Chapter 21: Caught
"I remember. There is something you call mate link, right?"
"And it was triggered because we just had se—"
"We made love," Caleb corrected.
"And maybe because of your mana."
Nagsimula na kaming mag-usap ni Caleb sa aming isipan habang nasa labas siya ng kuweba. I asked him if he could stand the coldness outside, and he said that he was fine.
"I can still feel the heat between us, Anna. And it might ignite more if I'll stay beside you."
Bumangon na ako at tipid kong hinila ang kasuotan ko para takpan ang sarili ko. Ilang beses akong napangiwi sa sakit ng buong katawan ko.
"Can you heal yourself?"
"Healing is a different thing, Caleb."
"Okay. I am already near the ruins. I could see the guardians patrolling. Hmm, how can we possibly enter?"
Napaisip na rin ako. Dahil sa paanong paraan pa ako makakapasok doon kung mayroon na akong mana sa katawan ko?
"Well, I can keep it for you again, Callista."
Umikot ang mga mata ko habang nagsisimula na akong magbihis. Hindi man ako nakaharap sa salamin ay nararamdaman ko na kung gaano kasabog ang buhok ko.
Minasahe ko muna ang noo ko nang maalala ko sina Vera at Sierra. Everything was blurry with them, but I am sure that they did something for me.
"Yes. And it didn't work."
"You knew them?"
"I can't see much. But I heard whispers and some conversations. What are they?"
"Pixies."
"Oh, right. Those pixies tried to wipe away your memories of me. The same way that Leticia did to my brother. Why these ladies are trying to forget us?"
"Because you made me do it!"
"I am sorry, Anna."
"And that's all? Wala ka man lang balak talagang magpaliwanag?"
"I will. But not now. . ."
Bumuntonghininga na lamang ako. Hindi ko na siya pinilit dahil alam kong pagtatalunan lamang namin iyon.
"Just don't make me wait for too long, Caleb."
"Thank you."
Hindi na kami nag-usap pa ni Caleb at hinayaan niya na muna akong maghinga mag-isa habang nasa labas pa rin siya ng kuweba at nagmamanman.
Gabi na muli nang bumalik siya sa kuweba, but this time he brought fruits from different trees.
"Are they edible?"
"Of course. Tinikman ko muna lahat bago ko dalhin sa 'yo."
Bago pa tuluyang umupo sa tabi ko si Caleb ay itinukod niya ang isa niyang kamay sa lupa upang alalayan ang bigat niya, iniyuko niya ang ulo niya at agad niyang inilapit sa akin, ilalapat na sana niya ang kanyang labi sa akin nang mabilis akong nag-iwas.
He whistled. Naupo na lamang siya sa tabi ko at ipinatong niya ang mga prutas sa lupa na may nakalatag nang medyo basang dahon. He grinned at me like an idiot while waiting for his compliment.
Hindi ko siya pinansin at tahimik lang akong kumuha ng prutas. I pretended not notice him while slowly eating the fruits he brought me.
"Why are you so moody, Anna?"
"Why not? Nakuha ko na ang gusto ko mula sa 'yo. My mana."
Umawang ang bibig niya at ilang beses siyang napailing. "W-what?"
Kinakagat ko ang mansanas sa harapan niya at hinayaan kong may lumampas na katas niyon mula sa labi ko hanggang umabot din iyon sa kamay ko, dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon na ng katas ang mga daliri ko.
I licked every bit of the fruit juice on my fingers in front of Caleb's widened eyes.
"Y-you witch!"
"I am, with my mana," I said proudly. Kumuha akong muli ng prutas at masaya akong kumagat doon habang ramdam ko pa rin ang titig sa akin ni Caleb.
"W-why are you like that, Anna? Why are you like that?"
"Like what?" I innocently asked him.
"Y-you're—" nangangatal pa ang daliri niya habang itinuturo akong sinisimot ang katas ng prutas na umabot na rin sa may palapulsuhan ko.
I licked my wrist in front of him, with my eyes watching him.
"A-anna. . ."
"Are you not going to tell me?"
"Not yet."
"Okay. Fine."
