Wolves and Witches

The Pack

Elenaia contentedly sat on a bench near the water fountain at the Luneta Park. Erio stood diligently behind her while eyeing every passer-by. He wore dark jeans and a checkered polo shirt, while the princess chose a navy blue plain Sunday dress. They took their clothes from Divisoria last night. Magic was prohibited to be used against civilians as it has been a part of every witch’s and wizard’s ethics, only the good ones though, but at times like these, they can’t afford to be ethical.

They can’t wear their usual wardrobe as bystanders and civilians, who cannot seem to find useful things to do with their time and flooded the park instead, would raise their eyebrows and questions at them.

Faye leaned against the coconut trunk behind them. She refused to wear other clothes aside from what she wore for the past months. But despite all that, her sweet rose smelling scent made Erio distracted.

After their long chase and lengthy talk yesterday, they flew back again to Manila, ransacked a clothes shop while the store keeper became dazed from a spell, and they had been waiting there at the park since evening.

“Are they even coming?” called out Faye. She hated wasting time. She hated looking at the people around her. She hated being in her human form. She hated feeling vulnerable. She hated everything.

“We don’t know actually.” smiled the princess.

“Maybe, this wait would teach you a thing or two on patience.” whispered Erio.

“Patience is a waste of time. And I could hear you clearly.” she sneered behind him. Erio was surprised that despite being in human form, she still has a keen hearing. Women, he sighed.

“What I meant was, we don’t actually know what time they’re coming, but for sure they will come.” clarified the princess.

Jarius woke early that day. His shift wouldn’t start until four in the afternoon but he had another thing in his mind. He made up his mind last night.

“I thought your shift’s not until four? Did you change your schedule?” Her aunt asked not taking her eyes off the morning paper.

“Uhm, our head nurse said that I would fill in for one of the nurse today.” He lied. His aunt wouldn’t interrogate as well. She didn’t even heard what he just said.

After breakfast, she hurried his two sons to finish up for school. She spat and snapped at his cousins until they were inside their car and drove off. His uncle worked overseas.

His aunt worked on a direct selling company and she won’t be back until evening. Jarius threw on his complete uniform after taking a shower to support his lie in the event his aunt came back. He locked the house, waited as a tricycle passed and rode off to the bus station.

He didn’t know where to go but his instinct told him to take this bus and that jeepney. After two hours of battling the bumper to bumper traffic in Metro Manila, he found himself walking along Luneta.

The fang shaped necklace which he wore since that night glowed on and off. Unsure whether other people could see it or not, he tucked it again inside his uniform. He headed towards the water fountain.

The necklace felt as warm as before. For the past nights, Reven couldn’t sleep from the warmth that came from it but he couldn’t understand why despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to put it away.

He thought, maybe because it reminded him of the time his parents left him at a children’s home in Baguio when he was five. He remembered it all too well as it was the last time that he saw them though he can vaguely make-out what they looked like after fifteen years. They promised that they would comeback for him. But they didn’t.