Blood Secrets

A Deal With A Witch

The city of St. Angeli was bustling for some celebration. As far as she could remember, it was all about celebrating the dead souls. Nang makarating sila rito noong isang gabi ay ganoon din. Masaya ang mga kalsada dahil sa pagdiriwang. The houses and business establishments were hung with lanterns and other decorations to celebrate the season. She found it quite ironic that the city is celebrating and honoring the dead souls when it can't be denied that three-fourths of the deaths in this city are caused by supernatural beings living here.

"Can I get you something?"

Napatingin naman siya sa lalaking lumapit sa kanya. He looked like a student working as a part-timer. He had a towel on his shoulder and was holding some notepad. Napatingin siya sa orasan at napagtanto niyang mag-iisang oras na siyang nakaupo doon. She only had water. Hindi niya alam kung nasaan na si Kaiden.

"Just some of that, please," she said as she pointed to the meal on the table next to her. Tumango naman ang lalaki sa kanya bago ito bumalik sa counter para ihanda ang pagkain niya.

Hindi na siya nagtataka kay Kaiden. He was never on time. He probably encountered some problem along the way and found himself needing to be involved. Kaya naman hindi ba siya masususpresa kung mamayang gabi pa darating ang lalaki.

But still, she stayed for a while. Aside from the fact that she wanted to give Kaiden some time, she also wanted to finish the meal served to her.

Napalunok naman siya ng laway nang makitang marami ang naorder niyang pagkain.

"I do hope whoever you're waiting for is going to show up because that's a lot of food," said the man. Napatingin naman siya rito at akmang sasagot na siya nang bigla na lang may kumapit sa balikat nito.

"Go back to the counter and forget about what you just said to this lady right here," said the man who just arrived. With his insufferable confidence and his ability to make someone do what he wants, she instantly knew what the man is. Before she could even get her weapon, the man sat on the chair and held her hand resting on the table.

"I would suggest you keep your vampire-slaying paraphernalia inside your pockets, love."

She swallowed hard. How stupid is she to think that vampires would not recognize her kind? And she remembered the man. It was the man she saw inside this same pub who raised his glass in her direction the first night she arrived here. Hair rose in her body as she realized that the man had already recognized who she is the first time they saw each other.

She's used to having vampires stay low whenever blood slayers like her are around. Kung nakilala siya ng lalaki na isang siyang blood slayer, he would have not bother to deal with her.

But this man in front of her... There is only one reason for this confidence in talking to a blood slayer. This man is either stupid or just doesn't care.

He smiled and leaned back in his seat. He roamed his eyes around the area before his dark eyes went back to her.

"I can tell you are good at what you do. Half the population inside this pub are vampires and yet you managed to convince them you are an ordinary tourist they could compel to feed on later." He then leaned and went to whisper. "I saw some of them checking you out. With your hair tied in a ponytail, it gave them a good view of your neck where they could bury their fangs later."

She couldn't deny the dread feeling and she knew the man knew about it, judging from his smug grin.

"Who are you?" tanong niya sa lalaki. She knows he's a vampire but she knows he isn't just an ordinary vampire.

Ngunit imbes na sumagot ay lumapad ang ngiti ng lalaki sa gawi niya.

"Let's get to the part where you stop pretending you don't know anything about this city. This city is swarmed with vampires. Even if you are trained to slay my kind, you will lose your head before you could even take your weapon out." He leaned to the table and gave her another grin. "Take your things and leave this place, love. You don't want to deal with me, trust me."

The door of the pub opened and the man looked behind her to see who it was. Ngumiti ang lalaki kaya naman ay napatingin rin siya sa kanyang likuran. Kaiden walked in. Ngunit nang humarap siya ay wala na ang lalaking kausap niya kanina.

Kaiden sat in front of her. He must have noticed she was still occupied dahil nagtataka itong napatingin sa kanya.

"What's the matter?" Kai asked.

Napalingon naman siya sa paligid. Hindi masyadong marami ang tao doon at nakita niyang sumusulyap na sa gawi nila ang iba sa mga ito.

Bumalik ang tingin niya kay Kaiden na nakatingin na rin sa mga tao sa paligid. Or should she still call them people?

"They know what we are, don't they?"

"They do, Kai. And we also know what they are. They'll be wise enough not to cause trouble in broad daylight," she said and focused her gaze on the food served to her earlier. Napatingin naman siya sa lalaking nagserve ng pagkain niya kanina. He was busy cleaning the counter and entertaining orders.

The man who came to her earlier made it look so easy to compel someone. It's one of a vampire's special ability--compulsion. Kaya nilang kontrolin ang isipan ng tao para gawin ang gusto nilang gawin dito. She had been a blood slayer for years and she had a fair share of experience seeing vampires compel powerless humans. Ngunit ang nasaksihan niya kanina ay kakaiba. It was too...easy.

