Page 150 of My Undead Love Life

Sofia watched from behind the glass with her hands folded behind her back, expression clinical and unreadable.

Finally, Luck got the sock off and stood up, careful not to put weight on one leg.

“Stand still,” she instructed, completely unfazed. “Arms slightly away from your sides. Eyes closed when the mist begins.”

Sofia tapped the panel. “Mist starting now.”

The box with our clothes sealed shut with a hiss. A second later, mist sprayed down from the ceiling.

I flinched. It was cool, but nowhere near as cold as outside. Still, my whole body shivered violently as it coated my skin. It smelled faintly medicinal, not quite alcohol or soap, but it was something close. The droplets settled over my hair, shoulders, arms, and legs, and for one horrible second, every old fear of infection and contamination crawled over me. I breathed through it.

“Relax,” Sofia’s voice came through the speaker again. “It won’t melt your skin off. Probably.”

“Probably?” Luck snapped, eyes squeezed shut.

A beat of silence passed.

“I’m kidding, of course. I do this every time I leave. It’s perfectly safe.”

“Every time you leave?” Keith asked, eyes still closed.

“Yes.”

“How often is that?”

“Almost never.”

Luck made another strangled sound. “Comforting.”

Warm air followed the mist. It blew from vents along the walls and ceiling. It pushed the dampness from my skin and hair, and I nearly sagged with enjoyment from it. I hadn’t felt air like that in months. It was heated.

A soft chime sounded.

“Turn once,” Sofia instructed.

We turned. Luck wobbled.

Oxi caught his elbow. “How graceful.”

“I’m naked, freezing, disinfected, and being judged by cameras. This is not my performance peak.”

“I hope not,” Sofia snorted.

Luck pointed blindly toward the glass. “I heard that.”

“You were meant to.”

Another chime. The air stopped. The bin opened again with a smooth mechanical hiss, and what waited inside were our clothes.

Warm.

Clean.

Dry.

For a moment, I just stared.

My coat looked almost new. My scarf had softened. My gloves were no longer stiff with ice and sweat and old blood. The smell of rot and snow and warehouse dust was gone, replaced by a faint clean scent that made my chest ache.