NEW BORN VAMPIRE 3: Wild Frost

Chapter 12

The whole ride going to Blackwell Academy was quiet. I don't know what's making Kate so quiet. The Queen's silence is kind of making me uneasy in my seat while I keep sneaking a glance at her watching the surroundings outside my car the whole time. 

Nang mai-park ko na rin ang aking Maserati, marahan na umalis mula sa aking kotse si Kate. Nang makalabas siya sa aking kotse ay napansin ko ang kaniyang pagtigil ng kilos, bagay na ikinakunot ko ng noo bago tinignan ang direksyon kung saan siya nakatingin. 

It's the Blackwell Academy. The school in which countless attacks and battles occur since the war of the clans started. 

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako habang naghihintay sa kaniyang pagkilos. Lumakad ako malapit sa hood kung saan si Kate ay nakatayo sa mismong tapat lang ng front passenger seat. Nang mapatingin ako kay Kate ay hindi ko mapigilang mapaisip. She has this solemn expression on her face as she stares at the building of Blackwell Academy. 

I don't know what she's thinking but seeing the Queen like this, it's really unsettling. I want to know what she's thinking but even if I want to, I just can't. Even if I had the power to control minds, I can't control the Queen as she was more powerful than me. 

"Do you trust your queen, Alexander?" tanong niya na ikinabigla ko. 

I can't help but raise my brow because of what she asked. I mean, she has been our Queen for a few years but her performance as a Queen was already enough to receive respect from all the vampires. She had proven how efficient she is for being our Queen so I also respect her truly. 

"Of course, your highness. You are the chosen one so you are the right one to be put as our queen," sabi ko na ikinangiti niya na lang bago ako hinarap. 

"I feel like that's going to change, Alexander," she said before chuckling. 

Rinig ang tunog ng paghampas ng hangin sa bawat puno na nakapalibot sa Blackwell Academy. Malalim na rin ang gabi kung kaya't halos galing mula sa buwan ang liwanag na nakakatulong para makita ang ilang parte ng Blackwell Academy. 

Sa sinabi ni Kate, hindi ko mapigilan na makaramdam ng kaba. This is the first time that I feel scared again ever since the entire existence of Hearthstone has been wiped out by us. Malinaw ang pagkakasabi ni Kate at kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin ngunit ayaw ko rin na mag-isip ng masama. Kung ano man ang kaniyang sinabi, gusto kong magkaroon iyon ng paraan. 

Kung kaya't napatikhim na lang ako bago nagsalita. "Is Theodore coming, your highness?"

"I hope so because I also want him to be there when I tell you all the shocking news," she said before walking forward to the gate of Blackwell Academy. 

Shit! Kung ano man ang mga sasabihin ngayon ni Kate, sana ay mabilis namin iyon na malutasan. I have been feeling that something is off and Kate saying things isn't helping. 

Muli na lang akong napabuga ng hinga bago sinundan si Kate papasok sa gate ng Blackwell Academy. Patuloy lang ako nakasunod sa kaniya hanggang makaabot kami sa harap ng pinto ng conference room. 

Agad akong napataas ng kilay nang hindi pa rin pumasok si Kate. It seems like she making herself ready before entering the conference room so I stood aside as I wait for her to enter. 

Ilang segundo lang din ang lumipas bago hinawakan ni Kate ang knob ng pinto at pinihit iyon upang buksan. Nang tuluyang makapasok si Kate, tahimik akong sumunod papasok hanggang sa makita ko silang lahat. 

Dylan seating beside him is his wife, Krizza. Brian playing a cube placed on the top of the conference table. Nathan is tapping a pen on the table, looking bored until he saw us and Kate. Cody and Kyle is both looking serious as they both continue to look at the pages from the folders in front of them. While Theodore, the King, is nowhere to be seen. 

"Where is Theodore?" Kate asked as she took her seat. 

"He said that he can't come. The people in our kingdom has been panicking ever since the raise of the newborn Unsound vampires. Our kingdom needs their king in there for the mean time," Kyle said that made me curse. 

Damn it! Like I said, everyone has been quiet but now that the Unsound vampires has been appearing, our world of vampires and mortals is starting to be in trouble again. 

And I think, the long peace and silence after the battles years ago is now being ended. Ended by these Unsound vampires who is supposed to be easy to dispose by the likes of us.

I sigh before taking my seat in the round conference table. There's supposed to be eleven of us in the conference room but since Theodore can not come, there's one seat that is not occupied which is unusual for all of us since every meeting in this conference room, we are always present, complete. 

"Okay then, I guess I will have to tell you all what I really need to say even if my husband is not here," Kate started before she sighed. 

"So today, our count of captivated Unsound increased. From yesterday, we got this record of only twenty Unsound caught while the count of newborns caught is seventeen. This is just small numbers but this numbers increasing have already impacted the whole kingdom so much and it's people," she said stating the fact. 

"What do you suggest to do, cousin?" Krizza asked. 

"Still the same, everyone. Trace every reports of unsual movements around the cities. Continue to capture those Unsound together with the newborns they have victimized. I'm afraid for the mean time, those are the only things we can do right now," Kate said that made us all nod.

"But listen everyone," bigla sabi ni Kate na agad ko rin ikinatigil. 

Is she about to tell the shocking news she had mentioned earlier?

"Brian and Dylan are the one who has caught the traced Unsound in a bar. They both reported everything that happened while the operation continues," Kate said before looking at Brian and Dylan. 

