Valentina silently watched Fauna flip through pages. She had long abandoned the book Fauna had given her to read to entertain herself with other matters.
Fauna was a very pretty girl, Valentina thought. And she was very close to his Lordship she presumed. And his Lordship was an attractive man as well, so it only logical to presume that Fauna...
'How old are you Fauna?'
Her face was still buried in the book when she replied. 'Eighteen.'
She was very young. And Valentina let her know that.

'You look about my age as well.' She chuckled. They both knew Valentina was not. She could have been when she died. Valentina made sure to ask Nicholae when he came to see her. Her heart began to race at the thought of seeing his warm silver eyes and his beautiful face.
' How long have you known His Lordship?'
It honestly felt weird calling him that.

Fauna flipped a page, 'Sixteen years.'
Thankfully she elaborated.

'I met him at the orphanage when I was two years old. His Aura drew me to him.'
'aaah.' Valentina said when really, she had no idea how the aura thing worked. She wasn't even sure she knew what exactly an aura was.

'Do you like his Lordship?' Valentina asked her.

'Yes.' The answer was fast. Valentina looked back into her book surprised and a little miffed.

The silence stretched a little more before Fauna spoke again.

'I think I've found a concoction that might work.' She gladly announced.
She took out her phone and began tapping letters on the screen.

'What are you doing?' Valentina asked.

'I'm texting His Lordship.'
Fauna went further to explain what texting was and what a phone was. For some reason Valentina came up blank when're she saw the device.
But she wanted one too, it looked so sleek and shiny.

'I'll need some of your blood for the potion. Is that okay?' Fauna asked Valentina.
The question gave Valentina time to pause.
Again she was confronted with the choice of regaining all she'd lost, memory wise. And that would also bring back the pain she'd felt earlier. As of now that pain was the only vivid memory she possessed, but in her heart she knew the pain should have been far more excruciating.

'I don't think I want to remember anything yet.'
That took Fauna by surprise.

'You don't want to remember?'
Valentina shook her head.
'I'd rather my memories come to me in bits and pieces. I don't want to be overwhelmed.'
She could give every excuse. But it really just boiled down to cowardice.

'You could have been married. Had family, friends who miss you and can't wait to see you again.'

'Did you ever find your family?' Valentina asked Fauna.
'Did you want to know why you were at the orphanage?'

Fauna slowly shook her head. And Valentina could guess why. She might have been afraid of what she'd find out.

'I didn't need to. His Lordship and Niko are my family.'
There was a very obvious passion in her voice and fire in her eyes when she spoke about Nicholae.

'Who's Niko?'

'Oh yes. You haven't met him yet. He's His Lordship's son.'

They had a child too?

Valentina fell further into her slump.
Here she was yearning for a married man who had a son.

'Why do you call him 'His Lordship'. You're closer than that.'
Valentina complained.

'Well He's asked me to call him Nicholae when were alone but it'll feel weird to me.'
Ooh. When they're alone huh?

The situation was finally made clear to Valentina.
She angrily returned to her pages. She wasn't mad at anyone but herself.

'You know what, Val... is it okay if I call you Val?or would you prefer Tina?'

'Whatever works.' She glumly responded.

'I'll just make the potion and then you can make your final choice then. Okay?'
Valentina shrugged, she wasn't sure she'd change her mind but for that moment that sounded reasonable.

And then they returned to their companionable silence.
This left Valentina ample time to think about all what she knew. She really have to reflect on her feelings.

Why was she suddenly angry at Fauna? She wanted to only talk about Lord Nicholae.

On that thought, why wasn't he here yet. He said he'd come by. Even if it was to come and see Fauna. Valentina would take it. It would help her heal quickly as well.

Fauna's phone vibrated, causing Valentina to jump a little.
'I'm sorry. His Lordship just texted me. The sound was just an alert.'

'I know how a phone works.' She said haughtily.
Fauna raised her brows, 'You do?'

Valentina flipped her hair aside.
'Yes, I do. So what does his Lordship say?'

Fauna read the text out loud, he was asking for her.
'Do you think you'll be okay by yourself? It's totally safe and I have the doors warded.

'Of course. I'll be fine.' She tossed the rest of her thick curls behind her shoulders.

Having given Fauna the green light, she was left alone.
She immediately closed the book and went under her bed covers. Her best defense was to pretend to be asleep. Scary things usually left sleeping people be.

