Potent
Chapter 9: "Am I?"

It was at feminine moments like this that Gemini wished she could conjure up a better comb for her tangled blonde hair. The one provided for her was barely doing the job. She stared at her face in the mirror on her dresser, groaning that she couldn’t make her locks look right. Finally she decided to pull it all up rather than leave it down.

“I’ve always wondered how women get their hair like that.”

Instantly, Gemini summoned all her willpower to not give a harsh reply.

“It isn’t an easy process, my lord,” she managed to say nicely.

“I noticed.” Valentine settled himself against the doorframe, wearing his infamously smug smile. Knowing that this could turn into a vexing conversation, she knew she had to get to the point.

“What do you want of me, my lord?” She rose from her chair.

“Well, since you failed to specify when or where our lessons would start, I picked now,” Valentine answered, stepping away from the doorway.

Her stomach rolled and twisted into a knot.

“Now, my lord?” Why now? I’m not at all prepared!

He cocked his head slightly.

“Not excited?” He flicked his wrist and they were both swallowed up by black smoke.

Gemini stumbled for a minute when the smoke cleared away. They were in Valentine’s parlor and the guards were gone. Then she realized why she stumbled. Instead of her usual working shoes, she wore a pair of dancing slippers. Her eyes widened and she felt the silky, blue material of the ballgown she was now wearing. Valentine was still dressed in his usual black, scaly shirt and trousers. He smirked at her.

“How about now?”

“My lord, a fancy gown doesn’t make this any less dreadful,” Gemini dared to say.

“But it’s also supposed to help you. If you dance in a dress like that, you’ve mastered the skill.”

She ignored his slightly mocking tone.

“Please, my lord, can we begin?”

“Eager to get it over with, I see. Very well, put your hand on my shoulder.”

Gemini did as he said and Valentine put his hand on her waist, causing her to flinch. All of her instincts told her to pull away but she mustered the will to control herself. Then he took her other hand in his. “Now mirror my feet.” Valentine moved slowly, stepping backwards. Then sideways. Then forward. Sideways. And back again. He repeated the pattern over and over and Gemini watched his feet so she didn’t have to look at him. Unfortunately, her feet got the pattern to the point where she knew she didn’t have to watch his feet.

His hand left her waist to lift her face to meet his eyes. Then he returned to the original stance. Gemini poured all of her anger, bitterness, and hurt into her face and eyes, hoping that he would see what she thought of him.

Valentine gave her a half-smile and she almost faltered with surprise. He stepped back, twirled her around a few times, and returned to their original position. “You see, Gem--I’m used to people looking at me like that. And if you think that giving me angry eyes is going to make me feel sorry for what I did, think again.” They continued to dance and he pulled her closer. “I’m not in the least bit sorry. And I never will be.”

Gemini felt her hands clench around his fingers and shoulder. Before she could think it through, she slapped him. Hard. He cupped his cheek and she waited for him to attack her. But he took his hand away, baring the red hand mark on his face with a smile. He said something that she would never forget. “You know, you used to be an innocent little angel… and now look where you are, who you are. I think this place has changed you.” The mark on his face was turning redder. “Maybe once we finish our deals… I’ll let you go… so your family can see what you’ve become too.”

What… what have I done? What’s happened to me? Why am I like this? Gemini couldn’t stop staring at the handprint on Valentine’s left cheek. I did that… I hurt another human being.

No, he’s not human, Gemini. He’s cruel, arrogant, a murder, and the evilest man in Dunstorria.

No, this is not who I am… I would never hurt anyone just for something mean they said… I wouldn’t even entertain evil thoughts about them!

“I’m sorry, I… I don’t know what’s wrong with me, my lord,” Gemini said, tearfully. Her voice broke and wobbled. She stepped away from him.

“Why would it be wrong?” Valentine whispered with a smirk. “Wasn’t it satisfying to hit me?”

“No, it was not.” But even to her own ears, her voice was weak. Gemini turned away, fighting tears.

“Oh, yes, it was. You’ve been longing to hurt me for months, haven’t you?”

“My lord, please… stop…”

“Well, now you have.” Valentine forced her to look at him and the bright, crimson injury she had given him. “How does it feel?”

She couldn’t think of anything to say. She just let her tears fall, hoping it would cause him to stop tormenting her. And he wiped one away with his thumb but smirked at her, finally relenting. Valentine released her and walked over to his desk. “We’ll continue lessons tomorrow, that is, if you still want to release your mother. Oh, and didn’t you have a question?”

“I…” Gemini wiped away her tears. “I just wanted to know if you thought of Daniel-Kane as a friend.”

“Interesting of you to ask,” Valentine mused, turning around. Her stomach was still in knots at the sight of his face. His now half-grin was still there. “I think I do. I’ve always trusted him and him me. He’s always been helpful to me.”

Daniel-Kane opened the door to his “office,” which was littered with papers and books all over the floor and the furniture. He dropped a few books on his desk and sat down, before he realized someone was sitting in another chair in the room.

“What is it, Val? Has there been a complication?” Daniel-Kane asked, glancing at Valentine and absentmindedly starting to write. “You’ve come at an odd time of day.”

“The plan hasn’t changed. It’s the girl I’m not so sure about,” Valentine replied. He stared off in his “thinking position” as Daniel-Kane liked to call it. He would prop his elbow up somewhere and put a finger or two to his lips as he thought. Valentine looked at Daniel-Kane. “She loathes me. And it’s already been difficult to get her ready to go to Kalt.”

