Page 67 of Blood from the Marrow (Lilith’s Legacy #2)

One Year Later…

Rogue vampire nests only popped up in the first months of Bernice’s reign.

There had been no appetite for rebellion, and it had gained little traction before Bernice acted quickly and decisively.

Elena had never doubted that she was the only choice for the job, but being right was still so satisfying.

All Elena had to do was wear something fancy and show up when Bernice needed her support on something.

It wasn’t a daunting task, but after living in her oasis paradise, it was getting to be more of a chore than revelry.

Tonight, she hadn’t bothered to change out of her suit before she’d gotten on the plane to take her home from New Orleans.

Home. Just the thought filled Elena with unbearable anticipation.

Buying the twenty acres on either side of Zuri’s farm had been easy when Elena’s offer had been insanely generous and all cash.

Zuri called their new homestead the Island of Misfit Toys, but she couldn’t hide how she’d flourished as the head of a much larger coven.

The enormous tree that guarded their relic remained near their home, but Zuri had built a huge coven house in a new space surrounded by gardens and two greenhouses.

Zuri hadn’t been sure whether non-Brujas could even join their coven.

But when they’d done their rituals, the tattoos had blazed on the St. Augustine witches’ forearms just as they had on Zuri’s.

Veil witches had joined them too, and before long, half her old coven was at the door.

Instead of poaching them, Zuri had offered them all a place with her. All had accepted. Even the triumvirate.

The dozen cottages they built on the witches’ side of the property for anyone who wanted to stay close together were dwarfed by the commune the Aglion had built on the other side.

Preferring to stay close together, they’d built a series of modest quadruplex buildings a foot apart from each other.

Even though they didn’t have to, many families chose to share the small spaces.

Elena guessed that it might take a while for them to grow accustomed to living somewhat normally again.

They’d built other buildings too. Places for communal cooking and eating and recreation.

They’d built a pool, a park, a library, a movie house, and a schoolhouse with computers.

Marisol spent most of her days teaching the younglings, and her nights poring over Sabina’s books, hand copied by Hel, looking for new ways to unlock the Aglion’s full potential.

There was no shortage of witches and vampires mingling with the Aglion.

Even Elena showed up on Friday classic movie night.

The beating heart of the Aglion community was a small grove of fig trees.

Trees was generous. The largest at the very center of the grove was the one Clara had given Marisol on their wedding day.

At least once a week, Elena visited the glorified sapling and thanked Clara for what she’d done.

She talked to the tree the way she wished she’d had time to speak with the woman herself.

Her favorite news to recount was about the Aglion.

How they were the ones doing the hunting now.

Not for their enemies, but for other Aglion.

They searched for others in the same desperate way they’d lived on the run.

Hel, Librada, and Sofia never missed a chance to go with Judith and Dutch and the other tracker team when they got a tip.

They pretended it was for want of any cartel work to do, but Elena knew it was to protect them.

Marisol rested easier when the Aglion weren’t on their own, and she breathed a shattering sigh of relief every time they returned with another stray lamb in tow.

They’d grown their numbers to over a hundred this way, and as word of the sanctuary spread, some Aglion turned up on their own.

There hadn’t been any more attacks, but Elena would never drop her guard.

Not again. Now, her family held all of her attention.

Keeping them safe was the only thing she wanted to do with her life.

Driving herself home from the airport because Zuri refused her request for a helipad, as it would “scare the ever-loving fuck out of her chickens,” Elena was humming to herself.

The summer night was so warm. Elena still felt the sun’s heat on the steering wheel leather.

She missed her sports car a little, but not as much as she loved bouncing along the dirt road home in a hideous pickup truck.

The only thing Elena had insisted on was upgrading the fence around the now much larger property. It hid in the treeline, but was made of a steel mesh, and the entrance had three motorized gates. They were subtle at Zuri’s insistence, rather than “some Versace monstrosity.”

