For Ashlynn, the end of the masquerade couldn't come fast enough. At first, it had been interesting to see so many different people and hear their unfiltered thoughts as they spoke from behind their masks.
When Jacques first made his appearance, Ashlynn allowed herself to be swept away by his combination of charming words and the feeling of resonance between her magic and his. It felt like she might have found a genuine friend in the midst of the masquerade.
That feeling didn't last and even after reprimanding him for harming Heila, she didn't know how to feel about the strange witch that would be accompanying her on her journey to meet the Mother of Thorns. She deeply wanted to develop a friendship with the strange reptilian man from the Ancient Clan but the guarded and hostile way that both Zedya and Nyrielle responded to him made it difficult to do so.
