Taming the Vampire

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

M I L L E R

"Magandang umaga sa iyo, sir. Uhm, are you perhaps Master Axel's new lover?"

"Hey, stop talking nonsense! And answer me. Bakit ka nagpapanggap na si Axel?"

Napapikit na naman ulit si Kristoff nang taasan ko siya ng boses. Despite his big build and intimidating aura as a vampire, he is surprisingly a coward. The longer we talk, the more scared he looks.

"H-H-Hindi po ako masama!" he said, still trembling in fear.

Bakit siya natatakot sa akin? Sa aming dalawa siya ang pinaka-delikado because he is a vampire and I am a mere human. Hindi ko maiwasan na bumuntong-hininga sa kaduwagan niya. Hindi ko inaasahan ang gap na ipinapakita nita ngayon. I thought vampires are all confident beings, obviously, I am wrong about it.

"Alright. Alright. Hindi ka na masama." Not that I suspected him to be good either. "But you only have to answer my question," saglit akong huminto sa pagsasalita tapos nagtanong ng, "What is your intention in posing as Axel Wesley?" I wonder if Axel himself knew about this.

Hindi ulit mapakali si Kristoff at nakayuko na lumapit sa akin ng konti sabay bulong ng, "C-Can we talk somewhere else? Sa lugar na matao sana... baka kasi anong gawin mo sa akin sa tagong lugar na ito," he mumbled while fidgeting his finger.

I sighed. "You're unexpectedly a coward, huh."

He showed me an awkward smile. Well, I also thought the same. He is a vampire after all. I should not let my guard down.

Kagaya ng kanyang hiling ay pumunta nga kami sa mataong lugar. But I had him change his appearance to Axel's first since his unusual looks could catch everyone's attention. Although Axel's appearance does the same, a familiar face is better than a strange one.

Pumwesto kami gilid ng mismong entrance ng CAS building. May mga bench kasi doon. Maliban sa bukas ang lugar, pinili ko rin ito dahil sa malayo ang pagitan ng dalawang bench sa isa't isa. Gawa sa bato ang mga bench kaya imposible itong ilipat, at isa pa hanggang dalawang tao lang din ang kasya dito. With me and (the fake) Axel together, no one will dare to approach us. Siguro pagtitinginan kami, pero walang lalapit sa amin.

"Here is fine, right? The place is open, I won't be able to hurt you," sabi ko kahit na baliktad naman talaga dapat, "and since it is just us in this seat, we still have the privacy we need." Mahirap na at baka may makarinig pa sa usapan namin tungkol sa mga bampira.

We would only sound like a pair of literature students practising their lines on their theater play dahil sa hindi kapani-paniwala naming usapan.

"Now, where's your answer?" I said.

Nagtutunog bossy na ako nito. Do all young vampires acts liked this?

"Uh-ngh... Hindi ako sigurado kung dapat ko ba 'tong sabihin sa'yo, sir."

"Come on, nahuli na kita. Besides, I know about you guys. I know what you are, and I live with your bos– I mean... master anyway. Bakit ka pa nag-aalinlangan?."

Umangat ang mga kilay ni Kristoff. "Nakatira kayo sa iisang bubong?" hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong. "Paano?"

"What? I thought you knew about that since you helped me at that time."

"Uh... hindi, eh, " he replied as he reluctantly smiled. Sa pagkakataon na ito ay naka-kurba na pataas ang dalawa niyang kilay. "Sinabi lang ni Master sa amin na nasa kritikal kang kondisyon. Nabanggit niya rin na isa kang mortal but he never said what relationship you have with him."

I was in a critical condition?

I thought I just passed out. Hmm. Axel sure has a lot of lies.

Besides, tama rin na hindi na niya binanggit sa kanila ang ugnayan naming dalawa. Mukhang mali ko pa ata na sinabi ko ito kay Kristoff.