"Brian, puwedeng pakisaad kung ano ang mga nangyari habang nasa loob kayo ng bar?" sabi ni Kate na sinagot naman ng pagtango ni Brian bago niya kami hinarap lahat. 

"The most important thing that happened while we are in the bar tonight was that..." Saglit na tumigil sa pagsalita si Brian bago niya tinuloy ang kaniyang sasabihin. "Our powers being useless out back there," Brian said that instantly made my eyes bulge in surprise. 

"No s**t. Wala naman talagang kuwenta ang powers niyo, bruh," natatawang sabi ni Nathan kung kaya't tinapunan siya ng masamang tingin ni Cody. 

Their power being useless? Brian can control ice while Dylan, his partner for the operation tonight is one that controls time. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit sinasabi nilang useless ang kapangyarihan nila noong mga oras na isinasagawa nila ang kanilang operasyon. 

I mean, nando'n nga ako pero I'm not part of their tandem for tonight. In-invite lang din ako ni Brian na pumunta sa bar sa isip niya na tapos na ang kanilang trabaho.

"What do you mean useless, Brian? Nakalaban ba sa inyo ang Unsound?" medyo mapang-asar na tanong ni Georgina kung kaya't napabuntong-hininga na lang ako. 

"No, it's not like that. Our powers are useful but in that bar, we can't use it," diretsahang sabi ni Dylan na ikinagulat naman namin lahat. 

"As in, hindi niyo magamit ang kapangyarihan na mayro'n kayo habang nando'n kayo sa bar?" tanong ni Kyle na sinagot naman ni Dylan at Brian ng pagtango. 

"How is that possible?" tanong ko na ikinatawa naman ni Kate. 

"Those words you said is exactly what I also said, Alexander. How is that possible?" sabi ni Kate kapagkuwan ay muling sumeryoso. "After receiving Brian and Dylan's report, hindi ako nag-atubili na pumunta sa bar kung saan huling nahuli ang isang lalakeng Unsound para sa gabing ito. I'm eager to know if there's a vampire responsible on why Brian and Dylan can't use their power when they needed it."

"So have you found something there, your highness?" tanong ni Cody. 

Napabuntong-hininga si Kate bago sinagot ang tanong na iyon ni Cody. 

"Yes, I have found something. Something that I don't think is good news for everyone," Kate said before continuing. "There's no other vampire I have sensed there other than Brian, Dylan and you, Kyle," she said that made my brows knotted. 

"If that's the case then why Brian and Dylan can't use their powers in that bar?" tanong ni Nathan na agad naman sinagot ni Kate. 

"I don't know exactly but..." Kate sighed before continuing what she's going to say. "I can't also use my powers while I'm there," she said that instantly made us silent. 

Fuck! This is really a bad news. Kate being unable to use her power is really something scandalous because a lot of vampires have already feared her. 

Sa oras na malaman ng lahat na may kahinaan na ang aming reyna, malaking kaguluhan iyon para sa aming mga Valerious. 

"What do you mean you can't use your power, Kate?" Krizza asked with a confused expression written on her face. "If I go there? Does it mean that I can't also use my power?" 

Umiling si Kate na ikinataka ko. "No, Krizza. I don't know for sure if that bar is a place that is going to make us powerless or if there's a person behind on why we are powerless in that place but one thing is for sure, everyone," sabi ni Kate pagkatapos ay tumingin sa amin laha na nakatingin sa kaniya. 

"Ano iyon, Kate?" sabi ni Dylan habang naghahantay din sa sasabihin ni Kate. 

Huminga ng malalim si Kate habang tila bakas sa kaniyang mukha ang pagkagulo. 

"No one must know that we, the Valerious clan can't use our power in that place, all right? Whatever the cause of why we are powerless in that bar must continue to be a secret. We can't tell anyone including our Father and Mother, just this once," sabi ni Kate na ikinakunot ko ng noo. 

Dahil sa sinabing iyon ni Kate ay hindi ko mapigilan maghinala. Ayaw niyang ipaalam kung ano man ang nangyari ngayon gabi sa aming mga magulang. 

Actually, wala rin naman kong problema doon dahil sa hindi naman talaga ako close kay Dad at Mom pero ang sabihin ni Kate na ayaw niyang ipaalam sa mga magulang namin kung ano ang mga nangyari ngayon gabi ay nagsesenyales lamang na wala siyang tiwala sa aming mga magulang. 

"Kate, you can trust everyone here that no one will say a word about what we found out in here," malumanay na sabi ni Georgina na ikinataas ko naman ng kilay. 

For me, I found Georgina as someone who can't be trusted. I mean, everyone knows that as Georgina has been proud ever since she has the power to see what's going to happen in the next days or week. 

"Thank you, Georgina. But anyways, since we are troubled. Maybe, we can check the bar again. If that place continue to be a place that make us powerless, then there's something in there that we must keep watching," sabi ni Kate na sinagot namin lahat ng pagtango. 

"How did you even find out that you can't also use your powers in that bar, Kate?" biglaang tanong ni Krizza. 

"Well, it was easy. Brian mentioned that the Unsound they have caught was inside the women's comfort room. Since I don't know the place, nagpatulong ako para makapunta sa women's bathroom," sabi ni Kate bago siya natawa na ikinakunot namin ng noo.

"The funny thing is, I meet someone there. A mortal named Sheena. I can't tell that she's drunk because her cheek is red, even the tip of her nose though she can still talk straight."