Potent

Gemini lit a small candle in her room and set it on the window sill. She watched the tiny flame flicker back and forth, soothing her worries. She knew she wasn’t truly safe since the day her family died.

It had been many weeks since then but questions still filled her mind.

What if the demons and beasts of the Finsternis Stürtzen came after her? She knew that her fear was partially irrational. Demons wouldn’t come near Nebel Manor. It was Valentine’s fortress. They wouldn’t dare to. And yet… the thought didn’t comfort Gemini at all. She could still imagine them out waiting for her so they could devour her soul or rip her in shreds, just like they had done to her family. But the candle consoled her somewhat. It was a source of light, something that killed demons. Although, it didn’t console just for the demons… it also consoled for the loss of her family. She was still devastated now that they were gone. But part of her didn’t want to believe that they were dead. She didn’t want to think about it anymore.

Gemini snuggled into her blankets, hoping to drift off to sleep rather than cry herself to sleep again.

Something fell on to her bed. Gemini looked up. Her bed was starting to catch fire. She screamed and scrambled out of her bed. She backed away, realizing that her candle had fallen on her bed. Going to get water, she ran out of her room and into the hallway. And she bumped into Valentine, nearly caused her to lose her balance.

“Where are you running off to?” he asked, pursing his lips.

“My bed’s on fire, my lord,” was the first thing she said.

Valentine raised an eyebrow, like he was extremely curious to know the story behind it. To Gemini’s shock, he walked past her and into her room. She instantly followed him. Valentine opened his hand and all the fire was drawn into his palm, which he closed. The fire was gone. She stared at her bed. It looked exactly as it had been before the fire.

Valentine picked up her extinguished candle off her bed. He pinched the wick and another small flame burst to life on it. He gave her an amused look.

“The window sill was not a smart choice to put a candle on.” He set her candle on her desk.

“I put it there because I wanted the light close to me. Only a part of the room is lit,” she explained, hoping that she wasn’t whining.

Valentine sighed. He put his hands together and then opened them. An orb of golden light rested in his hands. It floated up to the ceiling and attached itself there, spreading a faint amount of light throughout the room.

“Satisfactory?” He crossed his arms.

“Yes,” she said carefully, trying not to look utterly amazed. “Thank you, my lord.”

Valentine nodded and walked away. “Wait!” He paused in the middle of closing the door.

“What?”

“I know I have no right to ask you this… I know it may be highly frowned upon--”

“Oh, enough of the preamble, make your request.” Valentine groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Will you stay?”

He stared at her with narrowed eyes. He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Gemini wanted to sink into the floor. She was a fool to ask for that. Why did she? A cold-blooded, expressionless man like him would never understand or be that kind.

“Why?”

She blinked at him, surprised.

“Because I’m still afraid.”

“Of what?”

“The demons.” She hugged herself, trying not to look as terrified and silly as she felt.

“That’s why you lit the candle? That won’t help--it’s not sunlight or moonlight so it won’t keep them away.” Valentine made her sound like she had done something idiotic.

“My lord, please. That’s why I want you to stay.” Gemini bit her lip, hoping he would understand what she was saying. He did.

“Ah. My presence is supposed to keep them away from you,” Valentine mused.

“Yes. My lord.”

He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms, brooding away. Finally, he answered her original question.

“Very well. I’ll stay.”

“You will?” Gemini couldn’t keep the shock out of her voice.

“I just said I would.” His tone bordered on annoyance. She didn’t say anything more.

“Um, thank you,” she said as she crawled back into her bed. He gestured to her bed.

“If I must stay here, I’d rather not stand all night or sit in a hard chair.”

A level of sarcasm had entered his voice. But she was flabbergasted at his indirect request. He didn’t want to sit on the chair or stand, which left her bed. How should she respond?

Unfortunately, Valentine took her silence as a yes. She scooted away as far as she could, almost to the other edge of the bed, which was crammed into a corner. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything as he sat next to her, his back and head against the wall.

Gemini lay on her side, facing away from him. She felt wide awake and tense. How was she going to sleep now?

You asked for this…

She willed her thoughts to be quiet and tried to focus on anything other than the evil Mastermind sitting next to her. But she found she couldn’t. Even though he didn’t move a muscle, she still knew he was there. She could almost feel that he was there.

The bed moved and the sheets rustled. Valentine was moving. Gemini braced herself. But nothing touched her. She looked over her shoulder.

Valentine was lying on his back now, his hands folded on his stomach, his feet crossed.

A hint of smile played on his lips as he glanced her out of the corner of her eye. She looked away, her face warm. On the bright side, it was the first fraction of a smile from him that wasn’t cruel. It was a hint of a teasing smile, which was as close as she was going to get.

