lifeofasimblog

[lifeofasimblog]

Winterfest had arrived in Windenburg and Everly stayed for as long as she could in her room before being summoned by her stepmother to come downstairs. She had heard shouting all morning, mostly her stepmother berating her Father, her voice reaching near fever pitch. She wondered what the twins were doing, probably hiding as well.

She walked downstairs to see her Valentina with the twins around the tree, a fake smile on her face.

“Go and clean up the dishes Everly. We have guests coming round today.”

Everly knew not to retaliate but as she looked around she noticed someone was missing.

“Where’s Dad?” she asked, earning a stern glare from her Valentina.

“How would I know” she replied. “And I simply don’t care. Now get on to those dishes before I give you something else to whine about.”

Everly walked over the sink and looked outside. She could barely see the garden outside, the wind and snow were blowing so hard the garden was shrouded in a misty grey. Was her Father out there? Or was he simply somewhere in the house?

She felt something pulse within her, a warning she knew she needed to act on. Ignoring the shouts from her Valentina, Everly walked outside, shielding her eyes against the driving wind and snow, shouting her Father’s name.

She knew where he was, it was where he always went during the worst of the curse. He was sitting alone, on the sun chair, his face as white as the snow swirling around him. Everly raced towards him, trying to cover his body with her little one, trying to push any dredge of warmth that she could into him.

“Please Dad, get up” she yelled. “You’re going to die if you stay out here and I can’t lose you. Not yet.”

She stared down into his vacant stare and tried to blast her emotions out to him, to try and make him see, to wake up. She was right here and she was all he needed. She watched as his eyes cleared momentarily and he took in his daughter leaning over him.

“Evie” he whispered.

“I’m here Dad” she said, her tears turning to ice on her cheeks. “I’m going to get you out of here. I promise, if it’s the last thing I do.”

She yanked on his arm again, finding him unresisting this time and led him back towards the safety of the house. As she walked her Father through the snow her pain and fear turned to anger and vengeance. She was going to save her Father and get them both to Sulani, no matter what the consequences.

[lifeofasimblog]

Her encounter with her stepmother in the art room had made everything worse for Everly. She could feel Valentina simmering with rage every time she was near her. She was shouted at for everything and Everly wondered how much more of it she could take.

She had come no closer to figuring out what to do for her Father, she was only 8 years old and had no magical training whatsoever. She knew it lay in her blood but how could she summon that to try and break her Father away from this curse? For she knew it was that. She knew her stepmother had lured her Father under her spell and was powerless to resist it despite his own superior abilities.

But as the twins grew older Everly found Valentina’s attention wavering. Everly knew Valentina wanted the boys to be powerful Spellcasters and seemed to be throwing all her time into training them. She knew this new interest would be the perfect distraction to get her Father away – she knew this was the only way she could save him.

Crying in her wardrobe one day, Everly remembered a history lesson from school. Her teacher had told them about a faraway Island called Sulani which was the most wondrous place on Earth. It was a full of lush islands, sparkling waterfalls and water so clear rumour had it you could see right to the bottom of the ocean floor. Everly had dreamed for days of this magical island and in the darkness of her wardrobe something clicked. She would take her Father to Sulani, get him away from Valentina and maybe, just maybe – it might be enough to break this curse once and for all.

[lifeofasimblog]

It was purely by chance that she went into the art room that day. It was the weekend and Everly was planning to spend it painting but she realised she had left most of her stuff downstairs.

As she made her way down, she heard murmured voices and a flash of white light. As she rounded the corner she saw Valentina and her Father in the room, Valentina handing Rowan a brown, glass bottle.

He drank it without hesitating, almost as if in a trance and she watched as his eyes glazed over once more, a malleable, unresisting man.

Everly felt something inside of her snap. She knew the reason for her Father’s stupor had to be her stepmother and this encounter had all but confirmed it. She was scared of Valentina but found her anger so great that it blotted out any fears she might have had.

