Vladimir’s POV
“She got a tattoo,” bungad ni Via pagpasok niya ng kwarto ko.
It took her days to actually say that. I’ve been waiting like crazy dahil kating-kati na akong malaman. Wala akong ginawa kundi ang maghintay and to cook for her everyday. Ewan ko ba, nasasanay na ang babaeng iyon na lutuan ko siya. She even wanted me to cook not only for her. Actually yung mga niluluto ko ay lagi niyang binibigay don sa mga bata sa simbahan.
“And,” naiinip na sabi ko. “What covenant?”
Then, she’s a witch—
“It’s no symbol of covenant,” Via dropped it. Umiling siya. “I’ve searched for it. Stan did and so did Mom. It’s not a symbol of a covenant or anything, not even a symbol of a wolf,” she sighed. “It's just a tattoo of broken wings.”
“So, it’s nonsense?” tanong ko.
“Yeah, she told me na pina-tattoo niya yon together with her friends when she was in high school. Mukha namang legit ung sinasabi niya. So, definitely hindi siya witch.”
“Then, what is she?”
“I don’t know.”
I don’t know, either. I wish I knew, but I still haven’t figured out how she always managed to disappear. When I asked her, ang isasagot lang niya ay hindi siya nawawala. Ugh! She’s giving me a headache.
“Broken wings?” mahinang sabi ni Vanna.
Sabay kaming napalingon ni Via. Hindi namin namalayan na dumating siya. I was too occupied or maybe hindi mo lang talaga mapapansin kapag si Vanna. Owl actually has the gift to hide themselves from people and vampires. They can hide their smell.
“Like this,” pinakita niya ung drawing niya sa amin. I remember she drew that a year ago before we moved to this town.
“Yeah, that’s it. Only the left wing is broken. What does it mean?” tanong ni Via.
“I don’t know. I drew it years ago but I remembered, the vision was actually telling me that someone with that tattoo will come to us.”
“Is it negative? Is she not someone to trust?” I asked.
Umiling si Vanna. “The Ruin Owl told me na nakita niya sa vision niya ang isang babae,” she started explaining. “Noong una we thought na wala siyang connection but saying na nakita niyo to kay Cassy then siya ang babae na tinutukoy ng visions namin.”
“It’s the Ruin, how about the Fall?” tanong ko.
The owl goes together. The Ruin sees the visions connected in the past. Fear in the present. And Fall in future.
“Fall says that she will come back as promised,” Vanna added.
“Promised? What does it mean?” naguluhang sabi ko.
“She will come back as promised to redeem her grace,” Vanna completed it.
“Her grace?” Mom appeared from the door. Sabay-sabay kaming lumingon sa kanya. “She must be a—“
Napatigil kaming lahat nang tumunog ang alarm. It was the red alarm connected to House Ruin and House Fall which means there is an attack.
Via started typing on her phone nang makatanggap siya ng mensahe. In a second, pinakita niya sa amin yung nag-viral na pictures ng mga lowkies. Lowkies are still human that looks like dead zombies looking for blood to drink. They still can be seen on mirrors and pictures. They still have shadows and soul.
“People are claiming it to be zombies. Others say they saw a vampire, red eyes and fangs,” Via scrolled down the pictures. “There’s a lot of humans who witnessed and became victims of the attack.”
“I’ve seen bloods,” nagtungo ang atensyon namin kay Vanna. Her eyes are gleaming red looking nowhere. “Half-bloods are coming.” She fainted at mabuti na lamang ay nasalo siya ni Van. She must have seen terrible things on her visions for her to faint.
“Let’s go,” Mom ordered.
Via stayed with Vanna in her room habang dumiretso sa council si Mom at Dad. Narinig kong pinadala nila ang isang grupo mula sa aming army para labanan ang mga sumugod na half-blood.
Dumiretso kami upang tumulong but it was all clear at ang tanging naabutan na lamang namin ay ang mga bangkay ng lowkies at ilang biktima na hindi pa nakikilala. Nandun yung pulis at iba pang detective para imbestigahan ang kaso. Dad was not there with the police, the council meeting is more important.
