Capítulo 34: 34. Joana Trier

Farrah's face lit up with recognition as she turned to Cara. "That's the vampire chick I told you about."

"The one you said cried when she learned of my death?" Cara asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Which other vampire chick would it be? It's her. She must've heard you came back to life and came to see you," Farrah said.

"That must be it," Cara muttered, brushing down her rumpled uniform.

Lisa snorted, rolling her eyes. "Farrah, you told her the vampire cried? Jesus! Vampires don't cry. They're soulless creatures of the night. Nothing more, nothing less."

Cara didn't need to read Lisa's mind to know she held vampires in complete disdain. It was written all over her face.

Farrah shrugged defensively. "Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little, but that woman was devastated when she heard Cara died. I've never seen a vampire react like that."

"She's not a woman; she's a bloodsucking monster," Lisa snapped, her voice dripping with contempt. "And she shouldn't be here. I only came to inform Cara so she can get her to leave. Her kind isn't welcome here."

Cara raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp but measured. "Lisa, cool your jets. Last I checked, you're not the boss. You don't get to decide who's welcome and who isn't in this diner."

Lisa's glare faltered under Cara's words. She muttered something under her breath, picked up a customer's order, and left the kitchen, though her posture remained stiff with irritation.

Cara turned to Farrah, shaking her head. "Damn. Is she always like that?"

"Pretty much," Farrah replied, sighing. "She hates vampires more than any other supernatural creature. Honestly, she sees all of them as abominations, and she doesn't bother hiding it."

Cara folded her arms, her mind already piecing together the potential complications. 'Hmm. This could be a problem if she ever finds out that two of her colleagues are supernatural creatures.'

[Don't worry about her. She's inconsequential in the grand scheme of things,] Hagrit chimed in.

'Man, is it just me, or are you becoming more savage lately?' Cara thought back.

[Is that a bad thing?]

'I don't know yet.'

[Once you figure it out, let me know.]

Farrah's voice brought her back to the moment. "So, are you going to see her?"

Cara nodded, her determination solidifying. "Yes, I want to see her. I want to know her—and why she and I were friends before I died."

Without waiting for Farrah to add anything else, Cara strode out of the kitchen, her mind set. She didn't need any secondhand context or Farrah's embellished accounts. She'd get the answers straight from Joana herself.

—---

—----

As Cara stepped out of the kitchen, her eyes darted around, searching for table 10. Her chest tightened with anticipation as she crossed into the main dining area. Then, she saw her, a stunning woman with long black hair cascading over her shoulders, pale white skin that seemed to shimmer under the diner's fluorescent lights, and amber-colored eyes that gleamed with an almost hypnotic allure. She was dressed head-to-toe in black leather, exuding a magnetic yet chilling presence that seemed to freeze the air around her.

This must be the vampire chick. Joana Trier, Cara thought, her steps faltering for a brief moment.

It wasn't just Cara who noticed her. Every patron in the diner had their attention firmly fixed on Joana. The atmosphere buzzed with tension. Reading their minds, Cara detected a wave of hostility. Resentment, fear, and even outright hatred swirled around the room. Lisa wasn't wrong—she really isn't welcome here.

As Cara approached the table, their eyes locked. Joana held her gaze unflinchingly, her movements slow and deliberate as she raised a dark bottle labeled Real Blood to her lips. She sipped it with a calm indifference, as if she were impervious to the weight of the diner's judgment.

Cara forced herself to maintain her composure. "Good evening, ma'am. I heard you sent for me. How may I be of service to you this wonderful evening?" Her tone was professional, but her heart was racing.

Joana's amber eyes bore into her, studying her intently. Then, after a long pause, she said, "It's really you! Do you mind sitting down?"

Cara hesitated. "Ma'am, I'm still on the clock. I can't just sit with a customer."

Joana's lips curved into a faint smile, her voice smooth but firm. "Why are you calling me ma'am? I thought we'd moved past that, Cara." Her tone was persuasive, her eyes almost enchanting, as though they were pulling Cara into her orbit.

Cara blinked, shaking off the odd sensation. "Because I don't remember you. I lost my memories when I... resurrected." She noticed out of the corner of her eye that almost everyone in the diner was still watching them.

"Really?" Joana asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

"Yeah. I'm only here because my friend said you and I were close and... well, she mentioned you cried when you heard I died."

Joana chuckled softly, the sound low and melodic. "I was sad to hear that a human I knew—one with so much potential—had died. But crying? That's a stretch. I've seen far too many humans die to shed tears for any of them."

Cara's instincts told her Joana wasn't lying. Farrah definitely embellished that part.

"And why are you still standing?" Joana asked, her voice carrying an edge of authority that made Cara's skin prickle. There was something commanding in her tone that Cara felt compelled to obey, despite herself.

Reluctantly, Cara slid into the seat opposite her. She stared at Joana, her mind racing. I need to figure out how to get the upper hand here. She's dominating this interaction, and I don't like it.

She decided to try reading Joana's mind, hoping to uncover something, anything—that would give her some leverage. But as she focused, she hit a blank wall. Nothing came through.

'What's going on? Why can't I read her mind?'

[Sorry,] Hagrit's voice broke through her thoughts, sounding almost sheepish. [I forgot to mention—you can't read a vampire's mind. Their minds are dead.]

'Great. So how do I level the playing field? She's got all the power here.'

[You still have your lie-detecting ability. Use it wisely.]

Before Cara could respond to Hagrit, Joana leaned forward, her slender hand stretching across the table to touch Cara's. The coolness of her skin sent a shiver racing up Cara's spine.

"Are you trying to read my mind again?" Joana asked, her amber eyes piercing and intense.

Cara froze, her breath catching in her throat. It wasn't a question—it was a knowing statement. Joana's gaze pinned her in place, the weight of it unnerving yet impossible to look away from.