"I met a vampire earlier," she said. Kai looked at her and she continued. "He told me to leave this place."

She saw him clench his jaw. "Did he do something to you?"

Umiling naman siya. "No, he did not. But he made it clear it's a bad idea that we're here." Nakatingin lang si Kai sa kanya na para bang alam nitong may sasabihin pa siya.

"But I know that the answers we're looking for is in this town. Kailangan nating mahanap ang mga nilalang na responsable sa pagdukot ng mga lobo. We have to give them justice."

Kaiden reached out to touch her hand and squeezed it gently. "We will." Kai smiled. "And speaking of that, I talked to the witch again who helped us the other night. Sh considered my suggestion that someone who has access to her shop could be the one who stole those dark objects."

"Kai, that shop is open for the public. How can we narrow down those who stole it?"

Umiling naman si Kai. "The shop is public. But her storage room is not. Sabi niya iilan lang ang nakakapasok doon. Siya at ang katulong niya sa kanyang shop."

"And her assistant is a witch too, right?"

"Yes. In fact, it's her niece."

"So her niece stole the dark objects?"

Kai leaned back on his seat. Hinintay niyang paandarin ng isa sa mga staff ang blender na naroon bago siya magsalita.

"Interestingly enough, her niece's boyfriend is a vampire."

Nanlaki naman ang mga mata niya sa sinabi ng kasintahan. "Which means..."

Kai nodded slowly. "Which means we are right to be here."

***

"How did you know about this?" tanong niya sa kasintahan. Nasa loob na silang dalawa sa sasakyan papunta sa kung saan nila matatagpuan ang taong kukuwestiyunin nila. "Did that witch gave you this information for free?"

Kai looked at her. "What, you're underestimating your boyfriend?"

"Kaiden," she called with enough warning in her voice.

Kai groaned. "I told you she just told me what I need to know without anything in return."

She narrowed her eyes but before she could even say something, Kai went on.

"The witches also wanted to know how it happened. They hate the vampires in this city. Especially the Sylvaines. So if that vampire boyfriend of her niece is proven to have stolen something from them, it would mean the vampires will have to leave this city for violating some sacred supernatural rule they somehow established here."

Sa lahat ng sinabi ni Kai, napokus ang kanyang atensyon sa isang bagay na sinabi nito.

"Sylvaines. As in the Sylvaines?"

Tumango naman si Kai. She has heard about the Sylvaines. The strongest vampire family to ever exist on the face of the earth. She has never met a Sylvaine but all those years when she worked as a blood slayer, she knew how vampires are scared at the mere mention of that family's name.

With that, the memory of the man she met earlier came to mind.

Was that man a Sylvaine?

Before she could even entertain the thought more, she felt the car stopped. Napatingin naman siya sa paligid at napagtantong nasa harapan sila ng isang apartment complex. Bumaba si Kai ng sasakyan at ganoon din siya.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for us to come here alone? You could have asked that witch to come with us."

"It's fine," Kai said. Lumapit naman ito sa kanya. "She said her niece lives on the third floor."

As much as she was against the idea of confronting a witch, wala na siyang magagawa. Narito na sila at kailangan na nilang mahanap kung sino man ang may pakana ng nangyari sa mga lobo at kung ano ang pakay ng mga ito.

They went inside the apartment complex. Tahimik ang buong paligid. It did not help easing her feeling. Ngunit nagpatuloy pa rin sila sa paglalakad hanggang sa makarating sila sa third floor ng gusali. Kai walked towards the room at the end of the hall. Tumingin muna ito sa kanya bago kumatok sa pinto. Hinanda na niya ang kanyang sarili sa posibleng mangyari.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a young girl came to see them. Nagpalinga-linga ito sa paligid bago tumingin sa kanila. She opened the door wider and gestured them to come. Agad naman silang pumasok doon. Nagtataka man ay sumunod na lang siya kay Kai.

When they were finally inside the room, the witch sighed and looked at both of them.

"Dahil nakapasok kayo nang walang problema, that means I could trust you," she said. Napakunot naman ang noo niya sa sinabi nito. The woman seem to have notice her confusion when she went and explained. "I casted a spell around my room forbidding supernatural beings to enter."

"That means your boyfriend is banned from entering too?" she said. Nakita naman niyang nag-iba ang timpla ng mukha ng babae.

"My aunt told me you'd be coming to see me. Make it quick."

"You're aware of what your aunt has lost, right?" tanong ni Kaiden. Nakita naman niyang tumango ang babae. At first, she was calm, and then she ran both her hands to her hair and sat on the couch.

"I...I didn't think he would even do it." Tumingin ang babae sa kanila and she could see the utter disappointment in the woman's face. "My aunt trusted me with those dark objects. And...And I didn't know how--" Biglang tumigil ang babae sa pagsasalita at napahagulhol. "He tricked me. He gained my trust and tricked me."

