Page 34 of Blood from the Marrow
Marisol’s focus didn’t waver. Looking at the state of the group’s life, she was sure that what she was offering was even more valuable than she first thought. “Because when Elena prevails”—she stood even if wasn’t near Judith’s eye level—“I promise we will spare no expense to not only find who is hunting you, but make sure that you don’t have to live on the run anymore.” She scanned the unreadable expressions gawking at her. “You can have regular lives. Live in one place if you want to?—”
“How can you promise that?” Judith balked.
“I can’t guarantee anything,” Marisol agreed, with her palms pointed to the ceiling. “But I can promise you that you’ll never have a stronger ally than Elena. She is your best chance of doing something more with your life than surviving.”
“And if your vampire loses her fight?” Judith countered.
Marisol shrugged sympathetically. “It’s possible,” she admitted despite the lump in her throat and churn in her stomach. “But I don’t think it’s likely.” Her shoulder blades burned. “You’re going to have to ask yourselves how much you’re willing to gamble for a chance at living.”
Marisol’s wings tore free from her body, unfurling huge and translucent just before they turned solid white and heavy in a way they never had before. The fabric of her shirt ripped for the first time when she curled the wings around her body. She’d never seen them so clearly before. Stretching them, she couldn’t take a deep breath as they responded to her mental commands as easily as her fingers curling.
Behind her, Librada gasped—a sound dripping with wonder. Across from her, a handful of Aglion had stood. Wings sprang to life one by one. First Clara, hers a white so bright it was nearly blinding. Next to her, Dutch’s wings were the gray of storm clouds, sparks like lightning dancing along the edges. Nearly halfthe group responded in kind, but it was Judith’s wings that were staggering.
Pitch black, they spanned wider than Marisol imagined possible. Judith seemed to grow when she stood between the crowd and Marisol, blocking her view. Voice the heavy rumble of an earthquake, Judith thundered, “No.”
Marisol stumbled backward into Librada. She reached for Lib’s hand as fear turned her blood to ice. Lib clutched her hand, but she was petrified too. Frozen in place by a power both awesome and terrifying.
Heart pounding, Marisol couldn’t make herself form words. Couldn’t do anything but stare at the invisible force vibrating off Judith. Why the hell were they hiding when they had someone like her? What kind of creature would willingly chase after her? Every animal instinct in Marisol told her to run. Run until she couldn’t feel her legs and hope that she was far enough away when she crumbled.
And then a small figure with feathers as white as Marisol’s slipped under the black expanse of Judith’s wings.
“I want to go,” the petite girl said when she reached Marisol.
At her proximity, Marisol’s body thrummed with a high voltage current. When the girl reached for her hand, Marisol was sure she could take off in flight if she tried. She feared she might propel into the air against her will.
“Samantha!” a man called from the crowd. “Get back here!”
“No!” the girl shrieked in a pitch only available during adolescence. “I want to have friends and live in a house and be normal!”
Dozens of conversations erupted while Marisol tried to remember how to breathe. She couldn’t absorb the sight of so many people like her. White and gray and black. Wings different but the same. Knees weak, she leaned against Lib.
“Are you alright?” Librada’s voice was low, distracted. She probably couldn’t believe what she was seeing either.
Marisol had been so consumed by the anxiety of seeing Clara that she hadn’t considered what it would be like to be in a group like this. In a place where, at least on the surface, she could belong without effort. Without adjustment.
“We will need to discuss this,” Dutch said to Judith. Then he looked at Marisol. “You’ve given us quite a bit to consider.”
Senses coming back to her, Marisol nodded. With tremendous effort, she let go of the young girl’s hand and forced her wings to disappear. What Dutch was too polite to say was that they needed to discuss her offer among themselves. Amongrealfamily.
Marisol returned the moisture to her mouth at the same time that Samantha’s parent snatched her away. She managed to look at Librada instead of letting the emotion burn the back of her eyes.
“Can we find somewhere else for them to stay?” Marisol’s voice was faint and her head light.
Librada looked around the squalor as if seeing it clearly for the first time. She gave a curt nod.
“While you consider our offer, we can move you somewhere safe and comfortable,” Librada said to Dutch like it had taken effort to gather herself too.
“I’m not going anywhere?—”
Dutch lifted a hand, cutting Judith off and confirming that he was the true leader of the pack. “If these folks wanted to harm us, they would have done so?—”
“Because Clara couldn’t keep her fucking mouth shut,” Judith thundered.
When Clara shrank, Marisol sprang forward. “You have nothing to fear from us,” she roared when she’d intended to deescalate the mounting tension. Shaking her head, Marisolstarted again. “At least let me offer you a clean place to stay with electricity and running water before you move on,” she added, because it was the absolute bare minimum she could do.
The crowd murmured, and Marisol was sure that it was in agreement. At least to more humane accommodations.
“We’ll give you a chance to talk about it.” Marisol signaled for Librada to follow her out. “We’ll wait in the car, and if you agree?—”
