LUNA: The Witching Hour

44: Sirenum

Hingal na hingal kaming lahat ng matapos kami sa pag tetraining. Bumagsak kami at napa upo na lamang sa damuhan. Pandora handed me a bottle of water and I drank from it, remembering what Midnight had always been telling me to do: Do not drink too much after a tiring training.

I was only allowed to do so at the end of the day. 

Gamit ng kamay, pinunas ko ang pawisan kong noo at binigyan ng tingin ang buong coven na ngayon ay hinihingal parin. What we did today had been so oddly more tiring than the past training we had together. We mastered a lot of formations and even made new ones. Did a synchronization of our magic powers wherein we needed to sort everyone by positions. Out of 13 members, there were only 3 Wielders, 6 Chanters, and 4 Potioners. Kasama ko sa pagiging Wielder ay sina Zarax at Piper.

"Nakakapagod!" Pasigaw na angal ni Margot sa isang sulok. "Simphia, sarap matulog"

Sinapak kaagad siya ni Ryon sa balikat, "Mas gaga ka pa sa gaga"

"Remember, we only have 10 minutes to breathe before training starts again" Elliot reminded them, voice hoarse from being weary.

10 minutes. I practically groaned at the mentioned time. I was damn tired and I needed more than just 10 minutes of break. Tinungkod ko ang dalawa kong kamay sa likod at dito sumandal. In front, Nym stood up, brown hair braided tightly behind her. She moved as if she wasn't affected at all and started giving out instructions to each of the coven witches. Pandora and Zarax, two of the witches that sat on either of my sides, watched the coven leader do her job.

It was easy to tell that Zarax had something in her mind and was hesitant to talk to me about it from the way her body had been shifting on its weight beside me. Her smell was obviously giving her out too and I perceived that watching her from the side of my eye a little longer would be entertaining.

Funny. Her Royal Highness was shy of something.

"May sasabihin ka ba o wala?" Paninimula ko ng hindi tinatanggal ang paningin sa harapan. Hindi na 'rin nakayanan.

Ramdam kong nanigas siya sa tabi ko pero hindi ko ito pinansin. Pandora on my right, upon hearing me, turned her attention toward us.

"I have some information to tell you. May narinig ako sa korte, and I thought this would help... His Majesty" Her words were dictated with confidence but there was this slight hesitation when she mentioned Midnight like she didn't want to admit that this was meant to help me, and instead used His Majesty to save herself from the embarrassment. That made my brow arched up. "Hindi ako makatulog kagabi sa kakaisip dito. Knowing too well that Ladon had just made war with Lapetus"

Hindi ko nagustuhan kung ano ang lumabas sa bibig niya kaya nagsalubong ang aking mga kilay. Mas lalong lumapit si Pandora saakin para marinig ang kung ano man ang sasabihin ni Zarax. "It's just my opinion, but Ladon was weird for attacking Lapetus without any reason at all" Pandora voiced out.

Zarax's head tilted to me and I felt how cautious her gaze had become then. "They were already being unreasonable ever since the Red Moon Event"

"Kaya siguro nagpatawag ng meeting si Emperor para dito?" Takang tanong naman ni Pandora.

Her conclusion wasn't that bad at all if only I wasn't aware of Midnight's own theories about His Imperial Majesty, I would have thought the same too. I needed to imagine staple wires sewed over my mouth to keep myself from speaking. Midnight wouldn't be happy if I were to say a word. Kahit coven ko pa 'yan.

Napunta saakin ng saglit ang tingin ni Zarax na para bang gusto niya akong mag bigay opinyon 'rin. When she spoke this time, her voice was low and careful, "I think so too, you know why?" it was this very moment that I turned to give her a look and ended up locking my eyes with hers. "I've heard from the court that the kingdom of sirens, Sirenum has been accusing Quintia of robbery"