CHAPTER 24

AVA CLARKE

Inside my best friend's car, I am filled with thousands of questions swirling around in my head, many of which still lack answers.

I confided in Lucius about what happened to me, and he acted as if he didn't want to tell me that his family is known for killing a vampire a long time ago. I know it was other members of his family who did it, but I can't stop thinking about it.

Maybe he just didn't want to scare me; maybe he thought it wasn't a good idea to tell his daughter's nanny that there might be vampires in this town and that his family had influence in that story.

After some time driving, Sophia drops me off in front of the mansion, and I quickly bid her farewell before looking at the grand house before me. I sigh and look at the plant Mary gave me. I still don't know where I'm going to plant it, but I think putting it in a small pot in my room might help.

Furthermore, I push the gate of the house before walking towards the front door, and I can hear voices at this moment. I turn my head to see Lucius talking to Damien about something, and now they're both looking at me.

"Ava, you're here! I thought something had happened to you again...", Lucius says, getting up from the couch with a relieved expression on his face.

I see the exact moment his green eyes fixate on the verbena flowers I'm holding. Furthermore, I didn't want him to see that, but there's no other way to go to my room without them seeing it.

Lucius continues to look at me with a mixture of confusion as I can hear Damien's laughter, and I can feel the irritation growing inside me.

"Stop it, Damien!", Lucius reprimands his brother quickly in a very serious tone, as I remain silent before Lucius.

"Well, I see you're believing in vampires now. Don't worry, this is the safest place for you to be in this whole city, Ava.", Lucius says determinedly, and I nod my head quickly.

"Well, it's late, so I'm going to my room.", I say, and he agrees.

"That's a beautiful necklace, Ava.", he says, and I look at the necklace around my neck.

"Yes, thank you."

I quickly start climbing the stairs of the mansion, hearing them still talking as I walk quickly to my room. I sigh when I close the door behind me before turning on the bedroom light and looking at the space before me. Furthermore, I didn't see Elara, and I'm sure she's already sleeping at this time.

I blink my eyes, feeling the tiredness on my shoulders as I take off my shoes and walk through the room to the window, seeing that the curtains are open.

I furrow my brow, looking at the landscape outside the mansion, and I shiver as I remember that creature I saw in the dark street that was chasing me.

Now it's night, and I raise my head, able to see the stars in the sky, and I bite my lips as I remember every word Mary said to me about the possibility of vampires being in this town again.

Thinking that vampires might be in this town should make me very afraid, and I'd probably be in a taxi right now with my bags heading to the airport to go back to my aunt and uncle's. But I don't have that desire right now.

Thinking about vampires really scares me, but I came to this place with a very important goal, and I'm not going to let anything interfere with my plans.

I look at the verbena flowers in my hands before seeing a small jar next to my bedroom window with some kind of green plant. I look at the door of my room before kneeling on the floor and starting to remove the other plant from the pot, not caring about getting my hands dirty with the wet soil.

Furthermore, I quickly plant the verbena flowers before putting the pot back on my window sill, sitting on the bed, raising my arms, and starting to prepare for a hot bath.

The day of the ball at this mansion is coming, and I need to be prepared to dance perfectly, and thinking about dancing with Lucius makes me anxious and a little nervous.

A smile appears on my lips as I imagine this scene happening before me and having him dance with me while the whole city watches us.

Oh, god.

I quickly remember that I still don't have a dress for the ball, and I completely forgot about this important detail while I was at Mary's.

I need to buy a dress before all the best dresses are sold out before the ball. Furthermore, I sigh again, heading to the bathroom for a long bath that relieves the tension in every part of my body.

I feel much better when I leave the bathroom with my wet hair and my comfortable pajamas.

I can hear the sound of my stomach, and I haven't had dinner yet. Furthermore, I look at the time on my phone, seeing that maybe everyone is already asleep at this time, and it would be perfect to go to the kitchen to eat something without anyone seeing me like this.

I quietly slide out of my room, my soft steps echoing through the long, dark corridor of the mansion. The night progresses, and the clock marks a time when most people would already be deep in slumber.

I feel hunger starting to take over my body, a sensation that leads me to descend the stairs from the living room, barefoot and cautious.

As my feet touch the cold steps of the stairs, I can't help but wonder if Lucius and Damien are already asleep. The mansion is enveloped in a deep silence, only interrupted by the muffled sound of my own steps.

I reach the kitchen, where the refrigerator stands out like a beacon in the darkness. With a sigh of relief, I open the door and take out some eggs and bacon, simple ingredients to satisfy my voracious appetite.

With the ingredients in hand, I turn on a single light in the kitchen, preferring to keep the rest of the house shrouded in darkness. I tie my wet hair in a messy bun before starting to prepare my improvised meal.

I lift my head to make sure I'm alone and that I won't have to encounter Damien in a scary way again, and I sigh with relief when I realize that I'm still alone in the large kitchen.