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Two hours later, enough plants and supplies had been delivered that she put the Legion to work It would take time for the modifications to the top floors to be completed; in the interim, she’d decided to transform the entire first floor into a place where plants could thrive and the Legion could rest

Elena understood the need for a haven, a safe place

With Maeve’s consent and advice, the winged fighters had already knocked doalls that weren’t load-bearing, opening up the space They’d also ripped up the carpet and cleaned the floor so it was s things up so this floor would have adequate heat and huhters how to handle the an to feel her own body relax Their pleasure in the earth was transcendent, the haunting peace of it wrapping her in its wingsuntil her skin rippled with a cold shiver, her heart punching into her rib cage

She could hear theether was asound inside her skull, like a wave crashing inside a cave “Stop,” she gasped out

Silence

The Primary was in front of her seconds later “The consort does not wish to join our conversation?”

That hen Elena understood the voices had been an invitation “One at a ti an odd sense ofvulnerability around her “I want to know you one at a ti consternation

“We are one,” the Pri her hands over the e tree in front of her, “is one The root systeether with one goal Yet not one of the leaves is exactly the sa identical copies”

Muted whispers, the Legion atte to be quiet for her benefit It cut off when the Priaze to Elena, he said, “We will consider the idea of being one without being one”

•••

Elena was pretty sure the Legion continued their whispering discussion long after she left late in the afternoon It had been eerie to be in a silent roo on between its inhabitants

Having showered and changed at the Tower, she swept out under the rays of the setting sun, o home, be with Raphael and their friends She’d only been in the air a e fro patiently in line for his bus

She couldn’t believe it; when they’d run into each other at their , and he’d shared his plan for catching the va it “Shohat I know,” sheher phone away into a zipped pocket

Archangel? she said, unsure if she’d reach him He’d taken a specialist squadron out over the sea to practice maneuvers Now, ht New York couldn’t appear wounded prey to the hostile forces atched On the other hand, their people were tired It hy Dhter would have more days off than usual in rotation