Far From Wonderland

Chapter 12: Armament

Chapter 12: Armament

Aspen?

The sensation of numbness in my body vanished, natigil din ang pagiging bato ng buong katawan ko.

Nang lingunin ko si Aspen sa likuran ko ay nakita ko ang gulo-gulo niyang buhok. There's a cut in his cheek and there's blood on the side of his lips.

Kaagad akong napatayo at akmang tatanungin ko siya nang marinig kong magsalita si Daemonic.

"What are you doing, Westfall? Are you aware that you're interrupting my tea party?" pansin ko ang bahid ng inis sa boses niya kaya natigilan ako.

Right, how did Aspen managed to stopped me from being a stone statue?

"My apologies for being late, Miss Dae. As you can see, meron lang akong inasikaso," kalmadong sagot niya at naramdaman ko ang paghawak niya sa kamay ko.

Bahagya niyang hinila ang upuan ko at siya ang naupo ro'n. Pero kasabay nito ay ang paghila niya rin sa'kin dahilan para mapaupo naman ako sa kandungan niya.

Pakiramdam ko umangat ang puso ko sa lalamunan ko at napaawang na lang ang bibig ko dahil sa pagkabigla.

What the hell is he doing?!

"Are you insane?" I hissed, habang magkasalubong ang mga kilay ko at akmang tatayo na pero yumakap lang ang mga braso niya sa bewang ko.

"Don't move, love. Mawawala 'yong bisa ng magical chant kapag lumayo ka sa'kin," bulong niya kaya't natigilan ako.

Now what on Earth is a magical chant?

From what I can see it was powerful enough to counter Daemonic's trick on turning people to stone.

Napalingon ako kina Ivory at Tamayo na nakatingin lang sa'min na halata ang pagkabigla sa mga mukha nila. Guys, believe me, ako rin.

Naglaho ang makapal na tensyon na bumabalot sa buong paligid magmula nang umapak kami sa tea party.

Napunta ang lahat ng atensyon sa amin.

"So did I passed?" tanong ko kay Daemonic at tinitigan niya lang ako ng ilang sandali bago napabuntong hininga na parang wala siyang choice.

I'll take that as a yes.

"Then I guess, it's my turn now, Miss Dae?" narinig ko namang sambit ni Aspen. So I turned my head back to him.

Daemonic picked her teapot of brewed tea, saka napapikit ng mariin.

It seems like Aspen and her don't get along that well.

"I won't ask you any questions, you magic-bound child," sagot niya.

Magic-bound?

Tinignan ko ang reaksyon ni Aspen pero mukhang hind naman siya naapektuhan doon.

Why does he always felt so mysterious?

But when you look at him, he appear to be this typical popular guy who had the kind of face that would stop any girls in their tracks and his smile that could easily go viral around the room.

But then now I think there's something more than just that. At hindi ko maiwasang ma-curious, although hindi ko 'yon ugali.

Besides of being my twin brother's best friend, who are you, Aspen Westfall?

Nagtuloy ang mga tanungan at wala akong ibang nagawa kung hindi gawing upuan si Aspen. Walang hiyang buhay 'to.

"19 of you passed, 7 pulled out, 4 failed and turned into stone," Daemonic announced as we reached the end of her mad tea party test.