Cloned (Book 1 of Vampire Trilogy)

Kabanata 43

The witches knows about my real identity. The other one likes Magus pero hindi ko iyon pinagdudahan  noon dahil para sa akin ay hindi naman pagkakamali ang magkagusto sa isang tao lalo pa at ‘di maitatanggi sa mukha ni Magus ang kakisigan ngunit kung gagamit sila ng ganitong paraan upang masira ang aming relasyon, paano ko sila malalabanan? Ako mismo ang nagdala sa kanila sa posisyong kinalalagyan nila ngayon. I did asked for their presence and their help.

“Hija, maybe you’re overthinking. They came here to help,” Aunt Celia’s voice is dripping with concern.

Gusto ko ring isipin iyon ngunit sino pa ang nakaaalam sa kung sino ako maliban sa kanilang dalawa? Hindi ko maaring sabihin kay Aunt Celia na ako ay isang huwad lamang.

“Huwag kang mag-alala. Pamamanmanan ko ang dalawa,” ani Aunt Celia na mababanaag ang pag-aalala sa mukha.

Tipid akong ngumiti at tumango.

“Hala, sige at magtungo ka na sa inyong silid at baka naiinip na ang aking pamangkin,” anito at saka tumayo.

Naiwan ako roon na napapaisip pa rin sa maraming bagay.

“Should I tell Magus about this?” bulong ko bago pa naisipan na tumayo at magtungo sa silid na ookupahin namin sa kastilyo nila Aunt Celia.

“You took too long,” puna niya pero maaliwalas naman ang mukha.

“Aunt Celia has a lot of stories to tell,” paliwanag ko.

Naglakad ako palapit sa kaniya na nakaupo sa kama. Ipinulupot ko ang kamay ko sa kaniyang leeg habang siya ay tumingala para matitigan ako.

“Am I burdening you?” masuyo kong tanong na ikina-kunot ng kaniyang noo.

“I know you have a lot of works to do yet here you are with me, keeping me accompanied,” napapaos kong sambit.

He smiled at me.

“You’re more important than that. I want to see you smile again, the genuine one.”

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin at mapait na napangiti. Am I really changing? Napupuna ko naman ang pagbabago sa akin subalit ano kaya ang nakikita niya sa akin? Mas napupuna ng iba ang pagbabago ng isang tao kaysa sa sarili nito.

“Am I worrying you too much?”

Umangat ang kamay niya at hinaplos ang pisngi ko saka inayos ang takas na buhok.

“No. I just wanted to see my wife with her happiest smile. I don’t want to see your crying face. I told you, I will wait until you’re ready to tell me what’s bothering you these days.”

Tumango-tango ako sa tinuran niya at saka yumukod ng kaunti para maabot ang kaniyang labi.

“Let’s stop this or they will find out what we did,” he murmured and showered me small kisses.

Natigilan ako roon.

“What do you mean?” tanong ko.

“They will know if we did that here. It’s their chateau,” he chuckled after saying that.

I slapped his arm that has been holding my waist.

“Let’s sleep now,” pag-aaya ko na sinunod naman niya.

Tulad ng palaging nangyayari sa akin, pinahihirapan akong muli ng aking panaginip but this time, it’s not me. It’s Magus and Loren. Yes, Loren. That’s not me. Could it be possible that it’s me and the magic that has been controlling me just wanted me to think that it’s Loren? Same as how I saw Marocco?

“Give me more, babe, Ahh!” Loren moaned loudly while Magus is busy thrusting himself in and out.

“D-dee… per, b-babe. Ohhhhh…”

Her back is facing Magus while she’s busy writhing in pleasure. Loren gripped the pillow as if her life depends on it. Her eyes rolled up and when those familiar sounds left her lips, Magus also groans for pleasure.

“I love doing it with you,” he murmured before he lay by her side.

Loren brought herself in top of him, sit on his abdomen and smiled seductively.

