'I can't believe you did all things without telling me.' Georgina pulled Valentina's ear.
'Ow, Gina.' Valentina cried breaking away from her painful hold.

'Look at where I ended up.' Valentina intended it as a joke but her comment still struck a cord.
'I married a coward and loser my baby.'
Georgina hugged her.
'You still have time darling. This isn't the end of the world.'

Valentina pulled away from her embrace,
'It feels like the end of the world. My world.'
She couldn't sit still.

'I know exactly how you feel. I've lost children too.'
Valentina was thankful for her memories of Aaron that she got back.
'He wasn't talking to me at the time.'

Georgina chuckled at the fondness of her son's memories.
'He always did have a bone to pick with people. And his son and nephew are following in his steps with their large heads leading them.'

Semi begged to differ.
'Osei can be goofy when he wants to be. He only lets his guard down around people he trusts.'

Georgina's smile dimmed a little.
Semi's words weren't meant to hurt her, but they unintentionally succeeded in causing her heart to ache a little.
She had missed a whole lifetime worth of memories with her grandson who reminded her so much of the one she lost so treacherously.
That's why she wanted to get to know him.

'Yes you're right. I've already wasted enough time as it is trying to coerce Cornelius to overturn his decree.'
She looked at Valentina.
'Sometimes honey, it's difficult to go against something you're so used to.'
In her case, going against Cornelius. That took effort. And she was still suffering the repercussions for her decision to support Osei.

'Are you trying to excuse Nicholae's cowardice?'

Georgina's reaction was hysterical.

'Of course not. I'm going to pay the little punk a visit and unleash my mama bear on him butt.'
Semi even giggled a little and Valentina couldn't help but smile.

'But you have to admit he did a good job with handling the council. They won't like him for that. Or Osei and Cayden for that matter. And it's a good thing you kept to the story.'

Valentina gave her a look.

'Oh child I know it was a story.'

'Osei told me to deny, deny, deny.'
Liza's ear picked up briefly but whatever it was quickly lost her interest.

'He'd make a good lawyer.' Georgina joked.

'No. He doesn't have the patience for it. He'd end up mutilatiting his clients.' The girl's shared a laugh.

'You remember don't you.'
'How could I forget Gina. Every night when I go to sleep I remember. And that face! I can't ever forget that evil face smiling at me .'

'It'll get easier eventually. Trust me.'

'I want to go there. I think that's the only way I can overcome the trauma.'

'Or make it worse.' Fauna said from behind her.

Valentina didn't mean to but she ended up ignoring Fauna. Like she had whenever their paths crossed.
It was because she knew how loyal she was to Nicholae. She couldn't trust her.

'Your Ladyship. I apologize for not greeting you sooner.'
Georgina waved off her apologies.
'Semi how are you all doing?'
'We're fine. Are you done talking to Osei?'
Fauna nodded.
'It's the same old news. Nothing important.' Fauna claimed.
'Valentina it's been a while.'

'Did your lord send you here?'

'No.' The hurt present in her reply.
Valentina silently damned herself for taking her frustrations out on Fauna. However she was sure Nicholae was communicating with her through the damned phone.

'I'm here to see how you're doing. I really don't think going to the scene where it all happened is the right choice.'

'And I agree with her.' Georgina declares.
'That's not advisable. Especially if you intended on going alone.'
Valentina sighed and stoped herself from rolling her eyes.
'I'm tired. I need to rest.' She excused herself. Shortly after Georgina and Semi followed with Lisa quick on their heels.
Fauna staggered back in surprise when she was suddenly whipped with a face full of wolf tail.
And when she looked back, Liza continued unapologetically as if nothing happened.

'Come now Fauna.' Lady Geaorgina called to her and Fauna obeyed.

Later that evening, the nightmare of the day of her death recounted itself in Valentina's dreams. This time it felt differently. As if someone other than her was watching the events unfold.
She woke up unsettled as usual and with a feeling that someone had been in her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The brown leaves clung to the sickly trees with large gaping holes in their stems.
The dried reddish-brown stains could be blood and Valentina wasn't sure if it was or not.

'You should have remained dead.'

