“Probably just hoping we’re doggers or something and looking for an opportunity to join in,” Mya whispered.
There was a shriek, and turning around I saw a middle-aged woman pointing at Mya. “How can this be? You’re dead. I’ve come to your funeral.”
“Shit, it’s my boss,” Mya said.
I ran towards the woman who was getting paler by the minute. “That’s Mya’s twin, Marla,” I announced loudly so everyone knew the name I’d made up.
“Oh,” the woman panted. “Right. Wow.” She clutched my arm. “She never told me she had a twin. Bit of a shock that there, seeing my dead former assistant.”
Mya approached her. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to shock you like that. I’m Marla, and you are?”
“Cathy. I was your sister’s boss.”
“Thank you so much for coming, Cathy. My sister didn’t know many people. These are her friends, De—nny, Lawrence, and this is my brother Bernard.”
The other man wandered over. “And I’m Mya’s uncle,” he announced.
“No, you’re not,” Mya argued.
“I am.”
“I’m Mya’s twin sister and I’ve never met you before in my life.”
The man scratched his head. “Mya didn’t have a twin sister.”
“How do you explain me then, dumbass?” she snarled.
“Marla, keep calm,” I warned. We didn’t want her getting fangy.
“Look, I saw the Death notice in the paper, and my sister, Mya’s mum, sent me here to see if there was a will and if Mya had left anything behind.”
I closed my eyes. In a moment he was going to be drained. The look on Mya’s face was demonic.
“If you could step this way, I can furnish you with the details you need.” I sent a look to Mya which hopefully explained I was dealing with this.
But then, how was I going to do that? Bernard stepped in. “Let me handle this.”
“You’ve always liked stepping in and handling things of mine, haven’t you?” I snarled.
“You need to let the past go. It was years ago. Right now, my compulsion can make all of this go away and that’s what we need. So forget about our past and let me handle the present.”
I stepped aside and listened while Bernard did his thing, convincing Mya’s uncle that there was no money left and nothing worth returning for. The man left and Bernard moved back to my side.
“For what it’s worth, I apologise for stealing Aria, but I don’t regret it. We’re still happy.” He looked over at Mya. “And you’re looking at her in ways you never looked at Aria.”
“You’re still a dick.” I left him where he stood and walked back over to Mya, who was still comforting a shocked Cathy.
We watched the ceremony be conducted and Mya’s earth body be buried.
“I have a car arranged for us to go for a drink now to celebrate Mya’s life,” Lawrie explained. We all followed him off the land and into the massive town car.
“Where are we going?” Mya asked him.
“I thought The Olde Cheshire Cheese was fitting,” Lawrie smirked.
I had to grab Mya and try to hold her down. Luckily, Bernard had sat at her other side and was able to help. Cathy had sat next to the driver. Mya spoke to her. “So, Cathy. You worked with my sister. How was she?”
“She was amazing,” Cathy answered. “Really good at her job. Always on time. A model employee. The place won’t be the same without her and Jenny.”
“Jenny? Jenny left?”
“You knew Jenny?” Cathy was trying to look at Mya from her position in the front.
“Only that Mya had mentioned who she worked with.”
“I wish I’d known your sister better, but she was so quiet. She never mentioned siblings. So I’m sorry for how I reacted when I saw you.”
“That’s fine, but it was a bit rude of Jenny to leave when you were one short with my sister dying.”
“Oh she didn’t leave voluntarily. She’s missing. She didn’t come into work the next morning. It was a terrible day. You were dead and she didn’t turn up or ring in. It’s been very strange.”
Mya looked at me, and whispered, “What the hell?”
Mya
My brain felt like it was on a spin cycle. I was already pissed the hell off that my uncle, who I didn’t even know existed, had turned up on behalf of my money grabbing mother. She couldn’t even be bothered to turn up to see her only daughter buried. That really hurt. But she could send my uncle to see if there was any money to fund her gambling habit.
It was very tempting to go find them and drain the lot of them, but I guessed they’d taste pathetic and weak like the kind of humans they were.
Cathy had singlehandedly stopped me from feeling like my life as a human had been a complete bust. Though she’d only been a colleague, she’d told me how good a workmate I’d, well Mya, had been, and that made me feel happy. I’d loved that job.
But now, she’d dropped this statement that my brain couldn’t accept and told me more.
Jenny had gone missing and Human Resources were denying all knowledge of ever employing her. What the actual fuck?
I noticed that Lawrie was watching me and there was something shifty in his gaze. I remembered I could mind read if he dropped his guard. I dropped mine and tried to push at him.
I felt him let me in.
Do you know anything about Jenny?
I might, but right now I’m not at liberty to say. That’s for Jenny to tell you.
You’re a fucking arsehole. Is she a vampire? Was she there for me all along?
All in good time, daughter. Right now, let’s go have this drink. I sure could use one.
Is Death in on this? Does he know about Jenny?
Not a clue. Now, like I said, all will be revealed by Jenny herself, so you’re just going to have to sit tight because I’m putting my mind shields back up now.
And he did.
Bernard grabbed hold of my arm in the bar and asked to speak with me. He was tall, with short blonde hair and the pale skin of our kind. His eyes were bright blue and his lashes were long and black. I had no problems in talking to him at all, and if he’d been the one to want to drain me, rather than Lawrie, I might have said yes.
“Why don’t you use compulsion to help Cathy?” he suggested.
“Because this is what it’s like to be a human. She suffered the loss of a colleague and a mystery about another and you can’t just smooth that over with suggestion. Not for someone who needs to live the rest of her human life. She’ll adapt like humans do, and she’ll move on.”
“Humans are ridiculous. So much unnecessary suffering.”
I started to go right off Bernard.
“Thanks for pretending to be my brother and for being here today, Bernard.” I said his name the usual way just to piss him off.
“Not a problem. And it’s pronounced Bairnnaarrd.” He gave me a charming smile and then his gaze flitted to Death—who I noticed was glaring at us—and then back to me.
“Take care of him. I did him a favour, but he’s still pissed off about Aria.”