Page 107 of Blood from the Marrow
Elena hadn’t gotten very far in the house when she found Bernice sitting alone in the empty ballroom. The place where they’d laid so many plans and somehow not prepared for the aftermath. Maybe they’d been too scared to hope for an aftermath.
“This is dramatic… even for you,” Elena said while she walked across the space to where Bernice was sitting at the center, an empty chair beside her.
“I knew you’d come eventually,” she replied when Elena sat. “Something tells me you did not indulge in the post-battle, lustful high.”
Elena shook her head. She’d been relieved to hold Marisol and Zuri in the peace of their bedroom, but there had been no delirious exuberance of having survived. Only quiet moments between rotating bouts of crying. Some in relief but mostly in Marisol’s grief that Elena felt like the loss of her own mother’s.
“I didn’t see it. I didn’t see Cordelia for a traitor,” Bernice added as if the blame should fall on her. “She was always an annoying little shit… but those things she said.” Bernice closed her eyes when she swallowed hard. “Well… Let’s say I’ve heard it before, but not about them.”
Elena nodded. “I didn’t see it either,” she admitted after a while. “I was so focused on Sayah. I thought maybe she was even behind the band chasing the Aglion all over the fucking globe.” She gritted her teeth, wishing she could go back. Wishing she hadn’t been so single-minded.
“Not the best start to your vampire queen reign.” Bernice chuckled. “But memorable, I’ll tell you that.”
Elena shook her head and laughed, but Bernice only gave her a quirked brow.
“Bernice, have you lost your mind?”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Yeah, minding my own business. I have no interest in ruling over anything or anyone,” Elena said, surprising herself. “A year ago, I would have snatched that bloody crown and worn it with glee?—”
“But now?”
Elena relaxed into her chair. Unclenched every muscle for the first time in a century. “I want to be with my family. I want to enjoy every moment until the nothingness comes to take me for the last time.”
Bernice watched her for a long time, dark eyes appraising. “I didn’t expect you to say that.”
“I didn’t expect to say it,” she admitted. “But everything is so different now. I can’t go back. I can’t bring myself to care about prestige or power or things. It all seems so stupid measured against what matters now.”
They sat in contemplative silence until Bernice said, almost to herself, “I was always sure I would love battle.” She looked down at her clean hands and Elena was sure she saw the same blood haunting Elena’s every thought. “But it was gruesome. The cartel system was supposed to keep this from ever happening again.”
“I don’t know that anything can stop us from ourselves. At our cores we are greedy and jealous and ugly.”
Bernice looked at her again. “Not all of us.”
“Enough of us.”
Nodding, Bernice drifted into another long silence. “What do we do now? Sayah broke everything. We can’t just go back?—”
“I’ll crown you queen,” Elena decided.
“What?” Bernice shrieked while she laughed.
“Who better? You fought to the end against Sayah and you threw yourself into the defense of the Aglion. I can’t think of abetter person for the job. Smart and willing to do the right thing even when it’s hard.”
“But I don’t want to be queen?—”
“Another excellent reason to give it to you.” Elena dropped to one knee. “Allow me the honor of being the first to pledge my fealty.”
“Oh, get up.” Bernice grabbed her by the arm and they both stood. “What about a ruling body instead?”
“Bureaucracy?” Elena shook her head. “Let’s put it to the others, but my vote is going to a regency.”
Selling the queendom idea to the gathered vampires was even easier than Elena had expected. With her full support, Bernice was selected as queen without challenge.
Back in her suite, Elena heard the shower running and found Marisol staring out at the ocean as the day slipped into night, gazing at the expanse of water like it might hold answers.
It was stupid to ask if she was okay, so she called her name instead.
