DAGON MANSION

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: LOVERS

WARNING: This chapter has a somewhat explicit sex scene.

Rogers arrived at Dagon Enterprises under a curtain of grey evening light. The building's mirrored façade reflected the trembling sky — a glass citadel filled with secrets. He disliked the place, the sterile perfection of its corridors, the faint hum of power hidden behind polished walls.

When he entered Xena Blackwood's office, she stood by the window, calm yet tense.

"I appreciate your timely arrival," she said without turning. "Someone tried to murder me."

Rogers narrowed his eyes.

"What can you tell me about the attacker?"

"The person wore a black ski mask. I couldn't see the face, but the height, the voice— I think it was a woman."

"Do you suspect anyone?"

Xena shook her head. "No. Not yet."

Her tone was steady, but the silence afterward felt fragile, like glass waiting to break. Rogers made a note in his worn notebook and left without another word.

A few days later, Theolinda went to see Ryan. She found him waiting, nervous, his usual composure replaced by restless energy.

"Ryan," she began, "before I answer your proposition, you should know someone tried to kill Xena."

Ryan's expression changed instantly. He stood up, his eyes clouded with worry

"Is she all right? Tell me."

"She's safe. The attacker used a syringe with a lethal heroin dose, but Xena's shield protected her. No fingerprints, no clues."

Ryan paced the room, running a hand through his hair.

"But who would do that? And why?"

"I don't know," Theolinda said quietly. "There's also been another ritual murder. It never stops."

Ryan exhaled sharply. "Then I must go to the Dark Dimension and speak with Alexandra."

Theolinda frowned. "Who is Alexandra?"

"The leader of the Custodes Sanguinis. A vampire... and once, my lover."

"That's dangerous, Ryan."

"Of course it is," he replied. "But sometimes danger is the only path to truth."

He turned toward her, his eyes softening. "And what about my other question? Have you decided?"

Theolinda hesitated, her heartbeat quickening. "Yes," she said finally. "I'll be your lover."

Ryan smiled — a rare, sincere smile — and for a moment, the shadows seemed to recede.

"But not today," she added, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "When it happens, it has to be special."

The day came with the scent of rain. Theolinda felt both anxious and curious as she stepped into the private visitation room. Ryan was already there, his gaze warm, expectant.

He's beautiful, she thought. And dangerous.

"Come here, precious," Ryan said softly. "You look incredible. You smell like something I dreamt of."

She said nothing. She didn't need to.

He approached slowly, touching her as if she were made of light and memory. His hands traced her form with reverence, his lips finding her skin in silent devotion. She responded — hesitant at first, then fully, drawn by a pulse older than reason.

They undressed each other in fragments of breath. The air grew thick with heat and heartbeat.

When he kissed her, she felt the room dissolve — only warmth, pulse, and the low rhythm of their breathing remained. His tenderness surprised her; his passion consumed her.

For the first time in years, Theolinda let go.

And when at last they reached that luminous edge together, it felt less like sin than salvation.

Afterward, they lay side by side in the dim light. Ryan's head rested against her shoulder.

"I never imagined you were like this," she whispered.

"Like what?" he asked with a faint smile.

"So gentle. So... human."

He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I thought you'd want me that way."

"You were right," she said, her voice almost a sigh. "I liked it. I really did."

Their lips met again — not with hunger, but with quiet gratitude.

Time began to stretch and soften.

Months slipped by like tides against the shore. Scarlett turned three; her laughter echoed through the marble halls of Dagon Mansion.

Mia had finished her studies and was ready to begin a new life. She returned to Glouminster with dreams of opening her own psychological office — a sanctuary for minds as wounded as hers once was.

Xena often visited; the two women rekindled their friendship, bound by unspoken history. Brisa joined them sometimes, her laughter bringing warmth to the cold corridors.

Yet behind Ryan's smiles lingered unease. He looked at Mia with a tenderness he tried to hide, and at Theolinda with a hunger he could no longer deny. His heart was divided between two women — past and present, sin and solace.

And above them all, the Mansion breathed — ancient, patient, waiting.

Because in Glouminster, peace was never more than a pause before the next shadow.