Enchanted Series 3: The Darkness Within

CHAPTER 69

"What I don't get is why you didn't tell me he was with you." May inis ang tono ni Diana. "We were looking for him the whole time!"

"I... I have no excuse. I... Um." Natulala si Dane, nakaharap sa sahig, nakakunot ang noo, tila may gustong sabihin ngunit nabubulol. "Rod said no one else aside from his family should know."

"Nonsense!" bulalas ni Diana. "His family doesn't know where he is."

"I thought Rod..."

"Ivan told me his parents only knew he was safe. That's all. The guys you sent here said nothing about where he was."

"Look, none of you bothered to ask!" bulalas din ni Dane.

"We didn't..." Hindi maituloy ni Diana ang sasabihin. Oo nga. Bakit hindi niya naitanong noon?

"Besides, what difference would it make if I had told you where he was?"

"All right..."

"At least he's here now. But..."

Napasimangot si Diana sa muling pagkunot ng noo ni Dane na halatang nag-iisip nang malalim. "But?"

"I don't know." Umiling-iling ito. "He's kinda different."

"What do you mean?" tanong ni Diana.

"I don't know, but there's something wrong with Errol," saad ni Dane habang sinusuot ang mga damit na dala ni Diana na binili niya sa malapit na tiangge.

"He looked emotionless." Napaisip si Diana.

"Was he always like that?" Nakasimangot si Dane habang umuupo sa gilid ng kama katabi si Diana. "I mean, you know him, right?"

"I met him a couple of times before he went missing. He was shy and reserved, not the type of person who would talk to you right away. I think he takes quite some time before he warms up to someone he doesn't know."

"He was actually cold since we took him from the CIA. He doesn't talk too much. He seemed distant."

"What did the CIA do to him?"

"They tortured him." Tumingala si Dane at bumuntong-hininga.

Dahil sa tindi ng habag na naramdaman para sa taong alam niyang maraming napagdaanan sa buhay ay naluha si Diana. "He went through so much." Inalala niya noong nakita niya ito mahigit tatlong taon na ang nakalipas. Inalala niya ang nalasog na katawan nito, ang madungis na mukha ng binatang iyon pagkatapos ng pakikipaglaban kay Cassandra. "He was gentle, such a sweetheart. Ivan loves him so much."

"I never saw him as gentle," mahinang tugon ni Dane. "He was always cold, rigid... distant."

"He had a best friend. His name was Erik. He was killed by my sister during that insane event." Suminghot si Diana at tumingala, ngumiti upang ibsan ang lumbay at habag na nadama. "He loved him. I saw how devastated he was when he was holding Erik's cold hand. I saw it in his eyes. I saw how a part of him died. And I thought this guy, this kind boy, didn't deserve to suffer like that."

"Can I look at your memories?" tanong ni Dane. "I want to see for myself."

Hinawakan ni Diana ang isang kamay ni Dane. Alam niyang binabasa na nito ang kanyang isip, malamang binabalikan ang eksenang iyon sa pagitan ni Errol at Erik sa kanyang alaala. Sa paghigpit ng pagkakahawak ni Dane sa kanyang mga daliri ay batid niyang binago ng imahe ng kamatayan ni Erik at pagluluksa ni Errol noon ang emosyon ng telepath.

Tumulo ang luha mula sa mga mata ni Dane. Umigkas siya. Tinanggal ang kamay mula sa pagkakahawak ng kasama. Sinubsob niya ang mukha sa mga palad. "It's too painful," ungot niya.