“What are you doing to him” she said, staring up at her stepmother.

“Get out this instant Everly. Get out!”

But Everly didn’t move, her feet rooted to the spot as she stared into Valentina’s golden eyes.

“I know what you are doing. What you have done to him and I won’t let you get away with this.”

Her little voice shook but she meant every word. Valentina sneered down at her, an evil smile crossing her face.

“Oh yea?” she said. “Well I’d love to see you try honey. You’re just as pathetic as your stupid Mother. You are no match for me.”

Everly watched her walk out, just as her Father walked into the other room collapsing down onto the couch and falling asleep. She felt completely helpless and defeated. How was she to ever save her Father against a powerful Spellcaster? Was what she dared dream of, even possible?

[lifeofasimblog]

Everly couldn’t remember what had sparked it, what had made her realise there was something not quite right about her Father.

She thought it was perhaps her 8th birthday, her Father’s listless stare and blank face causing some form of dread to root deep in her gut. Something had happened to him and she knew she needed to figure it out.

Everly had grown up the odd one out. The product of an unsuccessful relationship she assumed, since her Father never spoke about her Mother. Her stepmother hated her, that much was obvious and her isolation only grew after the twins were born – her half-brothers – Knox and Jasper.

She tried to fit in, tried to worm her way into her stepmother’s good graces but her efforts were futile. So she withdrew into herself, trying to piece together the puzzle which lay before her and contained all the answers.

She had rare moments of clarity with her Father, mostly when he was away from Valentina and she managed to get glimpses of the person that was hiding underneath his trauma. He had tried to teach her a thing or two about her spellcasting ability but they were always interrupted and she would lose her Father to the fog once more.

She knew there must be some way to get through to him, to pull him back into reality and bring him back to the person he must have been. It was her goal in life to save him but first she needed to figure out what was wrong.

[lifeofasimblog]

It was a small, simple ceremony held in their backyard and as Rowan slid the ring over her finger, Valentina felt a small part of her heart splinter. She had achieved all she had ever wanted and now she stood here, a fake, a phony having had to dupe the man she loved in to loving her in return.

Her Father was the only one in attendance and after the ceremony had finished, she pulled him aside, needing to know how to fix everything, how to make it all right again.

“Congratulations honey” Vladimir said. “You look so beautiful. Pregnancy definitely becomes you.”

“Thank you Papa. I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

Her Father clicked his tongue and gave her one of his withering looks.

“When will you learn to be grateful?” he said. “When will you learn that sometimes you can’t always have everything just the way you want it.”

Valentina felt her heart crack a bit more, as tears started to fall down her face.

“I didn’t know it would be like this” she said, her voice a harsh whisper. “He is a shell of his former self, a shell! This is not the life I wanted or the one I deserved. Surely there must be some way of fixing this, of bringing him back to his old self.”

Vladimir laughed at her.

“Oh, there is my dear girl but you will be exposed. You want to bring back his memories of Billie? Remove the spell? Tell me, just how will you explain to him how you ended up here pregnant and married and how his fiancée was wiped off the face of the Earth.”

“There has to be some way”

“Stop your whining” Vladimir spat. “This is what you wanted and you got it. You got him. Now suck it up and get on with it or leave him and be done with it.”

“I can’t leave him.”

“Well there’s your answer”

Vladimir turned on his heel and left, leaving Valentina alone in the vast garden. She let her tears fall freely, knowing there was no one to see her pain. She walked over to the pool, finding Rowan floating in the middle, a soft hum coming from his lips. She felt it then, the guilt, the resentment at herself for doing this, not just to herself but to him. But it was all too late now, there was no going back. She felt her pain start to harden and she relished the feel of it.

[lifeofasimblog]

He felt like he was drifting, lost in a sea of murky grey where things looked the same but felt different. He couldn’t shift the drowning, couldn’t shift the aching in every part of him as something tried to bust its way through.