I’ve seen the families of the victims crying and cursing at the media. Although there were a lot of people, she always stands out among them. Malayo pa lamang ay alam ko na nandun siya. She always smells like fresh water from the ocean, that’s how her blood smells. To tell you, strong human bloods have different smells. They go with the smell of the ocean, then different kinds of flowers. Vampires believe that the blood with the smell of the ocean is the most delicious.
I saw Cassandra standing next to the kids. There were two kids na umiiyak at pinapatahan niya. They were outside the crime scene, nasa gilid sila at nakaupo don sa bench. The boy kept on calling Mom habang tinuturo ung crime scene while the girl kept on crying at hindi na niya alam kung paano patitigilin.
I want to go near her to talk but I’ve seen eyes around. There are other vampires roaming around aside from us purebloods. The lower house are also here and they are keeping their eyes on her, on her blood.
Nanatili kaming nakatayo ni Van, waiting for the police and media along with the other human, the families of the victim and the bystander. It was a work to do for Ruin, they’re good at that. Ruka and Rina Ruin started talking to the police and detective. Their twins, Ruka can control the mind of people while Rina can make people obey her. After the police, nakita kong isa-isa nilang nilapitan ung pamilya ng biktima and the other bystander. They even talked to the media while we were waiting for them to finish.
I kept my eye on Cassandra. Naririnig kung umiiyak pa rin yung mga bata. Ruka was about to go there nang tawagin siya nong bagong dating na detective na mukhang nagtaka sa biglang pagbabago ng nakarating the news. Ruka actually started spreading na she is a doctor and even faked an I.D. Sinabi niyang isang malalang disease or epidemia ang dumapo sa lugar, erasing the fact about vampires and lowkies.
I was somehow relieved na hindi niya nilapitan si Cassandra. I don’t know. I just don’t want her near vampires other than us. Hindi pa rin tumitigil yung mga bata at nakita kung nahihirapan na siya so she hugged them. I swear I’ve heard her chant or sing something pero hindi ko maintindihan which is weird. Vampires can hear the sound of everything, even the farthest sound within our radius. Lalo na kapag nag-focus kami, and I was too focus on her kaya imposibleng hindi ko yon naintindihan.
What did she say that made the two kids instantly stopped from crying? Nakakapagtaka. Sino ba talaga siya?
“She’s your girlfriend, right?” sabay kaming napalingon ni Van sa nagsalita. I saw a gray-haired guy. “Rumors fly, Fear,” he smiled at me.
“Fall,” I greeted her with a hand shake. “It’s been a while Ace,” dagdag ko.
Ace Fall is my best friend. We’ve been together since, but for the last two seasons we parted ways because he wants to explore the world alone and away from his family. Ngayon na lamang kami nagkita.
“Well, not really my girlfriend. It’s just nothing,” deny ko. Wait, why am I denying it? Well, it’s not really true.
“Yeah, just a piece of advice. Don’t let her bleed, her blood attracts half-bloods. And the lower houses are keeping their eyes on her,” bilin niya. “We still don’t know kung sino sa mga lowerhouse but one half-blood said that they get funds from a lowerhouse.”
“That sucks,” Van commented. “They must be eager to remove us from the higher house.”
“Yeah, right. Anyway, I’ve done my part.”
“What part?” Van said. “Wala ka naman yatang ginawa e,” biro niya.
Tumawa si Ace. “Thanks for the army, we were outnumbered a while ago. The half-bloods are growing. Madaming nakatakas kanina but we managed to kill many half-bloods and lowkies a while ago don sa hide-out nila.” Tinuro niya ung warehouse sa may dulo ng eskinita. “The place just needs cleaning which I believe has always been Fear’s forte,” he grinned.
“Not me, it has always been Van.” Turo ko sa kapatid ko.
Tumango naman si Van, alam na niya ang gagawin niya because whenever there’s an attack, he was always the one to clean the mess. Easy by turning them all to dust. Sometimes I like his gift more than I like mine.
“Seems like the twins are done negotiating,” Ace turned to them, if negotiating is even the term. When it comes to talking or treaty it was always the Ruin who did it for the council. Mostly their gifts are related to that like controlling people or making them obey.
“So we leave it to you then,” Ace nodded a bit.
The House Fall are skilled fighters. They are best when it comes to fighting so they are always in the front when it comes to fighting. They can channel their gift and turn them into weapons. We get our machines and weapons from their house.
