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"Yes, sir," Thane agreed, but it was the hardest thing he'd ever had to say.
"But, I'm offering this with the understanding that you will summon her again when you return. Take the time, settle your mind, and when you're back, we'll be able to end this once and for all."
"I'll do my best," Thane promised. "And if I need the time off, I'll let you know."
"You need the time off," the Cardinal said, flicking his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Go. Relax. Be a young man before you end up like me."
"Thank you, sir," Thane said, climbing to his feet.
"It's still Gerald," the Cardinal assured him.
"Gonna take me a bit to get used to that," Thane told him, plastering on a smile.
But when he turned to leave, he felt it slipping. The entire conversation turned his stomach. The offer to use his brother as a breeder was even worse. All the Church cared about was power. His, theirs, and how much they could collect. Dahlia had been right. They were intentionally breeding more.
The big question was how to stop it, and the only solution he had required her to talk to him again. Sadly, his phone was still very, very silent.
ChapterFour
DAHLIA
Cain created a fake business and filed for it to have a registered name. All of that was possible online, but the acronym was atrocious, and intentionally so. The United Eidolon For A Better Life - or UEFABL - was their excuse to need temporary housing, and it worked. A neglected apartment complex in East Des Moines was more than happy to work with them.
The building manager, Shauntelle, made it easy. Leases were month to month, and she had fifty available units. That was a good start, and probably more than they needed. Dahlia and Cain picked out places for themselves. Cain wanted a one-bedroom on the ground floor. Dahlia chose a two-bedroom on the highest level. Not that three stories was very tall, though.
Then the others began showing up. Shauntelle was kept busy showing all the available floor plans. First, it was a witch named Nikki. Next came the black dog Cain had mentioned. Then there was a ghost, a vampire, a wendigo, and a succubus - with more on the way. They came in singles or pairs. Finding three eidolon together was rare, but in a matter of days, the word had spread.
Sadly, Dahlia hadn't been much help. For the last day, she'd lain on the bare floor of her bedroom, alternating between staring at the ceiling and sobbing until she couldn't even breathe. With no one looking at her, it was easier to cry. The silence in the building made her unable to ignore Mei's absence.
Lately, she'd been lying to Cain. He kept texting her to eat. She kept telling him she had. Once a day, she went out for a walk, but bringing herself to actually feed was harder than she'd expected. When she tried talking to someone with the intent to seduce them, she thought of everything she'd left behind. Women reminded her of Mei. Men reminded her of Thane, which then reminded her of Mei.
Twice, she'd shoved some guy against the wall and drank his blood until he collapsed. They'd both lived, and she made sure to clean out their wallets so it would look like nothing more than a common mugging. But two meals in how many days? She knew she needed more. She just didn't want to face the memories that rolling around in bed with someone would bring to the surface.
It was easier to pretend that everything was normal. If she pushed it away, then she didn't have to deal with the pain. If she could keep busy, then she wouldn't have time to think about what she'd lost. Most importantly, if she focused on Mei's revenge, then she felt like she had a reason to keep going.
While she was busy moping, someone began knocking on her door. Dahlia just closed her eyes, hoping that if she ignored it, they'd assume she was out. It didn't work. The knocking came again. The third time, it turned to banging.
"Val!" a woman yelled. "I need you!"
Well, that changed everything. Dahlia pushed herself to her feet and headed over to open the door. On the other side was Nikki. She didn't wait to get invited in. The witch simply slammed her hand against the door and pushed her way through. Dahlia gaped in astonishment, her grief quickly switching to anger. Then the bronze-skinned beauty turned to face her.
"I just found a horrible little restaurant down the street. Completely ghetto, cheap, and filled with the kind of people who probably want to sell us drugs or rob us when we leave. Going there alone would raise questions, so I need a friend to get lost with me."
"I'm not in the mood," Dahlia told her. "I've got too much to do here - "
"And Cain told me to take you," Nikki finished.
Dahlia let her head drop. "Ok. Fine."
"Good," Nikki said, grabbing her arm to haul her outside.
Dahlia didn't even fight it. She didn't complain that she needed makeup or different shoes. She merely gave in, because the truth was that she did need to get out - of both her apartment and her head - and go find a meal.
The pair of them walked a block and a half to get to this "amazing place." The neighborhood they lived in was rough. Vinyl and wood siding came in all shades of calm colors. Children played in the streets. Crime tape was visible far too often. Nothing looked new or fresh, and yet the faces of most people were smiling.
Then Nikki found a red brick building and turned into a door that said only "Lunch Specials" on the front. Dahlia followed. Inside, it was dim but busy. Sure, most of the people in the dining area had darker skin, but Dahlia didn't honestly care, since she'd spent her entire "life" with people darker than her. Nikki, however, was a different shade of brown - more golden and less umber. It made her stand out almost as much.
"You lost?" a woman asked, walking over with a pad to take their order.