He was himself, he was Rowan, but some part of him was fundamentally wrong. Every time he tried to dig deeper to figure this small part of himself out, something pushed back rendering him useless. Damning him to that eternal grey fog.

The only time he experienced moments of life, of what felt like a break in the mist was with her.

Evie.

Whenever her dark brown eyes met his own he felt something tug deep down inside of him. As if something was calling to him, he just couldn’t remember what. In days when he felt especially lost, when he felt everything was going to crack and crumble around him, he would just look at her and the darkness would recede ever so slightly.

His daughter, his little light.

Maybe she would help him find the way back again. To who he truly was, to help him figure out why he was so lost. He at first thought Valentina could help, was the light he needed, but the darkness seemed to come from her. Every time she was near he spiralled further and further down. He loved her, yes, but he couldn’t remember why.

There was another who was meant to be in her place. She came to him sometimes in dreams, with eyes so much like his daughter’s but every time he would get close enough to her, she would vanish. Another swirl of mist pulling him further into the darkness. Maybe she held the answers, if only he could just talk to her, maybe even just for a minute – she might be the one to finally set him free.

[lifeofasimblog]

On a day when Valentina thought she would just give up and be done with it all, a small gift was bestowed on her which made everything worthwhile.

She was pregnant.

Finally she would achieve her dream of continuing on a powerful and unstoppable legacy.

She found Rowan out by the pool, sitting in a daze as he usually did, staring out at the water as the sun slowly set. Valentina felt rage start to boil into her belly. This should be the best day of their life. It was the moment she had dreamed about when she had first laid eyes on him at Vallerden, had been what she had been scheming and planning for years. Now that it was finally here, it was half-baked, a nightmarish alternate to what she had truly wanted.

“Rowan” she said. “Rowan.”

“Mmm?”

She saw him shift in his chair slightly, those glazed eyes turning to meet her own, grey and foggy as if no soul was present.

“I have some exciting news”

“What’s that hun?”

“I’m pregnant”

The words should have been free and light, should have made her body sing but instead they turned to ash in her mouth as Rowan smiled up at her and turned back to the water.

“A brother or sister for Evie….how nice.”

All Valentina could see was red. Of course that’s all he could think about, all he could clutch on to was his stupid daughter Everly. She could feel her magic coil in her gut and before she could stop herself she threw it out at Rowan. He was up in an instant, his left knee bending as he sank down on to one knee and stared up in her face.

“Valentina, will you marry me?”

She should have cried at the words, should have wrapped her arms around him and been swept off her feet, but she had caused this, she had made it happen – all of it and it was the worst feeling in the world.

“Yes” she murmured. “I’ll marry you”

He stood up and kissed her. What had normally caused such joy to flutter in her stomach was now a source of pain.

“Please come back to me Rowan” she whispered against his lips. “I miss the old you.”

But he broke away from her, his glazed eyes meeting her own and she knew she had truly lost.

What a horrible mistake she had made.

[lifeofasimblog]

The next few months were the hardest moment of Valentina’s life but she surged ahead knowing there was light at the end of the tunnel. Her Father had been right about everything. They had reported Billie missing, Valentina in awe of her Father’s power as they sat beside Rowan during his report to Police, all the rights words and emotions coming out seamlessly. There had been many questions from family and friends but with Rowan in such a state, it was easy for Valentina and her Father to slowly phase them out.

So here they were at the end of it all and Valentina still found herself concerned. Yes her Father had warned her that Rowan might not be the same but it was nothing compared to what was actually playing out before her eyes.

He was completely different. Spaced out, forgetful – the only thing he could seem to focus on for long stretches of time was his daughter, Everly. It made Valentina grow resentful and jealous. She was meant to the be the centre of his world and even though he did show her affection and love it was not what she had dreamed of, not what she had poured every ounce of her being into making a reality.

But she carried on anyway, continued topping up the spell. Held out against the Police and family until Billie and her disappearance was at the back of everyone’s minds. Maybe in a year or two she could start relaxing the spell, see if its constant presence had altered anything permanently, but for now she would keep plugging away. For she had everything she wanted right? And that would do for now.

