For a dozen heartbeats, nothing mattered but the touch of Nyrielle's cool hand on her cheek and the taste of her lips as they kissed.
There was nothing chaste or subtle about Nyrielle's kiss as she pricked Ashlynn's tongue with the tip of a fang, spilling several drops of sweet, coppery blood. By now, it was such a familiar sensation that Ashlynn met the brief moment of pain with even more passion, sharing not only her blood, but the deep, vibrant energy of the earth with her lover as they kissed.
Several of the knights and lords watching the intense moment wore expressions of open shock and disbelief. Among the delegation from Dunn, however, many wore open smiles. Sir Cynwrig Stormbrook interlaced his fingers with Lady Cerys as she leaned up against him, feeling a surge of second-hand affection that transformed the snow-covered inner bailey into a mystical space where the worries of the world felt distant and unimportant next to the tenderness of this moment.
