THE WITCHLING: Tierra Firme Book Two

FOUR

Rebel Lord Alexander

"VICTOR GARCIA, currently working as a supervisor on a hardware store. He is married with two sons. His wife's name is Tessie, and she stays at home taking care of the kids and minding a good-sized sari-sari store," report ko sa aking witchling matapos ang hapunan nang gabing iyon.

"You found him that fast?" gulat niyang tanong.

"Your mother kept tabs on them through the years and Eduardo kept those files. Siya ang nagbigay nito sa akin noong kinausap ko siya para maghanap ng impormasyon." Ibinaba ko ang folder sa kanyang harapan para makita niya ang pictures ng pamilya.

Ilang sandali niyang tinitigan ang grown up picture ni Victor, pero umaliwalas ang kanyang mukha nang makita niya ang pictures ng mga bata sa sunod na pahina.

"Kamukha niya ang kanyang isang anak," sambit niya, relieved na relieved. Tumingin siya sa akin, nakangiti. "Salamat at hindi ako mamamatay-tao!"

I, too, felt relief for her. "You feel okay now," pagkumpirma ko.

"You know I do," sabi niya, bahagyang naninisi ang tinig.

Tama siya, nararamdaman kong malaki ang nabawas sa pagkabagabag niya. Hindi lang dahil sa singsing. Naoobserbahan ko rin siya. Nakikita ko ang pagbabago ng mood niya at kung anong temperament niya. Hindi pa batid ni Mia ang tindi ng koneksyon naming dalawa. Sa mga sandaling iyon, hindi ko maalis ang titig ko sa kanya. I didn't even have to try, I would always be aware of her when she was near me.

I wanted to tell her these things, but she had become wary of me since the island fiasco. I could tell she wasn't ready.

But I missed her so much. What could I do? She was so fragile, and I wasn't just talking about physically. Napakadali niyang ma-overwhelm sa kahit ano pagkatapos nang influx ng discoveries na nangyari sa kanya at nangyayari pa rin hanggang ngayon.

"Stop looking at me like that."

Napakurap ako sa clip na utos. Nilipat ko sa dingding ang aking tingin.

Nakarinig ako nang naiinis na tunog mula sa kanya. "I meant, stop looking at me like that and... not do anything!"

Napabalik ang tingin ko sa kanya agad. "Like what?" It was so hard to take my eyes away again.

Namumula lalo ang kanyang mga pisngi. I groaned inside my head when she looked down her lap.

"This is really awkward," sabi niya.

Excruciating. I wanted to make love to you so badly, too, my darling. "Alin?"

"Alam mo na..." aniya sa parang batang tinig.

"Mia, I am wearing this ring because you are going to rule this continent and the realm," marahan kong sabi. "Ang seguridad mo ay seguridad nang buong Tierra Firme."

Nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin. "Sounds very noble and convenient, if only I didn't know what harm that ring had brought you in the beginning."

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions. When enemies started to get craftier, a very protective queen had forged the rings to protect her circle at all times. Her subjects wore the rings to protect her in the same manner. Omjutephi's war wasn't the first war ever between Majikals, my Witchling. But she was the only queen who'd used the ring's majic in evil."

"Kaso ang reyna mo, mahina at napakarami pang hindi alam at kailangang matutunan. Malayong malayo pa sa estado na makapag-alaga kahit sarili niya," aniya sa tinig na puno ng awa sa sarili.

"Pero hindi lang ikaw ang witch queen na nagdaan sa pinagdaraanan mo ngayon."

Napatitig siya sa akin. "What do you mean?"