[lifeofasimblog]

Chapter 37 - Cnt’d

She found him in one of the libraries and found herself running to him as he swept her into his arms.

“Thank you Papa, you did it”

“Anything for you my love. I didn’t watch it all but I assume it’s worked.”

“It has” Valentina said. “Unbelievably well but what does he remember? Has his memory been completely wiped? Will he remember his daughter?”

“It’s hard for me to know exactly” her Father said. “But I know that with the spell I cast it phases out the other lover as if they never existed. He will remember all of his life but his memories of Billie will be faint smudges, blurs if you will. He will know his daughter, know that he had her with someone but he won’t remember who she was.”

Valentina let out a sigh of relief but her Father gripped her by the shoulders, his features weary.

“I must warn you honey, he may not be the Rowan you remember from Vallerden. He will likely be in a stupor most of the time. It is hard to continuously block someone’s memories from them, especially when they are such life changing ones. You will need to be vigilant and these early stages will be the most important.”

Valentina sucked in a breath, knowing the task ahead of her was monumental but knowing she had no other choice.

“There’s also the matter of Billie’s disappearance.” Vladimir continued. “Rowan will have to report her missing or the whole thing will come undone. People can’t just disappear and expect no one will look for them. I can help you with that, be present while Rowan talks, plant the words in his head. We have a lot of work before us.”

Valentina hugged her Father tightly, thanking all the Gods she had him and he had known what to do. She knew it would be hard and that it would likely not get easier for a while but for him it was worth it.

[lifeofasimblog]

Vladimir and Valentina arrived at the Realm, an eerie quiet settling over the grounds as the stopped before the main steps.

Vladimir handed Valentina the Alluring Elixir and she drank it without a second thought. She could feel the potion seep through her, feel herself grow more confident, more reckless as it made its way through her veins. She felt her Father’s touch and looked into his eyes.

“Well done my darling. Not long now. Remember the plan.”

She smiled at him, all trace of that earlier feeling of terror and guilt gone. She was going to find Rowan and he was going to be hers. They walked into the main foyer of the Realm together, finding it completely deserted. Almost as if the Gods had willed it, Rowan walked through the opposite entrance, a surprised look lighting up his features as he saw Valentina below.

She felt a small push on the elbow from her Father and sucking in a deep breath she made her way towards him.

“V, Hi” Rowan said, walking up towards her.

“Hey Rowan, how are you?”

She was amazed at the lightness in her tone, the confidence in it. She could hear her Father’s whispered words as he stood behind them, conjuring up the spell.

“I’m good thanks, I was just about to head home. Billie will have my head if I’m late”

She saw his attention divert behind her, to her Father.

“Hey is that your…”

Before Rowan could utter his last word a bright light flashed all around them, Rowan freezing as the spell hit him in the centre of the chest. Valentina was momentarily breathless as she watched Rowan’s eyes had glaze over, rooted to the spot in a daze. Valentina felt her heart hammer and for a moment she herself was frozen, unsure of what to do, wondering if the spell had even worked.

She was about to turn to her Father when Rowan let out a breath. His eyes had cleared and he was now looking at her as if he had just seen her for the first time.

“Rowan?” Valentina ventured.

“V” Rowan said and before she knew what was happening he was holding her in his arms and kissing her softly.

Valentina felt her whole body rage as she returned his kiss, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

When they broke away at last, Valentina found her Father nowhere to be seen. She turned back to Rowan, who was looking around slightly confused.

“So what were we doing?” he said.

“We were just heading back home. We did some training with Sage Nix remember?”

“Ahh yes” Rowan said. “Sage Nix.”

“You head on off” Valentina said. “I’ll meet you there.”

She watched him walk off and knew she needed to talk to her Father quickly. She couldn’t believe it had worked but needed to make sure she got the details right.

