Abioye sat at his make-shift desk on the side of the highway as the cars zoomed by. Even at 75 miles per hour, not one piece of clothing or paper so much as stirred on him. However, Abioye sat eyes unfocused as he thought about that human woman. While her attention was briefly taken by the bus patrons he used the time to teleport out of her eyesight onto the roof of the building.

Still sucking his tea, he watched her look around confused. She stood there a few moments before she finally decided to leave but turned back at the last moment to pick up the cup. Her spilled bubble tea was drying up as she left. Abioye clearly saw the confusion on her face.

However, that was not his problem.

He refused to address what it meant that, she of all people, could see him. He looked at the golden ring on his finger. It obviously worked as no one else could see him but not for her.

He scowled. He had no patience to deal with this today so he teleported to the scene of the accident and set up his desk. However he still had about an hour to kill which made him think. And all he could think about was the woman.

Speaking of, who was that woman?

He didn’t even know her name.

No, he shouldn’t even be thinking about that.

“Am I late?”

Abioye lifted his pocket watch and reported, “Three minutes, Amondi.”

Amondi clapped once, “Great. I’m glad I could get away. I heard this is going to be huge.”

Abioye looked up at a woman who looked remarkably like him. Her eyes were flinty almost as if she was in a perpetual glare. Her mouth was shaped like a heart. Despite looking like an angel, he knew that his older sister could be a devil if she wanted to be. Like him, she had tightly curled dark hair, that she kept short. Aboiye could tell that Amondi had gotten dressed for this event, opting out of her dress she wore when she was in judgement and instead wore a black business suit, wide brimmed hat with combat boots. Also like him, she wore a gold septum piercing as well as huge golden hoop earrings.

Amondi grinned at him, a slight mania in her face as she rubbed her black gloved hands together, “I can hardly wait. The catastrophe and mayhem....”

“And I suppose helping me didn’t even cross your mind, huh?” Abioye inquired.

She waved her hand, “Not even in the slightest.”

Abioye rolled his eyes. He never understood why his sister revelled in the chaos that was human lives as if it was her own personal soap opera. If there was a big catosphotric event in the human world, she would be there. Not to help process souls but to watch.

Just then they heard a rumble of a truck over all the other rumbles. Abioye looked at his watch noting that it was right on time when she squealed, “Is that it? Are we starting?” she asked, taking a step forward.

“Hold on, I gotta get a better look”, she said and disappeared.

Abioye sighed unsurprised to see that his sister was riding next to the man. She waved her hand in his face. His eyes were drooping as the driver fought to keep them open. He shifted in his seat and blinked hard.

“Nighty-night…” she waved just as his eyes closed. He leaned over, turning the steering wheel, hitting the first car.

This impact jolted him awake as he struggled to control the truck but it was too late. It slammed into the highway divider and tipped over sliding a few feet taking cars with it, bursting into flames. The flames caught the tail of other cars on the other side of the highway sliding back and forth, crashing into each other.

Abioye watched expressionless as this chaos happened. A portal opened, people dressed in simple black dress suits with black hats began to pour out. He waved them towards the accident as he opened the book that sat before him.

And Aper brought the first man, the truck driver who looked dazed, over to Abioye’s desk.

Eerily, Abioye stared at him a moment before looking down and writing his name down with his feathered pen that was lying inside the book. “Joe Smith.”

Without a glance up, he waved him off and the Aper took him to the portal. Joe Smith stepped over into the blue swirling portal before the Aper returned to the scene for another soul.

“Woot! Did you see that? What a ride!” Amondi laughed standing on top of the truck that was in flames. But the flames did not touch her much less not burn her.

Abioye didn’t answer as another underling brought another soul. A nice line was beginning to form now and sirens could be heard in the distance. Thankfully it was quiet to Abioye as the souls were still dazed. This was common. Right after dying, souls were usually in a daze for a little while. Most of them didn’t begin to wake up until they were on the River of Remembrance. By that time, it wouldn’t be Abioye’s problem but Ayinde’s and his crew.

He looked up and for the third time in his life, he was startled. That woman from the cafe was standing before him in a daze.

She died in this accident?

“Sir, are you okay?” an Aper asked just as Amondi wandered back over. The fun of the chaos was gone now as far as she was concerned.

Amondi was intending on entering the portal herself, going back home, but the Apers' question gave her pause. With a raised eyebrow her gold eyes looked at Abioye pointedly, “What’s wrong, little brother?”

It was then she followed Abioye’s dazed look to the woman before him. She lifted her nose once before snapped her fingers in front of Abioye’s face making him snap out of his shock.

Let’s just continue his job. It wasn’t his problem. Shaking himself once, he gazed at her before writing down her name, “Maliah Anderson.”

