Chapter 73: Inside the Blue Globe

The memories slowly crept inside my mind: flashes of light, the clanking of metal, the swooshing of my arrows against the wind, the trembling of the earth, the thunder and storms, the cries and shouts, the creaking of crawling ice, the familiar shimmers of portals appearing in thin air, and endless explosions. It was like the visions of Atlas and those witches brought back those vague memories of the past as if we were again in the middle of a war.

I felt the gentle touch of Tobias's hand as he brushed my cheek, sweeping away the strands of hair that had fallen over my eyes. "You can rest now, Love . . ." he whispered.

With a trembling hand, I touched his hand on my cheek, leaning more into his palm, feeling that sudden delight that I had come back, now in his arms, wishing I could get lost in this touch forever.

But as much as I wanted to rest and get lost in this fragile body, snuggle and sink into the fresh scent of the sea, and feel the comfort and warmth of his arms, I couldn't find peace. I couldn't close my eyes at the thought that I was welcome in this kind of situation.

"W-what's going on?"

I don't know what was happening or how much time I spent inside the mirror, but I wasn't expecting this kind of welcome

When Claret looked over her shoulder, she nodded at the gray-haired vampire beside her, with her fluttering blue lights against her body she descended from above, knelt between Rosh and Tobias, with me and Astrid in their arms, and smiled at me as she held both of my hands and Astrid's positioning herself in the middle of us.

Slowly, a familiar blue globe of lights appeared around us, protecting us— with Tobias and Rosh, still unmovable with Claret between them. The gray-haired landed on the ground, looking over his shoulder with a nod, just like the gigantic white werewolf and her golden eyes.

Bago kamin tuluyang mabalot ng kapangyarihan ni Claret ay nakita pa sina Zen, Seth at Blair na tumabi sa dalawa.

"C-can you heal them?" Tobias asked.

"My power will be useless if I can't heal the ones who need it most, especially Kezalli and Astrid . . ." lumambot ang mga mata ni Claret nang magkasunod niya kaming tingnan ni Astrid.

"I am so proud of you, Kezalli," hinaplos ng magaang kamay ni Claret ang noo ko bago siya lumingon kay Astrid na ngayon ay hawak ni Rosh.

Unlike Astrid who needs more healing powers with her declining life, I could quickly feel the flowing power of Claret from her hand down to my wrist.

"Look at me . . ." Tobias whispered as he cupped my cheeks.

My hand was tightly gripping Claret's hand, absorbing more of her healing power, and with my own reflection from Tobias's eyes, I could see how Claret's spell crawled like blue roots in my neck to my face as if her own power were dominating my veins inside the body illuminating against Tobias's eyes. "Give her blood, Tobias . . ."

Hindi tinanggal ni Tobias ang mga mata sa akin habang pinapanuod niyang gumapang ang kapangyarihan ni Claret sa akin.

"Tobias . . . give her blood," ulit ni Claret.

Tobias blinked and he nodded. Tobias bit his wrist, took his own blood, and gently held my head and neck. Before I knew it, I felt the familiar taste of his blood as he shared it through his mouth.

I knew that I shouldn't think much about his blood, the way it tasted so good inside my mouth, how his blood would send fire inside my body, and how I wished Tobias could whisk me away at this moment and allow me to savor every bit of him.

My eyes flared up, and my whole body jolted as if there was a sudden electricity or lightning stuck inside this small blue globe, still with Tobias's hands around me, I heard his soft sobs, his trembling, and how he fully embraced me with those arms— not with hesitation, but with full longing and desperation.

Tobias buried his face on my neck. "I love you . . . I love you so much, Kezalli."

I smiled, hugging him back.

Doon ko lang higit na napansin na wala na sa amin ni Tobias ang higit na atensyon ni Claret kundi naroon na kina Astrid at Rosh.

"Astrid . . ." I whispered.

"Tobias . . ." I tapped his back. Hindi agad umalis sa pagkakayakap sa akin si Tobias kaya ako pa ang naghiwalay sa amin.

He was just staring at me, dazed. Parang biglang nagkaroon ng sariling mundo si Tobias at ang tanging nakikita niya lang ay ako.

Nang sulyapan ko si Rosh ay ganoon din siya. Tila hindi na niya naririnig si Claret na kinakausap siya. He was just sitting, Astrid was on his lap, his arms were tightly hugging her, and he was just staring at her.

I couldn't even see his eyes!

Because for the very first time, the prim and proper prince with all his perfection was looking messy. His fully styled hair was down, almost covering his eyes— as if his face were now covered by mere shadow.

I was still cupping Tobias's face. Halinhinan ang tingin ko sa kanila ni Rosh at huli ay ang binuong harang ni Claret para protektahan kaming lima sa sitwasyong ito.

"Love . . ."

Ilang beses kong tinawag si Tobias hindi lang sa harapan niya kundi pati na rin sa isipan niya. Muntik ko na siyang sampalin para magising lang ngunit sa ika-pitong tawag ko ng pangalan niya ay doon lang siya kumurap.

"T-Tobias . . ."

I cupped his face again. "Love, I am back. I need you to focus."

Ako na mismo ang naglingon sa mukha niya para makita niya ang sitwasyon nina Claret, Rosh at Astrid. "I need to help Claret."

Tobias blinked. He shook his head when he saw the situation of his twin.

Halos gumapang na ako sa pagmamadali para malapitan sina Claret at Astrid. Tumayo na si Tobias at tumingala sa harang na nakapaligid sa amin.

"Can't we move Astrid?" tanong ko kay Claret.