[lifeofasimblog]

Vladimir had finally managed to pull his daughter out of her stupor. He felt sorry for the poor girl, murder was not an easy thing to get used to – lucky he had plenty of practice. He sat in the front lounge room once more, going over the Infatuate spell that he had learnt, making sure he had all the language down pat. There was no room for error today, they had one chance and it was taking place at the Realm. One misstep and the Sage’s would be on their asses like no tomorrow.

“Papa?”

Valentina emerged in the doorway.

“I’m ready to go”

“Good” her Father replied. “Now remember the plan, you will drink the Alluring Elixir, find Rowan and keep him in place. I will cast the spell and from there we will just have to see what happens. The spell itself will keep him in a stupor, forgetting all others save yourself but you will need to keep topping it up over the course of your lives. It is heavy burden but this is what you wanted.”

“I understand Papa. I want this, I choose this. I will do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

“Good Girl” Vladimir replied. “Now let’s go, we don’t have much time.”

Vladimir followed his daughter out of the house, his confidence brimming with each step. How he loved to toy with others, control them, make them bend to his will. As far as he saw it, Rowan was just another puppet, a test subject and if he could help his daughter in the process, well that was fine by him also.

[lifeofasimblog]

CW/TW: Violence, Death

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“You might not want to be here for this Val”

Valentina felt her blood turn to ice as she stared down at Billie’s unconscious form. She had felt so confident before, so right in what she was doing and now looking at her helpless body she felt a tiny twinge of panic.

“What if we’re found out Papa. What if the spell breaks on Rowan and the whole thing blows up in our face.”

“Well it’s too late for any of that sweetheart. This is what you wanted, so we made it happen. There’s no turning back now.

Valentina sucked in a breath and made her way up the stairs. This was what she wanted right? It was all for Rowan, so that they could have the life they were meant to have, together. She just hoped it would all work out the way they had planned.

The wait was agonising but finally her Father emerged, covered in blood, the sight of him making Valentina’s stomach turn.

“Did you have to go that far?” she said.

Her Father crossed his arms, glaring at her as he walked back down the stairs. Valentina followed him, not wanting to but knowing she had no choice. The room was empty save for a simple urn. The reaper had come.

“So it’s done then” Valentina said. “She’s gone forever.”

“Yes Val” her Father replied. “And now you finally get your Prince.”

Valentina forced herself to smile, tried to pull those dreams of her and Rowan to the fore but all she could see was that damn urn.

“What I have done?” Valentina said to herself.

[lifeofasimblog]

CW/TW: Violence

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Today was the day. After news was spread around the Realm about the newest addition to the Black-Storm bloodline Valentina and her Father finally put their plan into place.

Vladimir was watching Rowan at the Realm and Valentina was at the Ash House. She watched as Billie left for work, a nanny arriving to take care of the baby. Valentina knew it might be a long wait but she didn’t mind. All of her patience was soon to pay off and she couldn’t wait.

Billie finally arrived home in the afternoon, heading inside no doubt to go upstairs to see her daughter. Valentina watched the nanny leave and contemplated whether she should go inside and do her business there. Just as she was about leave her hiding spot, she watched as Billie made her way down to the garden. Valentina felt a smile creep on to her face. This was going to be too easy.

She slowly made her way over to Billie, relishing each step as she walked closer to achieving her dream. Billie was alerted to her presence by the snap of a twig but by then it was too late, Valentina had her cornered.

“What are you doing here” Billie said, her angry barely contained.

“Just thought I would come by to say hi and to congratulate you and Rowan on your new baby. Everly I believe?”

“What do you want Valentina? I know you didn’t come here to exchange pleasantries so just get on with it.”

“So rude for someone who only has a day left. I thought you’d want to leave this world in a good frame of mind.”

Valentina watched as the blood drained from Billie’s face.

“What did you say?”

“You heard what I said.” Valentina replied. “You thought you had it all worked out, that you could just steal Rowan away from me and there wouldn’t be consequences. Well who’s the stupid human now. I hoped you enjoyed that cuddle with your daughter because it’s the last time you’ll ever see her.”

