---
Far away from Sekhmet and Elena, everyone else had gathered inside Leaf's territory.
The sudden arrival of so many people had turned the normally quiet Bloodlands into chaos. Raka and the lesser vampires were organizing the prisoners. The Dawn House battle maids were treating their wounded. Iron House servants stayed together under guard, while Mihos's surviving people were separated and watched carefully.
Leaf had already ordered her Flesh Fairies and Carnivorous Dryads to surround the area.
Lily, Mira, Vera, and Vela remained together near the Flesh-Treant.
Sofia and Natasha had been placed nearby because neither woman could properly walk. Their Blood Exhaustion was still severe. Several broken bones were slowly repairing inside their bodies, and their regeneration remained much weaker than normal.
Everything seemed under control.
Then Lily suddenly froze.
Her hand moved against her chest.
Vera noticed first.
"Lily?"
Lily did not answer immediately.
