The Song of Teardrops (Van Doren Series #3)

Chapter Thirty

Happy New Year!

***
Ride

"You're smart." Queen Tauriel said before nodding. "Alright, I'll do what you ask. I don't know want you're trying to prove to me, but I will accept that challenge... in one condition."

Unti-unting napawi ang ngiti sa labi ko. "What condition?"

Gumuhit ang ngiti sa labi niya at bahagyang humakbang pabalik. "Lysandra," she muttered. "I want to take her with us."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "B-Bakit? Wala pa siya sa tamang pag-iisip para rito... Matatakot lang siya kapag sinama mo siya."

"She already met her mother..." she answered. "...in a dream. Erandil showed herself to her in a dream. I don't know how did she do it... Kahit si Cassius ay hindi rin alam kung paano niya nagawang pumasok sa panaginip ni Lysandra. To enter the realm of dreams, one must be powerful enough to open the gate to that realm."

Bumuntong hininga siya. "May isang hinala ako... pero hindi ko ito tuluyang makumperma kung hindi sila magkikita ni Lysandra..."

Nagugulahan ko siyang tinitigan. "Alam ba ng hari ang hinala mo?"

She shook her head. "No. If he knew, he will enter the realm of dreams himself to confront Erandil. That's forbidden for a King..." she murmured quietly and sighed. "...and Lysandra could deceive him again. She did it once, she can do it twice."

Napatango ako. "Kung ganun... ano ang hinala mo?"

"I think she has finally found the stolen wand." giit niya. "When we exiled her, we took it from her as her punishment. As a Queen, I have the power to keep it... or destroy it." she revealed. "It was such a powerful and dangerous weapon from the sky, legend says... I couldn't just destroy it without knowing where it came from."

"So, I kept it hidden." she said.

"Where?"

"In a cave." sagot niya at pinagsaklop ang mga kamay. "Maybe she found it... and took it back. It's the only thing that was powerful enough that she could use to enter the realm of dreams."

She kept it in a cave... of all the places that she could hide it. Ano pa ba ang inaasahan ko mula sa dyosa ng kweba?

Napailing-iling ako. "Kung hindi mo mamasamain, pero bakit sa kweba mo ito nilagay?"

Umiwas lang siya ng tingin. "Just like what I told you... I'm too careless. It's only one of the wrong decisions I've made. Now, I have a chance to make things right."

Pinukulan niya ako ng tingin. "I want you to take it back for me."

Bumagsak ang mga balikat ko. "A-Ano?"

She smirked. "You're beautiful, Thalia. Too beautiful to be a common born. Huwag ka ng magpanggap pa at umamin ng isa ka ring mangkukulam kagaya ni Erandil. You're one of them, aren't you?"

Mas lalong kumunot ang noo ko sa hinala niya. Does she mean... I'm one of the witches?

Mabilis akong umiling. "Witches are not even beautiful--"

"They know how to make themselves beautiful. So beautiful that they could manipulate anyone. How did you think Erandil manage to deceive Cassius?" Nagtaas siya ng kilay sakin. "Kaya malakas ang hinala ko na isa ka sa kanila... You don't have pointy ears like elves or fairies. You don't have scales of a mermaid too... or fangs like vampires and wolves. You don't have a protective ring in your which that marks royalty as well."

"You're a witch." she hissed and eyed me closely.

"My face has nothing to do with what am I... And I am not and will never be a witch." Mariin kong pagtatanggi.