Mas umusod ako mula sa kanya at sinadya kong hawiin ang mahaba kong buhok at ilagay iyon sa kabilang parte ng balikat ko para makita niya ang leeg ko.
"You're doing it on purpose."
"I am."
"And it's damn working, Callista!"
"Now fucking tell me, Gazellian! Because I swear, I will seduce you but I will never allow you to bite me again!"
Halos hindi maipinta ang mukha niya sa sinabi ko, ilang beses siyang napahilamos sa harapan ko at napasuntok na siya sa lupa.
"Now tell me. Why were you coughing blood before?"
"Because I force-fed myself that time, Anna. I tried to drink an animal's blood I brought from the market. I need to stop my thirsts from you after what happened inside the stone shrine, Anna. . ." nag-iwas siya ng tingin sa akin.
He knew that I wasn't aware of his imagination. Tulad ng sinabi ko sa kanya ay panaginip lang iyon, but I lied to him. We were both conscious and everything that happened that time were real.
Caleb's thirst got triggered because he tasted my blood. At ang dugo na isinusuka niya nang sandaling bigla siyang nagpakita sa akin ay hind sa kanya! This idiot!
I thought it was because his body was rejecting my blood! It was an animal's blood!
"You were there because. . ."
Tipid na tumango si Caleb. "I couldn't take it anymore, Anna. Gusto ko nang tumikim, kagat na kagat na ako nang araw na iyon. But the blood I swallowed the night after what happened inside the shrine started to react differently inside my body, kaya nagsuka na ako."
He awkwardly scratched his cheek. Gusto kong biglang kalmutin ang mukha ni Caleb ng mga oras na iyon.
How could he?! I even thought of the worst scenario when I witnessed how he coughed blood! Iyon pala ay uhaw lang at nagsuka dahil mali ang nainom niya. How could I think of something complicated when everything seems so simple with this vampire?
"Then tell me, why were you insisting that there's someone else? That it wasn't me, but the handler of the map. Why did you choose to hurt me and make it more complicated for us?"
Nakatitig lang sa akin si Caleb at ang tanging ginawa ko'y hintayin ang sagot niya. Marami pa akong gustong itanong sa kanya at ito ang siyang pinakagusto kong malaman.
Would it be easier for us if he told me everything from the very beginning? Was this all planned? Nasa plano niya rin ba na magpakita sa ritwal at magpakilala bilang aming diyos?
"Can I answer one question at a time, Anna?"
"Why is so hard for you?"
"I had a vow, Anna."
"Now you have a vow? An oath."
"To my father."
Mariin kong itinuro ang lampara na siyang nagbibigay sa amin ng init at liwanag.
"So, you knew? This! Look at that lantern. Hindi ba iyon pamilyar sa 'yo?"
"It's from my father."
I huffed. Gusto ko na talagang kalmutin ang mukha ni Caleb o kaya'y suntukin siya diretso sa mukha niya.
"Anna. . . please. I can't tell you all. I need to make sure that everything's alright for them."
Mas lalong kumunot ang noo ko. "What? Them?"
Hindi na sumagot si Caleb sa akin at nagsimula na siyang lumapit sa akin. I immediately drew my hands and filled it with my mana to protect myself from him, nagliparan ang mga talisman sa ere para protektahan ako.
"I told you. You will never touch me without telling me everything!"
Bumuntonghininga siya. "Alright. I will not force you."
Tumayo na siya at naglakad papalayo sa akin. He sat too far away from him and leaned his back on the cold wall of the cave.
Sobrang lawak ng lugar kung saan ay makakaupo siya sa mga dayame at may bahid ng liwanag ng lampara, pero roon siya sumiksik sa madilim at magmumukha siyang nakakaawang nilalang.
I don't care.
"We will leave this cave tomorrow morning."
"Alright."
Kalahating oras kaming hindi nag-iimikan hanggang hindi siya makapagpigil at tinawag na ang pangalan ko.
"You know, I am a prince and my empire never allowed me to sleep inside a dirty cave, no beds, warm clothes, foods. . ."
"Kawawa ka naman, Mahal na Prinsipe."
"Indeed."
"You know my sister? My elder sister? She hates it when girls try to torture us."
