★AZRAEL★
The thirst that dragged me out of sleep that night was unlike anything I had felt before. Not the usual slow crawl of it building through the dark hours — this was immediate and total, a fist closing around my throat the moment my eyes opened.
Head pounding. Heart going too fast. I got out of bed carefully, made sure I hadn't disturbed her, and left the room.
It took longer than it should have to reach the study. My legs were not entirely cooperative, and I had to put my hand to the wall twice in the corridor. When I finally got the cellar open and pulled out a vial, I drank it in one go and reached for another before the first had fully settled. Then a third. Then a fourth.
I slid down the wall and sat on the floor, back against the stone, eyes closed.
The thirst dulled to something manageable. Not gone — never entirely gone — but quiet enough that I could think.
