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Safe - 11

Jace's POV

I was starting to get worried about what my mother had witnessed, and I knew sooner or later I would have to confront her about, most likely sooner. I knew she would be wondering why in the world Annabelle was in possession of Karly's ukulele. She would also be wondering how in the world I got a hold of it in the first place.

She had kept Karly's room locked since the day she first heard the news. Nobody went in, nothing came out. What she didn't know, what no one knew, is that I had taken the ukulele, along with a few of Karly's other possessions before the room was permanently shut.

The ukulele was something I would take out from time to time, but musical ability had never been one of my strong suits, so after trying a few times when I was younger, I had hidden it away, not bearing to play it, as if to bring shame to it with my un-rhythmic strumming.

Annabelle on the other hand, had played it beautifuly, she was an absolute natural, and I was glad I had made the decision to gift it to her. When I had seen her staring at the ukuleles from the across the store, I knew it would be the perfect thing to keep her busy, and anyway, it was about time we had some music back in this castle.

Everything has been so dreary since Karly left. I missed her dearly, more than I ever imagined someone could miss another person, but I knew that she was better far away from our father. She may have been the light, but he is the darkness.

.....

I left my room, Annabelle having curled up on the bed contently after placing the ukulele gently on the bedside table beside her. I could tell she really appreciated the gift, and I was happy that it was something she would enjoy.

After she had played the song for me, she had placed the ukulele down and in an instant had shifted into that small grey kitten that she seemed to like so much. She had shyly crawled over to where I lay and then gently and cautiously, she had curled up beside me, pressing against me as a normal house cat would do in that rare moment of the day when they acknowledge your existence.

It felt like that with Annabelle, when she would do things like this. I never would think she would be so bold, and then she would treat me like she actually trusted me, like she was happy to be near me. It made my dead heart swell. For a moment, I never thought she would see me as anything more than a dirty blood sucking vampire. Though to be fair, I never thought I would see her as anything more than a dirty shifter.

She looked so happy curled up in the bed, so I hopped my mother hadn't already gone and ruined everything. Even a word to my father and she would be dead.

I had basically given up all thoughts that Annabelle was a bad person or had any ill intent whatsoever. She was just a young shifter who had unfortunately got caught up in the mess of today's politics. Just a week after Elizabeth had opened my eyes slightly, Annabelle was widening them. Obviously my father had it wrong, werewolves and shifters were not all bad, they were not all out to get us, but my father was not a reasonable man, so there was no point in fighting him on the issue.

Eventually I would ascend to the throne and I might be able to fix some of the mess he had created, but eventually would do nothing for Anabelle, or other young shifters like her. I had no plan though, and I still wasn't sure if I was ready to make a plan. The only shifter I really have ever known on even a shallow personal level was Anabelle, and even that relationship is still in its early forming stages. I had fucked up pretty bad in the beginning with that one. My anger had blinded me from the truth, it had blinded me from a lot of things actually. Since Karly left, so did my happiness, and it was weird that Annabelle was causing some of it to come back.

-----

I arrived outside of my mother's study on the other side of the castle and knocked on the door, hoping she would be alone. I heard her call me in, and I noticed right away it was only the two of us, as I could hear no one else within the proximity. My mother was sipping on a glass of blood wine, while staring blankly at the fire she had going in the fireplace. It was not odd for me to see her eyes look so empty. Karly, like for everyone else, was her light too.

I always wondered why she agreed to marry my father, but despite them telling me how happy they are, were, I have always had a feeling she was forced into it.

Forced into this life.

She looked at me and smiled sadly. "Why?" was all she asked. Not how, not where, but why. I knew what the question meant instantly. All she wanted to know was why I had chosen to give Karly's most valued possession to a shifter, to my 'pet' shifter.

I knew no answer would satisfy her, so skipping over the question, I decided to ask one of my own as I walked towards her casually, sitting on the chair opposite her, and stared at the fire, not daring to look at her sad eyes. "Did you tell anyone?"

"No, my dear."

As I went to ask my next question, she answered before I even opened my mouth.

"And I won't, not even to your father."

I nodded, feeling as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. There was so much more I needed to learn from Annabelle, so many questions I had yet to have answered and I felt she was my key to getting those answers.

Strangely though, it wasn't just that. I didn't want her to be harmed. No matter what she did, I knew I wouldn't dare punish her, and I knew I would do anything in my power to keep her from harm's way. The shallow part of me said it was because she was my property, my responsibility, but another part of me knew it wasn't that at all.

After a few moments of silence, I got up from the chair and began to walk towards the door, to leave my mother with her thoughts when I heard her call my name.

I turned towards her, and she stared me directly in the eyes, and I could almost swear I saw a tinkle in her eye as she brought her wine glass to her lips. When she lowered her glass she smiled faintly.

"She does play that song beautifully doesn't she?"

----

EDITED

Hope you all are still enjoying the story! More exciting chapters to come soon :)

Who is your favourite character so far? Does it annoy Americans that I write favourite like that? haha

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- <3 K