"Go. Call your older sister. Tell her that a witch from Fevia Attero is torturing her little brother."
He huffed. "I will tell everything to her. How you used me. . . allowed me to sleep here in this cold place. You merciless witch."
Nakahiga na ako at nakatalikod sa kanya, tamad akong humarap sa kanya at itinukod ko ang isa kong braso para gawin ko iyong unan. And there, I saw Caleb Lancelot Gazellian, sat like a hopeless little kitten with sharp fangs that was abandoned by his owner.
"Are you sure? Parang hindi ka yata hinahanap sa inyo."
"W-what? I am one of the most important princes in our empire! I am the most useful in political affairs! Even on battlefields. I am always the front-liners! And you will not believe the tons of women who are asking for my presence on every occasion! Tikhim ko pa lang. . ."
"Really?"
"Yes. I got the symbolic white horse as well. In our empire there are just few white horses. Umaamo lang sila sa makikisig na mga bampira. Isa ako sa dalawang mayroon sa Nemetio Spiran!"
"Dito maraming puting kabayo."
"White horses in our world is legendary and majestic, Anna."
"Alright. But I think no white horse will approach you right now. You're not princely at all."
"Ha! But who uttered my name several times last night? I maybe not a princely right now, but--" he grinned.
"That was for survival, Caleb."
"Y-you! Y-you little witch!" nanggigil na yata si Caleb dahil nang ibaba niya ang isa niyang kamao sa lupa ay yumanig ang buong kuweba.
"Sino ngayon ang pikon?"
"J-just don't say that. I made love to you, Anna. And it wasn't for survival. . . I don't think I'll be able to do the mission properly without having a good sleep, Anna. Please, just allow me to sleep beside you. I will not do anything. I promise."
"But you told me that I am the merciless witch."
"No. . . you are the most beautiful witch I've ever seen, and fuck, with a very nice body."
Halos magmakaawa siya sa akin habang unti-unting lumalapit sa akin. I sighed. Dahil nasisiguro ko na sa sandaling makatulog ako ay matatagpuan ko na rin siyang nasa tabi ko kinabukasan.
"Fine."
Sa isang salitang iyon lamang ay naramdaman ko na ang braso ni Caleb na nakapulupot sa akin habang nakahiga na rin sa tabi ko. Hindi na siya naghintay pa ng sasabihin ko dahil higit niya pa akong hinila sa kanya dahilan kung bakit tumama ang tungki ng ilong ko sa dibdib niya.
And I admit, I love his arms around me, his heartbeat, and his smell.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"I hate you."
"You don't mean it."
"Caleb, I am planning to agree with your idea."
"What idea?"
"I am an Attero and I am sure about the details of the ruins. Howl sent me because I don't have the mana inside me, but now that I could feel the overwhelming power within me, it might trigger something inside the ruin."
"Are you telling me that you want it to—" hindi na niya tinapos ang sasabihin niya dahil agad niyang inangkin ang mga labi ko.
Bahagya ko siyang itinulak at ilang beses kong inilag ang labi ko mula sa kanya.
"Wait. Caleb, listen."
Now he's kissing my jaws, neck, and even my shoulders.
"Caleb! Wait!"
And he kissed my lips again. This time I bit his lips with my annoyance. "I said fucking wait!"
"Oh, I lost control. What was it again?"
"Can you keep a portion of it? I don't know how did it happen and how your body managed to keep a mana of an Attero, but your body will keep my mana safe if anything happens. Isa pa, alam ko sa sarili kong hindi pa ako gaanong sanay gamitin ang napakaraming mana na iyon. "
"Sure. No problem."
Gumagapang na ang isang kamay niya sa kanang hita ko at halos malunod na ako sa mas lumalalim na halik ni Caleb nang may marinig ako sa bukana ng kuweba.
"Caleb, something is. . ."
"It's cold, Tavion! Kiss me."
"Huh?"
"I said kiss me! Let's keep each other warm. A cave—"
"Alright. Shut up and let's kiss—"
Itinulak ko si Caleb na hindi man lang gumalaw sa pagkakapatong sa akin at pilit akong lumingon sa bukana. And there, I saw two creatures with a similar warm keeping situation.