The Shadows

07 | Alone

What am I doing? I don't really know who I am but I feel this isn't like me. He offered. I shrug to myself.

Sigh

Maybe I'll just search for an empty room. I leave the kitchen and walk into the front hallway, I pause for a moment. I'd never walked down the dark hallway that continued on passed the staircase. Curiosity gets to me. I walk down the dark hallway to see a window of light, coming through a door near the end. This house seemed so old, yet so taken care of. Such beauty and detail in the architecture. The light becomes brighter as I get closer. A door, slightly ajar. I stand behind the door, listening in. Nothing? I shrug and stick my head in. A beautiful grand piano, the center of the room, surrounded by tall windows that take up the entire north wall. I walk in and make my way to the piano. I place my hand on top, feeling the thick, spruce wood underneath my fingers. Once again, so detailed. It was a masterpiece. I walk along, gliding my hand across, taking in such a beautfiul piece of furniture. I take a deep breath in, you could smell the wood. I pause for a moment, enjoying the view.

Voices...

I quickly glance up to see another door to the left of the room. This time closed. I stand there awkwardly, not sure if I should leave. Worried I would make too much noise if I moved. Who could that be? I unintentionally ease drop.

Frozen, I stand listening. The voices were mumbled, I couldn't hear much of their conversation but it seemed as if there were two of them. The door knob begins to turn and my eyes widen. My brain is telling me to run but my body isn't listening. "Oh shit!" I whisper to myself. The door opens and Jace walks through. He freezes when he sees me, quickly furrowing his brows and crossing his arms.

For fucks sakes

"What the hell do you think your doing!?" He screams at me. I open my mouth as if I were going to respond, but no words seem to come to mind. He rolls his eyes and scoffs. "God you get sketchier the longer I know you." "I-I didn't know! I was just wandering the corridors. I was looking around for-" He abruptly walks towards me. He grabs onto the crook of my neck and pulls me towards him. Leaning into my ear. "I will give you until I get back to pack your shit and leave." He smelled like smoke and alcohol. "I have no where to go." I whisper. "You think I give two shits? You better be gone when I come back." He shoves me away from him and walks out the door. I lean against the piano I was admiring not long ago. I place a hand on my chest and take a deep breath in, letting a shaky loud breath out.

"Is someone out there?" A voice calls out from the room Jace had just left from.

Shit, I got so lost in that moment. I forgot he was speaking to someone.

"Aryah? Come in." The voice so familiar. Cain.

I wipe the tears from my face, take a deep breath and walk to the mysterious door. I walk through to see a large fire place, surrounded by walls of book cases, filled with hundreds of books. "Welcome to my study." He smiles at me. I take a moment to admire the room. Finally connecting my eyes to him, who was casually leaning against the wall of the fireplace. "Were you wandering?" "Yes, I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude. I just heard voi-" He quickly cuts me off. "Aryah, It's okay. I want you to think of this as your home. I'm glad to see you've been healing well." "Thank you. You're the only one making an effort to make me feel comfortable." I say as I slowly make my way closer to him. He sighs. "I agree Jace is not the easiest. Damien however cares for you more than you think." I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow. "Why does everyone keep saying that? He hasn't exactly gone out of his way to make me feel at home."

"Aryah, there is a lot you don't see." He pauses. "There's a reason why I chose Damien for those orders to protect you."

"Cain."