Valencia Esmeray

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 - VI : Shadows At The Door

Valencia opened the door with a steady hand, her mind still caught in thoughts of Cassian. As the door creaked open, she was met by the sight of the nun from the orphanage, her expression stern and resolute. For a brief moment, surprise flickered in Valencia's chest, but she masked it with a pleasant smile.

"Sister," Valencia greeted, her voice soft and polite, masking the annoyance creeping into her. "What brings you to my home?"

The nun glanced past Valencia, toward the sounds of the twins inside, her face set in grim determination. "I'm here for the children."

Valencia's brows knitted together in feigned confusion. "I don't understand. Is something wrong?"

The nun stood her ground. "Yes. I've learned the truth. You may have deceived the orphanage and the authorities, but not me. You are a witch, Lady Esmeray. The children are in grave danger under your care."

A cold chill ran through Valencia, but her face remained serene. She knew this moment would come someday, but so soon? "You are mistaken," she said, stepping aside slightly, offering the nun entry. "Please, come in. I think there's been some misunderstanding."

The nun hesitated for a moment but then stepped inside, her suspicion visible in the way she scanned the house. Valencia guided her further into the lavish sitting room, where the soft coos of the babies echoed from the adjoining room.

"I only wish to care for them," Valencia said, her tone smooth, walking beside the nun as they moved toward the hall. "I understand your concerns, but I am no witch. I am simply a woman trying to provide a better life for two children who needed a home."

The nun didn't seem convinced. Her eyes were sharp as she took in the details of Valencia's home. "Your charm and beauty might fool many," she said, turning to face her, "but it won't fool me. I know who you are, what you are."

Valencia smiled, but her patience was wearing thin. "You've seen my home now. There is nothing here to indicate what you're accusing me of. Perhaps you'd like to see the nursery, to reassure yourself that the children are well cared for."

The nun's face hardened, her suspicion deepening. "I'd like to see everything, including where you do your... work."

Valencia's heart gave a slight flutter, but she remained composed. "Of course," she said, gesturing down the hall. "Feel free to look around as you wish."

As the nun walked toward the hallway, inching closer to the potion room, Valencia's thoughts raced. She couldn't allow the nun to see what lay within those walls. She had already started the ritual to revive Cassian, and any sign of witchcraft would confirm the nun's accusations.

Just as the nun reached the door leading to the forbidden room, Valencia acted. Her fingers moved discreetly, tracing a soft pattern in the air. She murmured an incantation under her breath, her voice barely audible. The nun froze mid-step, her body stiffening as the sleep spell took hold.

Within seconds, the nun collapsed, crumpling into a heap on the floor.

Valencia exhaled slowly, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn't wanted it to come to this, but now there was no turning back. She knelt beside the unconscious nun, brushing a lock of hair from the woman's face as she considered her next move.

With a flick of her wrist, Valencia levitated the nun's limp body and dragged her into the empty cellar beneath the house. As she descended the stairs into the cold, dimly lit space, her mind churned with anger and frustration.

How had the nun discovered her secret? And more importantly-who else knew?

Once inside the cellar, she bound the nun's wrists with rope, securing her to an old wooden chair. Then, she tapped the nun's cheek softly, rousing her from the magical slumber. The woman groaned as she blinked her eyes open, her face contorting with fear and confusion as she realized where she was.

"Valencia..." the nun whispered, her voice shaky. "What... what have you done?"

Valencia smiled, but there was no warmth in it now. "I didn't want this, you know. I wanted to live in peace with my children. But you had to go digging into things that don't concern you."

The nun's eyes widened, and she struggled against her bonds, but it was futile.

"I won't kill you," Valencia said softly, tracing a finger down the nun's cheek. "Not unless I have to. But I need to know one thing-who told you?"

The nun shook her head, her lips pressed into a firm line. "I won't betray them," she said. "You may have me, but I won't let you hurt anyone else."

Valencia's eyes darkened, and she felt a pulse of anger surge through her. "Wrong answer," she hissed.

Grabbing a leather whip from the cellar wall, Valencia snapped it against the nun's arm, the sound echoing in the small space. The nun cried out in pain, but still, she refused to speak.

"You're tougher than I expected," Valencia mused, watching the nun with narrowed eyes. "But everyone has a breaking point."

She struck the nun again, and again, but the woman held firm, refusing to give Valencia the information she needed. Frustration mounted within her, and after several minutes of brutal questioning, Valencia knew the nun would never talk.

"You leave me no choice," Valencia whispered. In one swift motion, she wrapped her fingers around the nun's throat and chanted a death spell, her voice filled with cold malice.

The nun gasped for air as the life drained from her body. Moments later, her head slumped forward, lifeless.

Valencia stared at the corpse, her breath heavy. She knew what she had to do next. Muttering another incantation, she disintegrated the nun's body into ash, scattering it across the floor. With one final spell, she wiped the nun's memory from the minds of everyone in the city, as if she had never existed.

But even as she erased the evidence of her crime, a gnawing fear took root in her chest. Someone had known her secret. The nun hadn't acted alone. What if others came after her, using counter-spells or protections against her magic?

Valencia clenched her fists. She couldn't allow anyone to come close to her or her children. She needed to be sure no one else knew. She had to find out who was behind this.

The next day, Valencia visited the orphanage, a dark determination in her eyes. She approached the head nun and asked to see the records of everyone who had recently visited the orphanage. She would hunt down the source of this betrayal, no matter what it took.