CHAPTER XXX

Nakatingin lamang sa labas ng bintana si Araceli habang hinihintay na gumabi. He brought her to his manor. He said she's safe here because it was heavily warded and no angels and demons can enter the perimeter.

"Talaga bang safe dito?" she asked Zanilla. Ito ang kasama niya ngayon dahil umalis si Thorn. May mangilan-ilan ding bantay sa labas.

"Yes," maikling sagot nito.

"At...okay lang kay Lucifer na wala ako sa puder niya?" tanong niya uli.

"Yes," sagot nito sa parehong tono.

"Anong oras daw uuwi si Thorn?"

"The Chief doesn't say," Zanilla answered.

Napalabi lamang si Ara. Well, she's already bored. Pero mariing sinabi sa kaniya ni Thorn na huwag siyang aalis. Well, lucky for her because she has a whole library to read for. Oras-oras din ay dinadalhan siya ni Zanilla ng pagkain. Sa totoo lang, matapos mawala ang sigil sa likod niya, pakiramdam niya ay lagi siyang gutom. And she has a very specific cravings. Kanina lang gustong-gusto niyang kumain ng mansanas kaya dinalhan siya ni Zanilla. Ngunit hindi naman niya ito kinain dahil hindi ito ang gusto niyang kulay ng mansanas. She wants a red-pale apple but Zanilla brought her red-crimson apple.

Umakyat pabalik sa silid niya si Ara dala ang iilang aklat na natipuhan niyang basahin. Most of it are old books.

She was about to read the first book when Zanilla brought her another tray of foods.

"Your dinner," she said before exiting the room.

She took a bite of meatloaf and bagel. As she was scanning some of the pages, napansin niyang nababasa niya ang ilang latin words.

"Am I starting to become a genius?" she murmured while reading. She's flipping pages ravagely when Zanilla entered her room again. Hindi niya sana ito papansin pero nakuha ng attensyon niya ang sinabi nito.

"The Chief has arrived," sabi nito dahilan para mabilis siyang mapatayo.

Tinakbo niya ang silid palabas, hanggang sa pasilyo pababa sa hagdan. She saw him talking to a man she remembered named Thamuz. Mukhang seryoso ang pinag-uusapan nito kaya nanatili siya sa baba ng hagdan. Nakita niyang tumingin sa kaniya ang lalaki kaya nilingon siya ni Thorn. He beamed at her as he excused himself to Thamuz. Nang makalapit ito sa kaniya ay agad niya itong niyakap.

"My little devil missed me that much, huh?" he said to her and she couldn't helped but giggled.

"Where've you been?" she asked as she looked up to him.

"I met someone. We talked, and he offered me help," he answered.

"Sino? And what help? I can help you," she said eagerly that made him smile.

"Someone important," he said as he drew her closer. "And the only help you could give me is keeping yourself healthy and safe."

"Well, that's...boring," she said pouting.

"Boring as it may sound but I am serious, Araceli. You're safe here in my manor. Even Lucifer can't break the wardings."

"I thought you're keeping me safe from Angels?" she asked with forehead creased.

"And that, too,"

"But Lucifer...he helped me...us..." she insisted innocently.

"One thing you need to learn from the King of darkness is that he wouldn't offer help without compensation. There's always a catch. So I need to take you away from Hell before he become suspicious,"

"Suspicious of what?"

"About that..." he trail off, giving some space between them. Ara could see the hesistance on his eyes. He's keeping something from her. And the last thing Ara would want is to keep her from dark just to keep her safe. After what has happened to her, she sure would want to know everything.

"Thorn, ano iyon?" nag-aalala niyang sabi. "Tell me. Sa lahat ng bagay na nalaman ko tungkol sa'yo at sa buong existence ng mundo, wala ng makakapagpa-gulat sa akin," sabi niya.

"You're carrying my cambion," he said that made her frown.

"Ano 'yon? Tagalog please!" she said trying to light up the mood pero maging siya ay kinakabahan. Alas, hindi pa rin pala siya sanay.

"You're pregnant with my offspring," he declared.

Nakatulala lamang siya rito. Gusto niya itong taasan ng kilay pero biglang namanhid ang kaniyang buong mukha. Pati ang ulo niya ay parang humihigpit.

"Araceli..."

"Are you telling me that..." she paused as she shut her eyes off. Huminga siya ng malalim bago muling minulat ang mga mata. "You got me pregnant," she uttered.

"I'm really...really sorry, Araceli..." he said that made her eyes shot at him.

"Bakit ka nagso-sorry?" she said suppressing the quiver on her voice. There's a baby on her belly growing up and all he said was sorry. Why? "Isn't this part of your plan?" she uttered, with eyes watery.

"No, my little devil," maagap nitong sabi. "Surely you should know that I changed my mind about having an heir when I fell in love with you."

"Eh, bakit ka nagso-sorry?" tanong niya ulit, hindi kuntento sa sagot nito.

"I am sorry because impregnating you means putting your life in more danger."

"I know about it. Carrying a demon's child could kill me. I know the consequences, Thorn." Sabi niya pero umiling lamang ito.

"I will give all the power in the world just to keep you alive while carrying the baby," he said to her. "But that is the least of our problem. If Lucifer finds out you're pregnant with my baby, he'll kill you. Just what he always did to all the mothers of all cambions."

