Chapter 15: Witch and a Prince

Yes, maybe Caleb Lancelot Gazellian has the upper hand with our relationship, with my blood and heart oath that symbolizes my life. I am literally his slave.

Ganoon na lang ang takot ng mga Attero na magbitaw ng mga pangako para sa isang nilalang. The promise could become a threat and a chain to your neck. He could command me as he pleases and demands it as a part of the journey that would lead to his map. At wala akong magagawa kundi sumunod sa kanya sa paraang iyon dahil nakatali roon ang aking pangako; to lead him to his map. 

Blood and heart oath is loyalty. Una'y nais ko lamang sundin ang misyong iniwan sa akin ng aking ninuno. I shouldn't let her down, and as the chosen one, I should know the value of her promise. Ako ang pinili niya upang ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pangako at bilang isang Attero buong puso ko iyong tinanggap.

But I didn't expect that it would be this hard...

My mission was to fulfill Anastacia's oath for Caleb's father... a passed oath, a continued journey, but I didn't realize that we're already making our own paths.

A very dangerous path...

I planned to be submissive, with my dangerous oath tied to my heart. Ganoon naman talaga dalasan ang nangyayari sa tuwing nagkakaroon ng pangako ang isang Callista. I am also aware that some powerful Atteros were being forced to swear an oath to serve the royalties.

Attero's oath is too powerful... at lahat kami ay kinatatakutan iyon.

But I couldn't just let this oath make me kneel. Buong buhay ko'y wala na akong ginawa kundi yumuko dahil sa abilidad ko, lagi na akong nakatago at handang magsunud-sunuran sa lahat dahil sa kakulangan ko.

But now that I'm free... and has her own path to trail without my clan's judgement eyes, should I allow this vampire to trample me? Hahayaan ko na naman ba ang sarili kong yumuko, magsunud-sunuran na lang sa lahat? At hindi na muling bibigyan ng halaga emosyon at nararamdaman ko?

I've been restricting myself for years because of my lack of mana, hinayaan kong ikubli ako at hindi pakinggan ng lahat. Walang karapatan ang emosyon ko noon pa mang lumabas, but now... should I restrict myself again?

Paulit-ulit na umikot sa isipan ko ang sarili kong katanungan. Restricting myself means, making myself weaker. Kung itatago ko na naman ang nararamdaman ko, ang mga emosyon ko at yuyuko na naman ako... ipapakita ko na naman sa sarili ko kung gaano ako kahina.

The huge rocks continued to move before my eyes, and I didn't realize that we were inside the sacred shrine. The small rocks piled up like powerful walls around a royal castle. 

I secretly released a talisman with a spell that could hold noise and attention. Sa pasilyo kung saan naglaho kami nang parang bula'y tila walang nangyari. It's just a normal hallway without a vampire and witch trying to figure out who's going to kneel.   

While the brown rocks served as the barrier around us, the huge black rocks stood still and started to emit white steam that made the whole shrine reach the unusual heat. The smoke around us suddenly looked like lingering white curtains and strings.

I could feel the beaded sweats on my forehead, the heaviness of my breath, the wobbling of my knees, and Caleb's all active senses behind me. We're suddenly both dazed at each other as I slowly tilted my head sideward to meet his red eyes looking down on me.

How could those red dangerous eyes...looked so...so hot with the steam around us. Patuloy ang pag-usok ng malalaking itim na bato sa paligid, ang lalong pagtaas ng temperatura at ang unti-unting pagpungay ng kanyang pulang mga mata.

I slowly averted my eyes away from him. Muli kong isinandali ang ulo ko sa dibdib niya at kusang umangat ang isa kong kamay at marahang hinawakan ang pisngi niya.

I am not going to be the kind-hearted girl who will sacrifice herself for a man... kung lalamunin man ako ng sarili kong pangako sisiguraduhin kong hinding-hindi ko iyon pagsisisihan. Because from now on, I am going to take my decisions without hesitations.