Billie made to lunge past Valentina  but a block spell shot her backwards, Billie’s body hitting the ground with a thud.

“You won’t get away with this” Billie spat. “Rowan will find out, he will never want to be with you.”

“Oh don’t you worry about Rowan” Valentina said. “He’s being taken care of and he’ll never remember you. We’ll make sure of that.”

Valentina threw herself at Billie, landing punch after punch until Billie was unconscious.

“Stupid bitch” Valentina spat, as she wiped the blood off her knuckles.

She looked up towards the house, not feeling an ounce of pity, an evil smile breaking out on her lips. This house and Rowan would soon be all hers and she couldn’t wait for it to become a reality.

[lifeofasimblog]

Rowan and Billie continued on their life as normal, Rowan’s encounter with Valentina slipping to the back of his mind. He didn’t see her again and he knew she was purposely avoiding him. It made him feel good to hope that she had finally moved on, not that he could give her much thought anyway, there was soon to be a new member of their household.

On a stormy winter night, Billie finally gave birth to their first child. A little girl who they named Everly, Evie for short.

Rowan had never felt so much love in his life as she stared down at his tiny daughter, a soft warm weight in his arms. Everything up until this point has been worth it and he knew if his Mother was here right now she would be so proud of him.

[lifeofasimblog]

Valentina sat outside her house, trying to compose herself before she made her way inside. She hoped the news of this baby wouldn’t thwart their plans completely and that they could still complete what they needed to do in a month’s time.

Valentina picked herself up and walked into their home, finding her Father once again in the front living room.

One look at her face and he knew what was going on.

“What happened Val?” Vladimir said, his voice a snarl.

“She’s pregnant”

“Who?” Vladimir demanded, coming right up to her.

“Billie. Rowan’s fiancé. He just told me at the bar.”

Valentina fought back tears as she watched her Father swear colourfully, his hands on his hips as he mulled over her news.

“Please tell me this doesn’t mess anything up” Valentina said. “I don’t know if I can wait much longer and a baby would just complicate things.”

“Don’t be so stupid” her Father spat. “This ruins everything, well at least for the time being.”

Valentina felt her composure slip, a familiar rage settling in her gut.

“What do you mean?” she said. “Can’t we just kill her anyway? Who cares.”

Vladimir rounded on her, his face ashen with fury.

“Are you completely out of your mind. She is with child. No one ever touches a child, human or not. Didn’t they teach you that at Vallerden.”

“But she can’t have Rowan’s baby” Valentina screamed. “I was meant to bear his children, to continue this line. That baby will ruin everything. EVERYTHING.”

Valentina felt her head snap back as her Father slapped her.

“Pull yourself together Valentina Peshkov or I will see to it that you are the one who is discarded. You can still have his children, you can still be with him but we cannot touch that woman until she has had the baby. Do you understand me? It will mean we have to wait a few months but it is nothing compared to the reward you will gain for being patient.”

“I can’t wait any longer” Valentina cried. “And I certainly don’t want to a be a step-mother to that half-breed, that mutant.”

“Yes you will” Vladimir said, the ice in his voice making her blood run cold. “You will be a good girl and do as your told. You want this man, this is your price. Now stop your snivelling and get out of my sight.”

Valentina ran up to her room, not caring if her Father heard her sobs. This baby had ruined everything, even if she got Rowan there would still be some part of him tied to Billie. Valentina lay down on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

[lifeofasimblog]

Valentina had decided to go to Hadley’s House knowing she might well bump into Rowan and Billie but not caring in the slightest.

She found it was all easier to deal with, now that her Father was back and well on his way to working out how to get rid of Billie and bind Rowan to her forever. She could take a few more weeks of having to deal with their relationship, as she knew it would be over soon and she would have Rowan at last.