“You’ve worked with people who hate you before… what’s holding you back this time?”

“It’s not what’s holding me back, it’s how good she will play her part. If she makes any mistake or betrays me--”

“Don’t start--she has too much to risk to do that.” Daniel-Kane put his quill down. Valentine almost never had doubts… “What is this really about?”

That got Valentine’s attention. His head snapped up.

“What do you mean?”

“You never doubt my plans or the pieces in them… Why are you really here?” Daniel-Kane noticed a hand-sized, red mark on the left side of Valentine’s face. “Who slapped you?”

Valentine chewed the inside of his lip but didn’t say anything. Ah, so he is hiding something. Daniel-Kane was really the only one who could tell when Valentine was lying or uneasy. Is it about Gemini? Has he finally found a woman he truly cares for? “Are you unhappy that Gemini loathes you?”

Freezing in place, Valentine gripped the armrests of the chair a little tighter. Ah, so he is upset… or at least uncomfortable.

“I’m not here for ‘sweetheart’ advice.” The undertone threat was obvious but so was the slight panic and embarrassment.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Daniel-Kane leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. Valentine couldn’t avoid it now.

“I don’t know.”

“You do. Another person has come to hate you and that’s not what you--”

“Daniel-Kane, Gemini hates me and doesn’t care about me.” Valentine stood and paced around the room. “I’ve given up trying to get someone to care when they never will.”

“You don’t know that.”

“In all my years of living and interacting with other humans, who else has come to love me but you and Mira?” Valentine faced a different wall now but Daniel-Kane could see the tiniest bit of pain in his eyes.

“You’re not unlovable, Valentine,” Daniel-Kane insisted.

“Am I?” Valentine gave him a wry, raised-eyebrow look. And unfortunately, he had raised fair a point. “You knew me long before… all of this. But everyone else? They will only know me by my current deeds. It is nigh impossible to change how everyone views me now. They want to think of me as a murderer.”

“Because you’ve given them reason to.”

“I can’t change my past. Why should I change when no else will change their view of me?”

To that, Daniel-Kane could think of no reply that would change his mind or persuade him. Valentine was extremely stubborn when he wanted to be. Time to change the subject.

“Was Gemini the one who slapped you?”

“That’s irrelevant.”

“And you’re avoiding the new question, which is completely relevant.” Daniel-Kane crossed his arms. It still annoyed him that Valentine was so difficult to get answers out of. “Did she slap you?”

Valentine set his jaw, glaring at a stray paper on the floor.

“Yes.”

“And you just let her?” Daniel-Kane quirked an eyebrow.

“It was for learning purposes.”

“About dancing?” Daniel-Kane couldn’t help smiling.

“About herself,” Valentine growled. Daniel-Kane raised his eyebrow higher, still smiling.

“Oh, the fascinating lessons you must have…”

“Daniel-Kane--” Valentine was giving him the Look and the Eye.

“Alright, alright. Honestly, you are no fun, Val,” He complained.

“Yes, I am. Now, how is our plan looking?”

“It’s going very well, as long as Gemini can blend in as an accomplished lady, we are ready.” Daniel-Kane went back to his writing.

“Good. Hopefully, things will go accordingly.” Valentine rose from his seat.

“Are you sure you still want to do this?” Daniel-Kane looked up at him seriously. Valentine could still change his mind and everyone would be much better off.

“Yes. Any other advice or questions?” Valentine crossed his arms, clearly done with the conversation.

“Be careful and think through all of your options,” Daniel-Kane warned, giving Valentine a look that hopefully said: Please, please be careful and think.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Valentine shut the door behind him.

Gemini lay in bed, staring out her window, wishing she wasn’t alone. Her traitorous mind started to wish for Valentine to stay with her again.

At least he could help me fall asleep with a snap of his fingers… But she didn’t dare to ask him again. It would give him too much pleasure in her weakness and more power over her. Part of her wished that he cared, even for just one fleeting moment.

She huffed and rolled over onto her side. Gemini yelped.

Valentine was just several meters away from her face, kneeling on the floor in front of her bed with his hand propping up his chin. His signature grin appeared. A chuckle escaped him.

“Wh--what--why are you here?” Gemini moved away from him, stumbled over her words. She realized that she was shaking.

“Because you wished for me.” Valentine stood, towering over her bed, making Gemini feel small and helpless.

“No, I didn’t.”

“Well, not out loud.”

“You heard my thoughts?” Gemini gripped her sheets, terrified that he had knew what she was thinking every moment. But Valentine scoffed.

“No, I have my ways of seeking knowledge. But you--” He sat on her bed, pretending to daintily cross his legs. “You want something from me. Won’t you tell me?”

She hesitated. Why would he want to know what she wanted from him? Since when did he seek to help her and offer aid? He must want me to be dependent on him… to come crying to him when I need something. She decided right then and there--she wasn’t going to give that satisfaction. She sat up, morphing her face into a polite expression.

“On the contrary, I no longer want something from you, my lord,” Gemini said, as calmly as she’d ever felt around him. Valentine quirked an eyebrow.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, my lord. I will manage on my own.”

He narrowed his eyes. Clearly, he not happy with her change of heart.

“Why the change of heart?”

“Because, as I said, I can manage on my own, so there’s no need for me to trouble you, my lord.” She prayed that he wasn’t growing angry at her.

Valentine opened his mouth to speak when the window shattered. Gemini screamed as the shards rained down on them.