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That was all Nikki needed to hear. Fuck scissors. Her dolls could wait. She needed to make sure that Cain knew what was going on. Dahlia did too, but she'd probably been up all night enjoying her brand-new husband. Besides, the honest truth was that Nikki didn't want to be the one to break this to her. Nope, she was more than happy to let Cain tackle that.
So she made her way to his apartment and knocked lightly. Hopefully, he was in. More than that, she hoped that the others didn't come out and find her standing here. In her anxiety, she tapped again, only to have the door jerk open before she could finish rapping her knuckles on it.
"What?" Cain growled.
He stood there in navy sweats and no shirt. His entire chest was covered with scars, but not the kind earned in battle. These were tribal, set in very intentional patterns. Nikki's eyes dropped down to take them in simply because she'd never seen this man without a shirt before. She also hadn't expected him to be quite so... fit.
"Inside," Cain grunted, walking away while leaving the door open.
So Nikki followed after him. "Um, I think we have a problem brewing," she said as she closed and locked the door behind her. "I just heard the ghosts and a phoenix talking about Thane."
Cain made yet another noise that could only be described as a growl. This one wasn't angry though. It was more like he was waking up and wasn't the kind of man to do it quickly. He also didn't stop to hear what she had to say. He kept going towards his bedroom, leaving Nikki standing alone in his living room.
A moment later, he was back, pulling on a very soft looking grey shirt. "Which ghosts?" he asked. "We have a few types now."
"Vivian, Laci, and Karsen," Nikki said. "So I'm counting the phantom in that group."
"I do too." Then Cain rubbed at his face. "Sorry. I was out late last night."
"Feed well?" she teased.
He glanced over with a sly smile. "Oh yeah. Had a girl take me back to her place, and then a moron tried to mug me as I walked home." That smile grew a little more. "They'll never find his bones."
"Cameras?" she asked.
He just waved her to a seat. "Handled. Left wearing his hoodie and going the wrong way. If anyone even looks, then I'll be the missing person, not him." Then he claimed the spot at the other end. "So we have four who aren't happy with Thane being here. Does Dahlia know?"
Nikki winced. "I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. Cain, I'd much prefer to encourage her and be her friend. I'm not looking to become her minion."
His eyes narrowed. "What are you looking to become?"
Immediately, she felt her cheeks getting hot. "Look, some of us like the idea of being a part of a community, ok? You might be happy roaming around the world on your own and blending in, but I don't have the resources for that. Panhandling and street busking don't require ID. I don't have bank accounts or investment funds. I'm just looking for someone to watch my back."
"Roarke is too," he pointed out.
But that wasn't what she wanted to hear. Sure, the guy was decent enough, but the pair of them together, alone, trying to survive through the centuries? No, it wouldn't take long before they were at each other's throats, and not in a sexy sort of way. Nikki liked Roarke well enough, but they would be a poor match as partners.
"Regardless of all of that," she said, "we have a problem brewing in our community, Cain. From what little I heard, it sounds like they're more than ready to make Thane into an example. They also don't understand why we can't hunt openly since the Church isn't here."
"Because we want to make sure that the Church never comes here," Cain said. "And it's likely the increased crime rate would still get noticed. My fear is that it might be enough to bring them here. Deaths are going to be unavoidable, but there's no reason that we can't clean up after ourselves. What is that old saying? You don't shit where you eat?"
Nikki nodded her head in agreement. "So what do we do?"
"We keep an eye on them," Cain said. "See if you can make friends -"
"Not gonna happen," Nikki broke in. "Already made it clear that I'm friends with both you and Dahlia. They've seen me spending too much time with her. You, me, and Roarke are all considered to be on Dahlia's side when it comes to Thane."
"Are you, though?" Cain asked. "Are you honestly happy that she has a man to keep her entertained? You do realize that he's not just a meal for her, right?"
"I also know that she's grieving the loss of her last partner." Nikki let out a heavy sigh. "Cain, this isn't easy for her. Yes, she's beautiful, powerful, and inspiring. In those rare moments where she's not grieving, she's also a lot of fun. I can get these glimpses into the woman that she used to be before the Inquisition tried to break her, and yes, I like that woman."
"Me too," he admitted. "Just know that Dahlia doesn't love easily. Oh, she will fuck easily, but earning her trust? It's not an easy thing to do."
"Maybe not," Nikki agreed, "but considering that you're still chasing her around instead of her chasing you around? I'm getting the impression it's the kind of thing that's worth working for. Cain, I am tired of being alone. I am so sick of trying to travel through centuries with no one I can trust. This community? For me it's a dream come true. It's a chance to find someplace I can belong and am finally understood."
"Sounds a lot like what Dahlia said when she told me about the idea," Cain told her. "The real question is if you're willing to fight for it?"
"Yes." Nikki looked up and met his eyes. "I don't care if that's fighting against the Inquisition, other eidolon, or humans. I don't even care if that woman shoots me down. Friends, lovers, or even acquaintances. Just the fact of having other people to talk to who understand me? It's the sort of thing I'm willing to take on the world to have."