“Much more than her? Hmm?”

She claimed his lips for a seconds and stared at him while placing her mounds on his length. A moan escaped his lips.

“Much more than her,” he answered.

Tears streaming down my cheeks. It hurts seeing them like that, doing the things we also did. Loren is his wife and has the right to act like that and claim him but I am the one who loves him. Sa pagkakaalam ko ay hindi naman siya nais na pakasalan ni Loren dahil sa pagmamahal kundi dahil sa gusto nito ang responsibilidad na maipapatang sa kaniya habang ako ay siya lang ang gusto.

Napakasakit makita silang ganoon pero wala akong karapatang magreklamo. Sino ako para ipagkait ang ganoong tagpo sa tunay na magkabiyak? Sa totoo lang ay ako naman ang nakikihati?

“Stop…” bulong ko pero tulad kung paanong hindi nakikinig ang sarili ko na panoorin ang tagpo nila ay ganoon din sila na ‘di tumitigil sa pagpapaligaya sa isa’t isa.

“Wife, wake up,” someone speaks on my mind.

I wanted to look for him but my eyes is fixed at how Magus buried his fangs on Loren’s neck. No! He shouldn’t do that. Vampire’s should only buried their face when mating if the one they are sharing the pleasure is the one they love. I should be that, Magus.

‘That liquid has a drop of Loren’s blood. He won’t taste yours but hers.’

Naaalala ko ang sinabing iyon ni Mr. Jarvis at ngayon ay parang gusto kong magwala at itanong kung bakit? Kaya malabo niyang malalaman ang kaibahan namin dahil sa dugo. Magus will always think of Loren, not you, Caith.

My knees wobbled and my eyes are shedding tears but I am just blankly staring at the two of them. They are mating. Not just having s*x but mating. That is what we once did and now…

“I’m hopeless,” bulong ko.

“Come on, wife. Sh*t! She’s convulsing!”

Those words. It’s trying to take away my attention from these people who are killing me with their sight.

“I love you…”

Those words made my world stop. The words he murmured to her made my heart skipped not because I feel giddy but because I literally cannot breathe. He never said those words to me. Not ever… Bakit ang daling sabihin iyon sa kaniya? Bakit hindi sa akin?

“Hija, wake up, please,”

Umiling ako at tinakpan ang aking bibig upang ‘di nila marinig ang aking pag-iyak. Parang pinipiga at sinisilihan ang puso ko sa mga tagpong iyon.

“I love you. Only you.”

I am in deep pain but what’s hurt me the most is the fact that Loren did not return his words. See? I am the one who loves him genuinely. He should be with me.

“She’s been like this for about a week, Uncle,”

“She will wake up, Magus. She’s going to be fine,”

Their voice… it seems so familiar. It keeps on ringing inside my mind. Para bang nag-aalala silang lubos sa akin.

“Put a drop of your blood on her mouth, hijo,”

Their voices are becoming loud that it exceeded the voice of Magus while he’s talking to my twin.

“Go on,”

I felt a cold liquid on my lips and run down inside my mouth. I have no choice but to swallow that and when I did, something inside me woke up. It feels like something inside me is searching for what she needs.

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw is him but what caught my attention is his bare neck. I recklessly dive at him and buried my fangs on the most alluring spot of his skin.

I heard his groan.

“She’s finally awake,” I heard someone murmured but I did not try to look for it.

I didn’t stop even if I am finally full. I feel like I wanted to drain his blood. He deserves it. Sinaktan ka niya, Caith. Hindi mo siya dapat kaawaan. Iyon ang sinasabi ng isip ko pero unti-unting kumilos ang aking katawan at inalis ang pagkakabaon ng pangil sa kaniya.

Dinig ko ang mararahas niyang paghinga.

“She’s about to drain your blood. Why didn’t you stop her?” Aunt Celia’s voice filled my ears.