Gusto niyang sumbatan ang babae na iyon ang napapala niya sa pagtitiwala sa mga bampira but she doesn't want to add on to her reasons to feel miserable. Nagkatinginan naman sila ni Kai and then he nodded before he stepped forward.

"What's your name?" tanong ng lalaki. Napatingin naman sa gawi niya ang babae ngunit agad din naman itong sumagot.

"My name's Leila," she said.

"Alright, Leila. I need you to tell me everything that you know. Tell me about your boyfriend and what he told you."

Agad nagpunas ng luha ang babae bago magsalita. "As you already know, he's a vampire. He works for some group of vampires who rules this city--the Sylvaines."

"How long have the Sylvaines been in this city?"

"They have just settled here a few months ago. That family is known to move around, not settling in one place. But for some reason, they planned to stay in this city longer than they intend to be."

Iyong ang dahilan kung bakit sa buong buhay niya bilang isang blood slayer ay hindi pa niya nakikilala ang kahit isa sa mga Sylvaines. They move around a lot and somehow gets away from the bood slayer's radar. But the Sylvaines aren't their priority as of the moment.

"How do you know this? How do you know they planned to stay in this city longer than they intend to?" she asked.

"Because there's a council in this city that keeps things in order," said Leila. "The council consists of representatives representing the different species residing in this city. My aunt is the representative for the witch faction. The mayor of the city represents the human faction. And some alpha of a werewolf pack near the mountains for the wolf faction. When the vampires came to this city, the Sylvaine family found their way to the council and now, they represent the vampire faction. That was enough indication that they plan to stay here longer."

Hindi niya mapigilang mapanganga sa nalamang impormasyon. St. Angeli is known to be a place swarmed with supernatural beings. But since the vampires in this city doesn't cause much trouble, the blood slayers directed their attention more towards the places where bad vampires go. Hindi niya inaasahang ganito na kalalim ang ugnayan ng mga tao at ng ibang nilalang sa lugar na ito.

"Perhaps they compelled their way to the council?" she asked, ngunit umiling lang si Leila.

"I think you already know that no matter how powerful a vampire is, they couldn't compel a witch. As for the human faction, the mayor is on a special herbal concocted by the witches of this town. It makes the person who takes it immune to compulsion."

"You mean Fleurel?" Ito ay isang uri ng halaman. It's been grown in their headquarters for them to take. Its petals are soaked and then go through several processes to obtain the liquid they mix with their coffee, tea, or water. It makes them immune to vampire compulsion.

Umiling naman si Leila. "Fleurel is less effective. I am surprised you don't have a witch who works with you to make you something better than Fleurel. We use Azalea. With a few incantations and spells, we could make a strong anti-compulsion."

"So the mayor is on azalea consumption. What about the wolves?"

"They don't need to go to council meetings unless it's important. They are mostly confined in the mountains. As long as everyone in the city leaves them alone, they don't care about other things."

"Now what about your boyfriend? What's his connection to all this?" tanong niya rito.

"I don't know but I am telling you what I know. There were already vampires in this city before the Sylvaines came and now, there are a lot of them. They are all afraid of that family so they will do anything to get in their good graces, particularly in Lorcan Sylvaine's good graces. Kaya naman sumanib silang lahat sa pamilyang ito.

"Now, the vampires--like my ex-boyfriend--came after the Sylvaines arrived. They are sired by the Sylvaines which means they are some of the people that the Sylvaine family has turned into a vampire. Iyan lang ang alam ko. Iyon lang ang sinabi niya sa akin. Na kung mamamatay man ang isa sa mga Sylvaine, lahat ng mga taong ginawa nitong bampira ay mamamatay din."

They already know about how the sire bond works but she never encountered such a thing. Then she realized just how powerful the Sylvaine family is. They have vampires around them that would do anything to keep them alive as it would keep them alive too.

"Does your ex have anything against the wolves?" Kai asked. Maski siya ay iyon din ang tanong sa isipan. She couldn't see the connection between the vampires and the wolves, except for the fact that a werewolf bite could be fatal to vampires.

"Those dark objects stolen by your ex-boyfriend were used to capture young wolves in a mountain several miles from here," she added.

Umiling naman si Leila. "Not that I know of. As you already know, he wasn't very honest with me kaya huwag na kayong umasa na may alam pa ako maliban sa sinabi ko na sa inyo. If you want to know more details then you had better ask him yourself."

"Do you know where he is?" tanong ni Kai. Nakita naman nilang ngumisi si Leila sa gawi nila.

"I can perform a tracking spell and see where he is. But you have to promise you will kick his ass for me once you find him."

Napangisi naman siya sa sinabi ng babae. "It's a deal."