We, the House Fear, only need to touch things to create, heal, or destroy them. Van can make things turn into dust. Dad can burn everything through his fire. Mom can heal anything with her hands. Mostly, she created the medicine people use up until now and even the machines to cure people. Via can create memories.
“I guess I just have to see you at the gathering then,” ani ko.
“I know, we need a lot of catching up.” Tinapik niya ako sa balikat. Sumenyas ang kambal na tapos na sila. Hinintay naming isa-isang mag-sialisan ang mga tao doon na tila walang nangyari. “Stay alive till then Fear and that girl...” Tumingin siya kay Cassandra. She is still there sitting with the children. “Watch her.” He nodded at mabilis na nawala sa paningin namin.
“Well, that girl is your rumored girlfriend right? They got their eyes on her,” Rina said to me paglapit niya. “Ikaw na ang bahala sa kanya. We cannot use our power to her, there’s an exception to people we control. She got strong blood, ocean blood.”
“It’s rare,” Ruka said. “I thought they don’t exist, makes me want to taste the blood—yeah just kidding Fear,” bawi niya nang tingnan ko siya ng masama.
Tumawa lang siya. “There are two of them, the guy with her a while ago got the ocean blood too. I never thought I would be able to smell the ocean blood in this lifetime.”
“Guy, who?” Van asked what I wanted to ask. He was already done turning the dead into dust.
“We don’t know. Just look at them both. If half-bloods got their hands on one of them, you’ll know what will happen.”
They will have enough power to wage on us because ocean blood can make them strong. If they’ve got two, those half-bloods will get even stronger than us. One sip of blood is enough, what more kapag pinatay na nila ito. Good thing, half-bloods can’t smell the blood, it needs to bleed before they can smell it.
Van joined the twins to the warehouse at naiwan ako don. I went to her. Mahimbing na natutulog ang dalawang bata sa may bench habang binabantayan niya ito. Napansin ko ang sugat sa tuhod nung batang lalaki, tuyo na ito at tila naubusan na ng dugo habang ang batang babae naman ay may manipis na kagat sa balikat niya.
“Will they turn to a vampire or lowkie?” may pag-aalalang sabi niya. “I just can’t afford, their mother –“
“Ssh,” kinalma ko siya. “They will not, okay?” Idinampi ko ang aking palad sa sugat ng dalawang bata at unti-unti ay nawala na ito.
“It’s cold.” komento niya. “Just like you.”
“I didn’t heal them. I just freeze the wounds. You just have to let them drink this.”
Binigay ko sa kanya ung potion.
“It will prevent them from becoming one. It will prevent the virus from coming in.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. “Though, stop it already. It’s cold.”
“Oh, sorry," natatawang sabi ko. “It’s just. Ngayon ko na lang ginamit to.”
My gift makes people freeze to death. I can actually make the entire town freeze if I want to. I can stop things from moving but I can’t stop time.
“Yeah, I’ll go then and bring the kids to the church.”
“I’ll help you. And then I’ll go back after.”
She nodded.
“Cassy,” I said for the first time, making her look at me with surprised. “You want me to be your boyfriend, right?” tanong ko na alam ko namang hindi ko na dapat pang itanong.
“Then do me a favor. I promise to do all the things in your bucketlist if you promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t hurt yourself,” diin ko sa bawat salita. “Just don’t okay? Don’t let yourself bleed, especially when I’m not with you.”
“I can handle myself, don’t—wait, are you falling in love with me?” natatawang sabi niya habang nanlalaki ang kanyang mga mata.
“I’m dead serious.”
Nanahimik siya at hindi ko mawari kung lungkot ba ang saglit na dumapo sa mga mata niya.
“Promise me, okay?”
“Okay, if my boyfriend says so," she smiled.
I smiled back.
“C’mon, dalhin na natin sila kay Sister. I cannot carry them so…”
“Wait, do you want me to braid your hair before going?”
Nagtatakang tumingin siya sa akin. Nakaawang pa ung bibig niya na para bang hindi siya naniniwala sa akin, na kaya ko. I was even amazed na kaya ko palang mag-braid ng hair. I tried it to Via a few times at bwiset na bwiset pa nga siya.
“What? You’re gonna stare? That’s third on your list.”
She giggled. So did I.