The Next Heir (Book 2)

Chapter 11

Ava POV:

It's been a few days since my mom let Val and her mom stay in the castle, and it has been amazing having Val around. Even when she was around almost every day and we did everything together, this time it felt like I had a real sister, and I wasn't the only kid in the castle anymore.

Now everyone in our country knows that Val stays in the castle with us, and different kinds of rumors are going around about why she is staying with us, but we don't let them bother us and we don't answer them.

The only time I did something about a rumor was when one of the bullies in school made Val cry about something she said about Val's family. I broke the girl's nose and knocked out a few of her teeth.

My mom was angry with me when I got home because the school called her and now, I'm not allowed to leave the castle whenever I want or go out with Val for a few weeks.

She's also making me help around the castle more as a punishment.

I love helping around the castle when I can, but this time I'm not allowed to use my vampire speed to help, so everything feels like it's going slow around here.

Right now, me and Val is sitting in my room talking about the girl I beat up at school.

"I still can't believe you did that."

"Me either, and mom is really angry at me, she said I could have killed her, but I still feel like I did the right thing."

Val got quiet in the middle of us talking and I can tell there is something she wants to ask me.

"Is momma Vixen sure it's okay for us to be here?"

"Yes, if she didn't want you here you know she would have figured something else out, why are you asking?"

"She talks to me and makes sure I have everything I need, but when it comes to my mom...she avoids her as best as she can and makes sure one of the helpers is giving her everything."

"I've noticed that as well, but whenever I ask her about it, she just says she's too busy and that's why the help is there."

I thought I was the only one who noticed how my mom has been acting around Ms. Jankins, but now I know I'm not the only one who picked up on it.

I left the room without telling Val, using my speed to get to my mom's office. I could hear that she was on the phone, but I still walked in, closing the door behind me and waiting for her to finish on the phone.

She looked up at me and ended the call telling me to have a seat in front of her desk.

"What's on your mind, Princess?"

Before speaking I stared at her taking everything in about her. I may not be her daughter through blood, but my personality was just like hers.

"Is everything okay with you mom?"

She stared back at me, I'm sure wondering why I keep asking her that, but one of the abilities that came with my vampire side, is that I can pick up on feelings and break them down to the point I know what feeling is the strongest.

The feelings I was getting from her were worried, sadness, love, and happiness but the one that stood out the most was sadness, and I was worried that she was starting to fall back into depression.

"I'm okay Princess, just a lot of work that needs to be done for the new buildings I'm having put up."

Part of that was true, but I knew there was something else she wasn't telling me.

"Mom, why have you been avoiding Ms. Jankins?"

"I-I'm not avoiding her...I have just been busy."

She stuttered, she never does that, so I knew she was hiding something from me.

"Why are you lying to me, Mom? We never lie to each other."

She let out a deep sigh, and when she opened her eyes, I was able to feel every true feeling she was feeling at that moment.

It was becoming too much, and I could feel myself on the break of tears just from her feelings.

I always wanted to know how she was able to hide her feelings from my abilities, but that wasn't the focus now.

It's been a few times that I saw her cry or even a tear leave her eyes, and this was one of those moments. The pain that looked back at me from her eyes made my own heart feel like it was breaking.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you what is going on with me, but I don't know how to do it yet...or maybe it's that I can't accept what has happened."

I didn't think that last part was for me to hear, but with my vampire hearing it's hard for me not to hear anything.

"What do you mean momma?"

"When the time is right Princess, I'll tell you."

"Okay, but can you try to stop making Val feel like you don't want her mother here? She thinks they are in the way."

"I'll do my best Princess."

I nodded my head and went back to my room where Val was still sitting when I left.

"What did you do Ava?"

"Why do I always have to do something, Val?"

"I know you, and you can't help but put yourself in a situation."

"Okay, you're right, I can't help myself when it comes to wanting to help others, but I had to talk with my mom and see what was going on with her.

Whatever it is, I'm sure it has something to do with your mom, and if she won't tell me, I'll have to figure it out myself."

I knew it wouldn't be easy trying to keep an eye on my mom because she sees everything, but I was going to do my best to get to the bottom of this.

"What evil thoughts are you having Ava?"

"I never have evil thoughts, just really bad ideas."

I knew Val would go along with whatever I had planned, even if she thought it was a bad idea to do.

The last thing I wanted was for my mom to slip back into depression, and I was going to do whatever I had to so that wouldn't happen. Even if that means getting a little personal with her.