I step out of the shower, a towel clinging to me, and immediately get that familiar, crawling sensation—the one that makes your skin prickle even when you know you're alone. I hug the towel tighter around my body. Beneath it, I'm practically bare.
I creep toward the door and lock it, my fingers trembling slightly. Mom left a few minutes ago after some long, droning speech about bonding and...yeah I can't even remember. That woman could raise my blood pressure just by breathing in the same room. I don't know why I let her guilt-trip me into seeing her. Some wounds don't heal, no matter how many years pass.
I flop onto the bed, burying my face into the pillow, trying to shut out the lingering sense of being watched. Out of habit, I grab my phone. FaceTime. Jenny. I haven't heard her voice in ages, and maybe, just maybe, hearing something normal will stop my head from spinning.
The line rings twice. Three. Four. She picks up, but there are some...sounds, but I ignore it.
"Heyyy, girl," I start.
H-h-hi… how are you d-doing?" She stammers, her breathy voice making my nerves prickle.
"Jen, are you okay? You're stammering… and why are you holding your phone like that? I want to see your face, not the ceiling," I say.
"I… uh… I'm doing something. And… uh—are you in a towel?" Her words twist strangely, and my stomach clenches. The way she says it… it almost sounds like a moan. Gross. Stop thinking that way, Ava.
"Uh… yeah. I just finished showering. And guess what? Mom had all these lavender shampoos and grape conditioners waiting. Not sure if that's her idea of bonding i guess...kinda icky, right?" I sit up, tightening the towel around me.
I keep going, showing her around my room. "And the room? She decorated it all in purple, my favorite color. I hate that I like it. And look at this teddy," I hold up the enormous purple bear.
"Hmmmm… that's… wow," she says, it sounds like she is trying so hard not to make noise.
Im about to comment on that when I hear it, a low groan, muffled but unmistakable.
My blood runs cold. A man.
"Jenniferrrrr! Are you… what the actual fuck?" I hiss.
"Can I call you later? Uh.. Hmmm… uh…" She stammers again, and the line goes dead.
I stare at my phone, horrified. She actually answered me while… busy with a man? Gross. I toss the phone onto the bed and try to block it from my mind. My stomach twists, and I dig through my luggage for a silk nightgown, needing some comfort, some armor against my own thoughts as the sensation of being watched prickled across my skin, like someone was following my every move..
I decide I need air. Eight o'clock. I dont expect people to be asleep but they cant be in the living room either, right? I slip on slippers and wander through the mansion. The marble floors echo under my steps. Shadows stretching across the walls, long and cold, and every corridor seems to drag on forever. I look over my shoulder to check if no one's around.
Turning a corner toward the kitchen, I bump into something hard.
"Ah!" I yelp. Kade stands there, arms crossed, eyes drilling into me like he can read my every thought.
"Just where do you think you're going?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Just who do you think you are to ask me that?" I snap.
He narrows his eyes, lips pressing into a thin line. Silence stretches between us, thick enough to taste.
I roll my eyes, muttering, "You don't intimidate me with those mismatched eyes of yours, weirdo," and step past him toward the fridge.
Nothing. Not a single sandwich. I groan. "Wow. Huge mansion, maze-like gardens, fountains, priceless art… and not a single fucking sandwich? Ironic, really."
A hand moves behind me, sliding the fridge open wider. His breath brushes my neck, close enough to send chills down my spine. Personal space doesn't seem to exist around him.
"Idiot," he says with that deep voice of his that still mskes my knees go weak for some reason. It is calm, low, deliberate. "We've got bread, ham, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, and mayo. While you over here...you've got hands and energy. Use them. Don't waste all that sweet energy and time talking to yourself like the idiot you portray yourself to be."
I jab him lightly with my elbow, glaring. "If you don't watch your mouth, I swear I will—"
"You will what?" His eyes bore into mine, sharp and unflinching. I freeze, heart racing. The air between us feels electric, tight, almost suffocating. His lips...no, why am I looking at his lips?
From behind him, a familiar voice cuts through the tension. "Yo, bro, you coming or… oh, hi step-sis. Bonding time with old man Kade here?" Eli smacks Kade on the back.
"I'm taking Kade for the night," Eli says, rubbing the back of his neck, its as if...out of habit. "You two can bond tomorrow. We have something important to handle."
I watch Eli drag Kade away, the tension still buzzing in my chest. Something about this mansion feels… off. The smiles, the laughter, the flawless order of everything. Not to mention Eli's perfect smile...it feels...weird. Wrong.
I end up grabbing an apple, because well...im lazy, and wander aimlessly, letting curiosity guide me.
A hallway I haven't explored before beckons. It smells faintly of antiseptic, overlaid with lavender. Paintings, awards, neatly stacked books line the walls. A slightly ajar door catches my eye. I push it open just a crack. Inside is a small office. Medical supplies peek from behind a cabinet. Pills, prescriptions, organized folders with my mother's name on them. But most of these things are written in a language i dont think even exist. 'Unless they are written in codes? But why?'
Weird.
I step out quietly, my mind whirling.
As I make my way back toward the main corridor, another door is left ajar.
"…her behavior towards her mom is going to be an issue," a voice says from the room, it makes me pause.
I can't make up of the conversation but it sounds like they are talking about me...
I try to listen, pressing my ear against the door.
"...what about the clan?..."
"....heirloom..."
" ...we need to retain the stolen grimoire..."
"...she's the doppelganger, she might have the cursed amulet..."
"...the noblesse..." "...it's from the bloodline witches..."
"Ava! What are you doing?"
I spin around, startled, and come face-to-face with little Lilly. Her eyes are wide with curiosity, and in that moment, my heart jumps again. I didn't even hear her approach.
"Yeah, Ava. What are you doing?" Kelvin says, with a frown on his face.
He continues, "There has to be a possibly good explanation for this, Ava"