Ashlynn and Nyrielle talked with High Lady Erna late into the night. Their host kept a near endless supply of bite-sized dishes flowing, accompanied by more varieties of wine than Ashlynn had ever sampled in a single sitting. Each time she thought she'd learned to anticipate the strength of Eldritch wine, a new variety would appear that tasted of berries or honey but hit her like an anchor dropped into deep water, pulling her under faster than she realized.
"Mistress Nyrielle," Ashlynn said with intense concentration, trying very hard to form proper words. "Your wings are very beautiful tonight. Did you know they're made of feathers? And they're the best blankets. You should wrap me up in your wings like a gift that you can unwrap later when you want to unwrap your best gift," she rambled, snuggling up close to the vampire and reaching out to caress wings that weren't there.
