The Next Heir (Book 2)

Chapter 12

Ava POV:

It's been a few days since I checked on my mom, and I still haven't learned anything. The main thing she does is work and sometimes that work rolls over into dinner time, and Mom never misses dinner with family.

I even asked my aunts about her; they too were worried about her. Aunt Emily thinks she might be slipping back into depression like I do.

During those days of watching her and trying to use my abilities on her, I couldn't even pick up a simple emotion from her. It's like she cut herself off from the world, and that makes me worry more.

Some days I catch her outside sitting next to Momma Kegen, and talking with her, but her feelings are never there.

Not only were Val and I watching my mom, but we were also keeping an eye on her mom as well.

Now Ms. Jankins, or Amanda, as she told me to call her because she hates her last name now, but Amanda can't hide her feelings from me like my mom could, and the main feelings I was getting from her were confusion and rejection, I think.

I told Val and she's been watching her mom even more now. I wasn't surprised when I had to keep an eye out on my mom alone now because I understand the worry that Val is feeling.

Today is Momma Kegen's birthday and Mom got everyone outside sitting around her grave and having dinner.

Before we had dinner, we let balloons loose with a few words from me and mom. The pain in her voice made me hug her tighter than I already was, and I was sure I saw Amanda about to make a move toward our way but stopped herself.

Again, that rejection feeling was back from her, which caused me to look over at Val and nod my head toward her mother.

While everyone ate dinner and some of us vampires drank blood, I asked Val to take a walk with me through the garden.

I knew they were still going to hear us talking, so I waited until we reached an old barn in the back of the garden, that was once a place that held the horses.

Once we got there, I closed the door behind us, turned on a little music, and walked farther into the barn.

"Dinner was a little weird today, I know that we were celebrating your mom's birthday, but something was off today."

"I know what you mean, but I'm just glad to be away from it for a while."

I found a spot where we could sit and pulled Val down with me.

"How is your mom holding up being in the castle?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't truly know, but you can tell she is still getting used to others doing things for her, or no one is yelling at her.

The other day she bumped into one of the workers while they were carrying towels to her room, and she thought they were going to hit her."

I knew it was going to take Amanda some time to get used to things around here, but she had to understand that no one was going to hurt her here.

After being with her husband for so long, I'm not surprised she reacted that way.

"No one will hurt her here, and my mom made sure of that."

"I know that, but she doesn't, and it doesn't help that your mom avoids her like she's made out of silver."

"Yeah, I still haven't gotten to the bottom of that, and I'm sure she knows I've been watching her these last few days because she turned her feelings completely off from me.

Honestly, I don't know what's going on with her and I'll never find out until she tells me, but until then I must talk her into letting me out of the castle, I can't take it no more."