I am an Attero... a witch.

If this beautiful man already has a woman... I will steal him in any different way. I can also be his map... a better map.

Nang sandaling magsimula nang gumapang ang mga kamay ni Caleb pababa, mas inihilig ko pa ang katawan ko sa kanya, at nang muli akong tumingkayad upang salubungin ang mga labi niya, kusa siyang yumuko upang salubungin ako.

And when we're about to claim each other's lips, I intentionally avoided him. Nanatiling mapupungay ang kanyang mga mata sa akin.

Every bit of him is begging for me.

Hindi ko akalain na darating ang araw na may napakakisig na lalaking pagmamasdan at hahawakan ako sa ganitong paraan.

And I will never ever allow him to look to someone else like this... this insanely beautiful man will be mine.

Hindi na nakapaghintay si Caleb, siya na mismo ang marahang naggalaw ng leeg ko. His tongue trailed my neck delicately, and my whole body suddenly felt like melting and burning.

Huminga ako nang malalim.

I will not allow him to take the lead. "Not there, vampire."

Pilit kong ikinalma ang sarili ko at iginalaw ang katawan ko. Dahan-dahan kong inililis ang aking kasuotan paitaas hanggang sa tuluyang humantad sa kanyang mga mata ang aking mga hita.

"Here... I want it here. Kneel before me, Prince."

He chuckled. Agad nawala si Caleb sa likuran ko at mabilis siyang nakaharap sa akin. He lifted my chin for a bit, I thought he's going to kiss me, but I think I was not just the one enjoying the hanging kisses. He just teasingly kissed the thin air between us, before obediently kneeling before me.

"You're under the spell of a witch, Gazellian..." ani ko habang nakatingin sa kanya sa ibaba.

He's not looking at me right now. The silver-haired prince was not busy placing my right thigh on his shoulder as the tip of his nose lovingly caressed my skin. My mouth slowly hung open. I unknowingly tilted my head as I felt his warm breath on my skin.

"I am willingly obliged to get bewitched..." bulong niya. Patuloy sa pagniningas ang kanyang mga mata nang sandaling salubungin niya ang sa akin.

Humilig na ang aking buong katawan sa mataas na batong kusang lumitaw sa likuran ko. The touch from the tip of his nose turned to his teasing lips and tongue, my breathing started to get more ragged and intensified as I anticipated the moment his fangs possessive marked me.

My right hand found Caleb's silver hair and weakly caressed it, and just the moment the tips of his fingers playfully traced my other leg, his sharp fangs greedy claimed my skin. My senses got more active, I could hear the movement of his adams' apple, his every gulp, his breathing, the touch of his fingertips, how I crumpled his hair, and the spill of my thread-like blood on my leg.

"C-Caleb..."

He was about to lick the spilled blood on my leg, when I kneeled as well, not to honor him with his outstanding pleasuring skills, but to push him down on the ground.

Kapwa nakapatong ang dalawa kong palad sa dibdib niya habang nakatakip sa aming mga mukha ang mahaba kong buhok. I could see the remains of my blood on his lips.

"Do you want more, Prince?"

"Y-You witch..."

"I am. An evil witch."

"I never thought that you have this kind of side..." he played the tips of my hair.

"Will I choose to be the loser? The brokenhearted, kind, and what? Some who sacrificed a lot?"

Hindi siya nagkapagsalita. Marahan kong pinunasan ang labi niya gamit ang daliri ko.

"I will steal you slowly....Caleb. Hanggang sa mabaliw ka sa mga pinaniniwalaan mo." And when I tried to lower my head and claim his lips, I smirked at him.

I pulled the hallucination talisman on his back. Nakakrus ang mga braso ko habang kapwa kami nakaharap sa bukana ng sagradong altar kung saan nangyari ang maiksing panaginip ni Caleb.

Muli'y bumagsak ang mga kahong hawak niya at tulala siyang nakalingon sa akin.

