It was already close to the middle of the night by the time Ashlynn finished with both the young lords and Master Isabell, but her footsteps were light and her shoulders felt substantially unburdened after her conversation with the latter.
Ashlynn had no doubt that Isabell would pass the trial of the Hemlock seed. The worst that her friend would face would be the specters of her past but Isabell had made peace with those long ago. It was only her unfamiliarity with the powers of witchcraft that left her uncertain about the path ahead. Once she learned what life as a witch would truly be like, Ashlyn was certain that someone as intelligent and capable as Isabell would adjust rapidly to her new reality.
