Blood Secrets

Witch Trouble

Being a witch is hard. Whenever they do a spell, it requires a huge amount of focus, will, and strength--something she used to struggle with. She's spent her life admiring strong witches in her coven and learning from them. With her life as a witch, marami na siyang naengkwentrong mga malalakas na nilalang.

But looking at the three witches in front of her, she knew something is off. Unang tingin pa lang niya sa mga ito, alm niyang hindi ito pangkaraniwan. Aside from the fact that the three witches declare themselves as one coven is saying enough for their strength. Kung tatlo lang sila sa isang coven would mean all the magic their ancestors left is divided among the three of them. In a coven, when a witch dies, the magic in that witch's body will be distributed amongst the remaining witches in a coven. That is why the older the coven, the stronger it is. Looking at the three witches in front of her, she doesn't only have a feeling they are insanely strong but also dangerous. Despite their promises of an alliance, something tells Isabela there is more to it that she couldn't put her finger to. Kaya naman determinado siyang malaman kung ano iyon bago maging huli na ang lahat.

"Sylvaines, huh," said tha man named Lauris. He's one of the coven of three.

"Arrogant bastards is all they are," said one man named Finnian.

"You have lived long lives to learn never to underestimate your opponents," said the only woman in the coven of three. Her name is Penelope. She may be the only woman but Isabela has a bad feeling toward her. Sa kanilang tatlo, si Penelope ang pinakatahimik. Where the two men are all talk, Penelope does the action. Sa loob ng isang araw na nakasama niya ang tatlo, she could sense Penelope is the brain for Lauris and Finnian's brute. She could see how powerful they are--just the three of them.

Humarap si Isabela sa kanya and she almost flinched but she hid it. If Penelope noticed it, it doesn't show on her face.

"So Nadia Melendez is under their care?" Penelope asked and she nodded.

"They've been working together ever since Julian Cestmont came here and declared war with them. Julian involved the pack of wolves from the mountain miles away from here and that's when Nadia Melendez and that guy named Kaiden got involved." Nakatingin lang siya sa babae nang mataman hanggang sa hindi na niya natiis.

"Why Nadia Melendez?" she asked.

Penelope looked at her without moving her head and for a second, she felt the hairs on her arm rose.

"You were planning to make a prison world and we offer a solution. That's the only thing you need to know, witch," said Lauris. His voice contained enough spite that she was so tempted to snap his neck. But she knows better than to mess with this coven.

Lauris smiled at her as though he knows exactly what was going on inside her head.

"I agree," she said. "But how are you going to assure me that it's going to work? How sure are you that Nadia Melendez is enough to become the foundation of the prison world? Sa pagkaalam ko, may dugo siyang lobo. Ngunit alam ko rin na hindi iyon ang dahilan kung bakit siya ang pinili niyo." She stepped forward and she could see Penelope looking at her fully.

"There must be something about here because you could have chosen someone else if you only based it on the fact that Nadia is a half-wolf." She tilted her head and eyes Lauris and Finnian standing up, ready to pounce. "Why her?" she asked again.

"Stop asking questions, witch--"

Hindi natapos ni Finnian ang nais sabihin nang itaas ni Penelope and kanyang kamay. In an instant, Finnian shut his mouth.

"You ask why we want Nadia Melendez?" Penelope said. "It's more like a personal grudge. We want her out of our lives and I want the vampires out too. We're hitting two birds with one stone. And as for your second question, Nadia Melendez is more than able to become the foundation of the prison world. Your ancestors think the same. Iyon ang dahilan kung bakit sila lumapit sa amin para humingi ng tulong. If your ancestors say we should make her the foundation, as a coven leader, you're supposed to obey."

Hindi siya makapagsalita. It was bad enough that some of the ancestors still don't trust her to lead their coven and now they were keeping things from her. Hindi niya alam ang nararamdaman niya. Is this what Esmeralda had to go through before? No, probably not. There weren't any Sylvaine vampires and major troubles before. Ngayon lang ito nangyari.

"You look like you didn't know about it. Your ancestors did not tell you, I suppose?"

There was a small smile on Penelope's face and she has worn that kind of smile many times that she instantly recognized the mockery.Hindi siya sumagot at tumingin naman si Penelope sa dalawang kasama bago ito tumingin sa kanya.

"There is a full moon coming in the next three days. The spell will be done by then. You have acquired the blood of Lorcan Sylvaine, as well as a wolf's venom. Now you have to acquire me the rest of the Sylvaines' blood."

That would be Sebastian and Eleanor. It was hard enough to get Lorcan's blood and she could imagine how it would fare if they try to get Sebastian's and Eleanor's.

Tila nabasa naman ni Penelope ang pangamba sa mukha niya. "Finnian and Lauris will come with you. Gather your witches and make sure they're here in three days' time. We're going to need all the strength we can get."

And that's how Penelope shows how among the four of them, she's the most superior. Penelope has already proven that the first time she saw her. Alam na niya na ang tatlong nilalang na kaharap niya ngayon ay kayang-kayang talunin ang mga kasamahan niya.

She didn't wait for an order to be dismissed. Agad siyang tumalikod at naglakad papalayo. Somehow, the rigor she felt when she was starting this was so much clearer. Now, not so much. Probably because somehow, she know death is the most suitable punishment for the vampires and not eternal damnation. Ang iba sa mga bampira ay masasama ngunit may iba naman na mabubuti. She doesn't want t admit that she had developed a soft spot ngunit pakiramdam niya ay taliwalas sa pinaniniwalaan niya ang planong gawin nina Penelope. What's worse is that their ancestors want the same thing. She doesn't want it. It doesn't go with the witch's will to take care of the supernatural world's balance.

But how is she going to go against the coven of three? How is she going to fight against the strongest witches she has ever met?