“Where would you go?” Mariella asked.
“The French Riviera might be nice,” Seth said.
“That changes nothing,” Mariella told him, shaking her head.
“I don’t know. England?” Seth suggested.
“No. He finds you there.”
“Eh...Berlin?”
“Definitely not,” Mariella said quickly.
“Italy?” Seth asked, and Jenny gave him a little scowl, which he didn’t notice.
“No...no....Wherever you go, he finds you. This cannot be avoided.” She continued gazing at Seth, and continued holding his hand.
Jenny felt suspicious. This would be the trick, convincing them that they had to move in order to be safe. Then the girl would conveniently know exactly where they needed to go. Jenny couldn’t imagine her motivation, but if it was a scam, that had to be her intent. Mariella would want the two of them to go somewhere with her, she suspected.
“Then what do I do?” Seth asked. “Stock up on guns and ammo?”
“That would likely lead to your death,” Mariella replied.
“If anyone comes for Seth, I’ll just pox the shit out of them,” Jenny said, staring hard at Mariella. “Where am I in all of this?”
Mariella closed her eyes, gripping Seth’s hand tight. Her brow furrowed. After a long minute, she sighed.
“I can’t see you at all,” Mariella said. “Jenny...it’s like you’re not even there.”
“Where am I?” Jenny asked. “Can you ask, um, future Seth?”
“It’s not that.” Mariella opened her eyes. “I can’t see your future at all. Perhaps because I cannot touch you. Pain and death, you said.”
“Yep,” Jenny told her. “Pain and death. Fast, too.” Jenny noted that Mariella was still holding Seth’s hand. “Let me ask you something. You have a big family in Milan. Tomorrow’s Christmas. Why aren’t you home?”
“Oh, no. Like you say...a very big family. With too much drama this year.” Mariella shook her head. “I thought I would spend Christmas in Paris. Then I thought of you, Jenny...I wondered if you might be alone on Christmas, too.” She looked from Jenny to Seth. “I was wrong.”
“You’re going to be alone tomorrow?” Seth asked. Jenny frowned, thinking I’m going to kill him if he invites her— “You could come here if you want. Jenny’s making some French dish with a duck. Then I’m going to heal the duck back to life and let it fly around our apartment.”
“That’s really sick,” Jenny said.
Mariella looked at Jenny, then down at the floor. “I don’t want to get in the way.”
Now Jenny started feeling bad for the girl. If she was telling the truth, she was lonely, she’d only just found the only people in the world who were like her, and they were basically rejecting her. Or Jenny was, anyway. She thought of her dad back home, having Christmas without her, and felt a little sad. She wondered how Rocky was doing. The last time she’d seen her dog, he was much more comfortable around people, much less frightened. That could be dangerous, if Jenny ever saw him again. Which, she reminded herself, she probably wouldn’t. She nearly burst into tears, thinking about her father...the stupid pregnancy hormones striking again.
“Just come, if you want to,” Jenny said. “There’s going to be too much food, anyway.”
“You don’t have to invite me over,” Mariella said.
“Seriously,” Jenny said. “I want you here. Freaks like us should stick together, when we’re not too busy trying to kill each other.” Jenny sighed to herself. Even if the girl was deceiving them about anything, it was better to keep an eye on her until Jenny could figure out what she wanted. Friends close, enemies closer, Jenny thought.
Besides, Jenny thought she was beginning to remember this girl from their last life. Keeping her around would clarify those memories.
“Who wants eggnog?” Seth asked.
* * *
Later, after Mariella had gone home, Jenny lay awake in bed. She still couldn’t be sure whether she’d made a new friend or met a new enemy, and it worried her. Even if the girl was telling the truth, that meant Seth was in danger, while Jenny’s fate, and that of the baby growing inside her, remained unknown.
“I think I remember her,” Jenny whispered.
“Her?” Seth asked, his eyes opening easily. He hadn’t been asleep, but he’d been trying, or maybe faking to avoid Jenny’s inevitable teasing about the other girl. Jenny was holding that in reserve for now, though.
“Mariella,” Jenny said, as if he didn’t know who she’d meant. “I think she was in our last life. Maybe there’s unfinished business.”