Elena pressed her thumbprint to the device clipped to her visor. A moment later, the gate whirled to life. At nearly dawn, most houses were dark. Elena turned off her headlights and let the truck roll toward Zuri’s little house. Their house—complete with tinted windows.

The living room light was on, and Elena couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course they’d ignored her request that they not wait up for her.

And of course she’d secretly hoped they would.

Even though she loved slipping into bed with them when they were asleep, she couldn’t suppress the selfish desire to see them.

Two days away in New Orleans had been brutal.

Slipping out of the truck, Elena closed the door behind her quietly.

She was sure Sofia and Librada had waited up for her too, even if she’d forbidden them from driving her from the airport.

They’d built their cottages right behind Zuri’s house just to keep an on them, she was sure.

Small places of their own they shared with Hel and Judith, respectively.

Having them so close felt right. They were all family, and they were at their best when they were together.

The front door was unlocked and she opened it slowly. Any hope she had of a quiet entry was obliterated by Luna and Loba leaping from their beds to make the most noise in the world.

“Okay, okay,” Elena said while she squatted down to greet them.

“Hi, hi. I missed you. Yes.” She kissed them each on the head and walked them back to their beds.

Beds where their absolute best friends in their world had not spared Elena more than a glance.

The twin hairless cats named Tango and Cash for a reason Elena still didn’t understand had been Zuri’s birthday present to Marisol.

The cats, who had a closet full of sweaters crocheted by Sofia and a selection of Italian collars with their names stitched into them thanks to Librada, had bonded only with the dogs.

“Oh, thank you,” Elena said to Tango who was licking Luna’s ear as if coaxing her back to sleep. “Yes, it is great to be home.” She laughed. “Yes, I’ve missed you too.”

When she turned, Zuri was walking out of the bedroom with a book in her hand. Marisol appeared from the kitchen with the ridiculous you’re roar-some dinosaur mug in her hand.

“They really did miss you,” Marisol said like she hadn’t spoken in a while.

“Yeah,” Zuri agreed with a laugh. “I’m sure you’ll have a dead lizard from Cash on your pillow tomorrow.”

“I told them not to make a big deal,” Zuri joked. “Don’t want their other mothers getting jealous.”

“You mean Luna and Loba?” Marisol set her mug down on the kitchen table and stepped into Elena’s waiting arms. Marisol hugged her tight while inhaling the scent of Elena’s perfume. “I love when you wear this suit,” she said before kissing her cheek.

“She knows you love it, that’s why she wears it,” Zuri teased before pulling Elena down to her lips. “How was Queen Bee?”

Elena was going to answer before she focused her gaze on Zuri’s face. “What’s different?”

Zuri’s smile was incandescent. “Oh, you mean how Bambi took five years off my face?” She sucked in her cheeks and showed Elena different angles of her face that had been perfect before.

Elena furrowed her brow. “You’re only supposed to be practicing how to keep her this age, not turn back the clock.”

“Yeah, yeah. I really don’t want to think about the prospect of never dying. That’s actually freaking me the fuck out. Like, oh God. Have you seen it here? Forever?”

“Don’t try to distract—”

“Listen, it’s better than Botox, and I’m not going to end up with botulism.” She kissed Elena again. “Let’s focus on the positives.” Zuri went into the kitchen and a moment later Elena heard the metal percolator opening.

Elena wrapped her arm around Marisol and kissed her again. “So it’s really working, huh?”

She hadn’t let herself hope that Marisol could really learn how to regenerate cells. That she could potentially keep herself and Zuri alive and at Elena’s side for life. Her life. But after several trips back to Venice, she’d figured out how to make the connection.

“I have to redo it too often, but once I figure out how to get into the marrow—”

Elena cut her off with a kiss. “What you’ve done is a miracle.”

She inhaled the familiar scent of home. Coffee and gardenias and life. Standing at the center of the cottage, Elena was the most powerful she’d ever been. Ever hope to be. There was no power in ruling. Only in building something worth protecting.