Of Blood and Downfall

Chapter 15.

As I continue to walk, my phone buzzes again with a message from Damien. It's a location to a bar from the town we were just in. I was expecting to return home but he tells me that Aria is very upset of my whereabouts.

    Don't worry, your secret is mine. Damien answers when I ask him if he told her anything.

    To not make things more difficult than it already is, I turn around and hurry back to town. I wouldn't mind taking the edge off or even distracting myself for a while. The street the bar is located on is packed with young humans and vampires alike.

    I smell my brother first then Aria and the others. Slipping through the crowd outside the door, I give the bouncer a nod and enter the dark bar. The stench of alcohol and sweat erupts my senses and I try my best to avoid it. As I search for my siblings and friends, I find them in the back by the VIP booths.

    The bouncer allows me in, and I find Aiden and Emilia sitting at one of the booths, a drink in their hand. They are laughing about something but I'm too focused onto the music to even hear what's so funny.

    Lou is leaned up on the wall with another female vampire, his charm persuading her to come home with him. The others from the group are sprawled out either side of the bar. Whether they're hounding down a human, dancing or ordering more drinks.

    Aiden sees me and his eyes light up with delight. Emilia waves at me and I slightly recognize her but swiftly turn to Aiden. No offense.

    "Where is Aria?" I ask him and his lips curl into a frown.

    "Trying to find anything that gives her attention. Although Damien found someone pretty righteous for her." I curl my hands into fists, and I whirl around to spot her in the overly crowded bar.

    I lift my head back and inhale deeply but all I smell in Mavis on me now. Growling, I hurry away from Aiden and Emilia because her scent isn't only on me. Entering the deep pits of the VIP section, vampires are feeding along humans privately.

    Wafting the smell of fresh blood makes my veins scrape like sandpaper. Although I killed the human in the morning, I'm thirsty for more.

    Cutting up the stairs and to the room, I hear my brother's laugh echo through the hall. Pushing one of the doors open, I find his mouth latched onto a human's arm. Aria is up on the human with her face nestled into his neck.

Jack, Damien's other friend is feeding from his other arm. My mouth instantly waters when a drop of crimson hits the ground. Aria pulls away from his neck and the human's face is revealed. My amused smile drops when I notice who it is.

The man Mavis was with earlier today. He is in and out of consciousness now, his head bobbing up and down from blood loss. Damien pries away and looks at me standing at the doorway. I glance at the bed but it's untouched.

"Karden, perfect timing." Damien announces while Aria and Jack turn too. Aria's face is smeared with blood, her smile death itself. "We will need to erase his memories." There's suspicion in his eyes because he knows who this man means to Mavis.

He set him up.

"Nice to see you show up." Aria adds grimily. "His name is Hansen...more like handsome. Have a bite." She extends his lifeless arm to me, and Jack holds him up by his chest.

I don't want to feed off him. I'd rather have him healed, forgotten and sent off home but now he's unnoticeable with all the blood staining his body. Damien watches curiously and I take a step forward.

Then I smell her again, not on me, barely on Damien but on Hansen. Her hair shampoo lingers on his shoulder and her perfume on his neck when they hugged. Aria pulls me with a tug of an arm, and she gags.