She heard the door open and close a while later. She tightly shut her eyes at how frightened she must look. She quickly played it off as her sleeping.
She turned to face Fauna with her eyes still closed. She even yawned for good effect.
That should have sold it.
Valentina felt the person move closer. The presence didn't feel like Fauna's.
The person knelt beside her bed and moved her hair out of her face. The innocent contact made butterflies swarm in her belly.

For sure, it was Nicholae. She inhaled his scent and smiled a small smile because his touch pleased her.
He briefly stroked her head, that's when she heard him sigh.
His hand left her head when he stood and so she quickly reached for his hand.

'Did I disturb you?' He softly spoke as if he was still trying not to wake her up.

Valentina shook her head moving the curls.
Her eyes went to their linked hands where Nicholae's thumb made lazy circles over her knuckles.

It felt so right but she reluctantly removed her hands because her mind nagged her.

Nicholae pulled a chair and sat directly before her.
'Did you remember anything? About the person in the room with you?'

Valentina sat and pulled her legs under her chin.
'Not a thing.'

'Fauna told me you also told how you don't want to remember your past.'

She nodded, bouncing her curls around.
'I'm unsure. But she said she'll make the potion anyway. Incase I change my mind.'

'And will you?'
Valentina was uncertain if she'd change her mind. But that was a possibility.

'It's probable.' She confessed.
'How much blood would she need? And will it hurt?'
Nicholae took her hands.
'Probably a drop.' He pinched her thumb.
'It'll be quick and you'll barely feel it.'

'Do you think I should take the potion and remember everything?'

Nicholae smiled with no mirth and he continued to look at her fingers.

'You should.' That was his answer.
'There's always things worth knowing. Like family, friends and enemies.'

'Why would I want to remember my enemies. Aren't they people who've wronged and hurt me?'

'So you can stay alive because you know who not to trust.'

Valentina saw the wisdom in his words.
Maybe remembering everything would lessen the pain since all her good memories would help her fight that bad one.
She wasn't a hundred percent on board with testing that theory. It was more like sixty percent. Which was a very good start if she could say so.

She scrambled off the bed and went into the bathroom. When she eventually returned, her oozed drops of blood.
'I can't find anything to put it in.'
She watched Nicholae's nostrils flare after he jumped out his chair. He frantically scanned the room for a container.
He open and shut several drawers and cupboards in seconds. Then he found a vial.
Valentina sat back on her bed trying not to spill her blood on the floor.

Nicholae took her hand and applied some pressure in it to get the blood into the vial. He quickly covered it and safely placed it in the front pocket of his tunic. What he did next stole a gasp from Valentina.
He placed her thumb into his mouth and lightly sucked on it. His eyes held hers for an eternal minute.

Valentina had to question Nicholae's honesty in that instant.
Did he lie to her about him being a vampire because she could swear on all creation that he was casting a spell on her, causing her body to feel like jelly.

'There. All better now?' His husky voice held a faint tremble.

Not even close. Valentina climbed onto Nicholae's lap and kissed him. The act came naturally to her as though she'd down this with him a thousand other times.
At first Nicholae stiffened, unsure what to do. A second later he had his hands in her hair and on every part of her body, deepening the kiss with every passing second.

Valentina instinctively hooked her legs around his waist when he got up.
She didn't know where they were going but she didn't really care since she was in his arms.
She gladly let her mind go blank to savor only him. She barely noticed that they had entered a completely different room until he laid her back on the massive bed. Her body craved something more and her mind wanted to know how he was going to relieve the aching between her thighs.
And then his phone rang in his pocket. The damn devices from hell.

Thankfully Nicholae was just as frustrated as she was.
It was Fauna calling him.
Then Valentina crashed back to reality.
Her face burned furiously at how intimate she and Nicholae had been mere seconds ago.
It was official, Valentina was a bad person.
She frowned at Nicholae who was now on the phone. He had to share in the responsibility as well. Granted she had made the first move, but he sucked her thumb, he baited her and destroyed her self control which was non-existent when he was present most times.

She crossed her arms and bore holes at the back of his skull.

'I'm coming.' He sighed.
He was taken aback by Valentina's stormy look.
'Are you okay?'

'You, your Lordship, are a very bad man.' She seethed.

'What?'

'Wow. You're really good. Go. Fauna needs you, we'll talk later.'

With one final look of confusion at Valentina, Nicholae left the room scratching his head.