Of Blood and Downfall

Chapter 22.

Mavis's POV:

Using the door for support, I grip onto my chest as my heart thuds against my ribs. Closing my eyes, I exhale a slow breath from my parted lips.

"Douchebag." I whisper breathlessly, pushing myself off the door and walking down the hallway.

I'm not insane, he was going to kiss me. I watched as he closed his eyes and leaned in so close to my face, every muscle is my body loosened and I was near collapsing. And I was going to let him...before the final instinct in my brain alerted me.

Going down a grand staircase as smooth as white granite, I reach the bottom of a large foyer with beautiful, enormous French doors. The doors remind me of the main doors of the mansion, the ones that I watched people go in and out from the night of the party.

"Mavis!" I turn to my left and find Issy jogging to me. She's wearing a fitted black dress and sandals. Her eyes are full of worry when she wraps her arm around my neck and yanks me in a hug. "Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

When I pull away, I run a faint hand along the arm that carries the wound. Issy glances down and her relieved smile falls into a frown.

"I'm okay." I tell her gently, glancing up at the top of the stairs where it leads to a balcony. It's almost like a body was there, just watching us not long ago. I shake out of it when Issy hugs me again.

"I'm so sorry. It won't happen again. I'm so glad you're okay."

"It's okay, Issy. I'm just hungry that's all." I stand still when she deeply inhales along my bare shoulder. I shiver when her breath touches my skin, and she stays there for a moment. A part of me fears she's going to bite me.

"Did you bump into Karden?" She asks before stepping away from me again.

I shrug, "Yeah, I spoke to him not long ago."

"Did he say anything?" I've never seen her eyes so wide, they're about to fall out of their sockets. Yet, I shake my head and look confused.

"No, he only apologized for what happened." Her shoulders sag in relief.

"Thank goodness."

I try to chime back in, wanting to ask the same question I wanted to ask Karden. "Issy, I have a—"

"I've been avoiding him all day but I'm not looking forward to seeing him during dinner." She finishes but then hesitates when I give her a look. "What?"

"What happened to that man yesterday? He completely disappeared." I remind her, watching as she glances at the ground and looks around with discomfort.

Then she comes back to me as though she forgot I am present. Grabbing my arm, she pulls me to the side and under the stairs where there's a small nook with an ottoman.

"You can't say anything." She informs me hoarsely. "Don't bring it up." It's almost a plea, something she's trying not to expose.

With wide eyes, I shiver, feeling the man's arms around me before they disintegrated into sand in the air. Stiffening a lip, I nod over and over again.

"Will you tell soon enough?" She gives me one good look before running a stressful hand through her long, black hair.

"Someday, sure." It's not a promise but I let it be. I drop the conversation when she reaches behind my shoulder, makes me walk beside her and down a narrow hall that leads us to a kitchen. It smells delicious as we maneuver our way through chefs cooking something good.

Through another door, we enter the dining room that has a long, dining table and tall, wooden chairs all around it. Sitting across from each other is Aiden and Damien. At one head is a man—their father—and on the other side is a woman about the same age as him.