Embarrassingly, she remembered how she had held onto his arm when she saw the demons. What she remembered more was the feeling of security when Valentine put his arm around her. Why hadn’t she felt horrified or terrified of him then? Was it because he was actually being kind to her?

Gemini inwardly sighed. She wasn’t going to go to sleep anytime soon. Her mind was still spinning and wide awake. Maybe they could try to make civil conversation?

“Thank you, Lord Valentine,” she blurted before she lost her courage.

“For what?” She heard him ask.

“For trying to help my family.” Her voice wavered at the end.

“Why are you thanking me? They’re dead.” His tone was filled with boredom.

“But you tried to save them, didn’t you? You were willing to do that without payment.”

“Hmmmm, was I?”

Gemini rolled over to look at him. He turned his head slightly. Valentine chuckled. She blinked. He actually sounded amused… but not cold. He must’ve found her--or the situation--genuinely funny.

“I’m jesting. You owe me no payment.”

“Oh.”

The tiny, teasing smile graced his face again. Please tell me I’m not blushing at the most evil man in Dunstorria. Gemini rolled back on her side again, trying to hide her hot face. Was he really jesting with her? When did he ever jest? Batting those thoughts away, she searched for another question to ask. “My lord…” She turned over onto her back. “I know you told me not to ask about your past but I do have a question for you. But it’s not about your family.”

“Yes?” His voice seemed tense. She took a breath before asking.

“Why did you betray the Emperor and the Masterminds?”

Now he turned his head and looked at her directly. “I’m just curious. You joined them but then you suddenly betrayed them. Why?”

Valentine glanced down as if he was thinking.

“Once I joined the Masterminds in Kalt, I lived there for a couple months. During that time, I noticed how happy everyone was. The citizens all had growing families and friends, a place to live, food on the table, and they got along beautifully.”

His pondering gaze turned dark. “I watched the entire city live in complete bliss. No major tragedies happened to them. Those people had everything: Family, friends, and happiness.” He met her eyes again, his own gaze full of contempt and loathing. “So I destroyed their happiness just like mine was… with fire. And they never even saw it coming because they never thought it would happen to them.”

Gemini stared him in disbelief. That was why he demolished the capital of Dunstorria? That was why he killed thousands of innocent lives? All because they had what he didn’t have?

She couldn’t think of anything to say. “Still want me to stay with you while you sleep?” Valentine taunted. He sat up, his back against the wall again.

Gemini tried to form some words to say but she was too aghast at him. How could he do such a thing? How could he commit such a crime? What right did he have to do it? How could he be so cruel and malicious as to wish his own terrible fate on others? “Oh, you don’t have to say anything. I know what you’re thinking. That wasn’t the answer you thought you were going to get. But, you didn’t answer my question.”

She timidly looked up at him. “Do you want me to leave now?”

“No.” The answer rolled off her tongue. Now he was the one who was aghast. He raised an eyebrow.

“No? You must either be foolish or you like living dangerously.” A cold smile crossed Valentine’s face.

“No, I don’t care what you’ve done. You’re the only person powerful enough to protect me now,” Gemini said, firmly. He made her feel uneasy and scared but somehow she still felt safe around him. He laughed but it wasn’t very warm or confident.

“Finally down to the truth.” He put one of her pillows behind his back, sighing. “Now, since you’re determined not to sleep, anymore questions for me?”

She did have another question that had been on her mind.

“The day you destroyed Ozean… why didn’t you kill me and my family?”

Valentine rolled his eyes.

“If I had killed everyone single citizen in Ozean, do you know how long that would’ve taken me? And there would be no survivors to tell Dunstorria what I did.”

“No, you saw us running away,” Gemini pressed. “You looked at me and my family like you wanted to kill us… but you didn’t. Why?”

Shockingly, he didn’t answer. He just tightened his jaw and stared at her blankets, almost searching for answer. Possibly a lie to tell because she could see how he was hedging himself in already. “You were being merciful to us.”

“Definitely not,” he said flatly.

“Then why else?”

“Do you have to know? You’re asking rather intimate questions, Gemini.”

Valentine’s use of her name gave her a small jolt.

“I’m just curious--”

“About me? Is that why you really wanted me to stay?” He was getting annoyed now, she could tell.

“No, I’m just passing time.” Gemini slowly scooted herself further away, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

“You only wanted to ask me questions, hoping that it would distract you from the fact that your family is gone.”

They way he said it so carelessly caused tears to rush to her eyes. It was true but it wasn’t the whole true.

“I also wanted comfort. And protection,” she whispered.

“I think you’ll find comfort and protection in sleep. You’ll need it.”

Before Gemini could protest, Valentine waved his hand over her eyes and she instantly was exhausted and sleepy.