Page 15 of Blood from the Marrow (Lilith’s Legacy #2)

Chapter Eleven

“It’s not safe for you,” Elena said, breaking the silence in her private jet.

Every muscle in Zuri’s body ached. She was the kind of exhausted that famous people went to seaside retreats for after publicly humiliating themselves. They’d narrowly escaped a nightmare and she didn’t have an ounce of energy left for the stupid shit that was about to leave Elena’s mouth.

“I have a place in Alaska. It’s not—”

“Shut up,” Zuri said from where she sat facing Elena and Marisol. “Don’t even fucking start this bullshit.”

Elena looked at her, eyes so heavy with pain they ripped right through Zuri and made her forget about anything other than how much she loved her.

“I have no precedent for this, Zuri.” Elena’s voice was so unsteady, so foreign and broken and unacceptable.

“I don’t know if I can protect you. Actually, I’m quite sure I can’t.

” Her watery gaze bounced between Marisol at her side and Zuri leaning forward across from her.

“What we’ve had these last few months has been unbelievable, and I will carry it with gratitude in my heart always, but we can’t—”

“Oh, Elena. You have so many undesirable traits.” Zuri stood even if she wasn’t sure her legs would hold her. “This faux cowering isn’t one of them. You’re not going to send us off to boarding school like entitled brats.” She reached down, cupped her jaw, and waited for her to look up at her.

Elena’s doubt and pain were palpable. It was the reason agony was described as heart-wrenching. Zuri felt it in her own chest like rending flesh and tearing muscle. She’d fight a thousand more fights to change Elena’s expression. To mend what had broken.

“If I couldn’t stop this…” Elena shook her head. “If I was so distracted that I didn’t even see it…” She swallowed like shards of glass were shredding her from within.

“Distracted with us?” Marisol shrunk under the weight of the question. Guilt marred her face like somehow a maniacal vampire’s actions could be charged to her. Like she accepted the blame and was ready to be booted.

Zuri would never adjust to how easily Marisol accepted being dropped. How readily, even after everything they’d been through, she believed she could be discarded without a thought. Zuri’s chest burned from her own fucking powerlessness.

“We’re not a liability, Elena. We’re your strength.” Zuri wished there’d been time to clean the blood off her hands. It would be easier to sell hope when they weren’t covered in disaster. In death. “Whatever the hell happened tonight, it’s not because you found a shred of fucking happiness.”

“We’re your heart,” Marisol said when she slipped one hand in Elena’s and reached for Zuri with the other. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“And you better hope she doesn’t, because Tweedle Doom and Tweedle Death wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Bambi.” Zuri pointed to where Lib and Sofia were resting in the jet’s bedroom.

Zuri had never been more relieved to have them nearby.

For a dark and terrifying moment, she wasn’t sure they’d leave with their lives.

Having seen Librada and Sofia willingly step into mortal danger to protect them just because they loved Elena that much, Zuri decided they were her family now, too.

That sticking together was the only way to survive. For all of them.

“Whatever we face, we face together,” Marisol said with conviction, even if she looked just as depleted as Zuri felt.

“And if it’s to war?” Elena asked, as if to shock them. As if they hadn’t just seen the most horrific carnage and understood exactly what was at stake.

“To war, then,” Zuri replied because there was no alternative. There was no universe in which she’d leave Elena or Marisol to fend for themselves.

Elena closed her eyes, but that only pushed the tears she’d been holding in fall down her cheeks. She shook her head. “I can’t ask…”

The sight of Elena’s tears were so rare, they made the fear Zuri was suppressing spike in her gut. Elena was screaming a soundless surrender and Zuri had no idea how to respond.

“You’re not asking,” Marisol said when Elena’s voice faded. “We’re telling you.”

She tugged Zuri closer and made space for her to sit in her lap.

Her touch reset Zuri’s nervous system and reminded her that there was no choice but forward.

Sayah wasn’t just going to go away if Elena bowed out of some fight.

There was nothing but the rally. Nothing but gathering strength from each other and forging ahead.

“You’re not in this alone.” Marisol wrapped her arm around Zuri’s waist and held her close, attention still fixed on Elena like she saw a patient.

Like she wanted to heal Elena’s emotional fractures with her pretty wings.

“I’m going to find my mother and whatever Aglion she has with her. I’m going to learn—”

Zuri rested her arm over Marisol’s shoulders, drawing Marisol’s attention to her. “This isn’t the time to make snap decisions. We don’t even know what she wants yet. If she’s—”

“Well, if she wants me, she’s going to have to help.” Marisol’s decisive tone set off a roar of pride in Zuri’s chest. “And if not, well, I’ll learn what I can and get stronger for whatever is coming next.”

Zuri couldn’t stop herself from kissing the top of Marisol’s head.

From breathing in the scent of her hair and letting it cleanse the fatigue from her soul.

Only one possibility materialized for her.

“What better test for a new coven that I may or may not be able to start than an all-out vampire war,” she joked to stop herself from crumbling under the enormity of what lay ahead.

“This isn’t your fight,” Elena said, voice pleading. “You can’t—”

“Tell me one more time what I can or cannot do and see what happens.” Zuri ran her hand through Elena’s blood-matted hair. “I love you, you dummy.”

She turned to face Marisol. Locked in her warm hazel gaze, Zuri said what she’d been feeling for longer than she wanted to admit. “I love you… and that means to the very fucking end.” She let herself bask in the intoxicating glow of breathing her feelings for them into life.

“I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.” Elena’s voice cracked with fear while her attention darted between them. “I’ve lived so many lives, but I can’t suffer this. I can’t endure losing—”

“Then don’t lose us,” Marisol said simply.

“The past is never coming back and tomorrow will never come.” She took Elena’s hand and pressed her lips to her palm.

“All we have is now.” She leaned over and kissed Elena’s trembling lips.

“And now.” She craned her head and kissed Zuri, infusing her body with new energy from reserves Zuri didn’t know she had.

It filled Zuri with enough to send her back to Georgia to tear Sayah and her lackeys apart with her bare hands.

“And all I want is every now I can get with you both. The rest… we’ll figure out. ”

“Now,” Zuri agreed like an oath before kissing Marisol. Agreed because what the hell else did they have but this?

Turning her attention to Elena, Zuri’s stomach churned. She wanted to see the same untenable mix of rage and love in Elena’s expression. To see the arrogance and confidence that she’d fallen in love with, the arrogance and confidence they needed.

Zuri leaned in and kissed Elena. “Now,” she whispered against Elena’s lips, desperate for her to respond in kind.

Elena still hadn’t spoken when Zuri leaned back. Her dark honey eyes, usually so sure, were distant. Like she was already retreating to some fortified place deep inside herself where Zuri and Marisol couldn’t follow. Like she was already gone.

“Now,” Elena finally breathed, but the word was hollow, devoid of the power that usually emanated from her, effortless and constant like gravity. Her voice was as weak as Zuri had ever heard it. Weaker than when she’d been paralyzed and defenseless.

Zuri’s skin was ice, her stunned heart plummeting. This wasn’t physical fragility. This was so much worse. This was Elena’s spirit unraveling.