MINE

Chapter Twenty Seven

"So why were you there?" I asked Devon.

"I already answered that question," his reply to me.

Matapos kong makapag-ayos ng sarili ay pinuntahan ko sina Devon at Marcus sa living room. Wala roon si Jane. Marahil ay pinagbawalan ito ni Marcus na makasama sa amin. That bastard.

Tinaasan ko lamang ng kilay si Devon. "Oh, is that so? Your answer wasn't that convincing enough."

"Would anything I say even convince you of my good intentions?"

"Try me."

Tumayo si Devon at kumuha ng maiinom sa maliit na bar sa isang sulok. "May impormasyon na nakarating sa akin na may nagmamanman kay Stephen na taga Order. No'ng una ay hindi naman ako nababahala dahil parati naman kami minamanmanan ng mga Hunters. Pero may nakapagsabi sa akin na may kailangan silang makuha mula kay Stephen, and I got curious as to what it was. Kaya naman ay lihim ko kayong sinundan sa airport."

May pakiramdam akong may itinatago pa rin si Devon. "Iyon lang?"

"Yes, Elizabeth. 'Yon lang."

"May mga bampirang nagtatrabaho sa Order. Akala ko ba ay ikaw ang tinaguriang hari ng mga bampira, and yet you can't even control your own kind?"

"OUR kind, dear Elizabeth. It's our kind since you're one of us now. May mga taong ispiya rin naman akong nasa loob ng Order, kaya sasabihin ko sanang patas lang kami. But a very disturbing news reached my ears that an influential vampire lord had infiltrated inside the Order and is now the Hunters' new boss. Just imagine, a vampire using the Order to kill other vampires."

"Vampire lord? Totoong may mga royalty sa inyo?"

Bumalik sa kanyang inuupuan si Devon. "Oh, no. Not really. Not in the literal sense. Iyon ang tawag namin sa mga bampirang Elites na may mataas na katungkulan sa aming gobyerno, o council—a title bestowed to someone who works for the council. Take Marcus here, for instance. He is actually Lord Marcus, the council's emissary. We send him to use his charms to make foreign vampires agree to our terms."

Napalingon ako sa kinaroroonan ni Marcus, at nagawa pang kumindat sa akin ng hudyo.

"I'm quite charming, Elizabeth," pagmamayabang ni Marcus sa akin. "I can give you a private demonstration if you want to."

"How about kung subukan mo munang maging charming kay Jane?" I bit back. He merely gave me a shrug. Ibinaling ko muli ang atensyon ko kay Devon. "So you're trying to create some sort of monarchy sa loob ng isang democratic country?"

"Already did. You are looking at the king of the vampires. Wanna have my autograph?" nakangisi pa nitong sabi.

I rolled my eyes. "And what made you qualified to have the position as king?"

"I was born a royalty, my dear sarcastic great-grandniece. Nang dumating dito sa Pilipinas ang barko ng mga Kastilang sinakyan ko, nagulat ako dahil may mga bampira na palang nakatira rito sa mumunti ninyong bansa. I gathered them all, they made me their king and then I created a vampire government. It was easy." He snapped his fingers for emphasis. "Of course I had to made some alterations in our form of government to make it our own. Kung lalabas ka ng ibang bansa, makikita mong may saliring gobyerno rin ang mga bampirang naroroon."

Hindi ko pa rin maintindihan ang porma ng kanilang gobyerno, and frankly speaking I really didn't care. All I wanted now was to find out how I could save Stephen. "Napaka-entertaining ng kuwento mo. Pero ang gusto kong pag-usapan natin ay kung papaano mailigtas si Stephen. Ano ba ang kailangan ng Order kay Stephen? What information do they need to know?"