Ashlynn woke from the vision with a start and her heart hammering in her chest. She could still hear Olive-Ashlynn's words echoing in her ears and taste the coppery-metallic sharpness of her sister's hot blood on her tongue, but those sensations faded quickly, driven away by the quiet crackle of the hearth and the faint sound of rain against the glass panes of the windows.
The warm weight of furs pressed down on her, and Ashlynn could feel the echo of Nyrielle's heartbeat in her chest, anchoring her in the reality of the moment in a way that reassured her that this time, she hadn't woken into yet another dream.
