Blood Secrets

Stranger Danger

"That was some rash decision," said Kai the moment they were inside the car. Tiningnan naman niya ang lalaki.

"I promised the wolves I will get the justice they deserve. It's not rash that I want to at least kick the ass of the vampire that caused their misery a few days ago."

Natahimik naman si Kai sa sinabi niya at alam niyang sumasang-ayon din ito sa plano niya. Ngunit kita pa rin niya ang pagkabahala sa mukha nito.

"This vampire we're about to meet is sired by one of the Sylvaines, Nads. He will be different from the other vampires we encountered so far."

"I know but we have to see the end to this, Kai. Hindi ako babalik na walang dalang balita kay Hera."

"We can bring her the news that we are up against the strongest family of vampires."

"What's the use of us being vampire slayers if we run at the sight of vampires?"

Nakita naman niyang napapikit nang mariin si Kai at saka humarap sa kanya. "They are not ordinary vampires, Nadia. They sired a lot of vampires. Hindi kita hahayaang kalabanin sila kung alam ko naman ang kalalabasan."

Naiintindihan naman niya ang lalaki. Kai is worried about her and he had reasons to be. Several times she almost died at the hands of vampires. And she had witnessed Kai's horror everytime it happens. Kinuha naman niya ang kamay ng lalaki at bahagya itong pinisil.

"I promise you, I will be fine," she said. Nakita naman niyang tumango ang lalaki at hinalikan siya sa noo.

"Thank you. And I promise you the same," he said. Ngumiti naman siya sa gawi ng nobyo bago ito nagmaneho papunta sa pupuntahan nila.

Leila had performed a tracking spell to track the whereabouts of her ex. Turns out, he did not run out of the city. Which means he has no idea that blood slayers are looking for him.

She was not familiar of the city and the whereabouts of Leila's ex but Leila told her he's in some building near the city center. Kailangan lang nilang hanapin ang gusaling iyon at mahahanap na nila ang lalaking responsible sa pagnanakaw sa mge dark objects na ginamit laban sa mga lobo.

There are so many ways she could think around the situation. One is that some groups of vampires are conspiring against wolves. Not just any wolves but the pack of Moonstone. Because apparently, the other wolves living in the mountains of St. Angeli don't have the same problem. Tanging ang grupo lang ni Hera ang apektado sa pangyayari.

Nakatanggap siya ng update mula kay Hera kahapon. She said the abducted young wolves are fine and are recovering. Sinabi rin nitong walang maalala ang mga ito sa kung ano ang nangyari nang madukot ang mga ito. Tinanong niya rin si Hera kung ano ang alam nito kung bakit sila ang naisipang dukutin ng kung sino man ang nasa likod ng pandurukot. Ngunit maski si Hera ay walang ideya kung bakit. But something tells her that there is more to this.

"The Moonstone pack doesn't have any special abilities, right?" tanong niya kay Kai habang nagmamaneho ito.

Tumingin ito saglit sa kanya bago ibinalik ang tingin sa daan. "They are just like any other wolves, Nads. Nothing special about them. That's why Hera and the othes are expecting there would be more attacks coming. Kung ano man ang pakay ng mga mandurukot, we have to find out about as soon as we can and stop it."

She nodded and looked at the road. Then she said," Before more wolves get taken."

They were both silent for the rest of the trip.

Ilang taon na rin ang nakalipas simula nang magsimula siyang magsanay bilang isang blood slayer. Before, she never thought such kind of people exist and she never imagined being part of it. Ang pagkamatay ng kanyang mga magulang ang nagtulak sa kanya na maging isang blood slayer.

The young wolves were just like her. Victims of cruelty. Walang kalaban-laban sa mga nilalang na hamak na mas makapangyarihan. Until now, she doesn't have any lead as to who killed her parents. She still hasn't got the justice she sought for years. Hindi niya hahayaang ganoon ang mangyayari sa mga lobo na biktima ng mga bampira.

"We're here," sabi ni Kai. She looked around and realized they are a few miles away from the city center. Kaya naman medyo tahimik ang lugar. Idagdag pa na huminto sila sa likuran ng gusali.

Agad siyang lumabas ng sasakyan at ganoon din si Kai. They both held their weapons with bullets laced with fleurel. It wouldn't kill vampires but it would be enough to weaken them and give the slayers enough advantage.

Tahimik silang naglalakad papasok sa gusali. She surveyed her eyes on the inside of the building. It looked like a storage room for a huge number of things except that the whole building is empty. Save for some crates of different sizes, wala silang ibang makita doon. Napakunot naman ang noo niya at nagkatinginan sila ni Kai. Alam niyang pareho sila ng iniisip.

