Page 35 of For Love and Blood and Fury

Rushing around the kitchen, Marisol started rinsing the percolator she’d just used. “I’ve listened to at least a hundred true crime podcasts. What we need is a list of suspects.”

“Settle down, Nancy Drew,” Zuri barked, finally calming.

“Tell me more of my progeny.” Elena shifted away from the pain shooting up her leg and into her spine.

“Librada’s a stickler for protocol,” Zuri continued, her voice still tight. “She’ll have everything locked down while you’re away.”

Elena’s mind flashed with an image, clearer this time: a tall, severe woman with reddish-auburn eyes and a spine of steel. Librada. Her right hand, her strategist, her unwavering shield.Yes, Elena thought with relief.Librada will protect me.

“Sofia’s another story,” Zuri said, tone unreadable. “Incredibly fond of murder.”

A petite blonde with a deceptively innocent face and a taste for blood. Sofia. Her left hand, her enforcer, her weapon in the shadows.Sofia wouldn’t betray me, Elena thought, a fierce protectiveness rising within her.She’s loyal. She trusts me.

Months and years and decades passed in a flash. Librada and Sofia were her daughters. They were her ribs and blood and beating heart. “And the others?” Elena asked, fueled by the rush of images flipping through her mind in quick succession.

“I never spent too much time with them. They’re male,” she explained.

Male. The word made Elena’s stomach clench. She couldn’t imagine her progeny turning against her but the possibility gnawed at the edges of her mind.

In the past, vampires didn’t inherit their power without bloodshed. But they’d had a status quo for over a century. They were civilized. They understood the balance of power.

They wouldn’t dare, she thought, a cold certainty settling in her gut.They need me. They’re nothing without me.

Hours of talking had left Elena’s head feeling overstuffed, and her soul tired. Voice hoarse, Zuri announced she was going to check on the wards before sundown. Elena knew she was lying about the reason for leaving, but let it pass without comment.

“She straight up hates me,” Marisol joked, plopping down on the dining chair next to Elena.

“You know what they say about that thin line,” Elena replied, trying not to sound as worn out as she felt.

“Likehatesme. And I thought we made some progress today. You know, the first time she reinforced the wards.” Marisol’s disappointment was an obvious attempt to lighten Elena’s mood. An endearing little tactic that nearly succeeded.

“Zuri’s heart is pure gold. It just happens to be wrapped in barbed wire. Cancers, you know?”

With a weary smile, Marisol stood. “Well, I’m a Gemini. What does that give me license to be?”

“Mercurial,” Elena replied, thinking about how the three of them had been born in a different summer month. How together they were water, air, and fire.

When Marisol had finished cleaning the kitchen for the third time and wandered out to the armchairs by the window with a book, Elena leaned back in her chair. She closed her eyes, sorting through the information Zuri had unlocked.

Other than Librada and Sofia, her progeny were a blur. She could see the lounge and office Zuri had described. She pushed herself to remember the moments Zuri had told her about before she’d been attacked.

A single, searing image flashed in her mind: Zuri, straddling her lap, her blood warm and sweet on Elena’s tongue.

That was the last thing she remembered. Drinking Zuri’s blood. Feeling the familiar rush of pleasure, the surge of power. And then... Nothing.

There was something in it, she thought, a sickening realization dawning.Something that clouded my mind, that stole my memories, that left me vulnerable.

Elena’s eyes snapped open. Her surroundings transformed from haven to prison.Zuri did this to me, she thought, the realization hitting her like a physical blow.She poisoned me and that’s why she doesn’t want me to leave.

But why?Zuri had no reason to betray her. Could she have made a deal with some other cartel? Agreed to take Elena out for a price? Zuri wanted something for her coven, Elena remembered, straining for the details. That didn’t make sense. If Zuri wanted something, all she ever had to do was ask Elena. There was nothing she’d deny her. And Zuri herself had said that no vampire was more powerful.

She was still searching for any reason for Zuri’s betrayal when it hit her. Zuri hadn’t wanted Elena to drink from Marisol. She’d insisted on offering her own blood, even though it meant reopening old wounds, both physical and emotional.

She wanted to give me another dose,Elena thought, a chill running down her spine before filling her with rage.Whatever she put in her blood, it’s still affecting me. It’s keeping me weak.

Looking around the kitchen, she spotted a sturdy broom. Sunset was close enough, she sensed it in her gut. And the broom would serve as a good enough crutch.

Chapter Twenty-Three

---