Taming the Darkness (Series 3)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

"EXCUSE me."

Nilingon nina Zenaia ang puno kung saan madalas nagtatambay si Caleb habang binabantayan ang pag-eensayo nila. Queen Sofia have approached Caleb again. Halatang hindi pa rin ito sumusuko kahit na ilang araw na itong hindi masyadong pinapansin ni Caleb. Hindi na rin ito pinapatigil ni King Zafrix at binabantayan na lamang dahil wala pa rin itong tiwala kay Caleb.

Napahinto sa pagkakarga ng bala si Zenaia sa hawak na baril. She couldn't risk accidentally shooting the queen. Kung bakit ba naman kasi hindi nagpalit ng puwesto si Caleb at doon pa rin sa sanga ng puno na iyon nauupo. Ang sabi pa nito ay mas matututo siyang mag-ingat kung alam niyang may matatamaan siya.

"I feel so bad for her." Narinig nilang sabi ni Glory na siyang nakatayo sa tabi niya.

Zenaia looked at her. Simula nang unang araw na dumating sina Sofia ay ang tamlay na ng mga ito. She can't blame them, though. Sofia still kept on insisting that Caleb is Patrick, that they are still the same person even though Caleb already told them that Patrick had died a long time ago.

Gaston let out a grunt as he stretched his arms. He's been lying down on the grassy ground with his arms behind his head. Kasama nila ito ngayon dahil abalang kausap sa telepono ni Marcus sina Alpha Lawrence na nangangamusta tungkol kay Sofia.

"Hindi natin siya masisisi. Her brother had become a vessel for someone else. Masakit talaga iyon para sa kaniya," saad ni Clark na nakatayo naman sa kabilang gilid ni Glory. "Malamang ay nag-aalala rin si Queen Sofia para sa kaligtasan nito. Who would have think that the brother that she was looking for, had become an important person such as the Keeper of the Keys?"

"Ayaw niya ba 'yon?" sabay-sabay nilang tinapunan nang matalim na tingin si Gaston nang magsalita ito. "Napakikinabangan nang mas maayos ang katawan ng kapatid niya. She should be glad about that."

"Will you stop saying that?" inis na sabi ni Zenaia.

Gaston opened his eyes and gazed at her. "What? Are you getting pissed off now?" he mocked.

Inirapan ito ni Zenaia at bumalik sa ginagawa. Hindi siya magpapadala sa pang-aasar nito. Glory looked like he wanted to punch Gaston's face but knew better than to do it. Maging si Clark ay nagngangalit ang mga ngipin sa galit dahil sa sinabi ng kasalanan ng katakawan.

"Caleb being in that hybrid's body explains why I could feel a huge amount of Vein's blood from him. I never thought that he was one of the vampyrs before." Ngumisi ito na tila may naiisip. Base rin sa kislap mula sa pulang mga mata nito ay natatakam ito. "Things had become more interesting." Dagdag pa nito. Hindi alintana ang masasamang tingin na ipinupukol nina Glory at Clark. "Vampyrs aren't suppose to survive and turn out like what Caleb is right now. They are empty vessels, created as a weapon of destruction. So, I kept wondering why he has that amount of Vein's blood." He licked his lips as if he could already taste it.

"What are you talking about?" Nakasimangot na tanong ni Zenaia at sinalubong ang pulang mga mata nito.

His gaze went to hers. "Ah... the fact that there is a huge amount of Vein's blood in his body is already suspicious. Don't you think so as well?" He chuckled at the look on their faces. "At alam ko rin na napansin ninyong kakaiba ang level ng regeneration niya. If you shot a vampire with the gun that you are holding right now, they will be in an excruciating pain. Three shots are enough to kill one and yet, Caleb didn't die when he was shot six times. He heals very fast, it's crazy. It's unusual, even for a born hybrid."

Lahat sila ay muling napalingon kina Caleb at Sofia. The queen is talking to him with a sad smile while Caleb is just listening with his eyes closed. His face is void of emotion that they didn't have any idea what he's currently thinking. Kinukuwentuhan ito ni Sofia tungkol sa pagkabata nito, sa mga bagay na madalas nilang gawin noon.