Did Leila give them the wrong address?

Her hand gripped the gun tighter as they walked around the place. The only sound she could hear was their light footsteps and their shallow breathing. But something about the place felt off for her. Call it her slayer instincts but she could tell there is something there.

They heard footsteps and both she and Kai were quick to turn to face whoever was walking behind them.

Nakatutok ang kanilang baril sa nilalang sa harapan nila at nang makilala niya kung sino ito ay hindi na siya nagdalawang-isip. Agad niyang ipinutok ang kanyang baril.

Tumama ang bala sa balikat ng lalaki ngunit laking gulat niya nang makitang bahagya lang itong napaatras. She could also tell Kai was surprised that their bullet laced with Fleurel did no damage to the man.

Napatingin ang lalaki sa balikat nito kung saan tumama ang bala. He used his hand to take the bullet out. She could hear the squelching of flesh and blood as he took the bullet out of his shoulder. A normal vampire would have screamed in pain and gotten weak but the man in front of them did not even wince.

Tiningnan ng lalaki ang bala. "Bullet laced with fleurel," he said after he sniffed it. Saka ito tumingin sa kanya. "I am impressed at how innovative you lot are getting but haven't I told you this morning to keep your fancy little weapons in your pockets?"

Ngumisi ang lalaki nang makita ng reaksyon niya. Nakita naman niyang napatingin si Kai sa kanya at alam niyang nagtatanong ito kung ito ba ang lalaking tinutukoy niya kanina.

Marami rin siyang katanungan. Why is the vampire not even affected by the bullets? Who is he? and why is he here?

Naktia niyang naglakad papalapit ang lalaki sa gawi nila at agad niyang itinutok ang baril sa gawi nito. Ganoon din ang ginawa ni Kai.

"Are you Leila's boyfriend?" tanong ni Kai.

"Fortunately not," the man said. "Although I know who Leila's boyfriend is. Tall guy with a lame haircut, clean-shaven face, charming smile, has questionable loyalty...and is now dead?"

"I'm sorry, what?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya.

"I saw him earlier but I'm afraid you're a bit late. About ten minutes late. So if you're looking for him, you might want to go find a witch to help you go to the other side or... I could send you there myself." He smiled at them as though he was just inviting them to a dinner party. Vampires are known to be ruthless but he is on another level.

"What did you do to him?" she asked.

"Did you not hear me, love? I said he's dead. I killed him." Despite the guns pointed at him, he still had the nerve to look around as though he couldn't care less.

This man is a complete psycho.

"You see, I was in a very sour mood this morning," he said before he looked back at them. "I just found out that some group of vampires is finding a way to kill me."

"Not surprising," she said before she could even stop herself. Nakita naman niyang ngumiti ang lalaki sa gawi niya at nagpatuloy ito sa pagsasalita.

"At first, I thought they were mere idiots who clearly hasn't thought about their plan thoroughly. They failed to realize that if I die, they along with me."

Tila isang bombag sumabog sa mukha niya ang sinabi ng lalaki. He saw the realization in her face and grinned in her direction, letting her sink it all in.

"You're a Sylvaine," she said. Napatingin din si Kai sa gawi niya at sa gawi ng lalaki sa harapan nila.

The man smiled and faced them both. "I will let you both off the hook this time only because I seem to fancy you, Nadia Melendez. However, the next time I see your faces in this city will be the last time you breathe in this world. I believe you understand now how futile it is to fight me with your anti-vampire weapons. So I want you two to be smart and leave this place. Is that understood?"

She stared at him, unable to form the words she wanted to say. It was Kai's voice that pulled her out and that's when she realized the man was gone and in front of them was Leila's ex-boyfriend with a hole in his chest.

Nakatayo ang lalaki sa harapan nila at nanlalaki ang mga mata na para bang hindi rin nito maintidihan kung anong nangyayari. But she understood perfectly well when she saw the man's hand coated in blood and his heart on wrapped around his fingers.

The man had taken his own heart.

Before she could take a step forward, he collapsed on the floor -- gray and dead.

Magsasalita na sana siya nang makatanggap siya ng tawag mula kay Esmeralda, ang tiyahin ni Leila.

"I discovered something. I think you need to know about it," saad ng baabe sa telepono. Hindi na sila nag-aksaya pa ng panahon at agad na nagpunta sa kung saan ang babae. The dead vampire is not there problem anymore kaya naman hinayaan lang nila ito doon.