The raven perched on the chair across the table from Ashlynn with its head cocked slightly to one side as its eyes seemed to take in everything from Ashlynn's appearance to the piles of reports scattered across the table before her and even the castle mice, darting across the garden only to vanish into a small crack in the wall.
To most people, it would look like an ordinary bird. To Ashlynn's eyes, however, it looked almost achingly familiar, even though they'd never met. Its feathers carried a faint, midnight-blue shine that reminded her instantly of her lover's wings, while the bird itself carried a hint of the Void's dark chill.
"Wolstan," she said with a smile. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."
"I wish it wasn't here," the raven replied in a voice that was surprisingly deep for such a small creature. A heartbeat later, it fluttered its wings and the air around it grew darker, enveloping the bird in a cloud of darkness that moved like ink suspended in water.