It was no surprise when he walked through the door and Valentina found herself smile when she noticed he was alone. He spotted her at the bar, a shy smile lighting up his features before he slid in beside her. She could tell he was still nervous to be around her but she was brimming with confidence.

“Hey Ro” she said, batting her eyelashes at him. “Fancy seeing you here.”

He ordered his normal beer, before clearing his throat and looking at her.

“What’s more interesting is what you are doing here V. I didn’t know Hadley’s was your local?”

“My Papa is back in town remember? He owns the Estate on Airlie Rock, I’m staying with him for a while, so you may be seeing a lot more of me.”

She took delight in the discomfort on his face, knowing she was pushing her luck but not caring if she did so.

“So how’s the fiancée?”

Rowan glared at her, taking a large sip of his drink as he did so. She knew she was antagonising him but with the knowledge of her Father’s plan and two red wines in her, she found she didn’t quite care.

“She’s well actually. I ah, I don’t know if you heard but we’re having a baby.”

Valentina was pleased he was looking down at the bar, as she was unable to control her emotions at those words.

“A baby” she managed to stammer, the red wine in her stomach threatening to come up.

“Yea” Rowan said. “Bit of a surprise but we’re over the moon. She’s due in August.”

Valentina felt like she couldn’t breathe, the world spinning before her as she tried in vain to keep her emotions in check.

“I feel like every time I see you there’s some new bombshell waiting to hit me. Will it be twins next?”

Rowan drained his glass and made to walk away. Valentina beat him to it, shooting up and walking away.

“I am sorry V” she heard him say behind her. “None of this is easy, I know especially for you but you need to move on.”

Each word was like a crushing blow and she managed to drag herself out the door before the tears spilled down her cheeks. She didn’t understand what she had done to deserve this, why everything kept turning to shit. She flew fast back to her Father’s house, knowing he would know what to do, baby or no.

[lifeofasimblog]

Valentina had finally arrived home, a whole flood of emotions taking over her as she made her way to the front door. She was still in awe at how she had remained so calm, even after Rowan had hit her with that horrible bombshell.

Her heart ached when she thought about it. How she had been there, right at their front door just after it had happened. Her fingertips sparked with her magic as rage swept through her body. How could Rowan be so stupid? Didn’t he know what he had just done?

Valentina didn’t notice all the lights in the house and got a shock when she saw her Father, Vladimir, sitting in the front lounge.

“Papa?”

Vladimir was a formidable presence. The Peshkov’s had always been high up in the Realm but through Vladimir’s cunning and wit he had managed to not only make them stay there but make them a powerhouse in their own right. He had been training in Yellowfang, testing out new spells and techniques, hoping to bring some back to their own Realm to further their power and reach. Now he was home, Valentina almost sagged with relief.

“Valentina darling, I missed you so much”

She felt everything let go as she hugged her Father, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“What’s wrong my love? Did you miss me that much?”

She let out a small laugh, as she followed her Father to the couch.

“I did miss you but something’s happened and I may need your help.”

“Anything for you my sweet. What happened?”

Valentina launched into the story about Rowan and Billie. Her Father had actually met Rowan on two occasions when he had come to visit her at Vallerden. She watched his face grow angry as she told him about Billie and her human nature.

“…and now they’re engaged Papa and there’s no way he will listen to me. It’s just completely unfair and stupid, tainting such an incredible line. But what can I do now?”

Vladimir had listened to the whole account in silence, his face thoughtful as she finished.

“Well I agree Val, there is no way we can let this carry on. Rowan is stupid if he thinks he can just put you to the wayside and carry on with some human slut.”

She waited as he opened the book he had been reading, skimming through the pages until he found the right one.

“I know what we can do but we have to be careful. There’s a spell and a potion we can cast, something I learned in Yellowfang which will bind him to you. As for the girl we can dispose of her quite easily, you just leave it all to me.”

Valentina felt her heart lift, the first time in a very long time and knew she had been right to come to her Father about this. She hugged him before leaving and walked up to her room, dreaming of a future where Rowan and her were finally together.