Blood Secrets

Child Of The Moon

She hoped it would be a starless night. Or a moonless sky. Ngunit alam niyang hindi rin mabuting patatagaling pa niya ito. Wishing for a delay would only prolong her agony. Se figured she wanted this done as soon as possible.

Nasa isang masukal na gubat sila. It was dangerous knowing that wolves will be turning and would roam the forest but the coven of St. Angeli had sworn to place a barrier. Sinabihan na rin nila si Aedion sa plano nilang gawin and it would be his responsibility to swerve his wolves way from a certain part of the forest.

Isabela was with the coven of three. Apparently, they didn't need Nadia to be physically there. Kailangan lang nila ang dugo niya na ibinigay na ni Isabela noon pa. Isabela had also informed them that the coven of three will not be foolish enough not to realize something is wrong if their ritual is not working.

Kasama niya ngayon si Annabeth at si Kai. Hindi niya alam kung nasaan ang iba but they were probably stationed somewhere just as they planne. Nakapalibot naman sa kanila ang ibang witches ng St. Angeli. She doesn't know any of them. Tanging sina Isabela, Leila, at Esme lang ang kilala niya.

Napatingin siya sa gawi ni Annabeth. Nakatingala lang ito sa langit na para bang may hinihintay. Annabeth is someone called a Renegade. A half-vampire and half-witch. Seeing her, she couldn't help but wonder if there is a name for someone like her who's a half-wolf and half-witch.

Nakita naman niyang napatingin si Annabeth sa kanya. And then she said, "It's time."

Her heart thundered inside her chest. Pakiramdam niya ay lalabas na ito sa kanyang dibdib ngunit kailangan niyang kumalma.

"It's still not too late to back out," whispered Kaiden. Tiningnan naman niya ang lalaki at nginitian. She reached to hold his hand and squeezed them tight.

"Hold my hand for me the whole time?" she said.

She saw how a muscle in his jaw twitched. Alam niyang tutol ito sa gagawin niya ngayong gabi ngunit buo na ang desisyon niya. As much as Kaiden want to stop her, he knows he wouldn't be able to stop her either. She is doing this for their future together.

Naramdaman naman niyang humigpit ang hawak ni Kaiden sa kanyang kamay at napangiti siya sa lalaki.

"I will come back, Kai." Then she walked towards the flat stone located at the center of the clearing. Kitang-kita nila ang buwan sa kung nasaan sila. As she laid her back on the cold surface of the stone, her eyes stared at the bright moon. She could feel the warmth of Kai's hand on her and she closed her eyes. Sinabi niya kay Kai na babalik siya. It sounded like she was telling Kai she would come back, giving him something to hold on to. But deep down, she was convincing herself. Dahil hindi siya sigurado kung ano ang magiging kahihinatnan ng ritwal na ito.

She was supposed to bleed to death in order for the moon to turn bloody. And Annabeth's job is to finish the spell right before she loses her consciousness and finally embraces death. She knew Annabeth would not let her die. If she dies, the coven of three will only get stronger. And that is something a witch like Annabeth would never want to happen.

"You ready?" tanong ni Annabeth sa kanya. Binuksan naman niya ang kanyang mga mata at napatingin sa babae bago siya tumango.

Annabeth put her hand on top of her. The other witches surrounding them also raised their hand. Nakatingin lang siya sa buwan at narinig na niya si Annabeth na binibigkas ang ritwal.

"Spritus lunae, audite filios uestros clamant. Sanguis euis in oculis tuis mundum iundabit. Puerm tuum dole."

Hindi niya alam kung anong sinasabi ng babae ngunit pakiramdam niya ay siya ang kinakausap nito. Her eyes remained on the moon, looking at how bright it was as she listened to Annabeth muttering the same chant over and over again together with the other witches around them.

Naramdaman naman niyang kinuha ni Annabeth ang isa niyang kamay. The next thing she felt was the cold touch of metal on her palm before Annabeth sliced her wrist.

***

Isabela kept her eyes on the moon. In front of her, Penelope stood behind the stone altar. Sa harapan niya nakatayo sina Finn at Lauris. Although their backs were on her, alam niyang binabantayan siya ng mga ito.

She doesn't have any contact to the other side--where Annabeth and Nadia are. Ngunit sinabi na niya sa mga ito ang eksaktong oras kung kailan gagawin ni Penelope ang ritwal and it could be any minute now.

Napatingin siya sa gawi ni Penelope at nakita niyang nakatingin ang babae sa kanyang gawi. Her eyes were inscrutable and Isabela did her best to mask her face into disinterest.

"What's the matter? Losing nerve?" she said. She knows that the last thing she'd want to happen is piss off Penelope ngunit alam niya ring walang panahon si Penelope para pagtuonan siya ng pansin.

Much to her surprise, she saw Penelope tilt her head in her direction. Napakunot naman ang kanyang noo.

"You seemed lost in your thoughts, Isabela," saad ni Penelope sa kanya. Mahina naman siyang napamura. If there is anything she should not let happen, it's to make sure Penelope proceeds with the ritual as planned. But the woman was grinning in her direction as though she has all the time in the world to play the game. The problem is, that she doesn't know what kind of game Penelope was playing.

Humarap sa gawi niya sina Finn at Lauris. The two of them were grinning from ear to ear as if things were about to get f****d up. Napatingin siya sa gawi ni Penelope at nakatingin lang din ang babae sa kanya.

"The moon is out, Penelope, shouldn't you be doing the ritual?"

Sa takot niya ay nakita niyang ngumisi lang si Penelope sa kanyang gawi. Nagkibit-balikat lang ito bago naglakad papunta sa kanyang direksyon.

