Blood and Temptations

Chapter 13

It was a normal afternoon, she's doing her job, files and documents all around her working table. Kinapa niya ang likuran at napangiti nang maramdaman ang nakatago na dagger. Binigyan siya ni Kamilah ng cover at harness para sa dalawang dagger na kinagigiliwan niya kaya naman nakakabit ito sa kanya ngayon, para narin sa kaligtasan niya kung sakali man na salakayin siya o gawan ng masama ng babaeng hanggang ngayon ay umaaligid sa kanya.

Ang mas ikinababahala niya ay ang pagsulpot ng mga bagong kasama nito. She can feel their eyes, prying, staring at her in the distance. Maging si Hakim ay nababahala dahil sa hindi malaman na dahilan. But she knows. Those men and women with the snow queen are bad bloods. She can sense their bad intentions, their hunger, twisting their throats. It's like they haven't been fed for a long time and they are ready to pounce on anyone that will go their way.

Kamilah is not with her at the moment because she has work to do in her company. She's running an international company, producing technological advancements that can be of help in the near future. They are focusing on the health sector right now to make surgeries that take almost a day to finish faster with their robots.

Inaantok siya at kulang sa tulog dahil sa pagpupuyat nilang dalawa ng kasintahan. Something is stirring fear and chaos in the streets of manila. They are investigating it because Kamilah and her men have a hunch that it was the bad bloods. Men and women even children were found lifeless, pale and sucked dry of their blood in alleys and even inside their houses. The numbers are climbing from three and now a hundred of victims. There are no teeth marks on their bodies but they know for sure it was Chione's doing, by bringing those monsters in here.

The authorities have been alerted and they instill a curfew in the cities to prevent more victims. Kung bakit hindi pa kinukompronta ni Kamilah si Vhione ay hindi niya alam. Para itong may pinag aaralan pa na hindi naman nito ipinapaalam sa kanya. It's like they are preparing for a bloody battle or war. Ang mga tauhan nito ay dumami. From Hakim's group of twenty, dumagdag pa ang ilang daan. Kamilah said it was just a portion of her soldiers.

They are roaming the cities, helping the authorities quietly. Humikab siya at inaantok na sumubsob sa lamesa. Wala siyang pakialam kahit pinapanuod siya at binabantayan ng mga tauhan ng reyna. Hindi naman sobrang laki ng pagnganga niya nang humikab.

"Do you want coffee, dear?"

Nakapikit siyang tumango ngunit agad ring napamulat nang marinig ang boses na iyon. Napasinghap siya nang makita na lahat ng tauhan ni Kamilah ay nakatumba na at ang ilan ay may mga nakatarak na kahoy na patulis sa kanilang dibdib. A stake.. Nahihintakutan siyang napaharap sa babae na ngayon ay hawak sa leeg si Hakim at may nakaambang stake na nakatutok sa puso nito.

Hakim is thrashing and kicking the Chione but she just effortlessly twisted his hands creating a loud crack. He screamed in pain. Napuno ng takot ang kanyang dibdib nang ngumiti ito ng nakakakilabot at inilibot ang tingin sa loob ng kwarto kung saan siya nagtatrabaho. The men who were staked crumbled into ashes, leaving no trace of their bodies.

"Come with me or little jock here will suffer the same fate."

Nahihirapan man ay lumingon parin si Hakim sa kanya, umiling ito at pinapaalam sa kanya na okay lang kung ano man ang mangyari basta maprotektahan siya nito. But she's not that heartless, he became her friend with the time they are together. Nandito ito at nakaagapay sa kanya sa mga oras na nangangamba siya para sa kanyang seguridad.

"Let him go. I'll go with you."

Nanginginig man sa takot ay walang pag aalinlangan na sumagot siya rito. May ngiting tagumpay sa labi ng babae at malakas na tinadyakan ang mga tuhod ni Hakim dahilan para mabali ang mga ito bago siya inihagis sa isang sulok ng kwarto, malayo sa kanilang pwesto.