Valencia Esmeray

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 - XVIII : I'm asking you to live

Valencia stared out the window, her emerald eyes narrowing as the thought hit her like a shockwave. Can witches truly raise the dead? The possibility sent a shiver down her spine.

"Whoa," she muttered aloud, her voice barely above a whisper. "I never knew witches could raise the dead back."

Cassian, lounging casually nearby, arched an eyebrow, his golden gaze flickering with interest. "Can they bring the dead back to life?"

"I... I don't know," Valencia admitted, her tone laced with hesitation. "Maybe they can."

Cassian shrugged, a hint of humor curling his lips. "If I had the ability, I wonder who I'd bring back? Absolutely nobody," he declared with a laugh. But when Valencia didn't join in, his smile faltered. "Why the sudden question, though?"

She turned to face him, her expression uncharacteristically vulnerable. "I may have... a nemesis," she began, her words careful. "Someone I killed. And if he's brought back..." She inhaled sharply, her voice dropping to a whisper. "If it happens, I'm in danger."

Cassian straightened, his easygoing demeanor evaporating. "What kind of danger? Valencia, I'm here. I'll protect you."

"That's the problem, Cassian," she said, her voice cracking slightly as she crossed her legs and clasped her trembling hands. "You're no match for him. He's... centuries older than you, stronger, more dangerous."

Cassian frowned, his concern deepening. "How can you be sure it's this nemesis you're talking about?"

Valencia tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear, her movements tense and deliberate. "Because," she whispered, her voice shaking, "it's his habit to leave notes written in blood. Always after a murder." She clasped her arms around herself, as if the weight of her own words were suffocating her.

The gravity of her admission hung in the air. Cassian leaned forward, his tone more serious than she had ever heard it. "If you don't mind me asking, what made him your nemesis?"

Valencia's head snapped toward him, her emerald eyes narrowing into slits. "I did," she said coldly. Her lips curled into a fake smile, a poor mask for the fear and guilt etched into her features. "And I do mind you asking." Without waiting for a response, she stood and strode to the kitchen.

Cassian tilted his head, watching her retreating form with an expression that was equal parts curiosity and frustration. "Alright, alright," he called after her. "What are you up to now?"

She didn't look back. "I feel like baking a cake," she announced, her tone clipped.

Cassian chuckled under his breath. "You? Baking?" He sauntered into the kitchen, leaning casually against the counter. "Princess, you'll burn the house down."

"No, I won't," she shot back, her tone defensive.

"Alright," he said with a smirk, raising his hands in surrender. "But when you overcook it, don't say I didn't warn you."

---

The Chaos of Baking

Valencia moved around the kitchen with a confidence that was equal parts determination and chaos. Flour dusted her dark hair, sugar spilled onto the counter, and she cracked eggs with far more force than necessary.

Midway through her self-assigned task, the piercing cries of Nina and Deborah echoed through the house. She froze, her shoulders slumping. "Why now?" she groaned.

Cassian, sensing disaster on the horizon, stepped in. "I'll handle the cake," he offered. "You deal with the twins."

Valencia shot him a glare. "I can do it," she insisted, marching into the nursery.

The twins' cries only grew louder as she awkwardly scooped them up, one in each arm. "What do you even want?" she muttered, exasperated. "Food? Sleep? World domination?"

Cassian appeared in the doorway, his grin widening as he watched her struggle. "It's called babysitting," he teased. "Welcome to the club."

"Not helping!" she snapped, her frustration bubbling over as Nina yanked on her hair and Deborah refused to stop squirming.

"Alright, let me-"

"No!" Valencia interrupted, her pride refusing to let her accept help. "I've got this."

By the time she managed to calm the twins, a faint, acrid smell wafted through the air. Her eyes widened in horror. "The cake!" she shouted, racing back to the kitchen.

Cassian followed at a leisurely pace, laughing softly as she flung open the oven. Smoke billowed out, and the charred remains of her cake sat mocking her.

"I told you," he said, unable to resist. "Overcooked."

Valencia glared at him, tossing the ruined cake into the trash with dramatic flair. "How do housewives even function?" she grumbled, brushing a streak of flour off her cheek.

Cassian leaned against the counter, his grin maddeningly smug. "That's why you need a husband like me."

"Hilarious," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

---

The Visitor

The sound of the doorbell interrupted their banter. Valencia brushed her hands on her apron, muttering under her breath as she made her way to the door. When she opened it, her breath hitched.

Ian stood there, his golden hair tousled, his face a mixture of determination and vulnerability. "Valencia," he began, his voice low and urgent. "I've been thinking... I can't let you go. Is there a way I could... become immortal too?"

Cassian appeared behind her, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Want to become a vampire?" he quipped.

Valencia jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, silencing him. "Ian," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Do you have any idea what you're asking?"

"I do," Ian replied, his tone resolute. "I love you, Valencia. I don't want to lose you."

She stepped closer, her emerald eyes searching his. "In all my years of immortality," she began, her voice tinged with sadness, "I've only ever had lovers who tried to kill me after hearing my story." She brushed her fingers under his chin, lifting his face. "But you... you seem different."

"You sound cold," he observed, his gaze never leaving hers.

"I'm always cold," she replied with a faint smile. "Haven't you noticed?"

Ian chuckled softly, but his humor quickly faded. "Then why can't I join you? So we can be together... forever?"

Valencia shook her head. "Immortality isn't love, Ian. It's a curse. And I won't let you ruin yourself for me."

"But why?" he demanded, his voice breaking. "So you can spend your forever with him?" He gestured toward Cassian.

"I don't love him," Valencia said, her tone calm and unyielding. "I love you."

Ian's shoulders sagged, but his voice grew desperate. "Then why won't you let me stay with you? Why won't you let me-"

"Because I love you for who you are," she interrupted, her voice firm. "Even if you grow old, even if you're eighty, I'll still love you. But I won't let you destroy yourself to be with me."

Ian's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "It's not fair, Valencia," he whispered. "It's not fair for one of us to stay the same while the other..."

"I know," she said softly, resting a hand on his cheek. "But this is the only way. I won't stop loving you, Ian. Ever. But we're different, and I won't let you sacrifice your soul for me."

Ian's voice cracked. "You're asking me to let you go."

She stepped back, her heart shattering with every step. "I'm asking you to live."