Because half of Astrid's legs were still at the other side of the mirror. Hindi katulad ko na kusa na akong bumangon at humiwalay roon.

Napangiwi si Claret at umiling sa akin. "Hindi na sila gumagalaw ni Rosh sa posisyon na iyan. Rosh can't hear me. I can't even touch Astrid's other hand."

When I glanced at Astrid's other hands, her fingers were intertwined with Rosh's.

"Rosh . . ." tinapik ko ang balikat ni Rosh, wala talaga siyang naririnig.

His forehead was gently leaning on Astrid, and I even saw the small movement of his lips. My eyebrows knitted, trying to understand his words. "Mahal ko . . . mahal ko . . . mahal ko . . ."

He kept repeating those words with the only world in his arms.

I desperately looked over my shoulder. "Tobias, wake him up. I need to hold Astrid's other hand."

Tobias looked conflicted but he knelt between us, he tried to tap his twin's shoulder and kept on calling his name. "Rosh, Claret, and Kezalli need to save her."

"Should he bite her? Feed her blood?"

Claret nodded. "But Rosh lost it. He won't let go, he won't listen anymore."

I was about to speak when I heard the familiar slicing sound of Tobias using his power. When I looked, he had created a water blade and was slicing through every crawling vine moving toward Rosh. "W-what's going on, Tobias?"

Tobias was irritably cutting down the now aggressive plants trying to reach Rosh and Astrid. "My insanely in-love brother is trying to isolate themselves right now. We'll probably see him again when Astrid wakes up, even if it takes a hundred years. He'll stay like that."

Napaawang na lang ang bibig ko habang napapahilamos na sa kanyang sarili si Claret sa sitwasyon. I knew that she could understand the situation, with her years of experience with them, but she couldn't just accept everything now that we're in the middle of this tight situation.

"Why are you talking as if you didn't try to isolate yourself with your water ball so no one could stop you from slicing your own neck, King Tobias? You're all insane! I thought I'd only see crazy vampires in Sartorias, but you Le'Vamuieovs have your own way of—" Claret's voice trailed off, too exasperated to continue her point.

Tobias took my hand, his eyes softening as he looked at his brother, though his waterblade continued to fight off the crawling vines.

"You must have forgotten, Claret, that our father, King Raheem Le'Vamuieovs, chose to isolate himself with his wife and sacrificed his body to be with her forever."

Napatulala na lang ako sa mga salita ni Tobias. I glanced back and forth between him and Rosh. Tobias gently smiled at me as he casually tilted his head.

"And that's how a Le'Vamuieovs falls in love. Not even death will do us part."

Claret sighed. "My power is not enough with Astrid. Rosh has to give her blood. Wake him up, Tobias," mas seryosong sabi ni Claret.

"I don't know how. Should I just punch my brother?"

Tumabi kami ni Claret at hinayaan namin gumitna si Tobias. Habang ginagawa namin ay nag-angat ako ng tingin, wala akong nakikita sa nangyayari sa sitwasyon.

Ano ang ginagawa ni Atlas dito? Gaano na ako katagal na nawawala? What is really happening?

Nakaakma nang susuntukin ni Tobias si Rosh nang mabilis umangat ang kamay ni Rosh at hulihin ang kamay nito. "Not my face," he whispered.

Nakatungo pa rin si Rosh at hindi tumitingin sa sinuman sa amin. He bit his own wrist, took his own blood, held Astrid's chin and when his lips touched hers, I saw how Tobias looked away, but Claret and I didn't blink.

Mariin ang hawak namin ni Claret sa dalawang kamay ni Astrid habang pilit pinaiinom ni Rosh si Astrid, but with the ribbons of blood spilling with her mouth, we knew that she couldn't drink yet.

Rosh looked at her, now with his own blood on his lips, "Wake up . . . but if you want to sleep more, I will not force you . . ."

More and more vines were crawling around us, and just like how Claret's power seeped into my body, I saw a combination of green and red rose-like roots spreading from Rosh's hands to his neck, his face, and even his eyes. With one of his sharp nails, I saw him gently prick the tip of Astrid's forefinger, careful not to hurt her.

In that moment, it was as if I was witnessing a handsome butterfly and its flower—not a butterfly taking nectar, but a butterfly implanting its own venom, their skin now filled with red rose-like roots crawling on them.

Hindi lang ako, maging sina Claret at Tobias ay saglit na natulala. How could Prince Rosh look like a fucking mess, but undoubtedly beautiful at the same time?

"We should probably let my brother be," Tobias said, taking Claret's and my hands and smiling at us.

Nag-aalangan kami ni Claret sa sinabi ni Tobias ngunit hindi niya kami binitawan. At nang sandaling tumayo na kami ni Claret ay hindi ko inaasahan na pormal na yuyuko sa amin si Tobias.

He kissed my hand as he formally bowed to me. "Thank you for coming back for me. Thank you for giving my brother his precious mate."

Then he kissed Claret's hand and smiled. "Thank you for not giving up when you were still alone, thank you for welcoming every woman from the prophecy, thank you for being a warrior, Claret."

Hindi kami magkapagsalita ni Claret sa ginawang iyon ni Tobias. He glanced at Rosh, "My brother is not in his proper state right now, but I'd like to thank you on behalf of him."

Nang bitawan niya ang kamay namin dalawa ay muli siyang pornal na yumuko habang ang isa niyang kamay ay nasa likuran niya. "As the King of Parsua Deltora, I am forever indebted to the women from the prophecy."

"T-Tobias . . ."

And then he looked in front— to the war waiting for us.

"Now allow this king to serve you."