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Roarke nodded. "I got a little sugar into him, and he managed to eat a few handfuls of chips, then he took a nap. He's only been sleeping for about an hour, but he seems to be fine. Tired, but perfectly okay."
"But how did she jump him?" Dahlia pressed. "That bracelet's supposed to protect him!"
"And from the sounds of it," Roarke told her, "he wasn't overcome with lust. He fought. He just…" He dropped out a heavy sigh. "I asked him to cover that tattoo on his arm, so there was nothing stopping her. He fought, but we're still stronger. I'm just glad I felt it so I could stop her in time. He's weak, but he really will be ok."
Dahlia's jaw was clenched so hard she swore her teeth were creaking, but she wasn't mad at Roarke. No, she was pissed at the succubus. "Let's just make sure he stays ok. You willing to keep an eye on him for a little longer?"
"Yeah," Roarke promised. "Dahlia, I honestly like the guy. I didn't think I would, but he's a good man. That succubus is at least two hundred years older than me, soyougo make sure she knows better than to touch our inquisitor."
That was all the permission Dahlia needed. Spinning on her heel, she headed back out to the hall, typing on her phone as she went. This time, the message was for Nikki. If there was a split starting in their community this quickly, then Dahlia had every intention of making sure these people knew exactly who was running the show.
Dahlia:Meet me at Isabella's apartment.
Nikki:OMW
The message was short, sweet, and all Dahlia needed to see. This time, she didn't want Cain anywhere around. Everybody knew who he was, and his reputation preceded him. No, Dahlia wanted them to respect her too, and that meant she needed to do this herself. The only reason she wanted Nikki there was to make sure she didn't go too far.
Because of where Isabella's apartment was, Nikki managed to get there first, but only by a few seconds. The moment she saw Dahlia, Nikki raised her hand and banged at the door. Dahlia, however, decided she didn't need to bother with knocking. Pushing past Nikki, she grabbed the doorknob and turned, walking in without slowing.
"Isabella!" Dahlia screamed, her eyes scanning the room. "I thought I was clear!"
Confused, Nikki followed Dahlia in just as Isabella rushed out from her bedroom. Behind the succubus came Vivian, one of the ghosts that Nikki had talked to that morning. Even better.
"What the fuck are you doing in my home?" Isabella demanded.
Which was the wrong tone to take. Dahlia just kept going until she stopped right in the woman's face. "You drained my husband."
"He's a fucking priest," Vivian shot back.
Dahlia didn't look away from Isabella. "I made it clear that if anyone wants vitality from him, they have to ask first. Consent, Isabella. I also said to leave him walking. Not crawling, not sleeping, and certainly not so weak that he's going to be recovering for days."
Isabella quickly looked at Vivian, confusion taking over her face. "I thought you said she was sharing?"
"She should be," Vivian said.
"Andwhyshould I be?" Dahlia asked, finally turning her gaze on the ghost. "Are you going to give me some bullshit about the fact that he's an inquisitor? Are you going to call him a priest because you're too stupid to listen to anything I told you? Or maybe you're going to try to tell me that you deserve a piece of everything I've worked so hard for?" Dahlia turned and leaned into Vivian. "Tell me little girl, which one is it?"
Lifting her chin, Vivian made the mistake of stepping closer. "You're the one who said there's no Inquisition here. You told us it was safe, and then you brought that man in. You can't blame me if I want to get rid of him. I came here to be safe, not dead."
"Oh, and you think the Inquisition is the scariest thing out there?" Dahlia refused to step back.
"Now is a good time to pull your head out of your ass," Nikki warned.
Instead, Vivian decided to double down. "You can't tell us what to do, Dahlia. No one elected you queen."
Dahlia's hand snapped forward, grabbing the woman by her throat, and she lifted. Vivian immediately pawed at Dahlia's wrist, struggling to get purchase even as her feet left the ground, but Dahlia was already leaning into reality. For two days she'd fed well. Now, she was full of vitality. If this was a contest of power, the little ghost didn't stand a chance.
"I didn't ask for an election," Dahlia snarled. "I also didn't ask for your approval. I found a place to make a community, I put in the work, and that means I get to make the rules. If you want to stay here, then I suggest you learn how to play bymyrules, because elections are for the living. For us, it's survival of the fittest."
Vivian's feet were kicking, but she couldn't quite reach Dahlia. Desperate, because she was at the disadvantage, Vivian decided to try her next trick. She began to dissipate, losing the cohesion of her body. That was when Dahlia let go, timing it just before the foolish woman lost her mass. Her body fell, hitting the floor hard, leaving the woman sprawled out on her ass.
Then Dahlia looked back at Isabella. "Thane is off limits. This is your one pass, because it sounds like the ghost told you lies. If you try any of your tricks on him again, then I'll be after you next - and I won't stop until you think the Inquisition is the better option."
"Vivian told me you were sharing," Isabella said quickly. "I honestly thought he was fair game, and I didn't realize I was crossing any lines. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I wasn't trying to do anything wrong."
"Yeah," Dahlia said. "There's just one problem with that story. If you thought he was fair game, why did you blindside him? Why did youattackmy husband?"
Isabella looked at Vivian, who was still trying to get up off the floor. Finding nothing there, she turned back to Dahlia with fear in her eyes. "But he's an inquisitor. I didn't want to take the risk. I…" Her voice cracked. "I thought you had him as communal access!"