Abioye waved his hand away and the Aper went to pull her to the portal but suddenly Maliah blinked as his soft murmur reached her ears. She absently began to move, rubbing her temples.

Amondi almost jumped a foot in the air, “How the devil…?”

Aboiye was able to control his shock this time. How was this soul able to wake up? This has never happened before. He watched her shake her head and finally looked at him. Her eyebrows furrowed as everyone was dumbfounded by her actions. Murmurs were beginning to be passed around the Apers.

“Do I know you?” she finally asked, gesturing to Abioye. Maliah couldn’t think at the moment but something teased her mind. But when she tried to chase it, it ran away.

Abioye turned away gesturing again, “Next…”

Maliah leaned forward trying to see his face, pressing her palms into the table, “I do know you.”

Abioye growled and barked, “I said next!”

The Aper finally moved, taking Maliah by the arm. She pulled away her eyes still on Abioye.

Amondi finally snapped out of it and looked at Maliah with narrow eyes. Maliah felt her stare and looked at her. The two women ended up glaring back at each other, sizing each other up.

Amondi finally sneered,“And how do you know my brother, little mortal?”

“Mortal?” Maliah blinked at the tall woman’s choice of words.

“Don’t change the subject!! Answer my question. What makes you think you know him?” Amondi asked jutting her chin towards Abioye who was steadily looking at the book in front of him.

Maliah opened her mouth but no sound came out. She furrowed her eyebrows making Amondi snort, “You claim you know him, yet you can’t tell me where you met? How did you meet? When did you meet?”

Maliah raised a hand to her temple, suddenly feeling dizzy at the woman’s rapid fire questions.

“Little mortal, trust me.” Amondi waved at her, “You are mistaken. Someone like you would never meet someone like us, unless it’s your time to go. Which...it clearly is.”

“What are you talking about?” Maliah asked, feeling confused. Her head was beginning to pound.

“You don’t even know where you are yet and you want to claim to know my little brother? Mortal, please. I know your kind is crazy but you are taking the cake right now.”

Abioye had enough and stood up and gave her a pointed look, “Amondi….”

Amondi glared, “What? Nothing I said was a lie. Little mortal thinking that she knows you. That’s impossible. She shouldn’t even be awake right now!” she growled stabbing a finger at Maliah, “No mortal can see us like this. In fact that only way that would even be a conversation if you….”

Amondi trailed off suddenly her face going slack. “If you…” she said dazedly looking back at Maliah.

Maliah swayed and suddenly found herself being held upright. She shook her head trying to clear the fog. Abioye mentally berated himself. Why did he catch her before she fell? Any of the Apers could have caught her. So why did he move fast enough around the desk only to have Maliah’s lean into his chest. His arm automatically came around around her and he glared at his arm as if it had done him wrong.

Maliah shook her head and looked up realizing she was leaning into something. Gold eyes bore down at her. And once again she couldn’t help but to be captured by his eyes even as his face was expressionless.

Amondi stumbled back once, “Not possible. She can’t be….your…..your…..”

Abioye quietly handed Maliah off to an Aper and waved his hand. Wordlessly, the underling took her through the portal. Maliah was too unsteady to question it.

Abioye finally turned to his big sister, “She’s not.”

And for the first time in many millennia, Amondi began to look panicked. She waved her hand in a manner that was undignified for her, “What other option is there! Has the contract appeared yet?”

Abioye gave a shrug, “I haven’t gone back to Mi’ol yet. I don’t know.”

Amondi was almost wringing her hands now, “Baba, was actually serious? Is he really going to do this to us?”

Abioye calmly took a seat, “Why are you concerned? I’m the one that has this mess to deal with.”

“Forget about you! What about me or Alimayu? You might be able to deal with it but not us. And now that you have found her, there is not telling when we will. Duh, no. I ain’t gonna have it!”

Abioye was a bit happy that Amondi was beginning to revert to anger rather than this panicness that she was displaying. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with a panicked sister.

However Abioye was getting annoyed with it all, “You think I am? Look, I still have souls to process and you aren’t helping me! And then I still have cases to deal with in my office that never ends. You honestly think I have time to deal with this crisis, much yours that hasn’t even happened yet!”

Amondi raised her hand a little at him, “Boy, don’t you raise your voice at me”, she snapped her fingers towards the book, “Finish processing! If you find a contract then let me know! I want to see it!”

“My contract doesn’t work for you. You haven’t even found yours yet.” Abioye said.

Amondi snorted, “Well, I can start planning before I do. You know that I would kill that boy if he ever appears in my sight. 

And Alimayu? He would just toss her into the River of Remembrance and be done with it.

You know he would.”