"You still can't touch them," Dahlia teased, stealing a kiss. "Otherwise you'd be trying to get between them."
"Yeah, I would," Mei agreed. "And if you get the chance, I expect you to do the same and tell me all about it."
"Not jealous anymore?" Dahlia asked.
Mei shrugged. "I'm working through it. I can, however, tell you that I think it's a good idea. I think stealing those boys from that religion would get us the kind of information we need to finally defeat the inquisitors once and for all. I think that if they're breeding, we need to do something. I also think that maybe the priests we've hated so blindly aren't necessarily bad people. They're just trapped in a bad situation."
"Yeah," Dahlia agreed. "But what can we really do? Even with Thane's help, it's still three of us against how many branches of this church? Four, if we convince Laird to join the team. Then what?"
"Then we wage war," Mei told her. "Eidolon against inquisitors. We may be few, but we have other advantages. They may be many, but their ignorance does them no favors. Dahl, think about it! The Inquisition has thrived on secrets and lies. They've grown because we're myths and folklore. They piggyback on the Christian religion, using its popularity to spread, and unless someone stops them, we will never be safe."
"And if we pick a fight, we won't be safe either," Dahlia pointed out. "We've survived this long by avoiding them. I still think that's the best plan."
"The world is getting crowded," Mei countered. "In another hundred, maybe two hundred years, it won't be possible to avoid them. When do we stop running, Dahlia? When do we defend our honor?"
"When we have nothing left to lose," Dahlia told her. "When risking true death isn't a foolish decision. I'm not scared of the fight, Mei. I'm scared of losing you, of living without you, or leaving you alone in this world without me. I'm scared of an eternity in the Abyss, conscious and unable to find my way back. I have no problem fighting. It's just that I don't see a reason to risk myself for people who don't care that I exist. The fate of humanity? They'll be fine. The eidolon? We're scattered, and the few I do know are little more than passing friends at best."
"Cain," Mei countered.
Dahlia murmured at that, because she had a point. "He's different. I haven't seen him in a few hundred years. The time we spent together was in an easier time. We understood each other because we were both warriors, but that's not a term that means anything now."
"It could to the eidolon, but someone has to bring our kind together. I think that's you, Dahl. If you and Cain work together? You know the others will follow. We could find the new ones, protect them, and teach them that the cross is only in our heads. Think about the things we could do!"
"And for those who aren't kind? Those of us who enjoy the power this life gives them? Think about Jack."
"Mm," Mei agreed. "But inquisitors won't completely go away. They'll still be born. People with that power will still exist. I don't know." She pressed her face against Dahlia's chest. "It just feels right. I can't stop thinking about it, and maybe that's because life needs a purpose? I'd like this to be mine."
"Let's get out of Texas," Dahlia conceded, "and then we can talk about it, ok? Once we're safe, I'll get in touch with Cain. I'm pretty sure he's on this side of the world right now, and we'll see what he thinks. Deal?"
"Deal!" Mei agreed, lifting her chin for another kiss.
So Dahlia kissed her. There was always something so sweet about the taste of Mei's lips. The way her fingers slid along Dahlia's neck was what came to mind when she thought about what love felt like. Kissing Mei felt more than physical. It felt as if their souls touched, bringing them just a little closer.
"I will never stop loving you," Dahlia swore.
"Nor I you," Mei promised. "But before your hands start wandering, I have to take a shower and look good enough to impress this man."
"Please tell me you're charging money bags more than a hundred bucks?" Dahlia huffed as she let Mei go and flopped onto her back.
Mei giggled. "Two hundred. I'm sick of getting so close to our goal, just to drop sixty bucks on a hotel that night. We have right around two hundred and thirty after paying for this room, so another two hundred bucks? Plus a room for tonight? That should put us over, and we'll be out of here by morning."
"Then let's make sure this guy likes what he sees," Dahlia said, pointing at the bathroom. "Go. Clean. I figure I'll wait in the hotel lobby until he picks you up. That way, I can see his face. When he leaves, I'll head up to the room."
"Or I can call down to the front desk and have them send you up," Mei agreed. "No, I'll give you the phone. There's no way they'll know we're in Dallas, and the train station isn't far. We can probably afford Amtrak after this, and then all this mess will be behind us."
"Thane too," Dahlia said.
"Well, this is where I show just how invested I am in your happiness," Mei said as she crawled out of bed and walked her naked ass toward the bathroom. "I know how to find him. All we need to do is call the Church, ask to speak to a Brother Laird, and then get a message back. I have a feeling he'd even give us the man's number."
Sucking in a breath, Dahlia sat up in bed. "What?"
"Well, considering that you kissed him, didn't kill him, and he seemed to know about you from what you said, well..." Mei flashed her an impish smile. "My gut says he'd give us Thane's number. Maybe his own, if priests even keep phones in that church."
"You're a fucking genius!" Dahlia breathed.
"I kinda am, huh?" Mei teased before rounding the corner and heading into the bathroom. "And this is proof that I love you, so you know. I'm helping to hook you up with some man."
Then the sound of water cut her off. Dahlia just let out a relieved sigh, because the truth was that she did like Thane. Sure, Laird was hot, but there was something about him being a priest that killed a little of the attraction. Thane, however, was a warrior. A modern-day type, but still - and she did like him.