"W-What the hell? What was that, Callista?!"

I innocently blinked at him. I secretly crumpled the wicked the talisman while smiling at him. Iyon ang siyang pinakapaborito kong nabili kanina at hindi ako nagsisi na sinubukan ko iyon sa unang pagkakataon.

"What?"

Ilang beses siyang nagpabalik-balik ng tingin sa akin at sa altar. I could see how he gulped multiple times.

"Y-You did something to me, you witch!" iritadong sigaw niya sa akin.

"I am a witch. Yes, indeed."

Bumuntonghininga ako at ipinakita sa kanya na wala akong naiintindihan sa mga sinasabi niya.

"By the way, this altar is also known for altar of desires. Karamihan sa mga nilalang na unang beses pa lamang nakakakita nito'y dinadalaw ng panaginip. Did you dream of something?"

Umawang ang bibig niya sa akin.

"Y-You!"

Itinuro ko ang sarili ko. "Yes, me?"

"You shouldn't do something about your tricky spell on me! I am immune! In our empire, we have a witch! Claret cast me something that will deflect a witch spell! Ipinapahamak mo lang ang sarili mo."

"I am a full-blooded witch, Caleb."

And he's lying. Wala siyang kahit anong klase ng mahika para protektahan ang sarili niya mula sa isang Attero.

"So, you really dreamed of something? Is it worst?"

Natahimik siya at nag-iwas ng tingin sa akin. Ilang beses pa siyang napalunok at kunot na kunot ang noong nakatitig sa altar.

"I should destroy this altar."

"The altar of desire gave me a wonderful dream when I first laid my eyes on it. I wonder—"

Caleb grabbed my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. "Hindi mo gugustuhing malaman."

Iritado niya akong binitawan nang bumaba ang mga mata niya sa leeg ko. Tinalikuran niya ako at nagawa pa niyang sipain ang isa sa mga kahon na nalaglag at hindi na siya bumalik pa.

Ako na mismo ang nagbuhat ng mga kahon patungo sa silid ko, hindi ko na rin inasahan ang pagbabalik ni Caleb ng gabing iyon. Hinayaan ko na lang ang sarili kong mag-isa sa silid habang tahimik na umiinom ng tsaa at nakatanaw sa bintana.

Nakagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi ko habang inaalala ang mga nakita sa panaginip ni Caleb. That talisman wasn't just Caleb's mind, it's a special talisman with the shared consciousness of the witch.

Hindi lang si Caleb ang napasailalim ng saglit na panaginip na iyon.

Nangangatal ang isa kong kamay habang dinadala ang tasa sa mga labi ko. I tried to sip the tea to calm myself. Kung hindi ko hinila ang talisman sa likuran niya, alam ko sa sarili kong higit pa roon ang mangyayari.

This is my plan... in this journey, I will lead. Kung darating man ang araw na magkukrus kami ng landas ng babaeng itinakda sa kanya, hindi na ako hahakbang paatras at yuyuko para saktan ang sarili. From now on, I will fight for what I want.

I am aware of our attraction. If his link with his mate is wavering, I will use this as an opportunity to pull him closer. Hindi ako papayag na basta na lang ako itatapon sa sandaling matapos na ang lahat.

I still have the blood of Callista... maybe all I want was to be righteous. But now that I desired something unexpected, I will draw all the strings. Caleb has my blood and heart oath... and I will have him by all means.

Pinagkrus ko ang aking mga hita, kusang lumilis ang aking maiksing kasuotan at doon humantad ang katotohanan; his bite marks and the reality of his hallucination.

It happened. I almost offered my blood and body in front of the sacred altar.

Sumandal ako sa upuan at napatingala ako sa kisame. Hindi ko akalain na darating ang panahong kusa akong lalabas sa sarili kong kulungan.

This insanely beautiful silver-haired prince from the other world should be mine, and in our story, I am not going to be the kind-hearted woman, but the wicked witch stealing him away from his princess.