Unti-unting gumapang ang takot sa dibdib niya. Hindi lang para sa sarili kundi para kay Thorn at sa namumuong bata sa sinapupunan niya.

So iyon ang dahilan kung bakit siya nito inilayo sa pangangalaga ni Lucifer.

Nang malaman ni Ara ang tunay niyang kalagayan ay nagsimula siyang magbasa ng mga libro kung paano mag-alaga ng bata habang nasa sinapupunan. Alam niyang malaki ang pagkakaiba ng dinadala niya kumpara sa normal na nagdadalang-tao pero hindi naman niya alam kung saan maghahanap ng aklat para sa anak ng demonyo.

Thorn told her that their baby's aura can only be feel by the father which is a good thing because Lucifer wouldn't be able to detect that she's pregnant. But it's just a matter of time and her belly will grow and the demon god will know about her condition.

"Paano kapag may nag-sumbong?' tanong niya rito habang pareho silang nakaupo sa settee.

"Only Zanilla, Thamuz, and Keira knows about your condition,"

"Oo nga, pero may mga bantay sa labas. Malalaman nilang buntis ako..." she said worried.

"My kins are faithful to me. But if you're that worried, I could bind them under swore,"

"Ano 'yon?"

"It means that even thinking of betraying us, they'll die."

"Oh," was all she could say. "Eh, si Keira?"

"Keira is the most faithful servant that I have."

"And Zanilla?"

"I trust her with my life,"

"How about Thamuz?"

"Well, I could say that I could count on him,"

"How about me?"

"What about you?"

"Well, maganda ba ako sa paningin mo? O sadyang nahulog ka lang sa alindog ko?" she said giggling.

"Aren't you cute?" he said that made her frown.

"Cute? Dahil ba sa height ko?" nagtatampo niyang sabi pero ngumiti lamang ito.

"Your innocence will kill me," he said then suddenly pulled her closer to him.

"Is that possible?" tanong niya dahilan para tumawa ito ng mahina.

"Araceli, I was dead before I met you. But being with you, I felt like I was reborn. So yeah, possibly."

She sighed. He could've just say simple 'I love you' pero heto siya, kinikilig sa litanya nito.

"Pero Thorn, hindi ka ba natatakot? Kasi ako, takot na takot ako sa mga mangyayari. Siguro mas madali kung tayong dalawa lang. Pero natatakot ako para sa kaligtasan nitong bata sa sinapupunan ko," sabi niya at biglang nag-seryoso ang mukha nito. She could feel him squeezed her shoulders.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you or to our baby. They have to kill me first before they hurt you!" he said with gritted teeth.

***

The next day, Keira and Sindred visited them in manor. Muling umalis si Thorn dahil may mahalaga na naman daw itong pupuntahan.

"Sindred, may balita ka ba sa pamilya ko?" tanong niya rito.

"From what I've heard, the wingmen left their vessel the moment you escaped. Don't worry, they're safe. Angels may be jackasses sometimes but they won't harm innocents," he said.

"Mabuti naman at gano'n," she said relieved.

"Massive change happened when you escaped, Ara," he said to her.

"Ano'ng ibig sabihin mong sabihin?" she asked.

"Your family, your friends, and all the people around you...they won't remember you. The Angels, they made you," he breathed heavily and she never feel so tensed. "How would I explain this," parang hirap na hirap nitong sabi.

"Bakit hindi nila ako maaalala?" she asked, shattered.

"Everything should be balance in our universe. And you, the Angels thought you know too much. So they erased your existence. As far as human is concerned, you were not born."

Pakiramdam ni Ara ay may pumiga sa puso niya. She doesn't exist on the universe. Sa isang iglap ay nawalan siya ng pamilya, ng kaibigan, at mga kakilala.

"A-alam ba 'to ni Thorn?" tanong niya.

"Yes. But I'm sure he didn't tell you because he don't want you to worry—"

"Worry?!" she said almost shouting. "You think I'm just worried?! I was freaking erased by the Angels! Hell, I'm mad!" she stomped her hand on the table and it nearly broke.

"Ara, relax—"

"I can't relax, Sindred!" she yelled, tears flowing down her cheeks. The pain washing her heart was unbearable. Gusto niyang sumabog sa galit. "Why they're doing this to me? Nag-mahal lang naman ako."

"You loved a demon,"

"Aren't they grateful I made a demon to feel love?" she said almost audible.

"Ara, why is your...your eyes...why did it turned black?" Sindred asked her and for second she was shocked.

Tiningnan niya ang repleksyon niya sa salamin. Her eyes were black slowly turning into gray ashes until it turned into her normal eyes.

"H-hindi ko alam," she lied.

Alam niya kung bakit nag-iba ang kulay ng mga mata niya. At alam niyang dahil iyon sa batang dinadala niya.

"Did Raguel turned you into a demon?" nakakunot-noo nitong tanong na mabilis niyang inilingan.

"Hindi,"

"Then tell me the truth?" he asked.

Huminga siya ng malalim. Alam niyang mapagkakatiwalaan niya si Sindred.

"I'm pregnant," she revealed and she saw how shocked he is.

"Impossible!"

"Sindred, this is a secret. Hindi dapat ito malaman ng iba lalo na ni Lucifer," pakiusap niya.

"I...I understand."