"You're brave, Isabela," she said. "You know what I can do and yet you chose to go against me."

Her heart thundered. "What are you talking about?"

"Akala mo ba hindi ko alam ang pinaggagagawa mo habang hindi ako nakatingin?"

She heard Lauris and Finn snicker and she now know exactly what was happening. Lauris and Finn were not slacking off. They chose not to let her see what they have been up to dahil sinusundan pala siya ng mga ito at kung ano ang ginagawa niya.

Penelope now knows what she had told the Sylvaines.

"I can wait a few minutes longer. You know, just enough for the bloody moon to pass."

As if on cue, the surrounding went dark. Agad siyang napatingala at mahinang napamura nang makitang unti-unti nang naging kulay pula ang buwan. Annabeth had started the ritual but Penelope had known about it. Her plan failed.

Napaatras naman siya nang naglakad papalapit sa kanya si Penelope.

"You dared betray me?"

"You and my ancestors agreed on something. I didn't. What I did was to stand with my own belief--"

Hindi na niya natuloy ang nais niyang sabihin nang bigla nalang siyang napaluhod sa lupa. Her knees screamed in pain as her kneecaps hit the rocky ground. Ang buong akala niya ay iyon na 'yon ngunit naramdaman nalang niyang may tumutulo mula sa kanyang mga mata. She blinked and the liquid was blurring her vision. Nang hawakan niya kung anong klaseng likido ay muntikan na siyang mapasigaw nang makitang dugo iyon.

Penelope was making her cry blood. And as if it wasn't enough, she felt her ears were oozing out blood too. She couldn't move. Hindi siya makatayo. All she could do was stare in horror at her hands now bloody as she tried to wipe the blood off her face.

"If you want to kill me, then do it," she said. Penelope tilted her head and looked at her as though considering it. She may not have known Penelope for a while but she doesn't seem like a person who enjoys a quick death. Kaya alam niyang kung balak siyang patayin ng babae ngayon, she would do it slowly and painfully. And she would feel magnificent at the sound of her screams.

The blood moon would last for a few minutes and after that, Penelope will be free to do the ritual.

She should have seen this coming. She should have known. It was pretty stupid of her to think that Penelope would be naive enough to trust her completely. She has doomed the balance of nature and if her punishment for that is death at the hands of Penelope, then she will accept the punishment.

The first blast of Penelope's magic took her breath away literally. Pakiramdam niya ay ninanakaw nito ang hangin sa kanyang sistema. She clawed at her throat, just to get the taste of air but Penelope was merciless. She could see it from the look on her eyes as she continued whatever it was she was doing to her.

Just when she was thought she was about to lose her consciousness, a wave of air came rushing inside her lungs. Hinihingal siyang nakaluhod sa lupa. Madilim pa rin ang paligid kaya naman alam niyang pula pa rin ang buwan.

Nadia's out there, draining her blood only for Isabela to fail at what she was supposed to be doing.

The next thing she heard was her own screams as she felt her wrist shatter. Sunod na ginawa ni Isabela ay sinunod nitong durugin ang buto sa isa niyang kamay. The graveyard made her screams echo.

Alam niya ang gustong mangyari ng babae. She wanted her to beg. She wanted her to beg either to stop or to finish it off quickly. But Isabela is not someone who gives up easily. Lumaki siyang kailangang lumaban sa kahit anong gusto niyang makuha. She chose to do the same tonight even if it costs her her life. She never backs down without a fight.

Kaya naman tiningnan niya si Penelope sa mata at nginisihan ito. "Three against one," she said. "You know, for all the grand introductions you made, I am starting not to believe them. If being a strong coven means fighting an outnumbered witch then maybe you are not as strong as you claim."

Despite the indifference on Penelope's face, she saw fury flashed across her eyes. Ngunit agad din itong nawala at sunod niyang naramdaman ay ang mga buto sa kanyang daliri na unti-unti na ring nadudurog ng babae.

In the quiet night, under the bloody moonlight, Isabela lied on the ground, barely fighting to stay alive.

***

Nadia saw black and white at first. She didn't know how many blinks it took her to see red. Ang buong akala niya ay dumudugo ang kanyang mata ngunit naalala niya bigla kung bakit naroon siya.

Blood moon. She was supposed to bleed to almost death so the blood moon will occur.

Around her, naririnig pa niya ang boses ng mga witches . They were still chanting the same spell she heard earlier. Her whole body was burning and yet it felt especially hot on her wrist where Annabeth sliced so she could bleed to death.

On her other hand, ramdam din niya ang init ng kamay ni Kai. He was squeezing her hand, kissing her knuckles as though it would calm him down. Natutuwa siyang naroon ang lalaki. He's part of the reason why she did this, anyway. Hindi niya gustong ibigay kay Kaiden ang kinabukasan na kailangan nilang tumakbo nang tumakbo. In this world, the supernaturals are everywhere. And this world is not big enough for them to run as far away as they could.

Her eyes remained to stare at the moon. It might have been only her imagination but she could have sworn the moon looked bigger and brighter as though it was coming down to embrace her. Or take her, hindi niya alam. She lay motionless on top of a flat rock as her blood continued getting out of her body.

The voices of the witches around her were starting to sound muffled hanggang sa tuluyan na niya itong hindi marinig. She tried moving her fingers to squeeze Kai's hand back but she couldn't. Hindi niya na rin ramdam ang kamay ni Kai at ang sensasyon sa kanyang pulsohan. It was as if it was just her and the gigantic bloody moon in front of her. Ngunit pati iyon ay nagssisimula na ring mawala sa kanyang harapan. The blood moond doesn't look as red as it did earlier. And it didn't look as near.

Then everything went white and she doesn't know what happened next.