrubbed free of soot.
Some traces, however, would take much longer to fade away, like the feeling of a dagger plunging into her heart as Isabel confirmed her worst fears and the memory of the devastated sitting room that echoed the devastation in her heart when she struggled to understand how things could have turned out like this.
"Like I said," Ashlynn began slowly as she took her seat next to Nyrielle on the comfortable sofa. "Jocey hated the way Samira reminded her of me. At one point, she demanded that Samira spend time studying so that she could hold a proper conversation."
