Chương 35: 35. First Random Mission

"No, I am not doing any such thing. How could I possibly do that?" Cara said, her voice calm but laced with feigned ignorance.

Joana's lips curved into a slight smile. "You really *have* lost your memories. We've gone past this phase before, Cara. I'm a vampire, and you're a fairy. You read minds—it's in your nature. You can't help it. Although…" Joana tilted her head, her tone amused, "you can't read mine."

Cara hesitated before asking, "Did I tell you what I am?"

"You didn't have to," Joana replied smoothly. "Your scent gives you away. You smell like sunlight and wildflowers—it's unmistakable. So, tell me, how was the afterlife? Was it fun?"

"It's all a blur right now," Cara admitted, her tone softening. "But I remember it being bright and peaceful." The memory, though faint, lingered in her mind like a fleeting dream.

"Bright and peaceful," Joana repeated, arching a delicate brow. "Sounds boring."

"Well, I didn't stay long enough to find out if it was," Cara shot back, her voice carrying a hint of defiance.

Before Joana could respond, Jackie approached their table, her movements stiff with unease. "Excuse me, ma'am," she said, addressing Joana but clearly speaking for Cara's benefit. "You can't keep my waitress here when she's still on the clock."

Jackie looked like she wanted to say more, but Joana interrupted her with a calm yet pointed tone. "Jackie, is it? Your name's Jackie?"

Jackie blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Yes, my name is Jackie," she said, her voice uncertain but firm.

Joana's smile returned, cold yet disarmingly polite. "Jackie, it's not very professional to interrupt a customer who's placing an order. What kind of example does that set for your staff?" She casually picked up the menu in front of her, though it was clear she had no intention of eating anything listed.

Jackie hesitated, her confidence wavering under Joana's unrelenting stare. "I… I just thought she'd been sitting here for quite a while. We have other customers to attend to," she managed, her tone losing some of its earlier edge.

Cara didn't need to read Jackie's mind to know her concern wasn't about the other customers. Jackie didn't care if Cara was delayed; she cared that Cara was talking to the vampire. She was being protective of the woman she kissed earlier that day. If it had been any other waitress, Jackie wouldn't have said a word.

Joana, sensing the tension, glanced around at the supposed "customers" Jackie had mentioned. Some of them were openly staring at Joana, their curiosity betraying them. She turned back to Jackie, her expression unreadable. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll be done with your waitress. Oh, and by the way, you really shouldn't let customers bring their pets into the diner. It smells like a kennel and a zoo in here."

Jackie's face twisted in confusion, then mild shock. "There aren't any pets here," she replied quickly.

Joana's tone turned sharper, though her smile remained. "Then maybe someone smells like that. Maybe someone close by."

Cara felt Jackie's thoughts shift suddenly, becoming fragmented and quick, like flashes of static. It was a sensation Cara recognized, similar to when she tried to read Doctor Elwes' mind. She is definitely panicking and shielding herself, Cara thought.

Jackie seemed to regain her composure. "Fine," she said tersely. "I'll give you a few minutes. But after that, we need all hands on deck." She turned and walked away, her posture tense.

As soon as Jackie was out of earshot, Joana leaned back, her smile turning sly. "You know that mutt wants you, right?" She tilted her head toward Jackie's retreating figure. "She craves you the way a vampire craves fresh blood."

"Mutt?" Cara repeated, startled. "What does she mean by that?"

[She's implying Jackie's a mixed-breed dog,] Hagrit chimed in dryly.

'I know what a mutt is. I'm just trying to figure out why she's calling her that.'

[You'll find out soon enough.]

Cara shook off the thought, her focus returning to Joana. "It seems I don't have much time here," Joana said, her tone shifting to something more serious. "Normally, we'd meet outside the diner, but I came here hoping you'd tell me something. What did you find out about the Temp-V dealers you were investigating before you died?"

Cara blinked, momentarily thrown. Temp-V dealers? The words stirred something in the back of her mind, a half-formed memory, fragmented and elusive.

Joana's sharp gaze softened, but only slightly. "You were close to something, Cara. Something big. I need to know what it was."

'So, that's what she was investigating?' Cara thought, her mind racing.

[It seems so. And I'm guessing your stepfather is tied to this somehow,] Hagrit chimed in.

'That would explain a lot—especially his relationship with the Scott brothers. They're obviously his distribution chain,' Cara mused.

[Damn! Your mind works fast.]

'Thanks for the compliment.'

Cara kept her expression neutral. "I don't remember," she lied.

At that moment, the Scott brothers strolled into the diner, their presence immediately shifting the atmosphere. Their eyes landed on Joana and Cara, their thinly veiled hatred for Joana practically radiating off them. Victor, the eldest brother, was already imagining ways to kill Joana, his thoughts as transparent to Cara as if he'd spoken them aloud.

Cara smirked, unable to help herself. Idiots. They actually think they can take on a vampire.

Joana noticed her smile and frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's nothing," Cara replied quickly, trying to suppress her amusement.

Not wanting Joana to focus too much on her reaction, Cara attempted to shift the conversation. "Look, I'm sorry, but anything from my life before I died? It's a blank slate. I wish I remembered."

Joana leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "Do you really think I'm buying this 'I don't remember' act? Let me remind you—I can also detect lies. Every time you claim you don't remember, I know you're not being entirely honest with me. Why is that?"

Cara's pulse quickened, but she maintained her composure. "I don't know what you're talking about, and frankly, I don't feel like continuing this conversation. Goodbye," she said, rising abruptly.

Without sparing Joana another glance, Cara strode toward the kitchen, her thoughts a tangled mess. 'Jesus, I hate her. She's hot, but excessively domineering. Acting like she owns the place.'

[Say the truth—you hate her because you can't manipulate her.]

'I'm the predator, Hagrit, not the prey,' Cara shot back.

Later, as the evening wound down, Cara and Farrah were tidying up, preparing to leave for the night. The diner was nearly empty, the bustle of the day finally quieting.

Suddenly, a message buzzed through Cara's mind.

[The goddess has a mission for you right now.]

What mission? Cara asked, already dreading the answer.

[This is one of those random missions I told you about. You're to save Joana Trier. Her life is in danger.]

'No. Absolutely not. She's a vampire, for crying out loud, she can handle herself.'

[Not tonight she can't. She needs your help now.]

Cara clenched her fists, frustrated. Fuck!