Bennett hung her head for a moment before raising her eyes. “This is new for me,” she said, placing her hand on Lisa’s thigh. “You and I, together like this, it’s more than I could have ever hoped for, and I’m a bit wary of doing something so utterly stupid that you toss me out with the day’s rubbish.”

“Which means?”

Bennett huffed. “Which means, yes. I was worried you’d be upset because instead of being in bed with you, I was out here thinking about her.”

“Well, when you say it like that, I can see your dilemma,” Lisa said, eyeing Bennett. “Especially if you were out here thinking about whatever sexual escapades you two shared. If that’s the case, the gloves are coming off.”

“That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Then what is the truth?”

Bennett stared wordlessly back at Lisa for several seconds. “The truth is Ruby deserves that title more than the four of us combined,” she said, taking Lisa’s hand. “Imagine watching your family murdered and imagine you’re in the middle of nowhere with no money and only the clothes on your back. There are no taxis or Ubers, no paved roads or…or even street signs. There are no help lines or neighborhood shelters offering you a cot on which to sleep and no soup kitchens for a warm meal or organizations to help you get back on your feet. And now imagine how much strength it took for Ruby to do what she did. She not only survived in the most brutal of times, she also infiltrated vampire covens, getting the knowledge she needed to continue her quest, and then she killed herself in the process so—”

“Wait. Ruby killed herself? I’m confused.”

“It’s a story best left for Ruby to tell, but it’s how she ended up being a vampire.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Anyway, after everything Ruby did to find Napoleon and make him pay, and trust me, it’s quite a story; after all of that, she had the wherewithal to realize her mistakes and try to right them. Angelique, Polly, and I all have our own stories, but that one’s tough to beat. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Lisa said quietly. “What’s going to happen to her?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m sure the council’s going to want to talk to her at length before deciding her fate.”

“Aren’t you on the council?”

“Actually, I was about to give up my chair because of Napoleon’s theatrics. I thought stepping down would help alleviate his incessant vengefulness when it came to me. I suppose I don’t need to do that now, but I wouldn’t be able to voice my opinion on this, anyway.”

“Why not?”