Valentina recognized the voice.
Sonya moved up close to her. Standing a few yards away was Erik, the butler from the Manor.
In all honesty, Valentina never imagined Sonya saying such a thing to her. The matron of the Tchkovsky family always seemed like the most dependable and just of the cold bunch.

'I should have crushed your little fling with Nicole the instant I smelled the pungent stench of your blossoming romance. I admit I was too late. And now look at the results of my not meddling.'
Valentina couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had she not been experiencing this meeting with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed Lady Tchkovsky capable of such coldheartedness. Well not directed towards her at least.
'But you made him happy and for a while, that's all I wanted. And I'll had it to you, you did a fine job. And your death was a good ending to a bad romance.'

'Why are you saying this to me?'
After all that she'd been through.

'What else would you expect me to say to a woman who has turned my grandson away from his family?'
Valentina has no reply to that because she was responsible for no such thing. And Sonya couldn't hold her accountable for Nicholae's behavior, he was his own man after all.

'I want to say this in the nicest way possible, but if you could die again, I'd really appreciate it.'
Valentina gasped.
'Just die. I'll organize a funeral worthy of a Tchkovsky in my gratitude.'
Was she serious?
'You know when you died, you didn't have a proper burial because there wasn't a body to bury. But I'll fix that. And then Nicole can get back to his life and his duties instead of running around the valley chasing after ghosts and damned theories!'

Valentina's nails dig into her palms and her eyes burned with the threat of angry tears.

'They aren't just theories. They are true.'

'And you'd know? I thought you didn't remember a thing Valentina.'

Valentina spared a glimpse in Erik's direction and then at Sonya briefly before looking away. She should have know the council would have informed Lady Sonya about the progression of the trial.
'I don't. But I'm living proof that something took place here. Look at those trees, they are far from their former glory. And the evidence of The kiss of death is glaringly obvious now. And your great grandson discovered that. He was right about the sabotage.'

'He shouldn't be involved in this in the first place.' Sonya's voice increased by a fraction.
'I don't care about these damn trees or the witches who That's why you should have remained dead. Now you'll have people asking questions. You're threatening a peace I've tried so hard to build. And you're tearing down a family I've worked so hard to keep in check.'

Valentina faces Sonya who had a dark stormy look in her eyes which she kept transfixed on the trees.
There was absolute silence, living things stayed well away from the scary looking trees.

'I was wrong, Nicholae isn't the only coward. The Tchkovsky Manor must be full of them.'

Sonya laughed at that.
'You of all people shouldn't be pointing fingers you hypocrite.'

She signaled Erik who grabbed Valentina in a choke hold and lifted her from the ground.
His viselike grip slowly tightened around her neck gradually cutting the flow of oxygen from her brain.

'Now Mrs. Tchkovsky, I don't care what you think of me but after today , you'll start to despise me more than anyone in the valley. I'll be your worst enemy. And the only way I'll stop is when you serve Nicole with those divorce papers. Do you understand?'

She couldn't nod or speak all she could do was make choking sounds.
'I'll take that as a yes. And by the way, should Nicole hear about our friendly discussion, you'll be seeing me again. But I'm sure you'll be a good girl.'

She finally looked at Valentina with an evil smile on her face.
'Erik drop her.'
The butler immediately obeyed leaving Valentina gasping for oxygen.

'Don't be so dramatic. We barley laid a finger on you child.'
Sonya said looking down at an intensely spiteful witch.
'You will be wise to heed my advise.'

'Is this what you've resorted to?' Valentina yelled throwing her dignity to the wind when she decided to stay of the ground.
'Cheap gangster tactics? You're focusing your energy on the wrong person. My killer is still out there and he or she will come for all of us.'

'No child. I've got the right person.' Sonya's chilling tone stayed with Valentina even when she returned to the den.

She remembered Semi telling her Nicholae would be arriving. A reason why she'd left to see what was left of the trees and instead found Sonya and her goon.
She picked up her pace, she was going to have a long talk with him. Hopefully he would be gone.
Her steps faltered and she strained her neck to see what was happening at the den because something seemed to be happening.
And why was Nicholae arguing with Semi and Fauna?
Valentina knew something was terribly wrong when Fauna did the most unexpected thing to her Lord.