Noon ako natauhan. Mabilis akong kumalas sa yakap niya at itunulak ang sarili patungo sa dulo ng kama. Kapwa sila nakatingin sa akin subalit ako ay kay Magus lang nakatingin.

I can feel the pain on his eyes but what are more visible to my mind is the words he said to her.

He love Loren, not you, Caith. Don’t be fooled by those eyes.

“Wife, are you okay?” napakalamyos ng boses niya na gusto kong isipin na sobrang nag-aalala siya sa akin at posibleng may nararamdaman din pero hindi…

Hindi ako si Loren. Umiling ako, sunod-sunod.

He tried to reach for me but I stopped him which caught him off-guard.

“I h-hate you… Magus,” usal ko.

Batid kong narinig niya iyon base na rin sa pagbalatay ng kung anong emosyon sa kaniyang mukha.

That’s right, Caith. Hurt him the way he also did.

“I don’t want you near me,” mas malakas kong sambit.

Natigilan siya roon matapos ay tumingin kay Uncle Von na parang humihingi ito ng paliwanag sa dalawa kung bakit ko sinasabi sa kaniya ang mga salitang iyon.

“Hija, you’re just hysterical. Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Aunt Celia’s voice is so soft that it melts my heart. She walk towards me and when she finally reached my side, she sit beside me and held my hand.

“Everything will be alright,” she said while smiling at me.

“You can leave us two. I’ll talk to her.”

When I looked at Magus, he’s staring at me; eyes are begging me to do something but I looked away instead. I cannot bear to look at him remembering what he did.

He did not just have s*x with Loren but mated with her and even has the courage to tell the words that he never tried to tell me.

“I don’t know what’s happening,” I heard his last words before he finally closed the door.

Aunt Celia caressed my face.

“Honey, you okay?”

My eyes started watering again and for uncountable times, I cried again.

“Ang sakit po…” tanging nasabi ko.

Kinabig niya ako para sa isang yakap.

“It’s just a trick, hija. I told you. You need to be strong to overcome that.”

Humikbi ako nang humikbi at hindi makapagsalita. Aunt Celia is trying her best to calm me down and finally, after countless trying, she did. I am just staring at the painting on the wall. It’s a woman carrying something on a piece of cloth while on her back is a lot of shadows  crawling at her. She’s crying and her face is void but I know, she’s crying while looking at what’s wrapped on that cloth.

“That’s called ethereal sacrifice of love,” Aunt Celia voiced out after she notice what I am looking at.

“It was painted by a man on nineteen sixty. It’s his last vision of the woman she love carrying their child while running away from those who wants to attack them,” pagku-kuwento niya.

Nanatili akong nakatingin doon at iniisip kung ano ang nangyari sa kanilang mag-ina.

“Did he found them?” I hoarsely asked.

Her eyes saddened and with despair, she shook her head.

“They died. She is already weak and cannot fight back.”

I felt a twist on my heart. I don’t believe that. She is already strong with the fact that she tried to run to keep her child safe.

“She killed her baby right before they can take him away. Her last words tells that it’s better to die than to live in this cruel world,”

I gasped upon hearing that. Pinatay niya ang bata?

“It’s called ethereal sacrifice of love because she sacrificed her child to be able to protect him too. It’s ethereal for being too perfect that it doesn’t exist. She did that because she loves him and wants to protect but took his life also.”

I feel sorry for the child and for the mother.

“What do you think? Does she deserves the hatred and critiques she received when this painting was introduced?”

No. I don’t think she deserves it. She did that because she’s afraid that if she died and the child was left alone, he will also receive the same cruelty specially that she is his offspring. That’s a mother’s love that no one can understand.

“She’s brave…” komento ko.

“Aren’t you going to asked where is her husband when that happens?”

She asked me with something on her eyes. I glanced at the painting again.

“I think he is one of those shadows,” I murmured while looking at Magus painfully staring at me with his eyes. He is peaking on the door.