entity as myself. So the amazingly pure and the downright evil were the only ones whose presences I felt.
I returned home and ran a bath. It was part of my ritual after being among the newly released spirits. I would smudge white sage in the bathroom to cleanse the air and scrub myself with a recipe of Himalayan Pink Salt and cedarwood oil.
After this I would have a regular shower to smell less like an essential oils sample.
Usually after a shower, I would switch on the laptop and work on some dispatching reports, but I found myself wrapping myself in a robe, lying on my bed (after taking the dusty duvet off and putting it on the floor), and wondering how Mya was getting on with Lawrie. This was bad. She’d not even been here a day yet and I could feel the effects of her residence. I was supposed to do this gig solo, and the Queen do hers, but I just couldn’t quit thinking about what plans she might have for the house. What new policies with the spirits she’d put in place, and how there might be less noise in the future. It was like Mya was taking away a blindness I’d been carrying without realising. One that had me accept things as they were, without change.
And though I was excited for the new broom sweeping clean, I couldn’t help but worry that no good could come of this for me.
Because in an immortal life, the new would soon get old for Mya Malone, and then who knew what she’d do.
Mya
I was secretly glad that Lawrie couldn’t think of anything worse than shopping. I’d make him pay for asking me on a date in order to try to kill me.
“Okay, so what problems are you having as a new vampire? Unquenchable thirst?”
I shook my head. “Nope, had my morning’s supply and I feel fine so far.”
He went into his pocket and pulled out some tablets. “These are dried blood.” He tore two off the strip. “Keep these in your handbag or purse and if you were to become hungry, each one gives you about an hour’s reprieve from feeding.”
“Is that so I don’t drain the neighbours?” I joked.
“Oh you won’t drain the residents of Gnarly Fell. Do you know anything about your new home?” he asked as we walked towards a tree-lined boulevard, where a sign hung overhead.
Welcome to Gnarly Fell
“Its name,” I admitted.
Lawrie sighed. “To live here you usually have to apply for a residency. As you technically live just outside the border and there are different rules for the Wayward house, ie the empty position of queen to be chosen by Death, they didn’t get a say on your appointment. So they’ll be wary.”
“That’s fair enough. Carry on. What else?”
“Other supes can visit, but rarely do, because we all tend to have our own places to reside. For instance, the Letwine vampires are based in Chelsea. We like to be able to give into our most base desires and frankly Gnarly is dull as all fuck.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a second-hand clothes store, a cocktail bar, a cupcake café, an all you can eat buffet, and so it goes on. Like I said, dull.”
“But there are boutiques, right, and places to buy furniture and paint etc?”
“There’s a hardware store and there’s the second-hand shop, which also sells furniture.”
“Sounds like it’s a good job Death is giving me internet access then.” I sighed.
“Maybe, but if you’re not seen as re-using and recycling, you’ll be painted as a villain by the do-gooders.”
“If this place is as bad as you say, I am going to blame you for everything, because you started this. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”
“Your time was up. If it wasn’t due to me, something else would have befallen you. So what’s on the list then today?”
“I need to sort out either a vacuum cleaner or a maid, and some clothes. That will do for starters.”
“How about I take you for a cupcake, talk to you some more about your vampirism and then I leave you to it?”
“Okay, though I don’t think I can sit on their seats with my butt caked in dried mud.” My travel had dried it but much of it still clung to my arse.
Lawrie’s hand hit my butt at speed and knocked it all away. His hand moved fast. I bet tossing himself off was a blast.
“Ask before you touch my butt again, but thanks.”
We walked