Of Blood and Downfall

Chapter 24.

Mavis's POV:

I wake in the middle of the night with a sudden headache. Reaching for the glass of water on the night table, I finish the rest but yearn for more. Waiting for my eyes to adjust, I check the time on my phone.

Only a few hours have passed but the sun hasn't risen yet.

Is it worth going out for more water? I stare at the empty glass and contemplate whether my curiosity is worth the wait—when everybody is awake—and I'm not going in circles in a mansion.

Alone.

Huffing out an exhausted groan, my feet touch the cold granite floor as I walk barefoot to the door. The hall is lit by lights attached to the walls, giving it an offsetting eerie vibe. Tapping my nail against the glass, I carry myself down the way I took to the dining room.

It's not dark—thankfully—but it's uncomfortably quiet. Every little noise or creak has me picking up my pace down the grand stairs. This is exactly where Issy found me after my interaction with Karden in his bedroom.

Peering through the kitchen doors, I see the light on but no workers. Relieved to be alone, I enter the large kitchen, large enough to be a kitchen in a restaurant. I wonder why they need all of this if vampires don't eat human food. Yet again, they throw big events so it's useful. As well as to feed the workers.

I spot a walk-in refrigerator cooler, but I know that's not where the water is.

Cutting around a half wall, there's a decent size refrigerator and when I open it, I find water.

"Thank god," I mutter to myself, pouring some in the glass. There's no way I'd find any medication for my headache, so I sit on a bench in the far end. Leaning elbows on the table and knotting fingers through my hair, I close my eyes.

I don't realize how close I am to falling asleep again until the door opens, and I jolt at the sudden noise.

The person whistling stops and when I brush my hair away from my face, I come face to face with Aiden. He looks as surprised as I am seeing him, an intrigued smile rising to his lips.

"Everything okay?" He asks me, placing a few empty glasses he is carrying on the large island in the center of the kitchen.

"Yes," I answer, turning around to face him. "I needed water."

Aiden comes closer, wearing a plain loose white shirt and pajama pants. His hair is surprisingly neat and he doesn't look like he woke up from slumber at all. His nose wrinkles and his eyes slowly trail down my body.

I'm not wearing anything exposing, a regular t-shirt and silk pants Issy got me from the store. Aiden inhales deeply and a curious smile on his lips makes it seem like he knows something.

"You've been keeping yourself occupied though." I furrow my brows at his comment until his smile turns into a sexy smirk and I squeeze my thighs together.

"Oh my—" I choke on air and begin to cough when he laughs. "You can-can smell that?"

Aiden sits on the end of the bench and rests his arm on the table. "Now I have to know who the lucky guy is."

How stupid can I be? Obviously, vampires can smell anything...even if someone is aroused. I shiver and suddenly, my cheeks flush red with embarrassment.

I shake my head, "What are you doing awake?"

Aiden senses the awkwardness of my body and when he finishes laughing, he takes the embarrassment in consideration and doesn't return to the subject.

"I got really sick from the soup." He shivers at the thought and gags. "And I can't sleep when Emilia isn't here." He admits, drawing circles over his thigh. Then he pauses and glances at me with sadness looming in his gaze. "She is my girlfriend."