“Okay then. Not fine. I’m really pissed at you for shagging me and then writing me a ‘you’re dumped’ message on my newly cleaned mirror. And now you’re telling me how to do my job. I’ve not been here a week yet. So SUCK YOU,” she yelled upward. “FUCK YOU,” she yelled downward, “and you,” she fixed her glare on me, “can go FUCK YOURSELF.”
This wasn’t going well. Mya picked up my printout and ripped it into pieces before throwing them in my face.
What made things worse was I did regret my actions. I’d panicked in the bathroom and thought she should be focusing on the job and that I’d distracted her, but now she was looking like she worked for the basement branch.
“I’d had a really good night, but you had to go ruin it, didn’t you? Mr Doom and Gloom. Are we finished because I’m going to my rooms to send all the spirits wronged by men to Heaven?”
“We’ll be setting off at eleven tomorrow. Your funeral is at midday.”
“I’ll ask Lawrie to collect me. There’s no need for you to attend.”
“Lawrie has had the funeral to arrange. He’s busy. He’s asked me to bring you and that’s what I shall do. You need to work out your twin sister story for the graveside. Just in case anyone attends other than us.”
Mya’s eyes bugged. “You’re not expecting anyone to be at my funeral?”
“Mya, you weren’t in touch with any family, didn’t have any friends, and the bookstore staff will be most likely working.”
“Great. Fat lot of good having your own funeral to attend if there’ll be no one there to talk about you.”
She swiped a pot of pens off the side in a temper. They landed on the floor, some rolling towards my feet. “I was a loner, but I was happy with my lot. I was happy at the bookstore, and I figured that one day I’d meet someone and have my own family. The family I’d not had. But no,” she stood up and headed towards The Book of the Dead. Oh no...
“Mya,” I warned.
“But this thing had other ideas.” Mya tried to push it off the desk, but it hadn’t survived all of time by being easily accessible for damage. She flew across the room smacking into the wall.
“Mya!” I yelled as I saw her limp body on the floor.
She looked up. “Vampire, remember? I’ll be fine… in a minute.” She laid down again.
I went over to her, lifting her head up and nestling it on my knee.
“Great, this is bringing back fond memories of the night I died.”
Mya might be laid on the floor, but the book hadn’t knocked out her sass.
She tried to sit up, then sighed and stayed put. “Jeez, that sucker punched me.”
“Mya, you tried to use The Book of the Dead for dramatic effect. That book is one of the most powerful things in all of existence. It protected itself and gave you a lesson.”
“Yeah, I kind of realised that after the event.”
“Come on. It’ll take you a while to come round. You can lie on my bed.”
Her lips turned down. “While that’s nearer, it’s also dusty.”
“Not anymore,” I informed her. “You’re not the only one who can wield a duster.”
“You. You cleaned?” Mya gasped out, both through shock at my admission and the shock from the book.
“I could lie, but no, I asked Lawrie if there were any vamps I could pay to do it, and, voila, his younger sister was saving for teeth whitening.”
“I think I’m good here for a while. Like a couple of years.”
“I’ll go get you some blood. Maybe that will help.”
As I left the room, I heard Mya apologise to The Book of the Dead, faithfully promising to never disrespect it again.
After the blood, Mya felt well enough for me to help aid her in walking the few rooms down the hall to my bedroom.
“What ails our Queen?” Spence asked, peering into Mya’s face.
“She decided to challenge The Book of the Dead.”
“You’re lucky you’re still alive,” Spence told her.
“Yeah, kind of realising that, and if you don’t mind, Spence, I could do with getting off my feet.”
“I used to have two feet to get off of,” Spence sighed. But he stood at the other side of Mya helping us both, even with his dragging leg. Once we got her onto the bed, he bade farewell and with a fond last look at Mya, he left the room.
“It would seem you have a fan there, Miss Malone.”
“He’s a friend,” she confirmed. “A good friend.”
I knew Spence was not a love rival and yet the fact she spoke of him fondly made my shoulders tense.
You have no right to be jealous. You ended it before it had even started, you idiot, I berated myself.
“I think I’ll just stay right here tonight as I am, and hope in the morning I feel okay enough for my funeral. If for some reason I re-die from my injuries, you can put me in the same coffin,” Mya said with dramatic flare.
“You won’t re-die. You’ll just treat the book like your firstborn child from now on.” I switched on my television and sat on the bed next to her, passing her the remote control. “Come on, try to sit up and find something for us to watch if you’re going to be all helpless tonight.”
“This is rather different to when we were sharing a bed last, isn’t it?” she sighed.
“Just a little,” I sighed back.
She chose a comedy. It was inoffensive and I could put up with it.
After a few hours I noticed that Mya had fallen asleep. I went on my phone to conduct some business and waited for her to wake up.
“Hey.”
I turned around. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
Mya stretched. “Though I’m not out of bed yet, I feel more like myself. So once I’ve fed I’m hoping I’ll be back to normal.”
“Are you going to try to make it to the kitchen then, or go to your own kitchen?” Her refrigerator had arrived yesterday.
“I’ll try to get to my own if possible.”
We left the room and Mya reassured me she was now okay. Thanking me for my hospitality in a very polite manner, she went downstairs to feed and to get ready for her own funeral.
All I could think was she’d just treated me as a friend and I didn’t like it. She’d been courteous but distant, and no, I felt distinctly disappointed.
And I only had myself to blame.
“An eco-burial? Really?” Mya complained.
“It was cheap and more to the point doesn’t take place in a church. We’re vampires remember? Or do you want to take your chances on the vicar throwing around Holy Water?” Lawrie huffed.
“Didn’t think of that,” Mya told him.
“Well of course not. You’ve sat at the house and not had to think of any of it, whereas I have organised the whole affair, so unless you want me to kick you into the empty grave, daughter, I suggest you shut up.”
Mya huffed but did as she was told.
We stood in the field. There was Lawrie, Bernard, Mya, me and the woman conducting the service, who was also a Letwine vampire. Mya had wanted to bring Callie, but Lawrie had said no. Mya was being buried in the woods in the Letwine grounds. A special spot they had for their sired. An older guy no one knew was standing to one side.