Page 138 of Origins of Eternity

She wrapped her arms around Zara’s neck.

“I am very happy,” she replied. “I never thought I’dbethis happy.”

“Me neither,” Sarah said. “I can’t believe we’ve lived in a villa here for a decade. I grew up in a small town and nevereven thought I’d be able to afford the tiny apartment I had in New York that I had to share with someone else. I was in Cassia’s fancy house, but not for all that long before everything happened, and now, we’re here, and I love it here.”

“All three of us do, but we need to be careful. We will love the new place, too.”

“I know. And all that matters anyway is that we’re all together.”

“Yes,” Zara agreed and lowered her mouth to Sarah’s waiting nipple. “Now, may I?”

Sarah gave her a nod, and Zara’s hand slipped between her thighs.

Later that night, as they all sat outside on their balcony – with her in the middle, as she usually was, her two girls next to her, heads on shoulders, a beautiful sunset in front of them overlooking an old city – Zara knew what she wanted.

“Before we leave, I want to do something.”

“What?” Alexia asked.

“I want to marry you both,” she said and shifted until she was kneeling in front of them. “Arwen or Iro can be the officiant when they get here. It’s not legal, I know, but it’s the best we can do in our situation, and I want that. I want to make it as official as we can because I love you both so much. Will you marry me?” she asked and took one of Sarah’s hands in her own, followed by Alexia’s.

“Yes,” Sarah replied first.

“Yes,” Alexia said and then turned to Sarah. “Will you marryme?”

“Yes,” Sarah replied with a little laugh.

“Ten years, and I want the next hundred and the next thousand with both of you,” Zara said, kissing their hands.

When she stood, Sarah did as well and pulled her in for a kiss. Zara kissed Alexia next. Then, Zara watched them kisseach other. She smiled at them and turned around to take in the remainder of the sunset as the two women joined her; heads on shoulders once again, hands linked between them.

Arwen

“He’s agreed,” Iro said.

“Good,” she replied. “Are we okay, you think? Or do we need to stay and keep an eye on him?”

“I think we’re okay. He’s been running the company for fifteen years now, but he’s going to have to move on soon to something a little less high-profile, given his agelessness. He knows that, and he’s been relatively calm since we talked to him last time. It’s only because he doesn’t want to leave where he is now that he was thinking about doing something stupid like revealing vampires to the world.”

Arwen sighed and asked, “When will we be done?”

“I know it’s exhausting, sweetheart,” Iro replied and sat down next to her on the bench. “Are you ready, though? We can stay as long as you want. I’m sorry I had to take that call. I just know if I didn’t, he would’ve overreacted.”

“No, I get it. You’re basically in charge of about a hundred vampires who once agreed with Cassia to try to take over the world and kill a bunch of people. It’s time-consuming.”

“Thisis the most important thing to me,” Iro said and kissed her temple. “You. Us.”

“I know,” she said, and her hand went to Iro’s thigh. “We can go. I know we need to get to Florence. I just needed to say goodbye.”

“We can stay here for another year or two, if you need; maybe longer. I–”

“No, it’s okay. They’re gone.” Arwen looked at the two headstones in front of her. “And it’s not like Zara is still here.Besides, I already quit my job because people started asking questions. It’s time.”

“I’m sorry you lost her, too,” Iro said as she shifted so that Arwen could lay her head on her shoulder.

“She was miserable after he died. I know they said it was a heart attack, but I’m convinced it was a broken heart.”

“They loved each other very much.”