Of Blood and Downfall

Chapter 16.

Mavis's POV:

I cut the corner, readjusting the strap on my shoulder.

"No, no you had to see me. It was so embarrassing when I was asking where the coffee was, and the associate wasn't understanding."

"Remind me next time we go away together so I can see that." Sam jokes and I laugh at his response.

"No, it was so bad. I'm sure they were making fun of me." I wait until the cars pass to walk across the street but notice something from afar. Sam keeps talking about the incident I encountered at the grocery store I'm walking back to the apartment from.

Instead of going towards the apartment, I begin to cross the street when the cars stop at a red light and head towards the town square.

Unease settles in my stomach as I begin to walk closer.

"Mav?" Sam calls through the phone I've pulled away from my ear.

I reach the crowd of people standing in the center of the square where police cars have closed off the road.

Raising the phone to my ear, my voice is almost a whisper, "Sam, c-can I call you back?"

"Is everything okay?" He asks me, his response alerted.

"I don't know." I answer before hanging up. My phone vibrates with an immediate message, but I don't bother to look at it when I continue to wedge my way through people. Some are muttering to each other, and others are sniffling into used tissues.

The bag full of groceries on my shoulder gets heavy and my knees begin to buckle at the view. It's a memorial, covered with bouquets of flowers, plushie animals and photos.

Photos of Hansen.

I cover my mouth in utter shock, trying to understand when this happened. I only saw him two nights ago, the night I left him. Even though I left numerous of calls and messages...he never answered.

Now he's gone.

Karden's POV: 

Once I flip the page of the book I'm reading, a newspaper falls above it. Staring at the front headline, I read the print written in Norwegian. My eyes fall to the photo of Hansen, his eyes still and long gone to even look lively.

I slide the newspaper aside and close the book, "Unfortunate news. Another so young."

My voice is bitter, almost forgot how his blood tasted on the top of my tongue. It's unfortunate, the consequences given to Hansen but just another human to me. Another forgotten soul out of millions in the sea.

Glancing up, I find Issy's ferocious eyes glimmering down at me. We both turn to Damien giggling on the other side of the table. Although I sucker punched him at the bar, we made amends immediately after.

"Don't you find it weird that the guy friends with Mavis is dead?" Issy inquires and I lean back in my seat, delighted to have this conversation. 

I shake my head, "No, I actually don't. Maybe he fell into a trap with the vamps that many young humans do here."

The den echoes again with Damien's laugh, his hand places over his mouth. I sneer at him without making any expression hard enough for Issy to notice. Aiden sits to my right, indulging in this little useless conversation.

Issy locks eyes, her body hovering over the table to get a closer look at me. My brothers and I are bigger and stronger than Issy but there is always something in her eyes that burn with fire.